Awkward people vs. God has a plan

The other night my wife and I were at the movies. The previews started but someone forgot (or intentionally hatched a dastardly plan to sell more popcorn) to turn the lights down. We both remarked that it felt very strange and unnatural to be sitting in a room full of strangers watching a large collection of projected images on the wall.

I sat there thinking, I wonder if that is the experience people have when visiting church? If instead of a we're-all-in-this-together experience, they get a random collection of stranger staring at a stage and two projection screens...

I soon forgot about my concerns because Captain America: The First Avenger came onscreen and somebody remembered to turn off the lights, thus preserving the illusion of intimacy for us on our date night.

I hope and pray that our church is not like going to the movies. I want to be part of something bigger than entertainment, something more personal than marketing and something more genuine than made-up superheroes.

Above is a talk I gave a couple of weeks ago about Paul and Silas in prison in the book of Acts. I don't think anyone who walked into the church in Phillipi could have been considered a stranger...

What do you think?

You Are A Tourist by Death Cab For Cutie

Like most critical thinkers/unfair people, I feel a certain hesitation to praise a veteran band that is still motivated enough to chase big ideas. I remember back in high school when "I liked their first album, everything after that was lame," was a mantra for anybody cool. All that to say, I am really impressed and swooning over Death Cab For Cutie's latest single "You Are A Tourist" from their forthcoming lp, Codes and Keys. So much so, that I am embedding the live feed for today's video shoot below.




Can't see the stream on your mobile device? Click here.

Lists, Love Wins

Normal things I saw this weekend and/or Signs that the End is Near

1. An overturned pickup truck smashed to pieces with both occupants apparently unharmed. This scene caused us and twenty other vehicles to leave snow-buried Shaver Lake at speeds under 25 mph.

2. My NCAA bracket in ruins.

3. My son terrified of getting out of the "snow boat" sled as we waded through 4 ft drifts in order to "play."

4. The playground at Northpark turned into a stew of wood chips and eventually a pond suitable for fish and ducks.

5. A blog post featuring me reading a controversial recent best seller that I haven't actually read.

Pretty sweet albums in my weekend, mental vacation playlist

Bright Eyes- The Peoples Key
The Strokes- Angles
The Tallest Man On Earth- Sometimes The Blues is a Passing Bird
Brandon Flowers- Flamingo

Lent and Friendship

I have a lot of opinions.

Trust me, ask my friends. Speaking of friends, I am blessed to have a bunch of them who are constantly giving me grace as I blather on and on about God, music, politics, bicycles and fashion. Reverse the order of that list and that's probably more accurate.

These friends come from all over the place, geographically and ideologically. I have liberal friends, fundamentalist friends, post-conservative friends, hyper-critical friends and existentialist friends. My closest friends though are probably the ones with whom I have the most common ground, which I think is natural. Recently Bekah and I and the kids got to spend some quality time with our best friends which was likely the highlight of our year so far. Nothing is more healing to the soul than dinner and conversation with people you share your life with.

Jesus clearly articulated the need for close friends and yet, because spending time with people you have most in common with is Natural, he also modeled the SUPER Natural ability to find common ground with all types of people. He also expanded the circle of who we should be willing to lay down our lives for to go beyond family, friends, fellow citizens, to even include our enemies.

During this season of Lent, rather than blog on and on about my opinions. It is my hope that I can reflect on what I am thankful for....today, it's friendship. And in a posture of humility, to be open to the work of the Spirit, transforming me to become more like Jesus, to be a better friend to a wider group of people and to love my enemies as much as I do my friends.

(During the season of Lent leading up to Easter, when we Christians celebrate the Resurrection, I am following along with an ACTS World Vision study. You can to!)

Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice

Since I turned thirty, I think I am starting the process of coming to peaceful terms with the somewhat diverse nature of my job. One week, I may be speaking to high school students, the next trying to hang in there with 19 year old musicians for We Are One, and the next preaching to people aged 13 to 93.

