The Sound and the Style

I was blown away the other night watching the Grammys. Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, and Bob Dylan collaborated and put on the best 9 or so minutes of live music I've seen in a long time. Noah loves Mumford & Sons. As soon as they started playing, he got up and started dancing around. He likes the sound. He knows Mumford & Sons without really knowing anything. They have a "sound." The great bands have a "sound" don't they? Immediately you hear a great band and you're like, "Hey I love that band. I like their "sound." If I had a "sound," it'd be banjos, mandolins, acoustic guitars, and vocals sung with great passion at a quick tempo, celebrating the joy of living.

Likewise, the great artists have a style. I have the privilege of having some dear friends who happen to be artists here in Greenville. I can be in a restaurant or a gallery where one of their pieces is hanging and immediately think to myself, "Wow! There's Brian's work," or, "That's a Ric" or "a Kavita" or "a Susanne." They have a "style." I know their work when I see it. And because I have the pleasure of being their friends as well, I see them in their work. Their art reflects the "style" of their personality. If I had a "style," it'd be folk art rich with a mixture of joy and a hint of sadness or reflection, all deep in symbolism and full of life and meaning.

Yet when I think of Christians and churches, I don't think of the sound and the style. If I'm honest, I think too often of cookie-cutter individuals, experiences, and environments who are trying to be a little more (choose and insert your adjective here: cool, conservative, contemporary, traditional, celebratory, reflective, reverent, and so on) than the next guy or place. Seems like there are basically two choices you can pick. And then you just blend in with your music (and corporate worship style), politics, style of dress, and so on and so forth ad nauseum.

I want to be the Christ-follower of whom people say, "I don't know what to make of that guy; never met one like him before." And I want to pastor the church that defies all the labels. I want people to come worship with us at Origins and say of our music, our preaching, our use of technology and engaging of the senses, and especially our love for one another, "That's Origins... that's their style and sound."

I was so hopeful the other night as I watched that Grammy performance. It felt like a whole new genre was emerging before our eyes, a culture shift. A breath of fresh air. So here's my call to anyone willing to come create culture with me. Let's live in a way that people know we are authentic and unique. And if we are going to "do" church, let's do it contextually and confidently and creatively. What I wouldn't give for a style of worship music unlike any other church we've ever been a part of. (I'd personally choose a banjo, a mandolin, a cello, some interesting percussion playing with Travis on acoustic guitar, all playing fast and singing loud.) I want a church with music just for our context because there is no other Downtown Greenville and no other Origins. I would have greeting, childcare, videos, communion that are all authentic. And I want to be that one-of-a-kind follower of Jesus. And I crave the same for you.

The question is never, "How can we be different from those guys?" That's not sound and style. The question is, "How can I be the best version of me?" knowing that God only created one me. What's the song the world needs to hear me play? What's the style the world needs to see because I alone can "get it to canvas" or model it? And for you. What is your "sound" and "style"? Come make culture and music   -- both metaphorically and literally speaking -- with us. Gotta run... I hear "The Cave."

Day by Day

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Day by day. We are being renewed day by day. Every day is a new start. I love Easter Sunday, the reminder that death and the grave couldn't hold Jesus, that the cross wasn't the end, and that the Enemy would not get the last word. Everything seems new again on Easter. Every day is Resurrection day, according to Paul in this passage. We are renewed, resurrected in a sense, with every new day. And the troubles of today are producing in us the "weight of glory." I can't even wrap my mind around what that must mean, but it sounds delightful.

Day by day. The failures of yesterday don't define me. I am not a victim to who I was -- not even who I was 24 hours ago. The past is past. I can build on yesterday's lessons but don't have to be victimized by its failures and disappointments. Neither do the mandates and pressures of the future discourage me. Today has enough worries of its own; tomorrow will take care of itself until I get there. The Lord is sovereign over the future. My concern is today and the renewal that God wants to see take place in my life. Jesus died for all my yesterdays and all my tomorrows, so I have hope and resurrection power today. 

Day by day. Every day is resurrection day, and the redemption story plays anew with every 24 hour cycle. I am free to experience the "weight of glory" in this day and to look forward to it, in incomprehensible amounts, in eternity. Thank you, Jesus, for this day, the freedom your resurrection has guaranteed for it, and the promise that I am new again. 

