Big Ear Creations

David Crowder Band "Rockumentaries"

2009-07-13T23:53:00.006-04:00

So... The David Crowder Band is awesome. Looking forward to their new album in the fall. Until then, I think I'll just laugh genuine laughs at their 4 Rockumentaries. Here's #1

Fantastic! Here is #2 and #3. But I must show you #4... "Twitter will kill you"

Really truly funny. I love it when funny ideas that someone likely thought of on a lark (a "hey it would be funny if we" idea)... turn into a well produced gag.

Looking forward to their new album "Church Music" coming out in the fall. I totally dig the creativity, passion, and musical ingenuity of DCB.

Stuff I'm digging these days

2009-07-13T12:06:00.007-04:00

1. My favorite blog right now is "slice of life" blog called... "Confessions of a Street Meat Vendor". Written anonymously... by a street meat vendor. It is what it says it is.

2. I don't twitter on my cell phone. I don't even have a cell phone. And I'm not really sure why I like twitter. There are friend-spam twitter things everywhere. It's tough to find your actual friend's twitter thing. There is very little actual dialogue on it... and I can't figure out a single way it's better than Facebook (and I still like FB better), but I find myself Twittering more. I'm a twit. Add me... DO IT!!! http://twitter.com/davecarrol

3. AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com is a great way to snicker your way through a boring afternoon. It features... Awkward Family Photos. Like this gem.

Truly unpleasant. Yes. It's a Hall of Famer.
OK one more...

"Mellon... check. Handgun... check. It's time to head to Sears"

4. Rainn Wilson (Dwight from the Office) runs a creative and cool spiritual discussion website called "SoulPancake". He's personally from the baha'i faith and here's how he explains Soul Pancake

Real discussion about God? OK. Sold.

5. Grooveshark. It's an awesome social media interactive music site. I start my mornings off in the kitchen with my coffee, peanut butter and toast, and laptop listening to something on Grooveshark to set the tone for the day.

How do we sleep when our beds are burning?

2009-07-10T21:37:00.006-04:00

How do we sleep when our beds are burning?
Midnight Oil

Dear North American Church:

Our delusional fantasy of a "Somewhere else" utopia is the wasted daydream of the discontent. Everywhere is valuable. Everywhere is the same. Pick. Then pick up a shovel.

Our lack of willingness to work at, sacrifice for, and serve strategic revolutionary efforts in our own neighborhoods... should be disconcerting to us.

Our lack of understanding that the health of the soul supersedes the health of the body... should be unsettling to us.

The way that we, armed with salt spreaders, gaze mindless into the sky; divorcing ourselves irresponsibly from those slipping on the ice in front of our eyes... should feel unpleasant to us.

The way we allow judgment to triumph over mercy to those with big pools, big homes, big TV's, big SUV's, big salaries, big responsibility, big influence... and big burdens, doubts, insecurities, and needs too... should seem unbecoming to us.

The way we dismiss spiritual warfare in our land, then are lulled by the very spirits we're ignoring into missing the Mammoth mission field outside our doors is a viscous, horrifically-scary fact that others see and we don't. It needs to stop.

'It can be tempting to try and do something significant - but we are not called to significance, we are called to obedience'
~ Matt Redman

Obedience

2009-07-10T20:42:00.002-04:00

'It can be tempting to try and do something significant - but we are not called to significance, we are called to obedience' ~ Matt Redman

Speaking as a Dave Carrol, this Dave Carroll is my favorite Dave Carroll with 2 L's I know

2009-07-09T10:14:00.008-04:00

The way the world communicates and thinks has changed. Business, Cities, Industry, Church, Media... you need to stop and hear this. Listen to this story about Dave Carroll. No... another Dave Carroll. He's been all over the news with this story today.

From his blog...

"In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didn’t deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say “no” to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise."

And here it is... "United Breaks Guitars"

So let me get this straight. Dave... do you LIKE or not like United Airlines? I'm laughing at loud at this. So great. Right down to naming the names of the people who were unreasonable to him. Poor Ms. Irlweg... kinda... but not really.

SO many things to take from this.

Companies simply cannot get away with poor customer service any longer.
Individuals now have a legitimate voice with the potential to influence many.
Creativity and innovation gets heard.
As an artist... being involved matters.
Injustice CAN be fought inexpensively.
Public perception MEANS something.
Everything can be viral... passion now has a vehicle for instant exponential contagiousness.
People will spend on someone/something they believe to be GOOD.

A couple of years ago... I had an experience with a certain telephone/Internet company in Canada that has blue things in their ads that (while it only cost this Dave Carrol 200 dollars instead of other Dave Carroll's 3500$) caused me to fight a corporate mistake tooth and nail. I fought and fought and all I received was the ignorant corporate runaround and eventually collection agency phone calls. I even threatened a similar online PR onslaught. Actually at one point I muttered something about doing unpleasant things to their spokesbeavers. It's maddening! So Dave Carroll's song would have me shouting "You go girl"... if Dave was a girl.

We've all been treated unfairly by corporations... and we've all seen people abuse the power of complaint as well. Once I did an "experiment" on a rainy day in a shop during my college summer job days. I found 20 products with customer access phone numbers on them. 10 companies I called and shredded up and down, telling motor oil companies that their product ruined my day and made my kids cry. 10 other companies I called and gushed about them. "This Diet Pepsi has brought light into my otherwise gloomy underworld existence".

