Classical Music

As I sit and listen to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca", I feel inspired and energized. I spent 4 years of my life playing the viola but never cared much for classical music. It always seemed so boring and the songs were WAY too long. However, now, I really do love it.

It's truly amazing to be able to hear music that was composed a few hundred years ago. It's like being in a history class or hopping in a time machine and it's so interesting when you think that you are hearing music that's now considered classical but at one point in time was cutting edge and new to the world. The notes fall on our ears and evoke the same feelings and emotions the way it did for someone fortunate enough to hear live music in the mid 1700's. Classical music tells a story. Whether it was intended to or not, I always feel that I'm listening to an epic tale being told from 1st hand experience. Each note and phrase, every crescendo is soaked with the passion and intensity of the composer; someone who poured his life into his music and was making music for the beauty of music, not for the big bucks and celebrity status.

Music is timeless. Mozart created his music with intention and passion. The classical time period didn't pop out musicians and "pop stars" a dozen a week. You couldn't take a handsome man or a pretty girl and throw them behind a piano and tell them to compose a big hit. Musicians were inspired and gifted beyond understanding.

All this being said, next time you choose (or have no choice) to listen to classical music, don't let it slowly blend into the background noise of the day, but let every note sink into your heart. Allow your self to close your eyes and drift back to a time when music wasn't just something to fill in the silence. Take a step back in time and enjoy the music that has inspired generations for centuries.

Community, Passion and Intimacy; The Desire of A Generation

I'm currently reading "The Emerging Church" by Dan Kimball and I am loving it. The book is a guide to creating a service and a mind set geared towards the post-christian nation we now live in. It helps you to re-think the way you have thought about ministry and it helps you to re-learn what you have learned about the church; not in an un-biblical way, but in a way that challenges you and sparks excitement and creativity to serve God and others.

I think what I love most about this book is that it re-enforces these feelings that I have had about the church and ministry for some time now.

I have had this desire to connect with the Jewish roots of Christianity and discover what has led us to where we are. I have wanted to create a service that honors God and the sacred holiness of his presence rather than honoring the ideas of the contemporary mind. In no way am I upset with where the church has gone or what it is doing; I am just a man in need of something more, something deeper, something raw and real and mysterious. This book focuses on all of these ideas and affirms that God did not just make me different. He didn't just create this desire in me to feel like I am out of place. he has put this desire on the hearts of many people in my age group and beyond.

People desire to have the mystery and tradition found in the Bible. They want to know that God is the holiest of holys. They want to feel that they are a part of something that has been taking place for thousands of years. This is why it is important to bring a sense of intimacy and respect back into our services. I feel that God is leading a generation of leaders who will begin the first phase in a return to intimate services filled with community, passion and intimacy.

A Renewed Trust

Election time has finally come and gone. I myself am beyond ready for it to be over with. Political campaigning and mudslinging everywhere you look; emails that declare Obama's link to terror and Satan himself; political satire focusing on McCains old age or his running mates ability to fire a gun. It's all been so overdone and run into the ground and personally, I feel I can finally breathe again.

Regardless of McCain's or Obama's shortcomings or political views, we as a nation have lost sight of our true leader...God. I understand that we live in a post-christian nation and Christianity is no longer the main faith of choice. However, for those of us who do turn toward the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; For those of us who believe whole heartedly that Jesus Christ came and died on a cross for our sins; For those of us who put our trust and our hope in a God who created everything in 6 days; we of all people should believe that God is in control. No matter who sits at the head of the nation, God sits at the head of everything. He alone can make or break this entire nation with just a single breath.

If our leader turns out to deceive the world and begins the start of Revelation, then so be it. Who are we to question Gods perfect plan. If he turns out to be the best leader this country has seen in decades, then so be it, he is again part of Gods perfect plan. Whatever the case may be, God is not caught off guard nor is there any way to prevent or dismiss the fact that the will of God will be carried out no matter who sits in office.

I don't know what the next 4 years are going to look like. I can't say they will be good or bad. I don't know what tomorrow will bring. Everything could stop now as I write this and there would be nothing we could do because we aren't in control. As Christians who either support or oppose Barack Obama, it is our duty to pray for our leadership that they will make sound decisions and guide us correctly. For those who oppose him for his past or what he may stand for, remember the strength and the heart of God can penetrate anyone. Remember Paul was the furthest thing from a disciple of Christ until he truly encountered God. If you support our future leader then pray that he will lead this country back into a humble nation who seeks God, if you oppose him, pray that God will work in his life and the life of all who follow God to trust in the Lord and know that his plans are bigger than we can fathom.

