I was reading this post on Pyromaniacs this morning and it brought to mind something I was thinking about earlier this week. When we seek to spread the gospel to other countries and other cultures, are we attempting to overlay that gospel with our own Westernized ideas? If we do this, are the people we speak to hearing the gospel or are they hearing the American dream?

As a worship leader, I tend to gravitate towards music that I enjoy and that I think the congregation will find meaningful. In my particular area and in our church, this is more often than not modern praise music like Fee, Paul Baloche, Casting Crowns, Third Day, Hillsong United, etc. I’m also a big fan of British music so Delirious?, Vicky Beeching, and Hillsong London get thrown in as well. To me, this is not a cultural stretch because this is the style of music that is popular and meaningful to those who attend our church.[1]

I saw a video earlier this week of a group that was doing street preaching in Europe. One of their activities was a rock concert held in a city square. What caught my eye was that they flew in an unknown Christian band from the States to perform at this concert. This immediately struck a bad chord with me.[2] Instead of bringing in a band that nobody has heard of from the US, why not bring in a band that nobody has heard of from this country? The Americans have no idea what the cultural context they are playing in might be, or what might actually speak to those they are attempting to witness to. The European band would at least have some idea of the culture they are attempting to reach out to, and won’t require a translator when they speak.When we go into an area, we have to know the context of the place we’re trying to reach. With music, this means finding out what is the cultural norm there and crafting our worship music to fit.

Overall, to be in context with the culture doesn’t mean that we do whatever works. The message of the Christ should never be sacrificed on the altar of pragmatism. We try to make our message fit the context of the world we live in, but we don’t change the content of the message. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”. The gospel is the good news we are commissioned to spread, the message that we need to get out to those who don’t yet know Christ. The gospel is the saving power of Christ, performed and completed through His death and resurrection. The gospel message is enough. Though we shape the delivery of the message, may we never change the content.

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[1] Quick aside: this doesn’t mean that we don’t sing older hymns. They will surface from time to time, though not using the traditional music. I don’t see anything wrong with this, but it’s a topic for another time.

[2] See what I did there? Music, bad chord? Never mind.

Is this not one of the best album covers ever? Love the look on his face. You can’t often combine cute and awesome like this. Click on the image make it bigger and see how cute Losiah really is.

Oh, and the EP is phenomenal too. Go buy it from iTunes and help Carlos get to #1. Worship music with some drive to it, phenomenal lyrics, and just overall awesome. Can’t wait for the full disc to come out in a couple months. My favorite song on here so far is “We Will Worship” but “Jesus Saves” is moving up the list too. I”m fairly certain that we’ll be introducing these into worship in the next few months. I’m starting to get a fairly long list of new worship songs. This could be good and bad.

Right up front I want to say that I’ve been looking forward to this book for quite some time. I’ve honestly never read any of the rest of Joshua Harris’ books, but because of a personal experience with the author last summer specifically related to the title of this book, I was anxious to read it.

That being said, I was not disappointed. In Dug Down Deep, Joshua Harris lays out why theology matters. In his own words:

[Theology] matters not because we want to impress people, but because what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. Theology matters because if we get it wrong then our whole life will be wrong.”

When he puts it that way, the book sounds like it’s going to be some scholarly, heady tome whose readership will be restricted only to those with advanced degrees in theology and apologetics. Let me assure you that this is not the case. One of the best things about this book is the conversational, easily accessible tone that Harris takes throughout the book. It reads more like a conversation at the breakfast table over coffee than a classroom lecture about theology. This doesn’t mean that it lacks depth though, far from it. Harris is open and honest about struggles he has had in his own life, about places where he thinks that he has failed as well. It’s like having a Sherpa guide take you through Systematic Theology.

Dug Down Deep drills into several different topics, including the transcendence of God, the Bible, sin, the person of Christ, sanctification, the Holy Spirit, and living as the church. While some of those topics might seem out of reach to the lay Christian, they are written in such an engaging way that they become easily understandable. I wish that some of the books I have to read for my seminary classes were this informative and easy to read.

