I am not, by nature or choice, a political person. Being a resident alien in the US has given me the opportunity to observe and contribute to the economic ecosystem of the country, while not being involved in the political or civil process. As well as not being allowed to vote, a resident alien cannot serve on juries or be appointed to any government leadership. In a way, this has given me an "out" when I didn't want to become embroiled in contraversial political opinions and discussions.

That said, one thing that always struck me as a bit odd was the interjection of nationalism in worship community activities, events or even liturgy. I certainly understand the notion that a citizen can be proud of his country and freedoms it provides and want to celebrate those.  But is a worship service the place for that? I am not talking about political campaigning or opinion-swaying, but just nationalism in forms of honor. Things such as national anthems, pledges, and flags used in a worship community center- are these in or out of place in a building where we gather as the family of God?

For my part, I don't mind if people honor their country, have flags represented and honor those people who serve in civil or military service. I understand and respect that.  The one thing that I sometimes feel uncertain about is the idea of singing national anthems or nationalistic songs in the flow and context of a worship service. This seems out of place to me, though I certainly think it is a matter of opinion, not conscience.

On the lighter side of this discussion, I am studying for my final test for US citizenship and I learned a number of things.  I thought I would give a short 8 questions that they ask in the study guide to those of you who are interested in a bit of historical American quiz-fun.  Try to answer the following 8 questions without looking at the very bottom. Then score yourself. I'd be interested to see if these are common knowledge among US citizens (the majority of the readers on my blog are US based, but please feel free to take the quiz wherever you are from).  When you are done the quiz, for fun, post where you are from (city/state) and let us know (if you are comfortable with it) what your score was. When I took the study test myself, I only knew 5 of the 8 answers, but have learned them all through the study guide now.

1. What is the supreme law of the land?
2. The idea of self government is in the first 3 words of the constitution. What are these words?
3. What do we call the first 10 amendments to the constitution?
4. What are the 5 rights or freedoms from the first amendment?
5. How many amendments does the constitution have?
6. What are the three rights in the declaration of independence?
7. Who is one of your state's US Senators?
8. What are the 3 branches of government?

The study guide actually includes 100 such questions, which go on to include history and details of national leaders, government and details of the laws, states and territories. 

Let us know how you scored! And also, be sure to post your opinion, thoughts about how, or if, nationalism is appropriate to be included in worship community contexts.

blessings

Kim Gentes

For those who took the test above, here are the answers to the questions:  

1. The constitution
2. "We the people"
3. The bill of rights.
4. Speech, religion, assembly, press, petition the government.
5. 27 (twenty seven)
6. Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness
7. varies by state
8. Legislative, Judicial, Executive

The Christmas season is often lost in commercialism, shopping and busyness. Even our well-intentioned family agendas can sometimes obscure the focus from the celebration that is God coming to dwell with man- Emmanuel, Christ with us. The foundation of the Christian Christmas celebration is the acknowledgement and honoring of first of all, God's gift to us in the person of His Son, Jesus. But wrapped within the story is the response of those people who left their own lives, countries and palaces to journey to see the true King. To hear of distant wisemen traveling to see Christ seems noble, but the above scripture should gather our attention.

The first response to being in the presence of Jesus was to bow down and to worship him. No pleasentries, no asking questions. Some of the wisest men of the ancient world could do nothing but fall down and worship in the presence of Jesus. This is the profound and honest response of the human being to the encounter person of Jesus.

The second response is also important- "Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts". What is your treasure right now? What do you value most?  It is from that place of that we dare to draw forward our gifts to God.

As we think of worship, and of coming before Jesus, we can see that this bowing our wills and making an offering of love are both components. The token (or gift) we bring is less important than the heart from which it is offered. Still, have you considered whether or not your token of love truly represents your offering of humility and affection towards Christ?

Perhaps a lackluster token represents correctly a lackluster attitude towards Christ and what worshipping him really means. Perhaps we need to examine our hearts and be challenged by the example of the wise men that, though meeting Jesus for the first time, gave him gifts of incredible value. Their hearts, likewise, matched those gifts. They spent 2 years (most scholars believe) traveling in search of Jesus.

May our hearts be ready to worship Jesus with everything we have, for as long as we live!

Selah! 
Kim Gentes

The above scripture is Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. 

If you have additional tips for your fellow man, feel free to post them below. I know there must be some great ideas out there others can share.... 

Here we go ...

Tip #12: What is her favorite thing to do? Don't know? Find out. Pick something she loves, then gift around it.

Tip #11: If you're completely locked up for ideas, try this- Her favorite romantic movie ever. BluRay. Amazon. Bam.

Tip #10: Treat Christmas eve like the Apocalypse: you want to be plenty ready long before it arrives. Day of= CRAZY

Tip #9: Gift cards are not generally considered "a thoughtful gift" when giving to your spouse. Exceptions apply.

Tip #8: Don't press too hard when she is gone for an extra long time. She may have been shopping for you.

Tip #7: When necessary, it's OK to offer one of your children as your replacement co-shopper while you stay home.

Tip #6: The answer is "yes". Science tells us the ratio is: HerY = HisY * 10 where HerY=her yes, and HisY=his yes

Tip #5: Plan to go to at least 2 extra stores beyond her promised number. Prepare for it mentally and be ready.

