What Matters More
Derek Webb.
You may have seen the band that he was in before he went solo. Caedmon's Call. They are a pretty big deal in the Christian World.
Derek Webb ended up going solo and making his own music. He has created songs that have rustled some feathers. He has opened up a can of worms that must be opened. He wrote a song titled "Wedding Dress" that described the Church as a whore.
It wasn't played on Christian Radio Stations, because the word Whore was too explicit, according to those who tend to use much lighter words than Whore to describe the Church.
In that song, he referred to a quote by St. Augustine, one of the greatest influencers in Christianity. He is quoted as saying this:
The Church is a whore - but she is my mother.
Now Derek Webb has just released his new CD online, and he wrote a song entitled "What Matters More." In it, he describes the state of, what I believe to be, many Christians in America. I've already written a post about Love, in response to his song "Love is not against the law," and now I'll give you the lyrics to what may be a very offensive song to many:
You say you always treat people like you like to be
I guess you love being hated for your sexuality
You love when people put words in your mouth
'Bout what you believe, make you sound like a freak'Cause if you really believe what you say you believe
You wouldn't be so damn reckless with the words you speak
Wouldn't silently conceal when the liars speak
Denyin' all the dyin' of the remedyTell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?If I can tell what's in your heart by what comes out of your mouth
Then it sure looks to me like being straight is all it's about
It looks like being hated for all the wrong things
Like chasin' the wind while the pendulum swings'Cause we can talk and debate until we're blue in the face
About the language and tradition that he's comin' to save
Meanwhile we sit just like we don't give a shit
About 50,000 people who are dyin' today
Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?"
Well, to put it plainly, he is calling it like he sees it in this song, and the song hits home for many of us, whether we realize it or not. I am guilty at putting more effort in debating about doctrine than caring for unbelievers. I sometimes sit not caring about anyone around me. I'll be the first to say that I sometimes don't care about people.
I, for one, appreciate his authenticity. I don't think he wrote this to see how much of a controversy he could stir up, but to get Christians to look in the mirror and see who they are.
Here is the Music Video for his song on YouTube.
I welcome his brutally honest lyrics, and maybe that's because honesty is a rare thing these days.
So, what matters more, the fact that he cursed in his song, or that he's right, and people are dying left and right without Jesus, and sometimes we really don't care? Will we just begin to argue about the word that he used to get across the point, and further confirm the fact that we'd rather argue and debate about useless things (like curse words) rather than telling people about Jesus?
Remember, Jesus offended religious people with his words. Oh, and he even called them "Brood of Vipers," a phrase that was as offensive as a curse word.
What I Like About the SBC
This is part of a series that I want to do, both on what I like and what I dislike about the SBC (The Southern Baptist Convention). I am writing these because:
- There was an annual SBC meeting recently, and I feel that is my responsibility as a Southern Baptist to speak my mind about certain things that will arose at the meeting.
- I want people to understand my opinion when it comes to the SBC.
- I feel that, as someone who has been a Southern Baptist for my whole life (saved in a Southern Baptist church), it's important for me to discuss the health of the SBC from my perspective.
What I Like About the SBC
I have spent my first 21 years of my life in different Southern Baptist Church's, including FBC of Cary (NC) and FBC of Jacksonville (FL), Hickory Grove Baptist Church (Charlotte, NC), and Bay Leaf Baptist Church (Raleigh, NC). Over the years, I've noticed things that I like about the SBC and the churches in general.
-I like that, for one, there are devoted families that I have seen firsthand who serve with great love and commitment.
-I like that the SBC has 6 Southern Baptist seminaries that teach good, sound doctrine.
-I like that, as a whole, we give if not the most (don't quote me) but a TON of money financially to aid overseas missions, through certain offerings and organizations.
-I like the fact that we as a Southern Baptist Convention have a long line of devoted, committed Christian's who were faithful, and that we follow in the footsteps of men and women of great faith.
-I like that there is emphasis on memorizing scripture through Awana, or the understanding of christian teamwork through R.A. and Upward Basketball.
-I like that there is a passion among a rising number of churches in the SBC that are willing and committed to seeing the nations come to Christ.
-I like that there is solid leadership in the SBC, men like Albert Mohler, Danny Akin, and Johnny Hunt.
-I like that men who are older and more experienced in the SBC understand the need for young leaders to rise up and take the baton.
-I like that there is an obvious uprise in the younger generation who are deeply concerned with and willing to make an impact in and through the SBC for Jesus.
We still have a long way to go in regards to reaching people with the Gospel, but progress is on the horizon. And that, my friend, is why I'm a Southern Baptist.
I Hate Walls
(This is a guest post by Adam Herod of Merge Worship. Adam is a husband, dad, Christ follower, worship Pastor in Raleigh, NC and one who enjoy's writing songs and learning from others.)
