American Celebrity

‘We do not measure a culture by its output of undisguised trivialities, but by what it claims as significant.’ Neal Postman, Amusing ourselves to Death, 1985.

With the recent news that Whitney Houston died, I thought it appropriate to update this post.

At some point in our recent history, ‘celebrity’ replaced ‘hero’ in the American pop-culture lexicon.  Now in America, being famous trumps doing something noble and the cult of personality is the ultimate measure of success. The death of Michael Jackson on June 25th, 2009, brought an unprecedented amount of 24/7 news coverage and an endless parade of talking heads, associates and parasites, each one positioning themselves as a unique conveyor of Jackson tidbits.

In witnessing this depressing spectacle unfold; I’ve realized that 'American Celebrities' follow a unique lifecycle.

1st Stage: Create. We create the myth of celebrity by hoisting undue praise and print: witness the check-out rags breathless photos, or the advent of tabloid ‘news’ shows. Whether or not we physically purchase some item related to the celebrity doesn’t matter, for we are still giving mental space to them.  People with no vested interest still have opinions on Brittany’s shaved head rampage, or Brad Pitt’s latest appearance. Most celebrities’ careers end at this stage: just too many interlopers and only so much cultural bandwidth.

2nd Stage: Feed.  In this stage the celebrity acts in ways that are appropriate to them, but improper to everyone else. Celebrities become caricatures of themselves, trapping themselves within their personas and roles. Sports stars’ sexual assaults, DUI mug shots, Domestic Abuse allegations, leaked video tapes, etc…  All are necessary evils and necessary steps on the road to American Celebrity.

3rd Stage: Kill.  At some point the myth implodes under its own weight.  Jimmy Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, et al…  Pressure, whether internal or external, causes the celebrity to act self-destructively as the weight of excess is too much to bear. Whether their life ended well before it should -like Michael Jackson, or at a more natural point -like Marlon Brando, each left a mess that outlived them.

4th Stage: Mourn. We cry and mourn as if we had a personal connection to the celebrity.  Indeed a bond exists, albeit a vicarious connection bereft of intimacy and closeness. We substitute our information of the celebrity for actual knowledge, and grieve like we’ve lost a friend.  Public displays of sorrow allow us to cement our relationship, thus immortalizing the figure in our cultural mind and validating our feelings towards the recently deceased.

Book Review: Religious Nuts Political Fanatics by Robert Vagacs

Excellent birthday gift, thanks to Carolyn for this delightful gem of a book! Vagacs is more then a fan of U2, he is a follower of their music and their theology. Religious Nuts Political Fanatics isn’t an evolutionary overview of U2’s spiritual songs; rather it alerts the reader to the sweeping Christological and Eschatological themes found throughout U2’s considerable body of work.

A vibrant Christ-centered theology emerges from the pages of Religious Nuts Political Fanatics. The title comes from a lyrical line in the song ‘New York’, from the All That You Can’t Leave Behind -2000 album. I found Chapter Four, The Babylonian State of Zooropa, to be especially compelling. This chapter explored the three albums released in the 1990’s and the emotional and spiritual discontent found within the lyrics. Achtung Baby -1991, Zooropa -1993, and Pop -1997. Just as the Babylonian exile caused many faithful to abandon God, one can argue that U2’s 1990’s releases reflected the bands spiritual exile.

Religious Nuts Political Fanatics is a great addition to the U2 scholarship canon. A great companion book which explores the personal side of U2’s theological underpinnings is Steve Stockman’s, Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2.

Poets, Prophets and Preachers Conference -Day 2

Overseen at the Poets, Prophets and Preachers Conference, a T-shirt that read on the front: 'Calvinism: This T-shirt chose me.' On the Back 'Arminianism: I chose this T-shirt.'

Poets, Prophets and Preachers Conference -Day 1

In Grand Rapids for a few days with my friend Sean, for a Preaching Conference organized by the much celebrated Rob Bell. A few initial thoughts: Clearly there is a hip dress code, and evidently someone hasn’t filled me in. Many tats and piercings, vintage T’s, faux-hawks, man-bags, and everyone wearing sandals.

You know you are not at your father’s Pastor’s Conference when the Official Preaching Conference Map of Grand Rapids lists the favorite local pubs. When Sean and I were getting our stuff out of the car, a group of fellow conference attendees walked past, with one guy carrying the group humidor! During the first session a guy yells out, in response to something Bell said, ‘Hell Yeah!’ We are not in Kansas anymore! Sadly these comments reveal more about me, then they do the group that I was a part of...

