What’s the Rush?

I have found myself in a slight panic in the last day or so. But it wasn’t the “normal” things over which I might push the “panic” button. It was something weird. Weird enough to blog about anyway…

My panic moments have involved information. Content. And here’s the weird part. I was freaking out about the fact that I had not heard about some particular information. The content actually wasn’t that important or life-changing in the least. But I was behind. Others had received the information before I did and it caused me to freak.

We live in an unusual time. A time where the immediacy of content, not the content itself determines validity. What we know isn’t as important as how quickly we know…or if we are to be honest…who knew it before us. If we don’t know it first, then we can’t capitalize on it first. This used to be the linchpin of gossip. Now, it’s the linchpin of going “viral.” And someone else will beat us to the next great idea. It’s become apparent that the next great idea is also the next great fleeting idea. So there’s little chance that even though we may be first, we will only be first for a short time. It’s not whether you are watching the same video – it’s whether you can download it in 3G or 4G.

This creates two different types of responses in people. The first is mild panic and clamoring to be first. That is what I have felt lately. The second response is the more mature one I think. And that response is “What’s the rush?” Eventually, the immediacy of content thrills us little and the quality of content surfaces again. And we stop clamoring to gain information because we realize that the information is useless anyway. It has no staying power. It’s not quality. It doesn’t speak to anything beyond self-gratification.

Eventually we have to stop clamoring to purchase the new Lady Gaga album from Amazon because it’s only 99¢. The question has nothing to do with Lady Gaga’s availability. It has to do with whether or not her music is worth 99¢ or $99. Does it have staying power? Do any of the items we drool over have staying power? Are we chasing products or merely newer versions of the same products?

I have a theory. If it is quality content, it will still be here once the immediacy of that content is gone. Good things stick around. If that’s true, then what’s the rush?

Life Lessons with Johnny Cash

My children really enjoy listening to Johnny Cash. I do, too. The story lines in his songs are great – some of that stuff is difficult to play, too. My oldest daughter really likes “Walk the Line.”  I’m not sure if it’s the subtleness of the melody as the chords make their way around a modified circle of fifths or the droning precision of the rhythm section. A very well-crafted song.

From a theological perspective, it’s the lyrics that fascinate me though. Here are some of them:

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I’ll admit that I’m a fool for you
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

You’ve got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can’t hide
For you I know I’d even try to turn the tide
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

To me, the lyrics of this song really capture an understanding of relational holiness. Now, when I say “holiness,” most people think of a list of tasks that Christians must do in order to find acceptance in God’s sight. Or they attribute the holiness of God to the idea that because God is holy (read: better than us) he, in the words of Plato, “mingles not with man.” Of course, all this does is make God seem unapproachable. But I think Johnny Cash does a pretty good job of portraying an accurate view of what God is hoping for among us.

In all of these lyrics, the speaker “walks the line” in response to the generosity, kindness, actions, and support of the one he/she loves. It’s “easy to be true” to one who loves you so much – Cash describes the ease of resisting temptation based on the goodness of his lover. When we have “cause for love,” our response (if we are fully invested in that love relationship) is one of reciprocity. It becomes effortless to “walk the line” when we’re enraptured with the beauty of the one we intently gaze upon. Nothing else seems to matter. When those factors are in place, then the behavior that reflects that relationship naturally follows. And that, my friends, is relationally-based holiness – a sign of transformation, not conformity to rules. Natural, comfy, peaceful, uncomplicated, honest, and open.

Holy living is not the goal of the Christian walk. Relationship is. And changes in our behavior are signs that encourage us that we are one the right track. But if we only focus on the signs, we ignore the Sign-maker. That’s a great way to make sure we never see the personal changes we’re hoping for. Look at it this way: the Ten Commandments (at least for the Christian walking in grace) are no longer “commandments” – goals for outward conformity. They become the Ten Promises. They represent the natural results that occur when someone is infatuated with Jesus. They are not coerced or “willed” into being. They are engendered by a deep trust in God. Wrapped in the arms of a loving God, we find it “very, very easy to be true.”

