Glee: Seriously, It’s OK to Have Fun

One of my friends mentioned last night that there seems to be a cult forming around Fox’s new musical comedy, Glee.  And I’m pretty sure she was right.  I’m not part of that, but I have enjoyed most of what I’ve seen of it so far, and I recommend that most people give it a shot, if only just to see what you think.  But I got this review of the show in an e-mail from my mom.  Before you read any further, I must stress that the views expressed in this article do NOT necessarily reflect my mom’s views.  She’s not even on the e-mail list for the writer or organization.  The article was forwarded to her by a friend.

‘GLEE’ is not another ‘High School Musical’

There is singing and dancing in FOX’s new television program “GLEE,” but this is no “High School Musical.” It is far from a family-friendly program. “GLEE” is another show targeting children and teens.

From Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Nip/Tuck,” comes “GLEE,” a new series which follows an optimistic teacher attempting to save their high school’s Glee Club. “GLEE” is not as graphic as “Nip/Tuck,” but just as offensive.

The music chosen for this show is extremely inappropriate especially for school activities. The choreographed routines are obscene and contain vulgar dancing which they perform for the student body.

The writers mock Christianity when the principal tries to discipline the Glee Club by having them select their music from a list of songs with either “Jesus” or “balloons” in the title which they translate as punishment.

Similar to most teen shows today all the students can talk about is s*x. Male students discuss grinding, erupting, and how girl’s skirts are so short they can almost see their ovaries.

Students show disrespect to their teacher and guidance counselor by telling them to “get a room.”

This is only a few of the high points or should we say low points of one episode.

TAKE ACTION

If you are outraged by this new series send Olive Garden, Chili’s (Brinker International), and InventHelp an email asking them to pull their support from “GLEE” and no longer sponsor this program through advertising. Your email will also be sent to FOX Network.

Send Your Letter Now!

Thank you for caring enough to get involved. If you find our efforts worth supporting, would you consider making a small tax-deductible donation to help us continue?

Sincerely,

Monica Cole, Director
OneMillionMoms.com

Sounds to me like an EXTREMELY conservative review that is blowing a lot of things out of proportion.  There is a scene in which the glee club performs a routine in front of the student body that was inappropriate, but they get in trouble for it and recognize that their behavior was wrong and went against what their teacher told them to do.  The music list with all the songs that have either “Jesus” or “balloons” in the title – I actually thought that was funny.  This writer is being WAY too sensitive about that.  I didn’t take it as an affront to Christianity at all.  And it’s absolutely false that “all the students can talk about is sex.”  There is some allusion to…male body functions, shall we say, though not in a graphic or blunt way.  Plus, when the students tell the teacher and guidance counselor to get a room (these faculty members were only talking in the hallway, no PDA happening) – frankly, that could totally happen in high schools today, so it’s not so farfetched from reality.

The only things that came close to offending my sensibilities were when they seemed to put down the idea of sexual abstinence during a meeting of the school’s “celibacy club,” and this past week when one of the characters came out as gay to a trusted friend and it was treated with the typical worldly “express yourself, it’s all okay” attitude.  Naturally, this conflicts with my ideology that sex is for marriage and that homosexuality is wrong.  But I respect people who disagree with me, and these moments definitely don’t ruin the show.

I recommend that people actually check out what the show is like for themselves, especially before “taking action” as the end of the article suggests.  Glee includes several really fun, awesomely choreographed, high-quality arrangements of songs which have lyrics that are NOT offensive, and I often find myself enjoying the Glee covers of these songs more than the original versions.  There’s something to be said for a show that can take Kanye West (someone I find pretty despicable most of the time) and make one of his songs catchy and fun.  Kudos to Fox for bringing together a group of very talented performers and bringing us a series about finding joy in music, and in life for that matter.  If you’re a fan at all of singing, dancing, or most genres of contemporary music (Journey, REO Speedwagon, Rihanna, and more to come), chances are you’ll be a fan of Glee.

Reborn: It’s Finally Here!

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, Avalon’s first completely original new release in three years is now available on iTunes!  Why am I excited about this?  Well, first of all, this album is where the blog gets its name (see post “What’s in a Name?”), but besides that, Avalon is pretty much my favorite contemporary Christian group ever.  These two couples have incredible vocal expression and range, tight harmonies, and awesome hearts for the Lord.

