I just spent 80 minutes on hold waiting for the IRS to pick up my call (long story of why I needed to call them). I turned on the speaker phone and put the phone on top of my son's high-chair because i was tired of holding it. As I'm pulling my hand back, I accidentally knocked the phone off of the high-chair. The hold music stopped. I knew what had happened. My call was now lost.

I will never get that 80 minutes of my life back.

Which gets me thinking... what other moments of my life have gone to waste?

I'm looking forward to my ordination service in the Central Worship Center this weekend. In my preparation, I have been blessed by a book by John Piper called "Don't Waste Your Life".It's a great read, and entirely apropos as I consider what just happened.

While my IRS interaction is almost comical, many other times I have wasted my life in far less humorous ways. It is those things I need to repent of.

For the moment, though, I'll laugh. I hope this isn't what universal healthcare is like!

While the very premise of the question is wrong--the audience of worship is not you, but God--the responses were really good things to hear.

To sum it up, most of the responses centered around three things:

What I have come to realize (and sort of grieve over) is that worship leaders' biggest enemy is themselves. It frustrates me greatly that many people do not want a worship leader. What they want is a song leader.

I am not a song leader. If you want someone who is a good singer and is a Christian, that shouldn't be hard to find. In fact, that is what most churches have found. There is no question in my mind that many, many worship leaders are people who have given up on a dream of musical stardom and turned to the church to make money doing what they love. This is a sad, but true reality.

Because of the lack of pastoral leadership among worship leaders, people have come to be frustrated by their leaders' lack of biblical knowledge and lack of preparation.

Let me explain: when you are a song leader, the success of your ministry is seen in how good the music is, how well it is performed, and how smoothly the service goes.

When you are a worship leader/pastor, the fruit of your ministry cannot primarily be observed inside a worship service. Sure, people will sing out more when they are responding to God. Sure, the atmosphere is more electric among believers who trust more and more in Jesus. However, the real fruit is seen in the daily lives of the people who you minister to and with.

I would much rather have a worship service that sounds like junk (as long as it's the absolute best you can offer to God...that's a whole other blog post) and a church full of people who are living out their faith in obedience to Christ than a service that sounds like a bunch of pros singing with and to a bunch of people doing their "Sunday thing".

Worship leaders/pastors need to be called to more than music. They need to hone their musical skills, but more importantly they need to hone their biblical skills.

Song leaders should go lead a sing-along. Worship leaders should lead an encounter that meets with the heart of God.

Good insights on that post. All leaders should take it to heart... but let's not forget that worship is about the people, not the program.

Double the links, double the fun!

20. I know what you did last summer! True story: I have been arrested in NJ in the past three years--and my name doesn't come up. I'm actually disappointed!

19. My buddy Paul has a great post that outlines Religion vs. the Gospel. Good stuff!

18. Cancel vacation to Mauntauk... NOW!

17. Someone tell John Mayer that Macs are user friendly... "Don't Give Up!"

16. Wow. I don't know whether to be impressed or concerned.

15. You thought our coffee at Emergence was REAL?

14. Got 5 bucks?

13. Hmmm. Got a Motorola V195 phone? Prepare to die.

12. He eats ears and has weird taste. Go figure.

11. Brian McLaren is endorsing Barack Obama. Am I surprised? Not sure...

10. Grandpa John has gone off the deep end.

9. Stinkin Awesome. RIP, Yankee Stadium.

8. George Washington spent $70,000 a year on alcohol?

7. When this stuff is going on, it is a dark day in America. Wait... did I just use a slur?

6. Like Magazines? Keep your eye here. Looks kinda cool...

5. My pregnant wife just cried a little inside.

4. The Wal-Marts are Coming!!!! Run for your lives!

3. This is sad. The reserve wasn't met?? Chad must be depressed now.

2. Completely Non-Christian site (warning!) reveals the 8 most hypocritical Christian Athletes. Eye opening... **sorry... REMOVED... content got a little (a lot) risque**

1. I completely concur. Anyone else feel this way?

Well, that's all for now. Lots more on the way!

Later on in the day, I was asked to go and visit a man who is on the downside of a battle with cancer in his home. I know the family very well, and I was happy to go there. It's always a little bit odd, because I didn't really know the guy at all, and here I am, sharing in a choice moment with him before he leaves this earth. As I usually do, I asked the family where he was at spiritually, and I quickly got the idea that they wanted me to share the Gospel with him, and were really looking forward to hearing that he responded and accepted Christ. I don't know why, but from the description of where he was at, there was a part of me that said, "I'll share, but don't expect anything."

To make a long story short, I went in his darkened room in his home and we immediately connected. He began sharing with me, though it was a struggle for him to talk, and here I was, a 28 year old young pastor offering this 81 year old man spiritual guidance (that always blows my mind... like how does that even work?!?).

This man, who from all accounts had turned people away and was feeling very stubborn in his perdicament, completely softened with me. He asked me the conversation-changing question: "so, where do you work?"  It was as if God was laughing at me and my lack of faith. I, of course, laughed to myself at the thought I had doubted God and proceeded to tell him I work at the Chapel, which led to a wide open door to share the Gospel.

I shared Scripture with him from Isaiah 53, John 3, John 10, John 14, Ephesians 2, 1 John 1, and others. I prayed with him, and gave him the option to, if he really believed to pray the prayer in his own heart, in his own way. It was my way of not forcing him to verbally repeat, knowing it was a struggle for him to talk. It also gave him and easy out if he didn't want to respond.

