TITANS!!!

Woo. Hoo.

!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for this video today.

Facebook users, go here to see the video.

A Time To Uproot

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot ...
— Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

I have been hinting around the blog for awhile now that I had some big decisions to make. While nothing was certain, I knew the day was coming soon that I would have to choose between my two jobs. One job (my full-time gig) was as an editor and designer at The Herald (I often say with all sincerity that it is the best small-town paper in America). My other part-time job was as music worship leader/media guy/web guy/token-believer-in-the-total-depravity-of-man guy at the Christian Church of Jasper. While I loved both, I knew the day was fast approaching in which my loyalties would have to be more clearly defined. That day has come.

I will be leaving The Herald at the end of the year to become the full-time Pastor of Music and Communications at CCJ. I really do feel this is a call from God (though I know some of you will not understand this, the point is, I do). My chief purpose in life is to glorify God through spreading the Gospel (good news) of His awesome love for us through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (the God-Man). I really think I can do this most effectively if all of my time and energy during my work is focused on this.

I need your prayers as I make the transition to not only a new career, but also a calling.

The Onion on "The Ball"

If you're reading this in Facebook, go here to hear it. The Onion nails it.

Different Strokes

(Begin thinking out loud with this post, feel free to ignore) ...

Some people are moved by certain things and some people are not.

This was telling this past weekend to me as I attended the Southeast Christian Church Leadership Conference in Louisville, Ky. All in all, it was a good experience and I had a good time but I heard comments from several people (not just the people I was with) that this or that was powerful and moving and it had me wondering why I didn't feel the same way. Is there something wrong with me? I admit that I am a pretty cynical guy much of the time. Was that the reason? Don't get me wrong, I was moved by some things, just not the same things that (it seemed) most everyone else was moved by. I loved Kyle Idleman's talk on Saturday. It was a proverbial hammer that hit the proverbial nail on the proverbial head. I wanted to stand up and pump my fist in the air. However, much of the room didn't have that same reaction (well, except for the 4 African-American folks a few rows in front of me - I wish they lived here.) :-) However, people seemed to love it when they made this deal out of handing things down to the next generation and did a switch over to a bunch of kids during a song. I admit, it was "neat," but I was not "moved" like so many others seemed to be. Is my heart hard or am i just not moved by that sort of thing?

This is not really about the conference, more about celebrating the fact that God made us each unique and that not everyone is moved by the same things or at the same place in their walks. No one should be condemned for not being farther along (note to self here) unless, of course, they are just being lazy in their walk and satisfied with milk. No condemnation, necessarily, but helpful instruction might be warranted. Some people love all the MercyMe and Casting Crowns songs, some (i.e. me) don't. Can't that be OK?

(End thinking out loud. Go about your business, nothing to see here).

Decisions

... are hard to make sometimes, aren't they?

Sometimes God doesn't give us a sign to go one way or the other.

I just pray and trust that He will be glorified in whatever I choose to do.

My Thoughts On Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski should rot in jail for the rest of his life. >>

He raped a 13-year-old. Seriously, what is wrong with people?


That is all.

11 Years

My bride and I have been married for 11 years today. We look a bit different. She's still beautiful and I'm still wondering how she ended up with him. ;-)

Metallica in Cincinnati

This photo is from metontour.com

I went to my third Metallica show (1996, 2004 and 2009) in my third different city (Nashville, St. Louis and Cincinnati) last night. They are all epic in their own way. The crowd was super loud at this one but the arena was smaller (excellent!) o it made for a more intense show.

Here was the set list:
Ecstasy of Gold (Intro Music)
That Was Just Your Life
The End Of The Line
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Fuel
One
Broken, Beat And Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
The Unforgiven
All Nightmare Long
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Fight Fire With Fire
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
Stone Cold Crazy
Whiplash
Seek and Destroy

See my photos at my Facebook page.

Part Of Growing Up

... is realizing your childhood heroes were (and are) jerks.

Adrian Wojnarowski, of Yahoo! Sports, nails it with this piece on Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame induction speech.

“M.J. was introduced as the greatest player ever and he’s still standing there trying to settle scores,” one Hall of Famer said privately later.

