tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35320982824792054112024-02-20T12:37:10.211-05:00he's only chasing safetyHonestly, say this with a straight face. What are you waiting for?he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-66075269555367707982008-08-01T22:49:00.002-04:002008-08-01T22:50:03.031-04:00Nothing New Under the SunI'm trying a new site. Go see it and tell me what you think.<br /><br /><a href="http://hesonlychasingsafety.wordpress.com">http://hesonlychasingsafety.wordpress.com</a>he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-70606585233293382012008-07-02T22:16:00.003-04:002008-07-02T22:28:57.982-04:00Is it Progression if a Cannibal Uses a Fork?I was intrigued the other day to find that Brian McLaren is apparently an "informal adviser" to Barack Obama. Since leaving his church, Obama may have needed a more relaxed and tolerant religious influence, thus McLaren is definitely a perfect fit for him. Here's what McLaren said recently concerning the Obama campaign:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"I think there's a very, very sizable percentage -- I think between a third and half -- of evangelicals, especially younger [evangelicals], who are very open to somebody with a new vision," McLaren said.</span><br /><br />A friend of mine recently told me that he feels that just like right-wing conservatives have had knee-jerk reactions in the past on certain liberal issues, there is now a similar knee-jerk reaction among the younger generation going the other way. There's a big rush to usher in a new era of social justice and tolerance that's resulting in a mad scramble to raise the Obama flag and begin the redeeming of this country from it's narrow-minded, intolerant mindset. However, all of this prompts one glaring question in my mind:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What are you waiting for?</span><br /><br />It seems that some have forgotten the very principles that define social justice, tolerance, and compassion. Why do we think a new president, new programs, and some new renewed sense of justice will change things when November rolls around instead of making the change in ourselves right now?<br /><br />Look, this isn't some anti-Obama statement, it's just me pointing out the reality that you and I have the resources to begin impacting our communities (and the world) more than any president ever will. We each know people personally, have connections, and are in positions to begin bringing about social justice right now in our own towns and cities.<br /><br />Find the homeless shelters in your area, donate your clothes, volunteer at a soup kitchen, encourage the brokenhearted, give someone a ride or help change a flat tire, promote racial harmony, and encourage everyone you know to do the same (need I go on?).<br /><br />After Jesus' resurrection, why did he ascend to heaven and leave his people behind to carry on his work? Hadn't they all proved that they were capable of failure and falling short of the mark? The fact is, he knew that he had provided what they needed and would continue to do so. We've been given the best example of justice, mercy, and compassion we could ever ask for! So instead of waiting for someone to get into office and change things, let's change our hearts and start living out what we've been called to.<br /><br />If you want to vote for Obama in November, more power to you - I myself am not voting. But whatever you do, don't wait for someone else to bring change, start making the change yourself and invite others to join you. Perhaps we can make a bigger difference in this world than any politician ever could.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-47290274636244588702008-06-18T13:04:00.005-04:002008-06-19T11:56:07.560-04:00When I Get Home You're So DeadFor some reason, I had a very startling and terrifying realization today. Perhaps everyone else has already pondered this idea and dealt with it, and if so, I apologize. However, I've heard little about the subject and felt that it would be good to share it.<br /><br />Throughout history, the Christian church as a whole has done some absolutely great things (by the grace of God, I might add) but as we all <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">painfully know</span>, the church has also done some very foolish and detestable things. Heretics burned at the stake, a whole race of people almost completely wiped away from their native land in the name of manifest destiny, proud slave owners in the church and a complete abuse and disrespect for African Americans in the church even after slavery was abolished.<br /><br />There's no shortage of horror stories in the history of the church, but have you considered this - what will our great grand children be disgusted by when they look back at our generation of Christians?<br /><br />Sure, we'd like to think we have it all figured out, but time has shown that we are more than capable of creating atrocities in the name of Christ and often do. What will our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">legacy</span> be? Will it be our complete disregard of the poverty, disease, and death that plague our neighbors despite our sickening wealth and resources? We as the church collectively bat our eyes as we get bombarded with stories, pictures and facts of a poverty stricken world. Will we allow our shaking heads, light sighs, and "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tsk</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tsk</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">tsks</span>" to be what we leave for our future brothers and sisters in Christ to remember us for?<br /><br />Perhaps it will be our absolute raping of the environment even after we've been warned time and time again that will be the lasting picture of our generation. Despite the fact we've been entrusted by God to care for His creation, we have rudely spit in the face of the Great Artist who provided air for us to breath, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">sunsets</span> for us to enjoy, and wildlife for us to protect. Do we want to be the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">generation</span> of Christians who sat back and bulldozed the environment for the sake of bigger and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">cooler</span> congregations who cared nothing for God's creation?<br /><br />Maybe we will be remembered for our complete lack of cooperation with our brothers and sisters at any cost. At a time when unity is beyond a necessity, we have once again chosen to draw lines and point fingers, choosing instead to pridefully pat ourselves on the back for our correctness. Last week at the annual conference for the Southern Baptist Convention, a motion was made to cease all friendly cooperation with churches who allow women in particular roles of ministry. <em>All friendly cooperation.</em><br /><em></em><br />Sure, it's one person making the motion, but make no mistake, denominational <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">pridefulness</span> is rampant and will only continue to burn bridges and cause divisions until no one from outside the church has any desire to be a part of our Christian community. Is this the legacy we want to leave?<br /><br />I'm no more enlightened than anyone else and have no "quick fix" answer to give. I'm just pointing out what I see that could eventually come back to haunt us. Those of you who know me may be getting ready to call me on my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">hypocrisy</span>, but rest assured that my hand is shamefully raised and accepting of the blame that comes from these accusations. My hope and prayer is that by the grace of God we can muster the strength and integrity to repair our damages, realizing we will be held accountable for what we leave in our wake.<br /><br />Thank you Jesus for being so very, very patient with us.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-66651584946821173622008-06-13T14:39:00.002-04:002008-06-13T18:21:24.361-04:00Why Christian Hip Hop Isn't a FailureSorry it's been so long. I've been enjoying my time away from school work since my classes ended back in May and I've also taken time away from blogging. Frankly, I don't have too much to say, but the things I have been wanting to talk about have taken awhile to form themselves into worthwhile posts inside my head. This post is a response to the article <a href="http://www.christandpopculture.com/music/the-failure-of-christian-hip-hop/">The Failures of Christian Hip Hop</a> posted on April 29th of this year by Scott Schultz at the site Christ and Pop Culture.<br /><br />The article has received an abundant amount of feedback from hip hop fans and non hip hop listeners alike, as it raises several questions about the effectiveness of Christians in hip hop and the success of the genre as a whole. Schultz admits in the article as being an outsider of Christian hip hop and is making his arguments based on what he has seen from the genre. Currently, another article is in the process of being written for the same site by Alan Noble, who is interviewing several artists and others involved in Christian hip hop to get a more rounded view of the issue.<br /><br />Back in 1999, I came to know Christ as my personal Lord and Savior thanks in part to a good friend of mine who knew I was into hip hop sharing music with me from several Christian rap artists. We soon started our own group, recording a four song ep, playing shows around the area, and even got our own Christian hip hop radio show on a local station. In the past several years, I have had the pleasure of hosting other hip hop shows, writing for sphereofhiphop.com and Feed Magazine, and interviewing and spending time with many different Christian hip hop artists. I feel like I have a pretty good history and understanding of the genre, albeit not as much as others, but I do believe I can give a good defense of the genre and explain why it's not a failure and why we may need to redefine our definition of success.<br /><br /><strong>First, hip hop is community based</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Have you ever wondered why you can name the hometown city of any rapper you've ever heard of? Why can't we do this with other genres? (Sure, there are other bands and artists that we could easily state where they're from, but the fact is that this is much more prevalent in hip hop). The reason is because of the strong sense of community that lies in the roots of hip hop music. Even the beginnings of hip hop involved a desire to embrace your community and represent the area you call home. This is why so much respect lies in one's community and why "beefs" often erupt and cause divisions based on city, coast, area, etc.<br /><br />Even rappers who don't "make it big" as far as radio play and MTV rotations are concerned can still be some of the most respected and locally famous rappers around. If you want proof, begin going city to city and polling people on their favorite rappers. You'll find that city to city, the name of the rapper will be different and it will always consist of rappers from the area. A perfect example of this is Playdough. Playdough is one half of the group ill Harmonics and is also part of Phonetic Composition and Deepspace 5. While ill Harmonics garnered some attention in the 90s as part of MTVs show "The Cut," Playdough and the other acts he has been involved in have never had breakthrough success that resulted in million plus record sales. However, on your next trip to Dallas, Texas (Playdough's home city) begin asking around about him. He's a regular fan-favorite battler and freestyler in the area for years and just last year was on Dallas' 97.9 The Beat's weekly listener-voted freestyle battle, Playdough reached the maximum amount of consecutive wins before having to be retired so others could have a chance.<br /><br />Even in a hip hop mecca like Los Angeles, local crews like Tunnel Rats and LA Symphony have the respect of their peers and local hip hop listeners. In college, I was part of a weekly hip hop talk show with three other people, one of which was Salimar Madera from L.A. Upon meeting her and asking her if she knew who LA Symphony was, she replied "Of course! Everyone knows who they are." San Fransico hip hop listeners are focused on the rappers on their local label Quannum Projects. You MAY have heard one of the rappers from this label, Lyrics Born in a Diet Coke commercial a few years back. Otherwise, you'll have to hit the local clubs and radio stations to get a taste of what San Fran hip hop fans listen to. For many rappers, gaining the respect of their city is the highest achievement you could ask for. Even those who manage to breakthrough to mainstream media still always pride in their hometown. For someone who doesn't understand the importance of respect that lies deep in the heart of hip hop, a locally respected rapper with little to no mainstream success could easily be considered a failure, despite indications that point to the opposite.