I began to pray outloud and left space in between phrases for him to offer up a similar prayer in his heart. After the first phrase..."Lord, I know I am a sinner..." I was absolutely blown away to hear an effortful voice repeat "Lord, I know I am a sinner..."  He was verbally responding!!!

I struggled through the prayer, thanking God in my heart while simultaneously trying not to cry. I walked out and told his family what had happened.It was as if the family had just won the lottery.

God didn't need me there. He just used me there. I am still blown away by how God uses people, in spite of their own failings. If I had expected it to happen, would it have occurred? I don't know. What I do know is that I should never be shocked that God changes lives. 

Here's to seeing Bob on the other side... and to God for knocking me out.

UPDATE - I had the great honor and privilege of being with Bob when he went home to be with the Lord on Saturday. At 10:00am on July 19, 2008, Bob was taken out of this world and was ushered into the presence of God.

His family asked me to sing "I Can Only Imagine" and as I did, choking back the tears, Bob finally stopped fighting. He relaxed and was at peace. We started singing "How Great Thou Art" and at around the second verse, Bob left the struggle of his earthly body and entered a place of eternal rest.

There is something to be envied about death. But as I told Bob before he left, some of us still have work to be done here.

My thoughts and prayers are with Bob's wife, Marge. As she cried and kissed his forehead after he passed, I couldn't help but think about how great their reunion will be someday.

I am not turning it off.

I am sitting here watching what I believe is probably the best testimony about the power of Jesus Christ that the mainstream world has ever seen. I don't say that lightly.

Before tonight, I had never heard of a guy named Josh Hamilton. I am a recovering Texas Ranger fan, so I have lost track of the major players. The Yankees have won my heart over the years. No matter how I feel about the Rangers, Josh Hamilton is now my favorite player of all time.

On the field, the guy is insane. He just hit 28 home runs in the first round of the Derby. That's a new record. An impressive feat, yes. But who is this guy?

It turns out there's a good reason I have never heard of Josh Hamilton. At 18 years old, he was the first pick of the 1999 MLB draft. The (Devil) Rays drafted him, and he was expected to ignite their team to the top.

Hamilton got a huge signing bonus with the Rays--$3.96 million. He started playing in the minor league system, and was well on his way to the majors. Things seemed to be going well. 

In 2001, Hamilton began experimenting with drugs. He started with "lighter drugs" and then began using cocaine--which led to crack cocaine. He was an addict. He blew his signing bonus, his drive, and his baseball career.

"Not that long ago, there were nights I went to sleep in strange places praying I wouldn't wake up. After another night of bad decisions, I'd lie down with my heart speeding inside my chest like it was about to burst through the skin. My thinking was clouded, and my talent was one day closer to being totally wasted."

In 2003 he was kicked out by Major League Baseball for drug abuse. He disappeared from the public eye.

Hamilton entered rehab and got clean in 2005.

After being out of baseball for 3 years, Hamilton (once the number one pick of the MLB draft!) was picked up third in the Rule 5 (Amateur) draft. He was starting over. No signing bonus. No hype. Josh Hamilton was back in baseball.

"My wife, Katie, told me this day would come. At my lowest point, about three years ago, when I was wasting away to skin and bones and listening to nobody, she told me I'd be back playing baseball someday. She had no reason to believe in me. During that time, I did nothing to build my body and everything to destroy it. I'd go five or six months without picking up a ball or swinging a bat. By then, I'd been in rehab five or six times -- on my way to eight -- and failed to get clean. I was a bad husband and a bad father, and I had no relationship with God. Baseball wasn't even on my mind.

And still Katie told me, "You're going to be back playing baseball, because there's a bigger plan for you." I couldn't even look her in the eye. I said something like, "Yeah, yeah, quit talking to me."

"I go to sleep every night with a clear mind and a clear conscience. Every day, I walk into an immaculate clubhouse with 10 TVs and all the food I can eat, a far cry from the rat-infested hellholes of my user past. I walk to my locker and change into a perfectly clean and pressed uniform that someone else hung up for me. I grab a bat and a glove and walk onto a beautifully manicured field to play a game for a living.

How am I here? I can only shrug and say, "It's a God thing." It's the only possible explanation."

And here he is. The all time Home Run Derby record holder. He said tonight that he had a dream that he was in the Home Run Derby a while ago. Sounds like a good dream. All his dreams weren't good ones, though...

"Within my first week of sobriety in October 2005 -- after I showed up at my grandmother's house in Raleigh in the middle of the night, coming off a crack binge -- I had the most haunting dream. I was fighting the devil, an awful-looking thing. I had a stick or a bat or something, and every time I hit the devil, he'd fall and get back up. Over and over I hit him, until I was exhausted and he was still standing.

I woke up in a sweat, as if I'd been truly fighting, and the terror that gripped me makes that dream feel real to this day. I'd been alone for so long, alone with the fears and emotions I worked so hard to kill. I'm not embarrassed to admit that after I woke up that night, I walked down the hall to my grandmother's room and crawled under the covers with her. The devil stayed out of my dreams for seven months after that. I stayed clean and worked hard and tried to put my marriage and my life back together. I got word in June 2006 that I'd been reinstated by Major League Baseball, and a few weeks afterward, the devil reappeared.