I watched about half of his speech on YouTube before I just couldn't take anymore. As a kid, I loved Jordan more than any professional athlete. Unfortunately, as I grew older and learned of his gambling habit, his frequent cheating on his wife and his generally large ego, I started to understand that putting your "faith" in a guy who plays basketball better than it's ever been played is a recipe for a letdown.

The only sports hero I've ever had who (as far as I know) hasn't turned out to be a huge jerk is Dale Murphy. Almost all of the rest are egomaniacs, womanizers, steroid users, drunks or something just as bad as the previous. In other words, they are all human and a large example of why you should never put your ultimate hope in any man (just the God-man, Jesus).

Five for Friday (Rant Edition)

No Five this week, just five rants.

1.) This whole controversy about Kurt Cobain's likeness being used in Guitar Hero 5 (apparently, you can unlock his avatar to sing Bon Jovi songs and other "uncool" songs by "uncool" artists. Courtney Love has been called out for allowing this "travesty" and she essentially heaps some blame on Dave Grohl so Grohl and Krist Noveselic ask Activision to stop this obvious injustice. Sense the sarcasm yet? Cobain wrote a handful of good songs but because he stuck a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, he's some sort of generational deity whose memory can't dare be sullied by him having to sing songs by Bon freakin' Jovi. I know I'm not cool for liking Bon Jovi but I'm a grown man and I don't really give a crap what a bunch of sanctimonious blowhards think. Cobain's rights to be revered went out the window when he pulled that trigger and left behind his little girl and a (crazy) wife. I like Dave Grohl and his work with the Foo Fighters but give me a flippin' break.

2.) Michael Jackson's tribute show isn't happening as originally planned in Austria. Anyone surprised by this? The Jackson family has talent but they have zero sense, IMO. Seriously, I don't think they are that smart. Anybody ever just listen to Jacko talk in an interview. I don't think his mental capacity was ever that high.

3.) This one is not a negative rant but a praise rant. I love Amazon's MP3 Store for this one reason. So often, on the day of an album's release, Amazon will sell it for $1.99 to $3.99. I bought The Black Crowes' new one last week that way when I wasn't sure if I would get it or not. Amazon had it for $4 and I thought, 'why not?' Turns out, it was worth the $4. I should've done this with the U2 album when it came out instead of buying the deluxe edition for $18 (which was about $10 more than it was worth).

4.) Why don't more bands understand that selling live recordings of each gig is a good move? Maybe I'm wrong but it would seem that the days of thinking that live recordings dilute a band's catalog are long gone and bands would want to really bolster their fan base. Look at Pearl Jam. They don't sell huge numbers anymore but their fan base is extremely solid (they are almost guaranteed to sell 700,000 copies of any album they release) because they treat their fans well and do things like the official bootleg series. Plus, if you're the band, it's extra income from a show after the show is over.

5.) This last one isn't a rant but a request. If you are the praying sort, please pray for me as I've been in a rut for the last few months. I feel like there is something ahead but I don't have the first clue what that is. It could just be the early 30s rut others have told me they have gone through. I'm feeling very Ecclesiastes these days. Maybe I'm just tired ... who knows.

Five for Friday

1.) "Last Kiss" by Seven Mary Three. From the album "Day & Nightdriving." You probably only remember them via "Cumbersome," but these guys have been churning out solid rock 'n' roll for years since. This is avery good song and you owe it to yourself to check it out.

2.) "Jesus Freak" by dc talk. From the album "Jesus Freak (Single)." Ah yes, classic. When I first heard this song in 1995, it blew my mind.

3.) "I Will Not Go Quietly" by Steven Curtis Chapman. From the album "The Apostle: Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture." This is a very good soundtrack of old gospel hymns redone by country and gospel artists. This is one of my least favorites. It's a good movie too.

4.) "Masters of War" by Pearl Jam. From the album "2003/10/22 Benaroya Hall (Disc 2)." This is a great laid-back, semi-acoustic album from PJ. I think this is a Dylan cover (feel free to correct me). This came out right around the start of the Iraq war and you can feel the tension in the song's delivery.

5.) "Home (Acoustic)" by Daughtry. From the album "Daughtry." I don't know who wrote this but it's solid pop/rock songwriting. I've always liked Daughtry (even though I know that's not always cool with a bunch of people).

Five for Friday

1.) "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)" by Alabama. From the album "Alabama: Greatest Hits, Vol. 3." This always brings back memories of riding around in the truck with my dad as we ran errands and did whatnot around Paris, TN. Good memories.

