Sharp Nine

tension : resolution

It's 2010. Who Do You Want To Be?

I don't know about you but every year seems to pass by at a faster rate than the previous year. January 1st 2008 seemed like it was 3 weeks ago and January 1st 2009 seemed like it was last week. Remember when you were in school? How you couldn't wait for summer vacation and how time passed by so darn slow as you agonizingly drudged through each day as if you were moving through molasses? I sort of miss the pace of those days. 

There are probably many factors that contribute to the ever increasing speed of a minute. We scurry to climb the career ladder, we have kids (I don't have one yet but from the looks of my friend's faces who do have them, those little monsters really take the life out of you), we now have instant one-click access not only to what's going on around the entire world but to what's going on in the minutia of everybody's lives. Not only do we have that access at home on our computers but we have that access wherever we go in our pockets, purses for you ladies, or belt clips for you sartorially challenged (kidding. OK, half kidding). These are just some of the factors that make time speed up. No wonder the days move as they do.

So hey, whatdya know. It's 2010. We all remember the paranoia of Y2K. That seemed like last year but it's been an entire decade! The reality is, those factors I just mentioned won't go away. In fact, they'll get worse and if we're not careful we'll find ourselves suffocating under a pile of job worries, family worries, stuff, Facebook status's and tweets. Unless the world ends, time is most likely going to go by even faster. In what feels like the time it takes to blink three times, it'll be January 1 of 2020 and another decade will have passed.  

Here's another reality. You and I are going to die. Soon. I'm not trying to be dark or anything. But let's just be real. 50 years from now, which is only 5 of these really fast passing decades, there is a really good possibility that you and I will be dead. 

So with that in mind, I've been reflecting on this question a lot and encourage you to do the same.

"Who do you want to be?"

It's easy to make new year's resolutions. It's even easier to break them. A lot of new year's resolutions I've heard are pretty surface level. I want to exercise more consistently. I want to eat healthier. I want to learn a new language. I want to learn how to play an instrument. I want to manage my finances better. I want to give more to the poor. I want to get a new job. 

Those are all great resolutions but there's a reason why January 25th will be the most depressing day of 2010. By that time resolutions have been broken, bank accounts have been broken too because of the holiday spending, people are back from vacation and they are once again finding themselves swimming in a pile of work, daylight hours are scarce. Then people eventually recover and they go about the year like they did the past year. Repeat 9 times and pretty soon we have a new decade. There's something missing. The foundation under which those resolutions stand on have to be able to withstand earthquakes. Cuz let's be honest, there's gonna be earthquakes. And without a strong foundation, those resolutions will crumble.

How about a different way to approach the new year and the new decade? Once again, I ask

"Who do you want to be?"

When you die within the next 50 years or so, what do you want people to say at your funeral? If a family member, co-worker, spouse, friend, or somebody you recently met randomly while out and about spoke at your funeral, what would they say now? Is that what you would want them to say?

For me, what people would say now is probably not what I'd want them to say. So as I reflect on this past year and past decade and think about the upcoming one, I want to position myself so that everything I do is aligned with the answers to that question.

When I ask myself who I want to be, I come up with a handful of answers. Here are some of them. I want to be:

  • Sacrificially loving to others in a way consistent with love as defined in the Bible
  • Walking at least twice as much as I talk
  • Consistently putting relationships with people as top priority second only to my relationship with God
  • Sacrificially giving of my time, talent, and treasure
  • Quick to listen (authentically seeking to understand before being understood) and slow to speak
  • A fighter for the oppressed and marginalized
  • Passionate and driven in developing my gifts
  • A humble servant of God and people
I've found that as I reflect on these core answers to that question "Who do I want to be?" I can comfortably make resolutions that align with these answers. For example, one of my resolutions this year is to learn how to play the keys in order to expand my perspective and skills as an overall musician. I'm not doing that just to do that. I'm doing that because it is in line with wanting to be "passionate and driven in developing my gifts" and it better positions me to be "sacrificially giving of my time and talent" because I'm aiming for the quality of what I give to be higher. It even goes beyond resolutions. They serve as guideposts for decisions, especially hard ones, that I make on a daily basis. For example, I have lots of errands to do and a friend invites me to hang out. My natural inclination would be to say no but given that I want to be "consistently putting relationships with people as top priority", I'd probably say yes with the intention of investing in that relationship.

