Truth and Meaning

I just finished reading a great new biography of C.S. Lewis by the always brilliant Alister McGrath. I've been really loving McGrath's historical theology work (see "Christianity's Dangerous Idea" and "The Twilight of Athiesm") so I was excited to see that he had put out a Lewis biography.

I find that one of the effects of reading biographies is that they remind me of the brevity of life. They help bring perspective. No matter how great a person was, no matter how great of a legacy they left behind, their life comes to an end.

I need to be reminded of this. I get so blissfully ignorant of the mortality of life. I like to pretend that I'll go on just as I am indefinitely. Those of us in our 30's can still hold on to some faint hope that our bodies aren't failing us. But they are. It's only a matter of time.

Most of us don't like to consider our own mortality. We put so much stock in things that death will take away. But remembering the shortness of life is a practice that brings needed perspective to our lives. It helps us to see which things are really valuable and deserving of our time and effort and which things we could probably stand to worry less about.

Reading biographies is one of those things that forces you to look at life through a different set of lenses. It's as if you were removed from your present location in time and space and given the opportunity to see part of the bigger picture. For a moment, the lesser concerns of life fade away and you are hit with the big questions: What the heck am I doing in this life? Is my life of any worth? To what ought I to devote my fading time, energy, and resources?

While C.S. Lewis was certainly interested in finding truth, he was more interested in finding meaning. In one sense, he devoted his life to finding the synthesis of reason and imagination. And that search led him to Christianity. He found that Christianity engaged both his mind and his imagination more convincingly than anything else.

In these times when we are forced to consider the mortality of life, I find it helps to consider, as Lewis did, the grand story of which our lives are only a small part. Lewis saw Christianity as the great, true "myth." Our lives find their purpose as part of a story, a great drama that is bigger than ourselves, but in which we are invited to play a part. Despite our inclinations otherwise, we are not the heroes of this story. Neither are we the creators of this story. But the wonderful news is that a hero and creator both exist. This means the story has both direction and resolution.

I have found that when I live my life in proper relation to the grand storyteller and his great hero, I discover both truth and meaning.

Good Books-"Why Men Hate Going to Church"

I like reading. And I like underlining sections that really connect with me when I'm reading. I guess my reasoning is that I may want to come back to a book at a later time and be able to easily find all the greatest quotes of the book. But the truth is, I rarely go back and open up a book I've finished. So, I figured I'd use my blog to 1) force me to go back and see what I loved most about the books I've read and 2) share what I hope are some thought-provoking, encouraging, and/or challenging quotes with the readers of my blog. As I said, I love reading, and when one finds something of great worth and quality (like a good book or a new idea), there's nothing better than sharing it with others and seeing their joy as a result.

So, once a week I am going to post several quotes from a book that I've read. Enjoy!

Today's book is one that was given to me and that I have just finished recently. It's called, "Why Men Hate Going to Church" and it's by David Murrow (who gets extra cool-points for living in Alaska). Here are some of the highlights,

"Of the planet's great religions, only Christianity has a consistent, worldwide shortage of male practitioners" (14).

"Lovey-dovey praise songs force a man to express his affection to God using words he would never, ever, ever say to another guy. Even a guy he loves. Even a guy named Jesus...Men are looking for a male leader-not a male lover" (75).

"Women are just better at 'doing church' than men are, because the rules of church favor women. The natural abilities that help a person become a star in church can be summed up in three words: verbal, studious, and sensitive" (90).

"Pastors, you are the single most important factor in your church's ability to reach men. Not what you preach, but who you are...Men respect pastors who are properly masculine. They are drawn to men who, like Jesus, embody both lion and lamb. They find macho men and sissies equally repulsive" (146-147).

"Generally speaking, the more frank and hard-hitting the teaching, the more men like it-as long as it doesn't stray into condemnation or moralism" (158).

"If the point of going to church is to pursue a relationship, you will draw more women than men. The end. Roll the credits" (166).

"Here's a mind bender: What if we canceled the children's ministry and put that effort into building up the men of the church? I firmly believe that such an approach would, in the long run, win more youth to Christ. I would also save more marriages and produce happier women. Children's ministry and youth ministry are good things-but spiritually healthy male role models are the best thing" (190).

Honesty in Church

Recently, I have been having some conversations over email with a friend and fellow worship leader about what congregational singing should look like. Here are some thoughts that have come out of that discussion.

Is there a place for acknowledging pain, sorry, doubt, etc in congregational worship or should this time be restricted to celebration and thanksgiving?

I feel like these two areas need not be at opposite ends of the spectrum. What I mean is, we should be completely honest to God and to others about our situations and feelings, but then we should also allow the reality of God and what he's done (and is still doing) to determine how we respond to our situations and feelings. Personally, I want songs that allow me to express myself with brutal honesty while also consistently leading me to Jesus, encouraging me to see my situation in light of the gospel. I think many contemporary worship songs do a very poor job identifying with the human condition and quickly jump to "happy-go-lucky, everything's fine cause God loves me." Mark Driscoll calls them "prom songs for Jesus."