It's really pretty incredible and I consider it a blessing and a privilege. Here's some footage from some stuff I've been up to. (Clearly I haven't been blogging much)

Top Ten Albums 2010

10.Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
9. Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner
8. John Mark McMillan - The Medicine
7. Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard
6. Hammock - Chasing After Shadows ... Living With The Ghosts
5. The National - High Violet
4. The Choir - Burning Like The Midnight Sun
3. Tokyo Police Club - Champ
2. The Hold Steady - Heaven is Whenever
1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

I feel like I might be getting old and predictable. The only real surprise on my list, to me at least, is Gold Panda, a nod to the indie/dance/club music that kids like my hipper-than-gold-chains friend Stephen Di Trolio. And I mean that with all respect. This year with Micah on the road from 1 year old to 2, I didn't see too many shows but two of my favorites were mewithoutyou and sleepy sun with Stephen. The best two though were David Bazan with full band at The Cellar Door and Justin Jones at The 9:30 Club.

I guess it's appropriate that one of my favorite songs of 2010 and my favorite album are both called "The Suburbs" since I've been living in the suburbs for a while and am now becoming a home owner in the suburbs. Still, this has been a great year and I can't accuse myself of not trying new things. From riding fixed-gear (uncomfortable at times but fun) to wearing raw selvedge denim (uncomfortable), I enjoy things like Sufjan Steven's The Age of Adz that require some commitment. Ultimately though the best thing about that album is the live performance of "Too Much" on late night TV.

When you turn 30, sometimes the familiar voices of favorite bands start to sound like old friends. See the selections of The Hold Steady, The National, Hammock and The Choir. Maybe it's more important to be a friend than to be cool. And maybe moving to the suburbs requires more commitment to making and maintaining old friendships than living in some great American city.

I'm cool with that.

World Aids Day

Two weeks ago was World AIDS Day. While I think it's important to fight HIV/AIDS year around, it is a great opportunity to highlight the struggle of 33.4 million people currently living with the disease and remember those who have lost their lives. I am blessed to part of a church who cares about the struggle. See the ONE blog post about our Northpark Church event on Dec. 1. I am also thankful that our local media covers the important issues surrounding the global pandemic. See the Letter to the editor that the Fresno Bee published.

This year I have spent a considerable time thinking about why the fight against extreme poverty and infectious disease is so important to me. Most of the time, people around me are supportive of the efforts in general terms. But there are people who are critical at times and it's even more discouraging when others seem to ignore or minimize the issues. I fight against HIV/AIDS not because it's popular or trendy or I have a hero complex or because I love causes. I fight it because my faith demands it.

Several years ago I attended a Citizen’s Advocacy Training in San Francisco that was hosted by the ONE Campaign. During a group brainstorming session on how to involve more people in the fight against HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty, someone suggested partnering with local churches. Without blinking an eye, someone immediately blurted out “Churches don’t care about people who are living with AIDS.” People chimed in agreement “Churches are judgemental!” “Churches don’t want to work with us, they only care about their own programs!”

At that point, I raised my hand and said somewhat apprehensively, “Well, I am a youth pastor and I believe that fighting against extreme poverty and AIDS is exactly what the church should be about.”

Many of the people responsible for leading the fight on AIDS are by their own description not people of faith. That doesn’t bother me, I believe in working with anyone who shares our goal: An AIDS free generation of people. What bothers me is that the church, God’s own instrument of compassion, justice, mercy, salvation has been so slow to respond.

At the end of the day, I still believe in the church as an instrument of hope for the world. And I believe that Jesus Christ is still the answer for the world. To turn a blind eye to the suffering of millions of people is antithetical to that faith. To refuse to fight for justice for the poor, the marginalized, the voiceless, is showing no faith at all. In choosing to do something as an act of faith, I choose action and reject apathy. I choose hope over despair. I choose love over cynicism.