<br /><br /><strong>Second, the Christian market failed to understand hip hop<br /></strong><br />The final remaining urban label in the Christian market, Gotee Records, recently cut ties with their major distribution companies and went back to being an independent label. In the process, they were forced to cut all hip hop acts besides John Reuben. In the late nineties and early 2000s, it looked like Tooth and Nail sub-label Uprok Records, along with Gotee, Grapetree, and several other independent hip hop labels signed onto major Christian distributors were destined for success that would have made this whole issue irrelevant. Instead, the big wigs in the Christian music industry dropped the ball on marketing the music to hip hop fans, and instead attempted infiltrating suburban youth groups and failed to see real results. What happened next was an arms-in-the-air "we give up" fire sale which resulted in hip hop acts in the clearance bin and a complete shutdown of record labels, leaving respected hip hop artists with no home and no money wondering how they were going to continue making music.<br /><br />The only remaining hip hop acts signed to a Christian label are KJ-52, John Reuben, and Manafest, who now apparently define what Christian hip hop is. I don't want to use this particular post to bash these guys, but I will say that the Christian music industry was and is clueless when it comes to marketing hip hop. But hey, KJ sells well to the youth group crowd, so why not keep it up?<br /><br />You could easily point the finger at "lackluster" artists without knowing what good hip hop is and without hearing the stories of those involved in the situation who saw CEOs that didn't care to listen to what people were saying about the genre and how it should work and watched their careers and their music get slapped in the face. Many of these artists are now signed to underground secular labels, independent labels, or are just releasing their music on their own via the internet or the ol' "out of the trunk" style. Despite the failures of the Christian labels, good Christian hip hop music is still around and is still making an impact if you take the time to look for it.<br /><br /><strong>Third, hip hop is still affecting lives for Christ</strong><br /><p>This next section has nothing to do with platinum records and MTV Video Music Awards. Call it corny if you like, but Christian hip hop artists (through the creation of good and relevant music) have been and are still having an affect on the lives of listeners in the name of Jesus Christ. I'm just one example of someone who came to know Christ partly through good Christian hip hop music.<br /><br />Crossover Ministries in Tampa, Florida, is a Christian community developed over a decade ago that is influencing thousands of lives through urban ministry in the form of hip hop. Cross Movement Ministries, a project of the Cross Movement, is doing the same in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Likewise, other communities are seeing the affects of hip hop ministry in their areas. The fact of the matter is, as much as everyone would like to see some of these deserving Christian artists sell a million records, the absolute number one reason for making this music is to use it to share the love of Christ with listeners. That doesn't mean that both can't be done together, as I already anticipate the response of "Well, (insert mainstream rapper here) is sharing their message and is having a bigger impact on its listeners than any Christian rapper I know of." Sure, and show me a media or artistic outlet where an Christian group or artist is having a bigger impact than its secular counterpart. It CAN be done, but we can't measure our success based on whether it is or not. We'd all love to see talented Christians dominate the music charts, but at some point we have to realize that the message of Christ, however loud or subtle it is, is not welcome in the hearts of unbelievers unless the door is opened by Christ himself. </p><p>These are just three big reasons I've been pondering on lately as to why I find it foolish to call Christian hip hop a failure. There are more reasons, and there are certainly areas where we can point to and say "yes, Christian hip hop failed here." However, I feel that despite the "failures" I've seen in the genre and in the careers of artists I know and love, I've seen much fruit and hearts that are dedicated to delivering good hip hop music to those who would hear it. I know some will still see me as naive and unable to see failure where it exists. That's fine. I've seen the success of it in my own life with my own ears and the same in the lives of others I know.<br /><br />Peace.</p><strong><br /></strong>he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-40579361785410437592008-05-08T22:43:00.000-04:002008-05-08T23:05:40.212-04:00Same Dark SweaterThe semester is officially over for me and has been since Tuesday. I've used the extra time to watch the first season of Arrested Development. As you can tell, I'm already putting my seminary education to work. Our focus now is to continue the IMB application process and get overseas. In the meantime, it's summer (kind of) and we're heading back to Oklahoma next week for 10 days. While I do have some serious blogs coming soon, I have to start with a blog about summer music. There never seems to be a better time to roll down your windows, put on your sunglasses, cruise around town, and blare pop punk music from your car speakers than summer. I've come up with a list of ten essential summer albums (in no particular order) that have provided a summer soundtrack for me throughout the years. There's plenty more, but these are a few to get you through those lazy Summer days while you sip on a Mountain Dew.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FM Static - What Are You Waiting For? </span>- This is just good ol' fashioned pop punk rock at its best. Trevor McNevan of Thousand Foot Krutch put together this side project in 2003 and I'm glad he did. You're never too old for songs about heartbreak and high school (or are you?).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue</span> - Punk music with a violinist. Nuff said.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LA Symphony - Call It What You Want </span>- This album never got released due to stupid record label garbage. If it had, it would be on everyone's top summer album's list. As it is, you'll have to hit limewire if you want some songs off of this beauty.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dead Poetic - New Medicines</span> - Yes, Brandon Rike, your band did used to be screamo. I don't know why you're mad though, no one else seems to be. New Medicines is the shiz.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety</span> - Need to get out a little angst this summer? Or just feel like screaming at the top of your lungs and then listening to Aaron Gillespie sing you to sleep? Then check out TOCS.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">St. Lunatics - Free City</span> - This is Nelly's group that he grew up with in St. Louis. They didn't get as big as Nelly's solo stuff did, but this is still a great album.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joey the Jerk - Average Joe</span> - We could put just about any LA Symphony (or solo members) album on this list, but I picked this one because it helped get me though a tumultuous 2003 summer. Thanks Joey.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MxPx - The Everpassing Moment</span> - You could also pick just about any MxPx album for this list, but this one is my favorite.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Grits - The Art of Translation</span> - This is Grits back before they got weird. Fun album, and you can't go wrong with a song named <span style="font-style: italic;">Tennessee Bwoys</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PAX 217 - Engage</span> - Although I'm not into it as much anymore, the whole nu-metal, rapcore, whatever you want to call it genre did have a good couple years. This is one of the better releases in the genre.<br /><br />That's all. I've got more blogs coming very soon (if anyone still cares), including why Christian hip hop isn't a failure and a defense of my church. See ya then.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-25323749225073131502008-04-17T13:57:00.000-04:002008-04-17T14:05:09.156-04:00Don't Dink and Drance!I must apologize for my lack of blogs. With the semester coming to a close, I've been overwhelmed by the amount of work I've put off until the last month which has resulted in a reduction in blogging (among other things). I don't have an original post for you this time, but I do have one for you by someone else. This week, my pastor, Wade Burleson, wrote a blog about the importance of unity among believers using the consumption of alcohol as an example. His post was money.<br /><br /><a href="http://kerussocharis.blogspot.com/2008/04/centrality-of-jesus-christ-for-our.html">Check it out</a><br /><br />Boo-yah. See ya later.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-56104671185263667872008-03-23T21:46:00.001-04:002008-03-23T22:17:33.627-04:00They Don't Make Hallmark Cards for Moments Like ThisIt's been awhile.<br /><br />Not only have I been strapped for time, but I've had to do some soul searching regarding this blog and what I really want to talk about here. I noticed a couple of weeks ago how several blogs had been discussing various amusements, and even the importance of a sense of humor and having a life. Getting caught up in the merriment, I made my last post and actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Previous to this, I had made four posts regarding my stance on various Southern Baptist issues, based on the reading I'm doing for my Southern Baptist Heritage class.<br /><br />It seemed like a good idea since I wanted to be able to articulate my understanding of these various issues, and I actually got quite a bit of feedback (for better or worse). However, during the past few weeks I've been overwhelmed due to various circumstances at the horror of how easy it is for some people to get completely caught up in this stuff. I mean, people spend their whole lives sitting around talking and blogging about this stuff without ever making a difference. I'm not lumping everyone into the same category, I'm just saying that I can see that many people completely miss the point with all of this stuff and end up wasting their lives.<br /><br />As a result, this will most likely be the last blog post on this site where I deal with this stuff. If you want to talk, talk. If you want to blog, blog. I'm not saying it's evil to do so when it comes to this stuff, I'm just saying that I don't think I really care anymore whether everyone on the internet knows or cares what I think about it. If people want to know, they'll ask. As for me, I need to make sure that my focus is correct and that my priorities really are in order. I'd hate to look back and see that i missed living life to the fullest because I was too excited about talking about the Who's Who of the Southern Baptist Convention or arguing over some trivial aspect of life instead of actually having one.<br /><br />To wrap up the "What Kiel Thinks About the SBC" series, I've just got a quote from an author to post that I think speaks for itself. I recently read a book titled "Going for the Jugular: A Documentary History of the SBC Holy War." I think the title should give you a good vibe for what the book had to say. It was extremely informative and very interesting. I'd just like to share with you a few very interesting words from one of the authors, Walter B. Shurden.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"When a Christian believes he or she has a monopoly on the gospel and others err because they do not agree with a certain interpretation, trust is out of the window, reconciliation is impossible, and Christians with a different point of view are labeled dangerous and heretical. The uncompromising, non-negotiating aspect of fundamentalism can only be understood in light of their passionate conviction that fundamentalists and fundamentalists alone are the truth people. They think they <span style="font-weight: bold;">are</span> being 'fair' when they do not appoint people to committees who disagree with them. They think they <span style="font-weight: bold;">are</span> being 'fair' when they want people fired from faculties who do not agree with them. They think they <span style="font-weight: bold;">are</span> being 'fair' when they want only their kind appointed to positions of leadership in the denomination."</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><br /></span> Please hear me say that I am no scholar on Baptist history and I'm okay with saying that I don't "know it all." Even more, I'm not trying to be a scholar on Baptist history and am quite sure that I never will "know it all." This has been made quite clear to me. What I do know is that I'm quite alright with that. I'm proud to be called a child of our great God and humbled to know that no matter how "wrong" my opinions may be, God still loves me enough to crush his Son for me and raise him from the dead, that I might be granted righteousness and eternity with him no matter how much I know or don't know. THAT is what I want my life to proclaim with all of its might, and due to the grace and mercy of our God alone, maybe it will.