Faithfully Dangerous

More Stomp, More Holler

2011-12-20T07:31:00.001-06:00

I'm excited to share some videos from Stomp & Holler. This is a new children's rhythm and vocal music program I'm running (along with my wife Luanne and our friend Jeff Porter) here in Tulsa. If your K-6th grade student is interested in joining us, we'll be back February 8. Cost is only $10 for 10 weeks of instruction and a t-shirt! We're working on performance opportunities for these kids too, so if you know a place we can perform, let me know! We wanna take over Tulsa!

To start, here's one of my favorite raps... the ever-popular "Guacamole":

Here's Jeff leading a De La Soul (!) routine:

And a Congolese (I think) song:

Here are the little ones doing a "mini-stomp" routine with Miss Luanne:

And finally, here are our two big finale numbers, Katy Perry's "Firework" and P!nk's "Perfect":

Hope you enjoy these kids as much as I have! S ubscribe to our Youtube channel, and "Like" us on Facebook!

Words Matter

2011-11-04T09:58:00.000-05:00

Here's my latest post for the Covenant's Worship Connect blog. Check it out!

I've Found My Sport

2011-10-22T21:22:00.001-05:00

I never thought of myself as an athlete. I don't watch sport on TV. I don't read Sports Illustrated. I would much rather read the entertainment section of the paper than the sports section. I watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and the company. I spent most of my teenage and adult years hiding out whenever a football game would break out on the lawn or guys would start shooting hoops. It's just not my thing. I don't like it. I don't want to do it. I feel stupid and awkward.

But at 40, I've finally found my sport.

Back in February, after having lost almost 70 pounds, I got this crazy idea in my head. I wanted to run. Some friends encouraged me, I bought some shoes, I found the Couch-to-5K running plan, and I was off!

I ran my first 5K on May 14: The Full Moon Run. Luanne and Josh joined me, and it was a really exhilarating experience. I finished in 28:10.

After that came the hottest summer of my life. I tried to stay indoors as much as possible, and I was pretty discouraged in my running. But the moment the weather cooled off, I was back out there, training for my next race with the Bridge-to-10K running plan.

On October 1, I ran the Tulsa Zoo Run. It was a 10K, and I ran it in 57:20.

I love this sport because it's not a team sport, and it doesn't have to be competitive. It's just me and the road... and the next goal. I push myself to see if I can go the next distance. If I can run 3 miles, why not 4? How about 6? And if I can run 6, then surely I can run 7. And you know what? It's true so far... Just this morning, I ran 8.5 miles, my farthest distance yet. Now I know I'll be ready for my biggest challenge so far... the 15K (9.3 miles) Tulsa Run next Saturday.

Running is bringing a lot of joy into my life, and I am a grateful man... I'm healthier than I've ever been in my adult life, and I'm loving the challenges and the disciplines of this amazing sport. Next up, a half-marathon... and then I think I'll be on track to run a marathon sometime next year! Miracles...

Stomp & Holler

2011-09-28T10:12:00.007-05:00

Oh I'm having fun with this one...

With the miraculous PS22 Chorus as my model, I'm running a new program at Redeemer this fall. It's called Stomp & Holler, and it's a blast.

It's a pretty simple idea... a community rhythm ("stomp") and vocal music ("holler") program for 1st-6th graders. Kids are divided into two groups based on their ages/grades. I work with all the kids, singing pop songs like Katy Perry's "Firework" and P!nk's "Perfect." These songs have no overt religious content, but they are positive and family-friendly.

My wife, Luanne, leads the 1st-2nd grade "stomp" program, doing simple rhythm exercises and games. The older stomp kids are led by Jeff Porter, whose bio is pretty impressive:

Tulsa-based percussionist Jeff Porter has been playing and studying African music for 14 years. He studied in Cuba in 2000 and has spent a total of 8 months studying in Brazil.

He has studied with many teachers including Michael Spiro and Alex Acuna of Weather Report.He has recorded on an album with the horn players from Paul Simon's band from Graceland and legendary vocalist Emmylou Harris, and he has performed with many different bands including The String Cheese Incident, The Motet, Tea Leaf Green and many more.

His goal is to bring the spirit of the music to as many people as possible because it is really fun!

He teaches mostly by using paint buckets, body percussion, and singing, but if people get super nerdy about learning all of the traditional instruments, he teaches Congas, Bata, Pandeiro, Djembe, Shekere, and Cajon!

Jeff's a great guy, and I'm really glad he's on board for this project. Check out some of his work with his percussion ensemble, The Claptet:

Jeff and I kind of did a "test run" of this program back in the summer up at Mark Twain Elementary School, where Redeemer was doing "Dreambuilders" - a rhythm and arts camp for that community. I guess this is the next step in the progression! Who knows where this will take us. I have a dream of taking these kids to see the touring production of STOMP when it comes to Tulsa in the Spring. In the meantime, we're getting the word out, running a good program and seeing what happens!

Here's the flyer that's been put up in stores and coffeeshops all around - and even distributed through all the local elementary schools:

And here's the amazing group that got me excited about this in the first place...

40

2011-09-23T08:10:00.006-05:00

I turned 40 yesterday. Mom and dad are here from Indiana, and I enjoyed a relatively quiet day with my family. I'm grateful for my life and for the people who love me. I'm grateful for the last 13+ months of a new, healthy lifestyle.

I awoke to find that Luanne and the kids had recorded a song and uploaded it to Facebook. Enjoy!

My dad, my dad is having a big birthday
My dad, my dad is having a big birthday
My dad, my dad is having a big birthday
And this is what we say...

He's 40 years old
Not quite so young anymore
Feeling older than a dinosaur
He's walkin' through the old man door

My dad, my dad oh this is what you get
For all the times you said you're younger than my mom
My mom, my mom she's so happy today
And this is what she'll say...

Mom, Dad and I took Emily to the orthodontist, waited for her for an hour at Starbucks, and then took her out to lunch at Qdoba.

After we dropped her back off at school, we went to the G ardner's Books tent sale, and I spent $12 and got 10 books at 2 CDs.

I spent a long time reading all the birthday greetings on Facebook. I felt loved. And then I made myself a developer and gave myself the new Facebook "timeline" profile a few weeks early.

When Luanne and the kids all got home, we had dinner at Genghis Grill and then came home for cake and presents. No, I didn't have cake. I had "cake" made from popcorn, cottage cheese, peanuts and a banana (my normal healthy snack foods). Check out my wife's creativity:

And then, to cap off a great day, I went for a run. I finished 6.2 miles (10K) in a little under an hour, and I am grateful for the ability and drive to do this at the end of my 40th birthday! (Although I have now learned my lesson about eating Genghis Grill and then trying to run a 10K within an hour...)

Thanks be to God for all the blessings he has poured out on me! I am grateful.

10

2011-09-18T14:23:00.000-05:00

So grateful for my awesome TEN-YEAR-OLD Emily and Zachary! Thank you, God, for these gifts. May they enjoy the abundant life that Jesus came to bring them and follow him all the days of their lives.

Tony Gapastione IS the Mad Man

2011-09-02T11:12:00.004-05:00

Click here and help me let the rest of the world know...

You can vote once every day from now until September 9! I know, I know... You have to register, and it's a pain in the butt. But if you UNCHECK two boxes, you'll never get any junk email. And seriously... this is a great photo. He totally deserves to be on Mad Men. Check out some of the other photos... Are they serious? Some lame snapshot from a Christmas party? Roman Holiday? Give me a break.

Vote. Let the real Mad Man win. And if you're on Facebook, reply to the invite here.

The Things About Hearts

2011-08-30T19:33:00.004-05:00

My good friend David Greco needs your help. (Check out his Vimeo channel here and his Kickstarter project page here.) Please give. Even $5 helps. This is a worthy goal, my friends... And yes, the rumors are true. This project will be produced by Derek Webb! Yes, Derek Webb.

2011 Reading List (So Far)

2011-08-17T07:49:00.008-05:00

I'm on a Fiction Spree. It's like 2011 is The Year of the Novel for me or something. I started caring about critics again and reading the New York Times book review section and the Amazon "Best Of" section. Here's what I've been reading...

Alphabetical, by author.

Fiction:

Non-fiction that reads like a novel:

Berendt, John - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Memoir:

Sheff, Nic - We All Fall Down

Ugel, Edward - I'm With Fatty

Right now I'm reading Jennifer Egan's The Keep. It was a slow start, but I'm completely hooked at this point.

And of course this does not count the books I have had to read for seminary. Right now I'm reading two fascinating books for Church History. They feel more like books I want to read than books I have to read: Justo Gonzalez's The Story of Christianity, Volume 1 & Volume 2.

How 'bout you? What have you read lately? What do you recommend?

Transformation, Part 2

2011-08-10T16:45:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about the amazing work of transformation God does in people's lives, and how Redeemer folks lined up to share about it Sunday night. I really thought about adding a second "cardboard testimony" to the lineup. If I had, it might have read something like this:

Then: 240...

Now: 163. Maintaining a healthy body weight for the first time in my adult life.

That, my friends, is some kind of miracle. I haven't talked about it here at all, but I have undergone a pretty radical transformation in the last year. In fact, it was one year ago today that I decided to surrender my life and my will to God in the area of food. I radically changed the way I ate. I got input from a doctor and a nutritionist. I chose a food plan. And I haven't deviated from it, not even once, for 365 days now.

But here's the deal. I don't do this on my own. It's not that I'm just so amazing and disciplined. No, I have a lot of support and encouragement and accountability from other people. And, more than anything, I have an amazingly gracious Father who loves me and wants the best for me. And as I surrender to Him every day, He gives me the strength to make these healthy choices.

Here I was back on Father's Day in 2010, pretty miserable at approximately 235 pounds (although Emily was pretty wonderful). My face says it all - and you can't even see my body here!

And here I was on May 14, after finishing the Full Moon Run in 28:10. Feeling really healthy and happy.

And here I was right around Father's Day 2011 with my kiddos. What an amazing difference a year can make.

I break my silence on this whole topic today out of gratitude. Gratitude for health and life, gratitude for the willingness to finally surrender. Gratitude for a great plan to follow and great people to walk the road with me. And gratitude for a loving God who is the Center of it all.

I haven't talked about the specifics of my plan... The internet doesn't need one more guy giving his advice on how to lose weight or get healthy. But I am happy to talk to you about it one-on-one if you want more information. You can contact me via email or Facebook.

Transformation

2011-08-09T16:15:00.003-05:00

Cardboard testimonies from Redeemer's WORSHIP::LOUD service last Sunday night. I'm so grateful for the stories of transformation that were brought into the light. Thank You, God! And thank you, sisters and brothers in Jesus, for sharing your lives with us.

Relationship destroyed by sexual abuse...

Relationship restored through Christ's forgiveness.

Dependent on alcohol...

Dependent on Christ!

Liked to rush God, to "make His plans"...

Learning to trust in His perfect timing.

Insecure...

Secure in His arms.

Didn't go to church, and I was lost...

I was found.

Childless. No hope for giving birth...

God blessed us four times through adoption. All of them love the Lord!

Angry at God. Hurt by Christians. Left the church...

Found by grace. Now I'm a pastor.

Lost: Daughter (16) in car wreck...

Found: Peace that passes understanding.

I used to have a very bad temper...

God set me free. I seldom get angry now.

Lost a father to suicide...

Finding peace in God.

Three miscarriages...

Prayer ministry for expectant couples.

I don't have all the answers...

I follow Jesus - one day at a time.

Broken. Running from God...

Trusting God. Healed by the Healer.

Victim of attempted murder...

No more fear of death. I've been given eternal life!

Lost myself in a guy...

Found myself in Christ.

We were two...

Now we're one.

Angry and abusive...

Loving because I am loved.

Witnessed my brother killed by a car...

Found Jesus. Still healing.

Hamster died...

But now I have a bunny!

Hiding behind a "perfect" mask...

Known, loved and forgiven "as is."

Search for love ended in abortion...

Found forgiveness and true love. Blessed with a family.

Crohn's Disease. Four years of pain, problems and pills...

Remission. No pain, no problems, no pills for seven years.

Self-centered...

God is now the center of my life.

Best friend died in a car wreck (age 8)...

It brought us closer to Jesus Christ.

Busted ear drum...

Prayer for healing answered with complete restoration. No surgery needed.

Lost a best friend... who later had early sex...

Found everlasting friends in Christ!

My firstborn went to be with Jesus at age three...

Jesus continues a deep healing in me.

Nervous about mission trips...

Gone on two. Looking forward to more.

God and Country

2011-07-02T16:42:00.003-05:00

Check out my latest post on the Worship Connect blog! Good discussion happening over there...

More Dates...

2011-06-29T11:58:00.010-05:00

I've got some more shows coming up here in Tulsa... Hope you can join me!

First I'll be singing with Sound Society (formerly Pandemic) for two show in July:

July 21, from 7-9pm, we'll be at Utica Square for the "Summer's Fifth Night" concert series. Details here.
July 30, from 8-10pm, we'll be at Riverwalk Crossing in Jenks as part of the Riverwalk Summer Concert Series. Details here.

And then I'll be doing a solo show (with Cheryl Bocanegra at the piano) at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame on Sunday night, October 16 at 5:00pm. I'll be doing a mix of jazz, standards and show tunes. Mark your calendars!

Blog Post on the Covenant Website

2011-06-08T22:57:00.003-05:00

Check out my latest post on the Worship Connect blog. I love the Cov!

16

2011-05-31T06:07:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that I have a 16-year-old son. Didn't we just bring you home from the hospital?

Some recent photos:

Shua was recently accepted into a special program at Tulsa Tech for computer animation. (He'll start in the fall.) Anyone with connections at Pixar? That's his dream job and the reason we're constantly watching Disney/Dreamworks/Nickelodeon movies at our house.

A recent sketch:

Happy Birthday, Joshua. I love you, I'm proud of you, and I am praying for you to continue to walk with God through this life. As I often reminded you when you were small...