Their latest release is pretty different from what they’ve done in the past.  Its guitar-driven beat sounds a bit more rocky than any of their previous releases, but the signature Avalon vocal style is still there.  It sounds like Avalon, just updated, which showcases the versatility of these artists.  Over the years, they have been through some personnel changes, which adds to the somewhat different sound.  But their voices blend together so well, sometimes people don’t really hear a difference in who is singing when!

The only thing missing from this release that some longtime Avalon fans will miss is the usual pop ballad.  I have my theories as to why the group decided not to produce another of those.  That style was Avalon’s comfort zone in the beginning (way back in the late ’90s), but I have seen them grow away from that, and with each new release came more upbeat, pop rock “anthems.”  The track that probably comes closest to this classic Avalon trait is “Holy,” (a remake of Radiant Worship’s “You Are Holy”)  in which Greg’s (far right, above) and Jeremi’s (far left, above) soaring vocals carry the chorus as well as a message of powerful worship and reverence for the holiness of God and thanks for revealing Himself to us even in our sinful state.

Probably my favorite tracks so far (in the approx. 36 hours that I’ve been listening to had the album) are the title track, “Alive,” “Stay,” and “California.”  That last title might have raised some eyebrows, but yes, it is a Christian song.  It’s a song of submission to the Lord’s will, definitely reminding me of Isaiah 6:8:  “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’  And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”  The Lord has made us for great purposes, and when we submit to His will in obedience.  It also makes a great point with the line:  “Lift my feet from where I stand, down the street, to foreign land; anywhere You lead me, I will go.” Every Christian has a mission, whether that mission lies down the street or in lands far away, to obey Jesus’s Great Commission.

Maybe you didn’t expect a music review on here, but I’m kind of reaching for making different types of posts on various topics.  Of course, the main reason I chose this topic is my love for Avalon and their music.  Some of you have probably heard me talk about Avalon before, but whether you think my opinion is biased or not, I would encourage you to give this album a shot whether you like what they’ve done in the past or not.  If you want to sample some of their music, check out the link to their MySpace page at the bottom of the blog.  They’re pretty awesome if you ask me, and as the news release from the record label points out, “This is not your mother’s Avalon album!”

The New Song(s) We Sing

A few weeks ago, I sang a song for special music at my home church (hereafter referred to as First Baptist, or FBC) called “The New Song We Sing” by Meredith Andrews.  It’s pretty cool (duh, or I wouldn’t be singing it, right?), but this morning I started thinking about that concept of “singing a new song unto the Lord” as it relates to styles of music in churches today.

We had an interesting morning at First Baptist, which is where I attended this morning since I’m home for Labor Day weekend.  Lately, the choir director (aka:  my mom) has been introducing some new contemporary music for the first time in quite awhile.  A couple of weeks ago, an entire Sunday evening service was devoted to bringing the church together to learn these new songs.  It seems, however, that one will always run into reluctance, at best, when introducing this style of music to a crowd with demographics weighted such as they are in this church.  It also takes a little while for even the most willing learner to pick up on these songs.  I could tell that, whatever was going on in the hearts of the individuals gathered, the congregation was not yet totally comfortable with this material.  But that’s okay.  Some people warm up to new things more than others, and with time, things will almost certainly get smoother.

Thinking on this has brought me back to the question of what a music ministry is for in the first place.  One can simply say that it’s for worship, which, in extremely generalized terms, is true.  However, the concept of worship is too often limited in western, or at least American, culture to music.  Worship is a lifestyle of devotion, surrender, and an inner act of dying to oneself so that the object of these actions can be expressed through you.  In this case, we’re talking about worshiping God, although it’s been said that everybody’s worshiping something.  But back to the question at hand here; that is, why do we have a music ministry?  I would express the mission of a Christian music ministry as this:  to facilitate interaction between the created and the Creator in such a way that there exists open, two-way communication, ultimately resulting in the glorification of our God through this particular act of worship.

