Observations from the CMA Awards

I don't usually watch music award shows.  I may tune into the Grammys to catch a performance, but in general I don't really keep up with popular music.  I know enough, to insert the words "Boom Boom Pow" at an appropriate time to get a cheap laugh.  But I'm generally, blissfully ignorant.

 

Last night however, I watched the Country Music Associations awards show.  Now, as you probably guessed, I'm not a fan of country music, because for the most part it's lowest common denominator art entertainment and in the words of my friend Dixon, it just plain sucks.  Of course, with the exception of my friends Aaron and Ben, no one has perfect music taste.  People have scoffed at my own tastes - for example a friend once described the new Grizzly Bear album as "the Beach Boys tour bus colliding with a Ringling Brothers Circus caravan."  Fair enough.  Regardless, with the exception of so-called Reality Television, mainstream country music is probably the easiest entity at which to poke fun.

Despite all of that, I was strangely drawn to watching the CMA awards during NBA commercials.  But like a person watching a dog relieve itself, I couldn't turn away and so I basically ended up watching the CMA's whilst switching to the Mavs game during the CMA commercials.  So here are some fantastic, elitist-wanna-be, observations of what I saw:

1. Force fields - lots of thanks to God & the Troops (the CMA knows exactly who to partner with to sell albums:  God, the Troops, and NASCAR)
2. Bono has one thing in common with most country singers - he can only strum a few notes on the guitar.  There is nothing quite like watching a "big time" country singer strum a note or two on the guitar and then hold the mic and sing, while the guitar is still draped around them. (Paisley, Vince, and Swift are exceptions...they actually have musical talent, imao)
3. What has happened to Carrie Underwood, the sweet girl from Oklahoma?  She was clearly channeling Madonna and Beyonce during her performance...very uncomfortable and weird.
4. Darius Rucker won new artist of the year.  New?  Uhm...I think Hootie was formed in the late 80's and made their big run while I was in high school.  But hey, we have to respect the CMA community, probably the first time they awarded a black dude.
5. Does Chris Daughtry even belong on the same stage as Vince Gill?  Seriously people? The duets with rock stars were an obvious and easy ratings grab by the network - but that's television for you.
6. Best lyrics of the night - Tim McGraw's song "Southern Voice" - Jesus is my friend, America is my home.  Ah-men.

On a more positive note, I'm growing less and less skeptical of Taylor Swift.  Don't think I could buy an album yet, but she seems very genuine and she is clearly talented.

 

Best part of the night - Amy imitating a country music singer.

 

 

Modern Theology?

This morning my pastor delivered a  good sermon ultimately calling the church to fight for marriages and care for the wounded.  This post is an aside to the sermon...

Today during the sermon, my pastor was giving a quasi-historical account of how a particular issue had been dealt with throughout church history.  He referenced several notable early church leaders including Origen to Augustine to Aquinas (that covers about 1,000 years alone) then he hit Luther, Calvin, & Bucer (all 16th century reformers).  He then jumped to how we handle the issue today (21st century for those keeping track)!

In fairness, a full history wasn't really necessary for today's issue, but on my way home, I wondered aloud, "Why is it that Evangelicals seem to overlook Modern Theology?"  Take for example the history lesson during the sermon this morning skipped about 400 years of church history or my seminary education had very, very little interaction with 19th & 20th century theology.  What little I know about modern theology, for the most part, I've had to learn on my own...after seminary of all things.  Names like Bultmann, Yoder, Moltmann, Hauerwas, Tillich, Forsyth, Ellul, Rahner, and even Wright are names and work I've really only become familiar with post-seminary.  I am somewhat familiar with Barth - I mean any seminary not at least interacting with Barth's views of revelation should just close it's doors.  But I digress...

If your in ministry or training for ministry, give the bias reading a break and interact with someone who did theology within the last 100 years.

The 12 Albums of Christmas?

Christmas albums are generally some of the most pretentious attempts at art.  But, for me, most of my play-list-worthy rules get thrown out the window.  Everyone likes lists, right?  Everyone likes Christmas music, right?  And most people are gearing up for Christmas music.  So here's a list of 12 Christmas albums Amy and I both like.  (for the record we have 36 Christmas Albums...and yes expect to see signs of compromise in this list...)

Advent Songs - Sojourn Community Church
Random album I came across last year.  Fantastic re-interpretation of Joy to the World.

  All I Really Want - Steven Curtis Chapman
I'll admit it's heavy on the nostalgia factor for us.  I dare you to show me a better version of "Angels From the Realms of Glory."  And Vince Gill makes an appearance...I know, I know you, just bought the album, right?

James Taylor At Christmas
Uhm...it's James Taylor and it's a Christmas album...

Christmas Eve and Other Stories
The classic Christmas Rock Opera.  About the only rock album Amy likes.

Christmas with the Rat Pack
Frank Sinatra.  Dean Martin.  Sammy Davis Jr.  What more can I say?

Come, Let Us Adore Him
There is no question that this is absolutely the best religious Advent album - (perhaps the best "Christian" album ever?).  This is my favorite Christmas album of all time and space.

What A Night! A Christmas Album
Harry Connick, Jr. - Christmas music, big band style.

My Christmas
This album was just released on Tuesday.  Beautiful.  Beautiful.  Beautiful.  If your reading this and your like, "uhm, who is Andrea Bocelli?"  Buy this album as an introduction.

When My Heart Finds Christmas
From track 3 - "Happy ho-ho-ho to you!"