I'm sure you can guess what happened. I received TONS of free product from the complaints and barely a thank-you letter from the products I liked! And I get why... and it's just going to increase. But surely... customer retention and genuine corporate ethics in the first place should be as important as putting out fires. United Airlines COULD sue Dave. Maybe.... but what would that say? United Airlines could give Dave free flights. Yep. OR... they could say I'm sorry and commit to improving customer relationships and righting a wrong.

Churches... what's the lesson to us? To me... it's another proof that there is power in a strongly believed message being communicated effectively. "To the ends of the earth" is a doable thing... The Message has always been "viral". Your community/customer relations have NEVER been more important... Kindness such a key! Ears and eyes are open... waiting to hear something true... and also quite willing to call BS on people who put themselves "out there" and are full it!

Hmmm... what do you think about this story?

Captain Kindness loose in the City of God

2009-07-08T09:06:00.002-04:00

He's the God of the City... believe it.

Head Fake

2009-07-07T23:20:00.003-04:00

Is that like the eulogy version of a Magic Johnson head fake? Who would have ever guessed that it was MICHAEL all this time who made the difference. I only hope he told him in the living years.

Somebody make a mental note... Magic Johnson is not invited to my celebrity, ticketed, stadium, entertainment extravaganza death party.

What's on my ipod and why. What's on yours?

2009-07-07T10:55:00.009-04:00

Last night I reloaded up my tiny 1GB ipod with a new music mix. In our era of unlimited music and memory, it's actually kinda a fun challenge to get JUST the perfect mix of music with the 8 albums or so that will fit on my ipod light.

Here's what I've gone with this time

1. Matt Kearney's "City of Black and White"
* I really dig Matt's music. His last record, "Nothing Left to Loose" was my favorite album of 2006. The scaled back and consumabley hip sound he's found is really unique. Listening to it make me feel cooler than I am.

2. Steve Miller Band's "Greatest Hits"
* Years ago I saw Steve Miller play at Canada's Wonderland. He'd play a song and I'd say, "Wow... that's his song too?"... and then another. And then another. When I scan around the radio dial while driving, I'm secretly always hoping to hear "The Joker".

3. U2's "No Line on the Horizon"
* When the first single was "Get on your Boots"... I was worried. What a mistake. I love the rest of the album. I think "I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight" will be the lasting song from this album for me. "The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear". Me too.

4. Israel Houghton's "The Power of One"
* I like pretty much everything Israel comes out with. Dig the Lakewood worship stuff, loved the live in South Africa album... but this album is honestly not my favorite. 4 good tracks. But my wife loves it all. And I love her.

5. John Mayer's "Where the light is"
*I got on the John Mayer train late... but really... what a performer he is. This is one KILLER live album. Tom Petty's "Free Fallin", "Neon", "Why Georgia" are all just amazing live. I'm looking forward to my next long drive alone to just put this record on and enjoy the whole double disk

6. Paul Baloche's "The Writter's Collection"
* We sing quite a lot of Paul Baloche music at Freedom House... and he was actually recently in Brantford. He was saying that before the show, he and his team drove around the city and asked God about the spiritual climate and what they were called to do that night to help change it with their worship! Amazing. My son bought this album of his at the show.

Here comes the Free Music!

7. Phil Wickham's "Singalong"
* I love, love, love, this live acoustic worship album that Phil decided to give away to everyone. It's just a stripped down, honest night of worship in Portland last year. I had never heard of Phil before this but his music is just wonderful. On our Dominican holiday last summer... this is what the soundtrack was for me. This is a picture of me on the balcony waking up the first morning (earlier than a vacationer should) and just thanking God while listening to the song "Cannons". Download it here.

8. Coldplay's "Leftrightleftrightleft"
* It's free live album that Coldplay is giving away through their website as a "thank you to our fans". You're welcome. I always enjoy it when I hear other people listen to Coldplay and I think I really want to be a fan myself. I love "Fix You".

More free music I hope I can squeeze on the ipod...

I hadn't scanned through Noisetrade.com in a while to see what new free music I could discover. After a little digging, I found what seem to be some pretty cool worship albums... check 'em out.

So... what's on your ipod these days?
And why?

Again... "Both And... not Either Or"

2009-07-06T10:37:00.014-04:00

"I am free. I don't belong to anyone. But I make myself a slave to everyone. I do it to win as many as I can to Christ. To the Jews I became like a Jew. That was to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one who was under the law, even though I myself am not under the law. That was to win those under the law. To those who don't have the law I became like one who doesn't have the law. I am not free from God's law. I am under Christ's law. Now I can win those who don't have the law. To those who are weak I became weak. That was to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that in all possible ways I might save some. I do all of that because of the good news. And I want to share in its blessings."
Paul... from 1 Corinthians 9: 19-23 (NIRV)

I love some of the stuff that Rick Warren does. Rick was recently a speaker at the annual Islamic Society of North America... and he's taking a great deal of flack for it from Christians.