So how about you? Who do you want to be? And how can you align your resolutions with the answers to that question?

 

How Marriage Should Sound

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You can read books on marriage and relationships, get advice from friends, see professional counselors, all which are good and necessary to sustain a good marriage.

AND you can listen to this.

This is the sonic equivalent of what a marriage should look like. One day, I hope to get married, and when I do I want my marriage to look like what this sounds.

This is the marriage of two horns. And this is what these two horns can teach us about marriage.

  • Each plays a completely unique part and if heard without the other, can stand strong on its own.
  • Paired with each other, they create a stronger whole, never clashing but always working as one towards one shared purpose - a purpose that is greater than them.
  • Each listens to the other carefully and adds a complementary voice instead of a competing one.
  • There are moments when one supports while the other leads.
  • There are moments when their journeys intersect and they play in complete unison, moments when they play in harmony, and moments when they play completely different, but still complementary, lines.
  • They do all of the above consistently, and the longer they do it, the more the people listening react, the more they support them, and the more the people are inspired.

This is how marriage should sound.

The Art of the New Year's Resolution

Don't start January 1st. 

Start right now. 

Because right now, in the month of December, you have to deal with...

Buying presents
Crazy shoppers 
Crazy relatives
The cold and wet weather 
Lots of holiday parties. Your company's. Your friend's. Your family's.
Traveling
The flu
The holiday blues

Most likely you have absolutely no time or energy to invest in starting something new right now.

Which is why you should invest in starting something new right now. In the midst of the madness.

The myth of having your time freed up after all this madness is exactly that - a myth. There will always be something that gets in the way of accomplishing your goals. Always. 

So if you can somehow manage the discipline to start your new years resolution right now, you will be in a good place come 2010 to successfully continue it. Because you will have persevered through the madness. You will have been tested. And when you're tested in 2010 when things unexpectedly go crazy and you have no time, which it will, you will already know how what it takes to stick through it because you did it in December 2009.

5 Affordable Ways to Give This Christmas Season

The ability to connect those who have with those who don't. One of my absolute favorite features of the web. These organizations are those who do so in a compelling and trustworthy way. Most importantly, the people they serve are in need. I'm talking serious serious need. I know that during this season, it may be difficult to consider giving outside the normal sphere of folks you give to this Christmas season. But can I encourage you to consider any of them? The best part about these organizations is that whatever you can afford to give, even if it's very little, will go a long way. 

One Day's Wages
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Is "A Movement of People, Stories and Actions of Compassionate Justice to Fight Extreme Global Poverty." The concept is simple. Donate one day of your wages to fight poverty and help the 3 billion people on earth living on less than $2 a day. The site features a handy calculator you can use to calculate your one day's wage. Of course any amount donated would help. The site also partners with Charity: Water, Heal Africa, and Not For Sale, enabling you to donate to their campaigns directly from this site as well. 
Visit site

Invisible Children
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They are "a social, political, and global movement using the transformative power of story to change lives". Their ultimate goal is to aid victims of and end the longest running war in Africa, the fight between the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) and the the Government of Uganda. It has been called the most neglected humanitarian emergency in human history and has for the past 23 years left 2 million innocent civilians caught in the middle. Go to their site and check out their development initiatives, inexpensive products made by the people they serve (which make great Christmas presents!), and overall great content. 
Visit site

Never Ending Hope
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Aims to give a hand up, rather than a hand out, to those living in poverty through microfinancing loans. If you're unfamiliar with microfinancing, it's basically the provision of financial services to low-income clients who lack access to banking and related services. This organization gives you ideas on find creative ways to raise money to give a loan to support families or you give directly on their site. 
Visit site

Charity : Water
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Almost a billion people on earth don't have access to clean drinking water. So why not help give it to them? 100% of donations given to Charity:Water go to fund freshwater projects in developing nations. Give as much or as little as you want. If you're really motivated you can even fundraise for a well. Doing so will give you a site through which you may accept donations. Every dollar is tracked and in 12-18 months, you can see the GPS location of your well along with photos. Or you can contribute to other people's fundraising campaigns such as the one that Alyssa MIlano started for her birthday. 

