Lay your life down. Your heartbeats cannot be hoarded. Your reservoir of breaths is draining away. You have hands, blister them while you can. You have bones, make them strain— they can carry nothing in the grave. You have lungs, let them spill with laughter. With an average life expectancy of 78.2 years in the US (subtracting eight hours a day for sleep), I have around 250,000 conscious hours remaining to me in which I could be smiling or scowling, rejoicing in my life, in this race, in this story, or moaning and complaining about my troubles. I can be giving my fingers, my back, my mind, my words, my breaths, to my wife and my children and my neighbors, or I can grasp after the vapor and the vanity for myself, dragging my feet, afraid to die and therefore afraid to live. And, like Adam, I will still die in the end.

Living is the same thing as dying. Living well is the same thing as dying for others.

Wilson, N. D. (2013-07-30). Death by Living: Life Is Meant to Be Spent (Kindle Locations 1028-1034). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Once a month I get together with a group of pastors in Santa Cruz.  Each month we read a book one of us chooses (or pulls up a review on the phone when we are often negligent in reading), then get together for lunch and drinks (what kind of beverage tends to depend on the restrictions of each persons tradition – sure glad I don’t have any) and discuss the book and our lives and ministries with each other.  I am so grateful to be doing ministry in a place where we get along, encourage one another, pray for each other, and hang out with each other despite our extreme differences in backgrounds, faith traditions, and the ridiculous perception by some, both inside and outside the church world, that we are in “competition” as church planters and leaders.  But enough about that…

We get together today and this time I actually read a good portion of the book. (Trying to make as much progress as possible before heading to Aptos BBQ.)  Death By Living by N.D. Wilson.  I was going to post a portion of the above quote to Facebook, but had too much to say and thought to myself, “No self, you should blog that quote.  Remember that thing?  The word is short for weblog.  You can share a few extra thoughts. Good luck.”

All that to say, I dig the quote up there.  Great book from an author who reflects on his life and experiences and encourages us to really live life.  The concept of the story that we live in has been a great parallel to our journey through the grand narrative of God we have been spending time in at The Hub with Missio Dei Community.  Also as I consider possibly being involved in an improv opportunity next year, I love the reminders of what stories are and what makes good stories.

Point of this post? (Aside from disjointed verbal processing…)

1. I love being connected to other missionaries in Santa Cruz and spending time together.
2. That’s a great quote up there. Read it and be inspired today to live well today.
3. Stories are powerful and important.  We need to tell them more often.
4. Check out the book. It’s worth while.
5. Oh, and I need to blog more.

So #5 wasn’t really mentioned above.  And I promise I’ll stop mentioning it in every post after 1-2 months between them.  But I was telling the guys last time we met, my favorite songwriters to listen to are the ones that inspire me to want to try and write music.  That’s when I know they’re good.  This book inspires me to want to tell more stories, live better stories, and  write some more.  This may be a poor writing sample, but hey, gotta prime the pump.  When you haven’t pumped water out of a well for a while, there’s a lot of sludge that comes out til it gets flowing.  If I worry about editing less, perhaps I’ll actually blog more.
You’ve been warned.

Curious what my other friends are being inspired by these days.
Books, music, stories, art, circumstances, victories, defeats…
Do share…

Every so often I get emails asking if I want an album to review.  I often say no.  Partially because it’s just not what I want my blog to be all about.  Partially cause one of the things that drives me nuts about ‘Christian music’ (aside from the delineation in the first place, but that’s another post) is that it is just often sub-par.  (We do keep up better in music than in movies, but again, a whole different post.)

But when I got an opportunity to review the new Gungor album, Ghosts Upon The Earth (released today, 9/20), and have some giveaways (hint, hint…foreshadowing) I jumped on it.  Some of you may remember me posting about the first time I heard Gungor.  They play “liturgical post-rock” and blew me away as great musicians with great music and an incredible presentation.  So….after a such a great album before, I must admit I was a bit concerned that I might be disappointed, that they may not be able to live up to it.