Again... The Kingdom of God is built with a "Both And... not Either Or" attitude. Here are some of the highlights from a Christian Post article:

"But to his congregation at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, the “Purpose Driven” preacher made it clear that his goal behind every speaking engagement is always the same – for the “global glory of God.”

“I invest my time speaking to groups of unbelievers that most pastors never get the opportunity to share with,” Warren wrote in a recent update to the Saddleback family.

“Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners,’" Warren added, citing Luke 5:31. “If you want to have a Christ-like ministry, you have to associate with the people Jesus did - unbelievers!”
“Every time I speak to any non-Christian group, I get criticized by well-meaning believers who don't really understand how much Jesus loves lost people. They are more concerned with their own perceived purity than the salvation of those Jesus died for,”
“For many unbelievers, the barrier to salvation is not the credibility of Jesus but our own lack of credibility and love for them,” Warren stated.
“Of course, this is the foundation text of our purpose-driven evangelism,” Warren stated, referring to 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, “and as a result, we have baptized over 20,000 adult believers in the past ten years.”

Warren concluded by emphasizing the need to build bridges to influencers in secular culture including those in academics, business, military, sports, health care, media, prisoners, entertainment, other faiths, and government.

“If we are to experience a spiritual revival in our culture and if we want to fulfill Jesus' Great Commission in the world, we must build bridges to all of these, and more,” Warren stated.

“We build bridges of love - from our hearts to hearts of even those who hate us - so that Jesus can walk across,” he concluded. “You cannot win your enemies to Christ. You can only win your friends.”

I love this! I think it's very astute of him to say that most pastors don't have the opportunity to speak about Christianity to a national Islamic group... but he does... so he does! And so would I if given the opportunity! Why? Because we're all people... and we're called to show God's love to every single one. All God's eggs are in one basket. The Church. Christ in me is the hope of glory.

Rick actually gets the chance to do it partially because of Saddleback (and Rick's personal) humanitarian endeavors. It's actually earned Rick the ear of the nation. And good on him! It's also partially because it's part of HIS calling. And most don't get the chance, because it's not THEIR calling! So God bless Rick in his calling! It's not either or... it's both AND!

Blogger, "The Naked Pastor" AKA David Hayward (A Vineyard Pastor from Eastern Canada)... was recently at Frank Viola's “Re-Imagining the Church” conference in Toronto. To drastically over-simplify it... Frank and George Barna have be talking about the coming "Revolution" of the modern church from it's current structure into a more free form situation culminating in a quasi house-church setting. I love what David's analysis was:

"The truth is, I’ve been a part of house churches or house fellowships or whatever you want to call them, as well as the institutional church. In my opinion, you just need to pick which pan you want to fry in. The house-churches have their own peculiar problems just like institutional churches do. But, more importantly, I think both struggle with much of the same issues: power struggles, the prevalence of the principalities and powers, locale, time, relational conflict, authenticity, realness, commitment, money, etc., etc.. In fact, one gentleman gave a presentation of his desire to start a network of house-churches because there is strength, security and safety in numbers, which is just another word for movement or denomination or fellowship. He’s right but, whether he likes it or not, he’s talking denominationalism in its earliest stages."

Interesting to find out The Church... will end up wanting to be The Church... in whatever form it takes. We're ALL called work out our salvation together! I was uncomfortable with the conclusion that Barna and Viola arrived at as well with some of their research and projection. Because it's an "Either or" conclusion. Not "Both And".

Is Rick... Barna... Hayward... Carrol... RIGHT? Heck no! But there are pieces of the house of living stones that we all hold. THE picture is much bigger than an individual's calling or philosophy.

I have a friend whose weekend "assignment" was to go inside Montreal's most prominent strip club to show Jesus to those hurting in the sex industry! This weekend... I went out with a group in a bar-type setting ... to show Jesus to them! There are enough "assignments" to bring "His Kingdom Come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven" to go around!

The answer is... Hear God and Obey. Grow up in our faith, take responsibility for our walk, and GO HARD... remembering to BLESS and SERVE what others are doing too. You need them... and they need you!

Do you realize?

2009-07-05T07:20:00.004-04:00

Do you realize:

How easy it would be to volunteer your guitar to play songs on the Boston Pizza patio?
How easy it would be to cut your neighbor's grass?
How easy it would be to attend city council meetings and participate in public forums?
How easy it would be to sit on city committee's in relation to your area of expertise?
How easy it would be to be on a community based drama troupe?
How easy it would be to hold a neighborhood barbecue?
How easy it would be to involved in your local elementary school?
How easy it would be to coach a sports team?
How easy it would be to write a blog?
How easy it would be to be a big brother?
How easy it would be to choose your local University or College intentionally?
How easy it would be to feed a hungry person in your own city?
How easy it would be to start a new business that would improve life in your own city?
How easy it would be to buy locally and actually SERVE and BLESS an honorable business?
How easy it would be to speak positively about your church to someone jaded about it?
How easy it would be to become a freelance writer?
How easy it would be to play road hockey with the kids on your street?

Do you realize that it would only take 17 people in ONE church to do ALL of those things. If your church is 150 people... it's a tithe of the people INVESTING in own community.

Do you realize the difference these 17 things would make... when they are done in Jesus name?

Do you realize that if MORE people discovered their own area of influence, SERVED and INVESTED into it... cities would be transformed?