I had thought that this would be a smaller group, with more of a regional attendance, and yet people came as far away as Australia and Sweden as well as both coasts for this conference… testament to probably both the drawing power of Rob Bell and the sincere desire for people to step up their preaching skills.

Rob Bell spoke for the opening session, told the story of his first ever preaching experience and reviewed the various ways that people respond to our sermons. He challenged us to see Preaching in a new light, to realize that even Jesus’ first sermon in his hometown brought the people out to kill him, and that at many times, we may be faced with less-then-positive reactions to what we have to say. The main challenge was to never present the Word w/o proper preparation and a proper fire in the belly…

Don't Go to Church!

This is what we told our Southbrook Church community, as we participated in our 3rd annual Compassion Weekend. For 3 days we participated in acts of Compassion toward our local communities, modeling the love of Christ to everyone we met. Through organized service projects, we went out and served with abandon. Over the weekend of June 12-14 2009, over 20 service events occured throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, giving young and old the opportunity to serve together. We skipped going to church on Sunday June 14th and instead served our neighbors through free car washes, free bottled water give-aways, and through many other opportunities.

Abortion Kills

The statistics on abortion are sobering. 1.25million babies have their lives ended yearly in America alone. The murder of Dr. George Tiller, the late-term abortionist of Wichita, Kansas brought the tragedy of abortion back to the forefront of American society. Dr. Tiller was shot to death inside of his church on Sunday, May 31st, 2009, by an anti-abortion advocated named Scott Roeder.

Sadly, both sides of the abortion debate manipulated this killing for their own political gains. The Left- predictably hailed Dr. Tiller as an advocate for women, and positioned Dr. Tiller as a passionate supporter of the underprivileged. Ironic, in that he was killing the most underprivileged patients he ever had. The Right- predictably was either silent in condemning the murder of Dr. Tiller, or saw his death as an unfortunate ‘wart’ in the abortion debate.

At least one anti-abortion activist realized that his past rhetoric of describing those like Dr. Tiller as ‘Nazi’s’ and ‘mass murderers’ made him complicit in Dr. Tiller’s death. Of course the obfuscation of what it means to be for ‘life’ is compounded by the tacit approval of the death of one hated by some, beloved by others.

To date, the most consistent ethic of life comes from the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago. Cardinal Bernardin wrote passionately about the Seamless Garment of Life. The Seamless Garment of Life ethic is a consistent approach to matters of life, an approach which is against war and the death penalty, for comprehensive health care and the reduction of poverty. This approach is passionate in its support of life in all forms, whether within the womb or in a nursing home.

Abortion kills children, this is for sure. Abortion also kills doctors, kills Truth, and kills our sense of what it means to be an advocate for life. Christian principles that stand in opposition to the ‘end justifies the means’ are also victims in the current bi-polar abortion debate.

Let's Get Desperate

Who wants to be desperate? Desperation usually marks one as being weak and needy. The guy in college desperate for a date, the young woman desperate to be loved, etc… We have Desperate Housewives on TV, which help to perpetuate the myth of the relationally-dependent female. These women are pursued by desperate men who drive their pimped out trucks, desperate to display their manliness.

I believe as followers of Christ, that we are to be desperate… If I knew that my entire life depended on prayer, I’d bet that my prayer time would involve a greater level of urgency and importance… If I knew that my entire life depended upon studying God’s Word, I’m sure I’d study with an insatiable appetite.

For followers of Christ, being desperate seems to come more at times of crisis, instead of the ebb and flow of ‘normal’ Christian living. My personal challenge is to live a desperate life: desperate to know and love Jesus.

Truth found in the Wreckage

On Wednesday June 24, 2009, the Republican Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford, addressed a packed press conference as to his mysterious disappearance of last 5 days. His aids and family originally stated that they didn't know where he was, then his office reported that he was hiking along the Appalachian Trail. Today, Governor Sanford admitted to being in South America and to having an affair. Tragic on so many accounts, especially as the Governor is married with four young sons. What hit me the most was the Governor's account of how his affair began.

“The bottom line is this,” he said. “I have been unfaithful to my wife. I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina,” Gov. Sanford said. “It began very innocently, as I suspect these things do, in just a casual e-mail back and forth. But here, recently, over this last year, developed into something much more than that. And as a consequence, I hurt her. I hurt you all, I hurt my wife. I hurt my boys."