God made you; God loves you; God has a plan for you; God will help you.

Gershwin at the Jazz Depot [VIDEO]

2011-05-23T09:39:00.004-05:00

Some videos from last night's performance at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame...

I Got Rhythm

There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York (from "Porgy and Bess")

Soon I'll be letting you in on big plans for a solo show at the Jazz Hall this fall... Details TBA!

Gershwin at the Jazz Depot

2011-05-20T23:26:00.004-05:00

Join me this Sunday night at 5pm at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame for A Tribute to George and Ira Gershwin: A Very Special Salute. I'll be singing "There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York" from Porgy and Bess, "I Got Rhythm," and a duet with the very talented Cynthia Simmons on "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."

Join us for a night of wonderful music!

My California Gig - May 6, 2011

2011-05-18T22:07:00.006-05:00

My time in California a few weeks ago was amazing. It was so good being with Tony Gapastione, Ugur Taner, Brad Ciraulo and many other good old friends. Like coming home.

And the event itself was wonderful. Great art and food and music and, of course, the film. It was really cool seeing that labor of love finally make it to the screen.

And now, thanks to Bob Seeberger, I have some beautiful HD footage of the little set I did with Brad and Ugur right before the film. Enjoy!

Matt Nightingale Performs at Tester Premiere from Robert Seeberger on Vimeo.

Full Moon Run

2011-05-16T15:36:00.006-05:00

Luanne, Josh and I ran in the Full Moon 5K here in Tulsa Saturday night. It was a really cool experience. Here we are, all ready to run...

The Fleet Feet photographers took hundreds of photos. We found some of us...

Josh smoked Luanne and me... His time was 24:55. With no training at all. (He is 15, I guess.) I ran it in 28:10, and Luanne in 37:58.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T22:01:00.003-05:00

Grateful for my mom, Linda Nightingale. Here she is holding me shortly after my birth in 1971.

Grateful for Luanne. Here she is with our kids tonight in Tulsa...

Luanne

2011-05-05T11:45:00.003-05:00

I'm grateful today for my wife, Luanne. Happy Birthday, Love!

A Night of Second Chances

2011-05-02T12:49:00.006-05:00

I'm flying to California!

I'm excited to join my good friend Tony Gapastione for A Night of Second Chances this Friday night. It's going to be a great evening of food, music and arts, culminating in the premiere of Tony's new short film, Tester.

Since I'm gonna be there, Tony asked me to do a few songs. So I contacted a few good friends, and I'm happy to announce that some of the old "Matt Nightingale Band"(Ugur Taner and Brad Ciraulo, to be precise) will be joining me to do some acoustic renditions of our greatest hits. :)

I'll be flying home to Tulsa on Saturday, so I'm already mourning that I won't get to really spend time with many people, but it's still such a gift for me to be able to come just for a night. Can't wait. Hope you can come out!

Oh, did I mention that all of this is for a good cause? Donations will be accepted at the door, and all proceeds benefiting Street Church - an amazing "church on the street" in Menlo Park. SO come bearing gifts, and expect to receive much in return. It'll be a great night.

Enjoy!

2011-04-12T13:00:00.009-05:00

This is incredibly, ridiculously fun.

A Beautiful Prayer for Lent

2011-04-06T13:09:00.003-05:00

The Universal Prayer

Attributed to Pope Clement XI (1649-1721)

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
And call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.

Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
And make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
And see myself as I really am:
A pilgrim in this world,
A Christian called to respect and love
All whose lives I touch,
Those under my authority,
My friends and my enemies.

Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
Greed by generosity,
Apathy by fervor.
Help me to forget myself
And reach out toward others.

Make me prudent in planning,
Courageous in taking risks.
Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.

Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer,
Temperate in food and drink,
Diligent in my work,
Firm in my good intentions.

Let my conscience be clear,
My conduct without fault,
My speech blameless,
My life well-ordered.
Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.
Let me cherish your love for me,
Keep your law,
And come at last to your salvation.

Teach me to realize that this world is passing,
That my true future is the happiness of heaven,
That life on earth is short,
And the life to come eternal.

Help me to prepare for death
With a proper fear of judgment,
But a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death
To the endless joy of heaven.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Midwinter 2011 Reflections

2011-02-10T13:29:00.004-06:00

I always love the times of worship... Since I first started coming in 2001, I've been grateful for this little glimpse into the Kingdom. Many tribes, tongues and nations gather in unity and worship the Creator. It's really beautiful. Thursday night's communion service was particularly moving.
Great, diverse speakers. Where else can you hear Jim Perkins, Al Tizon, Laura Sumner Truax and Ray Johnston all in one week? I gotta say, though... I really missed Craig Gross, who apparently got a better gig - appearing on CNN that morning - and canceled us. Can't say that I blame him though...
Kris Causton and Lindsay Small were a hoot... Every day I roared with laughter. I know this loses something in the translation to video, and you kind of have to be a Covenanter to really get it, but still... Here's the first day. If you want, you can see the rest of them - plus speakers, music, etc. - here on the Covenant website.

Midwinter Wakeup (Tuesday Morning) from Covenant Communications on Vimeo.

Man, do I love my friends. Every year it feels like I'm coming home. In the crazy last couple years of my life, Midwinter has been a safe place in the storm, a place where I can always find people who really, really understand me. You know who you are, and I love you.
My workshop, "Better Together: Worship Planning in Our Diverse Denomination" was well-attended, and people were really engaged. It was so good to be together as worship pastors and leaders. Just to be together in dialogue is a powerful thing, and I think the relationships will continue over on our new Facebook site. Covenant worship leaders/planners/lay leaders, please join us! We're still deciding what to do with the hours of footage we got from the workshop, together with the five short films we made (OK, Luke Johnson and Joshua Havens made them). Maybe a DVD set? Maybe an interactive web experience? Maybe a worship curriculum?
Yes, we were snowed in. Chicago got the third-largest blizzard in its history while all of us Covenant pastors were snug and warm inside the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. I realized as I left the hotel on Friday morning that I hadn't been outside since Monday afternoon. (I must admit I'm already looking forward to 2013. We're having Midwinter in San Diego. My question: Will anyone attend ANY of the sessions or workshops?
Did I feel guilty, leaving Luanne and the kids to experience Tulsa's record snowfall and subsequent home-imprisonment? A little bit, yes. I wish I could have been here with them... But it was great to be in Chicago, too. And I'm so glad they were safe and sound. Power stayed on, they had plenty of food. I *do* think it's a little ridiculous that my kids haven't been back to school yet... We've already heard they will be out again tomorrow. That, my friends, makes NINE days in a row. Yes, you read right. NINE DAYS out of school because of these two snowstorms.
I continue to be amazed by and grateful for the Covenant... a denomination that truly emphasizes the authority of the bible and the need for rebirth through Jesus Christ... while at the same time boldly proclaiming the need for compassion, mercy and justice. This group of people practice what they preach. And as much as we poke fun of Gary Walter's "In It Together," I really experience it. And I love that we can agree to disagree on nonessentials... It's just that sometimes it's hard to see what is essential and what isn't. God, help us...
My new friend Nathan Albert put it this way in his blog, and I agree: "I realized that Midwinter is all about pastors pastoring one another for a week. Conservative and liberal; men and women; old and young; African-American, Asian, Latino/a, Caucasian. It was encouraging and affirming, challenging and thought-provoking."
Thank you, Redeemer, for letting me go to this conference. It nourishes me and prepares me for another year of serving God with you. Thank you, ECC, for giving me the opportunity tp present my workshop and making it all financially possible. I'm so grateful to be in it with you.

Where I've Been...

2011-01-25T22:44:00.003-06:00

It's a busy time of year... Funny, I always think that "after Christmas" things will calm down a bit. I've started another online seminary class through North Park, Interpreting the Old Testament II (Poetry, Wisdom, Prophets... Job through Malachi). I'm only in my second week, but there is a ton of reading and writing. I love it, though. Even though I can't imagine how I'll get it all done, it's a joy to study the bible.

I'm excited to go to the Covenant denomination's Midwinter Conference again next week. This will be my 11th year attending, and I really look forward every year to being with my sisters and brothers, my colleagues in ministry. I'll be leaving for Chicago on Monday morning and staying through Friday morning. This year at Midwinter, I'm leading a workshop called "Better Together: Worship Planning in Our Diverse Denomination," featuring fellow worship leaders from North Park University; Grace ECC in Chicago; Christ Church in East Greenwich, RI; Crossroads in Loveland, CO; and Convergence in Oakland, CA.

Then on Friday afternoon I'll be heading over to Indiana to be with my parents for a few days. I'll get to see my sister and brother and their families too, so that will be great.

So much is happening at Redeemer. We're in a period of looking at worship ministry and trying to discern how we can best meet the needs of our community while enabling God's people to worship in spirit and truth. I am praying for a real movement of the Spirit... Open us up to Your power, Your mission, Your desires for us, God!

So... I haven't had a lot of time to write here on the blog. I mean, can you believe I let a New Year come and go without commenting on the best music of 2010? I don't know... Maybe my priorities are changing or something. How about that.

13

2011-01-10T05:41:00.001-06:00

Can't believe our son Jacob is 13 today! I love you, Jake! My prayer for you today:

Father, thank you for the incredible gift you gave to the world thirteen years ago. Jacob is an incredible creation, and I'm so grateful you chose to entrust him to us for a while. As he continues to grow, help him to see you all around him. Help him to know you more and more deeply. Help him to know how much you love him, and may he experience your presence in his life. Surround him with friends who can encourage his faith and support him in every way. Give him everything he needs and help him to be more and more like Jesus every day. Amen.

We're having dinner at Genghis Grill tonight with some friends and then heading back home for presents and cake. And then Friday night, the family is celebrating with tobyMac, Brandon Heath and House of Heroes at ORU's Mabee Center!

Happy Birthday!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T05:54:00.001-06:00

Hey Everyone...

I'm still here. Alive and well and crazy busy.

Merry Christmas!

A Prayer for Children

2010-11-12T10:47:00.005-06:00

It's been an awful week here in Tulsa. Sick things in the news. Children killed and abused in monstrous ways. Trust destroyed. Hearts broken. In our staff prayer meeting yesterday, we prayed and cried out to the Lord on behalf of these precious children and their families... and our own children. It's a scary world out there sometimes. Sin-sick. Broken.

Sometimes all we can do is cry and somehow hang on to hope that God will make it all right someday. And do our part in the meantime to make this a more just and loving world. Child abuse is not OK. Child sex trafficking must be stopped. Lord, have mercy.

Here's a song I wrote for Josh years ago that sums up how I'm feeling about all this today:

Oh My Child
Music & Lyrics: Matt Nightingale
from the album "Still Standing"

For Joshua Matthew, Jacob Connor, Emily Grace and Zachary Joseph.

(Download the album for free or whatever you want to pay over at NoiseTrade. Widget to the right. ----->)

Oh my child, I am trying to raise you well
Oh my child, so far so good, but who can tell
Cuz the world is a violent, empty place
They don’t care about you and your precious face
Not really, not really

Oh my child, be strong and courageous
All around you, heaven knows, there’s a battle that rages
And the angels are fighting for your soul
And your daddy is praying that you will know
The Father, the Father

Big blue eyes and busy hands
You’ll grow up as time demands
How many days, how great the cost
Till I look in your eyes and see innocence lost

Oh my child, I am only human too
And I know any minute now I am going to fail you
And I hope you’ll remember how I love you
And that I was an innocent child like you
Long ago, not long ago

Big blue eyes and busy hands
You’ll grow up as time demands
How many days, how great the cost
Till I look in your eyes and see innocence lost

Oh my child, how I long for what’s to come
All the violent, empty things will finally come undone
And from Eden to Golgotha to Kingdom Come
All Creation is groaning, “Thy will be done”
Oh rest in that, Oh rest in Him

Oh Joshua, rest in Him
Oh Jacob, rest in Him
Oh Emily, rest in Him
Oh Zachary, rest in Him

Oh Father, Thy will be done

© 1998 A Little Nightingale Music (ASCAP)
Lyrics reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

A Veterans Day Prayer

2010-11-11T15:26:00.005-06:00

Found this great prayer over on Facebook via my friend Matt Anderson, worship pastor at Thornapple Covenant Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was written by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Phillips, Rector at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church at the University of Rhode Island.

I'm grateful today for men like my dad, Chuck Nightingale, my father-in-law, Lou Tondino, and so many others who have served our country.

God of all nations, you are our Strength and Shield. We give you thanks today for the devotion and courage of all those who have offered military service for this country:

For those who have fought for freedom;
For those who have laid down their lives for others;
For those who have borne suffering of mind oir of body;
For those who have brought their best gifts to times of need.

God, in your mercy and love, we thank you for their lives.

On our behalf, oh God, many have entered into danger, endured separation from those they love, labored long hours and born hardship in war and in peacetime.

God, in your mercy and love, we thank you for their lives.

We ask today that you would lift up by your Spirit those who are now at war; encourage and heal those in hospitals or mending their wounds at home; guard those in any need or trouble; hold safely in your hands all military families and bring the returning troops to joyful reunion and tranquil life at home.

Give to us, your people, grateful hearts and a united will to honor these men and women and hold them always in our love and our prayers until your world is perfected in peace and all wars cease.

Through Jesus Christ, our Savior,

Amen

Another Morning After

2010-11-03T11:24:00.001-05:00

I’m reminded today, as I was on the morning after the election in 2008, that Jesus is Lord, that nothing happens outside the will of God, and that our hope and future are NOT found in elected officials or political parties. Today I am called to live as I was called to live yesterday: as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, a pilgrim in a foreign land, a citizen of heaven living for a time in the United States of America. I pray for our nation, our state, our city, and those who have been elected to govern us. And I continue to place all my faith and hope in Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Worship Leaders & Planners... Need Your Help!

