Truth in Country Music

Call it result of spending my college years in a secular environment, but I find that I look for truth wherever I can find it. I find that there are a couple of theories about media in the Christian world. Some hold that Christians should only watch/listen to Christian media. Theory being that it avoids saturating your mind with things that are not Christ-centered. There is some truth here, and I am a proponent of Christian media - particularly when it is also good media. The other theory is that Christians should be selective about the media they consume, but that there is nothing inherently wrong with media from secular sources (presuming the content is not offensive).

I've walked both sides of the argument, but have concluded that part of the challenge the Church faces today in evangelising a very secularized world (specifically in the U.S.) is that we have resigned so many arenas of life to the World in favor of huddling in our own little groups. By doing so, those arenas of life have become overly worldly in many cases (I'm talking about everything from art to music to science). Unfortunately the world isn't turning off the radio or putting down their iPod full of secular music, bottom line for all the good Christian music does it's not currently causing world-wide revival.

If we accept Jesus' call to be in the world, but not of it and take the view that to fulfill His charge to be salt and light requires us to interact with people who don't already know Him I would argue that we are left with little choice but to begin reclaiming the ground long ceded to the world. That means the importance of having Christian artists, musicians, scientists, etc. is huge. And I don't mean people who do those things just for other Christians. I mean the Church has to begin raising up people who will take their faith into those fields (as well as into corporate America and the rest of society) and honor Christ in the midst of a secular audience.

I tend to look for people who seem to be doing this - or who I think might be. In some cases I don't think they are even doing it all that consciously. One area that I find truth being communicated is in country music. Sure, we see it in pop music as well. It hasn't been long ago that MercyMe had a song with the most blatantly Christian lyrics I can think of go to the top of the charts. Switchfoot has had secular success. But what I've found is that if you listen to the music being released by some country artists you'll find at the least a thread of faith that remains in that genre (where it has largely been extinguished in others).

Of course I realize that danger of naming names or songs, certainly I do so without the benefit of knowing individuals or their character. And some of these same artists may well have or will release other music that is not Christ-honoring. And they may be found to be living in ways that are not Christ-honoring.

There is a cultural difference in country music from pop, R&B, etc. - it is more culturally acceptable to write, record, and perform songs that deal with God, faith, prayer, church, etc. in country music. Now the next track on the album may be about drinking your cares away or an illicit affair, but recording songs dealing with faith doesn't seem to sandbag most country artists.

My point here is not to Christianize country music. My point is that I believe that truth is truth if it's really truth (regardless of where you find it). If someone sings a song that accurate portrays Christ or some aspect of Christian faith the truth in that recording is no less true because it was sung by someone who is not on a Christian label or even by someone who is not a Christian or at the least not a faithful one. If something is true it is true.

So what's the point?

1. Christians shouldn't be so withdrawn from what's going on in society that they can't have a coherent conversation with someone who is lost. Part of that may have to do with being at least vaguely familiar with the music, tv, movies, etc. that people are listening to and watching.
2. If we're going to try to meet people where they're at (Paul makes reference to this writing about becoming all things to all people and you can certainly find that he learned enough culture in the places he traveled to speak with intelligence when he opened his mouth), we should look for examples of truth in secular media (and life in general). If a country (or pop) musician who has millions of fans releases a song that portrays Christ accurately and someone is smart enough to use that as a way to start a conversation about Jesus with those fans I'd say that's using secular media in the right way.

With my treatise now out there, here is a list of six Christ-honoring country songs released (that I can think of in fairly short order) in the last several years. There are other good examples that I'm drawing a blank on, so these will have to do. [Note: this list got edited after I told my wife about the post, she had some suggestions.]