Tip #4: Drink plenty of liquids. Keeps you hydrated, and a full bladder is a good excuse to leave any painful store.

Tip #3: Malls rule. When given choice, go to malls rather than standalone stores. Malls have food & sports scores.

Tip #2: Trust her instincts! Sounds counter intuitive, but do it. Even if she's wrong, you'll save time not arguing!

Tip #1: ABMTAE ! Which means- always be moving to an exit.

out shopping at the moment,

Kim Gentes

That said, below are some points I have noted in my brain over the last several years, related to video presentation of lyrics during worship. These come in the light of an overwhelming push in modern worship settings to video presented lyrics with motion backgrounds, themed images and eye-catching marriages of lyric, music and imagery. These may stand in contexts which find themselves lost for sensibility in video lyric display. They may seem redundant to folks who already stress long and hard about making worship environments as un-distracting as possible.  My primary goal with these points is just that- to remove the distraction that has become more commonplace with the use (and sometimes misuse) of video lyric presentation and backgrounds.

Use one background! Please consider utilizing the same image background for an entire worship set, Sunday or even a series of meetings. Choose a background that is subdued enough to present texture but not to draw attention too strongly away from the lyrics. Then make sure your chosen background works across a range of songs that you will use. Nothing can be more distracting that being jarred from one furious song background imagery into another. Creating a place of visual “safety” on the lyric presentation might be as simple as using the same background for an entire set. Using different backgrounds for each song or even segment of a song can become so distracting that people will reject looking at the video screen in hopes that they can worship by not being distracted by it- which all seems like the wrong thing to be happening if we are using visuals to help people in worship.

Try using a maximum of two or three (2-3) lyric lines per screen. Using entire songs, stanzas or sections on a single screen can make the words small and unreadable. Using visual presentation technology should help people visually, not make it more difficult. Try to keep the fonts large and help everyone see the lyrics. The important thing to remember is that the lyrics are primary here, not the imagery or thematic nuances of the service. Ask yourself if the text is readable for everyone. Both font size and font type are important factors. Proper size will make the text readable. Proper font type will make it understandable. This is not the place to choose a fancy or artistic font. Stay well within common font types.

When it comes to color- Less is more! Try muted colors. Try fewer colors or shades of grey in background image/motion selections. Often black and white imagery is more profound and less intrusive than colored images. The rainbows and kaleidoscopic graphs may be all the rage in your fractal geometry class, but Sunday morning is probably not the place to force people to stand gaping at visions of psychedelic majesty. This is all in balance, and don't avoid color where it is perfect and well used in a themed approach. But remember- lyrics are king, not images or color. If your lyrics are served well with your use of color, you're on the right track.

Less complete “storyline” movie loops- use more slow organic motion or even stills. It used to be inspiring to see the occasional background motion that followed the storyline of the lyrics. But after a thousand waterfalls, mountain scenes, and corny images of blue-screened people bowing at the edge digital ocean shores, we just might be at the end of needing to tell the story of the lyrics so literally with video. The important thing to remember here is that I am speaking to local churches, not conference settings and special events. On an occasional basis, engaging lyrical displays with motions and storylines can inspire, no doubt. But on a weekly basis, this becomes distracting, and ultimately takes the focus from the lyrics, which diminishes the message they contain. Subtlety is essential, humility is grace, less is more.

Use icons well.  I am the last one to suggest we use another tired image of a church steeple with clouds wafting above to backdrop a song lyric. But the excellent and proper use of icons continues to draw together good art, ideas, and tradition in our Christian communities. We’ve all seen the tired backgrounds done with the equivalent of clip-art- those are out. But the powerful, fresh images of ancient icons such as crosses, candles, texts, sculptures, ancient paintings, architecture, stained glass and Eucharist elements still bring thousands of years of faith to bear in our present contexts. This is where great art can shine, but we must use it well and with elegance.

God’s icons - human images. After talking about icons, we can hardly ignore the icon God chose- human beings. A brief understanding of “the imago dei” brings us to the realization that no Biblical writer (or historical Christian leader of prominence) ignored the fact that God deals with us both in His story, and in ours. We are his image on earth. As we tell the story of His goodness and glory, our humanity is profoundly (and graciously) included, impacted as we are. All that to say- use more human images (especially black and whites stills) in our visual imagery for backgrounds. This is as authentic at describing the glory of God as images of nature and pictures. Using pictures of brokenness and grace, as seen in human lives, touches our songs in a powerful balance to other images. This is often missed.

Sans background. Strip all the extras away. Leave just the lyric. Let it speak undistracted, and unaided. This is never a wrong way to do lyrics. Once in a while, just try this and see how refreshing it is, especially in situations where video presentation has become extensively artful. I have seen some of the most profound uses of video that are simply a nice, artful font in white, contrasted to a black background. Sounds simple. It is. And powerful.

Sans everything! Woah. OK, so this is the 8th suggestion, but it is so revolutionary that it can't really be included in the "suggestions for lyric video presentation" list. What am I saying? Just this- shut off the lyric screen for a song. Do you really need to play the lyrics for "How Great Is Our God"? Really? Turn it off and let the congregation be free from the slavish devotion to a video screen and let them stand, sit, kneel, bow and honor their Creator without the "digital script" of the video calling them back to follow the dancing ball (please don't tell me anyone out there has a dancing ball on their lyrics). Seriously, folks, shut off the video presentation screen on occasion, and let people worship in song without the lyrics. It is surprisingly freeing.