His comments reminded me of the Book of James 1:14-15. "...but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death." Sadly, Governor Sanford illustrates all to well the truth that is found in God's Word. Sin perniciously creeps upon us, and slowly, we are lead away from how God intended, towards the inevitable end: death.

New York's Archbishop Dolan praises Evangelical Churches?

On Wednesday April 15th 2009, Archbishop Dolan gave his first press conference to the New York media. He was asked to defend the Catholic Tradition over other interpretations of Christianity. The New York Times printed his response...

‘What we’re doing is choosing what we’ve gratefully inherited from a supernatural point of view, in the same way we embrace and claim our families. … Just as sometimes a child when he or she grows up in the teenage years might grow rebellious, lose their moorings with their family, and then come back to it … I’m thinking, I’m hoping, that’s the way it is with a lot of our people who have decided to depart from the church. It’s very interested what you raised, in that what we see in the sociology of people that leave the church, many of them, most of them, … go to the evangelical mega-churches, where they find the preaching of the Bible, the Gospel, the teachings of Jesus, preached with particular vigor and clarity. I wonder if we have to examine our conscience as a church to say have we done that… or have we gotten a little too subjective… diluting, watering down the essentials of the faith.’

Three cheers for the demise of American Christianity!

‘The Decline and Fall of Christian America’ screamed a recent Newsweek cover story. With the headline positioned in the shape of the cross in blood-red font and released on Easter Week; the cover seemed poised to agitate rather than assuage.

The author, Newsweek Managing Editor Jon Meacham- is well versed in American Christianity. Meacham is the author of American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation, a first rate centrist tome which took to task both the irreligious Left –who want to banish all religious connections to the founding of America, and the revisionist Right -who want to view the founding of this country through modern day evangelical lenses.

Meacham’s thesis derives from various sources: the decline of the label ‘Christian’ in a recent Religious Identification Survey, Republican political loses in the 2008 Elections, and current Supreme Court rulings on Evolution and Gay Marriage.

I’m all for the demise of American Christianity and its four central beliefs.

-Radical individualism Alexis de Tocqueville’s 1835 book, Democracy in America, brought this specific character trait to light. Christianity in America is often seen as a Lone Ranger existence, ‘just me and Jesus,’ is a common refrain. If I only need Jesus and the Bible, then why should I connect with a local church?
-Lustful blending of power and religion
Jerry Falwell famously once said that the church has no business in politics. The advent of President Reagan along with the Moral Majority of the early 1980’s brought a radical shift to many in the Religious Right. For 20 years, the Religious Right identified its successes through the lens of political power: laws overturned, bans lifted, and politicians kowtowing to its demands.
-Manifest Destiny
This belief, which originated in the 19th century, continues to thrive as evidenced in the Presidential election of 2008. Adherents to Manifest Destiny see America as uniquely called and chosen by God to play a prophetic and biblical role in the world.
-Consumerist mentality
American Christianity has subscribed to the ‘bigger is better’ method of religion. Adapted from GM, Cosco, and a host of other acronymic companies, American Christianity feels that it needs to appeal to the wants of the masses in order to stay relevant, while offering services that are targeted to specific demographics. While some lament the increase in the, ‘church shopping’ mentality, American Christianity is to blame, for creating a culture of religious consumerism.

I think that we should cheer the demise of American Christianity because its four tenets corrupt the call to follow Christ. The entire bible speaks against the radical individualism that is a part of American cultural Christianity. From Genesis 12, where God calls Abram and his family to be His chosen people, to the ‘one another’s’ of the New Testament, everything that followers of Christ are to do and be, is to be done with God’s Community. Historically speaking, every time the political establishment opposed the Church, -the Church grew. And every time that the Church embraced the political establishment, the Church suffered. This fact is true, every time in every culture, in every historical setting. So why do American Christians feel that we are different? Woven into the fabric of our country is the view that America is God’s Light in the darkness. The Pilgrims quoted Matthew 5:14 as did Ronald Reagan. Yet to take words that Jesus spoke to his followers and apply them to the conquest of a new country is both exegetically and theologically disingenuous. At some point the American Church will realize that the way to grow is not to cater to specific demographics by providing services and customized learning experiences. Growth is an idol that demands to be fed. Truth is an avenue with Christ at its head.