There were a few things that struck me deeply about the book. A couple of quotes in particular really hit me hard. In his chapter about the Holy Spirit, Harris says, “(w)e shouldn’t neglect the person and work of the Holy Spirit just because other people have misrepresented him.” That’s such a powerful thought. Coming from a very conservative Methodist upbringing, then attending an Assemblies of God college, followed by attending mostly Baptist churches, I’ve seen this first hand. On the one extreme, next to nothing is said about the Holy Spirit, treating him like the ugly stepchild of the Trinity. The other end of the spectrum treats the Holy Spirit as the life of the party. I’ve long felt that the best understanding of the Holy Spirit is somewhere in the middle (related thoughts here). I love the passion and the zeal of the charismatic churches, but I also love the ritual and logic of the more formal churches. The truth lies somewhere in between.

Another great thought was in the chapter about making the kingdom of God visible through what we do. He uses the analogy of the church as a gas station. Every week people show up at a convenient time and location to get their fill up, check in, then take off to our own destinations. How many of us are guilty of this, even those of us who serve in ministry roles? We treat church as something to check off our list for the weekend, just like mowing the yard or washing the dog.

Dug Down Deep makes you think throughout the book. Harris deftly handles difficult topics and asks tough questions. This is an excellent book. I’m reading it at a time in my life where I’m in seminary, I’m a volunteer staff member at our church, and I’m working a full time job. Every once in a while a book comes along that seems like it was put into your path by God specifically to encourage you. What Joshua Harris has done with Dug Down Deep feels that way to me.

Another Christmas has come and gone, my 33rd here on this mortal coil. Like most people, this holiday season always brings about memories of when I was a child. Certain things stick out in my mind, things like…

… being at what was then Grandma and Grandpa Ginn’s house (now where my parents live), opening up the first Star Wars toy I can remember. It was an X-Wing, complete with stickers to simulate the moss of Dagobah. Regretted putting those stupid stickers on from the very beginning.

… what was probably my first Christmas at that house after we moved in, and we put the Christmas tree in the basement. Christmas morning I came downstairs to a Knight Rider big wheel that I rode all over the place. Something gnaws at the back of my head saying that I rode it down the stairs once, but surely I wouldn’t have been that stupid, would I?

… always having Christmas dinner (in Kansas, that means at noon) with my Dad’s family. As the years went on that family got progressively bigger and bigger, to the point where we had about 60 in one house one year.

… always having Christmas with Mom’s family the weekend before or after Christmas. This was fun because you were either getting presents early, or you had more presents to look forward to. Yes, I was a greedy little kid. Sue me.

… the clothes that I would often get from grandparents. They were very well meaning, but quite often they would pick out some phenomenally ugly stuff. Remember, this was the 80s and early 90s, so ugly takes on a whole new meaning. Occasionally they would hit a home run with one, but more often than not they would strike out and break the bat over your head.

… candlelight services at our church. It always seems like on of the most peaceful, serene times of year when the lights are out and the church is lit up only by candlelight. The most memorable was when I was 18 and Dad had some, er, difficulty blowing out the candle. I love my father, and I know he probably hates that story, but we laughed so hard that night. I’ll never forget that.

… the year we had pizza for Christmas dinner because I had sold everyone these stupid cards from Pizza Hut for a school fundraising thing. I think they were some kind of buy one, get one free thing that was unlimited. I don’t even remember what it was for, but my family dutifully ponied up for them, then proceeded to run Pizza Hut into the ground getting their free pizza. Never had that fundraiser again.

… playing pitch (a card game) or Trivial Pursuit with my mom’s family. The card games often involved accusations of cheating, mainly against my father and myself. There was also name calling, under-the-breath swearing, and out in the open swearing when someone lost. Oh, and laughter to the point of tears.