Do you realize that if there were 50 churches or ministries in Brantford/Brant County working together with a "One Church" mindset... who had 17 people each choosing to invest with kindness and intention... that would loose 850 city, community, neighborhood, revolutionary minded people in "city transformation ministry"?

Do you realize that the ebb and flow of our economy (and thus our community) is guided by the "Greed and Fear Cycle"?

Do you realize how necessary it is that this be broken?
Do you realize that we TOGETHER can do it?
Do you realize that fulfilling God's dream for our cities will cost us money, time, control and comfort?
Do you realize that fulfilling God's dream for our cities will only happen if we intentionally CHOOSE to partner with it?

Do you even realize how important a role YOU play in city transformation?
It's time friends...

It's the era of everyone.

"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
we wait for you;
your name and renown
are the desire of our hearts."
Isaiah 26:8

At the old rugged Austrian Crystal Prayer Cross?

2009-07-04T08:54:00.003-04:00

For fun, try to count the number of times and ways this ad makes you gag. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Considering Satanism?

2009-07-03T14:59:00.003-04:00

Sounds great folks... see you at the Moose Lodge next Tuesday? I'll bring jello salad. Then again... as Jim Gaffigan Twittered the other day:

As an over-thinker I think that busyness is one of the things that people over-think.

2009-07-02T09:37:00.011-04:00

I really don't like it when people rail against busyness. It always seems like those are the people who don't do much, leaving the work for others.

Of course... I also don't like it when people's default answer to "How are you?" is "Busy". That's just dumb. It's sorta the worst kind of bragging... since it comes across as boasting and just because you're busy doesn't mean that what you're doing means much.

The other morning I went upstairs to wake up my son, and the first thing he told me was, "Daddy you have a busy day today". He proceeded to list off all the things that my day held in store. It kinda unsettled me wondering...

why did my son know my schedule so well and label it "busy". Had I become a whiny "I'm busy" guy?
maybe I really was just too busy

As an over-thinker I think that busyness is one of the things that people over-think.

This morning, after a busy day walking around our Canada Day Celebration in a giant, red, smokin' hot Captain Kindness costume for 9 hours and putting on 2 shows... I woke up thinking about my honeymoon almost 11 years ago at Patterson Kaye Lodge on a Lake in Muskoka.

We had both worked hard for 2 years nearly non-stop between school and summer jobs to get ready for the wedding, so when our honeymoon finally arrived, we were tired. Pooped. Cooked. So we did... nothing.

The weather was dull and rainy... glorious.

This morning I was remembering sitting on the screened porch staring at the rain hitting the water for hours. We talked some... ate a little... but mostly just sat. It was therapeutic. Totally hit the spot that week... and would today too.

But that wouldn't always be the case. More often than not however... doing nothing bores me. And we would never have felt the rest we did without WORK... and that can mean being BUSY too. God reminded me of this a few years ago when I was having a "burnt out" at the end of the day feeling. I had done my day job... had family time... preached at night. I asked him for rest.

He told me...

"REST IS FOR THOSE WHO WORK"

... and He gave me some good rest lying face down on the old cold floor of the Big Blue House that night.

Q: Is busyness bad?
A: Can be... but it's also good.

Q: Hmmm... so busyness is good?
A: Can be... but it can also be bad.

Q: Hmmm... So is balance the answer?
A: Sort of. But I think balance can imply our own control and management skills. You don't find freedom unless you let go first. I think it's more than that. I think that it's about understanding the season we're in and being restful and content in the middle of each one!

My feelings told me, "You're tired... go stare at a lake today". But that's not what God had in store for my day. He needed me to get up... thrive in my daily tasks... work... wrestle with Jared... and put on the Captain Kindness suit tonight at Harmony Square again! That's where rest will be found for this day. In obedience and submission.

I think it's about being able to breath and sleep in busyness. I think it's being able to be engaged and ready even in rest. More and more I think I'm learning that life is "Both And" ... not "Either Or".

This land is where I'll make my stand

2009-07-01T09:15:00.000-04:00

I am Canadian.
Happy Canada Day.

Saturday at Wonderland reminded me of 2 things

2009-06-29T12:00:00.011-04:00

When I was a teenager driving up North with friends past endless rock faces, lakes and ditches, we used to play the game "If I drove off the road here... would I die?" I thought of that game as I was climbing the first hill of Canada's Wonderland's new roller coaster, "The Behemoth" on Saturday.

The answer... would be yes pretty much the whole way through as it's a 75 degree drop at 125 kilometers per hour... and it cost about 27 million dollars to make. I rode it twice (missing the Mercy Me concert to do it a 2nd time) and it officially surpassed Darien Lake's "Superman" as my favorite roller coaster.

I didn't always like roller coasters. In fact I used to REALLY hate them. When I was a kid, the wooden roller coasters that shook you like a human being (veiled Kim Mitchell reference anyone?) and made you feel like you were going to fall out, freaked me out. Feeling the imminent death feeling was NOT that appealing. Go figure. But a friend taught me the secret to roller coasters when the new era of fast, smooth rides dawned. Just let go. It took me a while... but I finally learned this trick. Just let go. After that, I finally got what the POSITIVE rush that everyone raved about was!