Casting Crowns sing a song called "Stained Glass Masquerade."  It talks about how many of us in church put up fronts to make it seem like we've got it all together. We "put on painted grins" and "play the part again." I think a great way to fight against this temptation is to corporately sing scathingly honest songs about the human condition and our great need for Jesus.

A big reason I feel this way is that I firmly believe that to the degree we recognize the depth of our sin, brokenness, and need, we also recognize the greatness of God's love, mercy, and satisfaction. Tim Keller puts it like this, "We are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared hope – at the very same time."

I think that it's possible to make too light of our sin and think that we need only focus on the positive aspects of God's love and mercy. I believe that this is what many contemporary worship songs do and I think we are missing out on a lot if the songs we are giving our congregations are a steady diet of this.

I had a conversation with a guy recently about this. I did a song for special music at church that spoke about our "crooked" nature. This man didn't think this song was appropriate for church. He didn't think it was a worship song. Now, I certainly don't think we should sing a whole set of songs that turn our focus inward and focus only on the negative aspects of our sin and need. But I told this man that in my observation most of our worship songs are on the far other end of the spectrum and quickly skate past sin and brokenness and jump right to God's goodness and love. But we can't fully grasp God's goodness and love unless we first grasp our desperate need. They have to go together. I don't think we should dwell on our sin just for the sake of dwelling on our sin. The purpose is to get us to see God's love and glory in all its fullness.

One last thought. Many rock and country songs do a wonderful job probing the depths of the human condition and speaking honestly about it. This is a big reason we find these songs attractive. We can relate to "I had a bad day." Where these songs fail is offering the true hope of Jesus. If the people in our churches are finding something that relates to them in these songs on the radio, shouldn't our church songs do at least equally well in speaking to the human condition? And having done that, to then lead them to see Jesus and how he helps them right where they are?

Confidence

One thing that I like to regularly remind the church before we begin a service is that we are not accepted before God today on the basis of our having, or not having, a mostly morally upright week, or on the basis of our keeping, or not keeping, a consistent devotional or prayer time, or on the basis of our feelings of worthiness or unworthiness. The only reason we are accepted and received by God today is that Jesus died for us and we simply agree with God that His sacrifice, not ours, is enough.

I love Jesus' parable of the pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus begins,

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable.

 Wow! This is me. This is most of us, religious or not. Jesus knows that we tend to put our confidence in ourselves. We compare ourselves to others (usually those worse than us) in order to justify ourselves. Though we may not think it, we try to be our own little "saviors."

Jesus goes on,

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

This is the religious one. This is the one who actually lived a pretty good life. This is the one who was certain that he was in a right standing with God. He was confident in his righteousness. Jesus continues,

 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

Jesus concludes,

 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

How convicting! How often I am like the pharisee. My confidence rises and falls on how I perceive myself to be doing in relation to others. I am either doing good and am proud or doing poorly and am devastated. 

But how freeing! Jesus is saying that Christianity is unlike any other religion. You are not accepted based on the merit that you bring to the table. Your good deeds, your sincere devotional life, your vast knowledge of the scriptures: none of this is the basis of your salvation. 

No matter how good we've been this week, we are not beyond the need for God's mercy in Jesus. Yet no matter how much we've screwed up this week, we are not beyond the availability of God's mercy in Jesus. 

God wants our humility and repentance. He desires us to come, like the tax collector, and cry, "God have mercy on me, a sinner." God is glorified and we are made joyfully alive when we live dependent on his mercy.

Washington, church planting, uncertainty

It has been a few weeks since I've blogged. Anlee, Ezra and I were on vacation for two weeks in Georgia and Tennessee visiting friends and family and then on top of that, we are currently in a time of transition with lots of changes coming. This blog will be a little more personal than usual.

I am currently reading a biography of Jonathan Edwards (along with about 4 other books). At 46 years of age, Edwards was removed from the church where he had been a pastor for most of his life. A portion of a letter he wrote to a friend during this period resonated with me.

I am now, as it were, thrown upon the wide ocean of the world, and know not what will become of me and my numerous and chargeable family. Nor have any particular door in view that I depend upon to be opened for my future serviceableness...We are in the hands of God, and I bless him, I am not anxious concerning his disposal of us.

While I am not being removed from my current ministry position, I am leaving it and will be without a job in two weeks (unless something comes up before then). Two years ago, when Anlee and I moved back from South Korea and I took a position at this church in Midland, TX, I didn't figure I'd be looking for work again so soon or that I'd be considering going back to a non-ministry job, at least for a time.

