In the Dark

I have been continuing the implementation of the lights and sound upgrade at the church this month as scheduled. Phase 1 of the lighting rig upgrade was massive. I will not list the large and tedious amounts of work the crew did, but we hung all the new lights. The test was far more successful than the reality. The good news is, I think I can re-position 4 of the lights for a 1000% improvement. The bad news is, my first cut was 40% wrong. Ah well, the hard stuff is done, now we tweak, and tweak and.....

Bound to Happen

What you ask? A blog in the late evening on my new deck!! That is a bout the only relation the rest if this blog will have to the title, but hey, it's blogging. There aren't too many rules.

This isn't exactly the Worship Part deux that I think will be in the works at some time, but I have been thinking and surfing lately to see how I might improve my "performance" at "work".(forgive the cynic in me, but for those that might be scrutinizing the blogging habits of yours truly a question - am I working now? Was I working as I cruised the net to develop and learn more about my job on my weekend. Things that make you go hmmmm.)

Alas, I came across the site of a fellow who was previously unknown to me who shared the same last name. Drew Cline He is a worship pastor near Nashville, TN in Franklin, TN. He wrote in his worship journal on his site about his challenges. Trying to stay fresh and cool. Adding multiple elements and variety (something I do poorly) to the services he runs.

So valid I think. So cool to see someone struggling to come back to the normal, at least for a time, because the stretch to be cool or fresh can be distracting. Man I appreciated the openness and honesty. I also saw the diversity. Something I could add to my ministry. Just cool. Something to look to. Gotta keep learning and growing, you know?

Peace.

That Moment

Is there a moment in your life, maybe several, that are like a song? I am not thinking about a sad song, or a lament, I am thinking about the theme song moments, the course changing moments.

There are still milestone moments, and more importantly, memories of the people that go with them, that stick out to me. I think sometimes we live life to create those moments. We spend tonnes of our time trying to achieve something lasting and meaningful, and frankly fail. The real interesting thing to me is that sometimes, in our consistent efforts to go somewhere, we build some of the moments over time. In deep reflection we can see that the moment was the culmination of many smaller, almost trivial successes: successes in loving others, showing kindness, trying to do the right thing, building relationships, encouraging someone else.

The Bible says in James 1 says:

"2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."

That is a deep passage, but the perseverance part sticks out to me. The sticking to it part. The concept that the moments that we create are milestones of perseverance finishing its work.

Part of the reason I write this is because I do not feel like I have had one of those moments in a while, maybe you are the same. Do me a favour, stay the course. Persevere towards something meaningful. My prayer is that we will all persevere towards something that God would have us do. Then maybe, just maybe, we will change the world for His sake.

Learning on the Path

There is so much information out there, good solid, academically accumulated information. The challenge for everyone, I think, is clarity. Clarity of purpose, and of vision. Parsing through tasks and projects and quickly, instinctively knowing what matches up not, only with job description and charge, but one's greater purpose in life, is so important.

As a Christian, the challenge becomes how does one focus on the greatest biblical mission in the midst of trying to do good. In essence, without being selfish, how does one continually self-improve, not for the sake of self, but to become "holy as God is holy", to please God, while at the same time constantly working towards influencing others to consider the Christian life. To be a contributing part of a local church community. For clarification, the "contributing part" there does not mean fulfilling a task the church needs, rather it means being a catalyst in building loving relationships throughout the community, and therefore by definition, not doing the opposite.

Conclusion: I am struck with the simplicity of my purpose in this world. It is not to "succeed" as a Pastor, a musician, or any other role that can be applied to me. It is to grow deeper in my relationship with God, becoming a better human as I become more like Him, and a better lover of mankind through the strength and wisdom gained from further surrendering myself to God.

Rocketown Here We Come!!

Well it looks to be firm that I will be going to Nashville to Michael W. Smith's venue, Rocketown to be part of a writer's showcase!! The date is September 2, 2005. Still kind of in shock as to how it came together, but it is through my new partnership with Indieheaven (thanks guys!!):




Buy Our Product At Indieheaven.com!!


What else can be said, I have wanted to go to Nashville since I was 16 or so and it is finally happening. How super cool. I will keep you in the loop as things progress!!

More Radio

Hey guys! Good news. Two more stations and counting have picked up the CD. I am really excited about the progress and the work the my friend Fraser is doing to promote the CD. Alas, just a quick update in the middle of deep existential blogging.

Peace.

Working Through Worship (Music) Part 1

Life is a juxstaposition of the encouraging and the not so. I have been inviting criticism of my CD, Noticing the Sky, and asking for some honest responses. Well, thankfully I think, I received some which will definitely leave a mark.

I am not going to spend this time defending against the criticism, that defeats the purpose of asking for it, but rather I am going to try to work through the bigger issues that were raised through the correspondence.

I anticipate this will be a multi-part discussion, as the topic is massive. Some background. I think that we are entering a new worship debate that we need to be very careful not to turn into a battleground. Currently, to oversimplify, there are two forces at play. The creation of art (in this case with the expressed intent to worship God), and industry. These two things playing against each other have always created tension between artist's and business people. Where these two meet most "plesantly" is pop music, or as John Mortensen refers to it "masspopcult". John's comments are in response to Brian McLaren's letter here.

The old battle, and unfortunately it was a battle, was between contemporary and traditional music. It still rages in pockets, but let's leave it lie somwhere else for now. The new emerging debate is over depth of art (and theology) vs. industry. I have said, most likely unoriginally, that "it isn't art until it touches someone". Some might argue that it may touch someone and not be good art, but then we are debating levels of skill or influence rather than it's ability to meet the criteria. Negative art can send successfully a negative message. I don't like it, but I think it meets the criteria.