As my wife and I were hurdling at break-neck speed together through the North Toronto dusk over the lights of the city... I was reminded of a couple of things.

Freedom is easy
Freedom is hard

It's as easy as choosing to let go. Freedom sits right in front of us waiting to be embraced and to liberate. But it's seemingly extremely difficult to do. I looked at the mass number of people milling about Wonderland and began to wonder what percentage were happy? How many people felt peace and satisfaction... and how many feel lonely and sad when then layed their head on their pillow? I'll hazard a guess that the latter far out-weighs the former.

Freedom doesn't have situational qualifications.

Some people feel OK about life during the "rush"moments but not the quiet ones. Some... the opposite. But I think the freedom to let go of control and trust that God has got ya strapped (or tucked) in... is further reaching than we think. Letting go works whether you're on a roller coaster or sitting alone in your bedroom at night. Both ends of the excitement spectrum are common in our lives and BOTH are necessary to make us rounded, free, effective people.

So Krissy and I through our hands up and embrace a bit of the abandon of freedom feeling on Saturday evening. It was wonderful.

"Both and" not "Either or"

2009-06-26T11:05:00.011-04:00

It's funny that we have such a hard time wrapping our minds around the idea of The Big C Church as a body. One body. One moment we think that how we live out our faith is CLEARLY better and more right than everyone else... and the next our insecurities rise up and we think that what we're gifted at and called to do is peanuts and insignificant.

My goodness are we a bundle of nerves sometimes.

From my perspective... the malfunction happens because of a lack of strategic cohesiveness brought on by a lack of unity... brought on by pride. We SHOULD have large scale evangelistic efforts that are overseen by visionary leaders with the best interests of "The Church" at heart. When done right... it actually facilitates the passions of others for "personal evangelism" and grass roots work. The two are not polarized... they are complimentary. But we're tempted into squabbles so easily. Paul addressed this in 1 Corinthians 1:

¹⁰I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I'll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.

^12-13 I'll tell you exactly what I was told: You're all picking sides, going around saying, "I'm on Paul's side," or "I'm for Apollos," or "Peter is my man," or "I'm in the Messiah group."I ask you, "Has the Messiah been chopped up in little pieces so we can each have a relic all our own? Was Paul crucified for you? Was a single one of you baptized in Paul's name?"

¹⁷God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center—Christ on the Cross—be trivialized into mere words.

Paul, as a person, was a pretty defined dude. Apostle... Leader... a "I am who I am take it or leave it" no-holds barred kinda guy. When you teach about "giftings", it's great using Paul as an example of how a good leader surrounds himself with people of complimentary gifting (Pastoral, compassion etc) to flesh out his message since we're personally coming from only one slant and hold only part of the big picture.

So when Paul gets annoyed at people for following HIM or Apollos ... it's not just because he doesn't want the limelight (or out of jealousy of limelight being given to a contemporary)... it's the fact that in picking sides and preferences... the people are ruining Paul's carefully laid out plans of seeing a healthy CHURCH being gifted and released in NUMEROUS areas (1 Corinthians 12) and working together as a body... ONE body.

Cities can be changed by that kind of church.

Strategists can't strategize without pieces to place in place. Pieces that KNOW what their sacred role is and are confident it in. So confident that they are just as ready to prop up a brother for success... as do it themselves. Leaders can lead with that kind of army. Foot-soldiers and grass-rootsies will toil in obscurity and begin to feel jaded and alone (and trust me... we all feel like that too often) without a big-picture plan. Without vision we die.

If the malfunction happens because of a lack of strategic cohesiveness brought on by a lack of unity, brought on by pride.... then choosing (and supporting) a Big C Church that says "Both And" instead of "Either or" is necessary. Blessing and serving instead of cursing and wrangling for position not only brings life to others... but to you as well. We're all on the same team.

The Medium and the Message are One

2009-06-25T15:07:00.002-04:00

"Aristotle says to his disciples, “Follow my teachings.” Socrates says to his disciples, “Follow my teachings.” Buddha says to his disciples, “Follow my meditations.” Confucius says to his disciples, “Follow my sayings.” Muhammad says to his disciples, “Follow my noble pillars.” Jesus says to his disciples, “Follow me.” In all other religions, a follower can follow the teachings of its founder without having a relationship with that founder. Not so with Jesus Christ. The teachings of Jesus cannot be separated from Jesus himself. Jesus Christ is still alive and he embodies his teachings. It is a profound mistake, therefore, to treat Christ as simply the founder of a set of moral, ethical, or social teaching. The Lord Jesus and his teaching are one. The Medium and the Message are One."

Excerpt from "A Jesus Manifesto" by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola

You Googled WHAT and found me?

2009-06-24T10:26:00.009-04:00

This month's real... honest... word for word... things that people Googled and wound up on my blog; and my sarcastic responses to them.

1. "women are not from venus"

After leaving the toilet seat up for the "final time" John Gray's wife made him rethink a few things.

2. "what are the important things to remember in broadcasting"

As a seasoned broadcaster, I can share with you that it's important to know that no actual money changes hands in broadcasting. You can help yourself to as many passes to Disney on Ice and the Wine and Cheese Show as you want though. In fact it's a good idea to do so. If you bring a big enough bag, you can take home a week's worth of cheese samples!