The title of this post won't be a shock to those who know me. I'm not a fan of walls, rules, consequences (for me...big believer in them for others), concrete and stiff mattresses. The only things I really like being impenetrable are my house, car and the airplane I'm flying in.
*DISCLAIMER* I'm very thankful for the heritage that I've been given and the passion I was trained in to study scripture, believe in a God who is close to us and to treasure His truth and presence.
With that said, I grew up in a denomination that, at the time, was pretty rigid. Don't wear jewelry. Don't wear wedding rings. Don't wear shorts. Don't. Don't. Don't. In some ways I think we could have played Tesla's "Signs" in a worship service and people would've been into it.
At my first church job I had a 16 year old ask me in all seriousness; "Baptists aren't going to heaven, right?". (Don't worry @EdStetzer I told him you guys were golden. Like Ed ever reads this thing:-) I was like WHAT?!?!? I think that kind of upbringing had something to do with my disdain for concrete.
Don't get me wrong. I believe in absolute truth. I believe Jesus is the only way anyone gets to know God and gain eternal life. I'm not talking about walls of divine truth or clear guidelines for holy living.
I hate the walls we make. Walls of denomination. Walls of worship styles. Walls of race. Walls of "if everyone else was just more like me". And here's why...
I went to a conference that was filled with hardcore reformed speakers and attended widely by students at a local Southern Baptist Seminary. I would not consider myself reformed, didn't go to seminary and am a charismatic believer. But I learned a TON! I was inspired by the commitment to the Word, to Jesus and to His Church. I had God reveal things in my heart that needed to be repented of and I had my dedication to His purposes strengthened. I know friends that would not have gone because of the walls they've erected in their hearts.
I'm in no way saying "don't belong to a denomination" or "don't ascribe to a certain stream of theology". Don't get it twisted. I get that we all have a place of deep belonging, but I also understand that there is a greater Body beyond the one I meet with on a weekly basis. And here's the real deal. I believe God is HUGE. Bigger than our walls. So broad that our walls can't contain Him and by hemming ourselves in we diminish a full picture of who He is.
I'm not saying embrace every teaching under the sun, but I am saying embrace every brother and sister. The reason I hate walls is because I believe my particular outlook on life, minuscule understanding of God and personal worship preferences can't contain the whole of the greatness of our God and that other people, with other viewpoints can help me see Him more clearly. I'm on a lifelong pursuit to know Him in "the fellowship of His sufferings and the power of His resurrection" and I believe that pursuit shouldn't be restricted by walls that He didn't put up.
How can you reach beyond your own walls and learn from someone else?
Notes for Advance ‘09 Day 1
Here are some notes that I have taken from the first day of Advance '09:
Mark Driscoll: What is the Church? [Listen Here]
Eight Marks of a Church
- Regenerate Believers
- Qualified Leadership
- Gathering for preaching and worship
- Sacraments are done
- Unified by the Spirit
- Discipline for holiness
- Obey the great commandment to love
- Obey the great commission
Also, he had these tidbits to say:
- "Spending only time with Christians can lead to koinonitus."
- "Don't be so creative you become a heretic; I would rather be faithful than cool."
- "If you don't have unbelievers coming to your church, it may be because you don't talk about Jesus or you have Sunday school."
- The Church is to:
- Be Gathered and Scattered
- Be Attractional and Missional
- Be Connecting the Sermons to small groups
- Not confuse biblical principles with cultural methods
Tyler Jones: The Resurgence of the Church [Listen Here]
- "Our response to the Church is all wrong. We don't love the body like we love should love our physical bodies."
- "Love the body, make it healthy."
- "Longterm active repentance is what the church needs. Paul suffers for Jesus for a long-term, so should we."
- "The Church is the vehicle that takes Jesus to the World."
- "Because we are only dealing with secondary issues, the bleeding of the church has turned into hemorrhaging."
Bryan Chappell: Communicating the Gospel through preaching [Listen Here]
- "The message, 'Be good' damns people. Only God is good."
- "The Bible tars every single person in the Bible except Jesus. that's the point, to point to Jesus."
- The notes for this are here [pdf]
Matt Chandler: Preaching the Gospel to the De-churched [Listen Here]
- "If you're opening your mouth & talking about God, you are theological."
- "The only reason sin has any power in your life is because you love it."
- "It's funny, you have too many guys trying to become something, when the Bible talks about being nothing."
- "There has to be a recovery of the understanding of the holy doctrine of the Holy Spirit."
- "How do you develop a lifestyle of repentance? Preach the cross."
- "What many of us need to repent of is the love of ministry. We love doing ministry more than we love the Kingdom."
Overall, it was a great first day, being able to hear these men in person and what they have to say. Look for more notes online, and if you have twitter, follow the #advance09 hashtags for real-time information regarding the Advance '09 conference.