I’m happy to say that wasn’t the case.

The day I got the CD, I jumped in my car to go some where and popped the disc in as soon as I could.  Right off the bat the album opened with beautiful, haunting guitar and piano notes, the female vocal adding the perfect added layer, followed by a choir building in.  I knew with half a minute that I was gonna dig it.  I love Gungor’s use of orchestration and interesting, progressive instrumentation.  Also, I’m not sure if they intentionally through compose their albums, but it is amazing how it all fits together and should really be listened to straight through as an entire movement.

One of the things I enjoy about Gungor is the use of great lyrics that communicate an abstractness that pushes envelopes of the typical, that are poetic, and that seem to contain an inherent depth.  The second song, Brother Moon, opening with some cool sounding woodwinds, “Brother Moon, shine down you light on us tonight / show us the love of God / Sister Sun, you bring out the day / you shine in the light of God on your face today…” and building to the chorus – “In you we live, in you we move, in you we have our being…”

Anyway, I’ll spare you going song by song, but there were a couple highlights for me as I listened through the album several times over the past week.  Church Bells is this haunting lullabyesque sounding proverb that forces me to stop and listen everytime, sometimes skipping back to the front of the track to take it in again.  “Let church bells ring / let children sing / even if they don’t know why let them sing / Why drown their joy / stifle their voice / just because you’ve lost yours.”  Love songs that make me think, and I must admit, I feel like each time I listen to this song I’m confronted with my own jadedness.
It then transitions perfectly into a tension filled opening of Wake Up Sleeper, a more prophetic proclamation of the Kingdom type of song – “Rejoice all you who are poor / the Kingdom is yours / the kingdom is yours / Rejoice you jaded and torn / both sinner & saint for the Kingdom is yours / Woe to you religious teachers rich and worshipping your book / woe to you who use His name to justify the souls you took / Wake up…”  video below

Finally, the end of the album builds to a very hope filled sound and heart, the highlight for me being You Are The Beauty.  The upbeat traditional folk sort of sound is awesome, with a killer banjo.  Kinda reminds me of an upbeat Irish bar song and is a celebration of creation and beauty.  Makes me wanna dance.

The Bottom Line

I love the versatility of Gungor and all the different types of songs that come in this one album.
They did a great job having that same sound I loved from the last album, but not being a copy of it at the same time.
The lyrics are inspiring, the artistry is impressive, and musicianship and instrumentation is crazy interesting and fun to listen to.
I wouldn’t call their music super accessible for most churches to use in a worship context, but that’s not really what I’m looking for these days.  I prefer listenability and musicianship.  (I realize those things don’t have to be mutually exclusive, but often times they are right now.)
Honestly, the first album I’ve heard in a while that I don’t have any sort of critiques or anything negative to say about.
Just go buy it…

OR…

I have 2 copies to give away!
I’m trying to get more in the habit of blogging, but it’s not that I’m so back on it that I just wanna drive a ton of traffic here.
So let’s try and do something useful.
It’s always nice to have some good music, and discover good stuff.

Leave a comment here or on the FB link to this post and let us know what you’re listening to that we need to hear.
Better yet, if it’s on YouTube or anything, leave us a link.
Any genre, any style, just give us all some stuff to check out and enjoy.
You have until 7am tomorrow morning.
I’ll pull some names from that pool of people tomorrow morning.
Then the rest of you can go buy it.

So…
What new music are you digging on right now that we need to check out?

1. Sharing with others.  Most people around here know me in a ministry context or something, but I’ve been singing and dancing longer than I’ve known Jesus.  It was fun to share that part of me with some peeps.
   
   
2. Curtain call.  OK, seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a musical where people went so nuts at the end.  Such a fun experience to be standing there at the end with people on their feet, whooping and hollering, and a lot of the time, still dancing!
   