3. "we both are stubborn asses"

Oh... yes. You've reached stage 3 on the "Marriage Realization Chart". It goes like this...

Honeymoon Bliss
Holy Crap I'm living with a girl!
We are both stubborn asses

Then somewhere around point 8 or 9 you realize that you'll be just fine. Forge on soldier.

4. "the lords prayer, cowboy version lyrics"

... the power and the glory.
For ever and ever.
Yehaw.

5. "the rainforest restaurant+brantford"

Oh I'm not sure you really want to eat there right now. It looks like this now.

But in 6 months or so I'd be happy to rent you a lovely apartment in the main dining room area!

6. reverendo lovejoy

El Reverendo Lovejoy español. Él es un predicador con picante latín fuego

7. "pontipines mormon"

I laughed out loud at this one. Every one of us who has been subjected to "In the Night Garden" has thought this and likely said it out loud.

8. "how to make the holie big in ear"

Warning... forthcoming rant: The HOLIE in the ear should not be bigger. Dear young dorks... stop stretching your earlobes to ridiculous proportions. You have a lot of life to live where

a) The hoop in your earlobe will look stupid
b) Taking the hoop out leaving a floppy, mangled, dangly,"Holie" in your ear... will look stupider.

9. "if i kissed someone with the swine flu do i get it to"

Yep... you're pretty much bacon. It's your own darn fault for making out with a pig in the first place.

10. "hide it under a bushel of what?"

Why have we never really asked this before? What does it matter I guess... just let your little light shine darn you.

11. "fear of wet paper towel"

Let us pray.

Breakfast chatter

2009-06-24T07:33:00.002-04:00

Aislin Whining at the breakfast table: Nobody is sitting with me!

Jared finishing his breakfast and leaving: Jesus is sitting with you

Aislin: Oh yeah

Jared to me in the kitchen with a twinkle in his eye: Ha ha

Ah let the theology wars begin.

That's a happy Inbox

2009-06-23T10:51:00.001-04:00

Impacting the Suburban Ghetto

2009-06-22T10:36:00.025-04:00

"The growth of the metropolis throws vast numbers of people into distant dormitories where ... life is carried on without the discipline of rural occupations and without the cultural resources that the Central District of the city still retains."
[Lewis Mumford: Technology and Science Historian, 1922]

Suburbia: the push-button Zion of those who have made it and therefore have it made. There, amid the water sprinkling systems and lava rock landscapes, rises the new Eden with little need for God: Paradise Found, where churches ulcerate themselves trying to sell self-denial to the pampered. Can the urgency of the Cross ever be made real to those who cocoon in front of an entertainment center and insist on defining hell as dandelions and heaven as the proper side of town?
[Calvin Miller: "Rethinking Suburban Evangelism"]

My spirit is both irked and stirred by the suburbs and neighborhoods of Canadian cities. I'm moved by the fact that there are generations of skilled, middle-class, employed, and educated people who unknowingly are now North America's "unreached people group". They are the result of a generation who left an irrelevant church behind... and now find themselves with little spiritual heritage, and even less personal faith of their own. It's sometimes disappointing that Christians over-identify the shortcoming of Suburban living and as a result employee short-sighted and half-hearted efforts to reach those who live there. Simply because they've failed in the past... and it's hard.

Downtown is sexy
Suburbia is bland

Downtown is eclectic
Suburbia is repetitious

Downtown is vibrant and public
Suburbia is quiet and private

Yep... ...and who cares.

The suburbs and "Little Pink Houses" type neighborhoods in our cities are littered with unreached GENERATIONS living in their comfortable caves; untouched. You know the inspiring stories of radical African Missionaries forging into dark jungles with unknown dangers lying ahead... willing to sacrifice their style, comfort, preferences for the sake of OTHERS freedom? Well guess what. It's our divine calling to GO into ALL the world and preach the good news of Jesus.

There is also a misconception that the "quality of life" is better in the suburbs than in the inner city so people don't have the same "needs". Within percentage points, when studies are done about drugs, alcohol, sex, crime, marriage issues... suburbia rates neck-in-neck with the inner city. The same social pitfalls exist... but there is no "Local Mission" around the corner with a listening ear, step up, and a prayer to offer because we haven't put the effort into discovering a legitimate avenue of communicating "The Message".

"Suburban Ghetto" is an increasingly common term... implying numerous things (social, political, economic, spiritual) , not the least of which to the Evangelical Christian should remind us that new strategy is needed to begin to take the Great Commission seriously in our own cities. It doesn't matter a hill of beans if you don't like suburbia. Our love (that God will give us if we ask him for it) for it's people and concern for their spiritual well-being SUPERSEDES personal preference.

Here's something that may anger many some of you. I DO want a large TV. I DO want a killer backyard barbecue/patio/pool set-up. I DO want to make lots of money to be able to be able to buy the latest toys. I DO want a large car with lots of seats. I DO want a golf club membership. I DO want a big house with lots of rooms furnished well. And I want them... because they're all just tools to share Jesus with a key strategic demographic of unreached people in the very cities God wants to make harbors of His glory. I don't personally care one way or another about ME "having" them (since I don't really have any of them yet! Ha!) but whether it meets our standards of righteousness or not... they are ticket's into conversations and invitations into relationship that can lead to changed lives.