As I’ve gotten older, my memories shift from those of my extended family to those of my wife and our family. Memories like…

… our wedding. Our anniversary is December 14, and our wedding had some Christmas-ness to it, so that is always on my mind each year. And, weddings lead to honeymoons, which for us meant…

… Walt Disney World. You really can’t beat WDW at Christmastime. Collette’s dad spoiled us (ruined us, really) and paid for us to go to WDW for our honeymoon as a wedding gift. That turned into us wanting to go back constantly, and always at Christmas. The lights, the weather, and the magic were wonderful. Unfortunately, other people have discovered that as well and it’s a lot more crowded than it used to be. Still, a great place to celebrate the holidays.

… my own children. Ashlee’s first Christmas while we were living in Oklahoma. Alex’s first Christmas at the house we were renting in Kansas. Katie’s first Christmas last year, and David’s first Christmas just last week. Such great memories.

All in all, Christmas is probably the best time of year. I’m looking forward to next year already, but I’m also happy to be past the holiday season this year. I’m ready for the rest of winter, semester two of seminary, Easter, spring, storms, and summer to come back around.

I wish my head weren’t swimming right now.

So much to do, so much responsibility, so little direction, so little time.

Desperate for the hand of God, but feeling like it’s just out of my reach.

Struggling with what’s going on, feeling so overwhelmed.

The water is clear enough to see the murkiness in it. The sky is bright enough to notice the clouds. The music is quiet enough to hear how loud it is.

Close enough to people to know how alone I am, successful enough to know how much of a failure, sharp enough to know how dull.

I’m on the edge of everything, yet not fully committed to anything. I hover around like a satellite on the edge of space, tenuously hanging between the pull of Earth’s gravity and floating off into the abyss, afraid to go either direction. If I fall towards the Earth I might burn up in the atmosphere. If I let go of gravity’s grip I could float off endlessly into the unknown, the vasty nothingness.

Sick of it all. Sick of the holding back, sick of the pushing forward, sick of the known, sick of the unknown.

The only place I can go for peace is a struggle to get to. Not because I can’t do it but because I won’t commit to it. What happens when I lose control? What happens when I put someone else in charge? What happens? I don’t know. I can’t know.

I have to get there though, I can’t push it aside. If I give up the source of my strength, my only connection to that which holds me up, where does that leave me?

To know You is to never worry for my life
To know You is to never give into compromise and
To know You is to want to tell the world about You
‘Cause I can’t live without You

To know You is to hear Your voice when You are calling
To know You is to catch my brother when he is falling
To know You is to feel the pain of the brokenhearted
‘Cause they can’t live without You

More than my next breath
More than life or death
All I’m reaching for, I live my life to know You more
I leave it all behind, You’re all that satisfies To know You is to want to know You more To know You is to want to know You more

To know You is to ache for more than ordinary
To know You is to look beyond the temporary
To know You is believing that You’ll be enough
‘Cause there’s no life without You

All this life could offer me
Could not compare to You, compare to You
And I count it all as loss
Compared to knowing You, knowing You

All this life could offer me
Could not compare to You, compare to You And I count it all as loss
Compared to knowing You, knowing You And I count it all as loss
Compared to knowing You, knowing You

The only way to know You is to seek You, to talk with You. You are more than enough for me, though I feel I’m less than I should be. I have to commit, I have to be willing to do whatever it takes to know You, every day. All other things are secondary.

(I wrote this about six months ago for a local magazine, but I’ve not seen it published yet. They had their time, so I’m posting it here. Hope you enjoy!)

For a seven year old, giving anything up is difficult. Children, like all of us, are by nature selfish people. When a child decides to give up something personal to help someone they don’t even know, it is a special thing to witness.

In April, our daughter Ashlee noticed an article on the front page of a small-town newspaper about a girl who had donated her hair to a charity called Locks of Love. This charity provides hairpieces to children under the age of 18 who have long-term hair loss due to a medical condition. The hairpieces are given at low cost or free of charge.