Origins Notes, February 6

• You need to hear from God, not people. The Lord alone will show you the difference between what is good and what is God’s. Until you hear it, you need to wait, refuse to act, and bloom where you are planted. And when you hear it, you need to respond immediately. God wants you to be in rhythm with him and to hear him whisper to you his love, direction, affirmation, and conviction. He wants you to live on a different plane, in his presence.
• When you feel numb spiritually, you need to turn fast to God and abandon the stuff of earth that is competing for your attention and loyalty. Calloused apathy shouldn’t lead to you backsliding but must propel you to take up your cross and follow Jesus even as you deny yourself (Luke 9:23). Grace comes, deep calls to deep, as you forsake yourself.
• The death of Jesus is final, atoning for all, whether all accept it or not. Jesus died for everyone, “Christian” and “non-Christian.” If you reject his death as atonement for your sins and resurrection as offer of new life, you don’t deny or negate it. He gave his life to purchase your pardon, yet many refuse it. My prayer is that you stop refusing the offer, humble yourself, cast yourself on Jesus, and be made new in him. (And all our non-Christian friends are very dear to us -- and God -- and will be loved by us whether or not you accept Jesus) 
• Sin makes a real mess of stuff, even and especially in the church. Its not mistakes, errors in judgment, character flaws, or shortcomings. It is sin. It steals, kills, and destroys. If you are mired in it and profess to be a believer, you need to repent of it today before it destroys you or takes you to the point of no return. Some of you have even forgotten what it felt like to be in the dump. If Origins is really going to be a redemptive grace community, we will delve into to trash dump of the spiritual realm. We will get messy together to rescue people, but we have all been rescued from the dump ourselves. I am asking God to give us courage and resolve, to jump into the dump, rescue people to Jesus and with Jesus, and watch him to write radical grace stories. 
• The counsel of the Bible is never that we pray “the prayer,” ask Jesus into our heart and have him in us. The Bible talks about us being in Jesus, abiding in him, and then the proof is fruit like us loving God with all we have and loving others (Matthew 22:37-40). 
• Men need to lead their homes by walking with Jesus in a “dudely” way, reading the Bible, reading other books, praying real and “dudely” prayers, defending your homes spiritually, encouraging and pastoring your families especially your wives, providing financially, and living as missionaries in a dark world. Repent to Jesus and your family today, get under Jesus’ leadership and the leadership of another man, and start leading. (Women who are heads of households, we love you, value you, treasure you, and want to see you do the same thing to lead your family -- just not act “dudely.” Single men, you need to start doing all this stuff so when God sends you a woman, you won’t screw it up. Single ladies, don’t marry some putz who isn’t or can’t lead you or even lead himself.)
• Begin to live as if Gods will has already happened. When you know something for sure to be God’s will (and some things are for sure God’s will -- and you need to know them -- like salvation, godliness, glory to Jesus, as well as what isn’t necessarily God’s will like your comfort and convenience), you need to have confidence that these things will come to pass. God called my family and Origins here to reach into the darkness and see people saved and watch a church birthed. It will happen. God wants people who are under his wrath to be under his protection and saved. God wants moms and dads to walk with him and lead families; reconciliation where relationships and lives are broken; sanctification and holiness; people to lead friends and coworkers to Christ; culture changed. You need to know for certain, resting in God’s character, that some things will come to pass. And you need to get on board with God’s will and help other people do the same.  
• God won’t leave you because he didn’t leave Jesus while he was on the cross carrying your sin. If God didn’t abandon Jesus on the cross (Psalm 22) while he wore our sin, he will not leave his people who are now Christ’s righteousness. In a trial, he hasn’t abandoned you. He is growing you, preparing you, making an example of you, and conforming you to the image of his Son.
• There is tremendous spiritual warfare these days. There is financial struggle, communication in marriage, kids who can’t get well, family health issues, jobs that aren’t coming in or are overwhelming, feelings our prayers aren’t getting past the ceiling, miscommunication among friends, and darkness or apathy pressing in on every side. Like the widow in 1 Kings 17, for many it feels like you are on empty, but God isn’t going to let you die. It may get worse before better, but we are not abandoned. We may be pressed but we aren’t crushed; we may be perplexed but we do not despair; we may be persecuted but we are not abandoned; we may be struck down but we are not destoyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-11). As you die to yourself, Jesus lives. Stay the course. Call a spade a spade (and what is darkness, call darkness) -- identify spiritual war. Fight spiritual battles spiritually. Rely on Jesus and on friends. Resist the enemy. Fight a good fight.