Faith - A Holiday Album
It has to be cold outside to listen to this album.  Don't knock this album until you've heard Kenny G's interpretation of "Auld Lang Syne."

The Living Room Sessions - Christmas
All pretense is stripped away.  Just a piano playing Christmas music.

Christmastime
If there ever was a point in youth group that you listened to Christian music, you have to include a Michael W. Smith album on a list like this.

A $130 million Musing

You've probably heard that historic First Baptist Church of Dallas announced plans to raise $130 million to build a new 3,000 seat worship center, an educational building, and a parking garage - complete with a sky bridge at it's downtown location.

 

Announcements like this get a variety of responses (see the 100+ comments posted on the Morning News article).  What about the poor?  What about water in Africa?  What about the missionaries?  What about tax law for non-profits?  Why do churches get so big?  They're just building their own kingdom.  And most people will say, "Meh.  Who Cares?" and so on...

 

I'm in the last two categories.  On one hand, it's their church, let them do whatever they want - who cares.  But on the other hand, the Church can't simply get a free pass when it chooses to do stuff like this - some healthy criticism is necessary on occasion, right?  For example how do leaders of churches get away with saying things like this:

"At a time when downtown is going through a period of revitalization, this new campus will emphasize our role as a spiritual oasis within Dallas and stand out as a true testament to God.” - Mark Lovvorn, chairman of First Baptist's Planning & Developing Committee.

 

"As I look around downtown Dallas, I see spectacular temples of commerce, of culture and of government – many new, some restored to former glory, and all intended to stand for generations. The Kingdom of God needs a home to equal them – a spiritual oasis in the middle of downtown." - Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor

The phrase The Kingdom of God needs a home to equal them is the most troubling.  I think it's unhealthy for the Church to be thinking in terms of leveling the playing field or seeking relevance with the kingdom of this world.  The moment you start operating with that perspective, haven't you just conceded any relevance or impact by submitting yourself to their terms, rules, methods, and perspective?

 

This is just Baptists, being Baptists, Dallas Conservative Evangelicals, being Dallas Conservative Evangelicals - so we can just let 'em be.

 

On a more cynical and way less theological note, I do find it ironic that for the last year, FBC has peppered the main Dallas highways with billboards of white suburban families containing the tag line "A church you can believe in" - it's a lot easier to raise that $130 million with all those white suburban people attending now...I'm just sayin'...

Previous Job vs. Current Job

Last year I worked for a "Christian" company (Christian in the sense that we thanked God for the business he gave us due to other people's misery...try to figure that one out...).  Around Halloween, we were instructed in no uncertain terms to maintain normal work place attire.  No decorations.  No official passing out of candy, etc.  So in silent protest last year at the previous job, one of the guys brought in name tags and almost everyone wrote on their name tag who they would be if they could have dressed up as someone.  At the time I had recently been promoted, so of course, I wrote Michael Scott on my name tag.

 

Now, I work at company that is 400,000x's the size of my previous company.  So - yesterday there was a Halloween costum contest.  I saw a guy dressed in a full on mascot-ish penguin outfit that he must have stolen from Sea World; a girl in my group was dressed as a cop; and half a dozen people were dressed as '70's guy.  Just a minute a go, a lady was walking around with a giant pumpkin dish passing out candy.

 

I guess that's the difference between working for a "Christian" company and a liberal-ass, comi-government-backed company...

Beautiful Music

"Waterloo Sunset" - Ray Davies and the Crouch End Festival Chorus.

Ray Davies of The Kinks will be releasing an album (in the US) in November titled, The Kinks Choral Collection.  The album features 15 songs performed by Ray Davies and the 65 member Crouch End Festival Chorus.

Evangelicals and Halloween

Over the years, I've come to enjoy (i.e. chuckle at) the ever important question of whether or not Christians should let their kids participate in Halloween by dressing up and going trick-or-treating.  This may come as a complete suprise to you, but despite my Christian Fundamentalist upbringing - Yes, my parents let us go trick-or-treating!!!  We weren't allowed to listen to Steve Green or Michael W. Smith, but I did collect many a treat!  To this day, on October 31st, my mother will still put a bowl of candy by the door and leave the porch light turned on.

 

Today, I came across a curious blog run by a bunch of evangelicals, that had a post that made me laugh.  I guess this group blog has been seeking to define Evangelicals (good luck, and who really cares anymore?).  Someone posted yesterday:  Evangelical Definition and Halloween:

An evangelical is a fundamentalist whose kids dress up for Halloween.

A conservative evangelical is a fundamentalist whose kids dress up for the church’s “Fall Festival.”

A confessional evangelical is a fundamentalist whose kids dress up for “Reformation Day.”

An emerging evangelical is a fundamentalist who has no kids, but who dresses up for Halloween anyway.

A revivalist evangelical is a fundamentalist whose kids dress up as demons for the church’s “Judgment House” community evangelism outreach.

A fundamentalist is a fundamentalist whose kids hand out gospel tracts to all those mentioned above.

In the comments someone added one more that described my family:

A pragmatic fundamentalist lets his kids dress up for Halloween, but doesn't talk about it.

Funny, I've been to countless Fall Festival's, a couple of Judgment Houses, but in more recent years, I've taken the "Happy Reformation Day" approach.

 

Hey at least the group admits and confirms one of my long standing suspicions - Evangelicalism is the new Fundamentalism...

 

Please note my tongue is firmly in cheek...