   
3. The talent.  Seriously…SUCH a talented cast.  Not gonna lie – I’ve had the chance to perform with a lot of amazing casts with a lot of people way more talented than myself.  So I am a bit of a snob about not wanting to be a part of a sub-par show.  My other cast mates were ALL amazing.  It was such an honor and a blessing to get to perform with them.  I love performing with people better than myself cause it pushes me to grow, learn, and do better, and I definitely learned from others around me doing this show.
   
   
4. The artistic team.  Was so fun to watch Janie Scott direct and choreograph this show.  Such a great director and a blast to work with.  Great stage manager(s), music and vocal director, all around, a great crew of people at Cabrillo Stage.
   
   
5. Just performing.  Haven’t seen the movie Chariots of Fire, but my spiritual director has shared with me this quote from the move a few times – “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure. “  Great summary of what theater is for me.  So great to live that out.  Definitely feeds my soul.
   
   
6. My family.  In a way this was the bummer part.  Putting up a production takes a lot of time and energy that takes away from the family.  But it was again a reminder of what an amazing, sacrificial, and supportive wife I have.  And I must admit, I may have had slightly misty eyes when Caleb came to the morning show and I’m standing on stage at the end of curtain call with Caleb standing in the aisle beaming, clapping, and yelling, “Yay daddy!!”
   
   
7. The relationships.  Or should I say my extended family?  Aside from just being talented, the cast and artistic team for this show was full of amazing people!  Many of them I have continued to be in contact with over the past month and I consider friends.  So blessed to be introduced to so many great new people in our life because of the Cabrillo family.  Definitely, hands down, the best part of being in this show.  Thanks to everyone who made it such a special summer.

And the only thing better than Hairspray?
That’s me.

(If you don’t get that, you don’t know the show.  Just roll with it.)

The first time I heard the song, I must admit, the sloppy wet kiss line kinda caught me off guard.
Then I thought about singing those words from the stage at church and I was sold.

I kinda joke, but I really have come to love that line.  So many worship songs are so cliche.  The thing I've loved about that song from day one was the depth and poetic nature of the verses.  A good balance for the rest of the song which consists of, "He loves us, how He loves us so" many times.
That lyric gives such a cool word picture of God's unabandoned, not "safe," passionate love for us.

Well, if you haven't heard yet, David Crowder's version of the that song came out on iTunes yesterday.
I've only heard a little bit of the version.  But yesterday, thanks to @loswhit, the Twitterverse was all abuzz about the song.  Why?
The lyric change:

I must say, I was quite disappointed.  But that actually isn't my point.
As I read people's comments and Twitters, 95% of people had a strong opinion about it.
Apparently it's one of those lines that you either love or you hate.

And to me, that is one sign of great art.  Art that causes you to react.  That isn't like all the rest.
It reminded me of something Guy Kawasaki said about the art of innovation at Catalyst West Coast.

So, use your art and your life to polarize people.
I have to wonder, if the things you create don't bring about some reaction, are you really doing anything great?  Take a risk!
God didn't intend for us to live safely.

Now go create…and polarize.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the power of story telling.
The power film makers have in our culture.
The power to be moved by a good telling of what God is doing in a life or in a community.

It is the job of us as artists to use creative means of communication to capture peoples imagination and put them into the greater story of God's redemptive purpose on earth.

Are you an artist?
If so, how are you doing this?
Are you doing this?

Lately I've been camping out quite a bit in Ephesians in prep for our next series, Sit, Walk, Stand.  It's based on a book about Ephesians by Watchman Nee.  A pretty common passage from Ephesians chapter 2:

Verse 10 – We are God's workmanship.  Greek.

Or as my study Bible says, can also be translated "work of art."

So in other words, we are God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus.
This Greek word is used one other place in the New Testament.

The point?  Expanding on Cron's thought, we are God's work of art, and through his work of art people will see clearly what they feel vaguely.  Holy moly!!  Sorry.  That just speaks my language and resonates big time.
According to Genesis, mankind was created in the Trinitarian image of God.  We as a whole, as a community, are a walking breathing reflection of the Creator.