It was the same dream, with an important difference. I would hit him and he would bounce back up, the ugliest and most hideous creature you could imagine. This devil seemed unbeatable; I couldn't knock him out. But just when I felt like giving up, I felt a presence by my side. I turned my head and saw Jesus, battling alongside me. We kept fighting, and I was filled with strength. The devil didn't stand a chance.

You can doubt me, but I swear to you I dreamed it. When I woke up, I felt at peace. I wasn't scared. To me, the lesson was obvious: Alone, I couldn't win this battle. With Jesus, I couldn't lose."

Josh's life has been changed completely.

"But there is one story that sticks with me, so much so that I think of it every day. I was driving out of the players' parking lot at Great American Ball Park after a game in May, with Katie and our two girls. There's always a group of fans standing at the curb, hoping to get autographs, and I stop to sign as many as I can.

And on this particular night, a little boy of about 9 or 10, wearing a Reds cap, handed me a pen and something to sign. Nothing unusual there, but as I was writing the boy said, "Josh, you're my savior."

This stopped me. I looked at him and said, "Well, thank you. Do you know who my savior is?"

He thought for a minute. I could see the gears turning. Finally, he smiled and blurted out, "Jesus Christ." He said it like he'd just come up with the answer to a test. "That's exactly right," I said."

This guy is the real deal. He didn't write all of this on some obscure blog or some little-read book. His testimony is right out front. These quotes were taken from an article he wrote on ESPN.com.

In a world of half-hearted, shallow shout outs to Jesus at sporting events, this guy is the real deal. It is so interesting how the world takes notice, too. Karl Ravech, from ESPN, just said live on the air "Look at the way this kid's life has been changed. Look at the way he hits the ball. It's a bad night to be an atheist."

Tomorrow, baseball becomes boring again. Tonight, it is the best sport I've ever seen.

*******

UPDATE: Josh didn't win the Derby--but he stayed classy. Well played, Hamilton. Well played.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Here's the video of all of his home runs from the other night!

Here's the top ten things that have caught the attention of the bored side of my brain:

10. I think we should start doing this every time we say "God" at Emergence.

9. The official footwear at Emergence during summer: now good for your health!

8. I'm definitely faster than cheese... (See #9)

7. The obvious reason I am drawn to cheeseburgers...

6. I would have never expected this... does anyone watch The Hills? I'm clueless. Heidi wants to be a Christian singer? And what in the world is a Non-Denominational Baptist? LOL

5. These guys should definitely open the All-Star game.

4. Is this really necessary? Are architects really that bored?

3. I must thank David Crowder for bringing my attention to this clip. Radiohead never sounded so good.

2. Ummmm... doesn't this completely defeat the definition of Evangelical? 57%? Stupid survey, people.

1. Oh my. Our church is so tame. We should start kicking people in the face. WHAT?!?

Unusually odd batch of links this time. Have fun.

Church signs are an interesting thing. They are a weird phenomena in that they seem to exist in some parallel dimension that is completely irrelevant to the rest of the world. The people who put words on these signs have the same disease--they are convinced that their sayings, however lame and cheesy they may be, are going to draw people to their church.

Let's examine this facts here. I have heard a lot of stories of how people come to a given church. I have heard tons of life-change stories that started when something caught the person's attention--usually a friend, sometimes an experience, rarely a church service. I have never heard a life change story or a story about someone coming to a church that had anything to do with a church sign. If anything, the signs have become such a point of negative attention that they have, at times, turned people away.

No one cares that U R what is missing from CH _ _ CH.
No one will respond to "Don't be depressed, get blessed."
People will run from "Need Home Improvement: Come to Church"

Look, I love you... but earth to churches: no one is coming to your church because of your witty sign! In fact, the very fact that you feel you need a witty sign to draw people is in direct opposition to the fact that what draws people is God.

So, next time you're tempted to write "Open Mouth, Insert Grace"... please... exercise some self-control. Open your sign, take out your silly saying, and replace with your service times or your website address.Your community will thank you.

So, here it is... another 10 diversions from your work week. Enjoy!

10. When I think of an atheist's nightmare, I think of Billy Graham, maybe Lee Strobel, sometimes Mark Driscoll. I can honestly say I have never thought of a banana, or even peanut butter. Go figure. (LOL @ the non-stick surface)

9. woah. no, really... woah.

8. This is a great idea. Support a cause AND get clothing. Reminds me of one of my favorite clothing companies. Check them out!

7. Get ready for the disclaimers above the door in church.

6. This should be required reading for anyone opening up an email account.

5. Unfortunate indeed. I'm watching the NBA finals right now. Am I going to hell?

4. I love it when Mark gets angry. It makes me smile.

3. I think I just ruined my diet by merely looking at these pictures. Where did I put my Crestor?

2. Wow. This guy is going to need some major counseling.

1. Maria Sue is home.

On a serious note, I am amazed by the faith and humility of Steven Curtis Chapman. Were it not for God working through him and his ministry early on in my faith, I don't know that I would be involved in worship today. My prayers are with their family.

See you next time!

Here are the top 10 20 links you may have missed on the net over the past two weeks. Thanks again to those of you who sent me some links. It's great to hear from you!

20. Note to self: do not disrupt this church service! Does anyone else think this is horrible? I know it is a tough situation, but come on!