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-59825925348377313972008-03-08T22:26:00.000-05:002008-03-09T14:46:04.210-04:00A Shipwreck, A CastawayI've decided to take a break from the SBC posts for awhile and just make a normal person post. As many of you know, I love top 10 lists, and I make them throughout the day in my head ranging from ice cream flavors to sports cars. You also may know what a big part of my life music is. I can't go through the day without it - a lot of it. I decided to take on the task of making a top 10 list of MY favorite male vocalists. Notice that I didn't say "top 10 male vocalists of all time," just "my favorite." As a result, here are some things that did NOT go into the creation of this list: popular opinion, timeliness, how many records they've sold, how many albums they've made, whether they were ever a part of the rat pack, etc.<br /><br />This is simply a list of singers that can make me cry on the best day of my life or make me smile on the gloomiest of days. These are the voices that act as my therapists, the ones who seem to know exactly what I want to say, but can put it so much better than I ever could. Without further adieu, here they are.<br /><br />Just Missed The Cut: William Beckett, Aaron Marsh, Craig David, and Trevor McNevan<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Stephen Christian (Anberlin)</span> - I've seen this guy live four times now, and it never gets old. He's got to have one of the most distinct voices in all of rock music right now, and incredible songwriting skills. Not to mention he's a cool dude, but that has nothing to do with being a good singer. Listen to: The Unwinding Cable Car (<span style="font-style: italic;">Cities</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Jason Gleason (Further Seems Forever, ActionReaction)</span> - The first time I heard Jason Gleason sing, I was with my friend Mitch. I was entranced from the first note, this guy can flat belt it out. As much as I like his work with FSF, I think I like ActionReaction even better. It's much more solemn and his voice is gentler. Listen to: The Sound (<span style="font-style: italic;">How to Start a Fire</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)</span> - Kurt doesn't have the prettiest voice in the world. That's okay, because it's all about his rawness. I love listening to Nirvana and hearing the voice of a man that means what he's saying but couldn't give a crap what anyone thinks about it. There's something to be said for a guy who's not afraid to be himself. It's just too bad he's not around to still do it. Listen to: Come As You Are (<span style="font-style: italic;">Nirvana: Unplugged in New York</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Brandon Rike (Dead Poetic)</span> - Brandon has to have the best range of anyone on this list, I've heard him hit notes that I didn't know guys could hit - and it still sounds good. While I'm a fan of all of his work, the songs from New Medicines tore me apart. Brandon is retired from music I guess, but hopefully he'll give us one more album. Listen to: Modern Morbid Prophesies (<span style="font-style: italic;">New Medicines</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Craig Owens (Chiodos) </span>- Craig Owens is the author of most of my blog titles (sorry for stealing them dude). I think he may be the best song writer on this list, his lyrics are so incredible that you can often times literally feel the pain or the passion of him coming through the speakers. Not to mention he's got the voice that just about every lead singer of every scene band today wishes that they had. Listen to: Baby, You Wouldn't Last a Minute on the Creek (<span style="font-style: italic;">All's Well That Ends Well</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Phil Collins</span> - I've had the pleasure of seeing Phil Collins in person, thanks to my pal Mitch. I don't know if I'll ever experience another musical performance like it - his voice is so pure, it's unreal. Not to mention he's just fantastic in just about every way you could ask a singer to be. And he plays a mean set of drums. Listen to: Another Day in Paradise (<span style="font-style: italic;">But Seriously . . . </span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Mike Herrera (MxPx)</span> - Mike is the voice of just about every mixed up, confused, trying to find his way kid in the world. I hope my kids have a songwriter like Mike to listen to when they grow up. He's got the perfect voice for a punk singer, and he sings songs that just about anyone can relate to. There's a lot of bands that owe Mike and the gang a big thank you. Listen to: Doing Time (<span style="font-style: italic;">Life in General</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Chris Carrabba (Further Seems Forever, Dashboard Confessional)</span> - Unfortunately, I missed out on a lot of good Chris Carrabba years. Thankfully I've discovered his genius and he has quickly climbed my list. Chris is just about as honest as anyone you'll hear, and I can't even imagine his songs with a different voice. He's a very gifted man, and I hope he continues to make music for years to come. Listen to: Snowbirds and Townies (<span style="font-style: italic;">The Moon is Down</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Spencer Chamberlain/Aaron Gillespie (Underoath)</span> - I decided that I couldn't split these two guys up. Sure, Spencer made music before he was with Underoath and Aaron has his own band now, but there's something about listening to these guys battle it out on each and every Underoath song. Spencer's roars and Aaron's melodies are at war and at peace at the same time somehow. Not to mention they are both amazing songwriters and I truly believe that they spy on my life in order to write their songs. Listen to: You're Ever So Inviting (<span style="font-style: italic;">Define the Great Line</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Jason Vena (Acceptance)</span> - I'm not sure how this happened. Jason Vena made one complete album with his band before he bowed out of music and called it a career. There's just something about his voice that makes me want to cry every time I hear it. Hearing him sit on a stool and sing one of Acceptance's pop rock songs to nothing but an acoustic guitar just made me fall apart. The saddest part of this story is that I saw him perform live before I even knew who he was, and I was so excited to see another band that night that I barely paid attention. This is one unbelievably gifted man, and I hope he knows how much the few songs he wrote meant to me and to many others. Listen to: In the Cold (<span style="font-style: italic;">Phantoms</span>)<br /><br />That's all. How exciting. Maybe next week I'll get back to the "good" stuff. Until then, listen to Jason sing.<br /><br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal" height="375" width="400" align="middle" data="http://o.aolcdn.com/mediaplayer/players/fpm/fpm.swf"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal"><param name="movie" value="http://o.aolcdn.com/mediaplayer/players/fpm/fpm.swf"><param name="flashvars" value="autoplay=false&playerId=player1000&assetId=video:asset:pmms:1324998"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object>he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-80690070234078555082008-03-02T21:39:00.000-05:002008-03-05T21:58:22.817-05:00This is probably the best, not to mention the worst, idea that I have ever had<span style="font-size:100%;">Before part four of the "What Kiel thinks about issues that cause conflict in the SBC" series, I've got a little story for you.<br /><br />Ever go bowling? I haven't in awhile, so I decided that I would go with my wife and a friend this weekend. We planned on hitting the lanes on Saturday night. I knew it would be fairly busy, but this is the city right? We got there to find that they were having league bowling - something that bowling alleys do, but seriously, on a Saturday night? The place had 40 lanes and 38 of them were being used for league. There were 2 lanes (yes, I said 2) if we wanted to wait in line. We didn't.<br /><br />Why in the world would you have league bowling on the night of the week that you are most likely to get casual bowlers? I mean, do people just sit at the dinner table on a Thursday night and say "Hey, let's go bowling tonight!" Obviously I don't own a bowling alley, so I don't know how all of this works, apparently I'm stupid. Now, on with the show . . .<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >The Social Gospel<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the social gospel as </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >"</span><span class="sense_break" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="sense_content"><span style="font-style: italic;">the application of Christian principles to social problems."</span> It sounds simple, but the social gospel has caused just about as much trouble and controversy within various denominations as anything. Even today, emotions run high when the topic is discussed and it is often viewed as a liberal idea amongst evangelical Christians, particularly many Southern Baptists.<br /><br />Former SBC President Bailey E. Smith discussed the social gospel during his 1982 Presidential Sermon, saying:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"We will not escape the deadness of the so-called social gospel that has done very little good for society and has no gospel. They speak of race relations, world hunger, temperance, and human ethics, but it has always been the evangelistic Bible-honoring church that has opened its doors to all races and put food on the table of the hungry."<br /><br /></span>Before I continue with this discussion, understand that I am not using this quote as a blanket statement for the view of all Southern Baptists, that would obviously be foolish. However, it would be just as foolish to assume that only a few fundamentalist Christians within the SBC view the social gospel as such, thus it would be good to take a look at the validity of a statement such as this, and what the Bible (particularly Jesus) has to say about it.<br /><br />First, let's begin with the notion that the social gospel has done very little good for society. Is it really wise to assume that Christians who are in Africa right now providing medicine and clean water for the natives there are doing no good for the society? What about those seeking peace overseas in the midst of religious conflict? Are the people who arrive at the local kitchen at 5 a.m. every day to begin cooking breakfast for the homeless people in the streets of your city doing nothing more than bringing deadness to society? I don't believe that anyone would agree with that. Or have we forgotten the words of our Lord Jesus?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."</span> - Matthew 5:7<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."</span> </span></span><span class="sense_break" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="sense_content">- Matthew 5:9<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' </span><p style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' </span></p><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" > He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'"</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> - Matthew 25:41-45<br /><br />I could go on, but I know you get the point. The fact of the matter is, Jesus spent an enormous amount of time during his earthly ministry healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and comforting the weak. Even more than that, he warned against those who fail to do just as he did! This isn't to say that the spoken word Gospel of the work of Jesus Christ be dismissed, but that it should not be given without action! The Pharisees were rebuked by Jesus for giving their offering to the church but neglecting justice and the love of God to those around them.<br /><br />Secondly, is it really only the "</span><span class="sense_break"><span class="sense_content"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >evangelistic Bible-honoring church that has opened its doors to all races and put food on the table of the hungry"</span><span style="font-size:100%;">?</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I'm not sure how such a statement can be made. Certainly, some evangelistic Bible-honoring churches have done so, but many have not. Consider the Southern Baptist church near the U of L that I spoke of a couple of months ago that refuses to reach out to its community while the Church of Christ down the street draws 70 young people off the street every Wednesday night for a much needed meal and a dash of compassion. We would be dangerously arrogant to presume that ONLY evangelistic "Bible-honoring" churches care about society. What classifies "Bible-honoring" anyway? Are we seeking to honor the whole Bible or just the parts that are convenient enough for us?<br /><br />Many Christians and churches around the world are opening their doors and their lives every day to meet the needs of needy people, who I might add are made in God's image. Where were you and I this morning at 5 a.m. while one of the men I met in Tulsa, OK, two years ago who runs an inner city kitchen called The Iron Gate fired up the burners to feed hundreds of homeless people who walk for miles for a hot meal? </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >"Deadness"</span><span style="font-size:100%;">?