While lots of people aren't sure they like Jesus, many are on a spiritual journey.  They know vaguely that there is something bigger, and they are created to worship.  It is the role of Christ followers to ultimately help people clearly recognize what that longing is.

How are you as God's work of art pointing back to Him in the way you live?  When people look at your life, do they see Jesus clearly?

I'm encouraged.
Inspired.
Challenged.

But I've been able to kinda follow along via Twitter and blogs.  Definitely not even close to the experience of being there, but nice nonetheless.  There have been some great quotes that have stuck in my head as people twittered them, and I wanna use a couple of posts to unpack the train of thought that one of them has me traveling down.

Love this thought.  It's why I am passionate about art and creative worship.
It got me thinking again about the topic of an artists retreat I was at a few years ago where we discussed the importance of "prophetic art."

Just as some speak of prophetic worship, our art can and should be prophetic.
Good art causes an emotional reaction.  It requires a response.  It often gives expression to the feelings and truths that we just can't fully express through words.

If you are an artist, create art with power.  I hope that the music we write, the films we create, the photography we produce, and the visual masterpieces we labor over are echoes of God the Creator and give expression to the longing buried inside of the people around us and ourselves.  We need our art as a faith community, inside and outside the walls of our church, so that people will see our work and exclaim, "God is really among you!"

-Eleanor Roosevelt

This post is part of todays Watercooler Wednesday at Ethos.  Go check it out!

So here is what the question that his talk really left me pondering.  It ended with the idea that to be an organization that reaches the creative class, determine the barriers that are keeping them from being with you and tear them down.  So how do we practically do that?

For Amy who commented on the first post, what were some of those barriers that were removed that brought that change of culture?
What does that mean for a new church plant in an artsy area such as the church Earl is starting in Berkeley?  How do you create that DNA?
Or more important for me to think about, how do you identify and actually remove those barriers in a church with lots of history like CLC, where I live?

It seems to me that many of those barriers are removed by changing the attitudes and perspectives of the current faith community.
Is it more about attitudes and values, or is it about actual practices or events?  Or is it some of both?

I’d love to hear from those in ministry as well as those who attend a church as well as those who have nothing to do with church.  What has worked for you?  What do you think?  What would make you as a creative want to be a part of a faith community?

Your turn.

One of the things the Earl mentioned that stuck out to me was their desire to contribute to the community they are a part of.  There’s a concern I have heard from some artists regarding the church.  The general issue is that we tend to fail at celebrating art for the sake of beauty and only really celebrate art to the degree that it illustrates the points that we want to make in our services.

It is an easy trap to fall into, and one that I definitely am guilty of.  As I would get so wrapped up in planning out Sundays experience, artist became simply a means to communicate our message that Sunday.  This is very valuable, but if it the only focus I think this subtly says to artists that their personal expression is valid only as long as it is used for our purposes. 

Often the church tries to figure out how we can reach "creatives" rather than inviting creatives onboard to build, create, lead, and challenge the way we think.  When I first started in ministry, I thought much more like a creative type myself.  But then I learned in the church world how things are "supposed" to be done and began focusing so much more on the programs rather than my love of art and beauty.  Now I consistently need to unlearn some of the things that have been reinforced in me in order to be the person that God really wants me to be and reach the communities he’s equipped me to reach.

So how do we as a church become a place for creatives, allowing them to feel like valued contributing members without it having to be in the confines of how we want to use it?  When I was at Recreate, one of the presenters talked about hosting a film festival for our community.  Part of me, most of me, loves that idea.  But another part of me has had trouble wrapping my head around the usefulness.  Where is the redemptive value?  Are we sharing the greater story with them somehow?  Are we inviting them to church to fill the seats the next Sunday?  Perhaps it should be enough that we value just encouraging and celebrating creativity, and there is no other hidden agenda or motives.  Now that gets me more excited.  Just not sure if that one will sell to a board or your average church leadership. 

So my questions for you today, what do you think…
Does the church value art in and of itself?
What can we do to value art and artists beyond our own agendas?
How have you (or have you) seen this done effectively?

Your turn.