"In you Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me."

Psalm 25:1-2

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding."

Proverbs 3:5

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

As we rapidly approach November and election day, I sit and think about the position of President of The United States. The title has such a sense of pride and honor. The man who holds that position is the leader of a free nation that sacrificed so much for the rights to be free.

The men who founded this country did so out of respect for a new way of life. They valued freedom and liberty more than money and security. They respected each other and worked together to create a new nation that was not only formed for total liberation and the rights of the people, but also formed under an attitude of submission to God.

I see commercials on a daily basis that are your standard "mud slinging" ads directed toward anyone who differs in opinion for the attacker. I can't help but wonder...what would the leaders of the past think of all of this.

I'm no history major and I can't say exactly how campaigning went in the late 1700's. But I can say the men that ran were men of respect, valor and integrity. What happened to the days when you could look to your president as a fearless leader, an honest individual whose only interest was the growth and prosperity of the nation...not their own pocket or agenda.

I know I wasn't around for the Battle at Valley Forge. I didn't hear the eloquent words of The Emancipation Proclamation. I didn't witness the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence. I can't claim that the politicians of the past were perfect men, but I can admit that I miss the respect I used to have for our leaders. I want that boyish adoration I used to have when sitting in history class listening to the stories of men who united together to create one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Truth Vs. Logic

This will most likely be my only "rant" I ever post on this blog site. I'm not some hippie activist, nor am I a political revolutionary trying to take a big stand against something. However, I am a guy who feels like taking a moment to address something.

I'm sure you have seen the truth about smoking commercials. Usually it involves some hugely overblown public display of death and or destruction which represents the wages of smoking tobacco. From a street littered with body bags to the more recent animated musicals. These commercials are informing the world of the dangers and risks of smoking.

News Flash: Everyone already knows about the dangers and risks of smoking. Running a commercial that lists an astronomical number of deaths caused by smoking tobacco seems like the biggest waste of time an money. People who smoke and people who don't smoke know that tobacco is the leading cause of lung cancer. I understand that these commercials are ran by "big tobacco" as a way of saying "look, we're doing our best to inform people of the dangers of smoking", but couldn't that money and energy be used in a better way?

How about rather than spending millions of dollars on an ad campaign that informs us of the obvious, we take that money and spend it on addiction research and quitting assistance. Use that money to create support centers and institutions that help people quit smoking. Or, spend the money to feed people who are starving in 3rd world countries, provide water for people who have none, pay to clothe those who who sit shirtless in the middle of winter. Unlike people who know the consequences of smoking and still continue to do it, help people who are dying due to reasons outside of their own control.

In no way am I saying that people who smoke deserve what they get. My grandpa Bud died from complications that ultimately came from smoking. I have all the compassion in the world for people who are suffering sickness from smoking. But these people are addicted to a substance just like a heroin addict or a coffee addict and they need help to break the addiction. All I'm saying is rather than spending tons of money and energy on a campaign that informs people of the obvious, direct the funds elsewhere to something that could be more useful in saving lives.

Here we stand at the end of my rant. I promise to never get too opinionated again. =)

Long Distance Relationships Never Last

As I sit quietly at work waiting for the next phone call, I begin to think. I have a lot of time to think. Especially at work between 7am and 9am when it's a little slow and there's not a lot of people in yet. As of lately I have been pondering my relationship with God.

Since Blake was born, I have felt the furthest away from God in a long time. I know that seems strange but it's true. I haven't been in the word, I've barely been keeping a prayer life and I just feel like God and I are old buddies who used to hang out. It seems that after having a son and being witness to Gods care and detail in creating my son that I should draw even closer to him but for seem reason I have just been "too busy".

When I think of it in terms of myself being a dad, it really hits closer to home. Since Blake has been born, all I want is for him to see me and be happy. I want to know him better and I want him to be close to me, I want him to know me and desire to be with me. Its' the same with our heavenly father. That closeness that I desire with Blake is the same thing God wants from us. And here I am, breaking Gods heart. It's not that I don't want to spend time with God, it's just that I've been lazy.

I'm not waiting until I "feel like" getting back into the word. I'm not waiting until I "feel like" I need him in my life. I need him now. I need him more than ever to guide me as a parent and a husband. My family cannot afford to have me sit on the spiritual sidelines and let my relationship with God turn into a long distance relationship. I'm making the change today to get back to where I need to be and to set an example for my son.

