main cow pic

05.30.10

Why we play so much Sigur Ros at church

Filed under: God's movement,music,willow,worship — 2:02 pm

I was just explaining to my uncle why we do so much Sigur Ros inspired music at Willow, and here’s what I finally stumbled onto:

“Many of us come to church looking for transcendence, but christian music often feels like ‘correct ideas set to a catchy tune’. And there’s nothing less transcendent than a comercial. But Sigur Ros (and bands like them) bypass our analytical, rational selves and invite us into deeper, richer, and more dangerous places. This is a profound mystery, but I think it has something to do with tapping into that ancient, universal ache…and then honoring it with appropriate sounds and space.”

I don’t want our worship gatherings to be explainable (aka fogettable) propaganda. We don’t need more songs that try to market Jesus to fickle consumers. Instead, let’s dig down into the deepest streams – into that shared longing for something bigger and more beautiful than ourselves – only to discover that the Loving Creator has been there all along.

I’m not entirely sure how to do this (other than learning from Sigur Ros and other “sonic mystics”) but we sure are enjoying the journey. Thoughts? What are you discovering?

05.27.10

honesty and guacamole

Filed under: leadership,life — 9:32 am

burrito

A friend and I recently went out to lunch (Chipotle!) and stumbled into a profoundly honest conversation that really helped me.  This friend is ten years older, about 20 years wiser, and three life-times more grounded.  He’s influential and well-respected in a big corporation – kind of a big shot – and as smart as anyone I know.  He’s read more, created more, prayed more, and grown more than most people ever will.  But none of those things helped me.

We were talking about something I’m wrestling with, and instead of trying to fix me, he simply told his story.  And not just the “here’s why I’m great” part, but something messy and vulnerable.  Instead of standing up and saying “someday you might be as put together as me”, he knelt down and said “me too.” And this humility created a space where I could nervously pull back my own curtain. . .opening a conversation that has the potential to change my life.  What a gift.

I didn’t need an expert or judge or super-hero or teacher.  I needed a fellow human.  Thanks, friend.

05.21.10

Road Trip

Filed under: music,worship — 12:07 pm

I am writing this on my iPhone WP app in the back of a van that smells like Beef Jerky. Road trip! Four of my favorite people (Nathan, Becky, Ben, and Izzy) and I are driving to Canada to lead worship at a conference called AOYC.

(We just voted on a lunch stop: Cracker Barrel triumphed over Bob Evans!!!)

The first session is tonight, and then we get to be a part of five more sessions over the long weekend. 1000 passionate high school students = lots to be excited about. Full update coming soon!

05.19.10

How to Start a Movement

Filed under: creativity,leadership — 7:13 am

This is a 3 minute freight train of energy and insight.  If you’re more excited about a Movement than an Institution – a Revolution more than an Organization – you may love this…

05.17.10

two painful quotes for today

Filed under: God's movement,life,quotes — 12:42 pm

“We seem to have focused so much on exuberant beginnings and victorious endings that we’ve forgotten about the slow, sometimes tortuous unraveling of God’s grace that takes place in the ‘middle places.’”           (Sue Monk Kidd)

“We must be willing to be uncomfortable for a while if we wish to be released from whatever has bound us.”  (Understanding the Enneagram)

05.14.10

an incredible short film

Filed under: creativity,willow — 5:42 pm

This week, Prolifik Film released a new short film called “Free Fall“.  Not only is it amazing, but it stars one of the most talented people I know:  Sharon Irving.  Sharon is a phenomenal artist, really kind person, and cooler than any three of us combined.  Below is both the new film AND an unbelievable video that Sharon and the Willow team created a couple years ago for the Leadership Summit.  Enjoy!

05.13.10

join something amazing

Filed under: God's movement — 3:33 pm

In two and a half weeks, my friend Paul JVR will run the world’s toughest Ultra Marathon in South Africa.   Fifty-six miles!!! He will run with Team World Vision to help 100 African kids get sponsored:  for $35 a month, a child who does not have a fair shot at life can have access to clean drinking water, medication, education, and a caring community.  Paul has over 60 sponsors already, but is still 30+ short.  Might you be willing to change a kid’s life in this way?  Whether by sponsoring or simply spreading the word, please consider joining this mission.  Here is what Paul told me today…

You can learn more at TeamJVR.org, or please email me if you have any questions.  We can do this!

05.11.10

8 glorious minutes of swagger

Filed under: creativity,music — 5:42 pm

well…the copyright people took this video down.  (Jay Z on SNL).  But if you haven’t seen it, keep looking around on line and don’t stop until you find it.  Amazing!  I want to be Jay Z when I grow up.

05.10.10

the story behind the Remix EP

Filed under: creativity,music — 2:26 pm

With Broken Wrists

Do you have “With Broken Wrists (the Alberta Remix)”?  This 80s-soaked remix of five of my songs from “With Broken Fists” will make you want to tight roll your acid-washed pants and re-watch The Breakfast Club.  And it’s still available for free download HERE! Did I mention it’s free?

The genius behind the remix is Bobby Ray.  He took four melodies — “Changed”, “The Resistance”, “You Are”, and “Already Here” — and mangled them into something really fresh and exciting.  (And by “fresh”, I mean “cool in 1983″.)  Since he’s both a studio/tech nerd and wildly opinionated, I thought you’d all enjoy hearing his story behind the remix.  There’s truly no one like Bob.