I hope these suggestions for video lyric display are helpful as you consider good aesthetics in your own cultural/community contexts. My suggestions may not reflect your own situation, so don't feel tied to them. But perhaps they will work for some who find themselves caught in tired loops or lost in a maze of distracting "artistic" digital overload.

Sincerely

Kim Gentes

Is Liturgy Old, Dusty and Outdated? What is the value of a 2000 year old tradition in our modern society? Ultimately, is it relevant?

For many people, the liturgy is the central constant of our devotional lives, indeed of our lives with Christ and in his church. But for those who are unsure of the present understanding of the liturgy, or the communion table, questions need to be addressed on its understanding and applicability. Instead of starting off with a deep historical and theological treatise on the subject, we will begin our discussion with a brief interview with author Ian Morgan Cron. Ian has some helpful things to say to bring our "modern church" misunderstanding into broader context regarding the liturgy.

Ian Morgan Cron is an author, speaker, Episcopal priest, and retreat facilitator is one of my favorite communicators recently, and we do well to start our discussion with hearing his unique perspective. Again, the purpose of the article is to unearth the issues and to begin talking about it. Please contribute to the discussion, post your thoughts, and get your local church leadership involved. It’s an important issue that church leadership needs to consider.

Now, please, contribute your thoughtx below. This topic needs discussion and working out.

Again, many thanks to  Ian Morgan Cron for spending time for these interviews. If you get a chance, I strongly encourage you to check out his books Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale, and Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me: A Memoir. . . of Sorts. I have read Chasing Francis and am now reading Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me- both are excellent! A note of recognition to theworkofthepeople.com who produced this video interview.

in Christ's love,

Kim Gentes

This last week I have been using a plan that focuses on changing eating mainly green vegetables, white chicken/fish meats, and some eggs for protein. The unique signature of this plan is that it allows for little to no consumption of salt, sugars (refined or natural), carbohydrates, fruits (which contain natural sugars), dairies or fats. This particular combination of do's and don'ts have become popularly known as the "Brentwood" diet, but it essentially is just a very healthful selection of food types to use and avoid for concentrated times to help break old habits and perhaps lose weight.

That list of abstained food types strikes deep into the core of our North American food habits, and for this person, it was a drastic change.  The change didn't overwhelm me initially, since I've made changes to eating in the past over long periods of time (fasting etc). But once I began using the food regimen, I found a challenge.

The first four days were mentally challenging due to the headaches from the body's reaction to the source changes in the food supply.

The real difficulty became not the body strain of the food change, or even my fortitude to sticking to a diet amidst temptation to eat regular tastey foods. Instead the real problem was that eating on my new regimen required me to eat 4 or 5 times a day. My plan broke down to breakfast of 3 scrambled eggs, lunch of salad, dinner with a chicken filet and more salad. This was fine, but I had to have another one or two smaller salads (of the same ingredient choices) in order to stay energized enough to continue my normal life.  Maintaining a plentiful supply of good foods to eat is difficult.  My solution- make a large salad and grilled chicken breasts each day, then eat off of it 2 or 3 times for the day.

One of the best tasting recipes I built to fit in this plan is this healthy, tasty grilled chicken salad.

Start by chopping up the following:

• onions
• green onions
• radishes
• cucumbers
• celery
• fresh mushrooms

I took and put them in a container and placed them back into the fridge while I prepare the other items.

Next, I took 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Using just a half tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil I cooked them in a non-stick skillet.

I am not a cook, so I have no idea how these things are normally done, but since I am not allowed to add any salt at this point, I wasn't really able to add any flavoring or other additives to it.

I cooked the chicken until it was almost done, basically white, but not charred or even brown. To add some variety, I added a bag of frozen peas to the mostly cooked chicken, and finished cooking the chicken and warming the peas together.

Once finished, I used the largest salad bowl you have and add both a healthy portion of spinach greens and lettuce greens (I used romaine). Fill the bowl half way with greens, then add the previous chopped vegetables.

Toss the salad ingredients thus far, gently.

Finally, once that is ready, add the warm chicken and peas to the salad until it is a good balance/variety of the foods. You will likely have some chicken and peas remaining- keep those and add them later to the remaining salad base, and add more greens with them to make more of your already built salad base.

I found this particular salad is very good tasting, especially when the chicken is still warm. I add a half teaspoon of balsamic vinegarette dressing to the salad meal on serving. This makes my meal enjoyable.  The salad can be added to with the same ingredients and kept for a couple days. I loved it. I hope it helps you if you are using some similar techniques. 

Again, this entry is simply a recipe explanation- not an endorsement of a food regimen or dietary suggestion of any kind. I hope you love it. I did!

good eating...