But here I am. God has done a lot of work in my life over the past two years. I have changed and grown in ways that I never expected. Two years ago, I felt peace and confidence about getting back into a ministry job. I was completely content to serve in the areas of leading music/worship and leading youth. I had little to no desire to teach, preach, or serve in other leadership areas of the church. But God had other plans. I now find myself chomping at the bit to get all the experience and training I can get in the areas of teaching, preaching, and church leadership.

Furthermore, I have been having lots of thoughts of planting a church, another thing that I never wanted to do two years ago.

Let me make this clear. These are all things that I had no desire for two years ago. Nothing in me liked preaching. I would have been content never preaching again. I told this to the elders at my church this when I was getting hired. Now I think about preparing and giving sermons all the time. I've even had dreams about it. It's clear that this is a work of God and not just me deciding to change the nature of my desires and the course of my life.

Five months ago I communicated all of this to the elders of my church. I also told them that I felt something of a call to plant a church in my hometown of Stanwood. I didn't know if or when this would happen. I'm hesitant to say "God told me this", as I don't have an infallible ear. But I haven't been able to shake this sense that God is leading me to at least pursue the training and experience necessary for planting a church down the road.

So, that's how I find myself with two more weeks to go at my current position and a move to western Washington soon after that. I have no job prospects as of yet. We'll be living with my family for the time being. I have a wife and kid that I have the wonderful responsibility of providing and caring for. It is a somewhat unnerving time. As I said, I didn't expect to be here. I never could have planned this.

But like Jonathan Edwards, I hope in this: We are in the hands of God, and I bless him, I am not anxious concerning his disposal of us.

Tolerance in The Humanist

Every Friday my wife has a meeting at Barnes and Noble to go over some work stuff with her boss. I usually tag along and push Ezra, our six-month-old, around in his stroller while browsing the books and magazines. Last week a front cover article in the magazine The Humanist caught my attention. The article was titled "Free Speech Aflame." Ezra was sleeping so I decided to check it out. It turned out to be an interview with Greg Lukianoff, who is the president of FIRE, a nonprofit educational foundation that supports free expression, academic freedom, and due process at U.S. colleges and universities.

As I am currently putting together an article on the nature of tolerance in our culture, several statements by Lukianoff caught my attention. Here are some snippets of the interview.

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that supports free expression, academic freedom, and due process at U.S. colleges and universities. - See more at: http://thehumanist.org/may-june-2013/free-speech-aflame-the-humanist-interview-with-greg-lukianoff/#sthash.mhGqq23Y.F1tCUudt.dpuf

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that supports free expression, academic freedom, and due process at U.S. colleges and universities. - See more at: http://thehumanist.org/may-june-2013/free-speech-aflame-the-humanist-interview-with-greg-lukianoff/#sthash.mhGqq23Y.F1tCUudt.dpuf

  
The Humanist: FIRE periodically defends students’ religious beliefs that some humanists—or non-humanists—would find hateful. Why? 
Lukianoff: Personally, I’ve been an atheist since seventh grade. And FIRE was founded by two non-religious civil libertarians. All of us believe in the entire First Amendment, and that includes the establishment clause and free exercise clause.

So we’ve defended Muslim student groups and evangelical Christian student groups, some of whom are being kicked off campus because they believe that homosexuality is sinful. I don’t agree with that point of view, and I both hope and believe that such views will eventually be abandoned. But I challenge my friends who support expelling such groups: Do we really want to live in a society that can try to coerce somebody into changing their theological point of view just because it’s unpopular?

Our founders learned from Europe’s religious wars that the government should stay out of establishing a theocracy, deciding matters of theology, or interfering with people’s faith.

I understand the frustration on campus—some people want evangelicals to change their minds on issues like sexual morality. But you’re not doing that cause any favors if your solution is to kick those students off the campus. It probably hardens their point of view, and turns the narrative from “We have an idea that many people find objectionable” into “We’re being exiled for our points of view.” So, in addition to the strategy being wrong, I think it can backfire. 

The Humanist: Intolerance—say of another’s code of sexual morality—is assumed to be a bad thing on campus because supposedly it creates an environment that makes other people uncomfortable. 
Lukianoff: Yes. The question of making people uncomfortable versus discriminating against them is a distinction that I draw all the time. There’s a big difference between discriminating on the basis of an immutable characteristic, and opposing on the basis of a belief. Discriminating on the basis of an immutable characteristic like skin color or sexual orientation is something that should be challenged, as this discrimination prevents others from exercising their rights. But belief is intertwined with expression and civic integrity. Democratic societies need to nurture and protect people’s right to believe anything they want, no matter how distasteful it may be to others, even if those others are in the majority.