2010-11-03T09:34:00.012-05:00

I'm putting together a workshop for my denomination's annual pastor's conference in February. Here's the official description, from the Midwinter 2011 website:

204 | Better Together: Worship Planning in Our Diverse Denomination

Our vibrant denomination includes churches of nearly all ages, sizes, ethnicities, and approaches to planning and leading worship. This interactive workshop will focus on several "case study" churches while inviting participants to share experiences from their own unique perspectives in an attempt to foster learning, connection, communication, and resourcing within our Covenant worship community.

My vision is to create video profiles of 4-5 churches within the Covenant. We're talking to several different "types" of churches in an attempt to capture many differing approaches to worship planning... from a megachurch with a large worship staff to a small church that utilizes laypeople extensively. We'll be looking at other types of diversity too, engaging worship planners from ethnic and multi-ethnic churches, liturgical and decidedly non-liturgical churches. These videos will be shown, and a representative from that ministry will speak and answer questions about their approach. Participants will interact with the church leader and in small groups. I will simply act as facilitator... encouraging interaction and keeping things on track.

My question for you today: Worship leaders, pastors, planners... What would YOU ask? We're preparing to produce these videos, and I need to come up with interview questions for these teams to answer.

My sense is to simply ask them to describe and explain their process, from start to finish. But what specifically would YOU ask? What questions and problems are YOU experiencing in your worship planning?

Blogging Tips from Bryan Allain

2010-10-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's post comes courtesy of the very talented Bryan Allain. He would absolutely qualify as one of those bloggers I wanna be when I grow up. :) You can subscribe to his podcast here or check out his blog here...

7 Things You Should Know as a Beginning Blogger

1. No Blog Writes Itself - Behind every blog post you read on someone else's blog is a person just like you doing the writing, editing, and publishing. They have other stuff to do, but they find time to blog.

It won't be different for you. You will never wake up to find out that your blog has done the work for you while you were sleeping. The Keebler elves make cookies, not blog posts. Expect to work hard.

2. Blog Posts Are Not Like Kids - You might love all your kids the same, but you won't be able to say the same thing about your blog posts. Some posts will be home runs that take hours of writing. Others will be opposite field singles that you bang out in 10 minutes as you're headed out the door.

Would this happen in a perfect world? I guess not. Ideally you want each blog post to be as good as the last one, but that's not reality. If your readers expect 4 posts a week, I'm of the opinion that it's better to give them two homers, a double, and a single than to give them just two homers. If you start only posting your best work, eventually you'll stop posting altogether.

3. Consistency is #1 - Building off that last point, the most important thing you can do as a beginning blogger is be consistent. It will help you develop good habits and it will develop a bond between you and your new readers.

The FIRST thing I look for when I visit a blog is the dates of the last few posts. If they seem too spaced out and erratic I'm already gone. If you want me to be a consistent reader you need to be a consistent blogger.

4. Don't Fear the Crickets - Don't be afraid to post something because you think no one will respond. So you only have 20 readers? Who cares, go ahead and ask them a question at the end of your post. I promise you, no one is going to come to your blog, see that no one responded to your question, and laugh at you.

If you never ask for comments because you are afraid people will see that no one is reading, then guess what, you won't get many comments. The worst that could happen is that no one leaves a comment. Really, it ain't that bad. Even the best bloggers get disappointed from low response numbers all the time. Get used to it so you can brush it off and keep writing.

5. Your Most Important Reader is You - I'll read a blog on just about anything if I know the writer is passionate about the subject. If you're writing about stuff that you know well, but bores you, then guess who else is going to be bored? Answer: everyone.

The only chance you have to write an interesting blog is to write something that interests you.

6. You are Whispering at a Rock Concert - Don't expect to be heard right away, no matter how many important people you know or how many links you get. There are so many voices out there blogging about so many different things, it's almost impossible to be heard.

Discouraged? Don't be. Just because it's tough to be heard doesn't mean you don't have something to say. Your voice is unique, so stay true to it and trust that everyday more and more people will find it and stick around if it resonates with them.

7. It's Your Gig - The best thing about being a blogger is that it's your creation. You decide how often to post, what to post about, and every other detail that goes into making a blog unique. Have fun with it, invest yourself in it, and if it's not working out for you don't be afraid to shut it down.

A blog shouldn't be a burden you carry around all the time. If 90% of your thoughts about your blog are "man, i really need to post something", then take a break from it and see if you want to start back up or not.

Blogging isn't for everyone, but for some it will be an amazing experience. You might discover that you don't love writing as much as you thought you did. Or who knows, you might discover a voice you never knew you had and an audience excited to hear what you have to say.

Truth be told, there's only one way to find out, so get your butt in a seat and start creating.

Cover Band Essentials?

2010-10-20T22:31:00.009-05:00

I'm in a cover band here in Tulsa (no, really... I know I'm not in the pic, but that's cuz I just joined the band), and we are just starting to play here and there. We play restaurants and festivals, and it's generally a lot of fun and an opportunity to make a little (very little) money from time to time. It's a fun gig, and I'm grateful to get to song some pop songs and work with great musicians. We consist of a rhythm section (guitar, bass, drums, keys), horns (trombone, trumpet, sax) and three singers (two guys and a girl).

Here's my question:

In your opinion/experience, what should every cover band be able to play at the drop of a hat? What are the songs you want to hear at a New Year's Eve party or a wedding reception?

Here's the list of the songs we currently do:

Always Entertaining Me (The La-La Song) - Original
America the Beautiful - Ray Charles
Back To You - Original
Breathe (2AM) - Anna Nalick
Bright Lights - Matchbox 20
Come Together - Beatles
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Don’t Know Why - Norah Jones
Drops of Jupiter - Train
Everything - Michael Buble
Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon
Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz
Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band/Seal
Freedom 90 - George Michael
Harder to Breathe - Maroon 5
Heaven - Los Lonely Boys
How To Save a Life - The Fray
I’m Yours - Jason Mraz
I Don’t Wanna Be - Gavin DeGraw
I Forget to Breathe - Original
I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) - Michael McDonald
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
If I Ain’t Got You - Alicia Keys
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
Isn’t She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
Josie - Steely Dan
Just Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble
Life Is A Highway - Rascal Flatts
Listen to the Music - Doobie Brothers
Living in America - James Brown
Love Shack - B-52s
Love Song - Sara Bareilles
Lucky - Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
Madly - Tristan Prettyman
Many the Miles - Sara Bareilles
Minute By Minute - Doobie Brothers
Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
One Week - Barenaked Ladies
Peg - Steely Dan
Pick Up the Pieces - Average White Band
Pink Houses - John Mellencamp
Please Don’t Leave Me - P!nk
Pony (It’s OK) - Erin McCarley
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. - John Mellencamp
Saturday in the Park - Chicago
She Is - The Fray
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours - Stevie Wonder
Smooth - Santana & Rob Thomas
So Much To Say - Dave Matthews Band
Superstition - Stevie Wonder
Unwind - Original
Vertigo - U2
Walking in Memphis - Marc Cohn
What a Fool Believes - Doobie Brothers
What Would You Say - Dave Matthews Band
You Make Everything New - Original
25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago

So what do you think? Given our instrumentation, current repertoire and aspirations, what should we cut? What should we add? Talk to me.

(And in the meantime, enjoy a couple of vids from a performance we did at Utica Square last July... Pretty lo-fi but maybe you'll get the idea.)

Found Art: A Glimpse Into My Daughter's Heart

2010-10-18T08:14:00.004-05:00

Sometimes the little glimpses into our children's hearts and minds are so precious. I found this written on a sheet of notebook paper this morning:

I've always wanted to be a sinetest that waches the clouds or a storm chacer. most kids don't think about being a storm chacer but I do. I have my jurnals or some kind of paper always with me. I love listening to music I foces more on the sunde track than the singer. I've always wanted a sister me and my three brothers don't get along the best. I love Drawing, writing, and reading. I speand a lot of time out side observing or writing in my jurnal. I'm learning incorsive. I'm in theard grade.

Rumor Has It...

2010-10-14T18:34:00.006-05:00

So, rumor has it that a famous blogger will soon be guest posting right here on my humble little blog. I'm not going to say anything else. I'm not even gonna tell you when it's gonna happen. But it's SOON.

(Can you feel the expectation in the air?)

My question to you is: If you knew a famous blogger was going to do a guest post on YOUR blog, and you had the potential to have hundreds, if not thousands, of people poking around your site for the day, what would you do to prepare?

Would you do a "Who I Am" post? A blog re-design? Would you try to pimp your music or your church or your Big Idea? Would you try to look as absolutely cool as possible in the attempt to draw these one-time readers back for a second visit? Would you try to write The Best Post of Your Life? Would you switch out your profile photo?

Or would you think to yourself, "This is stupid. Why do I care what So-and-So's readers think of me?"

Decisions, decisions...

Loved and Cherished

2010-10-14T18:33:00.000-05:00

My mom has been going through all of the old family slides, converting them to jpegs and putting them on CD-Rs. Eventually, all of us kids will have copies of all of these slides. It's a cool project.

She recently send me some pictures of myself as a little boy, and I was unprepared for the waves of emotion that rolled over me. Nostalgia? Sure, but I don't think it's just that.

Is it that I have kids of my own now and I see myself reflected in their faces? Yes, I think that is a big part of it...

But deeper than that, I think it's reflecting on my own life and loss of innocence. When you're a child, things are simple. Playing in the sprinkler on a hot summer's day is about as complicated as it gets. But of course we grow and live. Our lives become more and more complex. We find ourselves in situations we never imagined. We lose heart and hope. We see the dark side of life. We lose, we fail, we let ourselves and others down. Childhood dreams are let go.

And then, sometimes, we find grace. And we realize that God is bigger than our failures and the boxes we've put God in. We find that there is hope for redemption, that Jesus came because we're screwed up, because eventually we all fall, we all fail, we all break. And that we are loved beyond anything we could ever hope, dream, ask or imagine.

So thanks, Mom... For loving me (then and now) and for sending these photos as a reminder of who I was and who I am in the eyes of God... a precious, innocent child. Loved and cherished.

Celebration of Freedom

2010-10-13T22:41:00.003-05:00

Last night my family held hands around my computer and prayed as they started bringing the miners to the surface. Wasn't it incredible? As they brought the first man, Florencio Avalos, to the surface and his son started bawling, I gotta admit there were some tears in my eyes too.

A friend of mine on Facebook just said, "I was cynical about the Chilean president photo-opping at the rescue at the beginning but have mad respect that he stayed the whole 24+ hrs." I agree. One of my choir members at Redeemer was talking about this tonight. He and his family were missionaries in Chile for many years, and he talked about the incredible unity of the Chilean people. He said that was one of their most highly valued national traits... the ability to pull together and be unified in the face of danger or hardship.

Last night on Facebook Chris Seay said something that's been on my mind all day. As we rejoice with our brothers and sisters in Chile, let us not forget that we have been freed too. Freed from the darkness and bondage of sin, brought into the glorious light of Jesus Christ.

Grateful tonight for freedom.

To Save A Life

2010-10-02T18:08:00.012-05:00

Perhaps we've reached the tipping point in this dialogue. All I know is that something must change. I don't care about your or my theological/biblical/philosophical thoughts on the "issue" of homosexuality. We can certainly have those thoughts, and we can discuss them peacefully and lovingly.

What must begin NOW - especially among us Christians! - is to stand up against the persecution of LGBTQ people. Because that's what they are: people. Just like you and me.

Lots of people have written about it. Here are Eugene Cho's thoughts. Here are Jay Phelan's. Here's Ellen's video:

Let's agree, people of faith, to get involved in actively loving the LGBTQ people who are all around us, every day. Support The Marin Foundation. Read Love Is An Orientation. Speak up when people around you use derogatory terms like "fag" or say "That's so gay." You may save a life. Maybe it'll be your own daughter or son's.

One final thought: I'm praying tonight for Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei too. What a terrible burden to bear for these young people. Their whole lives are ahead of them, and they will forever be marked, forever shunned and hated for their roles in this tragedy. May God grant them peace, forgiveness and healing as they seek him.

Catching Up

2010-09-27T20:46:00.000-05:00

Huh, look at that. It's September 27. I'm 39 years old now, and I'm already into my second year here in Tulsa. For a while there, I was trying to blog every day. That's just a dim memory now... So why the writer's block? I think there's been so much going on, and I've wanted to get all caught up, make sure that everything I've done was noted somehow...

Why? I don't know. Immortality through Blogspot? Anyway, what follows is a simple list. That (I think) I can pull off... and then maybe I can move forward, unencumbered by months of "Oooh... I should blog about that!" regret.

I've been singing with a local cover band called Pandemic. It's so much fun... I've always wanted to be in a band like this. It opens up great opportunities to meet people outside the walls of the church and move in completely different circles than those normally occupied by pastor-types. We've played some pretty cool gigs in the last several months, including the Rock -N- Ribs Festival at the BOK Center and the Summer's 5th Night series at Utica Square.
We had an incredibly busy and wonderful June at Redeemer, starting with our Vacation Bible School. The next week was our "Dreambuilders" Rhythm & Arts Camp with low-income kids at Mark Twain Elementary School in West Tulsa. I did a "GLEE" club, and it was a dream come true for me.
We had a really fun month of visits by people we love a lot... We got to host my sister, Sarah, and her family; Luanne's mom and dad; and Luanne's brother, Dominic, and his family (on their big cross-country move from Simi Valley, California, to Nashville)! And after all that was over, we got to host Nate Bartoshuk, one of Jacob's best friends from our old home in Redwood City, California.
While Nate was here in July, we took the family on a short vacation to Dallas. We spent a day at Six Flags Over Texas and a day at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (water park next door). We went to a Rangers baseball game and visited with Luanne's old friends from Simi Valley, Carolyn Stults and her kids and grandkids.
Like everyone else, I saw Inception and loved it.
We have had a couple of Sunday night worship services at Redeemer. I'm really excited about the possibilities of moving forward on Sunday nights with a new format. And I must confess, I am having Sunday At 6 flashbacks and hoping we can capture some of that experience here in T-Town!
Luanne and I had an amazing experience this summer. ALL FOUR kids went to New Life Ranch at the same time! We both ended up working most of that time, but just to havd the house to ourselves was pretty nice. Grateful for that space and time together!
This one really deserves a post of its own, but... Our friend and Josh's former youth pastor, Michael "Slim" Wilton, broke his neck in a diving accident on July 10. He and his wife, Sheena, have been our thoughts and prayers as they begin a very different life together than they had ever imagined. Please join us in pray and support for them!
School has started again! I'm taking another seminary class through North Park (Christian Theology), Josh is a sophomore, Jacob is a seventh-grader, and Emily & Zach are third-graders, all in the Jenks school system.
Luanne is working full-time now at Trak-1 Technology, and of course I'm still at Redeemer Covenant. We live very busy lives!
Zach is playing soccer with Metro Tulsa Soccer, and Emily is doing gymnastics at Tulsa World of Gymnastics. Jake is playing percussion in the band, and Josh is running track at the high school.