Kim Gentes

My name is Kim Gentes. For the last 15 years, I have listened to thousands of music projects, critiqued hundreds of albums and resources and written full reviews of over 100 such music projects, books and resources. In that time, I have found that behind many great projects stand two primary people- a husband and wife. The creative artist is, understandably, singled out for lauds, applause, critique and awards. But the spouse is often relegated to the liner notes and mentions from award ceremonies (when they rarely occur). In this, I realized I have been woefully complicit- I looked back on my reviews and have not found one (yet) where I recognized the hidden support and treasure of the spouse of a creative to the monumental work that was produced. My hope is that this note will start to address my egregious oversight. This note is first of all to my own wonderful wife, Carol. But it is also to every spouse of a creative (husband or wife) who has poured out their energies and hearts into the combined efforts of a creative project.

To all the spouses of creatives! We all thank you! Your day in the spotlight may be short (or not at all), but you surrender much of yourself to see great things come from your family, while you remained often notably missing from headlines, bylines, reviews and awards. But from those of us who know, and who appreciate all you give- Thank you!

It never astounds me when I hear of the dedication, support, encouragement, work, hours, love, money, sacrifice, pain, failure, restoration, joy and patience that couples go through to make a musical, written or creative expression (like an album) come to fruition. It doesn't astound me because I know that without this kind of community of love (inner and outer family) such projects fail, abort or come to a dismally muted conclusion. Any endeavor in art, writing or music- to be done well- becomes a labor of love for an entire family. I learned that personally in my own years of creative activity, but have also seen it is so many others. Bless you, for you have blessed us all. Bless you to every wife or husband who stood along with a gifted creative and became a co-laborer (whether in the creative process or not) in bringing forward a fruit of healing for the church and the world.

There are really three different groups of us that need to say thanks to the spouses of creatives. Creatives themselves, those who enjoy the creative arts and the people who work in the creative industry.

• First, there are the creatives themselves. This group is the most indebted to our spouses, as you can imagine. We are so often in the depth of a writing project, music session or creative process that we occasionally lose touch with the structure of grace and love God has provided around us. That friend, encourager, champion and lover- our spouse. As a creative myself, I say to my spouse, and in proxy from creatives to their spouses- thank you!
• Second, those who enjoy the final creative work. Art lovers, music lovers, readers, and all who take joy in engagement with the creative works produced by creatives. As someone who loves to read, to listen to great music and enjoy great art, I join with all those who have been touched deep, inspired greatly and changed profoundly by the works we gather from the work of creative expression-- Thank you to the spouses of creatives for all the work you've done that allows us to benefit from this!
• Third, from those employed in the creative world. From the thousands of people who work in the creative services and products world- all us who are managers, salespeople, technologists, marketers, accountants, assistants and dozens of other jobs- thank you to the spouses of creatives! Your contribution to the world of art helps all of us continue to live and work in these careers/industries. Thank you!

A final word for the spouses of creatives, from one who is (and represents) all three of the above groups (a creative, a consumer, and a worker in the industry).

We all know the difference in a creative project which seeks to achieve financial success for its company owners as its primary center or one that looks to aggrandize the artist for their own sake. That is in stark contrast to an endeavor borne in a heart led of God, which intends their music, book or art to perhaps be one leaf plucked today from the coming Kingdom of God. A leaf that may apply its healing nature from the Tree of Life (Jesus himself) to the wounds of our culture's present brokenness. Thank you for endeavoring, for daring, for walking it through with your creative spouse the whole way. We celebrate with you, and hope you and your creative spouse will receive a gracious blessing from God, as we have been given through your gift of creativity.

A deep and heartfelt.... thank you!

Sincerely, Kim Gentes.

These are good questions, because they force us to look at some deep seeded assumptions we have made about what it means to be a Christian, and what a "normal" Christian life should consist of. Problematic about these questions, however, is that there is a deeper flaw in language (or at least our use of it). 

Often times when we hear "back to normal" we think of things settling into a positive routine. We often aspire to define "normal" as a place where the positive routine is a haven from difficulties and pain. And if we should encounter difficulties and pain, well then those can't be "normal". So we go from just talking and understanding language to acting on those assumptions that undergird our use of the language. We quickly move to escape or conquer what we think is undermining our definition of normal.

That is, we keep looking at the current and upcoming struggles, problems, and challenges with the view that they must be met and succeeded. The goal of this kind of thinking is that we overcome these problems and challenges, and the reward is that all returns to "normal". But what happens is that our struggle to get back to "normal" (read "absence of problems") does not stop more problems from coming our way. In fact, sometimes our efforts to overcome problems only cause more challenges to come up. It's like the guy in quicksand. He thinks- "I am stuck!" So he struggles to get out. Bad idea. Struggling isn't the reason he got in the quicksand, but it will be the reason he will stay in it, if he doesn't stop.

The whole problem with all this is our definition of "normal" has somehow come to mean "without problems". We need a redefinition.

God is saying this-- "let Me define normal". God being who He is, has much more creative and fluid ideas than our pea brains (as my friend Danny would say) can think. Scripture articulates "normal" in a way which seems strange to us - one day at a time.

Jesus was trying to help us redefine normal when he said,

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34)

Notice that God defines a normal "today" and "tomorrow" as having trouble! God also helps define "normal" by His call to live in a trusting relationship with Him and to let Him transform us amidst whatever the conditions, provision, circumstances and people are in your life. This is clear from what is instructed us by Paul:

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2)

Don't be pushed around by the winds, but be focused on living Christlike lives regardless of the current "issue". Sometimes it will be tough, sometimes easier. The "normal" is being changed to be like Christ, in any situation. Normal is not "no troubles". Normal is being transformed, day to day into the likeness of Jesus.

