a list for friday–worship songs I have trouble singing, part 2

Before jumping into my list, we begin with some honorable mentions contributed by helpful readers after last week’s post.


Their picks for the worship song they just can’t sing included Famous One (for a number of reasons, including the line “For all you’ve done and yet to do”), Breathe (“The song just bugs me for some reason. Mainly I feel like we are suffocating”) and How He Loves (“you know, the Sloppy Wet Kiss song”).

Much ire was directed at I Could Sing of Your Love Forever. The whole song is about dancing with joy and it’s usually sung by “a bunch of stoic, middle-class white people, doing nothing that even remotely resembles dancing,” said one. Another person succinctly summed up my feelings when he said, “Why is this song always performed so it seems like it DOES go on forever?”


But the winner from last week’s comments was my college friend Tom who shared the verse from a song that, he said, “makes me want to shower each time I hear it.” Go check out the comments from part one.

And that leads us into today’s list…..


1. You Are My Passion

Objectionable lyric:

Now will You draw me close to You?
Gather me in Your arms.
Let me hear the beating of Your heart,
O my Jesus, O my Jesus.

You are my passion, Love of my life
Friend and companion,
My Lover.
All of my being longs for Your touch.
With all my heart I love You.

Why: If the example from Tom didn’t convince you (seriously, go read it), here’s another example of the “Jesus, my boyfriend with whom I apparently get very physical” genre. And we wonder why there are no men at church.

A good rule of thumb: If you would be too embarrassed to stand up with a microphone and speak the words to your spouse, please do not sing them to your Savior.


2. Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?

Objectionable lyric:

Open up the doors and let the music play
Let the streets resound with singing
Songs that bring your hope
Songs that bring your joy
Dancers who dance upon injustice

Why: How, exactly, does one dance upon injustice? Are special shoes required? And for that matter, why are we going so easy on injustice? Why aren’t we stomping on it? Or kicking it? Or giving it lots of paper cuts and then squeezing lemon juice on it?


3. Above All

Objectionable lyric:

Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Why: First, I’ve never connected with the image of a rose falling onto the ground and being walked on as a parallel for Jesus being beaten and nailed to wooden beams. Neither does “taking the fall” seem adequate (or even respectful).

But my bigger issue is that in typical American style we have made this song “above all” about us. Yes, Jesus laid down his life so we could know God, but the final chapters of each Gospel indicate he was focused on God’s glory, not Jennifer Taylor. Some worship leaders change “and thought of me” to “and now you reign.” It’s not a bad idea, folks.


4. Worthy is the Lamb

Objectionable lyric:

High and lifted up
Jesus, Son of God.
The darling of Heaven, crucified….
Worthy is the Lamb.

Why: It would only be worse if Jesus was called the sweetheart of heaven. “Honeybunch of heaven” has too many syllables. But “heartthrob of heaven” could work…….


5. Great is the Lord Almighty

Objectionable lyric:

Great is the Lord Almighty, He is Lord He is God indeed
Great is the Lord Almighty, He is God supreme

Why: Simply put, I cannot sing about “God supreme” without thinking of Taco Bell.


Okay, your turn again. Why the erotic subtext to so many Christian songs? Am I way off on “Above All”? And what would you do to injustice?

it’s not easy being green

I’m thinking about jealousy today.

Most of the time I’m quite content to be a behind-the-scenes person, using my skills to make other leaders and their projects more successful.

Most of the time.


Then there are days like yesterday when I see other people, much more well-known, praised for their abilities. Through a combination of luck and talent (because they are talented), these folks have risen to the top of their fields or the top of the best-seller lists or the top of the blogosphere, and for the most part they are doing good things with their platforms.

But sometimes I feel resentful because, if I’m honest, I think I’m just as talented and just as capable.


Maybe you can relate. Are you the pastor of a small, unknown church who regularly hits a home run with your sermons? Do you privately critique the messages preached by the megachurch guy down the street and resent his popularity and conference invites?

Maybe you work in an office where charisma is more valued than commitment and you see others receive credit for what you’ve done.

Or maybe, like me, you work hard and pay your dues plus some interest just to see others work less, make more money, receive more opportunities and get more pats on the back.