See the full interview-Link

Tolerance, pt. 1

I am working on a larger article on the subject of tolerance. I am beginning to find sources and quotes and thought I'd put a few of them up here as food for thought. I would love comments on these, especially if you find yourself disagreeing with them. As these quotes convey, our culture is losing its ability to discuss differing opinions with respect and reason. We need more of this.

Here is a quote from Meic Pearse's book, "Why the Rest Hates the West", as quoted in D.A. Carson's recent book, "The Intolerance of Tolerance."

“The currency of the term tolerance has recently become badly debased. Where it used to mean the respecting of real, hard differences, it has come to mean instead a dogmatic abdication of truth-claims and a moralistic adherence to moral relativism-departure from either of which is stigmatized as intolerance…Where the old tolerance allowed hard differences on religion and morality to rub shoulders and compete freely in the public square, the new variety wishes to lock them all indoors as matters of private judgment; the public square must be given over to indistinctness. If the old tolerance was, at least, a real value, the new, intolerant “tolerance” might better be described as an antivalue; it is a disposition of hostility to any suggestion that one thing is “better” than another, or even that any way of life needs protected space from its alternatives.”

And a couple more quotes from Carson's book.

In this tolerant world some things are intolerable-especially those judged to be intolerant. (30)

Genuine pluralism within the broader culture is facilitated when there is a strong Christian voice loyal to the Scriptures-as well as strong Muslim voices, skeptical voices, Buddhist voices, atheistic voices, and so forth. Genuine pluralism within the broader culture is not fostered when in the name of tolerance none of the voices can say that any of the others is wrong, and when this stance is the only ultimate virtue. (35)

What is unhealthy is derisive criticism that does not engage with the views of a particular party, but merely dismisses them and tries to expel them from the discourse on the ground that they are intolerant. (43)

Happy, Happy, Happy Church Music

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm going to take this week to write about church music.

This morning I found myself spending some significant time reading the Psalms. I have found that it is usually in times of sorrow, suffering, and uncertainty that the Psalms really come alive and have a lot to offer.

How freeing and comforting it is to cry out with the Psalmist,

"O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes-it has also gone from me." (38:9-10)

"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy" (61:1-3).

These verses comfort me by reminding me that it's legitimate to feel stressed and burdened by sorrow and that it's appropriate and good to cry out to God in times like these. I don't need to have all the answers. I don't need to maintain a "peaceful, easy feeling" about everything. Trusting in God doesn't mean that I won't feel hurt, confusion, and sorrow. Yes, we know that it is God's will for us to "rejoice always," but the Psalms teach us that this doesn't mean we need to pretend like we don't hurt and suffer or that we need to keep a smile on our face at all times.

Now, how does this tie in to church music? From my experience and observations as a worship director, I think that many of the songs that we sing in church do a poor job of giving legitimacy to a range of emotions. Much of the worship music being written today assumes that we are feeling happy, settled, and thankful. This can lead many to walk away from a church service with their greatest emotions and needs unacknowledged and untouched. Of course, we'd all like to be thankful and joyful all the time. But that is not reality for most of us. We hurt, doubt, question, mourn, suffer, etc. And the Psalms tell us that these things are part of the human condition, even as Christians, and that we don't need to gloss over their existence.

It's my desire to see churches recognize this deficiency in many modern worship songs and do something to combat it. One of the reasons I am drawn to hymns is because they tend to do a much better job of connecting with a wide range of emotions. This is not to say that there are no modern worship songs that deal with suffering, sorrow, or doubt (Tim Hughes' "I've Had Questions" and Matt Redman's "Blessed Be Your Name" come to mind); but these types of songs are not the norm and the worship sets at most churches continue to convey the belief that the only acceptable emotions from which to worship are happy, thankful, and settled.

"Prone to wander, Lord I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, Lord, 
Take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above."

What will you worship today?

I'm going to take this week and write a series of posts on church music. A little clarification will be helpful. While it is common to use the term "worship" to refer to the singing portion of a church service, this easily leads to a misunderstanding. The term "worship" means to give worth or reverence to something or someone. It comes from combining the words "worth" and "ship." Worship, according to this definition, is not something limited to singing songs. More importantly, the understanding of worship that we get from the Bible is also much broader than merely singing "praise and worship" songs. When we use the word "worship" to describe the 20-30 minute set of 4 songs that we sing on Sunday, it is easy to start thinking that worship means singing, or that worship happens only on Sundays.

However, as will be clear, worship is something that is meant to be all-life encompassing. But even more than that, worship is something that everyone does by nature, all the time. We are worshiping creatures. We give worth to things. We highly esteem things. We give money, time, and thoughts to certain things or people. We all worship something, all the time.  Food, sex, making money, spending money, comfort, religion, morality, business, respect, family...all around us are voices begging for our worship.