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> I think not.<br /><br />Let it be said as many times as need-be that work apart from the good news of Jesus Christ is not the true Gospel. Let it also be said that the spoken word Gospel without compassion and mercy in the form of social action ought to be raising just as many eyebrows. How dare we give them a Bible verse and yet walk away from their needs knowing full well that we have the means to provide for them.<br /><br />I'm going to leave you with a quote that makes me swallow so hard it hurts. This is because I've seen this quote used as an excuse for not sharing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ with our mouths. Although I don't usually look to Roman Catholic friars for my theology, I wrestle quite often with this thought-provoking quote from St. Francis of Assisi.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >"Preach the gospel everywhere you go, and, if necessary, use words."</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />As my wife pointed out to me, it is necessary to use words in order that God receives the glory, and not ourselves, however, words apart from action result in much of the same. The Gospel must be preached by both our words and actions. Like it or not, every one of us could use a dose of what it means to live out the Christian life by showing compassion and mercy to those around us. Those of us who do implement social action into our Christian lives are not abandoning the truth of the Bible and are certainly not replacing the Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection with our actions. Unfortunately, it is difficult for many to comprehend how this is so. The social aspects of the Gospel are worth wrestling with and they're worth talking about. How do I know? Well, I think Jesus told us to.</span><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-4200160569514420472008-02-25T22:22:00.000-05:002008-02-26T11:25:54.864-05:00Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered<p class="MsoNormal">So according to the weather men, it was supposed to be in the low 50s today. It never got out of the 30s. I've gone most of my life scoffing at weather men and anyone who seems to think that they can see into the future, but as I've aged and gained responsibilities, I seemed to have thought it wise to keep up with expected weather and plan parts of my day around it. No more. I'm going to go back to just going with the flow and not listening to the TV shaman that tell me the future.<br /><br />This week's post is a continuation in the "What Kiel thinks about issues that cause conflict in the SBC" series. I'm unbelievably surprised at the amount of feedback I've gotten so far. Maybe people care more about what I think than I thought. Or maybe no one will reply to this post and things will return to normal. Whatever the case, I should let you know that a certain blogger over at <a href="http://thisblogchoseyou.wordpress.com/">http://thisblogchoseyou.wordpress.com/</a> discussed this week's issue earlier this week with a great post you should check out. Head on over to Bryan's <a href="http://thisblogchoseyou.wordpress.com/">blog</a>.<br /><br /><b>Homosexuality<br /><br /></b>During the past few years, some Southern Baptists have taken a very peculiar stance on homosexuality.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>It has been stated that if a method were developed to somehow reverse homosexuality in an unborn child to make him or her heterosexual, such a method should be endorsed by Christians, just as we would endorse any method that would decrease the temptation of anyone.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span><span style="font-size:+0;"></span><i><br /><br /></i>As much as I respect the opinion of some of my fellow Southern Baptists, I must strongly disagree with this stance. For some reason, homosexuality has become the most vile of all sins amongst evangelical Christianity over the past decade or two. What's even more embarrassing is that there is actually conversation among Christians involving "what to do about it" as if homosexuality hasn't been around more than a few years.<br /><br />Before I get into that though, I'll respond to the idea that science can somehow cure sin and other stances that insist that homosexuality is some evil switch that gets flipped on or off. I'll begin by saying as forcefully as I possibly can that to state that we should interfere with God's creation in such a way as to "take away" or "rid" someone of a particular sin is an absolute slap in the face to Christ's work on the cross. Who are we to reach into the womb of a mother and decide the outcome of what God has already ordained? Furthermore, who are we to think that we can take away sin?<br /><br /><i>"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."</i> - Psalm 139:13<br /><br /><i>"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people, and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."</i> - Hebrews 9:27-28<br /><br />The work is done, Christ has taken away the sins of his people. There is no need to further attempt to deal with the problem of sin - we can't deal with it. That's precisely why Christ came to die, nothing we do could ever be enough. Why is it not suggested that we find unborn children who will be prone to be alcoholics? Or adulterers? Why not genetically cure everyone of all sins before they are even born? Because it would do no good. We cannot take away the sin of anyone, only Christ can do that.<br /><br />Because of the direction this post is taking, it would be wise of me to say that I'm not pulling a Brian McLaren here and getting ready to tell you that we need to wait it out a few years before the church takes a stance on homosexuality as a sin. I do believe that it is, in fact, sin. However, I will now address the second problem facing the church in regards to homosexuality, and that is the inability of our fellow Christians to understand homosexuals and treat them in a respectable and loving way.<br /><br />For some reason, it seems that our churches equate welcoming a homosexual into our company with carrying them to the pulpit. This reaction to homosexuality in the church is just ridiculous. Every single one of us entered into the church as a sinner - maybe not struggling with the sin of homosexuality, but struggling with sin just as deserving of death and judgment. In fact, I would go so far as to say that every one of you is struggling with sin right now leaves you in a terrible predicament if not for the grace of God. Why is homosexuality so different? It's certainly not something to overlook, but nor is it something to get scared about or be deemed as too far for the grace of God to reach. God is more than capable of saving a homosexual, just as he is also capable of saving anyone he so chooses. How dare we decide who is good enough for God's grace.<br /><br />I would urge you to go out this week and befriend a homosexual person. I feel like I can't even say it without it sounding like "go out and make friends with a grizzly bear." I promise, they won't bite - and in fact, you might just find out that they're human beings just like you. No different. No less deserving of the grace of God. No less fun to joke around with, to share a meal with, to be friends with, and to love - just like everyone else. Let's stop dividing people into the who's in and who's out circle of God's love and start acting like people are in need of it and we have the means to share it with them.</p>he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-79931471866387658442008-02-15T11:36:00.000-05:002008-02-15T12:18:14.362-05:00One Day Women Will All Become MonstersI hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. Teresa got a new job at Old Navy and her orientation was last night from 5-10 p.m. which kind of shot our plans. On top of that, she came down with a stomach virus and has been very sick since last night. We'd appreciate your prayers, hopefully it's a 24 hour thing and she'll be back on her feet in no time.<br /><br />This week is the second installment of posts I'm making on issues that cause conflict within the Southern Baptist Convention and where I stand on the issue. This week's topic is the role of women in ministry.<br /><br /><strong>Women in Ministry</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />I spent the summers of 2004, 2005, and 2006 working in inner-city Tulsa with a Methodist organization called Project Transformation. The goal of the organization is to move into dwindling or struggling churches within the inner city community and begin to restore a bond between the people of the community and the church through offering the children a summer program. A team of 5 or 6 college students is assigned to a church where they put together a daily program for children in 1st-6th grade that consists of math and computer skills, art, reading, songs, games, Bible study, and much more. Also, the children are provided breakfast and lunch along with a safe, positive, and loving environment, which is unusual for most of them.<br /><br />Each of the three summers, I was assigned to a different Church in Tulsa. My final summer, I worked at Grace United Methodist Church on the west side of the city. The pastor there was a woman named Cindy Mayes. Cindy pastored this church along with another church in the area, which means she was doing the ministry of two people - an amazing feat. Cindy is one of the most loving and compassionate people I've ever met, I wouldn't trade my time in ministry with her for anything. Seeing her passion for that community was astounding and truly inspiring for me, especially when I found myself wondering "what's the use?" on certain days while she pushed on with a smile and a positive attitude.<br /><br />I believe that God has given different roles to men and women. I believe that God created Adam as the head of Eve, and the Genesis account seems to make clear that Adam had responsiblity to lead his wife and was given responsibility for her mistake in the garden - it was his too. Contrary to what most say, I truly believe that our great struggle since the fall is to regain the roles that God made for man and woman and declared to be good. When God says to Eve in Genesis 3, "Your desire will be for your husband" he's saying that she will desire his role, to have authority over him. This was not meant to be.<br /><br />I wish there was a simple way to convey the roles of men and women without causing others to feel as if women are being given the short end of the stick. Just quote 1 Timothy 2:12, which says "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent," and immediately tempers will flare and ideas will be misunderstood. I believe that the role God has given to women is a beautiful and wonderful role to fulfill, but to explain this to those who do not hold this is extremely difficult. And maybe rightfully so.<br /><br />I've always wondered how, for example, how the husband of a woman pastor could be expected to be the spiritual leader of his household. How does that work? But yet, I look at Cindy's situation in Tulsa and see that she seems to be meeting the needs of her community. Should we penalize her with not "following God's commands" when there are no men stepping up to do the job there? Would it be better for no one to be leading a church in that community? What about single woman missionaries, should they evangelize only to women? How do you do that in a culture where women aren't even allowed to associate with others and everything must go through the husband? Should we just leave these places unreached until a willing man comes along to do the job?<br /><br />I cannot convince myself that this is the case.<br /><br />Which leaves me at a crossroads of sorts. I truly believe that the pastoral role is reserved for men and that men are to lead their households in loving them as Christ loved the church. At the same time, I stand and applaud Cindy Mayes for her commitment to serving the hurt, unloved, and struggling people of Tulsa. Cindy is an example of what the Christian life should look like in practice, and I can't imagine having not worked with and learned from her. In fact, it's hard to imagine Grace UMC without her, as she is now pastor of prayer and belonging at Asbury United Methodist Church on the east side of Tulsa.<br /><br />This probably makes my stance as clear as mud, but I just can't make it any clearer at this point in my life. Maybe one day I'll understand completely the roles of men and women in God's kingdom, but I believe that day will be when I stand before him. I can't wait for that day to come.