When churches find their music ministry in confusion, disarray, or even chaos, it is likely an indicator that true worship is not taking place.  A dangerous trap that is easy to fall into is to become a “people-pleasing” music minister, which often leads to such a problem.  A line must be drawn between facilitating acts of worship for as many as possible, and simply choosing music based on what congregants want to hear.  I’ll use First Baptist as an example here.  The age demographics themselves suggest that there are likely a number of people attending on Sunday mornings who would rather have a steady diet of “southern gospel” music than sing any contemporary songs at all, ever.  There are also members who would prefer contemporary music only, or classic hymns only, though many (like myself) prefer a blend of all of these.  In an effort to bring this body together for real engagement in corporate worship, all of these styles are used.  But does that mean the music ministry is just placating the people?

I think the difference is a matter of the heart.  Frankly, many churches that do not include contemporary styles in their music ministry are likely to close their doors within the next twenty years because of a lack of younger members to carry on the life of that ministry.  Once again, it’s simply got to do with demographics.  Those who are moved to worship by traditional styles must allow for the accomodation of the typically younger Christians who are moved to worship by contemporary styles.  Like I said, it’s a matter of the heart, and when the body of Christ comes together being of one mind, as Paul exhorted the Corinthians, worship will come easily and earnestly.  We must realize that when the words of a song speak truth, there is power in those words regardless of the musical style.  And once we reach that conclusion, we can’t help but be more open to “sing unto the Lord a new song.”

Psalm 96:1-9 -

“O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

 ²Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

 ³Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

 ⁴For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

 ⁵For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

 ⁶Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

 ⁷Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

 ⁸Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

 ⁹O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.”

Summer Recap

I realize I haven’t written for awhile, but it’s because a ton’s been going on this past week or two, the most significant thing being that I’m now back at school.  Thursday was the first day of classes, but I came back here on Monday so I could see some friends and help with some outreach events for CCF (Campus Christian Fellowship), the campus ministry I’m involved in, before diving right back into school itself.

Being back here has caused me to reflect on the past summer’s developments.  Of course, the question everyone asks around here right now is, “How was your summer?”  So despite the fact that many of you readers were around me this summer, I thought I’d share the answer to this burning question with the rest of cyberspace.

Let’s face it.  Most college students consider themselves adults (myself included) and are not completely thrilled with the whole idea of going back to living with mom and dad, whether it’s for a summer or after graduation.  This was definitely true for me last May when I reached my wit’s end of searching for something else to do for the summer.  It seemed like no matter what I tried to find to do, the doors to the other options just ended up closing (wonder Who’s behind that, right?).  But I ended up going back to the little town of 1,789 people that I have grown up in my whole life.  That corner of the world is, in my opinion, home to the embodiment of many of the stereotypes of “small-town America.”  But I digress.  I do like my hometown, probably more than most people coming out of there my age, but I spent the previous summer there and felt ready to move on to something cooler different.  I prayed that God would open up opportunities for me to help with some program, camp, get an internship, really just about anything, but even as I investigated those options, He wouldn’t let my heart get into them.  I finally realized that He wanted me to go home again, and not-so-incredibly, my choice to obey was the best decision I could have possibly made.

My home church is without a pastor right now.  I come from a Southern Baptist background, and in that denomination, when a pastor moves, there is no human authority such as a bishop with the ability to bring in a replacement.  So the church has to form a “Pastor Search Committee” that sorts through a lot of information and listens to a lot of extra sermons from the men interested in the job.  In the meantime between pastors, they also have the unenviable task of finding guest speakers to preach from week-to-week.  As a result, the continuity in the church does not lie in the sermons or headship of a pastor during this time, but in the ministries already established in that body.  So in turn, when I arrived back at home, the Lord placed in my heart the desire to participate in a few of these ministries.  This led to some great learning experiences, and a major end result was falling in love with my home church and the traditional church structure (as opposed to a “parachurch” environment, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachurch) all over again, or in some ways, really for the first time.