19. Wow. I'm so glad I don't live in Saudi Arabia. I think my wife is beautiful. This would be a real shame.

18. For this amount of money, I had better get a souvenir cow, too.

17. This is the only way I'd want to see the Red Sox win. Congrats, Jon Lester.

16. Elleore cracks me up!

15. I don't know why. This is just a little creepy.

14. I'm too dumb to live in Africa.

13. In China? Stinkin' insane!

12. David Crowder is my hero. Miley Cyrus??

11. Wow. I am pretty much a loser compared to her.

10. Having a child? May I suggest some names?

9. New Yorkers "rude because they're smart"? Puh-leese.

8. OK. This is too cool. My birthday is September 22nd... hint hint.

7. Woah. This guy is the man. There are 8 too many guys on the field.

6. Tim Keller is amazing.

5. Some people really don't like Rick Warren.

4. How you know when you have way too much money on your hands... I like guitars, too, but...

3. One letter can mean a LOT.

2. Application: party at Ryan's house!

1. But it is a cult. Makes me thankful I live in the US.

There you go. enjoy the journey.

Here's the deal: Christian does not equal Republican. Christian does not equal Democrat. In our country, certain issues have been adopted by certain parties. It is assumed if you are pro-life, you are a republican. It is also assumed that if you care about meeting the needs of the poor, you are a Democrat. These are not political party issues. These are people issues. We should all be concerned about the poor, abortion, or taking care of the planet God has given us.

There's plenty of temptation out there to push you to one side or another of the "aisle". Andrew Jackson, over at Smart Christian has put out a great list of how we should engage in politicas as believers without "selling out". Here's that list with some observations of my own:

1 - Christians must never allow ourselves to equate the biblical Kingdom of God with any human political party or nation (John 18:36; Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 6:33, Philippians 3:20, Revelation 11:15). I may get completely lambasted for this, but America is not "God's Chosen Nation". The Republicans are not "God's Chosen Party". When we can all look at the entire world God has created and see an even playing field, we'll be a lot closer to humbly realizing the world as God created it.

2 - Christians must never allow ourselves to elevate a specific politician to a messianic or savior status (1 Peter 3:15). We see this at every political rally or event. People worship at the altar of the elephant or donkey. There has even been a huge upswing of fainting at rallys this year because of being overwhelmed by being around the "superstars". This is nuts. I see it at concerts, too... even Christian concerts. Let's not forget who the Savior is.

3 - Christians must not just vote, but more importantly, we must pray for our government and the leaders of all political parties (Matthew 5:44, 1 Timothy 2:1-2). We are to pray for everyone--especially our enemies--even political ones! We should not curse or bash the other people, just because we don't agree.

4 - Christians must always remember that our ultimate security is in Christ and in the unshakeable kingdom of God, no matter what presidential candidate or party wins (Hebrews 12:26-29). I've heard numerous times that if we elect a certain candidate over another, we are destined to be attacked and brought down to our knees as a country. While it may seem like one person's stance on defense is more hefty than another's, our ultimate security and protection is found in Christ.

5 - Christians must never allow ourselves to bring the divisiveness and polarization of political parties into the church, the family of God (Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 1:11-12). Divisiveness occurs for many reasons. Sometimes, it is trivial (music style, color of carpet, etc) and other times it is deeper. No matter how deep your political affiliation is, Christ's prayer was for us to be one. Yes! You can worship alongside of someone who supports a different party!

6 - Christians must never allow ourselves to demonize or dehumaize another person - no matter what politician it is - because every single human has been created in the image of God (Colossians 3:8, Matthew 7:1, James 4:12). Campaigns never engage in this kind of warfare, do they? Ha. Even your worst enemy was created in the image of God!

7 - Christians must never engage in angry confrontational arguments, instead of being open to learn through civil debate and dialogue (James 1:20, Philippians 2:14-16, 2 Timothy 2:14). Understanding that your opinion is not necessarily the "right" one or the only one is so crucial to discussing politics. There are good and bad sides to every candidate--every party. Let's be honest about humanity and discuss things in the right way.

8 - Christians must never allow ourselves to become so intertwined so closely with one political party that we forfeit our independent identity as followers of Christ. When we do, we lose the prophetic voice to speak and clarify biblical truth to all politicians and political parties (1 Timothy 3:15, Ephesians 4:15, Romans 3:4). The second you start raving the red or blue banner, you have lost the ability to speak to the other side without being an enemy. I don't know about you, but I'm a Christian. It's the only label I really want to thrust on myself.

9 - Christians must never allow ourselves to engage in partisan politics by supporting divisiveness between races, between male and female, between rich and poor, and between the young and old (Matthew 5:9, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Because we know the God of peace, we should be the peacemakers. Especially in a race highlighted by such diversity--a black male, a white female, and an older guy--we cannot choose sides based on gender, race, or age. That's just plain silly, besides.

10 - Christians must not allow ourselves to fall into the trap of simply cursing the darkness through negativity, instead of constructively engaging our world as perserving salt and illuminating light (Matthew 5:13-16). The only way to change soemthing is to be a part of the process. Don't stand off to the side whining. Be productive and constructive. No one likes a negative person--let alone a Christian.

So, there ya go. That's my political statement for this year. Now...go live for Christ... not for some political hack or pompous pundit.

There is never any shortage of crazy/insightful stuff out there to relay to all of you. That's the cool thing about life--it keeps going... Here is the latest round up for your perusal. Enjoy!