2.) "Whiskey River" by Willie Nelson. From the album "Honeysuckle Rose." Willie's got his own style, that's for sure. I dig this one.

3.) "Preaching Blues (Up Jumped the Devil)" by Robert Johnson. From the album "The Complete Recordings." Any song that starts out with "Mmmmm mmmmm I's up this mornin'/ah, blues walkin' like a man" will get my attention every time. I've said it before, if I have a terminal disease, put on Robert Johnson and let me go (with the proper sedatives, of course) :-)

4.) "Blitzkrieg Bop" by Rob Zombie. From the album "We're A Happy Family - A Tribute To Ramones." A typical Rob Zombie song that happens to be a Ramones cover. I saw Zombie once and ... well, it was an experience. This song actually isn't too bad.

5.) "Going Where the Lonely Go" by Merle Haggard. From the album "40 #1 Hits." I often think of Haggard as an ornery outlaw-type but he also did lots of songs like this that had string sections and sound like Nashville sounded in the 60s and 70s.

Ripping My Voice Out

Live @ Lincoln Amphitheatre. 08.22.2009. I was about done by this point. :-)

Interview With Jared Wilson

http://vimeo.com/6211398

Check it out.

I did a post about Jared's book, "Your Jesus Is Too Safe" a few weeks back.

Big Gig on Saturday

Our band from church, Narrow Path, will be playing at the Lincoln Amphitheatre tomorrow as part of the "End of Summer Blowout" sponsored by St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Santa Claus, IN. (hometown of Bears QB Jay Cutler).

They are hoping for 1,600 teenagers/attendees so (hopefully) it will be a cool gig and an awesome chance to share Jesus with them.

It will also be a very long day for the band so please pray for us if you are the praying sort.

The "Gospel" That Is No Gospel At All

How do you feel about this? I feel anger. Lots of anger.

Five For Friday

1.) "Things Aren't Funny Anymore" by Merle Haggard. From the album "40 #1 Hits." I like The Hag's more ornery songs than the crying in your beer types but it's still good, sad country music.

2.) "Lookin' Through The Windows" by The Jackson 5." From the album "The Ultimate Collection." This sounds like a '70s TV theme song.

3.) "Lady" by Kenny Rogers. From the album "42 Ultimate Hits." Must be hits collection day here. I know this is straight-up cheese but I am digging it. I think Lionel Richie wrote this song (or originally did it).

4.) "Signs" by Creed. From the album "Weathered." I guess this is the point where you make fun of me. DON'T JUDGE ME! Chances are, you have this album too. This song isn't very good, though. So plodding.

5.) "Call My Name (Live)" by Third Day. From the album "Live Revelations." Third Day shines live, I think. They take songs that are average on albums and elevate them live.

R.I.P. Les Paul

Les Paul has died. Whether you know it or not, he changed the way we all hear music.

Story.

"Your Jesus Is Too Safe"

NOTE: This was originally posted at my church's blog but thought I'd put a bootleg post up here too. Also, I really appreciated his mention in the book of our old college professor, Dr. MB Jackson. Dr. Jackson was an awesome man. Now, on with the copied post.

What do you say about who Jesus REALLY is? There is no more important question you will ever answer in your life. Your answer to this shapes EVERYTHING else in your life.

If you've hung around The CCJ Blog for very long, you've probably read a quote or two from Jared Wilson (his blog, The Gospel-Driven Church, is a must read, in my opinion). Full disclosure: Jared is a friend of mine and was a college classmate of mine at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. Despite him graduating from a state university, he is a super-smart guy who I have learned much from over the past decade.

Jared recently had his book, "Your Jesus Is Too Safe" published and released by Kregel Publications. Today, I'm taking part in the official blog tour for the book.

For a short review, I will just say you should read this book (buy it here). It is EXTREMELY readable when it could've been very dry and academic (as many books about Jesus can be). Jared's use of humor and slight sarcasm at key moments really helps keep you going (I very much appreciate his reference of movies like "The Karate Kid" and "Wayne's World 2" to illustrate very important points about Christ). For instance, he writes in the chapter titled "Jesus the King" that the way of this world is similar to the ethics of the Cobra Kai - "mercy is for the weak," but that the Kingdom of God is the upside down version of that. It's not all pop-culture references and humor, however. For instance, I re-read the "Jesus The King" chapter a few times to try to soak it all in, it's that deep (deep is good, you know). The book reads like a good pastor or friend walking along with you and giving you a more clear view of who Jesus, the cornerstone of our faith, really is.