So... Now that all THAT's out there... I wonder if I'll ever post again?

9 x 2

2010-09-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday, Emily Grace & Zachary Joseph! Can you really be nine years old already?

(You can check out previous birthday pics here, here and here!)

And of course, like always since this day in 2007, Happy Birthday to Cousin Ellie, too!

An Encouraging Note

2010-09-05T20:33:00.002-05:00

Got this in my Facebook inbox the other day:

Matt, appreciate your commitment to your faith and wrestling with that faith. I've missed your blog entries, since, while I don't always agree with everything you put down, you remain faithful to what you believe and are doing so in a way that speaks clearly of your belief in and following of Christ as Savior. Just wanted to say thanks for staying faithful.

Wow. What an incredibly encouraging note. I realize I have not posted much this summer... OK, not really at all, save some family photos on special days. Work, family, seminary and much more have conspired to take away whatever energy and attention I had reserved for regular blogging. I know I owe some posts to some people... and I'll get to them soon.

Seventeen

2010-08-14T10:26:00.004-05:00

Seventeen years ago today, on a beautiful day in Simi Valley, California, my best friend became my wife. I'm grateful today, to God and to Luanne, for the life we've built together.

Just a Few Loose Ends

2010-05-31T22:19:00.001-05:00

A quick retrospective on some of the teeny-tiny loose ends that never got tied up...

15

2010-05-31T01:01:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday, Joshua! I love you and I'm proud of you.

The La-La Song Lands on IRIS

2010-05-28T13:00:00.003-05:00

Way back in March I blogged about my song "Always Entertaining Me (The La-La Song)." At the time, it looked like a Korean TV show, IRIS, might use it in a scene. Later I was told it wouldn't work out. I forgot all about it.

Then this morning, I got an email from someone saying he had been watching on Hulu, heard my song, Googled the lyrics and found me! He just wanted to say he liked the song. What? I honestly thought someone was messing with me. But no... Turns out it's true! Check it out... At about the 44:00 mark:

LOST: The Finale

2010-05-24T08:33:00.004-05:00

Last night, after the show, I tweeted: "#LOST was perfect. Thank you to @DamonLindelof and @CarltonCuse. You guys made the best show on TV..."

What did you think? No, not everything was wrapped up neatly with a bow on top, but I think they did the best job they could do given all the variables. Sure, lots of questions remain, but would we really have wanted them to explain it all? In the end, one thing remained: relationships with the people we had loved from the beginning. They were all together, and they were at peace. Beautiful.

Awkward Family Photos

2010-05-14T16:16:00.004-05:00

I'm in a book! I just stopped by Barnes and Noble to pick it up, and it's a winner

The book is based on one of my favorite websites: Awkward Family Photos. I submitted my photo for the website, but they asked if they could put it in their book instead. I said sure. It's on page 128.

Honestly, my picture is more cute than awkward (that's for my mom and dad), but I still think it qualifies... Check out those lovely 1981-style glasses, the wood paneling, the curtains, the plaid... Classic!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

Forty Never Looked So Good...

2010-05-05T10:50:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to the love of my life! I'm grateful I get to spend my life with you, Luanne.

Let's Make a Record!

2010-04-27T16:29:00.004-05:00

Exciting news from Over the Rhine! Wish I was rich...

Let's Make a Record!

Thanks for your interest in helping us fund the next Over the Rhine record! We begin recording on Monday, May 17, 2010, in South Pasadena with producer Joe Henry and an amazing group of musicians. We can’t thank you enough for your help.

Please select whatever donation level is a good fit for you.
All donations however small or large are greatly appreciated.
We can’t do it without you.

Gratefully,

Linford and Karin

An Evening with Stephen Sondheim and Frank Rich

2010-04-25T14:44:00.009-05:00

I still can't quote believe it. Stephen Sondheim and Frank Rich came to Tulsa last Monday night as part of the University of Tulsa's Presidential Lecture Series. And I was there.

Back in 2000, to commemorate Sondheim's 70th birthday, Rich began a series of conversations with him to talk about Sondheim's life and career and the state of American musical theater. You can read about them here. And now, ten years later, they are doing a limited number of engagements across the United States. The format is simple. They sit in chairs and have a conversation, with Rich asking questions and Sondheim answering. Monday night felt like sitting in on a conversation between old friends! And as a fan of Sondheim's for decades, it was an especially sweet evening. I sat there grinning like an idiot for most of the night. My favorite Sondheim moments:

Stories of growing up with Oscar Hammerstein as a mentor and godfather.
Describing what it was like to see "Oklahoma!" for the first time.
Cracking up with Rich as they described attempts to "fix" Sondheim's shows by overly ambitious college theater department heads. One changed "Merrily We Roll Along" to go forward chronologically in time. One had Bobby shoot himself in the head at the end of "Being Alive." Funny stuff.
Describing the writing process for the song "Sunday in the Park with George."
The story of writing "Rose's Turn" and introducing it to Ethel Merman.

I'm honored to have been there and grateful to TU for bringing them.

Jennifer Knapp & Derek Webb at the Cain's

2010-04-22T18:22:00.010-05:00

I haven't been blogging much lately... I'm way too busy, and frankly, blogging had been eating up way too much of the time I should have using for other, more important things. So rather than try to write a brilliant review of the Jennifer Knapp/Derek Webb/Amy Courts show here, I'll just hit a couple of the highlights and then link to some more information:

Hanson was there. Yes, Hanson. Isaac and Taylor at least. They jumped up with Derek to sing "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" at the end of his set.
The crowd was so small (maybe 150) that the show was not held at the Cain's Ballroom after all, but at the bar next door instead. I have no idea why ticket sales were so low. Maybe because Jennifer came out as a lesbian two days prior to the show? No idea. I preferred the venue. It was an all-acoustic show... just voice and guitar. The small venue was great. Plus we got to sit down. :)
It was a very supportive crowd. People seemed genuinely glad to have Jennifer back, and she seemed genuinely glad to be received so warmly.
The music was amazing. Period. Amy did a great job with her three songs. Derek was awesome as always. Jennifer rocked. Amazing voice, presence and guitar skills.
Lyrics, as you can imagine, had all kinds of new significance. I'm really glad she sang oldies like "Whole Again," "Martyrs and Thieves" and "A Little More," but it was really hard to listen without reading into the lyrics like mad. And I am almost positive she got a little choked up during the first chorus of "Martyrs...": So turn on the light and reveal all the glory. I am not afraid to bare all my weakness, knowing in meekness I have a kingdom to gain where there is peace and love in the light, in the light. Oh I am not afraid to let Your light shine bright in my life, in my life... Judge for yourself here.)
The new songs rock. I've had a copy of the new record, Letting Go, for a couple of months, and I think it's some of her strongest work. No, it's not a "Christian" album. But it is infused with spirituality and a seemingly deep yearning for truth and God. It's well worth a listen.

Thanks to joshua4578, we have some Youtube footage of the show. Check it out here.

Here's a review from Tulsa Today. Great photos!

Excellent article from Timschrader.com. He interviews Nathan Albert from The Marin Foundation, and I couldn't agree with his thoughts more. My favorite quote: "There is a difference between validation and affirmation; standing with doesn’t mean affirmation of. We can stand with people even though we may not affirm their actions or beliefs. I stand with my non-Christian friends even though I do not affirm certain political views or their private lives. So too should we stand with Jennifer Knapp and others who have had similar experiences."

One more newsflash: Tomorrow night Jen will be on Larry King Live - along with Ted Haggard, Clay Aiken and Pastor Bob Botsford. Should be very interesting. And maybe surprising. Jen just tweeted, "Deeply impressed by T. Haggard on Larry King set." Wow... Maybe the two of them won't square off like I expected them to.

Jennifer Knapp Comes Out

2010-04-13T16:26:00.003-05:00

Big news today from Jennifer Knapp. The rumors swirling around her for the last seven years were, for the most part, true. She is a committed Christian in a committed relationship with another woman. And she's OK with that. The question is whether her Christian fans will be or not.

Christianity Today

ABC News

The Advocate

Looking forward to seeing her in Tulsa on Thursday.

Jennifer Knapp: "Wanting To Be A Person Of Faith"

2010-04-09T21:25:00.005-05:00

Honesty and transparency are beautiful.

"Did You Learn Anything?"

2010-04-08T18:28:00.002-05:00

Wow. Just wow.

What do you think?

The Bike

2010-04-07T21:28:00.004-05:00

Just remembered this song tonight. It's a great one. Here's the Matt Nightingale Band (circa 2007) covering Amy Correia's "The Bike."

The Bike
Amy Correia

I became the owner of a red and rusted bicycle
Built like a tank from Sears and Roebuck, circa 1952
It had been entrusted to me by my late, great Uncle Pat
And I guess he didn't ride it much. Both tires on the bike were flat.

Pat had died at Christmastime in 1991
He had fallen off the wagon and had sunk into a Christmas funk
My father, he had found him two days after Pat had died
Well he drank himself to death one night in a little home he owned by the seaside
Well I took the bike, I cleaned it up, my father he patched up the tires
Am I going to town or just spinning my wheels?
And when I die, I wonder how it feels

Hey, and I'm ridin' around, ridin' around on it
Hey you know I'm ridin' around, ridin' around on it
Hey, I'm just ridin' around, ridin' around on it
Hey...

The funeral service was a few days later at a place down the street from where he had lived.
There wasn't a heck of a turnout. He had never married and he never had kids.
The coffin lid was open, Pat was lying inside
His sister had a picture of a poodle named Pepper. She put it in his hands and then she cried.

Now I'm riding through the city, through the smog and the summer heat
And I'm blowing through all of the red lights. I guess you could say I'm feeling lucky
And the taxis and the trucks, everybody's blowing their horns
And I got a bicycle bell to ring, and I got a notion to sing while I'm riding along

Hey, and I'm ridin' around, ridin' around on it
Hey you know I'm ridin' around, ridin' around on it
Hey, I'm just ridin' around, ridin' around on it
Hey...

Well I wonder if I ever really knew him at all
And I wonder can he see me
As I'm ridin' along, ridin' along?

The day that Pat was buried, the air was cold and clear
And we drove out to the cemetery and snow blew around in the air
And a hired man from the state, he played Taps on a coronet
And a flag was presented to his sister for time in the service that Pat had spent

When he used to ride on the bike, way back in '52
He was starting out on life, and the bike, it was brand new
And life was laid before him like a platter before a king
He was young and he was handsome, and the world was alive with meaning
And the world was alive with meaning

Hey, and I'm ridin' around, ridin' around on it
Hey you know I'm ridin' around, ridin' around on it
Hey, I'm just ridin' around, ridin' around on it
Hey...

Resurrection

2010-04-05T12:00:00.002-05:00

Thank God for Rob Bell. And thank God for the promise of resurrection!

Jennifer Knapp Interview

2010-03-31T14:35:00.003-05:00

I just bought tickets for Luanne and I to see Jennifer Knapp on 4/15. Very exciting. Somehow my friend David Kennedy scored an interview with her... Check it out on his blog.

Cathleen Falsani: Grace, Eventually

2010-03-14T10:10:00.012-05:00

As you know, I'm a voracious reader. One of the first places I go when I move into a new community is the public library! I can spend hours and hours there, perusing the books, discovering new authors, reading big-city newspapers...

When I moved to Houston last year, I spent a lot of time at the library closest to our house. While there, I discovered a great author named Cathleen Falsani. (You can read all about her impressive credentials here.) Her book, Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace, really captured my imagination. Like Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace? and Manning's Abba's Child, it opened my eyes again to the wonders of God's grace and love. The book is part travelogue, part memoir, and Cathleen's strength lies in finding God in the most mundane and extraordinary circumstances.

I was really enjoying the book until tragedy struck. If you followed my blog last year at all, you know that our Houston Experience was challenging sometimes, especially during the times our rental house flooded. This library book was a casualty of one such flooding. We tried to salvage it, propping it open, blow drying its pages... but alas, we could not save it.

I thought perhaps its subtitle would score some points or something as I meekly walked to the library desk, looking for some sign of grace. I mean, the pages were still readable, even if the book would no longer fully due to ripply pages!

Nope. $24.00 later I was the proud owner of a severely water-damaged copy of Cathleen's book.

A year later, I was chatting with her on Twitter (follow Cathleen here) and I told her my story (edited down to 140-character chunks). She asked for my address, and a week later, this was in my mailbox...

Grace may not come on our timetable, but sooner or later it eventually comes. Thank you, Cathleen!

Check out Cathleen's other books, The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers and The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People.

Read her fascinating account of exploring Barack Obama's faith for the Chicago Sun-Times in 2004.

Check out Cathleen's official website here, her blog here, and her Facebook page here.

O Say Can You See?

2010-03-13T21:29:00.005-06:00

I was a little rusty, and it was cold... but this morning I hauled myself over to the new ONEOK Field. They were holding open auditions to sing The Star-Spangled Banner at a Tulsa Drillers game sometime this season at their new ballpark (which is really cool). I forgot how high that song can get, but I think I did all right... Here's hoping I can get my family to a free game sometime this summer!