Yep

Yesterday we got to pray for God to heal the liver of a half-millionaire in my city... on the golf course. We earned a degree of his relational trust over 9 holes by being normal, friendly people... listening to his golf tips (have your body and hands come back to it's original position before your club strikes the ball... thanks John) and through it... God opened a door. The price of the round of golf could have fed a Compassion Canada kid for a month and a half. I'd do it the same way 100 times out of a 100. John's life is worth JUST as much as a child in Africa (of whom we DO sponsor 2) and I'm called to go find John and share the gospel with him.

In the Kingdom, it's not "either or"
It's "both and".

"Waiting on the secular family to be interested in the church's message demands patience. Sometimes it's directly related to need. At seasons of great need, most people are interested in God. If the pastor can lay down the church's availability through advertising or general reputation, when those needs come, the families who thought they were not interested suddenly are. We must socialize before we evangelize"
Calvin Miller

In 1975, God gave Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade, and Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With a Mission, a simultaneous vision about the 7 areas in our culture that God wants us to climb and conquer for His Name and Renown.

Family: Where Generational Blessings or Curses are passed on to our children
Education: Where either Truth or lies about God and His Creation are taught
Government: Where Evil is either Restrained or Endorsed
Business: Where people build for the Glory of God or the glory of man
Media: Where events, news and information are interpreted and passed on people through the lens of good or evil
Arts and Entertainment: Where Values and Virtues are either celebrated or distorted
Religion: Where people worship God in "Spirit and Truth" or settle for religious rituals

The generations who are lost in the malaise of the Suburban Ghetto... are people of great influence in MANY of these areas in our culture. How can we not take the time to strategize about how to influence the influencers in our cities and then wonder why we're not influencing them?

It's partially because we're not talking to them where they are... in a language they are familiar with. The onus is not on THEM to make the effort. It's on US to put ourselves SECOND. It's on us to SERVE and show kindness (giving us a voice) to those Jesus died for. This is God's desire for everyone from the inner-city to the gated community...

He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
1 Timothy 2: 4-7 [The Message]

It's the simple message of God's love. When the life of ONE influencer is freed from fear, death, hopelessness... think what the subsequent ripples of reciprocation will bring when you (out of relationship) disciple them. The very thought of it looses the dream of "The City of God" to run rampant through my spirit.

Kristina Lynn Carrol

2009-06-19T09:45:00.005-04:00

She'll often say, "Why do you love me?" But the smile with which the question is asked has changed over the years. It used to be an insecure, unsure, quarter-mouthed question... asked because the answer was still a question. But now the smile is a wry fun smile. Half smart-alack... half princess waiting to be deservedly doted upon.

So I stop to think...
"Well??" she asks. "Out with it Carrol".

Finding AN answer isn't the hard part. Finding THE answer for the moment is pause-worthy. See there are many valid periphery reasons to declare my love for my love. Non of them are trite... and all of them would be reason enough. But when I use my Forever-Eyes I can see something more than the everyday. As one day melts into another I, an invited guest, watches my one-flesh evolve into something greater than the day before. She can calm my spirit with a word and send my heart racing with a look. How does a simpleton on a time line say what's a heart's really thinking?

I try to wax poetic... but words get in the way of what I really want to say. So I lean in and touch her hair. She playfully sighs, and with a goofy twinkle in her eyes that is intoxicatingly charming to me, she says, "Ahhh... you say it best when you say nothing at all".

Last night we laughed together in our poorly decorated, raggedy kitchen. I did the dishes while she cooked spicy shrimp pasta. We ate it while watching reruns of The Office. Then I fell asleep on her lap while she reveled in the people dancing on TV. It all felt... well.

Saying without saying

2009-06-17T16:04:00.009-04:00

I stumbled upon John Mayer's fantastic performance of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" from his"Where The Light is" album yesterday. It's just a captivating piece to listen to. Something very pretty. Do yourself a favor...

I did some digging into this tremendously engaging song, wondering what it's motivation was. I obviously can't verify these facts, but this is the story behind the story that I found:

" A roadie bought Tom a keyboard that Tom didn't really want. The roadie told Tom that if he wrote one song with it... it would pay for itself. Tom played the 5 opening chords to Jeff Lynne one night. Jeff told him to sing something while repeating the same chords over and over. "Just to make Jeff smile I sang 'She's a good girl, loves her mama' and from there I wrote the first and second verses completely spontaneously."

Axl Rose once asked Tom how he came up with the line about vampires and Tom replied..."When I'm driving, sometimes I see these shadowy-looking people just off the sidewalks, around the post office. I always thought of them as vampires for some reason."

As it turns out... in this case, Tom's not trying to tell a story. Instead he's painting us picture... with words and sounds. A mix of the cohesive and abstract. Engaging imagery and sounds providing a framework within which to get lost and imagine. Like the experience you hear people tell of about getting mesmerized by the Mona Lisa's smile.

It says... without saying.

It's quite likely you do feel something when you hear this song. It's likely about SOMETHING to you. Some combination of word and sound likely resonates a picture or emotion in you. Some I read about feel love... some feel lonely... some feel sad... some feel free. But this song has lasted for a reason. It's pretty.