6. God's Will - Martina McBride. I stuck with country music only in this post, but I'd say Martina McBride is a little like Bono in that a lot of her hits have had Christian themes in them. Some more clear than others. This one isn't deep theologically, but has a great message.
5. You Move Me - Garth Brooks. I won't even begin to claim Garth as a Christian artist (though he is an OSU alum which is about the same thing, only kidding). But he recorded and released his own version of this song which was also released by Susan Ashton (who is a Christian artist). Again, remember I'm not defending the artist here, just the song.
4.When I Get Where I'm Going - Brad Paisley (w/ Dolly Parton). Brad sings all sorts of stuff and this isn't exactly a theological masterpiece, but does deal with issues of pain and death in a framework of Heaven and faith.
3. Amarillo Sky - Jason Aldean. Don't know much about this guy. Song is about a farmer going about his business praying for his family and crops in the hard life of a farmer out in the Texas panhandle. The video has clips of ag majors at a university (probably Texas Tech or A&M) being asked what they'll do when they're done with school. Most respond they'll go back to the family farm. My wife thought it was odd that farmers would send their kids to college if they were just going to return to the family farm. I enlightened her as to the origins of such schools as Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and others when it comes to educating those who will make agriculture a career. I guess maybe they don't have a College of Ag at MSSU.
2. Long Black Train - Josh Turner. I need to do some research on this guy (since he made my list twice), but from what I can tell he's fairly on the level. While possible to ignore the Christian lyrics of this song, the message is definitely there. The video weaves several stories of people in difficult life situations making choices.
1. Jesus take the wheel - Carrie Underwood. Thus far Carrie has remained above the fray and at last check was still on the approved artist list at KOBC (local Christian station). From all appearances she is a Christian woman from a little town in eastern Oklahoma. Hopefully she can continue to be true to Christ and record/perform music that is viable to both a secular and a Christian audience. This song was a huge hit for her and fairly blatant in its message.

There you have it. I'm not sure that music review was on my approved list of topics (I'll check with Johnny Scott on that one), but something in church yesterday morning sparked this train of thought.

Life Lessons on Ice

I've always maintained that there are a lot of parallels between running and life. Yesterday I found another. Less than a mile into my run with it still mostly dark outside I started across what looked like a wet place at an intersection of two streets. It's always wet at this particular spot, so I didn't think much of it. I usually try to pick a path through it that doesn't involve stepping in too much water (Adidas Climacool shoes, which have vents in the bottom + stepping in standing water = wet socks). As I planted my right foot I heard a splash, so I quickly pushed off to jump the rest of the way across the wet area.

Unfortunately what appeared to be water was at least in part ice. My right leg went sideways and I came down on my left knee and shin. Thankfully I was wearing running tights and gloves, which were enough to keep the road rash from being too terribly bad. I hope no one saw me right after that, I was limping for the next half-block or so. I got home to find that I had torn a small hole in my tights (which are vintage, circa 1994) and bloodied my knee. Nothing a bottle of peroxide, some Neosporin, and a few band-aids can't fix.

I think the life lesson for me here is a reminder of how quickly things can change. One minute you're going along and everything is great. Next minute you completely lose your footing and end up bloody. Life has a way of throwing curves - and rarely does it hang them high and over the plate like a pitcher who's faced one too many batters.

James warns us against assuming we know how things will go, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit' - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring." (James 4:13-14a, ESV) There is a danger in expecting things to go just like they have been or just like we expect them to. James gives us a better perspective, "Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'" (James 4:15, ESV)

I saw one other parallel in my incident yesterday morning. Sometimes when we get knocked down we don't really have time to do anything but get up and move on. When you find yourself on the ground and bleeding you can choose to get up and keep going - leaving the damage assessment for later - or you can stop to check damage immediately. Sometimes in life we don't get a choice. A loved one dies the week before your wedding or the birth of a child/grandchild. Parents decide they are done trying to make things work the week before you head off to college. You find out that your fiance has been unfaithful on the night before you start your first big job.

In situations like these (all of which I made up and I hope no one ever has to endure, though I know they happen daily somewhere in the world) you don't have much time to assess the damage or let wounds heal. The pace of life must roll on and we run the risk of carrying deep scars we don't even recognize for years into the future because there is simply no time to allow God to bring healing.

I'm not a counselor by any means, as with investing I leave that to the professionals. Here's my simplistic thoughts on the subject. When you find yourself wounded and stopping to heal isn't immediately an option, you must intentionally set aside time in the not so distant future to deal with the pain and scars of the incident. How to do that and what that will need to look like will vary from person to person. What seems to happen when people never deal with their pain is that it comes back years later much worse than if it had been dealt with originally.

A word of encouragement to end with since most of this dealt with the challenges of life. In II Corinthians Paul writes, "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (II Cor. 4:16-18, ESV) While we have to recognize and address the pain and scars that exist in our lives here on earth, ultimately they will pale in comparison to the glory that waits in Heaven. The struggle here is real, the pain deep, but in the end we will be victorious in Christ. The challenge to me seems to be getting past the pain, through the healing, so that we can truly move on to what God has in store for our futuer.