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18). 

Our struggles against issues are misplaced effort if we are hoping it will lead to normalcy.  Since, in Christ, normalcy includes struggles (at least, while we reside on this earth). Seeing momentary victories against individual struggles as a way to make it to "normal" life will always lead to a sense of isolation and failure, since we won't realize that we are living Christ's normal by following Him in the midst of the struggles.

In this new understanding of "normal", we find that God's kind of "normal" is a life where we are being transformed in the midst of our situations into the likeness of His Son. 

in His love,
Kim Gentes

Our tattered world has little to offer a weary soul. Our own lives have little strength or ability to overcome what we face. Is there hope? Are there answers anywhere?

From the wisdom and promise of the Old Testament scriptures we find God speaking to us of his response to our need.  Through the mouths of two of the greatest prophets in history, God declares an amazing truth:

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2)

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2)

But what does this mean? What was God trying to say through Moses and Isaiah's declarations (indeed celebration)?

Both Moses and Isaiah had a viewpoint that declared that God wasn't just going to answer our prayers and needs by giving a gift or provisioning a supply. Instead, these men of God declared that our need for strength, for a vision/call/vocation (our song) and for rescue (salvation) were to be answered not by gifts, but by the person of God himself. 

The Lord is our strength. The Lord is our song. The Lord is our salvation.

What does this really mean?

The Lord himself is our power to live fully.
The Lord himself is our vision and our life's call.
The Lord himself is our rescue in troubled circumstances.

Though we are etched from God's image, we are desperate beings having been tarnished in the wake of brokenness and sin. Without God, we find that we are stuck in powerless lives, lost in a visionless future, and alone in our times of trouble.

Many of us understand that Jesus has come to bring the Kingdom of God and deliver us from our sin and its affects. But we can sometimes get the mistaken impression that his deliverance will come in gifts, dispatched like heavenly parcels from a distant God. Perhaps, like me, you used to picture prayers rolling in to heaven like letters to God. God finds a prayer that seems worthy, calls an angel to attention and dispatches a gift of response to the prayer. He continues on his throne, mercifully releasing various parcels of his mercy to our aid.  If you've had this image (or some variation of it), you have been (like me) mistaken.

From the scriptures above, Moses and Isaiah pointed not to actions or gifts from God. No they saw God as the gift- the One who would come to rescue humanity from its darkness, not just for the Jews, but for all people. Jesus has come. Through his death and resurrection, He now stands as the One in our midst through the Holy Spirit.

Do you need strength? God hasn't decided to just send you a gift of strength, He has come personally to be with you. He is your strength, with you now.

Do you need vision, hope and clarity for your life's call? God won't send you wisdom like a message in a bottle. No. He is your song, your vision, your hope. Right with you. Right now.

Do you need rescue in troubled circumstances? God himself is your salvation, your rescue, your refuge in this time of trial.

In these uncertain times, may we be aware of his Holy Spirit's presence, with us right now. He didn't send an impersonal answer to your prayer. He came himself to be that answer. He is with you. Now.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
(Hebrews 13:5)

Walking with you,
Kim Gentes

Has the Church has Sold out to Ageism, Sexism and Cultural Models To Fill Seats and Meet Budgets?

Before jumping into the topic, I want to outline a clear disclaimer. If you have read my blog, website, writings (published in popular worship magazines), heard me speak at a conference or even read my recent book, you will likely catch the fact that one of my passions and callings in life is to equip people, raise up new leaders and develop younger worship leaders. In fact, for most of the 20 years I have been leading worship I have spent many years developing training and mentoring younger people. The goal for me is to release people called to ministry, regardless of their age, into a maturity, skillfulness and wisdom in using their gifting for the glory of God and benefit of the church.

That said, this article and interviews deal with something related to age. However, I do not want to be misunderstood. This is not an article directed to young people. This is an article and topic directed to pastors, ministers, eldership and leadership of local churches.

Author, speaker, Episcopal priest, and retreat facilitator Ian Morgan Cron helps with some excellent and succinct thoughts on the topics at hand. The purpose of the article is to unearth the issues and to begin talking about it. Please contribute to the discussion, post your thoughts, and get your local church leadership involved. It’s an important issue that church leadership needs to consider.

Several months ago I met a friend for tea and conversation. This friend is a well known, world traveled, award-winning artist, songwriter and worship leader. This person is in their 40’s, very much in demand around the world and recording albums. My friend is seen as a mentor to many other creative, artists, songwriters, and worship leaders. We were catching up on a couple years of happenings, when my friend said something in passing that jolted me a bit.

My friend said, "It's sad to see people who are not ready, replacing people who are mature in their gifting".

"What do you mean?", I asked.

"Kim, you don’t understand what is happening out there. I go to churches everywhere. Big churches, ‘happening churches’, ‘in churches’, and there is a sad trend going on. The big thing in ‘growing churches’ is that you don’t keep or hire a worship leader unless they are under 30", my friend exclaimed, "honestly, in almost every church I go to that you hear of as a ‘cool’, ‘up-and-coming’ or ‘growing’ church- they simply won’t hire a worship leader who isn’t under 30."