I like to think that life is like a big game of king of the hill. There are many things vying to be the object of our worship, many things trying to become the king of our lives. We worship food one day, but eventually the high wears off (we get bloated or sick) and we turn to our job or family or religion or image to assume the throne. But there is only one true King of the Hill, only one thing that rightfully deserves our utmost time, treasures, and thoughts. And that is God.

Today, we will all worship something. It will either be the true God or a functional god. Worship doesn't wait until Sunday at 9:30 AM. Just the fact that we sing songs to God doesn't mean that we worship God with our lives. For this reason, I am hesitant to use the word "worship" to primarily refer to the singing portion of our church services." Phrases such as "worship through music" or "worship in song" are helpful in avoiding this confusion. For in the true sense of the word, worship is something like an attitude or posture we assume before whatever it is that we cling to most desperately. And we all do this, all day long.

I am Wicked

One of my favorite quotes is by Tim Keller: “In the gospel we discover that we are far more wicked than we ever dared believe, yet more loved than we ever dared hope.”

I find this insight to be extremely helpful and on the mark. I feel that we often try to convince ourselves that we are not that bad, that our sin is not really that big of a deal. Understandably, we want to feel good about ourselves. Yet as we successfully convince ourselves that we are basically good, we also successfully make God's love for us and Jesus' death in our place not all that astounding or wonderful. As we diminish our sin, we diminish God's grace.

But the GOOD news of the Bible continually tells us that we are "wretched" and in need of nothing less than a Savior. We don't merely need a self-help strategy, a new morality, a worldview, a new diet, an ego-boost, etc. We need a Savior to rescue us from our own wickedness, the "cosmic treason" we've committed against our Creator.

And why this news is so GOOD is that we have such a Savior-Jesus.

When we try to diminish our sin and in so doing, diminish God's grace, the result is that we end up living with constant, low-lying guilt. This is because we can't completely shrug the sense that deep down there is more wretchedness than we are willing to admit. But when we are honest about our brokenness and sin, we can find complete freedom and peace knowing that every last part of it was paid for by Jesus' death and resurrection. We can accept the wickedness that dwells within us because we know that we are loved thoroughly and completely by God.

May we see more clearly the seriousness and wretchedness of our sin that we may rejoice more abundantly in the vastness of God's love and mercy.

 
 This song by Derek Webb paints a good picture-"Crooked Deep Down."

Uncertainty and doubt

This season of life has required more trust in God than usual. I often dream about how great it would be to know the future. Living with lots of uncertainty is tough. I just want to know what's going to happen. It would be much easier to put my confidence in a particular circumstance or outcome than to put it in God.

But I don't know the future. And I continue to live with lots of unanswered questions. I am left with only two options: 1) Freak out and learn to live with anxiety or, 2) learn to more fully trust God than ever before.

I have found that there are two beliefs that, if true, make all the difference in life, especially in times like this: 1) God is good, and 2) God is in control. I have always claimed to believe these two statements but that belief is being severely tested. It's tough. I don't always see God's goodness. I don't always see him working. I don't understand why things happen the way that they do.

But I must believe that he is sovereign and that he is good. Always. This is a daily decision.

How sweet are these words! "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

The words of this are great, too. Link.

LIFE AS MUSIC

I recently wrote an op-ed piece as an assignment for a class I am taking through Mars Hill Church in Seattle. That article can be seen here. The assignment was to interpret and comment on a particular aspect of culture from a Christian worldview. I have invited some of my friends from the Albuquerque portion of the class to share their papers as a guest post on this blog. I will be sharing some of their pieces over the next few weeks. As a side note, several of their papers deal specifically with Albuquerque culture. However, all of them have some great insights that are relevant and applicable to a variety of cultures. Enjoy!

LIFE AS MUSIC

WHAT TUNE DO YOU PLAY WHEN LIFE IS HARD? 

by Stephen A. Mirabal

Recently, living in the northern San Juan Basin has been a roller-coaster of difficulty. In the midst of this hardship, I believe that knowing ‘who we are’ and ‘whose we are’ in this piece of music called ‘life,’ will give us the answer we have all been looking for-Jesus Christ. By allowing him to shape us as musicians, we can be harmonious and effective in this life.

Music is an integral part of my life as well as our beautiful region. Unfortunately for me, music hasn’t always been my forte. My first guitar lesson I was horrible. I would obnoxiously glide my guitar pick against the ridges of the strings to annoy the other students. I’m not sure I even understood what melodies or harmonies were, much less improvisation!

I was sitting in my room playing my guitar along with a CD one day and finally began feeling my role within its flowing ethos of beautiful melody and tonal structures; I finally fit. Merriam-Webster defines harmony as, “the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords”. It was an incredible feeling to have harmonious purpose in playing an instrument rather than a ridiculous unmusical noise. I feel the same about life. Until we have this ‘light-bulb’ moment, we will continue to be out of sync with the players around us. Completely out of tune and off-rhythm.