10. Dan Kimball comments on the mac vs. pc deathmatch. Awesome insight... did I mention I love Dan Kimball? (I know with this first one, I have alienated most of my blogger friends. The thing is... I love macs. I just don't like rabid mac elitists :))

9. Come on, Christians. Can we cut out the crazy stuff?

8. The Southern Baptist Church is now officially declining. When do we realize some things need to change?

7. Community Christian Church did a great spoof on serving religion to people in church. Check it out.

6. Willow Creek is no longer "seeker-sensitive". Now, please stop the hate mail just because I attended there for two years!

5. 1 out of 4 ain't bad. Actually, it IS.

4. Recycling has gone too far.

3. I think I'll suffer with my allergies instead.

2. I can't stand paycheck companies. No link here... just wanted to proclaim that.

1. WOW. This story from Louie Giglio floored me. Louie and Passion have been used by God AMAZINGLY. Were it not for the way God used them in my life, I probably wouldn't be leading worship today. I thank God for them.

Special thanks to the links that were sent in for the round up. Keep them coming!

See you soon. Have fun browsing!

Here are some interesting things I have come across for this installment of the round-up. Some of these stories are pretty amazing, too.

10. I was once trapped in an elevator for a while. While it wasn't very long, it felt like days. I wonder what this guy's elevator experience felt like. Woah.

9. Something about this Christian satire site amuses me and saddens me at the same time.

8. 9%? Nuh Uh... wow.

7. So, there's a portable church in Charlotte, NC that had a trailer carrying 75% of their church equipment stolen in early March. This is how they responded. Wow.

6. This woman is doing AMAZING work--leading porn stars out of the prison of the sex industry into a relationship with Jesus. Amazing.

5. Martha Stewart's dog died. Random, but sad, nevertheless.

4. Amazon has unveiled a digital music download store. DRM-free music that can be played anywhere? hmmm... iTunes who?

3. As if the Red Sox weren't enought reason to not move to Boston. Scientology schools?

2. David Crowder was asked if someone on American Idol could use his song.

1. Speaking of Idol...Did you guys catch "Shout to the Lord" on American Idol?How did it make you feel? I felt all funny inside. I also felt like I was on another planet... or watching TBN mistakenly. I actually woke Melissa up to have her watch it with me. Marital Tip: don't wake up your sleeping wife to watch American Idol :) She loves me. She took it well.

There ya go. Another healthy helping of sometimes valuable, sometimes pulp info. Enjoy!

Today, I turn my thoughts to this:
The Church is playing catch-up with culture.

There was once a time where the church was the place to turn when a person wanted to understand culture. If you were looking for the greatest creativity, innovations, advancements and leadership, you would have to look no further than Christianity. That's not to say that all of it was Christ-centered and God-honoring. The motives weren't always pure, and neither was the expression, but most of the best artists and leaders were found in the church.

Today looks a bit different. The world has YouTube...the church has GodTube. The world has radio...the church has Christian radio. The world has bookstores...the church has Christian bookstores. The world has Music Television...the church has Christian Music Television. The list goes on and on. 

It seems as though the church is always behind.

Years ago, people started this thing called "rock music". In it, people with gifts and talents expressed themselves and their message changed the world. Music now was married with morality. The messages in the songs became powerful and started movements. Unfortunately, most of these movements were focused on drugs and "free love" (we're not talking agape, here). Churches dismissed this music as "of the devil" and "rooted in carnal sexuality". Fast forward 20 years and churches began to embrace it. It became the rule of the day. Today, Christian Music is one of the fastest growing segments of the industry and has even made its way into the mainstream, with bands like Switchfoot, The Fray, FlyLeaf and Mute Math selling tons of albums and selling out shows all over the country and the world. Took us a while, huh?

It has happened in all kinds of media: television, movies, magazines and music. Christianity went from an exclusive, hermit-like culture to front page news.

The tendency is always there, however, to go back to the monastery. We have created a subculture that compares itself to the world. Case in point: ever heard soemthing like this? "If you like the Foo Fighters, you'll love Pillar" I get it! So the way we can sell more albums and reach more people is by somehow copying the style of other artists? That seems like a smart move! How about "if you like American Idol, you'll love our worship service!" That should draw 'em in! While we're at it... "If you like the Quran, you'll love the Bible!" Sounds down right ridiculous, doesn't it? 

We should have no need to compare ourselves to culture. We should have no need to copy it. My question is this: why don't we post on YouTube instead of GodTube? Why isn't the Christian music on secular radio stations?  WAIT! It is! You mean we're good enough to be on real radio? Yes. Let's get out of the bubble... when we do, good things happen.

Let's stop copying. Maybe when we stop comparing, people will actually listen. 

**update: American Idol closed their show on Wednesday night and opened their show on Thursday night with "Shout to the Lord". Interesting choice of music... maybe they are 20 years behind us?!?** 

One of those observations is that I see a big game of catch-up going on in our world. It is occurring on two sides: the world is catching up with God, and the church is catching up with culture.

The World Is Playing Catch-Up with God.

I ran across this article this morning. In it, the author outlines how scientists have discovered that many of the worst dictators and meanest people the world has ever seen can blame their cruelty on a new "ruthless gene" that has been discovered. Let the world know: these people are only acting out of response to the innate desire they have to inflict damage on others.

My mind goes two places.