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-55612487459022994102008-02-08T14:10:00.000-05:002008-02-08T14:38:59.326-05:00My Mind Isn't Quite Sure What it Has Bargained ForOn the first Monday of this semester, I received an email at 5 p.m. informing me that one of my classes (a Tuesday/Thursday class) had been cancelled for the semester due to a lack of interest. The name of the class is Southern Baptist Heritage, and it's a required class for my degree. After freaking out, I attempted to find another open class, but had difficulty since, well, school had started and classes were full or conflicted with my work schedule. Fortuantely, I was able to talk to the professor of the closed class and work out an independant study. There will be not class time or tests, just six books to read and a paper. This is good.<br /><br />I began my reading (albeit begrudgingly, as I wasn't too interested in Southern Baptist history) with a book called Baptist Battles. Some researchers from Emory University did a study on the Southern Baptist Convention - it's history, the divisions among the members, what they believe, and how that has affected the course of the SBC. It's been fascinating to learn about where the SBC came from and why certain divisions and disagreements exist. I've really enjoyed it. <br /><br />The interesting part is finding out which category of Southern Baptists I fall into - because it seems that I'm a bit of a weirdo. I don't seem to fall in line with any particular side. I'm definitely not fundamentalist, and I'm far from being completely liberal. Yet, I'm not completely in the middle, because some of my views are strikingly fundamentalist, while others are quite liberal, and still others fall somewhere in between. Therefore, I'm going to be taking some time over the next few weeks to discuss my stance on particular Baptist issues, possibly more for my own benefit than for yours, because . . . well, do you really care what I think? I didn't think so.<br /><br /><strong>The Inerrency of Scripture</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />I believe that the 66 books of the Bible that we have were written by men that were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Each of these men had motives what they were writing and undoubtedly had their own agenda. I have no problem with this, because I believe God used each of these men to get across what he wanted to. I take the Bible literally, although not completely. I mean, Jesus saying that He is the door does not that he really is a door. There are certainly stories, metaphors, poetry, and many other things that are to be taken in their context. This is why I believe it is important for Christians to learn these different writing styles and the context of each writer to better understand what the writer intended.<br /><br />I do not believe that Scripture is to be read in a way that it means whatever someone wants it to. Certainly, the writers had a point when they wrote and weren't just writing so that we could take whatever we wanted from it. No, all of Scripture has an exact meaning, and we should work dillegently to understand it.<br /><br />All of this being said, I firmly believe that it is preposterous to claim to have the Bible compeltely understood. It would be absurd for us to treat others with different understandings of Scripture as idiots. I'll give a few examples:<br /><br />I believe in a literal six day creation. I feel that I can give a very good defense for it, but not a complete defense. Nor do I believe that one can be sufficiently made. I have good Christian friends who believe that the world was created over the course of several thousands/millions of years. They have no less of a defense than I do. Yet, to make such a claim about the world not being created in six days is enough to be labeled a liberal and a danger to the inerrency of Scripture.<br /><br />I am a five point Calvinist. I don't agree with everything about John Calvin, but I do hold to his five TULIP points. I have very good Christian friends who are Arminian and believe in human free will to an extent to which I cannot. I belive the Bible is clear on these issues, but yet I went years of my life believing the opposite. While I can give a defense of my beliefs in this area (and regularly do) I find it nearly impossible to "convert" someone to Calvinism based on any argument that I can give. <br /><br />My point is, God is the one who makes the Scriptures clear to us, not ourselves. I believe that there is a right and a wrong to each issue, but for anyone to claim that their way is competely right and inerrent is just silly. Each of us is capable of error and misunderstanding. This is why I think kindly dissent and decent conversation is so important among Christians - especially Southern Baptists. Perhaps if we were more willing to listen to our brothers and sisters in Christ instead of attacking anyone who differs from us, we might become more open to understand God through his Word in a new and different way - after all, it is all about him right?he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-42240595876603785992008-01-21T21:34:00.000-05:002008-01-21T22:01:21.784-05:00Is It Just Me or Do Politicians Have Teeth the Size of Piano Keys?It's been about 10 days since I posted a blog, so I guess it's time for me to put up another one. I apologize if you've been checking back to see something new, I just haven't had much to say. Part of this may be because of my laziness and complete lack of passion (to my disgrace) or maybe I just really feel the need to make sure what I write is worthwhile. I don't know.<br /><br />I do know that I finished up with my Emerging Church reading that I engaged in over the past two months. I may blog on that later and give my final synopsis. I will say, that if you're like me and you avoided reading "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller because he's so cool and trendy and all the hip college kids like him, put down your armor and read that book. It was amazing to me. It was so refreshing to hear words from an ordinary dude who cares about his faith but is honest enough to address his faults. It has easily become one of my favorite books.<br /><br />So earlier, I was reading the <a href="http://modesty.blogspot.com">Modesty Writers Guild</a> which is a blog written by Stephen Christian, the lead singer for the band Anberlin. Not only is he an amazing singer, but he's got some awesome things to say. Some of it may be a bit to liberal for some people, but if that's you . . . get over it I guess. Okay, that was a bit rude, if you don't want to read his blog, you don't have to. But he's got some great things to say and he's taking a trip to Guatemala to address poverty there in June that I would love to be apart of if I get the opportunity.<br /><br />In his latest blog, he discusses the war in Iraq. I know, I know, I'm tired of talking about it too. But he brings up some very balanced and fair points. After discussing the good things that have come from this war for the sake of the Iraqi people, he gives these statistics:<br /><br />"i recently read an article on an education portal, which was explaining that we pay about $186,000 per minute (total of 443.7 billion). it is not the amount of zeros that make this frustrating its that they went on to say that with that amount of money we could put 21,510,598 (the amount of every high school student in the united states) students through a four year college education at a state school, add 7,689,734 million more teachers to our school system."<br /><br />I hope that blows you away. And like Stephen, I hope it makes you question whether that's a bit too American focused to discuss in depth. Because obviously, if not for what's already been accomplished in Iraq, the people there would not have recovered many of the freedoms that have been given back to them. I think the point is though, think about what we could be doing with our youth here in America to ensure a more educated and better world. Perhaps, as Stephen says, we could "raise up a generation who values the power of the pen over the sword."<br /><br />I'm not trying to push a pro or anti war agenda here, I'm just giving you some things to think about before you slap another "I hate Bush" or "I cry tears of blood for our troops because I support them so much" bumper sticker on the back of your vehicle instead of interacting with other people and displaying your opinions in a way that is at least a little respectful AND respectable.<br /><br />Sorry that sentence was so long, but it's been bottled up inside me for quite awhile now. If you have one of those bumper stickers on your car, I still love you. As for me, I'm out until next time.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-34341811368439096022008-01-11T22:35:00.000-05:002008-01-11T22:44:54.748-05:00Your Best Wife NowRemember the cemetery walks? The way the sun would set into the trees for the evening as the warm left the air and the coolness would touch our skin. We would dance because nobody was there to see us, except for everything that watched and could only be jealous. The trees, the tombstones, the few whisps of cloud in thy sky. They have beauty, but they can't dance. They can't even feel nervous - nervous like I do when my hand touches your hand. Still. Sometimes we wish the responsibilities would fade away so that we could walk in the cemetery again without worry of a place to go. But every time the sun sets, the warm leaves the air, and you touch my hand I'm there all over again. You have stolen my heart.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mPJARsZ-wt0&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mPJARsZ-wt0&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-68631623822320878972008-01-06T16:09:00.000-05:002008-01-14T22:42:35.854-05:00Making a Mound Out of a "Mohl" HillThis post has been removed. It has not been removed out of fear, by demand, or because I've changed my mind, but because I've decided that I want my blog to focus on other things . . . for now. This topic may come up later, but for now it must bid you adu.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-53808958046706835442007-12-31T17:03:00.000-05:002007-12-31T17:36:38.478-05:00The Top 10 Albums of 2007I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season so far. I know I have. Teresa and I are finishing our winter tour of Kansas and Oklahom and will soon be heading back to Louisville. Before we do, here's my annual Top 10 Albums of the Year. Enjoy.<br /><br />10. Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago - An almost complete departure from the pop punk genre, this strictly pop album is not as good as their previous Mmhmm, but it is a strong release from the band. Many of the songs are instantly catchy and Matty T's lyrics are just as witty as ever, although some of the tongue in cheekiness found in their previous releases is now gone.<br /><br />9. MxPx - Secret Weapon - This album came out in July, but I didn't get it until Christmas, which leaves it a little low on my list, but barges its way into the top 10 anyway. I'm pretty sure these guys will never make a crappy album, they're still going strong after over 15 years and this album is even better than their previous two efforts. Upbeat, fun, positive, and full of all the things you love about MxPx. Hats off to the kings of pop punk.<br /><br />8. Chiodos - Bone Pallace Ballet - Chiodos definitely takes a step forward with this album. It's much better produced than All's Well That Ends Well and Craig Owens' vocals are much more on point. However, you have to wonder how long a band like this can keep up steam in a genre on the decline, but as for now, Chiodos may be the emo/screamo/whatever the crap you want to call it top dog amongst the scenesters in 2007. <br /><br />7. The Academy is - Santi - This may have been my most anticipated album of the year. Santi is far from over-produced and holds onto much of the rawness of a live performance. William Beckett is a fantastic frontman and his voice is just beautiful. Also, We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands may be the catchiest song of the year. They're not as big as Fall Out Boy, Panic!, and now Paramore, but the guys of The Academy is push the boundaries of the indie rock scene and may blow up with their next album.<br /><br />6. LA Symphony - Unleashed - This is a collection of new songs and songs that were lost and didn't make the cut over the past seven years. It features former members Pigeon John, Btwice, and J-Beits, and as you can expect, is solid throughout. LA Symphony is indie hip hop at its best and features hysterical moments along with focused and emotional songs that keep you listening from start to finish.<br /><br />5. Paramore - Riot! - This is easily my guilty pleasure of the year. Yes, they're all high school age, but they've put together an extremely solid album. It's full of pop appeal and apparently MTV loves it, which is very odd since MTV and I rarely agree on anything. Don't let the first single Misery Business fool you, this album is much deeper than their first hit and is full of hidden gems. It's one of the few albums that I can listen to this year from front to back without having to reach for the skip button.