As a writer, advertiser and even as one who wants to share life-truths... saying without saying is important. Because it's about communicating truth... via it's beauty. In 1983, Paul Simon released a lesser known song called "Rene and Georgette Magritte with their dog after the war". While not an enormously popular commercial hit, it has become shining example of how word pictures can communicate a feeling without being forced into the cheap shortcut of bluntness.

He used stanza's like...

"They danced by the light of the moon
To the Penguins, the Moonglows
The Orioles, and The Five Satins
The deep forbidden music
They'd been longing for"

... about which Rolling Stone commented:

Th ere they are, a Belgian surrealist painter, his old lady and their pooch, dancing naked in a hotel room, window-shopping on Christopher Street and getting dolled up to dine with "the power elite." [...] It's a hilarious and magical juxtaposition of images that's also touching, because Paul Simon obviously identifies with the figure of the grown-up, respectable artist irrevocably smitten with those doo-wop groups, "the deep forbidden music" that originally made him fall in love with rock and roll"

I am an expert on neither art nor poetry. But the times when I have enjoyed either... I have realized that the artist or author has tapped into a life-spring of universal truth, and it has helped me to not only FEEL it... but EXPERIENCE it as well. And that is a beautiful bridge to understanding the depths of truth that are just waiting to be discovered in our world.

I liked singing back when singers couldn't sing

2009-06-16T14:00:00.003-04:00

Depth of character exposes the shallowness of ability

The Crackled, Quiet, Spoken, Truth-tale speaks volumes in the twinkle of an eye.

The authority of an honest expression embarrasses the falsetto phonies

If you sing a song the same way twice... it's possible you're just repeating yourself instead of discerning the moment.

Live interactive Church... Thy Kingdom Come?

2009-06-15T09:48:00.010-04:00

Ever have those technological encounters where it feels like you're living in "The Jetsons"? I'm JUST old enough that I'm still somewhat in awe of what we can do in our world these days.

Last night we experimented with live-streamed interactive church at Freedom House for our annual Conference, this year called "Kingdom Come" happening last night, tonight and tomorrow. We had UStream... Twitter... Facebook... Blog... online chat's... all interwoven together as the meeting was going on.

What it practically meant was me setting up a terminal with my Sony Vaio at the back of the room and remotely controlling a camera while updating and interacting online with the nearly 200 people who passed through our little webcast last night. We took live polls, one showing that around 70% of the viewers had never been to Freedom House before. We connected with, and prayed for, friends... people in Pennsylvania, around Canada, Brantford and beyond saying... "we're here around an altar with some folks who'd love to have faith to contend for what's going on in your life". Some sought us out... and some we sought out. Some cool interaction and prayer really.

As a broadcasting student and a culture-nut... the philosophy behind Christian television always seemed to have a disconnect and a few unconnected dots, because the communication is too often unidirectional. The philosophy was always, "We must find a way to get The Message to where people are... and people aren't coming to church. They are in their homes... and TV gets into their homes." And that's a solid line of evangelical Kingdom rational. Really... it's ALL good.

But in my Christian TV experience... I've found there is a potential snare in doing something where there is no human connection. When I would actually talk with people on Nite Lite Live, many said they didn't go to church or have Christian friends because they watch Christian TV for their teaching. But there is no relationship... interaction... or even POTENTIAL for a second step. You can't pop by a TV studio for coffee.

I wrote my 3rd Year College Thesis about the state of Christian broadcasting around the globe and the need for "Next Step". It's conclusion was about the need for a way for media to connect to a real place with real people who could care and offer community, relationship, accountability... a follow-up discussion. The needs to be a way for a continuing interaction.

Last night I got a peek into a synthesis of technology, culture, communications and a life changing God that COULD really do some damage in advancing the Kingdom of God. Taking "The Message" to a place where a broader-scope of ears are listening in forum where interaction is facilitated... with a connection to a place of community and love. Like it or not... the positive impact that last summer's Lakeland explosion was (and continues to be) felt around the world because of the power of God combined with strategic communication.

This social media thing is FAR from perfect... and many don't like it. There are parts I don't like either! But who cares? Brother Christian... you're supposed to be a lump of clay. Many people don't like me either! People are different and God's not willing that ANY perish. It's just another tool that falls under Paul's description of evangelism in 1 Corinthians 9 19-22

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

That said... a webcast is no substitute for being in room full of worshipers. And honestly... sitting at a computer typing on Twitter and UStream made it so I (personally) didn't fully engage myself in the on-goings of the night. But who cares?? The message of the cross (and Freedom House's little moto) is essentially "Get Free... Live Free... Free Others". In North America, there are many who Jesus would see as that sheep that wandered away from the flock. People who have given up on their faith. Jesus goes out of His way to find those people. He leaves the 99 to find the 1.

I'm not entirely sure than in God's desire to see "The Message" go to the ends of the earth... the personal preferences of the sheep already in the barn, plays much of a role. We need to be sacrificial, wise, intentional, strategic and humble to really see what we (and He) desires to see.

Love to see you tonight or tomorrow either in person at the Freedom House City Center at 7pm or online. In fact I'll even embed the live feed right here at Big Ear Creations too. Interesting days we live in friends. Like the Jetson's sometimes.