Self pity much? Just thinking this way seems childish, and I don’t like this about myself. I don’t like admitting it to you. But I’m probably not alone. So just in case any of you ever struggle with the same green-eyed monster, here’s what I try to remember when jealousy strikes:

I can’t know another person’s life. It’s easy to idealize someone else’s successes, but that person probably has physical, emotional, spiritual or relational struggles you know nothing about. Remember you’re only seeing one part of the picture.

Get real. It’s easy to feel cheated because I haven’t had the same opportunities, but if I’m honest I don’t have even the beginning of a book idea or a mission to share. Why fuss about not making the team when you haven’t learned the sport?

They feel jealous, too. Believe it or not, that “personality” you’re thinking of is measuring himself against someone else. There’s always someone with more money, more influence or more talent. Comparison doesn’t stop when you achieve a goal; if anything, it gets worse.

Those who need to know, know. The masses may not know my name, but the pastors, nonprofit leaders, authors, entrepreneurs and creatives I work with appreciate me and what I do. Having them as fans is more important to me than having Facebook fans.

There’s still ink in the pen. I’m in my 30s, not my 70s—there’s still time to have more adventures. Even if I was in my 70s, Grandma Moses proved you can begin an amazing career at any age. My story isn’t written yet.

Contentment is a choice. Today I get to see Andrew Peterson in concert (good grief, talk about an artist who should be better known), interview leaders in California and Florida for that Externally Focused project, brainstorm the new name for a midwest megachurch, write an iPhone app description for a church planting group, and connect with you on this blog. I’m healthy. My friends and family are wonderful. The lawnmower works again and there’s no “back to school” in my future. I have a pretty great life, and I need to remember it.


When do you feel jealous? How have you resisted the comparison game?

a list for friday—worship songs I have trouble singing, part 1

There are many, many fine “hymns, psalms and spiritual songs.”

But I’m a words person, and it’s difficult for me to sing a song with lyrics that are silly, untrue or confusing. Unfortunately our evangelical bubble is filled with them—and thus we begin a two-part series of my top ten least-singable choruses.


1. Draw Me Close

Objectionable lyric:

You are my desire
No one else will do
Cause nothing else can take your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace

Why: I think he’s saying, “Nothing can take the place of feeling your warm embrace.” Which is slightly creepy, but could be overlooked if it was anywhere in the general area of grammatical correctness. Which it ain’t.


2. Shout to the North

Objectionable lyric:

We’ve been through fire, we’ve been through rain
We’ve been refined by the power of Your name
We’ve fallen deeper in love with You
You’ve burned the truth on our lips

Why:  a) Why are we shouting in all four directions? b) “You’ve burned the truth on our lips.” Yes, I get the Isaiah reference. But how many people in your congregation do? c) The melody makes me want to punch someone.


3. Trading My Sorrows

Objectionable lyric:

Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes Yes Lord
Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes Yes Lord
Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes Yes Lord, Amen.

Why: Figure it out.


4. Ancient Words (and others)

Objectionable lyric:

Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart

Why: This song is just one representative of a entire genre using “impart” as the only rhyming word for heart. I am opposed to this in most examples (Watermark was a frequent offender) but this one is our scapegoat because it manages the hat trick of also being grammatically incorrect and confusing. Let the words impart what?


5. Come Thou Fount

Objectionable lyric:

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come.

Why: This is actually one of my very favorite hymns, but for the sake of all Christendom would somebody please rewrite this line? Even if the worship leader explains it before the song, “raising your Ebenezer” still sounds vaguely dirty.


Your turn. What songs do you have trouble singing?

the one hundred

Last week I was asked to contribute to “The 100 Best Externally Focused Ideas of 2011,” a downloadable resource that will be available this fall.

These ideas cover a range of categories: adoption and foster care, tutoring and mentoring, prison ministry and crime prevention, homelessness, hunger, single moms and crisis pregnancy, business as mission, health care, elderly and widows, public servants and city government, refugees and cross-cultural, special needs, human trafficking, mobilizing college students, families serving together, and more.

So I spent some time this weekend reviewing the last year of Buzz columns and thinking about the various churches I’ve learned about through work with Visioneering, the Association of Related Churches and the NACC.