She began reading the article and asking questions about it. “Why did the little girl pictured cut her hair?” “Where does the hair go?” “What do they do with it?” After a few questions, we pulled up Locks of Love’s website and began telling her about all that the charity does. We were about to end the conversation, thinking it was just part of satisfying the curiosity of a seven year old. She sat thoughtfully for a moment, then said “I want to do that.”

When we understood that she was serious about it, we sat her down and told her what she needed to do. She had to cut off at least 10 inches of hair, and we would send it in for her. We also told her how proud we were that she wanted to contribute to such a great cause.

The morning of April 30, my wife took Ashlee to Salon 203 in Van Alstyne. When they arrived, the salon was about to close for the day. However, when Ashlee and Collette explained why they were there, Whitney Mandes exclaimed that she would love to be the one to cut Ashlee’s hair. Thirty minutes later, Ashlee had a new, shorter hair cut and an 11 inch ponytail of  hair to send to Locks of Love.

We mailed off the package containing her hair the next week. It’s funny how such a nondescript brown package can mean so much. To us, this was a happy moment, a signal of the growing maturity of our oldest daughter. It was inspired by a little girl from a small town in Kansas. We may never know who receives Ashlee’s gift. It is our prayer that this story inspires others to give as well.

A few months back my friend Laura wrote a post on her website called The Fear of Man vs. The Fear of God. In it she opens a window into her struggle with satisfying men instead of satisfying God. She brought it up again in a post yesterday and I thought I would toss my own hat in the ring with some thoughts. (Also, I’m a terrible person because I never commented on this before. Forgive me, Laura.)

First, a quote from Laura’s first post:

People-pleasers are bold, too, as long as everyone in the room agrees with them. People-pleasers do not, though, have true opinions of their own; their current view depends upon who has ‘gotten to them’ last. People-pleasers are never satisfied because they await the next thing that makes them feel like ‘part of the crowd.’

This is exactly the way I feel sometimes. I am willing to stand out on the ledge, so long as the ledge is big enough to hold several others that are out there with me. I feel like I’m rarely bold enough to throw my own opinion out there unless I know that there are others who agree with me. I’m not anxious to move out, draw fire and take the flaming arrows for unpopular ideas.

This affects me as a worship leader too. I want everyone to be happy with the music that we do, so I often tend to play it safe rather than push the envelope a little. While I do believe that I should never push for the sake of pushing, I do think that we should be a little uncomfortable. Comfort leads to complacency.

How do we get past this fear of man? Laura smacked this one out of the park:

Standing in awe of God, revering God, allowing God to take His proper place in our lives gives great freedom! Proverbs says that the fear of the Lord brings knowledge, strong confidence, and a fountain of life.

When our eyes are fixed on the One who gives us life, they can’t be drawn to those who suck the life out of us. Our focus should be on God and what God wants us to do. The people who sling the arrows aren’t responsible for what God has given us, we are! Only when we get those priorities straight can we really blossom into what we’re intended to be.

On a personal note, I’m glad that Laura put this out there. It’s tough to admit our failings in front of the world, but especially in front of our friends. As Christians we spend so much time trying to be perfect, so much energy trying to hide the dark side of ourselves, and we forget that there are probably others sharing that same struggle. We need more openness, more community, and less of the stained glass masquerade.

This year, I’m thankful for…

…my lovely wife. As we close in on 13 years of marriage, I find that I love you more than the day we met. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world, the greatest mother, and my best friend. I can’t imagine life without you. God truly blessed me with the perfect helpmate. You allow me to do so many things, and support me in every one of them. I love you twice as much as yesterday and half as much as tomorrow.

…my beautiful daughter Ashlee. As you grow much too quickly into a young woman, it is my honor to watch you blossom. I love it when you’re silly, and love it when you’re serious. You are such a sweet and loving princess. I love that God made you so much like me. You’re my snuggle buddy.

…my awesome son Alex. You’re so funny to watch hop around when you play video games. You get more exercise in 20 minutes of Lego Star Wars than you would in an hour on a bicycle. Your sweet heart is a gift from God that I treasure and try to handle with care. Keep being awesome.