<br /><br />4. Chasing Victory - Fiends - Sadly, this is the best and last album from Chasing Victory. The band took about 10 steps forward with this release and easily shredded the boundaries of screamo that coralled them in the past. Musically, this album is incredible and the lyrical content cuts me to the core (it's a concept album based on many of the vices we have). <br /><br />3. Anberlin - Cities - At first, this album was a bit of a letdown for me, but as the year rolled on it became one of my favorites. It's a bit more mellow at times than their previous works, but that's okay. It's honest and transparent and Stephen Christian may be the coolest dude in music. They have gotten more mature, even better live, and are ready to break out with a new album on Universal in 2008.<br /><br />2. 12 Stones - Anthem for the Underdog - Don't ask me why I still like 12 Stones, I just can't explain it. Maybe it's because they make other alt rock bands look silly. Maybe it's because they stay true to their path and make the music they love. Maybe it's because Paul McCoy is an incredible vocalist and isn't out to prove anything other than he loves rock n' roll. Maybe it's because time and time again this band's songs affect me in a way no other band does. Maybe this is why I STILL (and always will) love 12 Stones.<br /><br />1. The Almost - Southern Weather - Was there really any question? Aaron Gillespie is absolutely unbelievable. He recorded every sound on this album and made it near perfect. It's nothing like Underoath, and actually, that's a good thing. It's a true expression of Gillespie's passions and his desire to create unique music. This album was easily the soundtrack to my year and I can't wait for what Aaron cooks up next.<br /><br />In case you were wondering, there were some let downs this year. Several in fact. Here are my biggest musical let downs in 2007.<br /><br />3. Thousand Foot Krutch - The Flame in All of Us - Trevor, I know you can do better.<br />2. Falling Up - Captiva - I guess this is what happens when you lose half of your band.<br />1. Emery - I'm Only a Man - Apparently so. But I've seen you men make MUCH better music than this.<br /><br />Enjoy your final day of 2007 everyone!he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-7578624510100191242007-12-13T17:22:00.000-05:002007-12-13T22:38:05.710-05:00My Stance on Rob Bell, the Emerging Church, and Off-Brand SodaOkay, so I said that this post was going to happen last week, but it didn't. Which is actually good, because I've done some more reading since then on various things and I hope that I have a better idea of what I want to say.<br /><br />Keep in mind, my views almost always annoy someone somewhere, usually many someones. However, the blogs I've written so far have gotten surprisingly good feedback (although the ideas, when expressed verbally elsewhere have received quite a bit of venom. I guess that just means that people only reply to my blogs/notes if they like what I say and save the criticism for when they see me face to face.) I expect this blog to receive quite bit of jeering from both sides, which may be why I delayed it some, but I think I'm ready for it now.<br /><br />For starters, if you've spent any amount of time talking theology with me, you've probably heard me state my views on Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, and many other Emerging Church figures. I have been one of the more outspoken people I know against this movement, in particular, Rob Bell. Strikingly, I had not read any complete volume of any of these men, I'd read clips, reviews, opinions and seen a few Nooma videos. Because of this, I decided it would be of my best interest to spend my time off from school over the winter break to read as many books on or about the Emerging Church and their views as I possibly could. What I've discovered so far has been quite a surprise.<br /><br />I started by reading "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell, a book I've heard nothing but bad things about from people I really respect and hold to many of the theological views as I do. I read it in one day.<br /><br />It's the best book I've read this year.<br /><br />Now, before you hit the reply button and praise me for coming to my senses, let me explain why. I do not think Rob Bell is the greatest theologian of our time, as a matter of fact, I learned nothing theologically from this book and would not advise anyone to look to Bell for growth in the area of Biblical doctrine. That being said, I felt that as far as Christianity in practice, the book was outstanding. Bell called out several areas of our "Christian culture" that are in desperate need of revision and/or overhaul. Many conservative, right wing, Christians would do good to listen to Bell's call for activism in our communities, churches, and relationships.<br /><br />I also completely agree with his view of how the right side builds a wall of doctrines (some essential, some non) that keep others out and make sure that the right ones are in. I would not have gone so far as to use the example of the Virgin Birth to make my point on this issue, but I see what he is trying to say, and I believe him to be mostly correct on the issue.<br /><br />I also found in the book that he upholds substitutionary atonement, which was very important for me to read. I know that others in this movement don't, or at best don't talk about it, which I find extremely troubling since it so foundational to the Christian faith.<br /><br />Did I agree with everything Bell said in "Velvet Elvis?" No, but the things I did agree with stirred my soul for days as I contemplated the ways that my Christian life fails to reflect the life that Christ has called us to live. I would not recommend this book to those who are very young in their faith, simply to avoid confusion on particular issues, but for those who are mature and have a good idea of where they stand theologically, I think the book could be a great help. I look forward to read Bell's next book "Sex God" when it comes back to the library.<br /><br />Now, I spent a day this week reading a book by Brian McLaren called "A Search for What is Real: Finding Faith." I am sad to say that the book did nothing to change my view of McLaren. I think that, like Bell, McLaren has much to say to a culture that has become apathetic to loving the lost and reaching out to those in need. However, McLaren's pluralism is just too much for me to swallow. It appears from what I've read that McLaren does believe that Christianity is the best way, but simply the best way of many other good ways such as Judaism, Islam, or whatever else.<br /><br />So for what it's worth, here's my take on the Emerging Church:<br /><br />I believe that they are right on when it comes to communicating with our culture and loving people where they are. They have a very good understanding of the social part of the Gospel and our obligation to help the poor, the sick, the downtrodden, and the despised. I commend them for their efforts to reach out and invite anyone and everyone into a loving relationship with God.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this is where it ends. I believe in the inerrency of Scripture - that it is God's Word, written through the hands of men inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it is completely perfect and it is exactly what God meant to say. It is complete truth to me, and I need not look beyond God's Word for authority in my life. Because of this, I believe that there is not salvation apart from the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. To abandon this or to downplay it would be a travesty. Because of this, I cannot affirm the complete mission of the Emerging Church.<br /><br />On the flip side, I am becoming more disgusted with the right-wing, conservative church as each day goes by because of the unwillingness to love and accept those who do not agree with our complete wall of doctrine. I would be happy to partake of communion with someone who was not baptized in a Baptist church. I would also be happy to work alongside a brother or sister who has a private prayer language, who is not a Calvinist, who is a woman pastor. I refuse to limit my ministry to consist of only those who hold to each and every non-essential doctrine as I do.<br /><br />Therefore, I find myself in a bit of a pickle. It appears that I lie in somewhat of a no-mans-land between the right and left, unable to choose an allegiance. Maybe this is where I'll stay, or maybe others will join me in an effort put our differences aside and work together for the good of the Gospel. I'll leave you with a quote from D.A. Carson in his book "Becoming Coversant with the Emerging Church."<br /><br />"No worldview, no epistemological system developed by us in this fallen world, is entirely good or entirely bad. God's gracious "common grace" assures us that even systems that are deeply structurally flawed will preserve some insight in them somewhere; our sin ensures that even a system closely aligned with Scripture will be in some measure distorted. Thus thoughtful Christians should not identify themselves completely with either modernism or postmodernism, nor should they utterly damn either entity. "<br /><br />Feel free to say whatever you want. Next time I think I'll be writing about tolerance . . . dun dun dun. See ya then.<br /><br />P.S. - Go have a Pibb Extra. It'll kick your mouth in the butt.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-11706271933354802132007-12-04T11:34:00.000-05:002007-12-04T12:12:18.403-05:00Disaster TourismI officially turned in my last assignment of the semester yesterday, and I'm now completely done with school for over a month. As a result, I've got a double whammy for you this week! I can't tell you how weird I feel for saying "whammy." I promise, it won't happen again.<br /><br />This Friday marks the release of the film "The Golden Compass." This movie has sparked an extreme amount of controversy due to its anti-Christian imagery and the fact that the author of the three book series, Philip Pullman, is a self-proclaimed athiest who has written the books to open people's eyes to the evils of the Christian faith. I personally think Pullman is a bozo, and could care less if he decides to adapt his books to the big screen, but several Christian groups have already called for a boycott of the movie among Christians, lest we support an evil endeavor and become indoctrinated with its lies. <br /><br />But this post isn't about The Golden Compass.<br /><br />In the late 90s, the Southern Baptist Convention began an 8-year boycott of Walt Disney Co. because of a so-called "gay agenda." Apparently Disney offers health benefits to homosexual employees and particular days at their theme parks are directed towards the gay community. Why don't we go ahead and boycott businesses that offer benefits to unmarried people living with their boyfriend or girlfriend? Or even a company that allows its employees to have a cigarette outside the building during their 15 minute break?<br /><br />But this post isn't about Disney.<br /><br />Last month at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention in Arlington, TX, Messengers approved a bylaw change to replace the word “drunkenness” as it appears in several instances to “the use of alcohol as a beverage,” stipulating that such practice is unacceptable for employees and members elected to the executive board, committees and offices of the SBTC. Therefore, if you are an employee anywhere within the SBC in Texas, you now prohibited from partaking of any alcoholic beverage. I could go into a rant about the use of alcohol in the Bible and the fact that it's not a sin to partake of an alcoholic beverage . . .<br /><br />But this post isn't about alcohol.<br /><br />This post also isn't about Harry Potter, public school, the environment, or any other topic we could name that may cause controversy among Christians over what's right and wrong to be associated with. This post IS about the real issue:<br /><br />We are not teaching our brothers and sisters the truth of what the Christian life looks like and are copping out by passing laws, rules, and boycotts to cover up for our failure to address what the Bible says we should be doing.<br /><br />"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." - Romans 8:1-2<br /><br />What this means is, because Christ came to fulfill the law that we couldn't keep, we are now free from condemnation and set free from the law that once kept us from being who God wanted us to be. Jesus came and took our place by keeping the law, dying, taking our sins to the grave, and rising again on the third day, leaving us guiltless and righteous before God! Does this mean that we're free to sin? Of course not, but it means that we're free to live a life of joy and happiness as we enjoy the things that God has given us and share with others what it really means to be a Christian.<br /><br />And being a Christian doesn't mean boycotting, shaking our fists, and adding laws that the Bible does not in order to make sure our Christian brothers and sisters don't "screw up."<br /><br />The truth of the matter is, if we were teaching in our churches the truth of the Bible and helping our people understand what it means to be a Christian and how to live a life holy and pleasing to God, we wouldn't need to be scared that our friends might be indoctrinated with false truths from "The Golden Compass." We could actually smile and say "enjoy the movie!" Perhaps they might even be able to discuss it with their non-Christian friends after it's over and tell them why the way of Christ is better. <br /><br />What do I know, though?