I've had a little experience singing this song, after all... It was November 2006 that I sang it at the 49ers/Seahawks game. In fact, it was the big Jerry Rice Retirement Ceremony, so it was packed! I don't know it I've ever been more nervous, but it turned out to be a thrilling experience, hanging out on the sidelines for two hours before the game watching the teams warm up (those guys are huge!), singing for 70,000 people, shaking hands with Bryant Young (watch to the end) and then watching the game (a 49ers victory!) with Luanne, Josh and Jake up in the press box. I think the boys may have been more excited about the free food than anything. A huge meal when we first arrived, then hot dogs at halftime, and all the drinks and chips you wanted.

Here's Luanne's video...

And here's Buck Ellis and VK Jones's video (I love their commentary!)...

Then in 2007, I sang it again for the "Battle of the Bay," San Francisco versus Oakland. My 12-year-old-at-the-time, Josh, filmed this one:

Come on, T-Town... Let me add another performance to my Youtube collection!

More Tulsa Awesomeness

2010-03-12T14:24:00.015-06:00

Ever since moving to Tulsa, I've been pleasantly surprised at the cultural diversity and opportunities to experience high-quality performing arts. There are some great venues here:

The BOK Center is an impressive arena (No. 2 arena in the United States and No. 9 in the world in the number of tickets sold, believe it or not). Luanne and I saw Dave Matthew Band and Willie Nelson there last fall, and Josh went to the Winter Jam, featuring Third Day, NewSong, Tenth Avenue North, Newsboys and Fireflight.

Cain's Ballroom is a classic venue, spring-loaded dance floor and all. It was named by Paste Magazine as one of the Top 40 music venues in America. Josh and I saw Switchfoot there a few weeks back, and Luanne and I are going to see Jennifer Knapp and Derek Webb there on April 15! I am so excited they're coming to Tulsa!

The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is a really cool and unique addition to Tulsa. Lots of great live music. In fact, my friend (and Redeemer pianist) Cheryl Bocanegra recently gave a brilliant performance at the 18th Annual Jazz Keyboard Concert. Awesome stuff.

Luanne and I saw the B-52s at River Spirit Casino.

We're taking the whole family to see the Modern Day Heroes Tour featuring KJ-52 and Group 1 Crew coming to The Otherside Club on March 25.

Just this week I discovered that I'm going to get to see a lecture by some legends of theater, Stephen Sondheim (the greatest living composer for the musical theater... think Follies, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Company and so many more...) and Frank Rich (chief drama critic for the New York Times since 1980) are coming to The University of Tulsa's Reynolds Center on April 19. I cannot tell you how excited I am to see one of my all-time heroes. Stephen Sondheim is a genius. I'm going to have to do a separate post about him and how his career has impacted my life since I was 14 years old.

Here's a video of me singing "Giants in the Sky" from Into the Woods...

I haven't been to the Mabee Center at Oral Roberts University yet, although I drive by it almost every day. There's a ton of great stuff going on there all the time. I was surprised to see all the "secular" music there, but I have come to find out that the City of Tulsa owns a large part of it. It all makes sense now.

I haven't been to the Brady Theater yet either, but a lot of great acts come through here including Bob Dylan and Norah Jones recently.

The SpiritBank Event Center is right down the street from Redeemer. I haven't been there yet, but there have been some cool shows since we've lived here... Really sorry I missed Hillsong United.

And I just discovered this venue: All Soul Acoustic Coffeehouse. Just this past weekend they had Lucy Kaplansky there! Can't wait to see some shows there.

So that's the round-up for today. I'm excited to live in this town... Good stuff happening all the time.

Super Cool Music Videos

2010-03-11T16:34:00.006-06:00

I haven't been posting a lot lately because I'm swamped... But I will take the time to embed some videos here. Have you seen this one by OK Go yet? I know it made the rounds all last week, but if you haven't seen it, take a couple of minutes. It's magnificent. I've never seen anything quite like it.

OK Go "This Too Shall Pass"

And while I'm at it, I thought I'd post some other favorite music videos. These are videos that made me marvel at their inventiveness, their style, their visual effects, their mood... whatever. And these are just some that I thought of off the top of my head. (Can you tell I was in college in the early 90s?)

What are some of your favorites? Why?

Korn "Freak on a Leash"

a-ha "Take On Me"

INXS "Mediate"

Tracy Chapman "Fast Car"

Joan Osborne - One of Us

So frustrating! Youtube is currently disabling a lot of music videos. OK, label honchos... You are limiting the reach of your product and halting the spread of your music and artists. So stupid...

Well, I was GOING to embed these videos. Go watch them on Youtube, I guess.

Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U

Mute Math - Typical

A New Kind of Christianity: The Jesus Question

2010-03-10T15:33:00.002-06:00

This is the fourth post in a ten-week series on Brian McLaren's new book, "A New Kind of Christianity." I got the book as part of The Ooze's Viral Bloggers program, and I'm one of many bloggers currently working through the book and entering into dialogue about it. The subtitle of the book is "Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith," and I'm dealing with a different question each week.

It's been an amazingly busy week, and I don't have time today to dive into all of my thoughts around this question, but here's the video. See what you think!

Study questions for "The Jesus Question" here. Enjoy the discussion!

Oscar Predictions & Thoughts

2010-03-07T06:00:00.004-06:00

Just for fun, here are my predictions for tonight's Academy Awards. These are not necessarily the winners I would choose. We'll see how many I get right. I'll just guess in 9 categories:

Best Picture: "Avatar," "The Blind Side," "District 9," "An Education," "The Hurt Locker," "Inglourious Basterds," "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," "A Serious Man," "Up," "Up in the Air."

This year I've actually seen six of the ten nominees: "Avatar," "The Blind Side," "District 9," "Precious," "Up" and "Up in the Air." (Compare that with last year's pitiful total.) My random thoughts about this category: "Up" can't win because it's nominated as an animated film. "The Blind Side"... Really? I mean, I liked it... Took the kids and all. Very uplifting and heartwarming, but it was more like a Hallmark Channel TV movie than a Best Picture winner. "Precious" was powerful, but so hard to watch and sad. "District 9" was cool and quirky, but it can't win. I really liked "Up in the Air" a lot... Excellent performances from the three leads, and the story was powerful. "Avatar" was amazing, and I loved it. I've seen it twice. But it seems like there is a definite backlash against it this year, and people would love to see Cameron's ex, Kathryn Bigelow, beat him. My prediction is "The Hurt Locker." It's got the momentum.

There are ten nominations in this category this year instead of the usual five. Roger Ebert snarkily says if you want to know what the "real" nominees are, look at the Best Director category.

Actor: Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart;" George Clooney, "Up in the Air;" Colin Firth, "A Single Man;" Morgan Freeman, "Invictus;" Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker."

I've only seen Clooney's performance, and I thought it was awesome. Earlier in the season, I thought this was his year. But it's looking more and more like Bridges will take home the trophy.

Actress: "Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side;" Helen Mirren, "The Last Station;" Carey Mulligan, "An Education;" Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire;" Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia."

I've only seen Bullock and Sidibe. Gabourey Sidibe's performance, honestly, feels like a once-in-a-lifetime thing. (I hope I'm not right, but I can't picture her in any other role... It may turn out to be a very challenging thing to overcome.) Like I said, I think "The Blind Side" is schmaltzy and not worthy of these accolades, but people genuinely like Sandra Bullock, and I think it's her year. This is such an excellent example of these awards, unfortunately, being more about the person (or the politics) and less about the performance.

Supporting Actor: Matt Damon, "Invictus;" Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger;" Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station;" Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones;" Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds."

Haven't seen any of these performances. I'm just going with the buzz.

Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, "Nine;" Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air;" Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart;" Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air;" Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire."

I thought Farmiga and Kendrick were wonderful in "Up in the Air," and I didn't see Gyllenhaal or Cruz. Mo'Nique was awesome and awful in her role. She was evil and sad and pathetic and horrifying, and I can't imagine anyone else winning this aware.

Directing: James Cameron, "Avatar;" Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker;" Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds;" Lee Daniels, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire;" Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air."

I think Bigelow will win. She'll be the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar, and the Academy will love seeing her beat her ex-husband, James Cameron.

Adapted Screenplay: Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell, "District 9;" Nick Hornby, "An Education;" Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche, "In the Loop"; Geoffrey Fletcher, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire;" Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air."

This is mostly wishful thinking. I want it to win because I liked it so much. I think if it can win anything, it can win this.

Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker;" Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds;" Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, "The Messenger;" Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "A Serious Man;" Bob Peterson, Pete Docter & Tom McCarthy, "Up."

I'm just going with the mo on this one.

Animated Feature Film: "Coraline;" "Fantastic Mr. Fox;" "The Princess and the Frog;" "The Secret of Kells;" "Up."

"Up" is remarkable, and the Academy will honor it in this way. Then they don't have to feel guilty when they give the Best Picture Oscar to another film.

All right, there you have it. What are your thoughts? You can bet I'll be on Twitter throughout the show. Follow me at @mattnightingale and join the conversation!

White Man - The Michael Gungor Band

2010-03-06T08:00:00.002-06:00

Why have I not seen this before? What a great song...

White Man
Words and music by Michael Gungor and Lisa Gungor

God is not a man
God is not a white man
God is not a man sitting on a cloud

God cannot be bought
God will not be boxed in
God will not be owned by religion

But God is love, God is love, and He loves everyone
God is love, God is love, and He loves everyone

God is not a man
God is not an old man
God does not belong to Republicans
God is not a flag
Not even American
And God does not depend on a government

But God is good, God is good, and He loves everyone
God is good, God is good, and He loves everyone

Atheists and Charlatans and Communists and Lesbians
And even old Pat Robertson, oh God He loves us all
Catholic or Protestant, Terrorist or President
Everybody, everybody, love, love, love, love, love

La la la...
Yeah, I say God is love, God is love, and He loves everyone
La la la...
Stop the hating, please just stop the hating now cause God is love
La la la...

© 2008 worshiptogether.com songs/ASCAP. Admin by EMI CMG Publishing

Here's Michael talking about the song and performing an acoustic version. (Thanks, Tony, for the link!)

Scot McKnight on A New Kind of Christianity: "Evolutionary, not Revolutionary..."

2010-03-05T08:00:00.004-06:00

I've been blogging about Brian McLaren's "A New Kind of Christianity" for the past several weeks. Here's a great, challenging review from Scot McKnight. Check it out. And here's an abbreviated version on Scot's Jesus Creed blog, along with almost 200 (at this writing) comments. Great dialogue.

And here is Brian's response.

Jon Simpson, Part II: "I've Never Lived More Abundantly..."

2010-03-04T08:00:00.002-06:00

Last week I asked my friend Jon Simpson to write about his journey of faith, art and calling. You can read the first part of his story here. Jon's life and faith have been a real encouragement to me - first as a close friend who walked with me through a pivotal time in my life, and later as a model for Luanne and me as we followed in his family's footsteps and took a leap of faith away from our comfortable lives in California.

I hope you're as encouraged and challenged by his story as I have been.

Last week I shared a bit about my initial relationship with art, how it connected to/in me, and how I chose to follow a path moving into adulthood that sidelined that important part of me. I eventually arrived at a crossroads of frustration with where/whom I was and where/whom I was wired to be (although at that point in time the "where I needed to be" part seemed to be on the other side of a bridge that didn't currently exist).

My wife and I had a few friends and family that walked with us through this season of our journey with love and prayer and open ears, invaluable companions. As one of these, Matt Nightingale had passed along a potential opportunity to do a backing musician gig at a church fellowship outside of my normal orbit. For a few different reasons it wasn't normally the type of gig I'd jump at, but getting out of comfortable norms are opportunities for growth in general, and to be quite frank during this time I had made a vow, surrenduring to God that I was willing to do anything that was a step forward. (I should say that it's since become an important axiom for me that our potential has much more to do with our willingness than our self-assessed capabilities.)

The gig itself was nothing special, but it was there that I met a few missionaries. Now, although I grew up in the Christian subculture, my concept of a missionary was pretty limited. For me, basically missionary = old man + bad suit + wild jungle + spiders for dinner. But these people were - dare I say? - pretty normal. They were traveling around the States telling people stories of what God was/is doing in the world, and reminding the Church of its call to mission... to go out into the world, live love, and tell of Jesus. But they were using music, dance, and drama. I saw people respond, and I was once again reminded of the power that the original Artist placed in art, even as I caught a glimpse that the promise and purpose of my own, specific, uniquely-wired life might be larger than I dared hope.

Fast forward eight months. I had accepted an invitation by this same group of missionaries to go on a short-term outreach with them, spending two weeks traveling across the beautiful country of Turkey, doing rock concerts and telling people about Jesus. Once again, I saw people respond. Every morning as I woke up I knew the day held special promise. The Maker was expectantly waiting for me to be my part of His body, the Author inviting me into His story for that very day. When I arrived home I discovered that God had been moving in my wife's life as well, and we in turn moved step by step toward full-time missions involvement, which also meant moving away from friends, family, the "secure" job (my concept of security - in part shaped by the need to subsist on the financial donations God provides through His people - has changed quite a bit), and the area in which we had spent our whole lives up until that point.

It's now been almost 5 years of full-time missions involvement, as an artist seeking to know God and make Him known among the nations. I serve with a partnership of artists - musicians, dancers, painters, technicians, etc. - called OM Arts International. There has been much fruit (wow, the stories I can tell where I've seen God use the arts to impact people for His reputation), and there remain many more opportunities for involvement. I've never been more challenged than over the course of this season of my life, but I've never lived more abundantly. Oh, I could say so much more...

To wrap this up (thanks so much if you've hung with me thus far), I do feel a need to step back for a minute and clarify something: please don't see this as a story of one person just chasing greener grass... a different or new thing to simply bring some purely selfish happiness. I believe with all my heart this has to do with being more like the person I was created to be. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have more joy and peace in this season than I've ever experienced before, but doesn't it make sense that that would be the case if it were possible to tap into a greater meaning, a greater engagement with Life and the redemption of the world? I'd also be remiss if I didn't ask - are YOU engaged? Do you wanna be? Let me know...