The difficulties of this area are vast and multifaceted, but pinpointing a few would be helpful for anyone to know how to respond appropriately and learn to play our tune within our cultural musical arrangement.

The first and most obvious trial we are facing as a region is the sinking price of natural gas, which is the economic stream for this area.  Jason Sandel, a local leader in natural gas production, has said, “If we can't find work for the rigs, then the employees will have to be displaced…” For a lot of us, this is bad news, especially when a business leader is predicting lay-offs. When news is not so good, we often find what is important to us in how we respond. Unfortunately, we often respond with fear, which will only lead to more confusion and dissonance. Whenever someone needs to improvise in music, we need to know what chord structure is expected before we can play along. This is the same in life. God, the Composer of Life, has a song for us to play. Active listening is faith and prayer. An orchestra with no faith in their composer is an inharmonious orchestra at best. The role we should play in times of uncertainty is the act of faith. Faith in Jesus Christ to hold things together, and trust in the Holy Spirit to lead.

Another crippling aspect hurting our communities is suicide and related mental health concerns, such as depression. The CDC reports the San Juan Basin to be a critical point of suicide. New Mexico is the 5^th highest in the nation for suicide, with Colorado right behind as 8^th highest. This is heart breaking. A close friend recently told me what we all hear so often before a suicide incident, “He was normal all day. Then I got the phone call. I just don’t understand why he would do it”. So many people around us, made in the image of God, are hurting. The poor response is to quit. We often feel the need to have perfect answers. What tune will we play in the midst of such pain and heartache for those and from those who are affected everyday by death and depression? Where do we begin to understand this arrangement?

We must ask ourselves, “In life’s song, if we are to be harmonious together, who is the author and composer?” I believe God-the triune God of Moses, Abraham, Peter and Paul-is the composer. We must follow His tune. Any other way leads to death.

The truth is that life can only come from the One who has conquered death: Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians it says, ^“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”  Bringing life into dead places is the role of those who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ. Bringing shalom, order and peace, is the best thing we can do for our broken and hurting world that is full of uncertainty and pain.

Whose music are we playing? What tune are we choosing to play along with? I hope it’s to the tune of Jesus our Lord, the composer of our faith.

Stephen Mirabal is a Worship Minister at First United Methodist Church in Farmington, New Mexico. His beautiful wife of 7 years, Brittany, is a photographer. They share life together with their 3 children; Lillian, Shepherd, and River.

From the Depths of Woe

This song, "From the Depths of Woe," really encouraged me today. See lyrics below. I highly recommend listening to the recording. The arrangement and recording is done by the Indelible Grace group led by Kevin Twit. He was my Sunday School teacher and campus minister while I was at Belmont University in Nashville. This is off their newest CD. The whole CD with lyrics can be heard here.

"From the Depths of Woe"

1. From the depths of woe I raise to Thee, a voice of lamentation.
Lord, turn a gracious ear to me, And hear my supplication.
If Thou iniquities dost mark, Our secret sins and misdeeds dark,
O who shall stand before Thee?

2. To wash away the crimson stain, Grace, grace alone availeth.
Our works, alas! are all in vain; In much the best life faileth.
No man can glory in Thy sight, All must alike confess Thy might,
And live alone by mercy.

3. Therefore my trust is in the Lord, And not in mine own merit.
On Him my soul shall rest, His word upholds my fainting spirit.
His promised mercy is my fort, My comfort, and my sweet support.
I wait for it with patience.

4. What though I wait the live-long night, And ’til the dawn appeareth.
My heart still trusteth in His might, It doubteth not nor feareth.
Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed, Ye of the Spirit born indeed,
And wait ’til God appeareth.

5. Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth.
His helping love no limit knows, Our upmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He, Who will at last His Israel free,
From all their sin and sorrow.

A Ba$t@rd's Thoughts on Manhood

I recently wrote an op-ed piece as an assignment for a class I am taking through Mars Hill Church in Seattle. That article can be seen here. The assignment was to interpret and comment on a particular aspect of culture from a Christian worldview. I have invited some of my friends from the Albuquerque portion of the class to share their papers as a guest post on this blog. I will be sharing some of their pieces over the next few weeks. As a side note, several of their papers deal specifically with Albuquerque culture. However, all of them have some great insights that are relevant and applicable to a variety of cultures. Enjoy!

A Ba$t@rd's Thoughts on Manhood

 Growing up in a city just like me     by Brandon Kirk

I was lucky. My mom had a job and worked hard to put a roof over our heads and food on the table. My grandparents were able to care for me while my mom went to school to be a paramedic. My mom and my grandparents were loving, kind, and caring. By all accounts, I had a good childhood. The only problem? I, like 60% of the kids in New Mexico, grew up without a dad.  More than half of the kids in our state will go to bed without a father to hug them, kiss them, and tell them how much he loves them. And many of the other 40% have an absent or abusive dad. Albuquerque has a man problem. 