<br /><br />Stay tuned, because later this week I hope to be writing a new post about Rob Bell. Have I gone to the dark side? Have I gone off the deep end? Have I become *gulp* a liberal? You'll have to check back later this week. :o)he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-34083149520274398302007-11-27T11:53:00.000-05:002007-11-28T13:50:42.140-05:00Acceptance is what holds us here, and you my dear are the one I fear tonightI would like to take a moment to remember two men who have passed away in the past few days. First, this weekend Casey Calvert, guitarist and back-up vocalist for Hawthorne Heights, died in his sleep just days after the band began their Wintour. At this point, it is believed that he may have died of accute asthma. Casey was just 26 and leaves behind his wife.<br /><br />Also, early this morning, Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins passed away at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Taylor was shot in the upper leg, severing his femoral artery, after an intruder broke into his home early yesterday morning. Taylor was a free saftey and was in his fourth year with the Redskins. Sean was 24 and leaves behind his daughter.<br /><br />I'm not a Redskins fan, but I did follow Sean Taylor enough to know quite a bit about him. Casey Calvert was a member of one of my favorite bands, and I'm sad to see both of them pass away so young.<br /><br />When things like this happen, we all hear stories of the great things that the deceased person has done and stories of the character of the person. These stories are rightfully told, and remembering a person through these great memories may, even for a moment, lessen the pain that we feel. Soon though, the grieving of family, friends, and onlookers is almost inevitably followed by questions. "Why did this have to happen, they were such a good person." Or "why would God let this happen when there are so many awful people in this world that go on living?"<br /><br />Being close to the music community that Casey was a part of, I've seen many of these questions and those like them during the past few days. Reading through all of them brings a couple of things to my attention:<br /><br />1. I think people may have some sense in them of the sovereignty of God. Even those who don't believe in God or have a vague understanding appear to have some sense during tragedy that God is the one in control and is the one making the decisions.<br /><br />2. The "goodness" or strong character of an individual is not enough to ensure them long life and put them out of reach of the sovereign will of God. A truth such as this may not be timely when introduced to a family or loved ones of a recently passed individual, but it should be a sobering reminder to the rest of us who may not realize that we may fail to wake up tomorrow.<br /><br />Deuteronomy 32:29 says:<br /><br />"See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand."<br /><br />I don't believe that much commentary is needed for this one verse. It should be a call to believers and unbelievers alike that we are not entitled to our next breath. Considering our current sinful state, the fact that any of us is able to sit up in our chair and inhale a breath at this very moment as an immese act of sovereign grace from God. We are not deserving of tomorrow, and God would be completely just to take the life of each and every one of us.<br /><br />So what about that family member who you've been waiting to share the Gospel with because of a fear of rejection? What about that desire for the mission field that you've put off because your career got in the way? What about that person who you have yet to forgive because the time isn't right and you just can't let that wound heal?<br /><br />James has strong words for each and every one of us in the fourth chapter of his epistle:<br /><br />"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."<br /><br />I hope that you take the time today to think about the things that you've been pushing aside until a more convenient time. Pray for me as well, as I am just as guilty about forgetting where my priorities lie and assuming that I am captain of my own destiny. I pray that it doesn't take something horrible to remind me that I am not.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-75587740321572507752007-11-16T22:00:00.000-05:002007-11-16T22:50:38.193-05:00A final opinion is of less value than an appreciation of, and tolerance for obscuritySouthern Baptists irritate me.<br /><br />So I guess I irritate myself.<br /><br />With finals only a week away, I find my brain overloaded with knowledge and ideas that will soon spill out in a sloppy mess onto the white paper filled with questions that will lay upon my little lap desk. I can't even explain how much I've learned this semester, it's been incredible. I've been studying under some of the best evangelical teachers in the world and reading books by some of the most intelligent and Godly writers around. I've been stretched, pushed, and stressed at times, but all in all, I think it's been worth it.<br /><br />There's just one problem. I have had absolutely no opportunity to put it into practice. Maybe opportunity isn't the right word, because honestly, if I wanted to, I could walk out of this apartment right now and meet people on the street or in their homes and start building relationships. I think what's really happening is one of two things:<br /><br />1. I'm lazy.<br /><br />2. I've been brainwashed into thinking that because I'm a seminary student, I need to focus my attention on my studies and stand around in the morning sipping on my coffee and participating in the hot theological debate of the day.<br /><br />It's probably both, but it's really starting to tick me off. I met a guy recently who pastors a small church here in Louisville, he's the interim pastor while they search for a full time guy. This church has been around for decades and the congregation consists of people in their 50s, 60s, and up. It's dying, and the people have no desire to outreach to the community even though they're only one mile from the University of Louisville. This guy tells me that there's a 16 year old girl that's been coming to church and has told him that she's been cutting herself and struggling with depression. My first response was, "did you direct her to a leader in the church for counseling?"<br /><br />His response - "the leaders in my church have told me that they don't feel comfortable teaching, counseling, or dealing with problems that others in the church might have."<br /><br />My response - " . . . "<br /><br />Are you kidding me? How in the world is it that we end up with a bunch of churches with people sitting on their butts in the pews, claiming to be "leaders" who refuse to step up and help out those who are in need of it? Folks, this isn't an isolated issue, churches all over the place are doing this same thing. But get this, the Church of Christ a couple of blocks down the road from this church is drawing 70 youth off the streets every Wednesday with a sign outside that says "no guns allowed." I told this guy to send the girl down the street where it appears that people actually "care" about showing the love and compassion that Christ called us to exhibit.<br /><br />What does all of this have to do with finals week, you ask? Well, if I've learned one thing about ministry this semester, it's that standing around trying to "out-smart" the other guys during the day's theological discussion IS NOT ministry. Helping the girl that comes in off the street and showing her the love that Christ showed me IS ministry. What in the world makes us think that we have the right to stand around filling ourselves with pride and puffing ourselves up when real people with real struggles are asking for someone, anyone, to reach out to them.<br /><br />I'm ashamed to say that I've been doing this very thing all semester long and have seemingly fallen into the pit of theological nonsense that gets you nowhere if you're not willing to put your faith into practice. I do not, and I repeat, DO NOT want to turn into the 60 year old "leader" in the church that's too much of a coward to be the man that God has demanded that I be. Wow, you could be a Christian your whole life and be in church your whole life and REALLY waste your life.<br /><br />Please God, give me the courage to be a real man and step outside of my comfort zone and start acting like a Christian. People are struggling, searching, and dying without anyone there to put their arm around them and tell them that you love them. Give me the grace to have mercy on all of your people and to be willing to step up when someone is in need and not let my pride convince me that I've got better things to do.<br /><br />Better things to do . . . wow, someone I know named Kiel really needs to straighten out his priorities. By the grace of God alone, maybe he will.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-17773411400751735192007-11-05T21:30:00.000-05:002007-11-05T21:57:08.910-05:00Nickels is Money TooI've always had a fondness for commercials. Especially funny ones. There's nothing quite like being caught off guard by a humorous advertisement while you wait for your favorite show to reappear on the television screen. I could make a laundry list of some of my favorites, but that's really not what this post is about. It is, however, about one commercial in particular that didn't cause me to laugh, chuckle, smile, or even smirk. In fact, it made me quite upset.<br /><br />I can't recall the company (the first sign of a bad advertisement), but I remember the concept vividly. It involves a couple, presumably in their late 60s or early 70s, who have recently retired and are very happy with the company that has counseled them in their savings over the years. However, after all those hard years of working and putting money away for retirement, they are now faced with a dilemma - how are they going to spend all this money? I mean, no one ever told them what to do with it once it was time to spend it. How awful that must be!<br /><br />The commercial goes on to explain how this financial company not only helps you save, but when it's time, will help you spend. The ad ends by the husband deciding that they're ready to "tackle the coral reef." But wait, the wife wants a trip to Paris! Well, I guess Paris will come first and then it's off to the reef. Aww, what a great story. A nice couple livin' the American dream! <br /><br />I would bet that most people watched that commercial, took slight note, and continued on with their lives as if nothing had happened. I mean, what's the big deal right? We're all supposed to be saving for the future, one of these days we'll have wished we'd listened when our neighbors have two million in their retirement account and we've got a measly 500 thousand. <br /><br />Listen closely . . .<br /><br />If you claim to be a Christian and this is the life that you see yourself living or hope to have, you need to take a serious look at who you are and what you believe in. Let me toss a few numbers at you, just for the sake of casual information.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In 2005 alone, AIDS claimed an estimated 2.4–3.3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It has been estimated that in 2001, 1.1 billion people had consumption levels below $1 a day and 2.7 billion lived on less than $2 a day.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One third of deaths - some 18 million people a year or 50,000 per day - are due to poverty-related causes. That's 270 million people since 1990, the majority women and children, roughly equal to the population of the US.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Every year nearly 11 million children die before their fifth birthday.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">800 million people go to bed hungry every day.</span><br /><br />I'm fighting back tears as I write this and I think of the two dollar coffee I bought myself during my break in class this afternoon. Not to mention the 15 dollars I drop on a new CD every month or the 200 dollars I dropped on an mp3 player after I graduated college. <br /><br />"Oh, but Kiel. That's not our problem! There's people that will step up and take care of this. And even if they don't, it's not our fault that we were born here in America and they were born there."<br /><br />As one woman I worked with last year put it, after telling me that her son was wanting to live in Africa and treat the sick after he received his degree in medicine - "I can't believe he wants to waste his life like that."<br /><br />I wonder what Jesus has to say about this?<br /><br /> "And he told them this parable: The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. <p> Then he said, This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.<br /></p><p> But God said to him, <span style="font-weight: bold;">You fool!