Not For Sale
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Most of you have heard the staggering statistic by now. There are 27 million slaves in the world today. More than the height of the trans-atlantic slave trade. Slavery is more alive and kicking than it was back then, just less visible. Fortunately, the mainstream media has really picked up on this in the last couple of years and more people are becoming aware. But the fight is on to re-abolish slavery and every day the fight goes on is another day that women and children are, to put it bluntly, brutally and repeatedly raped and de-humanized. The good news is that it is actually possible for slavery to end in our lifetime. Not For Sale is a crucial organization in that fight. Be a part of the fight to end slavery and donate to the cause. 

Bonus. 6th Affordable Way to Give This Christmas Season
I know the title of this post said 5 ways but here's a bonus 6th. The best part about this way is it doesn't require any technology at all. It's the most simple way to give, but sometimes it could be the most difficult. You don't have to look online to find people across the world who are in serious need. Sometimes they're right in front of you. They're your neighbors. They're your friends. They're your family members. Why not give them a gift? It could be money. Or it could even be simply your time. Maybe they're going through a difficult time this Christmas season and they just need people who can help them get through it. The web is great. It has the power to connect people who have with people who don't all around the world. But never forget that you have the power to do that as well, and it can sometimes be as simple as walking across the street.

 

When Your Prayers Are Answered Through Song

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I prayed for some comfort from anxiety the other day and got this as an answer as I was listening to some good old Boyz II Men. What a great reminder of God's promises!

I especially love when God speaks through "secular" means. I really don't understand, especially when it comes to music or arts in general, why some Christians make a distinction between Christian vs. secular. God is the ultimate creator and creative director of everything beautiful whether we categorize it as Christian or not. A work of art can be created by an atheist and it can still be magnificent and reflect God's glory. After all, everything that is beautiful is a miniscule sliver of God's glory. 

The Bible encourages us to think about whatever is lovely and whatever is admirable. Not think about whatever is lovely, admirable and happens to be created by a Christian. So if you're a Christian, let's stop making that distinction. First of all, it creates this artificial separation between us and them. Secondly, by doing so we're limiting the ways in which God can work and shine his glory through.

What ways has God spoken to you through "secular" art? 

Or if you're not a Christian, when was the last time you sensed a higher power was speaking to you through art?

The whole song may be heard here 

The Number 2

2 has a bad wrap.

1 is great. Everybody wants to be number 1. When you're 1, you're the best. Singles spend a lot of their lives looking for the right 1. Christians gravitate to 1. We believe there is 1 God. We believe that the 1 Bible is the single source of truth. 

3 is great. It is the number of self-help and easily digestible steps. We can do everything in 3 easy steps. We create presentations that have 3 key takeaways. The US checks and balances system relies on 3 branches of the government. We believe that the 3rd time's the charm. Christians also gravitate to 3. God in the trinity. Jesus rose after 3 days. 

2 sucks. It's awkwardly sandwiched between 1 and 3. 2nd place is the 1st loser. The 2nd child gets shafted between the 1st and the 3rd.  2-part harmony never sounds as sweet as 3 and is rarely as powerful or glorious as a solo. Sequels to movies usually suck. 

But the reality is 2 deserves just as much credit as 1 and 3.

Because

2 is the number of grace.

2 is the second chance.

2 is recognition that we are human and we make mistakes.

2 is about getting back up and coming back stronger. 

2 is the number of forgiveness.

We have all benefited from 2. From someone and from THE one. I have big time...and I do every single day. Every day I screw up. Sometimes royally.  But every day not only am I forgiven, my mistakes are wiped clean as if they've never happened. And every day I can be free of guilt or shame. Every day I pray "Please forgive me" and He replies, "From what?" Every day I'm forgiven by a God who's "mercies are new every morning." Every day is a day of my 2nd chance. And because I've been given 2, I try to live my life giving 2. to others. Sometimes (OK, a lot of times) I don't succeed and when I don't it's OK, because well, I get another 2nd chance.