It was encouraging to come across so many great examples:  the Refuge Medical Clinics developed by Southland…..”God Behind Bars” with Central in Vegas……My Safe Harbor with First Christian in Anaheim…..Cartwheels & Coffee at Area 10. I came up with two dozen examples to write about.


But that means we need about 75 more. (Do not ask me to do more difficult math than this.)

So think about the categories listed above and the churches you know—who’s doing something to make a difference in their community or around the world? Who’s created a program other churches might want to try? This resource will be a great way to get the word out about innovative approaches to outreach, and it might even inspire the people who read it to do something new.

Don’t be shy—leave a note in the comments with the basic info, or email me (jen@seejenwrite.com) with more information. The person who provides the most examples we use for the list will receive a copy of The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community and, when it’s available, a copy of the complete list. AND my eternal gratitude.

a list for friday—2011 summer adventures, part 1

We’re halfway through July which means the Memorial-Day-through-Labor-Day-summer-season is also halfway over. (It also means the stores in Nashville have already loaded the shelves with a depressing explosion of binders, folders, and pencils for back to school.)


Time to take stock of the adventures thus far. Since Memorial Day I have……

—learned to boogie board at the New Jersey shore in possibly the coldest water outside of the Arctic Ocean.

—been stung in the neck by three wasps.

—sprayed a wasp nest with enough poison to kill every bug in the southeastern US.

—run 2.5 miles! Without stopping! Or swearing!

—added a touch more blonde to my hair. Why not?

 

—tried mountain biking.

—tried sitting on one, um, cheek until the purple, grapefruit-size mountain biking bruise on the other side healed.

—walked 467 miles through the lower east side of Manhattan during a Saturday afternoon downpour…..

— …..but also walked the High Line.

—planted a garden that refused to grow. Seriously. It just sits there.

—stayed at a 245-year-old bed and breakfast near Philadelphia.

—road tripped against my will to Mobile, Alabama and back. (There’s a reason videos like this and this always come from Alabama.)

—tried unsuccessfully to “establish dominance” with a 60-pound Siberian Husky.

—lived through the Great Cicada Invasion of 2011.

—lit fireworks and made root beer floats.


Just a few more weeks, folks! What adventures are you having this summer?

in opinions, censorship

Last week a megachurch that has faithfully subscribed to Christian Standard for years decided to cancel their subscription because of a few recent articles from the “In Opinions, Liberty” column.

To call this ironic is an understatement.

The whole point of this new feature is to spark discussion on ideas in the spirit of the “in essentials, unity” slogan we like to quote. But instead of welcoming thoughtful dialogue on some non-essentials, this Christian church apparently wants to shield its members from thinking about them. And I’m appalled—not as a Standard Publishing girl, but as a believer.


For one thing, it’s a perfect example of the parent/child relationship that tells Christians what to think, not how. Do we discourage people from thinking critically because the ensuing discussions are too much work? Or is it because we’re afraid of the conclusions they may reach?

Aren’t we part of that whole “truth will set you free” thing?

Or perhaps it’s the topics recently covered in the column: Giving more money to global missions. Rethinking the need for expensive church buildings. Studying the doctrine of hell. Working for unity. Cultivating a global worldview. The effectiveness (or not) of small groups.

People are already talking about many of these issues. Others need to be talked about (and just might lead to changes the minister and elders would love to see). Church leaders can either ignore this reality or proactively provide resources that offer a Bible-based perspective. If we’re going to treat church members as children, let’s at least encourage “the kids” to explore risky topics with us.


Whether it’s reluctance to have the messy conversations or lack of faith in the brain power of its members, I’m disappointed by this church’s decision. But I think Christian Standard should feel a certain pride in its recent brush with censorship. When people opposed to thought find you too dangerous, it just might be a sign you’re doing something right.

a list for friday—overheard at the nacc

“Do you work at this booth or are you just standing here?”

“I’d like someone to do that arrangement of hymns at my funeral.”

“Why is there an exhibitor selling candied pecans?”

“Those Westboro folks really need to get a hobby.”




“I figure if I preach so women and children can understand it, then anyone can understand it.”