Connect with Jon on his website, Twitter, Facebook and Myspace.

A New Kind of Christianity: The God Question

2010-03-03T15:46:00.006-06:00

This is the third post in a ten-week series on Brian McLaren's new book, "A New Kind of Christianity." I got the book as part of The Ooze's Viral Bloggers program, and I'm one of many bloggers currently working through the book and entering into dialogue about it. The subtitle of the book is "Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith," and I'm dealing with a different question each week.

In Question #3, the God Question, Brian asks the provocative question: Is God violent? I have wrestled with this question for a long time. I know that my God is one of love and mercy. The Scriptures speak to this reality, and my own experiences with God have proven it to be true. So how do we reconcile this God with the Old Testament God who orders genocide? The Flood, a cute little story we tell our children when they are young, is really, upon further inspection, a terrible story of a God who decides people are beyond redemption, so he just kills them all. Or is it?

I am always interested in this topic, and I've read a lot about it and blogged about it before. A couple of years ago, Greg Boyd was dealing with this topic in a really interesting way. You can find that writing here.

Work, family and a sem class are really taking a lot of time these days, so I'm gonna let Brian speak for himself. I think his thoughts about this particular topic are important and add to the conversation in a meaningful way. Amidst all my troubling questions, I trust my God... I know He loves me, and I know He loves the world... all of His beautiful creation. In the end, no matter what, I know all will be well.

Fourteenth century English mystic Julian of Norwich was troubled by the problem of sin and evil. In her Revelations of Divine Love she asks Jesus about this problem. His response is simple, and I love it: "Sin is necessary, but all will be well, and all will be well, and every kind of thing will be well."

Study questions for "The God Question" here. Enjoy the discussion!

The Curious Life of the La-La Song

2010-03-01T16:30:00.002-06:00

It's happening again... My 14-year-old song is finding new life. It's certainly been the most "gregarious" of my children, as Joni Mitchell might say.

I've already blogged about how this song came to be written here, but I'll post it again:

Ah, the La-La song. This is my big hit, my radio single, my movie soundtrack song… Back in 1998, I had the verses written, but I had nothing to hold it together, so it just sat there. One night I saw Sarah Jahn in concert at Grace College, and she played a song where the chorus consisted of singing, but without words… I thought, “Who needs words? I could do that too!” Later, with 40 Miles North (back when they were still just Jeremiah and Marcie) jamming in my living room, Jeremiah played the progression while I experimented with melodies. When I hit on this "la la" progression, we all stopped and said, “Well, that was it!” A demo version of this song, with just Jeremiah on guitar and me on vocals, actually charted on WFRN, a large Christian radio station in Elkhart, Indiana.

When I re-recorded it for my album, Still Standing, it found some more success on internet radio through Indieheaven.com, charting at #1 for a short time on their charts and making it onto their first compilation disc. It was played on little indie stations all over the country. I remember being in Texas and driving by a station that was playing my music. I called them and did an interview right on the spot. It was also used for an indie film made by a Stanford student, Jessica Scalise, called "Cat Fight." Luanne and I went out to the premiere… It was so jarring to hear my voice bust out in the middle of the film!

And all this from a seemingly innocuous little ditty about an encounter with God.

I had forgotten about this, but a few years ago I was contacted by a Korean company who wanted to try to use my music in advertising in Asian countries. I gave them permission to pitch my songs. (I can only assume that this was a result of their efforts!) Anyway, I was recently contacted by them again, and it turns out that a Korean drama, Iris, is going to use the song when they re-dub the series and release it in Japan! How cool is that? I'm really excited about this opportunity, and my album is now going to be digitally distributed throughout Asia as well.

Here's a video of me doing the song at Hume Lake a couple of years ago (with a killer band - Ugur Taner and David Greco on guitar, Matt Henderson on drums and Carlos Silva on bass):

I Love My Sister

2010-02-28T15:36:00.004-06:00

It's legendary in our family, and it shows you what an amazing sense of humor my sister, Sarah, has. We were young... I was probably 15, so that would make her maybe 11 or 12. I came to breakfast one morning, only to discover that she had left a note for me on the table:

Yes, I still have the note 25 years later. It's in my "memorabilia box" and that's just the kind of guy I am.

Anyway, I don't know if you can read it or not, but it says:

MATT,

this is very important
that you read this +
listen to what it
says.

- IMPORTANTANT -

When I opened it up I found, written in painstaking colored-pencil cursive, the words to Ray Stevens's "Mr. Businessman."

Itemize the things you covet
As you squander through your life
Bigger cars, bigger houses
Term insurance for your wife
Tuesday evenings with your harlot
And on Wednesdays it's your charlatan
Analyst, he's high upon your list

You've got air conditioned sinuses
And dark disturbing doubts about religion
And you keep those cards and letters going out
While your secretary's tempting you
Your morals are exempting you from guilt and shame
Heaven knows you're not to blame

You better take care of business
Mr. Businessman, what's your plan?
Get down to business,
Mr. Businessman, if you can
Before it's too late and you throw your life away

Did you see your children growing up today
And did you hear the music of their laughter
As they set about to play?
Did you catch the fragrance of those roses in your garden
Did the morning sunlight warm your soul,
Brighten up your day?
Do you qualify to be alive
Or is the limit of your senses so as only to survive?
Hey yeah.....

Spending counterfeit incentive
Wasting precious time and health
Placing value on the worthless
Disregarding priceless wealth
You can wheel and deal the best of them
And steal it from the rest of them
You know the score, their ethics are a bore

Eighty-six anesthetic crutches prop you to the top
Where the smiles are all synthetic
And the ulcers never stop
When they take that final inventory,
Yours will be the same sad story everywhere
No one will really care, no one more lonely than
This rich important man, let's have your autograph
Endorse your epitaph

You better take care of business
Mr. Businessman, what's your plan?
Get down to business,
Mr. Businessman, if you can

I just remember her knowing little smile... like she's accusing her 15-year-old brother of being this cold, workaholic, pill-popping businessman.

Yesterday I got an email from Sarah. It said:

"Just an essential reminder from your sister to make sure you're still on track in life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z3ad7V30ZU"

I had that same feeling I had a quarter century ago when I saw that note... "Oh geez, what have I done now? What do I need to apologize for now?" And then I clicked on the link:

I love you, Sarah...

Denise McKinney: Mile Markers

2010-02-26T09:49:00.005-06:00

Today I interview my friend and fellow minister Denise McKinney, author of the new Zondervan/Youth Specialties book "Mile Markers: A Path for Nurturing Adolescent Faith."

Connect with Denise via her website or her blog. You can also follow her on Twitter.

Jon Simpson: "A Simple Epiphanic Moment"

2010-02-25T10:00:00.002-06:00

I met Jon Simpson in 2001 in Redwood City, California. He quickly became a trusted ministry partner and close friend, and our families spent many happy evenings together. He expanded my world, helped me to think differently about music and bands and art. Now he lives in the Atlanta area and works with a great organization called Operation Mobilization. I've asked him to share his story. Today you'll read how God called him away from California into a completely different life and world, and next Thursday he'll be back to share what he's doing now and how God and Art work together in his life.

I've always loved art. From the time I can remember, art connected with me, and I with it. In the beginning my first-hand involvement was chiefly through drawing... pencil, pen and ink, and later pastels. My early childhood drawings focused on superheros or spacemen (I remember getting in trouble at church once because I drew a spaceman in one of those blank pages at the back of my Bible... what else are those pages for anyway?) - maybe the dreams or aspirations of what a grown-up life could look like, while in contrast the figures and images in the drawings of my teenage years embodied the inner turmoil of that time period. So without conscious intention, there was the demonstration that art could be a reflection of hope and aspiration for the future, as well as frustration and angst with the present. Around junior high, music (non-church music, anyway) entered my life via my first radio, and it quickly became a passion that continues to this day.

The first season of my adult life provided much evidence that I was my father's son. I grew up in what I'd call a very practical household, and my father - I'm sure in desiring what he considered the best for his son - instilled in me a directional path: pursue the well-paying, secure job with good benefits and retirement plan, the house, the wife, the kids. Retire as early as possible, then spend the rest of your life doing what you want. Art - whether drawing or music or whatever, other than as a hobby - was wholly impractical. Having no other driving aspiration at that time (or maybe reticently giving in to my father's guidance) yet not feeling particularly passionate about my father's own roadmap, I more or less wandered from one job to the next looking for the next pay increase or secure position, always keeping my art sensibly sidelined. I even found a quote to help temper the discontent of relegating my artistry to hobby. Iconoclastic composer Charles Ives, who made the decision to work as an insurance salesman, once said that if a composer "has a nice wife and some nice children, how can he let them starve on his dissonances?"

God saw fit to bless me (only He knows why, but I have my guesses - hint: it certainly doesn't have to do with anything I've done, but may entail whom I'm made to be), and before I had left my 20's I found myself with an amazing wife and two beautiful sons, a house on the San Francisco peninsula, and a secure job with good benefits and sufficient pay to allow my wife to stay at home with our boys. And yet, I realized at a certain point that if I had to continue looking down the barrel of 30+ more years of life-as-I-currently-knew-it, I might as well just put it to my temple and pull the trigger. This was no mid-life crisis... rather a simple epiphanic moment, where an internal restlessness could no longer be contained by what had become a passionless life of "safe" and "secure" things. The American Dream had sold me out.

What I've come to realize in recent years is that over the course of my growing up I developed an internal disconnect. I was wired one way. I acknowledged it with my mouth, with my head: the Creator formed me purposefully. And yet I had instead chosen to work within an operating system that muddled up the order of things. Syntax error. It's dangerous whenever we say or think or study or sing a set of beliefs and not live them out. It's dangerous because as time goes on it gets easier, unless the Truth intervenes. Thank God for His intervention.

In my next post I'll share a bit about where I am now, but to make an even-longer story short, what followed after that epiphany was a lot of angst, a lot of prayer, a good measure of surrender, and a divine connection initially instigated by my friend Matt Nightingale to some missionaries...

Connect with Jon on his website, Twitter, Facebook and Myspace, and come back next week to read Part Two of Jon's story.

A New Kind of Christianity: The Authority Question

2010-02-24T13:59:00.013-06:00

This is the second post in a ten-week series on Brian McLaren's new book, "A New Kind of Christianity." I got the book as part of The Ooze's Viral Bloggers program, and I'm one of many bloggers currently working through the book and entering into dialogue about it. The subtitle of the book is "Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith," and I'm dealing with a different question each week.

In Question #2, the Authority Question, Brian deals with the Bible and our relationship with it. Is the Bible a constitution, an authoritative answer book that can be used to prove or disprove God's will and laws? Or is the Bible a library of works by God's people in many different times and places, interacting with God and attempting to tell the story of God in their context?

He deals with the book of Job as an example of the challenges of the constitutional approach. What do we do with God's discussion with Satan? Is it a literal conversation? Does anyone else have a problem with God telling Satan he can totally destroy Job's life... just to test him? Did you know that this is the first time Satan is mentioned in the Old Testament? Could he be simply a literary device? For that matter, could "God" be simply a character in this drama, perhaps used the same way a modern-day playwright would have God speak or act in a theatrical sense? (Scary and controversial thought, to be sure.)

And what of all the dialogue in the long middle section of Job? Since all of the words of Job's friends are, in the end, discredited by God, does that invalidate their truths for our lives? What about the fact that some of them are quoting the book of Deuteronomy? Does that mean that Deuteronomy is not valid for us? The friends say, again and again, that God blesses the righteous and curses the unrighteous. Job claims his own innocence and uprightness again and again. God shows up in the end and affirms Job... But he does so by asking a series of questions and basically saying that no one can understand God and his ways. Is that the whole point of the book?

Brian would say that the entire book is the point: the wrestling, the disagreements, the contradictory statements, the whole messy thing.

I'll quote Brian at length here, from the end of Chapter 9, "Revelation Through Conversation."

This approach, if you haven't realized it yet, defies both conservative and liberal categories. On the one hand, the conservative constitutional view claims to put us "under" Scripture's authority, yet I'm sure I'm not the only one who has notices that some of the most pompous and defensive people anywhere are found among those who stand and shout, "The Bible says!" Nor am I the only one to notice that before the Bible can serve as a constitution, it must be interpreted as one, which renders amazing authority to those interpreters. The Bible they want to put us "under" tends to be the Bible as they have interpreted it, which unsurprisingly means we are actually under their authority as they stand over us with Bible in hand. On the other hand, the liberal view reacts strongly against all this conservative sleight of hand and largely resists using the language of authority at all when it speaks of the Bible. The liberal view ends up bequeathing a great deal of authority to liberal scholars who deconstruct the Bible, just as the conservative view does to the scholars of its tribe who constitutionalize it.

Perhaps the approach I'm recommending is no better in this regard. But here's what I hope: that this approach will not try to put us under the text, as conservatives tend to do, or lift us over it, as liberals often seem to do. Instead, I hope it will try to put us in the text - in the conversation, in the story, in the current and flow, in the predicament, in the Spirit, in the community of people who keep bumping into the living God in the midst of their experiences and loving God, betraying God, losing God, and being found again by God. In this way, by placing us in the text, I hope this approach can help us enter and abide in the presence, love, and reverence of the living God all the days of our lives and in God's mission as humble, wholehearted servants day by day and moment by moment, even now.

Study questions for "The Narrative Question" here. Enjoy the discussion!

Switchfoot at the Cain's Ballroom

2010-02-23T16:06:00.008-06:00

Josh and I saw Switchfoot last night at Cain's Ballroom here in Tulsa. It was such an amazing evening. I knew they were a good band, but I was blown away by their musicianship, stage presence, and powerful message of hope and redemption.

I am so grateful for followers of Jesus who make art that really matters. When God shows up in beauty like that, everyone notices.