The Albuquerque Journal is filled with stories about these children. I did not have a childhood like Jayden Smith who, at 11 months old, was beaten by his mom and her boyfriend. If he survives, he will have total paralysis on the entire left side of his body. I did not have a childhood like Alizandra Jasso who, at 3 years old, was murdered by her mom's boyfriend for soiling her pants. She was slammed down on the toilet and, after crying "no daddy, no," was thrown against a shower door and left to die. On top of the rampant child abuse, 45 men have been arrested in the last 8 months in a child sex sting run by Homeland Security and APD. New Mexico has a man problem.

There have been 3 prominent international cases where a girl has been raped while pictures of the assault showed up during the attack on social media like twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Two of those girls have killed themselves. Our world has a man problem.

A prominent New Testament figure, the Apostle Paul, wrote to warn a young pastor named Timothy that "people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:2-4 ESV)." All it takes is a quick glance through the Albuquerque Journal to know that this description fits our city, as well.

What this city, this state, this generation needs is men who are honorable and willing to protect women and children. We need men who take responsibility for themselves and their families so that women are cared for and children are provided for. We need good single men to marry single moms who have been abandoned by losers parading around as men. We need men to teach their sons that being a man doesn't mean being the opposite of a woman, it means using our strength for other's good. We need men to take their daughters on 'daddy dates' and snuggle so the girls know that they're loved and that they don't have seek the wrong kind of attention from adolescent boys. We need one-woman men who love their wives instead of jumping from girl to girl, leaving a trail of tears, abortions, and fatherless kids in their wake. As men, we need to raise the bar. Ultimately, what we need is men who are bathed in God's Word, forgiven and changed by Jesus, who love Albuquerque like Jesus loves Albuquerque.

But men, you're not alone, you're not too far gone, and you haven't blown it forever. God wants to be a Father to you, to forgive you and show you how to be a father like Him. He wants us to love Him and live in community with other men who love Him. He wants us to share our struggles because being a man isn't about being perfect, it's about being honest and being responsible for ourselves. Being a man is about worshipping Jesus and inviting others to do the same. We hold much power in this city because God has shared His title of 'Father' with men. Jesus wants to heal Albuquerque and He wants to use the men to do that.

I want my wife to know that Jesus is real and that He is good. I want my two sons to know that Jesus is the Perfect Man who loves us even though we are sinners. If God would so bless me with daughters, I want them to know that Jesus is the Great Protector who pursues sinners and makes them saints. I want Albuquerque to know that Jesus is the Great Healer who came to seek and save the lost and he can redeem a person no matter how far off they are from Him.

I grew up without a dad, so I struggle to know what it means to be a man. However, I can look to Jesus as the manliest Man to ever live. He was tough on religious bullies who tore down women and children. He was tender with the outcasts and the broken. He was fun and safe for children. He didn't run from responsibility but, instead, took responsibility for our sin. Though he never sinned, he died with the weight and punishment of our guilt on His shoulders. He is now the Risen King who rides into battle riding a great white horse wielding a fiery sword. He has conquered Satan, sin, and death to protect His kids and display His glory. He will destroy bullies, tyrants, thieves, and abusers. But He also died to offer His friendship and salvation to the worst of us. So, Christian or not, good or bad, come to Mars Hill Church and meet Jesus and men who love Him.

Brandon Kirk is a community group leader at Mars Hill Church. He and Andi, his beautiful wife of three years, have two boys together. He is a computer engineering student at UNM and has lived in Albuquerque his entire life.

Porn, video games, and the demise of guys

There was an ebook that came out last year called "The Demise of Guys: Why Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It" (Also, see TED talk video). I have not read the book yet, but mention it to bring up this issue of the lame-ifying of boys (we can't really call them men) due to pornography and excessive video game usage. The description of this book paints the picture: "an addiction to video games and online porn have created a generation of shy, socially awkward, emotionally removed, and risk-adverse young men who are unable (and unwilling) to navigate the complexities and risks inherent to real-life relationships, school, and employment."

While several preachers have been talking on this subject for quite some time now (See: Video), more and more people are starting to realize that we have a serious problem on our hands, a problem that all people, Christian or not, should be concerned about.

My point in writing this blog is merely to echo what others have already noted: we are losing REAL men, those who take responsibility for themselves, their wives, and their kids, to a never-ending adolescence of porn and video games. We are on a demise as a gender and everybody-men, women, and children-loses when we men neglect our responsibilities.

The world needs REAL MEN. Not perfect men. Not men who have got it all together. Not men who do nothing bad but neither do anything good. But men who are willing to fight. If we are not fighting like men for what is good and right; if we are not taking responsibility for ourselves and others; if we are, instead becoming enslaved to fantasy worlds and fantasy women, then we have no excuse for being labeled as lame and on a demise.