Book Review: Priest, by Ken Bruen

Bruen’s prose mirrors his life. Abrasive, rough, weathered. All novelists write their biography through their fiction; the character and the writer being too enmeshed to find separation. For fans of the crime noir genre, Bruen’s the master. Setting is modern day Galway, Ireland; main character is a former Garda, fresh out of alcohol detox, triggered by the accidental death of a friend’s young daughter, who he was supposed to be watching. Bruen writes like how a Guinness tastes: bitter, dark, and biting. Take this excerpt,

‘With horror, I realized I cared for more people in the graveyard then in life, which means you’ve lived too long or God has a serious vendetta going, with no sign of Him letting up in the foreseeable future. What all this transmuted into was rage, a blinding, encompassing, white rawness of fury. When I hit the guy on the bridge, the truth was I felt near released. Only massive control prevented me finishing him off, and man I wanted to – still did. The classic definition of depression is rage turned inward, so the way I figured it, I was born depressed. No f***ing more. I wasn’t going under that dank water which is depression, where your best daily moment is climbing into bed. Of course, the very worst is when you wake, the black cloud waiting, and you go ‘Not this s**t again.’

Bruen weaves in Pascal, Bono, Soren Kierkegaard, Cash’s ‘Hurt’, and dozens of other literary and musical references which helps to raise his work from the gutter of pain -where most crime noir novels reside.

Music Review: U2's No Line On The Horizon

Artistic greatness is sought by many. Yet greatness -more often then not- turns into a vice, trapping most who achieve it. Take a look at movie directors M. Night Shyamalan and John Singleton –both ensnared by early success. Take a look at every band outside of Coldplay that was hailed as the ‘next great thing’ -The Killers, The Bravery, Arcade Fire, Interpol, etc… Those few artists who escape the death-grip of greatness are the ones who continue to reinvent themselves, while staying true to their musical heritage. Madonna and the Rolling Stones try to remake themselves with every new album, but for the life of me I can’t name a single song that either has released in the last 20 years.

U2 stands nearly alone for they managed to produce sonically unique music, while still feasting on the themes of love, redemption, salvation, longing, and justice. These themes were present in 1976 when Larry posted a note on his school’s billboard looking for musicians to start a band. These themes have infused every song and every album that U2 has released. Larry, Adam, The Edge, and Bono write for the soul, giving us reasons to sing, to worship, and to love.

No Line on the Horizon is U2’s 12 studio album. Fellow U2 fanatic and friend Corbin D. mentioned to me that he thought this album sounded like a collection of B-sides. I would agree… there is a level of thematic continuity, but these themes are found in the lyrics, not the music. Each song appears to be unique it its own right, which probably reflects the ill-fated attempt to have famous producer Rick Rubin guide U2. Daniel Lanois, Steve Lillywhite and Brian Eno, all familiar chaps to U2 and to their fans, were brought in to rescue and revive this album. Furthermore, recording in Morocco, France, Ireland and England also added to the eclectic feel of No Line on the Horizon.

After repeatedly listening to NLOTH, Magnificence and Moment of Surrender are two songs that appeal the most. Magnificence could be played in any church, as its Christo-centric theology and call to worship, along with a driving bass and drumbeat move us to worship and to surrender. Magnificence features the line, ‘Only love could leave such a mark…’ What a truly powerful and symbolic line! I have reflected and thought about this line, and how it can be applied to the scars of Christ, the mark that we all bear as fellow image bearers of God, and even the mark that we have as children of Christ. Moment of Surrender is woven from the same fabric that gave us Bad, 40, and One.

Embracing Bankruptcy

Stanley Fish is a respected literary theorist, a leading postmodernist, and op-ed contributor to the New York Times. His most recent article delineating two lines of Christian response to the current financial crisis, provoked an avalanche of responses. Fish depicts the orthodox Christian teaching of Total Depravity and draws the parallels to the current global economic crisis. Theologically, salvation comes from declaring our moral bankruptcy and our need to depend solely upon Jesus' atoning death on the cross. Economically, salvation comes about through our faith in the markets, through our faith in political leaders, through our faith in global economic trends. Fish, not one to stand on the side of the religious, suggests that God may be a better option then the markets... I'd agree.

Obama beats Jesus!

A recently released Harris poll shows that Obama is America's top hero, beating out Jesus and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! You can make your own observations about this survey; what surprised me more was reading that Bush was in the Top Ten list.