I had some incredible opportunities there this summer.  The one that comes up in conversation the most here at college, since I think it’s one that’s easy to explain and relate to for several people my age, is that I got to be a part of the Youth Ministry Leadership Team and serve as the worship leader for the youth group these past three months.  This was extremely fun, but also a challenging learning experience.  I hold the view that worship is not limited to music, or even the time one spends in church, but that it is a lifestyle of surrender to the object of that worship (in this case, God).  This results in a great deal of care going into the selection of the music I would put into worship sets and a sincere effort to submit to God as an instrument of communication from Him to the youth.  I used to talk about having a passion for worship, but after this summer, passion doesn’t even seem like a strong enough word.  Calling, maybe?  But that doesn’t exactly fit everything I’m feeling either.  It’s certainly a very special condition of the heart.  I’m just not sure quite how to communicate it yet, or even if there are really adequate words.

Another aspect of the summer that turned out to be fantastic both for my spirit and the spirit of the church was Vacation Bible School.  The theme this year was “Boomerang Express.”  I’m not sure who had the idea of randomly combining Australia and train engines, but the kids really enjoyed it.  I led the music for the week with Lisa, an awesome woman from that church who has a great heart for music, children, and the women’s ministry.  Those little guys will wear you out, but it’s so completely worth it to see them learning about the Lord with an enthusiasm and sense of innocence that only a child has.  I was often reminded of Matthew 19:14 when Jesus said to His disciples, “Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven.”  I am convinced it’s of immense importance that these children were loved unconditionally, as Jesus loves, by the people who worked that week.  I’m reminded that we should strive to approach the throne of God with such innocence, that we may receive the love of Christ, because, I think, in that innocence is a kind of purity that allows an understanding that—but for God’s grace—we could only reach less and less often the more we live in this world.

Returning to the subject of experiences in the youth ministry, another incredible opportunity I had just earlier this month was substitute teaching the high school Sunday School class.  It was a really exciting experience, being able to experience serving as this kind of teacher for the first time.  It was also definitely a challenge.  But everything about it was awesome, because it was like traveling somewhere new with God leading me through every turn and showing me what to look at and what to say.  I think it’s been a big help in building my confidence and giving me peace in preparation for co-leading a small group Bible study this fall.  Funny how the Lord works things out so well like that.

Though these events of the summer were fun and exciting, the people who walked beside me were also hugely instrumental in making the summer great, especially my friends Jeremy and Rikki, who I’m still convinced don’t realize what a blessing they were to me during my time back at home.  I’m really thankful for those relationships, as well as those with my high school friends I saw this summer, and my own family.  On the whole, Summer 2009 is definitely one to remember, and the results of it, I believe, will be relevant to my life for years to come.

Coffee: Only for Emergencies

***WARNING:  The first paragraph of this post is mostly extraneous material just to fill in the background for the main topic.  If you do not wish to find out about my recreational activities last Friday and Saturday, please skip to the second paragraph.***

Last weekend was a blast!  Much of the credit for this can be chalked up to spending time with good friends – in this case, mostly my friends Jeremy, Rikki, and their extremely verbal and amusing four-year-old son.  We went to Kansas City on Friday (after seeing Bobbi—the same Bobbi who has commented on this very blog!—taking the last and only chicken salad croissant from Casey’s gas station!  *sigh* We are parted again, my sweet, sweet poultry sandwich…) and went shopping for most of the day.  I found myself some good deals on new clothes for the new school year (holla!  Just so you know, I love shopping for clothes).  The fun didn’t end there.  Saturday was a back-to-school pool party for my church’s youth group, a ministry I’ve been helping with this summer.  Jeremy and Rikki were there, too, and invited my brother (Phillip) and me to their place to goof off the rest of the evening after the party.

Okay, so all of that was to set the stage for my first (major) experience with coffee.  It should be noted that last May when I visited a friend in St. Louis who worked part-time for Starbuck’s, he hooked me up with a caramel macchiato in an attempt to turn me into a coffee fiend.  Even though this was a tasty beverage, I didn’t feel motivated to make it a part of my morning routine.  So Saturday night, Phillip and I arrived at Jeremy and Rikki’s house a little after 9:00, ready to play some video games, pig out on popcorn, and chill for the rest of the night.  Two energy drinks later, I was high on life, baby!  (Or more accurately, caffeine.)  But of course the boost ran its course and by around 12:30 Phillip and Jeremy decided they wanted some coffee.