… my angel girl Katie. What do I say about you? When God made you he broke the mold, then banished the mold maker. Your fierce determination is matched only by your immovable will. I can’t wait to see what you are going to grow up to be. Every morning you greet us with a smile brighter than sunshine, then wish us goodnight with a snuggle and laugh. Even though you were unexpected, I can’t imagine life without you.

… my little David. I still feel like I barely know you. Just six months into your life, you push on through all the annoyances of being the youngest sibling. Your mom and I know the feeling and we empathize with you. You’re going to be the fair haired, blue eyed child, totally different from the others. God put a cute bow on our natural family.

… my parents. You’ve always been patient with me, letting me go my way with suggestions, but never making demands. I know you don’t get to see your grandchildren as often as you would like, and I wish that I could change that. We may disagree sometimes, but you’ve never held my opinions against me. You’re generous, loving, understanding, and the best parents a child could ever wish for. You make it easy to follow the fifth commandment. I’ll always be indebted to you for making me who I am. I’ll always love you.

… my church family. What do I say to such a wonderful group of people? Even with my mistakes, foibles, lack of confidence, and overbearing opinions, you all accept me. I’m humbled that you allow me to be a worship leader week in and week out. I’m emboldened by the work that you all do on a weekly basis. I’m so blessed to be part of a church family that truly cares for each other and the community around us, whether that community be Anna, Honduras, Ethiopia, or beyond. My family and I are supported in ways that we’ve never really experienced, and blessed because of it. This last year has been such a ride and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

… my job. At a time when so many people are out of work, I’m blessed to have the job that I have. What makes it even better is that I’m able to thrive and grow in my position. Sure, there are the times of drudgery and fixing things that someone else broke, but overall I can’t be more pleased. Ray, you are as generous as you are kind and my family can’t thank you enough each month for my paycheck.

… my Lord and Savior. As I move forward in life, I realize that I can’t do it without the strength I get from You. I learn more about my faith through school, but I truly grow when I spend time with You. I pray that everyday I learn from my mistakes and I am able to turn those mistakes into successes for Your glory. Keep me humble, no matter my position. Keep me always looking to You. Really, just keep me. Each day is one more day closer to eternity, and I hope that I’m doing everything possible with the time I have to advance Your kingdom. I know that it can only be done through You, but You’ve given me my gifts and my ministry. I lean on you for the results.

I’ve always loved old church buildings. There is just something about the smell, the atmosphere, the feeling that you get inside an old church, especially when you are alone inside the building.

I’ll always remember the church that I grew up in. It was a new building, at least compared to the buildings around it in the little town I grew up near. A friend of mine and I were the first babies baptized in the new church building in 1976. The sanctuary still has the same carpet, the pews are the same, nearly everything is original right down the the big iron bell out front. That congregation has stood in some form or fashion for 125 years.

My grandfather’s funeral a few weeks ago was held at the church my mother grew up in, where my grandfather was a deacon. It’s a much older, much bigger building, built in the 1920s. Like most buildings in Kansas, this church has a very large basement where I remember having 4H banquets, family gatherings, and visiting my grandmother when she was quilting with other ladies from the church.

I think this is the primary reason why I fall in love with old church buildings. Each one of them has a such a unique history. These buildings were the dreams of the congregations that built them, who poured blood, sweat, tears, and money into them, often sacrificially so. These buildings were where the community came together at least once a week to share their joys, their sorrows, and many times their food. These buildings held the dreams of parents who wanted to raise their children in a Christian environment. These buildings represent the starting line for couples who were married there, and the finish line for those whose lives are celebrated at funerals. These buildings are where people first come to know Christ, and where people grow in their knowledge of Him. These buildings are more than brick and mortar, wood and nails. These buildings are the heart of communities, the single strand around which everyone’s life intertwines. These buildings are built to be houses of worship, a place where we commune with God and with each other. These buildings are special.

