How many lead singers does it take to change a light bulb? 

One.  The lead singer holds the bulb, and the world revolves around him.

Recently, I was talking to someone new to the Christian faith.  Which is also to say that he is new to the evangelical Christian subculture.  He knew that I was a worship and arts pastor, and so our conversation eventually drifted to the weekend services at his church.  In the conversation, he said something that jolted me momentarily.  He referred to the person leading worship at his church as the “lead singer for the band.”

At first I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.  After all, he was a new Christ follower, and without a Christian background to give you a frame of reference, the obvious equivalent phrase to “worship leader” is “lead singer.

The Oscar’s held very little surprise, and what has already been written so far across “the internets” covers the highlights – MoNique and Sandra’s speeches, The Hurt Locker’s win, The Kanye moment, and the hosts.  It really was a predictable affair if you were to read up ever so little beforehand.

Oscar is continuing to mean very little to me other than a voting party with friends and family.  The revelation that people campaign for their nomination and win sucked a lot of air out of the festivities.  This isn’t your high school’s ASB, we can already judge your performance.  You don’t need to tell us what you will do for us this year, you already did it.  If your performance deserved it, then good for you – here’s a vote.  I understand the double edged sword.  Out of the loads of films to be considered, not everyone can actually see them all.  But if people aren’t taking the time to watch the films, doesn’t that diminish the value of the statue?

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I receive a new book to review almost every day; usually three or four. I am glad I am loved, but it can be overwhelming. There is no way I have space to include reviews of all these titles in Bible Study Magazine, so I have to choose which ones will make the cut. I also have to choose which ones get to stay in my office at the end of the year. And then I have to apologize to the rest of the books that get moved to a lonely shelf somewhere else. (Sorry my friends. Just because you are exiled doesn’t mean I don’t love you.)

This year, spring came early in “the city of subdued excitement,” Bellingham, Washington. This meant it was time for some old friends (my books) to get the boot. Time to let Recyclops, Dwight Schrute, move them to the lonely, nomad shelf. (I really moved them with the help of my buddy Phil Gons, who is a Marketing Manager at Logos Bible Software where we both work.)

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Oscar is knocking at my door. Better get in my licks…

The Blind Side. A rich white Memphis housewife takes in a hulking homeless black teenager and teaches him about God and football. He returns the favor by becoming a first-round NFL draft pick and an inseparable member of the family. Surefire, straight-arrow inspirational sports film succeeds as family entertainment and even manages to be mildly—microscopically—critical of the privileged social elite. Sandra Bullock does the subtlest acting of her career while director John Lee Hancock (who also adapted the bestselling book) does some careful steering through choppy emotional waters.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. Despite the accolades and celebrity endorsements, an enormous slog.

Like the twists and turns of a mountain road, Laura Story’s life has held its share of unexpected moments--some exhilarating, some terrifying, and some simply beautiful to behold. Leaning solely on her faith in the sovereignty of God, Laura has learned that no matter what comes around the next bend, it’s going to be an incredible view.

Once an aspiring symphony conductor, Story didn’t even know she could sing—much less write songs—until she was in her early twenties. Today, Laura is not only a gifted vocalist and worship leader but also the composer of one of the most beloved worship songs of our generation: “Indescribable.” The song has topped charts and been recorded by multiple artists, but most importantly, it has helped people all over the world experience our magnificent God.

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(here is part 4 of 5 on leadership in an interconnected world. This particular post is an excerpt of a longer study I have done on storytellers as heroes and the ones who shape our identity and ideals)

In a world increasingly interconnected by visual media and web technology, emerging personalities and heroic personas will often arise in the midst of stories told that withstand the test of time. We are saturated with information, what remains in our minds amidst the onslaught of email, web pages, scrolling television updates, film clips, and advertisements will be personas that we not only resonate with, but who reveals the longings deep within that shape us all. Understanding that “in a world of networks, individuals, companies, communities, consumers, activist groups, and governments all have the power to be shapers,”[1] two artists have emerged above the rest in the cinema and theatre respectively. William Shakespeare continues to be the standard by which theatre is judged hundreds of years after his death, while the films of Steven Spielberg have so captivated our culture, that he is the single biggest money making filmmaker in history. The pervasive use of English as an international language has not only served to disseminate the works of each artist, but also helped each to shape the way people see the world.

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People are always asking me for film recommendations.   Unfortunately, my favorite movies are often tough to find.    I see so many amazing films at festivals that rarely (if ever) get the attention they deserve.   They may win the Audience Award at South by Southwest (like THAT EVENING SUN) or screen at Sundance before slipping into obscurity (like LOURDES).   The best of world cinema may play in theaters in Los Angeles and New York for a week, then quickly vanish (like SERAPHINE).   When (and if) they’re released on DVD, it won’t be at Best Buy (like GOODBYE SOLO).  So how can discerning filmgoers find these hidden gems?

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Shaun White--snowboarder extraordinaire, Olympic gold medalist, global superstar--is as cool and hip as they come. Some would say he's the face of the Winter Games. I would say he's the poster boy for integrity. Here's why.

I have a friend who uses what he calls the "Three-Way Integrity Test" as a way to measure whether or not he is doing something with integrity. When presented with an opportunity or an invitation to join in some kind of activity, he asks himself three questions:

1. Is it legal?

2. Is it fair to all parties involved?

3. Would I be okay if a photo of my activity showed up in the newspaper or on the Internet the next morning?

After winning his gold medal in spectacular fashion in the half-pipe, Shaun White, who is already incredibly rich and famous, appeared at a press conference with Scott Lago, another American snowboarder who took the bronze in the same event. According to Los Angeles Times sportswriter Bill Plaschke, who was at the press conference, Shaun was asked what he was going to do next, whereupon he turned to Lago and said, "What do you want to do next, man?"

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A little boy turns to his mother and says, "Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be a musician!"

The mother looks back at her child with concern and replies, "But honey, you can't do both."

I was told by my Mom that I had always wanted to play the piano, even as a toddler.  If there was a spinet in the room, I would inevitably be found scaling it, like a mountain climber ascending the shear face of a mountain, looking for a foothold or outcropping, daring gravity to grasp a handful of ivory above me.  It got to the point that my parents decided to get me piano lessons—at the age of "almost five."  By the time I was eleven years old or so, six years of piano lessons on our family's old mahogany upright had convinced me of my life calling:  I wanted to be a classical pianist.

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