So I ask you 2 questions.

Who do you need to give a 2nd chance to? 

Would you consider giving Jesus the opportunity to give you an eternal 2nd chance? 

 

 

 

Best Part of My Day

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Last week I received these in the mail.

From Charity
"....she informs you that she has also been enjoying attending the compassion Saturday program at the project and during the month of August she has being learning on how being a little girl she can use her different parts of her body to praise God. She says that her teacher told her that her teacher told her that she can use her mouth to sing for the Lord, use her hands to clap for the Lord and her legs to dance for the Lord."

From Purity
"...Purity says that in her place there are some funny animals called squirrels which like eating peoples crops at the shamba (farms) and she wonders whether you saw one during your visit."

It was the best part of my day.

Racism and Reconciliation - A Rare Success Story

For the last couple of weeks I've been thinking of something to write here about the Deadly Vipers book controversy. Part of me waited on writing anything because I wanted to see how it played out and how or if it would be resolved. A bigger part of me didn't write anything because the blogosphere has already been exploding with commentary surrounding this controversy, including the blogs of the people directly involved. Furthermore, they have been able to cover it in a far more eloquent manner than I could. I've finally decided to write something because there's a small chance that you haven't heard of any of it and at the very least, I want to be able to share the story with you because it's a story of living out the way of Christ under pressure to compromise, a story of reconciliation between members of the body of Christ, and a story that offers hope for an even greater beginning than one that the original authors of the book had originally dreamed of. 

Here's the cliff note summary of the controversy. In 2007, two caucasian authors Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, released a book called "Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership". The book focuses on radical integrity and grace and enemies (or "deadly vipers") that threaten to "assassinate" our character. The authors innocently decided to use a kung-fu theme throughout the book to get their message across. The theme however was poorly executed playing off of asian racial stereotypes. Recently, the marketing of this book has taken a step up and stereotypes in the book carried over to the marketing of it. This caused an uproar in the asian community who were exposed to this book for the first time. Prominent leaders in the Christian Asian-American community called for the authors AND the publisher, Zondervan, to publicly apologize and remove the offensive material completely, going as far as calling for the complete removal of the book from store shelves. The story of a controversial book being released, offending a group of people, and the protest of that group calling for a public apology and removal of the book from store shelves is not a new story. This particular story, however, is obviously interesting because of the message of this book (radical integrity, grace, and character) and the people involved on the opposing sides (followers of Christ who are striving to live a life that Christ calls to live - one of radical integrity, grace, and character). What I think made it even more interesting was this was like a movie happening in real-time. Both believers and even non-believers, knew what the right thing to do was and they were waiting to see if the parties involved would do it. This was a very public opportunity for prominent figures in the Christian community to either walk the walk and demonstrate the priority of doing that over the priority of money and pride, or to succumb to the pressures of the world and of their flesh.

The controversy initially escalated so much that there was a mediated conference call between both sides. Tempers flared up and people said things that they probably shouldn't have. Ultimately, the authors did issue a public apology and removed online media that played off of the racial asian stereotypes. The publisher, Zondervan, however at that point had not apologized as they were still trying to figure out the right course of action. Meanwhile, the Asian-American leaders were still pressuring them to respond. Last week, Zondervan did something unprecedented. They not only publicly apologized, they took the book completely off store shelves and took down the book's site deadlyviper.org. Furthermore, they appointed an editor-in-chief who is responsible for preventing editorial mistakes like this moving forward in the future.