Our church doesn’t really have that sense. We meet in an old bank building, which is nice, but it doesn’t have the history, the gravitas that a church building does. Our church is growing more rapidly than our building can hold us. It’s painful, difficult, and frustrating, but it is the situation that God has us in. However, because of the people in our congregation, our building is special. Our building is where we worship together. Our building is where we’ve had small groups meet. Our building is where we fellowship, enjoying each others stories and recipes. Our building is where people have been baptized, where people have accepted Jesus. Our building has been the starting point of service to our community. If and when we move out of this building, it will be missed.

I guess my point is that the church building is important, but yet it isn’t. The place where we meet is only as special as the people who meet there. The heart of the church isn’t the building, it’s the people and the faith we share that makes the building what it is. The old church building is a representation of the Christian heritage that we all have, a demonstration of the faith declared by those who came before us. Each building is infused with the memories, the joy, the pain, the laughter, and the tears of the people who have passed through it. When this is combined with the Spirit of God, these buildings transcend their earthly materials and become beacons of light that shine into the darkness of the world around us. The church building is special because the people of God are special.

That’s why I love old church buildings.

Conclusion

How can truth be known absolutely? How can one make the statement “there is no absolute truth” without it being absolutely true? This is the paradox of modern and postmodern thought. Absolute truth is true absolutely, with no exceptions.

Can someone claim to know God and yet adhere to postmodern thought? The subjective truth of postmodernism makes this a difficult claim. If God can change, then what would He change to? He could either change to be better or worse. If God changes to something better, that would imply that he was not the best previously.[1] This goes against what is said in John 3:31 which states, “(t)he one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.”

Furthermore, if God cannot change for the better, can He change for the worse? For God to be worse than what he is would imply imperfection or the presence of evil in a being who is wholly good. God does not change. Psalm 102:26-27 says, “They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”[2]

This unchanging God strikes at the heart of postmodernist thought. How can truth be subjective and malleable if the author of truth, the one who created truth, is not? The answer is that truth does not change, that God holds the absolute truth.

There exists in the world today a war between cultures. This war is not new as it has been raging since the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden. However, today this war is everywhere, prompting McGough to comment, “(t)o keep up with the ‘culture wars’…one would have to be omniscient, omnipresent, and awake 24 hours a day.”[3] There are so many fronts in this war that one cannot hope to fight on them all.

It is important to take up this battle, but in order to fight it one must first grasp the theology of the Christian faith. Without this knowledge it will be impossible to counter the cultural arguments of those who hold to postmodernism. This doesn’t refer to scholarly knowledge, but to general knowledge. Christians must know why they believe what they believe. I John 3:18-20 says “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

The second weapon in this fight is knowing what exists in the culture around us. “Those who do not know their opponent’s arguments do not completely understand their own.”[4] This is not to say that Christians should immerse themselves in the world’s culture. Christians are called to be in the world but not of the world. Romans 12:2 speaks, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Third, when talking about “reaching” the lost in this culture, tactics must not take precedence over strategy. The church cannot focus on ways to bring the lost in to the church through worldly means. Christians must engage the worldview of a person with truth, or else the tactics will be seen as empty. Biblical truth contradicts cultural spirituality, “displaces it, refuses to allow its operating assumptions, declares it to bankruptcy.”[5]

Theology is crucial to the Christian walk. The church must not feel that they know something; they must think about it and know it. R.C. Sproul says, “(w)e live in a period that is allergic to rationality . . . (t)here is a difference between thinking and feeling.”[6] This battle is won by God, but the people of the church are the foot soldiers in the war. Christians must engage the culture without becoming enveloped by it. Knowledge of theology and the ability to apply it to the culture around us is a vital tool to reach the lost people of our contemporary society.

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[1] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1994), 168

[2] Ibid., 163

[3] McGough, A Field Guide to the Culture Wars, xiii

[4] Mitchell Young, Culture Wars (Farmington Hills, Michigan: Greehaven Press, 2008), back cover

[5] John Piper and Justin Taylor, The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2007), 38

[6] Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, xvi