“There are 7,000 people at this convention and 5,000 of them are in line at Graeter’s.”

“That’s a LOT of letters in the front of the program book.”

“Wanna go to the workshop on global poverty or should we get a snack?”


“Who were you talking to over there?” 

“No idea. But he seemed to know me.”


“Of course it’s hot—it’s NACC week.”

“I just realized my shirt is on backwards.”

“I don’t remember a traffic jam this bad since an Oak Ridge Boys and Olivia Newton John concert in the early 80s.”

“Dudley/Daryl/Greg/Dave/Phil/Jeff/Francis/Jeff’s sermon was great, wasn’t it?”


“Florida sounds fun.”

an example from a reader

Earlier this year I wrote a post urging “older” ladies to consider proactively building relationships with younger women and helping us navigate marriage and work and parenthood. I received several good comments and then forgot about it until a few weeks ago, when a reader emailed me this message:

I was reading your blog, my mind going in all sorts of directions from N.T. Wright’s books to finding a young woman to mentor. And it HIT me–I AM mentoring a young woman, just not the way I thought it would be.

Once a week, I stay with a young woman, 29 years old, who was diagnosed in January with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. She had just completed her doctorate in physical therapy, her husband was in Afghanistan, they were planning their next chapter of having children. The military brought her husband home and has allowed him to remain in the active military in the States. Since she has already progressed to the point of being on a walker/wheelchair, she needs people to stay with her while her husband works.

I signed up for one day and she talked the whole time—very softly, but talked. At the end of the day I said to her, “You know that I’m 70, have arthritis, and can’t do a lot of your heavy work. I can do light chores, but if you fall, we’ll just have to keep each other company on the floor because I won’t be able to get you up. I need your honesty. What can I do to help? Run errands? Write letters? What?”


She gave me a life-changing response. She said, “I have lots of people to do my work. I have no one to just sit calmly and talk with me.”

So I go once a week and sit calmly and talk with her. She’s telling me about her whole life. So far we are up to age 19. She tells me about her struggles with accepting this disease. She talks about her disappointment at not being able to raise children.

Even at my age and condition, God is using me at what I do best—talking and listening. I know some might dispute my ability to sit quietly and listen, but I can when God calls me to it!

I’m writing to tell you I’m mentoring. And I’m writing to ask for prayer. My daughter said, “Mom, I know this is a God-thing, because otherwise you wouldn’t be doing it.” What she means is, I usually run from anything dealing with sick people. I didn’t even like going with my husband to do home communion! I’m determined to stay with this young woman till…..

Please pray for me.

This friend is choosing to do what she can with where she is. What a great example of obedience as well as a reminder that “mentoring” does not need to be complex or programmed, just an intentional connection between two people. It can also work both ways—I told my friend I suspect she will receive even more from this friendship than she gives.

I’m so proud of her and honored to pray for this adventure. I’d love to do the same for you this summer—leave a comment about your own recent steps of faith and how we can support you in prayer.

a list for friday–numbers

Number of friends on Facebook: 628

Number of “friends” I’ve never met: 134


Number of bruises on my hind end after mountain biking last week: 3

Number of times I fell off the bike: 3

Number of times I’ll probably go biking again: 0






Number of old boyfriends whose birthdays I still remember for no reason: 7

Number of days each year I forget to take my multivitamin: 359

Number of times I’ve moved since college: 6

Number expressing my love of moving: -1004


Number of times I asked All Natural Lawns & Landscape to mow my lawn the last two weeks while I traveled: 2

Number of times they actually mowed: 0

Number I had to count to before calling them and expressing my unhappiness: 20

Number of comments on the CS version of Tuesday’s post: 17

Number that said I was doing  “violence to Scripture and to the sovereign character of God”: 1

Number of times I’ve decided to read through the Bible in a year: 5

Number of times I’ve actually read through the Bible in a year: 1

Number of years I’ve committed to journaling: 3

Number of years I’ve consistently written in my journal: 0

(Number of minutes I looked online to see if “journalled” was a word: 4)

Number of years I plan to make either resolution again: 0


Number of dollars I owe in library fines:

let’s just say I’m not allowed to borrow any more books right now.