If you want the trail of the story, straight from the source follow these links.
  • It all started with this open letter to Zondervan.
  • The controversy heated up and escalated into a conference call between the authors, representatives from Zondervan, and leaders of the Asian-American community.
  • Intelligent and insightful posts like this and this (from Eugene Cho, one of the Asian-American leaders speaking out on the book) offered perspective on what the problem was and the greater problem of ignorance and racism.
  • The authors apologized on their site (as of right now, the site has been taken down and replaced with a statement from the authors so no link available to their initial apology).
  • Eventually, Zondervan apologized and issued this official statement.
If you're interested in going deeper, I'd highly recommending you follow these blogs (as a start):
In the big scheme of things, this is a just a tiny dent in the deep issues of ignorance and racism that have existed, and still very much do exist, for ages. But "success stories" like this are so rare (or never get public exposure) that it's worth sharing because it's stories like this that give us hope that through the power of Christ, a power in which people prioritize their walk with Christ over their own desires, there is a path to reconciliation and hope for justice.

The Power of Content

Zac Poonen is a 70 year old Indian preacher. He occasionally preaches at my church. He is not what many would consider a dynamic preacher. He stands behinds the podium during his entire message. He speaks in a low, monotonous voice. Every once in a while he smiles but for the most part, his face remains the same, positioned comfortably between a frown and a smile. 

Yet, Zac Poonen is one of the most powerful preachers I have ever seen. The power in his preaching does not come from delivery. It comes purely from content. Stripped from all forms of widely taught presentation and preaching techniques, the content of his message is left out in the open, all alone, raw and vulnerable. 

Many employ techniques to dress up their content, afraid that without techniques their content will be defenseless and torn to shreds by its consumers. 

Companies invest millions of dollars in marketing their brand and designing their web site.

Speakers spend countless hours learning techniques on how to become a dynamic communicator.

Stage performers spend countless hours refining their performance styles.

People spend tons of money and time on how they look.

I've certainly been involved with all of the above. It's easier to work on and improve technique. It is often more superficial. It's much much harder and costly to create powerful content. 

Spending time and money on technique, in and of itself, is definitely not a bad thing. It's the prioritization of it over content that is. Delivery should always play a supporting role to content, not the other way around. Just like a supporting actor can help the lead actor shine, effective delivery can do the same for content. It is worth spending time and money on learning delivery, but we must always remember that our content always takes priority. So much so, in fact, that when left out all alone, it should be able to fend for itself and reach the people it needs to reach without any help from its supporting cast.

By the way, if you want to hear some of this powerful content from Pastor Zac Poonen, visit poonen.org for an amazing collection of resources - all free.

How Technology Changes Engagement with Brands and Implications for the Church

Last week, Razorfish released it's annual FEED report, which studies how technology is changing the way people engage with brands. Although it is focused on the type of brands that Razorfish serves, I think it is just as relevant for the church. You may not think of the church as a a brand but consider this. According to Wikipedia, brand image is "...a symbolic construct created within the minds of people and consists of all the information and expectations associated with a product or service." and brand experience is "...the sum of all points of contact with the brand." Whether we like it or not, the church, has a brand image and the way people interact with the church is its brand experience. If we are to accomplish our mission of fulfilling the Great Comission, especially here in one of the most connected countries in the world we need to be aware of the church's brand. 

The report is interesting and worth reading in its entirety. Here are some findings that I think are relevant for the church. 

FACT
An increasing number of people are connected and choosing to spend their time online. In fact the time spent consuming media online now about equals watching television.

SUPPORT
"According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, about 63% of all Americans today have a high-speed Internet connection, up from only 55% in 2008. This translates to roughly 200 million people, based on a July 2009 population estimate from the CIA World Factbook(total population 307,212,123, July 2009 estimate)."

"According to Forrester’s 2009 North American Technographics Benchmark Survey, consumers spend 34% of their total media time online and 35% watching television. In fact, according to Forrester, if you are 45 years old or younger, you spend significantly more time using the Internet than watching television. We believe that this trend signifies the rise of “digital primacy,” where consumers are turning first and foremost to digital to help them navigate, connect, and make sense of the world—and we are only beginning to understand the impact of this shift in consumer behavior."

"According to our study, 84% of consumers rely on the web to get current news or information; 76% regularly watch online video on sites like YouTube and Hulu; 73% regularly visit social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn; and 62% listen to music online through services like iTunes and Pandora."