Becoming A Father & Learning To Be A Dad

On July 6, 2008 I became a father. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. Seeing my son for the first time was so awesome! I had been imagining what he might look like for 8 months and to finally see his face was so in-describable. I love him so much and creating a family has brought Tonya and I even closer.

I'm not going to lie, it has been a strange adjustment putting a childs needs before my own. Letting dinner get cold and eating it an hour after I made it because he is crying and hungry too is something I never really thought about. I have gotten frustrated a few times during the night when he won't sleep and it sucks. I never thought I would get frustrated at all. I expected myself to be the perfect father.

As I have been talking to Tonya about it I have kind of come to the realization that the reason I am getting frustrated sometimes is because I am being a father...not a dad.

I've seen those cheesy commercials about how anyone can be a father but it takes a man to be a dad and I used to laugh because it seemed so goofy, but it is so true. It's easy to father a child, but being a dad takes work. I love Blake with all my heart and I want him to know that every single day that I am alive. I'm starting to make that transition from father, to dad.

I need a P.H.D. in Faith

As the high school seniors graduated this past month, I started thinking about my own future "after high school". I have done some classess at the community college and I am actually only a few classes shy of an A.A. degree. But I still wonder, what am I going to do?

I really want to be a pastor and work in the church. I feel this is what God has called me to do. But I feel like I am lacking the training and ability. I keep in the back of my mind that "God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called"; but that is so hard to believe when all I can think about is the B.A. in theology I don't have, or even the A.A. I failed to finish and receive. I know I'm still young and have a lot of opportunity to finish school, but between my wife, the college group, work, social life and a baby on the way...I'm finding that finishing school is on the top of my to-do list, but the bottom of my priority list.

I would love to just quit working for a few years and go full time to school for a degree that will help me pursue ministry as a career, but that's not going to happen. My main fear is this; without a degree, what edge do I have over the competition? It sounds silly because we aren't talking about the cut throat corporate world...we're talking about ministry, pastoring a group of people who desire to grow in their relationship with God. My qualifications and edge should lie in my calling. It should rest in the hands of the powerful God who will put me in a church that can take care of my needs and allow me to creatively bring his word to others. Still, there is part of me that feels my calling will not be enough when asked "what are your qualifications?"

I know that I need to have faith but I feel that my fear is justified. I have been brought up in a world that teaches you that you must prove your worth, a world that says you are not good enough until you follow our rules. However, the one thing I keep coming back to is that God is amazing in ability and strength. In a world where you must prove your worth through education, college degrees, and posessions, God has come to say "You don't need to prove anything to me, your faith is enough" I have to fall back on the faith that if I believe God wants me to teach, then I need to believe he can make it happen, no matter what schooling I do or do not have.

The disciples were fisherman and tax collectors, Paul was a christian persecutor. God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called...something I need to learn to live by every day of my life.

Burning in Boulder

This past weekend (the 30th and 31st) I was a part of a 28 hour non stop prayer and worship event called The Burn that took place at my church. I was not there for the full 28 hours, however the time that I did take part in The Burn, was amazing. The lights were out, the candles were glowing, the music was playing and God was moving. I feel that Boulder has been totally looked at as a lost cause by a lot of churches. Satan knows that and it has become his playground to twist and warp the truth and freedom that God can give.

I think Boulder hasn't had something like this take place in a long time. The enemy was caught off guard and didn't know what to expect when a small church in Boulder, worshiped and prayed for 28 hours continually. I could tell that something was different when I came to church on Sunday. It felt better, it felt free and clean. Satan was totally re-arranged and didn't even see it coming.

I'm not saying that all of a sudden, Boulder will be known as a "christian area" filled with believers, but I do think that no matter what happens from here on out, we shook the foundations of Hell, knocked down some walls and disrupted a lot of plans. And I plan on continuing to do this in Boulder for a long time.

To check out more on The Burn, head to their website or myspace page.
www.burn24-7.com
www.myspace.com/theburndenver

In the beginning...

This is my first of many writings here. I'm kind of learning about myself lately; discovering who I am, what's important to me, what I value, and who I want to become. This blog will be a window into my life as I struggle to start up a college ministry in Boulder and take on the challenges of being a husband, a new dad, and a man after God's heart. Hopefully I can share a little bit of my own personal experience.

-Chris