Here is his story…

“When Aaron off-handedly asked me if I’d like to do a remix of one of his songs, I did what I naturally do…suggest doing something that is a lot more work.  I don’t know why I do that, since I was the one who would have to do it.  Nevertheless, I thought it would be fun to do an entire remix EP.  My appreciation for electronic music has grown in recent years and has revived my past dormant love for the 80s (Tears for Fears “Songs from the Big Chair” is one of the best albums of all time), which I vastly prefer to the muddy, dry 70s (let the stoning begin).

“Still, when it comes to electronic music, and remixes in particular, I prefer to take a song-based approach, as opposed to a 10-minute, 8-bar looped club version.  And since I didn’t figure Aaron would be throwing an all-night dance party anytime soon, I stuck with…” Read more here

05.07.10

a few things I’m into right now…

Filed under: life — 9:28 pm

(1) Trying to get beyond “either/or” thinking. Scot McKnight recently shared President Obama’s “plea for civility” (excerpt from his U of M speech) and a fantastic piece called “The Anti-Me” on his blog.  I was really inspired by the bridge-building post…and shocked/saddened by the many ungracious comments.  How did a plea for civility bring out so much incivility?  It made me wonder:

What if we listened to Sarah Palin AND Bill Maher?  What could we gain from Pat Robertson AND Richard Dawkins?  What if we looked for reasons to learn from people, not for reasons we don’t have to?  Let’s try to become humble students of Reality in the widest possible sense.

(2) This hilarious video. There’s nothing like laughing…and groaning…and laughing again at a spoof of your own profession.  These guys do a great job making fun of church-work…helping us all take ourselves less seriously.

(3) J Street. J Street is a primarily Jewish, non-profit advocacy group that promotes America’s leadership of a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  Although I’m exploring all kinds of sources, J Street’s perspective resonates with me deeply.  Check them out today at  website and twitter!

(4) Getting to lead worship with my family. We’re a little more like the Partridge Family than I’d like to admit, but this night was really fun…

05.06.10

My top three all time favorite cover songs

Filed under: creativity,music — 6:29 pm

(1) Johnny Cash: “Hung My Head”. Johnny’s cover of “Hurt” received all the attention, but this song is the real gem.  The original (by Sting) always seemed a little cheesy and pretentious, but Cash grounds it in the blood and dirt of life.  And Rick Rubin’s genius arrangement – stripping the song to it’s haunting bare bones – kills me every time.

(2) PomplamooseMusic:  “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)”. This video has over 4.2 million views on YouTube, and I’ve probably added 100 of them!  This couple (PomplamooseMusic) has created some of the most fun, most original covers out there…I love his quirky passion and her detatched-hipster vibe.

(3) Tori Amos:  “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. This song is so evocative that I can barely listen to it.  She turns this ironic, grunge-era anthem into a mournful freight train of fragile emotion.  Make sure you plug in the headphones, close your eyes, and soak this one in.

Honorable mention: Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah“. This is one of my favorite songs on ANY list, but I didn’t include it as a cover.  Leonard Cohen who?  This is a Jeffy Buckley song.

Shauna’s list: While writing I was writing this, Shauna told me her favorites…”Romeo and Juliet” by The Indigo Girls…”Landslide” by Dixie Chicks…”Umbrella” by Boyce Avenue.

What about you?  What would be on your list?

05.04.10

Drive: discovering what motivates us

Filed under: books,creativity,leadership — 1:11 pm

I just finished Daniel Pink’s fascinating book “Drive”, which lays out a simple but profound idea:  the old management/motivation style no longer works with this new generation. I’ve been feeling this for a long time, but Pink fleshes it out masterfully.

Drive

Premise one:  Sticks and Carrots (punishment and rewards) don’t motivate people the way they used to. External, top-down pressure can create quick action, but like a drug we’re building immunity to, it is losing potency.  In fact, new research suggests that “to focus on the short term and opt for controlling people’s behavior does considerable long-term damage.”  I recently heard of a boss directing a manager to “put the fear of God” into her employees as a way of helping them create something new.  This. Will. Not. Work.

Premise two:  People are most fueled by freedom, challenge, and purpose. (1) Freedom, different from independence, is the ability to be self-directed in meaningful ways.  (2) Challenge is being devoted to getting better at something that matters.  (3) Meaning connects the quest for excellence to a larger purpose.   For me, when these three realities are present, I’m not thinking about salary or weekend or requirements or failure or anything that I HAVE to do…I’m simply swept up in what I GET to do.

“…the secret to high performance isn’t our biological drive or our reward-and-punishment drive, but our third drive — our deep-seated desire to direct our own lives, to extend and expand our abilities, and to live a life of purpose.”

This resonates SO deeply with me!  What about you?  Thoughts?

05.02.10

Calling All Songwriters

Filed under: creativity,music,willow,worship — 12:32 pm

A couple weeks ago at church, Bill told a story about an original song that became an anthem during one of their darkest seasons.  As much as I like the song (“He is Able”) and love the songwriters (Rory Noland and Greg Ferguson, two of my all-time favorite people!), it was Bill’s story that captured me.   I kept thinking “Why don’t we have more songs like this?  Why aren’t more artists creating art that directly flows out of our community?” And most of all, as a songwriter, “What’s stopping me from beginning today?” Fear Busyness?  Laziness?  Insecurity?  What is it?!?  Here’s the story Bill told…

What about you?   What is going on in your community – whether church or neighborhood or school or family or anything! – that you can create art from and for?  How can you give voice to what is already going on and breathe life into where it’s going?   Let’s all create something great today…