1st Church of Musky Fishing

I attended church today at the Milwaukee Musky Fishing Sports Show. I went in support of my neighbor, Kevin Moore, a guide who gave a talk on 'Fishing High Pressured Water.' What stood out in my mind were the similarities between a local evangelical church and what I found at the Musky Show. The demographics were homogeneous -to each context -in both the church and the Musky Show, the comparable dress code (jeans, and 2 day old stubble, and a fishing cap vs. business casual found in most churches), both took an offering ($10 entrance fee at the door vs. voluntary giving as part of the service), the unique inside vocabulary (I listened to my neighbor's 45 minute presentation, and understood about 1/2 of it vs. a similar employment of an inside 'religious' vocabulary used in church), and repeated references to what I call, 'local heroes' (I met the man who holds the world record for largest Musky vs. the 'local heroes' w/n the church of Rob Bell, Mark Driscoll and Andy Stanley).

And as is the case for many... I didn't feel like I fit in. Unfamiliar with the dress code, vocabulary, the local heroes, or the demographic of the show... Maybe the Evangelical Church can learn from the 1st Church of Musky!

The Pastor as CEO, Surfer Dude, Hunter, or Coach

I've seen different personality types in the role of Pastor. The CEO Pastor, sits atop his organization, ruling from on high. The Surfer Dude Pastor, rides the wave of coolness, letting culture dictate his style. The Hunter Pastor, regales his followers with exploits from the wilderness. The Coach Pastor, is constantly motivating with that type A personality. Scot McKnight is his Out of Ur blog, makes the case to be just called 'Pastor.' Excellent work Scot!

In praise of Third Place

Sociologists use the term 'First place' to refer to our homes, the primary location of our main social interactions. 'Second place' refers to where we work, and 'third place' describes that which allows for creative interaction between people while not at home or at work. Its Thursday night, February 12th, 2009 and I'm writing this post in a local Starbucks. Next to me is a medical student, studying for upcoming exams. In front of me is a group of 12 young people from Eastern Europe, chatting amiably about life. Students, older people, young moms, all congregating, sipping expensive hot drinks, everyone coming together in a social setting that is only possible at a Third Place. The health of any community depends on the amount and quality of these Third Places!

Seen on the back of a Volvo

Bumper sticker that read: Eschew Obfuscation

Got to love it!

Is Jesus our Model for living?

Or is he something more... I was looking through some archived sermons the other day from a well-known mega-church pastor and came across a sermon on Philippians chapter 2. The application drawn from the passage was that we need to be humble and subscribe to downward mobility -following the example of Jesus... It occurred to me that while this is a great truth, i wondered if we were reducing Jesus to a mere model. Is he a model for us, or is he something more... It is my understanding that Jesus is our Savior first, and to those who are followers of Him, He then is also a model. I wonder if some have fallen into an error of reversing these priorities.

Buying your way into heaven?

Paul Vitello, reporting for the New York Times, describes the return of Indulgences here . For those versed in Church History, we remember that Luther took to task the Catholic Church over the selling of these dispensations. Indulgences are avenues to avoid time in purgatory or at least reduce the amount of suffering one must endure. The Vatican is making it clear that these indulgences are not for sale, however are available for those who will make charitable donations. The implications of this move are seismic in nature. Evangelical theology teaches that forgiveness of sins is final at the Cross of Christ. Christ paid for every one's sins once and for all. I wonder if people find Indulgences appealing for it gives us the ability to influence God's forgiveness?

Growing Spiritually at No Regrets 2009

Each year Elmbrook Church in Brookfield Wisconsin sponsors a regional men's event called No Regrets... This year over 5000 men attended seminars held in 3 different locations. I spoke at the Westbrook location on the topic of Spiritual Growth. All 74 speakers can be heard for free by clicking HERE We had over 25 guys attend from our church, and each one of them came away motivated in their relationships to Christ, their families, and to their spouses. Definitely an amazing experience!

Music Review: A Hundred Million Suns, by Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol's latest album is an artistic work of soring sounds, lush lyrics, and delightful melodies. 'Crack the Shutters' and 'The Planets Bend Between Us' are 1st class songs. Ireland's lesser sons of rock, Snow Patrol continues to create rich textures with its lyrics and music. Their songs 'Run,' 'Chocolate,' and 'Chasing Cars,' have been staples on Top 40 stations, since they were released in mid 2000. A Hundred Million Suns is a mature, intricate and beautiful collection of songs.

Growing Spiritually

The email requested that I speak on the topic of Growing Spiritually. I'm a huge fan of No Regrets, the regional men's conference hosted at Elmbrook Church, having attended many years in the past. 'Ah, the humor of this topic...', I said to myself... So on Saturday, February 7th I'll be addressing this topic in front of up to 700 men! My plan, to point to God's Word, specifically the path of wisdom that is found in the book of Proverbs. More to come...