My friend and I continued our discussion, but I was so surprised by what they said, it stayed in my mind for days.

Another time last year, I was doing a consulting call with a church who asked for some help with how to transition from one worship leader to another. The goal of the pastor- to move to younger music. The worship leader being replaced was 60 years old. The new guy- mid-20s.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to meet with and interview author Ian Morgan Cron (Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale, and Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me: A Memoir. . . of Sorts ).  In addition to speaking with me about his books and recent writing, he graciously talked to me about worship as well.  In that conversation, I was surprised he began talking about his early work as a songwriter/artist in Nashville. We struck down the road of music, worship and church.  At one point he talked about writing as a creative outlet that allowed him to continue in it at any age- as opposed to music artist/songwriting which often demanded youth. I realized for the first time he was talking about something I’d been hearing in church as well.  I wondered if Ian might have some thoughts on the topic of age and music and worship.

What resulted was a great interview, that I have broken into 3 short clips dealing with the following topics:

Now, please, contribute your thought below. This topic needs discussion and working out.

Again, many thanks to  Ian Morgan Cron for spending time for these interviews. If you get a chance, I strongly encourage you to check out his books Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale, and Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me: A Memoir. . . of Sorts. I have read Chasing Francis and am now reading Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me- both are excellent!

in Christ's love,

Kim Gentes

The New Book has RELEASED!

Our first published book, 2011 Ultimate Worship Resource Guide:Songs & Media Edition has just released. It's receiving rave reviews from leaders, pastors, musicians and innovators.

"Kim Gentes has put together a guide that should be on the desk of every worship leader or music minister." - Don Moen

"It's a real must have for worship leaders!" - Musicademy UK
 

Check out the book website for yourself here.

"You want to know the meaning of life? This is your highest calling: You are called into the dynamic co-creation of the cosmos. This breath is your canvas and your brush. These are the raw materials for your art, for the life you are making."
-Jon Foreman(1)

Life is art, Foreman enthuses, and authentic human struggle to overcome personal challenges is the work you are painting. It's a well written article and worth reading. But scientific exploration of our ecosystem is no less impressive in its lessons.

There is ongoing research among scientists to determine how competing species can exist in the same ecosystem without the dominant species pushing others to extinction. In many cases, it turns out that species may actually be competing for the same resources, but doing so in a way that doesn't impinge on other biological consumers of the same resource. According to Nature's "Knowledge Project"(2), this kind of sharing is called "resource partitioning". The idea is that one species might like to consume a certain resource in one time, configuration or location, while another species will use essentially the same resource on a different agenda. They use the analogy of many people going to the same restaurant, but making reservations at different times.

Geek that I am, I read both the Jon Foreman article and Nature article in the same 24 hour period. It crystallized an idea in me that has been bubbling around (unformed) for a while: the individual struggle to survive and thrive may be harmonious (not competitive) with the human societal need for cooperation. It's no secret that these last 2 or 3 years have had a tumultuous effect on world economics, corporate economics, and heck, home economics. I don't know about you, but my bank account looks a lot worse today than it did 2.5 years ago. The housing market, financial markets, etc, all took tumbles for reasons we can't begin to cover here.

So today, we see people who were once "gainfully employed" now searching for any job to make ends meet. The "U6" unemployment rate- a measure of unemployment defined by the government that is considered more accurate than the tradition number normally reported (called "U3")- shows 2009 through 2011 to be the worst since those statistics began being tracked in 1994 (see detailed explanations on U1-U6 definitions and values at U6 stats online).(3) We are still holding close to 16% unemployment. Those who are successfully placed in their "chosen careers", are working hard, but are fearful of losing those positions. Recent graduates (often hunted for their acceptance of lower wages to enter the workforce in "white collar" professions) aren't as affected as more experienced players in the job market, but even the former are having a difficult time finding work. According to a recent USA Today report, college grad unemployment is the highest since 1970 (see full article).(4)

With all the tension and stress of people seeking jobs, companies downsizing, the economy convulsing on everything from poor weather to poor governmental policies, we seem to be headed for an economic cage fight - where all the people competing for those precious economic resources will be converging in an antagonistic battle over the remaining jobs, home loans and financial water left in the economic stream of our world markets.

"Well thanks for all that good news, Kim" you might be saying. But actually, maybe this is where we are wrong.

Maybe Jon Foreman is right. Maybe our struggle in everyday life is the kind of art in which our tiny victories are the notes in our personal symphonies. And maybe, just maybe, those notes of individual lives do not have to compete with others, but can play in harmony with others. Maybe Foreman's vision of our struggle to be the risk-taking, co-creators in the universe amidst the raw materials of our daily lives is precisely what we need right now. Maybe our personal struggles are needed, not just for us, but for the larger common good. Maybe our macroeconomic system is simply a mirror for the biological ecosystems we read about in Nature and other publications. Perhaps our struggles to push forward in these tough economic times are not really as competitive as we might think. There is no doubt that some people lose jobs and others get them. But, as one who has experienced this personally, perhaps it wasn't so much that the job didn't need you-- maybe you didn't need the job. This isn't meant as a cute semantic exercise, but as a question about whether or not the best of what you have to offer is/was really flourishing in your work environment.