How did I get here?

I read an interesting post this morning on Nate Karnes' blog about one of this dogs discovering why he was born - namely to hunt birds. That post creates an interesting spiritual parallel with our lives. Nate talked about how energized Beaumont was once he discovered his purpose in life. I think people function the same way, particularly when we get to a point in our lives that our hard-wired traits mesh with the divine appointments God brings our way. I have seen that in my own life as God has provided a means for me to serve Him using the gifts and abilities He provided in ways I never expected, but that are incredibly fulfilling because of the impact that the ministry of Christ In Youth has on so many young people.

I think a natural question to consider alongside the "Why am I here?" concept is "How did I get here?" George Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeate it." Part of who we are is defined by where we have come from and becoming who God intends for us to be requires that we learn the lessons of our past.

One of the things that I have been asked to do here at CIY is oversee the Summer Conference Internship Program. This was a responsibility that I was more than willing to take on when the previous coordinator took another job. A big part of the reason I sought the added duty of overseeing 20+ college-age interns all summer was because I am a product of the program.

In the fall of 1999 I decided to apply to be an intern at Christ In Youth. I had been to 3 Summer Conferences in high school and thought it would be fun to be involved with this ministry. I didn't know a single person who worked at CIY, had no idea what I might be getting into, but felt led to submit the application. Upon returning from a ski trip in Colorado just before Christmas I had voice messages (at least 2) from someone named Jude Champagne at Christ In Youth. I returned the call to find out that I had been selected as one of the interns for the summer of 2000.

That summer was amazing and somewhere in there I conviced Jude (and others I suppose) that I was sharp enough to be allowed to return for another tour, which I did in 2001. After that I ended up coming on in an extended internship capacity, followed by an offer to become a staff member (on an indefinite basis as opposed to internships that by definition last a specified length of time). Six years after my initial selection as an intern I'm still here. I am amazed at how God shaped events in my life both before I applied that first year and after to lead me to where I am today.

When I look back at my high school and college experiences I can see how they were shaping me for the days that would follow. I can see even in my failures how God was working in me to make me who He wanted me to be in order to serve Him in the future.

In an effort to draw some sort of point from my ramblings I would say this. Your past is part of who you are and shouldn't be completely ignored. At the same time, who you have been should not limit you from becoming who you were meant to be - Beaumont (Nate's dog) didn't refuse to hunt birds just because he'd never done it before. At the same time, as important as figuring out who God made you to be is, taking advantage of the opportunities that lie infront of you today is also critically important. Don't make the mistake of waiting to do something with your life until you "get where you're going", in doing so you'll only hinder who you could be, who God wants you to become by being unfaithful to the "small" things before you.

I tend to think in equations, here's how I think this works: How I got here (my past) + What I choose to do with today (my present) = Who I will be tomorrow (my future).

A non-Traditional Gift...

As I do occasionally, I was checking the business headlines during my lunch break when I stumbled onto an article posted on Yahoo's Finance site. In it, the author (Suze Orman) explains a new tax law that creates a good opportunity for people saving for retirement (and we all should be in my opinion) to enhance their tax-free retirement savings.

Basically there are two types of retirement investments - those that will be taxable when you withdraw them in retirement and those that won't be. Now there are a litany of different investment vehicles that have all sorts of different rules and regulations attached to them - I won't even go there, it would take way too long and would eventually get beyond my own understanding.

While saving in traditional formats - the traditional IRA, 401(k), 403(b), etc. - generally have tax benefits up front (depending on your income level and tax filing status) by defering payment of income taxes on the money you're putting away until you withdraw it in retirement. That is a good thing and is generally more efficient than non-tax protected vehicles (depending on your income and future income outlook).

Experts (and yes, when it comes to this stuff I tend to rely on people who make this their business the same way I go to the doctor when I'm sick) tell me that even more valuable than the tax benefits that you get when you put money away tax free now only to pay the taxes later is money that you put away now (after taxes) that you'll never be charged tax on again. Yes, that's right, you'll never be taxed on it again. This is particularly the case when you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement than you currently are (this tends to be the case for those of us just starting out) - because the taxes you would have paid now in the 10% bracket would be less than those you'll pay later in the ???% (perhaps 20% or more), not to mention that the earnings in a Roth IRA (specifically) are also tax protected.