First, this is an easy out for anyone who does horrible things. "I can't help it... my genetics have predispositioned me to act like this." I can see the headline now: Man Is Acquitted for Murder because of His Genetic Code. Brilliant. Just like everything else in the world, we have found a way to take the responsibility off of ourselves and place it on something that cannot be changed.

Second, from the beginning of time, God has told us that there is the capacity for evil--great evil--in all of us. Call it a gene if you like, but He named the gene sin. Way back in Genesis, God says it plainly: "The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." (Genesis 6:5) and "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood." (Genesis 8:21).

Everywhere you look, man is just catching on to what God has plainly told us from the beginning: War will be around. Man is greedy. We need to be stewards of the earth. There will always be fighting in Jerusalem. People will worship all sorts of things. Unbiblical preaching will become popular. People will give their lives to Jesus. Others will curse the name of Jesus.

The problem with genetic blame is that there is no room for change. We can't change our DNA. Therefore, Hitler will always be Hitler. Kim Jong Il will always be Kim Jong Il. I simply don't believe that is true. I have seen people turn from cruel, seemingly heartless people to followers of Jesus who are passionate about loving other people the way God has loved them. The rest of the world needs to catch up and see that.

One day they will. Our prayer is that at Emergence, we'll be a community of people that brings that very message to North Jersey. Lives can change. We know because we've been there.

In the next post, I'll talk about how the church has played catch-up with the world culturally, and how that wasn't always the case.

10. Ed Young, Jr. does a great impression of Joel Osteen. Who woulda thunk it? Ummm... yeah... I would have. You think this was staged? lol.  

9. Barbara Sue Manire is now officially one of my favorite deceased people. Such a great illustration. That'll preach.

8. The Catholic Church has added 7 new 'deadly sins'. Says the Bible to Benedict, "all sins are deadly." (Romans 6:23)

7. A third of athletes in professional sports are Christ followers. woah. 

6. Ben Stein has completed a film documenting how the world was created by God. Kinda cool.   

5. Officially the coolest gift for a musician... pun very much intended.  

4. Wow. I think I'm missing some great money making opportunities... 

3. This makes crashing on your motorcycle look downright silly.  It isn't.

2. McCain just lost the dentist vote. What's next?

1. Is your March as mad as mine? 

I'd love to see some of the 'gems' you've all found in your travels, too. Pass them on! 

A lot of this chat has come from the "emergent" movement. While we understand that makes the name "Emergence" pretty confusing, let me lay it out for you... at Emergence, we believe in the Church. We also believe in the church.

Many people take issue with decisions specific churches have made, or the operating of the church (church "politics"). I take issue with it sometimes, too--and I work for one! The bottom line is that these issues do not change the what the Bible says about church. The only way to make positive changes is to be a part of the church and help make it what it should be. Leaving the church does no good...in fact, it only hinders the church from making better choices.   

Before I get emails, let me say that I do understand that the Church is not a building... it is a body of believers. The church (with a small 'c') is the organized gathering of the Church. While there is a big difference between the two, what is clear is that the Church was never supposed to exist outside of the church. As followers of Christ, it was never intended for us to live in isolation. A person who claims to be a follower of Christ cannot live out a complete faith apart from the church. A follower of Christ cannot hate the church or speak against it, because he/she is the church.

Hebrews 10:25 says this plainly: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

In Acts, we see the early church meeting together. Gathering together as the Church has been going on as long as there have been believers.    

Acts 2:42-47: They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

It is clear that the Church was meeting together, and it was growing daily. More and more people met together... and not just in homes, but in the temple courts... as a larger body. 

If you've been keeping an eye on our current reading lists, you may have noticed a book by Ed Stetzer called Comeback Churches. It is a great book I'm in the middle of, and it confirms to me the importance of the church--especially in our age. 

In the book, Stetzer lists ten reasons that the church matters. It was a great reminder to me. I hope you're challenged by it like I am.

1. The church is the only institution that Jesus promised to build and to bless.

Matthew 16:18 - And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

2. The church is the gathering place of true worshippers.

Philippians 3:3 - For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

3. The church is the most precious assembly on earth since Jesus purchased it with His own blood. 

Acts 20:28 - Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

4. The church is the earthly expression of the heavenly reality.

Matthew 6:10 - your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

5. The church will ultimately triumph both universally and locally. (Matthew 16:18)

Matthew 16:18 - And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

6. The church is the realm of spiritual fellowship. 

Hebrews 10:22-25 - let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

7. The church is the proclaimer and protector of divine truth.

1 Timothy 3:15 - if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

8. The church is the chief place for spiritual edification and growth.

Acts 20:32 - Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

9. The church is the launching pad for world evangelism.

Mark 16:15 - He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

10. The church is the environment where strong spiritual leadership develops and matures.

2 Timothy 2:2 - And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

There ya go--just ten of many reasons we believe in the church. And remember... the church is called the "bride of Christ" in Ephesians 5:25. Don't be talking bad about His bride. If it were my bride you were talking about, I'd be pretty ticked off. 

Quite possibly one of the happiest surprises one could ever have is a person with a box of Girl Scout Cookies. Those things are amazing. They have a taste all their own. In fact, the very phrase Girl Scout Cookie has become an american tradition. To be emblazoned with the Girl Scout logo is a noble goal indeed--if you were a cookie. My noble goal was to eat as many of those things as I could before bed, and before losing an hour of sleep--call it my reward for enduring daylight savings. I digress.