I know I may be biased because I know Jared, but, seriously, this book is very good and well worth your $10.97.

Jared recently answered a few questions for me as a part of this tour to be published here on The CCJ Blog. Read on:

1.) What prompted you to write "Your Jesus Is Too Safe?"
The book really came out of a synthesis of different things in my life. Ten years or so ago a coworker in a bookstore handed me a copy of a book by N.T. Wright called The Original Jesus that really pushed my thinking about Jesus and the four Gospels. I really felt like I was seeing them for the first time. And that kind of began my intellectual journey in the historical Jesus stuff. And then about 5 or 6 years ago I began sort of a Gospel renaissance in my life, sort of a combination of embracing a more Reformed theology, getting under the mentorship of some really gospel-centered writers and pastors, and then a personal crisis the brokenness of which I cannot even put into words as of yet. But all of that left me with the stripped down all-importance of the gospel in my life and the preciousness of Christ.

So the book is sort of the outworking of my interest in the historical Jesus and my passion for gospel-centeredness in my life and in the evangelical church at large.


2.) What do you think is the biggest misunderstanding about Jesus in the American church?
I think the biggest misunderstanding we may have is how we think of the kingdom of God. Most scholars and pastors can't but admit "the kingdom" is pretty much the thrust of Jesus' message. But very few have ever preached on the kingdom. So large swaths of the church think the kingdom is heaven, or the church itself, or some other such thing.

I remember reading about this way back when, and I tried to track down the source so I could cite it in the book to no avail, but I recall reading (in something by George Eldon Ladd, I think it was) that a survey of pastors at the time revealed the vast majority agreeing the kingdom was Jesus' message and the vast majority admitting they'd never preached on the subject. That is really weird.


3.) Our area is rooted in German Catholic heritage and along with that comes a deep-rooted belief that good works are the path to heaven. Please explain to readers of the blog your view on faith and works and salvation.
Well, my view is the historic, orthodox Christian view, with a sharp Protestant edge of course, that, as Paul says, "by the works of the law will no man be justified" and "it is by grace we are saved, not a result of our works, so that none of us can boast."
That's all theological.

Practically speaking, I'm a big fan of salvation by grace because a) I'm an idiot and would hate to think salvation depended on how high, big, far, long, or good I can be, and b) I'd have no idea how good is good enough. It's a recipe for despair, which Martin Luther discovered in the depths of depression and frustration.The Bible basically says perfection is required, and if that's the case, I think we're all in trouble.

And in swoops the gospel. The only man who was ever perfect offered himself as the perfect sacrifice so that we might be reckoned perfect by his work, not ours. It's a great message and it's unique to Christianity. No other religion has grace as part of their game. I think those who really get it just can't help but find it so awesome.



4.) What, in your view, are some of the most dangerous (wrong), yet commonly held, beliefs about Jesus?
From the 30,000 ft. view, I think our biggest problem -- yours and mine and everybody else's -- is that we by default assume Jesus likes and dislikes all the same things and people we do. And sometimes we are in alignment. But not by default. It's the "Jesus in our image" thing. So jock dudes love the Jesus of Revelation, kicking butt and taking names. And chai latte drinking dudes love the tender Jesus. And all are parts of Jesus' personality and character, just like any of us can be angry sometimes and tender others. But to fixate not on Jesus but on one aspect of Jesus to the exclusion of all others isn't fixing our eyes on Jesus, but on a caricature of him.


5.) How does one come up with a reference to "Wayne's World 2" and "The Karate Kid" while writing a book about Jesus?
I could bluster here about cultural relevance but the real answer is just that I'm a doofus. A doofus who grew up in the 80's.


Bonus Question: Any final thoughts on the book that you'd like our readers to know?
I really want people to know that the title sort of belies that the book is more pro-Jesus than it is "anti" anything in the church or culture or anything. Some of that is in there, but it is not an incessantly critical book. It is a pastoral and inspirational and theological reflection on the Gospels-revealed awesomeness of Jesus.