Boycotting U2…

I know this post is going to disappoint some of my more trendy readers out there. It’s certainly going to disappoint my wife.

I’m boycotting U2. I’m done with ‘em. As a postmodern Christian, I must confess (to my own shame) that I have not purchased their latest album. That may rend the hearts of some of my generation’s most “missional” leaders. I’m sorry. I just can’t listen to them anymore. Don’t despise me; just listen to my plea for reason.

U2 is great band. Their music is great and I own about seven albums myself. I remember at age thirteen, when some CCM music mag did an article on them. I was enchanted for years to come.  In U2, we find the subtle Christian overtones of “Where the Streets Have No Name” and the socially conscious lyrics of “Mothers of the Disappeared,” “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” and “Love and Peace or Else.”  There’s the poetic beauty of “One” and the moral confidence of “Walk On.” And then, there’s “Grace.”

Ahhh….”Grace.” Rarely do you find such good theology in a song.

I started to get jaded about five years ago. Christian artists and worship leaders collectively released a “We Love U2″ tribute album. U2 became “trendy”…along with the other two members of the cultural Christian Trinity: coffee shops and drawing spiritual significance from The Matrix. Socially conscious and spiritually aware, Bono became Jesus. Or maybe Rauschenbusch came back as Bono…I can’t remember which…It could have been both. Besides, Bono is gonna single-handedly “make poverty history,” right? When not mingling with dignitaries, he evidently browses books on comparative religious studies and post-structuralist anthropology. All of this has allowed him to declare a new message to us (in 3-D, no less): we should  all “co-exist.” I know that’s been said before…but now Bono has said it. And we should do it.

I heard a lot of “timely messages from God” a decade ago about the coming wave of Christianity that would no longer cater to superstars of the church. You know…the megachurch leaders and the personalities of Christian TV. God was going to advance his kingdom with a “faceless” generation. That’s a great idea. But for many in the postmodern Christian milieu, it’s empty rhetoric. We’ve ridiculed the shallow Christians who give their money to televangelists. We’ve also laughed at those who followed the fashion trends of Sex and the City. We’ve dismissed the former generations who have declined to participate in the “emerging conversation.” We have even snickered behind the backs of ministers who still find solace in a lectionary. Some people think Paris Hilton has something important to say…

…and we’ve got U2.

The “Holiness” of Johnny Cash

I’ve told you before that my daughters really enjoy listening to Johnny Cash. I do, too. The story lines and delivery of his songs are great – some of that stuff is difficult to play, too. The snare drum work on “Orange Blossom Special” and the picking style on “Jackson,” for example. Claire Grace really likes ”Walk the Line.” I’m not sure if it’s the subtleness of the melody as it makes it’s way around a modified circle of fifths (she has the same musical tastes as her father and that’s something I find intriguing) or the droning precision of the rhythm section. A very well-crafted song.

From a theological perspective, it’s the lyrics that fascinate me though. Here are some of them:

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I’ll admit that I’m a fool for you
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

You’ve got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can’t hide
For you I know I’d even try to turn the tide
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

To me, the lyrics of this song really capture an understanding of relational holiness. Now, when I say “holiness,” most people think of a list or series of tasks that Christians must do in order to find acceptance in God’s sight. Or they attribute the holiness of God to the idea that because God is holy (read: better than us) he, in the words of Plato, “mingles not with man.” Of course, all this does is make God seem unapproachable. But I think Johnny Cash does a pretty good job of portraying an accurate view of what God is hoping for among us.