One more thing... Guess who I found out is coming to the Cain's on April 15? Jennifer Knapp and Derek Webb! I'm really excited about their tour (I blogged about it here), so I'm thrilled that Tulsa made the list. Bring it on!

PS22 & Mark Twain

2010-02-22T08:00:00.005-06:00

Have you seen these kids? New York City's PS22 Chorus just blows me away every time I see/hear their wonderful music.

Directed by Mr. B (Gregg Breinberg) since 2000, the 5th graders sing an amazing variety of music, from Tori Amos to Bob Dylan to Lady Gaga, and they've quickly become international celebrities. Their Youtube channel has had more than 14 million hits. They've performed all over New York (even Radio City Music Hall!) and for special events. They've gotten attention from some notable Twitter users (Perez Hilton, Ashton Kutcher and Roger Ebert, to name a few). There has been tons written about them. (Check out a great New York Times profile here.) They've been on MTV, The Today Show, MSNBC, FOX and Good Morning America, just to name a few television appearances.

Not bad for the largest grade school on Staten Island, where three-quarters of the students qualify for free lunch and the English as a second language program is extensive.

Our church has been partnering with Mark Twain Elementary School, a school in a low-income part of Tulsa where most students are dramatically impacted by generational poverty and almost 80% have a close relative incarcerated. I dream of starting a chorus of our own. Is this a God-dream? I think so, I pray so... What an amazing way to use music and art to bless the world and impact kids' lives. I would love to be a part of something like this.

You can follow PS22 on Twitter here and follow Gregg Breinberg here. Their blog has a l;ot of great information, including an index of all the songs they've performed, celebrity encounters and correspondence, special events and concerts, and lots of video footage. Here are my favorites:

Viva La Vida by Coldplay

Language by Suzanne Vega

Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

Fireflies by Owl City [featuring Ithapella]

There by the innocence mission

How He Loves

2010-02-21T15:40:00.005-06:00

I know this one has made the rounds already, but I still love it, and it still chokes me up. The reality of the transforming power of the love of God never fails to amaze me. This video, produced by Hillside Christian Church, is a powerful reminder of God's redemptive purposes in this world.

What is your story? What would YOUR "cardboard testimony" be?

By the way, the song was written by John Mark McMillan. You can download his version here, and David Crowder*Band's version here.

How He Loves
John Mark McMillan

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth in a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Roger Ebert: Telling It Like It Is

2010-02-20T18:52:00.006-06:00

Roger Ebert has always been my favorite film critic. He is a brilliant writer who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975, the only film critic ever to do so. I've been watching and reading his work since the days of "At the Movies," his TV show with the late, great Gene Siskel.

As much as I love his positive reviews, his negative reviews are even better. I remember laughing out loud at the end of this one for M. Night Shyamalan's The Village. If you ever get the chance, read his awesome compilation of negative reviews, Your Movie Sucks

I was aware of his cancer diagnosis several years ago, and I remember reading his blog and praying for him. I even posted a few comments to encourage him.

I was glad to see he was back in business and writing again; his Chicago Sun-Times film review website is always the first place I turn for excellent film reviews. I've also been following him on Twitter; his tweets are funny and poignant, biting and sarcastic. He attacks and praises people, passes on links to great poetry and music, and snarks about politics. He's a really fun guy to follow.

The web has been abuzz with the publication of a story on him in the current Esquire Magazine. It's a great read. Talks all about his cancer surgeries, his current health, his career, his marriage... I highly recommend that you take the time to read it. The cover photo is getting a lot of attention, because no one has really seen what Ebert looks like these days, with his lower jaw removed. It's jarring and hard to look at. But I think it was a brave thing to allow... Ebert is vulnerable and open, with his image as well as his illness, his life and his work.

And, of course, Ebert blogged about the piece and his reactions to it. I love his words about the cover shot:

When I turned to it in the magazine, I got a jolt from the full-page photograph of my jaw drooping. Not a lovely sight. But then I am not a lovely sight, and in a moment I thought, well, what the hell. It's just as well it's out there. That's how I look, after all.

Characteristic Roger Ebert. Telling it like it is. As long as he's writing, I'll be reading.

The Butterfly Circus

2010-02-19T17:19:00.005-06:00

Here's a beautiful example of using the arts, in this case film, to inspire hope. We saw this film at Connect10n in Denver. I'll confess to tears at a few points. What do you think? Set aside 20 minutes to view the film. It's worth it, I promise.

For further exploration:

The Doorpost Film Project
"The Butterfly Circus" star Nick Vujicic's website.
"The Butterfly Circus" director Joshua Weigel's website.

Trading All My Questions and Searching for Sarah Jahn

2010-02-18T12:51:00.002-06:00

I heard an old favorite song the other day, and it's been haunting me ever since. Especially this phrase: "I'd trade all these questions for the chance to be healed." Since my posts have been full of questions lately, and since I have to admit I really love questions... this line hit me hard, and I've been pondering it. Is it true for me? Would I give up my questioning for a chance to be healed? Sometimes I think I hang on to my questions... that I am unwilling to let go of them... that I choose questions over answers.

The Apostle Paul says, in I Corinthians 13:32, that now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now we know in part; then we shall know fully, even as we are fully known.

Do I long for the answers? Do I expect answers? Do I really want answers? Or do I just love to wallow in the questions? Just more questions to ponder, I suppose.

I'll stream the song and post the lyrics after I ask another question:

Whatever happened to Sarah Jahn? She is an amazingly talented woman... Her one-and-only record "Sparkle" was the soundtrack to my life when it was first released back in 1998. I saw her live in a coffeehouse setting, and it totally opened up a new world for me in my own songwriting. She introduced me to another artist that has become one of my favorites, Jonatha Brooke. I even thanked her in the credits to my record, "Still Standing."

She dropped off the radar, and we haven't heard from her in over ten years. Google is not much help. What in the world happened to her?

A few years back, on a quest to find out, I formed a Facebook group called "Searching for Sarah Jahn," which now has 81 members on a similar search.

Apparently she came out of hiding to do a concert in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, back in August 2009, but I haven't heard anything else about it. How was it? Did she perform any new music? Is there any video floating around out there?

I guess for now, I'll have to live with these questions. Sarah, if you read this, thank you for the music. And please contact me, or at least leave a comment. If nothing else, I'd like to send you a copy of my CD to thank you for your influence. Or maybe you can do a comeback interview right here on "Faithfully Dangerous." :)

Enjoy the music:

Crucible
Music & Lyrics: Devon Weller
from Sarah Jahn's "Sparkle"
(Buy the CD here. Download from iTunes here.)

Swimming in my self-pity, climbing at the walls
Wondering where I'm going, can I get there at all?
Will I find love there for me, will I find peace?
Will I find anything my heart can keep?

Is it the hurting now or knowing where I've been
That makes me turn away and turn right back again?
Trying to find some meaning in the midst of it all
When will I ever know I've never known at all?

I'd trade all these questions for the chance to be healed.

Building a fire to melt this heart of stone
Where the love that burns the flesh but chills me to the bone
Melting away at the core of all I do
Oh cast my soul in the crucible of you

I'd trade all these questions for the chance to be healed.

Building a fire to melt this heart of stone
Where the love that burns the flesh but chills me to the bone
Melting away at the core of all I do
Oh cast my soul in the crucible of you

A New Kind of Christianity: The Narrative Question

2010-02-17T16:21:00.005-06:00

As promised, here's the first post in a ten-week series on Brian McLaren's new book, "A New Kind of Christianity." I got the book a few weeks back as part of The Ooze's Viral Bloggers program, last week I participated in a conference call with Brian, and I started reading the book this week.

The subtitle of the book is "Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith," and I'll deal with a different question each week.

In Question #1, the Narrative Question, Brian gets right down to business, re-framing the whole biblical narrative and, therefore, denying the Fall. He believes that the message of the bible has been hijacked by what he calls a "Greco-Roman" narrative. In this hijacked narrative, Creation was a "perfect," Platonic state of being which then fell into an Aristotelian "becoming." This was not acceptable to Theos. (Brian uses the Greek name for God to emphasize the Greco-Roman narrative.) Theos simply cannot deal with this messiness, this assault on perfection, and so he punishes with eternal damnation whoever does not re-achieve the Platonic "perfection" again through Jesus.

This is the negative, the deconstruction of what so many of us have come to believe. He tells the story from a different perspective, this time calling God by his Hebrew name, Elohim, and taking a completely different approach. It's complicated, and it's fascinating, and I don't know what I think about it yet.

Many will think that this (denying the Fall) is enough to simply call McLaren a heretic and be done with him. But I have to admit that he is simply asking questions that I myself have asked in my heart and soul but have never been bold enough to voice. I remember stumbling across this next passage a few years ago in a book called Good Goats: Healing Our Image of God by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn and Matthew Linn. They quote Catholic theologian Walter Imbiorski, who wrote about "God's Twenty-Thousand Year Pout":

You see, part of the difficulty is that most of us are caught up emotionally in what I would call Anselmian Salvation Theology, which goes something like this. God created the world. Adam and Eve sinned. God got pretty damn sore, goes into a 10,000 year pout, slams the gates of heaven and throws the scoundrels out. So he’s up there pouting and about 5,000 years go by and the Son comes up and gives him the elbow and says: “Hey Dad, now is the time to forgive those people down there.” God says “No. I don’t like them, they offended my divine majesty, they stay out. Let’s make another galaxy instead!” Five thousand more years go by and the Son comes up and says: “Aw come on, Dad, let’s forgive them! Look I tell you what I’m going to do. If you will love them again, I’ll go down there and become one of them, then you’ll have to love them because I’ll be one of them.” God looks at the Son and says: “Don’t bank on it. That doesn’t turn me on too much at all.” So the Son replies, “All right, God-Father, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’ll raise the ante. I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse! I’ll not only go down there and become one of them, I’ll suffer for them, real blood – you know how that turns you on, Dad! How about it?” And God says: “Now you’re talking. But it’s got to be real torture and real blood – no God-tricks you understand. You’ve got to really suffer. And if you’ll do that then I’ll forgive them. But if they stray off the straight and narrow just that much – ZAP – I’m going to send them to hell so fast their heads will swim.” And that is what we have been calling the “good news” of the gospel.

OK, I will admit that's very crass. Even those who believe something pretty close to this would never say that God doesn't love his fallen creation. But sometimes I have the sneaking suspicion that really all we're trying to do in our defense of hell and Penal Substitutionary Atonement is just that... defend it. Because we have an aversion to it. There's something in us that makes it really hard to justify an all-powerful, all-loving God who sends people to an eternal conscious torment in hell. And a good and loving Father who would torture his Son in our place. In anyone's place.

At least I think it's hard. Add to that a predestination/double-predestination deal where God is creating people to go to hell, people who never have a choice... and well, that's where I just can't go anymore.

But I digress. Brian talks about this narrative being foreign to the bible, something imposed on it from without. He says that the grand story of the bible has to be about more than God sorting all of humanity into two bins in the end. Is that really what it's all about?

So. If Brian is right and there was no fall from grace, no original sin, then what's the point of Jesus? What, exactly, is salvation? I'm very interested to keep reading and see what I think as we go.

Here's the video. Below the video, I'm going to post links to several interesting reviews, conversations and articles.

Study questions for "The Narrative Question" here.

Here's Bill Kinnon's critique.

And Brian's response.

Here are a few posts from Mike Morrell on the book's aftermath and McLaren's orthodox responses.

Here another perspective on the book and its positive impact.

Here's a humble and gracious response by McLaren to Scot McKnight's critique of his "Are You a Fundamentalist" quiz.

Remember, my friends, this is a dialogue. Personally, I love it. It is refreshing and interesting, and it's challenging me to seek and love Jesus with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. I've never participated in an Ash Wednesday service before, never had the ashes on my forehead. But tonight at Redeemer I will not only participate in the service, but pray for people and put the ashes on their foreheads. This is humbling for me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the congregation in this way.

For a great primer on Ash Wednesday, read Eugene Cho's post here.

Redeemer's service starts tonight at 6:30pm. If you're in Tulsa, I hope you'll consider joining us.

Jesus in My Image?

2010-02-16T15:56:00.008-06:00

I wrote this for a sem class last week... Can you relate?

Even though I have “orthodox” presuppositions about Jesus – that he was both fully human and divine; that he did die, rise again and ascend into heaven; that he did real miracles during his earthly ministry; and so on – I still view Jesus through my own distorted lenses.

Scot McKnight’s chapter was right on: We all want “a piece” of Jesus. We want him to support what we want him to support. We want him to back us up. People use his silence on issues or take his words out of context to support their causes, whether Feminist, Capitalist or Zionist. To the Pacifists, Jesus is a peace-loving hippy, and to the radical neo-Reformationists like Mark Driscoll, Jesus is a tough man’s man.

We always ask what Jesus means to us. I have done this on countless occasions. What does Jesus mean to me? Is he my big brother, my teacher, my father, my buddy, my boyfriend? (I am a worship leader, after all, and I get to sing all those “love songs to Jesus.”) Is he a taskmaster or a gentle therapist? Is he a fiery prophet or a friend to all sinners?

I am guilty of making Jesus whoever I need him to be. My theological orthodoxy keeps me from turning Jesus into a myth intellectually, but I mythologize him in my actions. I affirm the historical and biblical Jesus with my mind, but sometimes with my actions I prove that I am more interested in having an imaginary friend than finding out who Jesus truly was and is and submitting my life to his.

Wanna Produce the Next "Screwtape Letters"?

2010-02-15T16:00:00.004-06:00

I recently blogged about my friend Tony, who is attempting to live out his faith in the world of the arts. Here's a follow-up email that I recently received from him that I think sums up his heart… This is a possible way for us to be involved in his ministry as well, either financially or in prayer support. Obviously #2 is no longer an option, but you can still read and participate in other ways.

Hey Friends, (I'm emailing from beautiful, cold-windy Colorado!)