So I take the box of cookies and begin to open it up. Thin Mints. Peanut Butters. Lemonades. Thanks-A-Lots. The very sound of the names makes my mouth water.

I reach in the box to discover an old friend--Samoas. Only... WAIT A MINUTE. They are not the friends I have come to know and love. Samoas have been replaced by Caramel Delights?!? WHAT?

Apparently, the Samoan people grew weary of being known only by the cookie which bears their name. You know, if I were a country, I don't think I would be upset in the least about having a tasty cookie named after me. An insect, quite possibly...but a cookie? Come on! Samoa is now destined to go back to relative obscurity. A country that I once loved for its cookie exports is now dead to me. That's sad.

In addition, when you bite into one of these "delights" the permeating flavor is not caramel--it is coconut...which just so happens to be one of Samoa's largest exports! This is ludicrous.

All in all, I'm disappointed--in the Girl Scouts, in my appetite and lack of self-control, and on behalf of all lovers of Samoans and their cookies everywhere.

#10 - Passive Aggressive Jesus?

#9 - I can sleep through anything... but apparently 1/3 of you can't. What time is it right now as you read this?

#8 - Here's an interesting interview with Joel Osteen... apparently he's pretty proud of his memory?

#7 - I found an article this week on the 12 most powerful Christians in Hollywood. Does Mel Gibson really need to come first?

#6 - A new report this week shows having a cat lowers your risk of heart attack. Looks like I should have gotten Max 8 years ago.

#5 - Dutch Catholics have branded Lent the "Christian Ramadan" to appeal to those who know more about Islam than Jesus. Does that mean Christmas is the "Christian Kwanzaa"?

#4 - Newsweek had a big article on Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Pres. Church in NYC. It's a pretty extensive article, but had inaccuracies, as Tim addressed with Ed Stetzer.

#3 - Are we really this lazy?

#2 - Gary and Evan were on Fearless Music TV this week with Article A. They need your votes to be on the show again. Great job, guys!

#1 - Emergence has begun a new Sunday Night Service, including an interactive element called "Ask Anything". Shameless, I know... but you don't want to miss this.

This is always a blast. There's far too much good stuff out there.

What could warrant such a move? The constant expansion, the rate of employee hires and turnover, as well as the inconsistency of training has led to a decline in the one thing Starbucks was once known for--quality. For 180 minutes this evening, the entire staff of Starbucks will get back to the basics: how to make a latte...how to clean the machines between each use...how to handle customers. A myriad of complaints have led to the move, and I, for one, think it is brilliant.

Sometimes (and I say this with a ministry heart), I think churches can learn a lot from lessons other organizations have learned. In this case, I can't stress enough how essential it is for churches to get back to the basics.

There was a period of time, that I believe has passed us by, when the church was obsessed with the dog-and-pony show. People showed up with the expectation that for one hour a week the church would have the best entertainment in town--and sometimes they were right. The only problem was that extertainment does not a Christ-follower make. In fact, I believe it resulted primarily in the consumerization of the Church. Church started to become all about "what I got out of it" instead of "what I gave to God." The style of music became paramount, regardless of content or context.

Even outside of the Sunday services, churches began to do everything. You interested in a group that studies the Bible dressed as forlorn clowns who have been jaded by the circus industry? Your local church probably has one of those. In fact, churches have done all they can to keep their people at church every night of the week for one activity or another. We've spent so much time in Bible studies that we've forgotten that there's a world that exists outside the church walls--a world that God loved so much that He sent Jesus.

Sometimes, I think we need a 5:30pm shutdown... a re-training of sorts--to get back to the basics: how to make disciples, how to connect with God, how to love the people. Wait, that sounds like another study. Forget I mentioned it. We don't need another group.

The basics: Love Jesus...Love People...Serve. Small group and a weekend service--with a life of worship in between. That sounds like quality.

Ryan's in Seattle--the birthplace of Starbucks. Coincidence? I don't think so. :)

UPDATE (2/27): Starbucks now says its drinks will be perfect. Note to churches... do not learn from this stupid move :)

That is at the heart of his post, which serves mainly as a review of a book written by Frank Viola and George Barna that has been recently re-released, called "Pagan Christianity".

While I have not read the book, Dan's belief is that it subscribes to a commonly held view in today's young church movement--that house churches are the only biblical and true church communities. As I said, many people hold this view today. We vehemently do not. House churches are no substitute for joining together as a larger community in worship.

House churches are biblical. In the early church, people met together in their homes to pray, discuss Scripture, and build community. They also got together as the Church with other house churches to worship corporately. We think this is a great model.

The early church was heavily influenced by Jewish worship, for obvious reasons. We know they met corporately in the temple and other places. Joining together in worship was one of the special gifts given to the church. They were unified on the day of Pentecost (Ryan will talk about that in a few weeks). This gift of unity in the Spirit was fully realized when they came together to worship corporately.

To limit yourself to only meeting in homes is to isolate yourself from the rest of the Church, which is far greater than your church.

On the flip side of the story are the many people who come on Sunday but never understand the value and strength of joining a small group. At Emergence, our hope is that every single person who comes to church on Sunday morning for corporate worship would also be a part of an Emergence house church, or small group. To be honest, we would love to see more people in small groups than in church on Sunday. The corporate stuff is all the better when a community is connected.

Ask anyone involved in one--a small group is truly a place of connection, of fun, of support, and of growth. If you're feeling disconnected from folks...if you're looking to connect to a deeper place of community and growth...join up. I don't know of anyone who has taken that step and regrets it.