In all of these lyrics, the speaker “walks the line” in response to the generosity, kindness, actions, and support of the one they love. It’s “easy to be true” to one who loves you so much – Cash describes the ease of resisting temptation based on the goodness of his lover. Faithfulness is something we normally assume is one of the more difficult things to do (particularly if you watch a lot of TV). But Cash describes the ease of loyalty that is fostered when the goodness and pure intentions of another person are revealed. When we have “cause for love,” our response – if we are fully invested in that love relationship – is one of reciprocity. It becomes effortless to “walk the line” when we’re enraptured with the beauty of the one we intently gaze upon. Nothing else seems to matter. When those factors are in place, then the lifestyle that reflects that relationship naturally follows. And that, my friends, is relationally-based holiness – a sign of transformation, not conformity to rules. Natural, comfy, peaceful, uncomplicated, honest, and open.

 I used this example with a friend the other day when talking about the difference between styles of holiness. If you grew up (like I did) with the impression that I could somehow ”will” myself to a place of holiness, then chances are good you were miserable like me. I just assumed that was something that I could do to impress God. Obviously that’s not the case. Let’s say that that model of holiness is kinda like a car: you’re driving it to get from one place to the other. There’s only one problem – the gas mileage stinks. You can tinker with the engine all you want and increase the MPGs a little bit, but nothing substantial.  In the end, you finally figure out that you need a new car designed for better gas mileage  - a better vehicle to get from point A to point B. At least for me, that’s what I had to do.

Holy living is not the goal of the Christian walk. Relationship is. And lifestyle changes are signs or goalposts that encourage us to delve deeper into relationship with the Father. Of course, if we only focus on the signs, we ignore the sign-maker. That’s a great way to make sure we never see the lifestyle changes we’re hoping for. Look at it this way: the Ten Commandments (at least for the Christian walking in grace) are no longer “commandments” – goals for outward conformity. They become the Ten Promises. They represent the natural results that occur when someone is infatuated with Jesus. They are not coerced or “willed” into being. They are engendered by a deep trust in God. Wrapped in the arms of a loving God, we find it “very, very easy to be true.” Now, that’s a God I can worship.

Thornley Is Better Than You…

I’ve been listening to a great  album the last few days: Ian Thornley’s Tiny Pictures.  I “discovered” Ian Thornley while searching for bands who regularly used twelve-string bass guitars on their records. Thornley’s former band Big Wreck came up. Needless to say, I was in love – I still listen to The Pleasure and the Greed every couple of weeks. Big Wreck broke up after two albums (just to spite me, I suppose) and Thornley went into hiding until Thornley’s debut Come Again was released: a straight-ahead Canadian rock album with some of the most cutting guitar sounds I’d heard in a while.

In typical five-year fashion, Thornley disappeared again, making the wait for a new album a form of torture for fans. Tiny Pictures came out in February. As someone who loved the Big Wreck sound, I was pleasantly surprised to find him return to his folksy/bluegrass (not country) and eclectic use of dobros, mandolins, sweeping vocals, and “wall of sound” guitars that graced those albums. This album isn’t as dark and has the slight imprint of his record label’s influence (started by Nickleback’s Chad Kroeger). Kroeger’s willingness to keep Thornley on his label almost makes Nickleback’s existence something I’m willing to tolerate for the greater good.

Here’s the video single for “Make Believe.”

You can hear audio clips of most of the album here.

Be advised: Ian doesn’t exactly love Jesus, if you know what I mean.  Big Wreck and Thornley albums aren’t the cleanest in the world.

Reading and Listening…

Time for a book and music update. I haven’t found a ton of interesting music in the last few months or so. But here’s a few:

The Bird and the Bee, Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future.

Audioslave, Revelations.

Lo-pro, Self-titled.

I’ve mostly been reading for my Sunday school class, specifically in the area of science and faith. This has been a huge challenge for me intellectually and spiritually. I grew up in a conservative home that forcefully stood up for the belief in a literal Genesis and saw science and faith as contradictory. Now, I know there’s a lot more to the Genesis account than the literalness one finds in a car manual. I also know that the measurable half-lives of uranium, potassium, and stronium put the date of the earth at 4.5 billion years. I believe science and faith can be affirming of each other - though I’m not sure of all the details. I’ll let you know how all of that turns out after I’m done. Anyway, along with frequent cyber-visits to the Faraday Institute, here’s my list I’ve been reading – it’s an enormous hodge-podge of various positions. I don’t plan to immediately adopt one over the others after I finish them all (I’m about halfway through), but I do have a responsiblity to relay each position accurately to the congregation I serve. Ordered by topic:

Intelligent Design:

Gonzalez and Richards, The Privileged Planet

Owen Gingerich, God’s Universe

Michael Behe, Darwin’s Black Box

Michael Behe, The Edge of Evolution

Fazale Rana, The Cell’s Design

Dembski and Ruse, eds., Debating Design: From Darwin to DNA

Creationism:

Grady McMurtry, Creation: Our Worldview

John Whitcomb, The World that Perished

Theistic Evolution:

Francis Collins, The Language of God

John Polkinghorne, Quantum Physics and Theology

John Polkinghorne, Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion

David Snoke, The Biblical Case for an Old Earth

Secular Evolution:

Johnjoe McFadden, Quantum Evolution

Brent Dalrymple, The Age of the Earth

Other:

John Haught, God and the New Atheism

Brian Appleyard, Understanding the Present: an Alternative History of Science

Anthony Flew, There Is a God

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the relationship between faith and science as I prepare to teach my class. Are science and faith enemies or friends?

Welcome to Worship!

Can you laugh and cry at the same time? Thanks Derek for the link…

http://derekvreeland.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/worship-star/

I wrote about this once. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Death of Praise and Worship.

The “Religion” of Led Zepplin IV

This is great…

http://faith-theology.blogspot.com/2009/04/led-zeppelin-iv-theological-meditation.html

“Downhere” Leading Worship at TFUMC

As part of the Insideout Youthfest in Thomasville, Georgia, headlining band “Downhere” is scheduled to lead worship at our contemporary service this Sunday, March 15th (8:45 am). If you’re in the area, come give them a listen. You’ve probably heard their song “The Real Jesus” on Christian radio and their new album is quite good. You can listen to several songs at http://www.downhere.com/.

Reading and Listening…

Updating you on books I have read and music I’ve been listening to in the last few months.

Jersak and Hardin, Stricken by God: Nonviolent Indentification and the Victory of Christ. If you are struggling with the penal-substitution model of the atonement, this has a lot of articles from other perspectives. A few throw-away pieces, but good overall.

Daniel Levitin, This Is Your Brain on Music. About the neuroscience of music and why we enjoy music as much as we do.

Robert Farrar Capon, Between Noon and Three. I wrote about that book here.

Lawrence Cohen, Playful Parenting. Good book for any parent to read. Children learn through play much easier than instruction. The question is: will parents get down on the floor and join in?

Barry Webb, Five Festal Garments

I’m still only halfway through Robert Alter’s The Five Books of Moses.

Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Margaret Feinberg, The Organic God

 

I’ve been listening to other stuff as well but these are the albums that really stick out…

Brian Wilson, That Lucky Old Sun. If you haven’t heard this or Smile, you’re missing out.

Ben Folds, Way to Normal. What would happen if Ben put out a “clean” album I could feel comfortable recommending? I think the earth might explode. Though “Cologne” and “Kylie from Connecticut” are gems. “Effington” may be one of the best musical pieces he’s ever written.

Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison, Greatest Hits. My girls are in love with Johnny Cash. Favorite Songs? Folsom Prison Blues, Jackson, Ring of Fire, Walk the Line, Orange Blossom Special, and Hey Porter. They know all the words and there’s nothing quite like hearing a four and three year old sing “I don’t care if I do-da-do-da-do-da-do-da-do-da-do-da-do.”

Panic at the Disco, Pretty.Odd. Incredible Album. Here’s the single.

Alex Gopher, Self-Titled. This French house DJ is incredible. Kinda of an 80s New Wave vibe cradled in dance music. Listen here and here.

Copeland’s new disc, You are my Sunshine, is a fun listen and I also finally got the chance to listen to Bernard’s debut album, A View Beyond the Cave - great piano oriented rock.