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.

God does not have a plan for your life

I recently wrote this article for Christian Standard magazine, and I’m already getting lots of feedback on both sides of the issue. Click the link below to read the entire article on the CS site.

“God’s plan for your life isn’t a map you see all at once, but a scroll unrolled a little at a time, requiring faith,” Rick Warren recently tweeted.

“God will accelerate his plan for your life as you put your trust in him. God is giving you victory sooner than you think,” says Joel Osteen.

Less prominent Christians champion the theology as well. In responding to a new believer’s question about his career, a contributor to Bible-Knowledge.com writes, “God will now be the one to fully guide you into whatever jobs he will want you to have. . . . The choice is no longer yours! In the meantime, God will make sure you have enough money and support coming in to keep you afloat until this next job comes through.”

It is comforting to believe God has mapped out our future. It is exciting to think he’s bringing me victory. And I would love for God to make sure I have enough money while I passively wait for it to happen.

But unlike pastors Warren and Osteen, Mr. Bible-Knowledge, and many Christians I know, I don’t believe God has created a plan for my life—or for yours.


Problems with “The Plan”
–We take verses out of context

Jeremiah 29:11 is a cherished verse, frequently used for encouragement in graduation cards, post-breakup pep talks and, yes, job searches. (Well-meaning believers have recited it to me in all three contexts.) Along with The Bachelorette and people who refuse to vaccinate their children, its yanked-out-of-context use is one of the biggest pet peeves of my life.

Somehow we forget the grim reality surrounding this verse: amidst oracles of doom and judgment against Judah, Jeremiah says these words to comfort the people (as a group) with promises of eventual restoration and return from exile.

This is a bit different from claiming it as a guarantee of a fulfilling job, wonderful spouse, or ministry “call.”

Click here to read more, including why I find this theology harmful, why it lets American Christians feel special, and and what I do believe about God’s plan.

on the block

OOOOOOH the irony.

My friend Jeff recently invited me to contribute to a synchroblog (a bunch of people blogging on the same topic) about how to break through creative blocks. And I couldn’t think of a thing to write.

Experiencing writer’s block while working on a post about writer’s block is thirteen kinds of ridiculous, but I know why it’s happening; when I scrolled through the list of Christian “names” who had already written, I was intimidated to submit my little post into the fray. Suddenly it seemed necessary to not only contribute something to the discussion, but to do so with wit AND originality AND humor AND insight AND spiritual depth.

A tall order. Before working on this I’d been sitting in my hotel room in Mobile, Alabama eating peanut butter cookies. That seemed much easier than trying to compete with these other voices.


And that, of course, is the reason I’m stuck. When I write to compete instead of contribute, readers never get my best work. When I try to impress people, I miss the chance to impact them.

“If you want to write, you can,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes. “You’re a human being, with a unique story to tell, and you have every right. If you speak with passion, many of us will listen. We need stories to live, all of us. We live by story. Yours enlarges the circle.”

That circle may be thousands of blog readers or a handful of Twitter followers. Resist the temptation to compare circle sizes; instead, consider what yours needs. What concerns them? Enrages them? Confuses them? What are they talking about, struggling with, laughing at? What stories are they living?

The usual suspects will always collaborate to block our creativity, whether it’s writing a blog post, a church enewsletter, or a book. But I’m learning (thanks, Jeff!) that one of the best ways for me to spark a new thought is to stop managing my “image” and start serving my readers. Considering my community is not only easier than trying to be the next super-blogger, it’s also a lot more fun.


What circles of influence do you have? What do those communities need from you this week?

a list for friday–songs I’m embarrassed to admit I like

“The Only One ” — Lionel Richie

Most of Glee, Season 1

“Papa Don’t Preach” — Madonna (and, um, the Glee version of it)

“Morning Train” — Sheena Easton

“Mmmmbop” — Hanson




Almost anything by Rascal Flatts

“Raise Your Glass” — Pink

“Weekend in New England” — Barry Manilow

“Karma Chameleon” — Boy George

“I Want It That Way” — Backstreet Boys

“This is the Night” — Clay Aiken

“Hey Santa” — Wilson Phillips  (I know…….)

That Beyonce one


What song are you embarrassed to like?