We need Jesus...

Loyalty without covenant, loyalty without commitment!

I recently wrote an op-ed piece as an assignment for a class I am taking through Mars Hill Church in Seattle. That article can be seen here. The assignment was to interpret and comment on a particular aspect of culture from a Christian worldview. I have invited some of my friends from the Albuquerque portion of the class to share their papers as a guest post on this blog. I will be sharing some of their pieces over the next few weeks. As a side note, several of their papers deal specifically with Albuquerque culture. However, all of them have some great insights that are relevant and applicable to a variety of cultures. Enjoy!

Westside 'Til I Die!

Loyalty without covenant, loyalty without commitment!

Burque is my city! I may not live in Albuquerque proper, but should anyone ask, I'm from Burque! This city, my city, is all about loyalty! It's "blood in, blood out" vato!

We won't even consider someone who didn't grow up here their whole life, from Burque! We’re loyal to our ethnicity. As a Hispanic man, it is all about Brown Pride. We're loyal to our high school. When people from other parts of America ask, "What school did you go to?” they mean college. Here we tell them our high school. I went to West Mesa, by the way. We're loyal to our side of town (see title). We're loyal to our family. Don't you dare say something about my family, and don't even come close to saying something about my mom!

A friend of mine said that to understand Albuquerque is to understand contrasts. It's a city of low river valleys and high mountain peaks; A city of cultural contrasts, where you have vestiges of ancient cultures right next to the newest in high technology.            

We say we love local restaurants alone, but we have every chain imaginable.

We mock the "Land of Entrapment", but don't move away.

We say we're, "Born Catholic, Die Catholic", but we don't go to church. Most only go for baptisms, weddings, funerals, and maybe Christmas and Easter. We use the church.

We have old friends that have been together 15+ years, but seem to have no intention of ever getting married.

We say we want kids safe, but we have strip clubs and porn shops next to children's amusement parks.

Moms stick up for dads that are deadbeats, dad’s that don't stick around, don't love, don't serve, don't pay, and yet are still called good dads.

We say we’re about family, but we leave our wives, if we marry them at all, and we abandon our kids to chase pleasure.

We're very vocal about being loyal, yet we're hypocrites.

We may "know" about loyalty, but we know nothing of covenant! We know nothing of swearing to our own hurt! Albuquerque has the second highest rate of divorced adults in the Southwest, as of 2011.  Albuquerque has a huge fatherlessness problem, statistics range from 43-58% among Hispanics in New Mexico. Nearly half of the kids in our state have no dad in their lives. As a father to four wonderful children, that breaks my heart! We know nothing of binding commitment. 

Jesus is more than loyal. Jesus was and is a man committed to covenant. At one point Jesus, "set His face towards Jerusalem", which means He was committed to going to the cross. He was committed to dying for the sins of Burqueños, dying for my sins! Jesus was a man who was willing to give up His freedoms and hobbies and to do what was best for His family. He was committed to doing the will of the Father. He was committed to dying and rising for you and for me. Jesus is the faithful son. He grows up. He doesn't remain the "Baby Jesus" that everyone loves. He grows up to live the life we couldn't live and die the death we deserved to die. He rises again and He is coming to judge the living and the dead! Jesus keeps His covenants! Jesus is the loyal covenant keeper! The Bible says, “When we are faithless, He remains faithful.

Burque needs men who aren't just "loyal", but men who are like Jesus! Burque needs men who are willing to lay down their lives for their friends. Not in a gang fight, but like Jesus did, as a sacrifice for all! Burque needs men who with their dying breath are going to be planning who is going to take care of their moms, just like Jesus did for His mother Mary. Burque needs men who are going to care for the abandoned children and ask that the little children come to them. Burque needs men who are committed to their churches. Burque needs men who are committed to their brides! Let us follow the words of Saint Paul, as he tells us, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." Burque needs men who don't just like the idea of family but who love their family. Men who love their wives and who love their kids. Men who love Jesus!

Burqueños can't do this on their own. It is impossible for us to achieve this. Only Jesus can do the things that we need to do. We need the righteousness that Jesus has achieved and we need Him to give it to us. The Bible describes this in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." This is called “The Great Exchange." This is where He gets our sin and our false "loyalty" and we get Jesus’ righteousness, His covenantal faithfulness.

Jesus loves Burque and Burque needs Jesus!

Carlos Garcia is a lifelong Burqueño who lives next door to his parents in Corrales. (Contrast!) He has been married to his lovely bride Michelle for 10 years. Together they have four children, two sons and two daughters whom he loves very much. He is a Deacon and Elder Candidate at Mars Hill Church, where he serves as the head of the Premarital Ministry and Coach over Community Groups on the North Westside of Albuquerque.