As we see from the Nature article, in the biological world, resource partitioning goes hand-in-hand with adaptation. Species find ways of sharing a resource by relying on something unique to their physiology or skill set. For example, in the past, two specifies of birds might be feasting on seeds sitting on top soil and grass, in an island area about 100 yards inland with vegetation and seed-bearing plants. The smaller, quicker species of bird gains the advantage and consistently gathers more seed than taller, longer beaked birds. As the taller birds are pushed out of competition for the easy-access seeds, they hunt further towards the beach. They find they can access a significant amount of seed that has blown from the same seed-bearing plants into the rocks along the pebbled beach. The longer beak allows them to pick up seeds deeper in the pebbles, making them successful in this context and successful in a way the smaller birds could not be.

Maybe Jon Foreman is right: we can pursue something greater than just "making a living". Maybe biological ecosystems have something to teach us: that our unique abilities, coupled with the principle of resource partitioning, are a distinguishing mark to identify how each of us can "make a living" amidst our financial ecosystems.

History might agree with both Foreman and science. Certainly John Calvin would. He, like Foreman, pointed to an individual's unique vocation before God as the preeminent qualification (and source of inspiration) for all who "work", when he said:

And everyone in his respective sphere of life will show more patience, and will overcome the difficulties, cares, miseries, and anxieties in his path, when he will be convinced that every individual has his task laid upon his shoulders by God. If we follow our divine calling, we shall receive this unique consolation that there is no work so mean and so sordid that does not look truly respectable and highly important in the sight of God (Coram Deo!)
- John Calvin, 1536 (5)

Can you imagine a world in which we genuinely believe that "every individual has his task laid upon his shoulders by God"? What if God made you uniquely perfect for playing the part you are meant for? What if your place in life does not have to conform to the "preferred qualifications" on the job application? What if you, and your gifting is perfect, and needed, in the personal, social, economic and even spiritual ecosystem you are living in? As followers of Christ, we can certainly gain support, wisdom and encouragement from the broader community, as I mentioned in a recent article published in Worship Leader Magazine.(6) But hearing God's voice has always been an essential counter-balance to the social feedback of our Christian communities. The two scriptural voices, prophetic and pastoral, are always chiming their harmonious sounds to shape the symphony of the human story. We can join in the chorus, but we must not lose our voice to do so.

Perhaps this article is meant to be a wake up call to those of us who are sleeping in a scripted world. You've fallen asleep while reading. And that is the point. You aren't meant to just read the script- you are meant to help write it. Look at yourself. Be honest. Then take real stock of what gifts, skills, challenges and abilities that form the kind of contribution you believe you are called to - that God has laid on your shoulders. You may realize you are in an occupation that has nothing to do with your sense of God's true call on your life.

If you've lost your job, or aren't working in a career that allows you to fulfill that call, you may find that the forces of the economy will push you out. Out to the barren desolation of job loss and eventual re-evaluation. In that place, don't look for a job. Look for a place that calls you to be the person of courage. To be the person that God whispered you truly are. You will hear him clearest in your hour of weakness. In that place, consider who you were made to be. Consider what God has laid on your shoulders. As John Calvin and Jon Foreman have told us- His weight on your shoulders, however pressing, will always be lighter than the self-imposed mantra of "making a living".

This agrees with Christ, who said:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

-Jesus of Nazareth (7)

Direct us, then, Lord. Give us your wisdom for vocation in our lives, that we might bear it with the knowledge of your divine call and divine weight. And encourage us, Lord, that in doing your will we draw on the unique gifts you placed in each of your creation. Show us the balance of learning your yoke while finding rest for our souls. Amen.

With you in the journey,

Kim Anthony Gentes

Footnotes.

1. Foreman, Jon, (2011) "Making A Living", AOL Healthy Living on Huffington Post. 12 June 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-foreman/meaning-of-life_b_874934.html (22 June 2011).
2. Griffin, J. N. & Silliman, B. R. "Resource Partitioning and Why it Matters". Nature Education Knowledge 2(1):8.  2011. http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/resource-partitioning-and-why-it-matters-17362658 (22 June 2011).
3. Various Authors, "Unemployment Rate - U6" Portal Seven.com on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011. http://portalseven.com/employment/unemployment_rate_u6.jsp?fromYear=1994&toYear=2011 (22 June 2011).
4. Davidson, Paul, "Unemployment rate for college grads is highest since 1970" USA Today: Money, Economy & Jobs, 5 December 2010. http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2010-12-06-collegegrads06_ST_N.htm (22 June 2011).
5. Calvin, John (2004). Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life (p. 94). Baker Books. Kindle Edition.
6. Gentes, Kim, "How the Church Has Always Been a Social Network" Worship Leader Magazine, June Edition, 30 May 2011. http://www.worshipleader.com/index.cfm?tdc=dsp&page=articles_previous_detail&aid=247 (22 June 2011).
7. Various Authors, (2008). Matthew 11:28-30, Holy Bible (TNIV) (Kindle Locations 76643-76646). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. 