DO YOU LIKE FILM? ARE YOU SOMEONE WHO PRAYS? (It's a long, detailed email but please read :)

I want to tell you about a ministry called INSIDE THE TRUTH that I am working with. I am emailing YOU cause #1-I know you are a great supporter of the arts, #2-God has gifted you to give generously, #3-I can trust you to pray and #4-I like you and want you to know what's up!

I am working on a short film called “Interview with the Devil.” It’s a 12-minute film that is something like CS Lewis’s “Screwtape Letters.” The story revolves around a young journalist who gets an interview with Satan. I am very excited about this piece. It's going to go to film festivals but also will be a great piece to use in ministry contexts, too (i.e. in a worship gathering or youth experience). It's entertaining and good theology.

Here are three things I need and hope you will consider/pray for!

1-Would you like to donate? I know God has gifted some of us to be able to give generously! I am hoping to connect people as I am helping to raise funds for the film, partly because I am involved with it, and Inside the Truth- this non-profit producing it- has fees to pay because they are using me as an actor. ☺(I am in the Screen Actors Guild and it’s mandated rules). I am also raising funds because I really believe in the project. I've also got to help re-write some of script and help the producer (see # 2 & 3 below), too. I am committed to raise $1000 for them. They are getting a lot donated—including the actual film (yes actual film, not digital) and crew! But there are costs that need to be covered (developing film,etc). Would you want to invest? Even as little as $10-$25 would help. But if you can give more, that would be awesome! PAYPAL OR ANY CREDIT CARD accepted.

You can give online- Just go to the bottom of the page on this site (It's TAX DEDUCTIBLE): http://www.insidethetruth.org/mylink.php?id=4957

2-We are also looking for professional adults who can BE IN THE FILM! The film is set in an office building, the Devil’s office. We need people who look like Wall Street professional executive types (or people can act like it), Suits, pant suits, ties and dress up office wear. If you are free Saturday February 6th and Sunday Feb 7th) and can come to Santa Clara CA, let me know! THERE ARE NO LINES, but you would be extras! It’s a fun experience! I need about ten people and I am looking for a diverse cast of people (multi-ethnic, age and gender)! So if you know anyone else who’d like to get involved, especially those who are actor-types--send them to me and I'll pass them to the producer! Also need some volunteer crew for lighting on Sunday.

3-Also I am looking for a team of people to pray during the shoot. The film is very deep and focused on the ways of Satan and demonic strategy (like Screwtape letters). I am playing the Devil and I would love spiritual protection as I play "the enemy," it's bit grueling emotionally as I scheme and manipulate. If you would like to come to set and pray for a few hours during the shoot, let me know. I want to have a group praying at all times we are shooting. Many of the crew are Jesus followers which is great, but many are not, so there are also sweet opportunities to partner with God!

Let me know! If you have questions, I’d love to answer. If you know anyone else who'd like to support in any of these ways let me know. Thanks!

Tony Gapastione

"Deeper into the reality of who he is..."

2010-02-14T18:24:00.003-06:00

One of my friends and fellow RCC worship leaders, Steve Graham, read my post, Choosing to Believe?, and sent me this... I think it's good, so I'm reposting it here. This is from Sailing Between the Stars by Steven James.

Most of us don't have demon-possessed kids. Most of us aren't sinking
into the sea in the middle of a hurricane. Instead we have whiny kids
with runny noses, and doubts about whether or not God really cares if we
get the new job we've been praying about. But here's what I've learned:
no matter how big our doubts and our beliefs are, Jesus accepts them
because he accepts us.

Every day I walk through a minefield of confession and confusion,
certainty and perplexity, courage and hesitation. I trust the Bible and
yet I question parts of it. I believe in God, yet most of the time he
doesn't seem as real to me as I'd like. I trust his promises, yet
sometimes I doubt he'll really answer my prayers. I want to honor him,
but at times I want to go my own direction instead.

And through it all I'm beginning to realize that the true journey of
faith isn't marked by certainty but by a mixture of belief and doubt
living together in a refining tension. Some people might call doubt a
sin, but I wouldn't. I think faith is the ability to see the truth
while it's still invisible, and doubt is the inevitable question that
asks for proof of the unknown.

I'm reassured by the promise in Romans 8:26-27 that God's Spirit is
praying for me, pleading for me, groaning for me in a language beyond
both words and pain. He's on my side, praying to himself for me.

I guess I can relax a little bit knowing that. It kind of takes the
pressure off.

I have enough checks in the answer column to know that destinies really
are changed when I make my requests of the King. Fate moves over to the
passenger seat when I pray. Not always in the ways I want but always in
the ways that are best.

There's so little about God that I understand, so many ways to sink in
the waves. "I do believe," I cry over and over again, day after day.
"I do believe you, Jesus! Help me overcome my doubts!"

And he nods. He's used to this. He takes my hand and leads me deeper
into the reality of who he is over and over again, day after day, as we
move further and further from shore, weaving gracefully between the
stars.

Saving the World, One Song at a Time

2010-02-13T12:30:00.004-06:00

Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmastime? (1984)

USA for Africa - We Are the World (1985)

The CAUSE (Christian Artists United to Save the Earth) - Do Something Now (1985)

Band Aid II - Do They Know It's Christmastime? (1989)

Band Aid 20 - Do They Know It's Christmastime? (2004)

We Are the World 25 (2010)

Tony Gapastione: Living a Good Story

2010-02-12T06:00:00.004-06:00

Today’s post is an interview with one of my favorite people. Tony Gapastione is Pastor of Young Adult Ministries at Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City, California. We worked together for eight years, producing “Sunday At 6” (now known simply as “Sunday Night”), an alternative worship gathering. I led the worship music and Tony often served as our host for the evening, walking us through the service, helping to sense where the Spirit was guiding us and leading in community building, prayer and response. He was heavily involved in worship planning and preaching as well, and also oversaw PCC’s internship program, the Summer Ministry Project, which brought college-aged students from all over the world to learn, serve and lead us.

I know Tony as a brother and friend, a pastor and ministry partner, and a husband to Wendy and father to Isella and Luisa. But he has another side that I want to explore today. Tony is an avid student of pop culture, its impact on faith and faith’s impact on it. He is an actor, model, writer and filmmaker… and a firm believer that we can and should impact our world through the arts. This will be the focus of our discussion today.

When were you first drawn to the arts? Tell us about some of your early experiences in acting.

The first role I remember playing was the Nutcracker in the fourth grade. My mom made my costume out of a bathrobe. I loved wielding the plastic sword to fight the Mouse King and take down his army of mice. I felt like gladiator. I also was approached in a local mall of all places to do some modeling. I thought it was a scam, but I actually got to travel with Seventeen Magazine for some fashion shows. Crazy scene. I was a mannequin robot in store windows, no joke. Perfecting the robot moves took me years.

I started following Christ toward the end of high school and things really changed for me behind the scenes as well as using performance to illustrate the gospel. It was awesome to see so many great conversations and opportunities with my fellow artists happening in the theatre.

Fast forward to college when I became a real stage rat. I took acting/directing classes, worked in the Box Office, and got to have real sword fighting training to play Prince Hall in Henry IV, Pt. 1 and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. I loved the stage stuff and Shakespeare made me, quite an average simpleton, feel not only British, but extremely cultured. I'm not a singer, so my roles were limited in a very musical-performance driven scene. And since the low/no pay and many weeknight rehearsals took a toll as I got older and had a family, I had to switch some gears. So now I love dabbling in film and any storytelling through the camera that I can. I love living in the Bay Area because I get an opportunity to do something almost monthly, and I'm really awakened to the beauty of creating stories and seeing the arts as the joy that feeds me and part of the mission that drives my life.

You began to follow Jesus as a 17-year-old high school student. What changed in the way you approached drama and the arts? How did you newfound zeal for Christ impact the roles you played and the entertainment you consumed?

At first the only change was that my conversations behind the stage and on sets were different. For instance, I started to lead the casts of my theatre productions in prayer before the curtain went up, I was inviting castmates to our church's events, and I even got to see people come to Christ over time! I had all this excitement for what I discovered was my mission field. And what a mission field it was! I love theatre people, we're crazy!

As for roles, I still would do anything and everything. In fact, I made some bad choices early on in which I realized I didn't quite know how to navigate through that part of my life well. I actually talked about it with my Christ-following friends and found that the lines were either blurry or very strict. I think I was asking the wrong questions. Was it OK that I took a role where I said "cuss words?" What would my church think if they came to see me in a the play and I played an "un-Christlike character?" Then it became very hard for me. I began to make choices based on what people thought, and for a few years just found myself playing it safe. My artistic expression was limited to doing sketches for worship services and youth groups, and there wasn't much creativity. This also affected my entertainment choices. At one point I remember being challenged with my R-rated movie watching. How could I as a Christian submit myself to that “garbage"? was the message I heard. So I drew the line. Pretty much nothing, not even “Schindler’s List.”

But God was evolving me, creating me and my theology of the arts as I was reading great stuff through magazines, books and blogs, and engaging in great discussions through seminary classes and with my friends who were feeling similar tensions. It was beautiful how God taught me to ask different questions about the art I created and consumed.

Now I ask, Am I telling a good story? Is what I am writing, acting, filming true to the human struggle, edifying others to grapple with truth and find redemption, even in and through darkness? Is the entertainment I am consuming honoring to God and who he created me to be? I want my entertainment choices to spur me on to connect with God, find Jesus, relate to others, and wrestle with the messy, painful world we live in… not hide it from me. I want my art to explore more of God's mystery and in my consumption of it keep no secrets--living in integrity. It's been a great journey and I'm still learning how our Creator God created me to worship him and to experience him through the arts.

Tell us about some of the most exciting things you've done in film, theatre, TV, print... Brag a little. Drop some names. How has God blessed you with cool opportunities?

I've had some fun moments sword fighting like I said, dancing in Pepsi commercials and Newsboys videos, hanging out with Cy Young Award winners but yikes… I've struggled with this. I've been starstruck one too many times. But God's taught me something. Even if I've been the face on an AT&T phone commercial, or sat next to well known A-list celebrities (and many B-list), I'm no more important than the pop star who has three people doing her hair, make-up, and holding her soda straw so she can drink. (That really happened on a set.) I just want to be faithful with who God's created me to be (and with what God's given me to do) and recognize who I am, as well as who the celebs are that I might work with.

I had to tell myself one time sitting next to this Oscar-nominated actress (for over eight hours while we shot a scene that only ended up being thirty seconds), that she needed Jesus just as much I did. Just because she graced tons of magazine covers and starred in bunches of movies, she didn't deserve worship and was loved no more by God than me. It leveled the playing ground. It actually gave me the confidence and freedom to talk to her about God, and she was very open to chat. It was amazing.

So I make it my goal to do a lot of praying while on set and humbly ask anyone: the person doing my make-up, the wardrobe, or even the director, if they need any prayer. It's been wild some of the things people request, from broken marriages to sideburns that will grow. I strive to pray that God moves mightily while I enjoy the arts he created me to perform.

And I've found a Proverb that really convicted me to share my experiences with caution. Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.” So most times I'm pretty low-profile with some of the things I get to do, even if I'm blogging or updating statuses on Facebook or Twitter. I want to be so careful and not take unhealthy, self-centered pride in anything I do, while at the same time enjoying God and the gifts he has given. I also want to honor those I come in contact with. I fear becoming like a Christian Tabloid. "So and So (insert celebrity name) spilled their God baggage and I got to share some scripture and pray with them." You know. I want to be careful.

OK, final question: What are your hopes and dreams of how God can use you in the arts from this point forward?

I really have huge hopes and dreams for more filmmaking. I pray, so much out of my desire for my creative hunger to be filled, that God would open up opportunities for me. I also dream of some TV roles. San Francisco has a couple shooting right now, and that would be awesome. We always have a few movies a year shooting here, too. I want to be a part of more projects where I get to act in film that I've also got to create/write/produce etc. I also get excited about working with young filmmakers, like those coming out of high school and college, who are the future of cinema. How cool to be directed by a teenager! I want to see more film work come from my church family and community as well as Hollywood studio projects. It's huge but I'm trying to wait on God.

Since I have young kids I don't have the time required for theatre anymore. There are too many rehearsals and weekend performances, so some of my dreams are 15 years off, but they're still dreams. (I love community theatre and want to see more of it, especially in my city).

My family is my first priority, so I surrender these dreams to God's timing, so with that living in L.A. on my radar, too, at some point in the future. Until then, I'll do what I can in our area. I have more dreams for conversations and prayer with everyone from my agents to fellow artists I meet on set, to those that I'm standing in line with for auditions. I want to see God use me and speak to me through this whole journey.

And really, I'm hoping I grow by finding God in the stories I'm performing and by the way his story wraps me in and tells my story. I heard this quote that we should let the Bible read and dissect us instead of us attempting to read and dissect it. I think film has the same potential, that's why I love being a part of it. It's sometimes more influential and more memorable than what we read or hear on a Sunday, so we need to be using it more and supporting it more in hopes for lives to be changed.

I’m grateful for Tony’s passion for God and for acting, and it’s exciting for me to see him living out his faith and his giftedness in this way.

Check out Tony’s website here, his acting blog here and his pastoral/ministry blog here.

A Quick Note to My Facebook Friends

2010-02-11T08:43:00.006-06:00

Hi. You're probably reading this on Facebook, because I import all my blog posts into Facebook. And I really like doing that because a lot of times the feedback (comments, dialogue) is more robust and interesting on Facebook. It's designed to bring these kinds of discussions to the surface, because the more comments a "note" receives, the more prominently or often it's displayed in your News Feed.

So, cool. Would love for you to keep reading and interacting with my notes.

However, just FYI, these notes are being composed and originally posted OVER HERE ON MY BLOG, and I'd love for you to come check them out over there sometime. More and more people are discovering the blog, and I'm well on my way to being super cool like Scot McKnight or Eugene Cho, my blogging heroes. :)

Oh, and videos actually show up over on my blog when they don't here on Facebook. Like this one, for instance, Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," as performed by the brilliant PS22 Chorus.