</span> This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? </p><p> This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." - Luke 16-21<br /><br /><br /> "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' </p><p> They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' </p><p> He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'" - Matthew 25:41-45<br /><br />Shame on all of us for shrugging our shoulders to a culture that tells us to hoard money for ourselves and build bigger barns so that we will have ample goods for ourselves while millions die from a lack of food to eat and clean water to drink. If you are a Christian, take a VERY serious look at what you stand for and what you want to do with your life, because one day every one of us will be asked to give an account for what you did with what you were given.<br /><br />God help us.<br /></p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span></span></span>he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-19058587349844512512007-10-25T16:42:00.000-04:002007-10-25T16:43:09.179-04:00HTML ruleZ d00d<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been blogging, chatting, pm’ing, and generally wasting precious hours of my life away on the internet since before it was cool.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yeah, you heard me.<span style=""> </span>It all started back in middle school when the wonderful world of message boards was introduced to me.<span style=""> </span>It didn’t take long before I was well known on a number of websites (mostly music sites, hip hop ones to be exact) and had more online friends than I had “real” ones.<span style=""> </span>I even developed some very strong relationships that are still going to this day.<span style=""> </span>I went by the name NternetCritic because of my strong (but rather rude) personality when it came to critiquing other people’s music on the web.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Back then, it was all about the drama.<span style=""> </span>I mean, that’s why high school is for right?<span style=""> </span>I’ve made people angry, been made angry, cried, caused others to cry, made threats, posted under false identities, and even played a roll in the collapse of one of my favorite web sites because of drama (i.e. little stuff blown WAY out of proportion).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m not always proud of the way I acted back then, but I learned a lot about how easy it is to be fake, cause problems, and generally make a mess of stuff when you’re communicating through the computer screen.<span style=""> </span>It’s one of the reasons that a couple of years ago I stopped almost all of my online activity, including message boards, instant messaging, chat rooms, blogging, and the like.<span style=""> </span>I know others who did too, but it’s funny to know that some people I knew are STILL doing the same things and haven’t changed a bit.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For all the drama, slander, hate, irritation, and just plain stupidity that goes on in the world of blogging and chatting, it sure is a blessing that Christians don’t get involved in this kind of activity.<span style=""> </span>Right?<br /><br />Uhh, not so much.<span style=""> </span>Since coming to Southern Seminary, my eyes have been opened to the wide array of Baptist blogging that goes on and the devastation that comes with it.<span style=""> </span>It’s not that I didn’t know about any of this though.<span style=""> </span>Wade Burleson, my pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, and easily one of the most influential men in my life, blogs regularly on thoughts and life of the Southern Baptist Convention.<span style=""> </span>This is significant because of the amount of heat he has taken for his blogs about the trustee meetings he attends for the International Mission Board.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, I had no idea the number of other Baptists that blog regularly and the amount of absolute nonsense that goes on with it.<span style=""> </span>People posting anonymous accusations against people in power.<span style=""> </span>Folks cursing and threatening those who don’t hold to the same non essential doctrines as they do.<span style=""> </span>Guys, who it seems as though it’s their life’s goal, who want to completely tear down the life and ministry of another.<span style=""> </span>What the heck is going on here?<br /><br />Recently, Jerry Corbaley, a trustee with the International Mission Board, sent a 153 page email to every trustee on the IMB calling out Wade Burleson for his continual “slander” on his blog.<span style=""> </span>Just to note, there’s not a trace of slander in the information he provided, but this is beside the point.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Look, I’ve only been a Southern Baptist for two years, and I decided to make it my first church membership because of strong doctrine, a cooperative program, and people who care about the sovereignty of God and the inerrancy of Scripture.<span style=""> </span>I did NOT join to find fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord slandering, blasting, arguing, and just plain hating each other of issues that are of little (at best) importance.<span style=""> </span>Is this what the church is supposed to look like?<span style=""> </span>It’s bad enough that there’s a zillion different denominations out there, but even in our own denomination, there are allegations, refusal to accept small differences in non-essential doctrine, and pure anger towards one another in public forum over issues that barely deserve the time of day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s sad that the same things that were going on between me and my friends in high school are going on between grown men and women of faith.<span style=""> </span>What kind of example are we setting for the world?<span style=""> </span>“Hey, come join our church, but beware!<span style=""> </span>If you happen to hold a different opinion on anything than we do, we’re going to publically humiliate you!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m pretty sure that absolutely no one within the Southern Baptist Convention gives a darn what I have to say about it, but I would like to issue a call for personal integrity among Southern Baptists and other Christians alike.<span style=""> </span>Let’s get back to settling disputes and disagreements within the church in a kindly manner instead of making a mockery of ourselves over the internet for thousands to witness.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Is it possible?<span style=""> </span>Yes. Likely?<span style=""> </span>Probably not.<span style=""> </span>But if you read this, take the time to think about the things you say and the way you represent Christ when you’re talking to someone through a computer screen.<span style=""> </span>A piece of glass and some plastic doesn’t give you anymore right to treat your brother poorly than if you were face to face with him.<span style=""> </span>Maybe if we all took the time to think about the eternal significance of these things and all show a little integrity over the internet, we can begin to slowly turn a medium used for drama into one used for uplifting encouragement.<br /><br />Laters.</p>he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-917995729641045642007-10-10T08:50:00.000-04:002007-10-10T08:58:03.720-04:00Hey John, what's your name again?Well, I've officially completed half of a semester of classes at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I call it that, and tell people I attend there possibly because it makes me sound smart or spiritual. The fact of the matter is, that while I'm honored and flattered at the chance to attend such an institution, I'd never even considered attending seminary until I found it to be a requirement for the International Mission Board. I thought places like this were for special people - people who are much Godlier than I.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, higher learning in the area of theology certainly has it's place, but I'm just not sure where we draw the line between a desire to learn more about our God and a desire to earn more letters to tag onto our name. It seems that many people I meet are very excited about their next degree and career move in the area of ministry, but does God really care how many hours we've completed, where we got our MDiv from, or how many classes we're capable of teaching? Can His Gospel be preached and received even if no one within one hundred miles has even heard of a school of theology?<br /><br />Awhile back, I read in Luke about Jesus taking a trip home to Nazareth, a small town where everyone likely knew your name, your parents' names, what your favorite dinner was, and how many times a day you took your dog (err, I mean sheep . . . goat . . . llama . . . whatever) for a walk. That particular Sabbath day, Jesus attended his boyhood synagogue and read from scripture for his hometown family and friends. That day, Jesus told them that the prophecy of the Messiah was fulfilled - He was who they had been waiting for day after day, year after year, finally, He had come!<br /><br />What's even better, is the deliverer of the message! While others chosen by God were fallible and unable to present the Gospel in all of its perfection, here, right in front of their eyes, was the Son of God! Perfect in every way, and most certainly the most perfect presenter of the best news ever. Imagine your favorite pastor or speaker - times a million! Jesus IS the Word and could obviously present it in all of its Glory, in perfect form. It must have been an unbelievable sermon to listen to.<br /><br />To make things even more amazing, it was Jesus, Joseph and Mary's boy! Who in that synagogue would have though that God would send the Messiah right into their laps, their hometown! Everything was perfect . . . right? The people rejoiced and flocked to Jesus to praise Him . . . . right? RIGHT??? No, the crowd was so angry, so enraged, that they threw Him from the city and tried to throw Him over a cliff! What in the world? The Son of God has walked into their city, into their synagogue and proclaimed that He is the promise they've been waiting for. The Gospel in perfect form is right in front of their eyes and they choose to exile Him from the town. What is going on here?<br /><br />You see, our God is sovereign beyond our imagination. He holds your life in the palm of His hand, and your life dangles by a single thread of grace. He wounds and He heals. He gives and He takes away. And NO ONE can deliver from His hand. He also supplies mercy to those on whom He has mercy. And when He wants to harden a heart and blind someone from His Gospel, even the best sermon in the world won't open the eyes of a sinful, hardened, self-righteous, non-believer. He's proved that time and time again through His word. Yet time and time again we see the most unlikely, the most sinful, the most down-trodden of people fall face down and plead for the mercy of God - and receive it. Not because the of the delivery, not because of a degree from an institution of higher learning, not because of something special that you only learn in the classroom, but because God has mercy on whom He has mercy and compassion on who He has compassion.<br /><br />I thank God for that, because without it, the best delivered sermon in the world couldn't have convinced me of my need for Christ.<br /><br />So while I am extremely excited about what I've been learing in my amazing classes at Southern, I pray that I remember this. I expect to learn a lot more and I expect to be challenged as much as I've been challenged in my life. I expect to make new friends and receive tools for what God would have me do on the mission field. But pray that I remember that it is our sovereign God that causes the earth to spin and causes people of all nations to come to Him, and it has absolutely nothing to do with my knowledge, confidence, or ability.<br /><br />"The Glory of God has everything to do with Christ and nothing to do with me. And when, in some measure, it does have something to do with me, it's not about my being made much of by God, but about God mercifully enabling me to enjoy making much of Him forever." - John Piperhe's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3532098282479205411.post-35705297072815890252007-07-07T00:20:00.000-04:002007-07-07T00:26:06.563-04:00Maestro, Please . . .So, it looks like I've created a new blog site. Just when I thought my days of posting my thoughts on the internet were through, here comes another calamity in the making. You see, I have this uncanny ability to make those around me very irritated at my ideas and opinions . . . not by my intentional doing, but simply by the fact that my ideas and opinions seem to be a little edgy to people.<br /><br />*Disclaimer*<br />This is just one of my many faults that you may be subject to experiencing while reading this web page. If you struggle with the failures of fallen man or are quick to anger at the sometimes outrageous claims of individuals, please view the contents of this page at your own risk.<br />*End Disclaimer*<br /><br />I'm not sure how everything about this site works just yet, so be patient with me as I learn the new techniques of blogimonium that is sweeping the nation. This ain't Xanga.<br /><br />Peace out homies.he's only chasing safetyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360954966083929217noreply@blogger.com0