I’m pretty sure Phillip and Jeremy both consider themselves coffee connoisseurs on some level.  Whether or not that’s true, they’re both pretty used to the stuff.  I, on the other hand, have had only a handful of experiences with coffee.  Unfortunately, I picked that night to give into peer pressure and have a cup.  Only later did I find out that Jeremy brews his extra strong.  In order to even stand it, I’d have to make it “fru-fru” style, meaning I’d have to add a bunch of creamer to dull the coffee taste, no matter how he made it.

So I dumped in some french vanilla Coffee-Mate and guzzled down a whole mug, then another half of one before I knew it.  When the other two were ready to call it a night, I was still very much awake.  No, not just awake, I realized—I was jittery!  My hands were shaking and my heart was racing!  I couldn’t believe I had reacted this way, especially since I didn’t have such a noticable reaction to the stuff I had in St. Louis.

When I walked through my door back at home at 2:45 in the a.m., I knew there was NO WAY I was gonna get to sleep anytime soon.  It was such a strange sensation, feeling sleepy from the neck up, but ready to do anything but sleep from the neck down.  So I stayed up and watched T.V. for awhile before going to bed.  I saw an entire episode each of Little Bear and Gullah Gullah Island.

 

Needless to say, it was a trip back to the glory days (about 1995 or 6).  I also got to hear a hilarious bit of dialogue from Little Bear in which the title character accompanies his friend to visit her grandmother, they bring a toad with them, and the little girl explains to Little Bear that, “Granny understands toads.”  Maybe you had to be there.

The next morning I had to get up for church and felt like I had a hangover or something, which is an interesting thing to say, since I’ve never had a hangover in my life.  I felt so weird the rest of Sunday, and whether it was the sleep deprivation or the possible caffeine overdose, I decided one thing for sure:  Coffee is only for emergencies.

(Stay tuned for the post later this semester in which I’ll probably use coffee to pull an all-nighter.)

What’s in a Name?

As I sat at my desktop trying to concoct a fascinatingly witty way for me to make my debut in the world of blogging, I was confronted with the text box in which I had to choose a name for my online headquarters.  I knew this was gonna be a toughy.  I felt like the title should not only communicate something I wanted to convey to the virtual world, but also be a short and simple reflection of a part of me.  So I flipped over to the other tab I had open on my browser to seek some inspiration.  I remembered that my favorite CCM artists (that’s contemporary Christian music, btw), the Grammy-nominated vocalists known as Avalon, would be releasing a new album next month.  (September 15…mark your calendars!  lol)  The title of the album is Reborn, since they are going through a change in personnel and are taking things in a bit of a different direction musically with this release.

That’s practically the story of my life, since a lot of things going on with me have been headed in a new direction in the past few years.  So it seemed completely right to make that the title of this page.  I feel as though changes have happened in my daily habits, reflections on life—my very thought processes!—since I started college and subsequently became a Christian.  Perhaps the single most famous verse of the Bible, John 3:16, quotes part of Jesus’s explanation in a conversation He had with a Jewish leader, Nicodemus, who asked Jesus how one could be “born again.”  I can also testify to the power of the words Paul wrote in II Corinthians about becoming a new man in Christ.  I know I’ve been reborn.  In fact, it’s the truest and surest statement of my life.

All that began nearly two years ago in September 2007 during my first semester of college.  I grew up in the church, but I think the reputation I established as a “good little Christian” early on when I started school (and for future reference, I’ve always gone to public school), and pride became a major hurdle to finding a true relationship with Christ.  But praise God, He brought me through it!  One result has been getting involved in a great college ministry that’s been an incredible environment for my spiritual and personal growth.  And for the first time in my life, I found myself surrounded by people my own age who share passions for God, learning, and loving.  How did I ever get to be so blessed?!

Well, that’s probably enough to get the ball rolling and let you know a little about where I’m coming from and why I’m here.  Not every post will be so spiritual in nature, but some will.  If you want to know anything else, there’s a tab at the top of the page that says “About,” which will take you to a brief descriptive statement, or just leave a comment.  I hope you’ll share this journey with me as I discover the consequences of this rebirth, the plans God has for the future, and seek to learn from my experiences and those of others.