"Based on this data, we believe that “connected consumers”—mirroring other industry research studies and the general broadband population in the United States—are shooting the adoption curve when it comes to Internet technologies."

TAKEAWAY
The church has to occupy the spaces where the people are, both physically and virtually. To reach the growing number of connected consumers, it's not enough to just have service in buildings on the weekend. Some churches, such as lifechurch.tv are pioneering the online worship service movement. I believe this is just the beginning and that the digital church will look significantly different a couple years from now than it does today. 


FACT
Experiences with brands matter. The church is a brand. Experiences with the church matter.

SUPPORT
Razorfish studied the correlation between people's online interaction with a brand and their likelihood to purchase the brand's product or service. Our faith is not a product or service but when people decide to become a follower of Christ, there needs to be a reason. A commitment that big is often accompanied by the question "what's in it for me?" and generally, the more compelling the answer the stronger the commitment. 

Experiences Matter

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HAS THAT EXPERIENCE INFLUENCED WHETHER OR NOT YOU PURCHASED A PRODUCT OR SERVICE FROM THE BRAND?

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HAVE YOU EVER MADE YOUR FIRST PURCHASE FROM A BRAND BECAUSE OF A DIGITAL EXPERIENCE (E.G., A WEB SITE, MICROSITE, MOBILE COUPON, EMAIL)?

TAKEAWAY
It's no longer enough for churches to have an informational web site. When people go on-line, with whatever device they are using, they are just clicks away to some of the most amazing digital experiences in the world. From super rich, highly interactive media to augmented reality, brands constantly push the boundaries of technology and of the digital space. Not only that, but these brands are also pioneering new experiences of connecting with each other online. Garrick Schmitt's, VP of Experience Planning at Razorfish, provides some great examples in his most recent AdAge post "How Experiences are Becoming the New Advertising". These brands compete for our attention, for our time, and guess what? The church is part of that competition. We have to learn how to create compelling experiences that draw people in and make them want to engage just as other brands are doing. 

FINAL THOUGHTS
As I write this, I am encouraged by the way the church has stepped up to embrace the challenges and opportunities of this frontier. Recent conferences such as Catalyst and the Story conference, featured sites that allowed anybody with access to the web to experience the conference and connect with each other. lifechurch.tv and northpointonline.tv are just two of a growing number of churches who are broadcasting their worship services online. More churches are hiring communications directors who need to be well-versed in social media. The list goes on (if you are interested in following how the church is pushing the boundaries of new technology, a great blog I'd recommend following is ChurchCrunch). I believe the church is recognizing that we are called to fill the spaces where people are and be a mirror of God's love in that space. After all, this is essentially what Jesus did.   

Finally, despite all of the efforts to take the church into church 2.0, I think it's important for the church to always remember some key points:
  1. The online church will never replace the need for face-to-face human relationships and connecting with each other online should never take precedence over connecting with each other in person. There are spiritual and emotional depths that may only be reached in the physical world through shared victories, struggles, and conflicts. Instead, the aim should be to find a healthy balance between the online and physical space. 
  2. Along the same lines, we should always remember that "church" is not a building. "The church" is the collective body of Christ and wherever we go, whether in a building to praise God Sunday morning, in our places of work, in our homes, or in front of our computers or mobile devices, we, the church, are called to be ambassadors of Christ.  
  3. Most importantly, no matter how amazing our services are, our buildings are, or our online experiences are, we will never make any progress without the power of the Holy Spirit. Absolutely everything we do should be with the help of the Holy Spirit, otherwise our efforts are meaningless and ultimately do not bring God glory. It is worth keeping up with the times, understanding trends, and striving to innovate, but all of that has to be firmly rooted in prayer and the power of the Spirit. We should always be open to wherever God leads us and never limit His power. With the power of the Spirit, it is possible for a church to have a weak online presence, or no online presence, and still have a vibrant and powerful ministry. Without the power of the Spirit, it is possible to have amazing, innovative, award-winning online experiences, but have a dull and shallow ministry that doesn't really impact anybody in a meaningful way.