The 16th Century Christian mystic Saint John of the Cross wrote a famous poem and treatise, entitled “Dark Night of the Soul” (the treatise complete version is online here ). In this poem, and the lengthy discourse, the author expounds the pains of the human struggle to reach for deep relationship/union with God. The poem, and its title, became synonymous for Christian writers over the recent centuries as a phrase to echo intense struggle and pain- perhaps even their most painful challenge in life. What is unique about this poem is that it reflects a kind of Ecclesiastical despair that the human soul can encounter in such times.  While there is strong scriptural precedent for mournful sorrow, frustrated concern, and even languishing anger, very few modern Christian leaders speak on such topics.

The book of Job, many of the Psalms and certainly the book of Ecclesiastes are all samples of honest struggles from people trying to understand and deal with the pain of our humanity, even while in the context of knowing the Lord God. The New Testament examples of Thomas, Peter (his betrayal and bitter sorrow), Jesus sorrow over the death of Lazarus, and even Jesus own painful struggle at Gethsemane show us that pain, struggle, grief and doubt are very real and must not be avoided, but faced and worked through.

The following two interviews are with Dr. Peter Rollins, author and speaker, who delves into some important thoughts on being honest about our human struggles.  Finally, Peter gives a strong challenge to worship leaders and songwriters of worship music to begin to write music that reflects the reality of the dark night of the soul, as part of a balance of complete liturgy- one that reflects not only the joy and nearness of God, but the pain, struggles and doubts of us, his friends, as we try to draw near to him and deal with our broken world.

Be sure to leave your thoughts and comments (you can post them at the bottom of this entry).

Part 1: Dark Night of the Soul- Honesty in Liturgical Space

Part 2: Dark Night of the Soul- Thoughts and Challenge for Worship Leaders

walking with you,

Kim Gentes

Father God. Dangerously Near.

[This edition of ThinkJump includes an MP3 with audio narration with sound-bed attached to this entry. Click the mp3 below to hear this.]

A psalm of thanks. A prayer to draw near. To my God.

I am watched1 by my Father, God2. No matter where I walk around the earth3, as a son, I am kept under the wings of the great King4.  He is friend5 and father to me6. The air shivers with his nearness.  His gaze is horizontal, when all things say it should be from above7.  He treats me with grace, when I deserve shame8.  I have no place to argue with him9, though I would surely ask Him when he will leave, and why he has put up with me. Yet, he contends that I am his10 child.  It basks me in light and washes me in joy, when I think of his nearness11.  Not just a knowledge of love, but the presence of it12, actually occupying the space near my heart, my mind and my very body.  The vulnerability of the flesh of my beating heart, all my emotions wrapped in it,  is at the touch of his surgeon hand13. The closeness of my thoughts he presses against his wisdom, inside, near the top of my head, where my thoughts collect to confer with one another14.  The hairs on my arms and the twitching muscles surrounding my elbows and shoulders are reacting with minute pressure that comes from his closeness to the physicality of the air around my body extremities15.  He is near16. Too near, yet delight is flowing from it being so17.  Do not leave, oh God. But do not be so close18. Be near, please19. But heal me as you burn away the dross20. Be, please, comforting as you cut the sickness from my being21.  Reveal yourself, and yet, shade me from being slain in the shadow of your holiness22.

[1]Exo 3:16; [2]Psalm 121:5; [3]Micah 5:4; [4]Psalm 91:4; [5]John 15:15; [6]Gal 4:6; [7]Job 16:19-21; [8]James 4:6; [9]Job 13:8; [10]John 1:12; [11]Psalm 16:11; [12]1 John 4:16; [13]Ezek 11:19; [14]Ecc 2:11-13; [15]Deut. 4:7; [16]Acts 17:27; [17]Psalm 36:8; [18]Luke 5:8; [19]Psalm 84:2; [20]Zech 13:9; [21]Ezek 36:26; [22]Zeph 2:3

This last year, a friend gave me a copy of the newly released book "God's Singers" by Dave Williamson and he encouraged me to read it.  I picked it up and quickly found myself enjoying not only the book, but entering into the world of the writer.  Dave wasn't just a dry writer, expounding to choir experts and enthusiasts.  His warm stories, keen attention to the scriptures and clear passion for worship in the midst of the Body of Christ fills the book.  But his topic is clearly the element of choirs.  As I read, I realized that I wanted to meet Dave and learn more about his journey.  This last week, Dave graciously consented to my request and offered to be videod for a series of questions, the results of which are here below.

If you are an old hand at choirs and the vitality they can stir up in the worship life of a church, this conversation may seem mute to you.  But I would encourage you to consider listening and watching as Dave explores some of the underpinings of both his belief that the choir is God's idea and how he encourages churches without choirs to reconsider their choices.

Especially if you are like me, playing and leading in a "modern" or non-traditional church, you might not have had a church culture that included a choir.  Dave speaks to all of us, but even more profoundly to the young churches who have left choirs behind.

The interview is in three parts, allowing you to watch short segments as you have time.

Part 1 - Why Should My Church Add a Choir?

Part 2 - How Do I Start a Choir in My Church?

Part 3 - An Inspirational Story & How to Contact Dave..

I would highly encourage you to consider Dave's great new book, God's Singers.  It is a brilliant and warm invitation to the whole church to embrace the worshiping community group of the choir.

Dave has his book for sale online at the Amazon link below:

God's Singers

In God's choir with you,

Kim Gentes