So now we come back to it. Where are we with art in the church, say specifically, musical art? The music we use every week to worship God.I think McLaren brings up some great points about the depth of topics that should be re-introduced into our music. He talks about eschatolgy, songs of mission, using historic lyric to new settings, songs about God himself, and songs of lament. When I look at my CD I only see one or two of these categories being hit, and I am motivated to look outside myself more, and in some cases more inside myself, to wirte some songs that would add value to the church by covering some of these important areas. I will say in response, not to my critic, but as an expanation of my CD in the context of McLaren's letter, that it was an attempt to authentically reflect my journey with God. I used lyrics that I thought pushed the envelope of comfortable for congregational singing (e.g. "I'm wrecked by my shortcomings") in hopes that it would take worship for its users somewhere deeper. My CD speaks heavily of the learning that I experienced in chasing after God to be more holy as God is holy: tracks 3, 6, & 12. To share my faith: tracks 5 & 8. To worship God as Creator and Saviour: tracks 4, 11 & 13. To worship God for who He is, track 1. There is more but I will stop.

My biggest fear as we enter into a massive time of experimentation and depth chasing in worship art, is that we will focus our energies, and lose spiritual focus, by always critiquing the art and not just worshipping. By shutting off when the art level does not reach our ever increasing standard. Remember our mission. It is not, go into the world and create amazing artful expeiences, it is, "to make disciples of all men". There are many interesting and valid expressions of emergent worship. (link 1, and link 2) I often, as a worship leader and pastor, remind myself that I am to make disciples, and love. Then I ask, how am I doing in those areas? I am paid to create worship environments that help people worship, it is a passion and something I want to get much better at. My life, howver, is about making disciples and loving everybody as best I can in the name of Jesus.

I think I have some growing to do artistically. I really appreciate the time, comments and correspondence of my critic. They sent along two of the articles above, and that is what sparked this blog more than there critique of my project.

I have to be careful not to judge those who are, with the way God made them, trying to go deep in their understanding and worship of God. Likewise, "deeper artists" need to be careful not to judge those, who with right motivation are more simply (get the double meaning there) expressing legitimate worship to God through their art.

I might add, I have written much deeper, frankly more artful, music and lyrics that I have not recorded. I have not recorded it because, although they are some of my favourite songs, I don't believe anyone would buy them. The struggle between art and commerce rages in me. Maybe some more success (whatever do I mean?) will give me the ability to record something of high quality that will lose money and touch many. Who knows? I guess it would be art then, but not industry, and certainly not masspopcult.

s-t-r-e-t-c-h

I guess there are many ways to describe the same thing. I like the way Robert Frost put it in his poem:

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference


Robert Frost

Interpreting poetry is wonderfully subjective, and unlike intepreting say, the Bible, taking some liberties is more appropriate than heretical. Alas, right now this screams to me of the difficult, but right. The challenging, but necessary. In long, the choices in life that we must make to press ourselves forward into becoming better people. Sometimes I think we can interpret this "lyric" as a step of defiance, or independence. I choose to look at it, tonight anyway, like: working out or learning, not cheating on, well anything, apologizing, being the "bigger person". Most of all, perhaps, staying true to the cause, the vision, life's purpose, no matter the cost. Cryptic as this will remain, it seems I need to make more of an investment. X doubles at ten percent rate of return every seven years, but you must start with X. Time to stretch.

Say No To Commuting.

I remember my dad saying once after a career of commuting to Toronto that he had spent the equivalent of several years, 24 hours a day commuting to and from work. My friend comments on the mental anguish associated with the suburb to city commute here (link).

For the last three years I have been within 10 minutes of work after spending several years commuting anywhere form 45 minutes to 1 and 1/2 hours each way in various jobs.

What can be said. On the one hand it is great. Really no aggravation around driving etc. If you have any work-a-holic tendencies, however, it does prove to be a discipline not to put in all the hours saved in commute directly into work. At times I lament I have not changed my family dynamic by being closer, I simply work more. And of course, it is infinitely harder to not physically respond to requests for meetings etc. There isn't the distance buffer.

Still, I think if one has the discipline to set boundaries, no commute is much better. The real problem is that, except on rare occasion, the real money is in the big cities.

I am all fenced in and rested up?

Well today marks the partial return to work. Vacation has been productive. Re-established the home office in a much better environment. Very happy with that. Formed a new play room for the kids, even cut a little window in the wall and put the sill in. Whew! Fenced in our yard at the back, which was a pretty big project. I was out there with all the neighbour kids and some of their parents helping out.

So am I rested? I have never been so physically tired in my life, I think, nevertheless I feel kind of energized. I think I will be more ready for the brain work ahead now that my body has been beaten into submission. Perhaps a case for working out more often?:)

More Radio!!

Well, we are up to 8 stations playing some or a lot of Cliff Cline pretty much right across Canada now. I need a little help in the middle, but we will get there. I am going to try and put all the stations supporting me right now up on the site with links so those who live in those areas can continue to show support for the tunes and the dude behind them!!

Anyway, just thought I would give you the progress report. More later.

Ahhh Sweet Vacation

Well it is no secret that I have been stretching it thin this past year or three. I usually try to take two weeks vacation in the summer to re-coup but this year I am only taking the one. Had a great start, went up to Balsalm Lake near Lindsay, Ontario to some great friends cottage and had a blast. A little water skiing, tennis, golf and some sweet family time with the girls.

The rest of the week is going to be house chores. Building a fence, re-setting up a proper home office for Him and Her for some real blogging action!!

Blogging is about the only thing I will be doing that remotely resembles work, so I will probably see you this way a couple times this week.

Peace.