The article explained a new tax law that takes effect in 2010 that allows people holding traditional IRAs to convert them to Roth IRAs. Basically, if you put money into a traditional IRA you would have to pay taxes on the earnings in that account from the time it was put in until the date you were converting it to the Roth version. After that, you'd have no tax liability on the principle or the interest in that account.

This new law offers some opportunities both for the lower/middle wage earners as well as high income people.

For those of us filing tax returns that qualify to deduct our IRA contributions (there is a point at which you can't do that anymore, which she explains) from our yearly filings and receive the tax benefit thereof, we can then later convert those accounts to Roth accounts - which will avoid paying any further taxes on the account (after taxes on the earnings are paid). Depending on what the markets do in the next 4 years this could be a small win or a huge win.

For those in upper income brackets who are currently not elgible to contribute to Roth IRAs (at a certain income level people aren't currently allowed to use this investment vehicle) this offers a chance to invest in traditional IRAs and then later convert them to a Roth. This represents an indirect method of obtaining the coveted non-taxable retirement income, but is an opportunity the high income earners don't currently have.

There are also some other rules and stipulations about conversion timing and tax burden payment. The article explains things fairly well and will definitely prompt me to ask some questions about this option with my financial advisor to see if it would benefit Brittany and I.

One other thing to note. With Roth IRAs you are not required to pull the money out at a certain age (only to have it in there 5 years before you touch it), whereas with the Traditional IRA you must start drawing it out by age 70 and 1/2. This means that if you found yourself so blessed as to not need to draw some of your investment money out in retirement it could be left in that Roth account until your heirs inherited it or even until you donated it to a worthy charity or ministry (like CIY).

Icy Weekend

I'm not sure I remember a more eventful weekend that involved me going absolutely nowhere for 40 straight hours. After an adventurous trip back from the CIY Vision Retreat over in Kansas on Thursday (early afternoon) and climbing through the trunk of my car twice (because the doors were too frozen shut to open them) in order to get home I didn't go anywhere until Saturday morning. I did take both my Civic and the wife's Solara around the block late Friday afternoon after I got them cleared off and the driveway shoveled - just to see if I could go anywhere without getting stuck.

I learned a couple of important facts this weekend.

1. The average scoop of snow in a snow-shovel weighs 16 pounds. If you average 12 scoops/minute (this would be pretty close to world-class pace) you'll move move almost 2000 lbs. in 10 minutes - and as it turns out may have a heart attack. The scoops I was dealing with on Friday averaged significantly more than 16 pounds, primarily due to the ice content that I was chiseling under. I spent about 2 1/2 hours between the driveway, street, cars and back porch. I'm estimating that I moved 4,000-5,000 pounds of snow and ice. On the back porch there were a few scoops that were literally so heavy I didn't think I was going to get them off the ground. I may need to consider a gym membership if this snow thing keeps up. Sadly, the news reported that 2 people in Missouri did die of heart attacks due to shoveling snow.

2. "Tires, Son, tires are what win races." Harry gave this nugget to Cole after several races where Cole burned the tires up and lost as a result. It has nothing to do with this post except it was a chance to slip in a reference to Days of Thunder. There are multiple reasons why my Firehawk stays in the garage when there is snow or ice on the ground. Not the least of which is the fact that the 275/40 ZR-17s on it are summer performance tires. Translated - they only get good traction on dry and wet pavement, not slick pavement. It turns out that the tires on the Civic suffer from the same issue. While they're not serious performance tires - though they are directional and have a tread pattern somewhat similar to the Firehawks - they were not intended for snow or ice. My wife's car gets around pretty well on the slick stuff - thanks to it weighing 3400 lbs., having front-wheel drive and the all-important all-season tires. The Civic goes sliding every time the wind blows from the combination of weighing closer to 2000 lbs. and having non-winter tires. I think when it's time to replace those next fall I may go with a less aggressive dry pavement tire in favor of something suited for winter use. Then again, maybe next year we won't have winter - we haven't had since 2003 - or maybe I can talk my wife into letting me bring the Jeep back to Joplin from my parents house. At that point, there would likely be no snow-storm that can keep me from going wherever I decided to go. "Jeep...there's only one."

Stay warm, use second gear (you'll spin less), and don't overdo it with the snow shovel.