There's my plug... I mean every word of it. See you in church.

#10 - Forbes has come up with its list of America's Most Sinful Cities... It kind of makes sense... our hearts are really shown through where we put our money. Maybe a money magazine IS the authority on sin... ? 

#9 - They just opened a new Outback Steakhouse near the Chapel. Whatever you do... don't order this.

#8 -  VERY interesting article and chart on the Emerging Church. I wonder where folks think Emergence fits in? I'd love to hear some feedback...

#7 - Mark Driscoll has a new book. I got my copy this week and have been reading it. Here's a review at Challies.com. While they would have reservations about recommending it, I don't. If you're over 16, and especially if you've got some questions about Jesus... read this book.  

#6 - The writer's strike is over. The shows are coming back. April 10th is a good day. 

#5 - Toshiba quits making the HD-DVD. Finally, there's only one kind of high definition disc format I can't afford.  

#4 - Found a great version of Oasis' "Wonderwall". I never realized the song could be improved upon...

#3 - I always thought frogs may have an evil agenda...

#2 - Your computer is trying to kill you. Don't say I didn't warn you... 

#1 - This is my favorite new tool... actually used one to record this weekend's video this morning. If you're looking for a quick and easy way to record and then dump to a computer... look no further.

That's all for now! As always, we'd love to hear your comments! Thanks for surfing with me.  

#10 - Church rater is asking people "what makes a good church?". The answers are interesting, and also pretty blunt, you were warned.

#9 -  Northland Church has put together a pretty sweet video showing what goes on behind the scenes to bring a worship service together. 

#8 -  Rick Warren went on The Colbert Report this week. Random and respectable. That takes guts.

#7 -  Brian McClaren says his views of Christ are completely orthodox. How shocking is that?

#6 - Tom Cruise's freaky Scientology video is leaked to the public. I'll never watch Mission Impossible the same way again.

#5 - A spitting-up baby becomes the most-tivo'd ad of the Super Bowl. We laughed... very hard.  

#4 - James Dobson says he won't vote if McCain is the nominee. It is a responsibility Mr. Dobson. A privilege that many died for. Please think... then speak.

#3 - Hannah Montana takes precedent over U2 in theatres. Wait... is this a big joke? 

#2 - Mac releases Macbook Air. Sure, it's thin... but dongles? I have to buy dongles? 

#1 - Giants.  

Hope you had fun. I know I did.  

It all started when I read that 72% of people not attending church say that the church is full of hypocrites. This isn't surprising, since what people see on TV and hear about are folks like Ted Haggard, Kenneth Copeland, and the like. All we hear is how you can have "Your Best Life Now" and live a comfortable life. Meanwhile, the Christian life in Scripture looks anything but comfortable. Hypocrites? Yeah... the church is full of them. At the heart of the issue is a common misunderstanding. The church is not for people who have "arrived". Those kind of folks, who believe they have it all together, "don't need the church or God". The church is a hospital, a place for broken people who are in process of being healed--incomplete people being made whole. However, I think there is more to this story:

There's an author and pastor named Erwin McManus who commented recently on a great shortcoming in the church: self-centeredness. I have heard more discussions in my years as a churchgoer about what style is best, what preacher is best, what translation is best, what model is best... than compassion or urgency about reaching and serving those who don't know Christ. I have been just as guilty of it as anyone else. There goes the hypocrisy again.

So, isn't this congruent? A group of people following the one most humble, most compassionate, least assuming, most sacrificing person ever to walk the earth is seen as hypocritical by those outside of the church.

Ed Stetzer was on CNN this week.

In his interview, he discussed the latest research about the openness of unchurched folks to talking about their spiritual beliefs.

People are longing to see Jesus. They are longing to know Him.

That's why at Emergence, we really believe in the mission:
Love Jesus. Love People.

In doing that, we'll plow a counter-culture that people will have to take notice of...
not because we've arrived, but because we haven't.
not because we're self-sufficient, but because we need Him.
not because we're comfortable, but because we're gladly uncomfortable for Him.

Let's make the discussions about the things Jesus would talk about. That's what the world wants to hear about anyway.

This weekend will be historic. The underdog New York Football Giants are going to take down the Patriots. Mark my words. They probably won't win in all reality, but they should. If they do, I told you so. If they don't, I told you they wouldn't. Either way, I win.

The Giants should win, purely because they are biblical. Are there any patriots in the Bible? I think not.

Would a patriot stand a chance against Goliath (99" tall!)? I suppose if David beat Goliath, it is possible. (1 Samuel 17)

What may be a better question is this: how would the Patriots stand up to the Nephilim (the "giants" mentioned in Genesis 6?). That passage probably wasn't really referring to actual giants anyway. Another bad example. (Genesis 6:4)

How about the Anakites? They were a nation of giants who terrorized the Israelite spies when they traveled to check out the promised land. Wait... Joshua actually led the Israelites to victory over them. Foiled again. (Joshua 11:21)

Sippai was another giant. He was a Rephaite--one of a number of giants mentioned in the Bible from that tribe. Wait... Sippai was killed, too. (1 Chronicles 20:4)

Giants may be biblical... but they sure didn't fair too well in their battles. I think it is about time that some Giants prevailed. And when you think about it, aren't the undefeated Patriots the real giants, here?

Happy Superbowl Sunday everyone...