THREE

Little girl...

You turn three today and I want to tell you some of the things I love about you.
Of course, I love you because you're mine. That's obvious...and the reality is that it's the biggest reason I love you. The fact that God gifted you to Mommy and me still amazes me.

But I think there are some other things...some "three-year-old girl" things...that make me love you.

_____

• I love it when you come out of your room decked out in a pajama shirt, swim trunks, with a scarf around your neck and a tiara on your head. You change clothes about 12 times a day...all on your own. It's quite a pain really, but about as cute as anything. I guess "cute" beats "convenience."
  
  
• I love how much you love your Mommy. I love that you look like her and want her when you're sad. You don't even know it yet, but God has given you an amazing Mom. You'll see.
  
  
• I love that you get along with your brother. I love that you guys take up for each other and that you cry for him when he's at school. I love that you want to be like him...I love that you love him so much.
  
  
• I love to see you come down the hall each morning after waking up. Your hair is always ridiculously tall and those blue eyes are sparkling. Each morning, when you see us, you throw your arms up and break into a run. I love mornings with you, Finley.
  
  
• I love that you love donuts. 'Cause that proves you're a Wright.
  
  
• I love it that you're trying to talk like a big girl. Even though you say every woman you meet is named "Leslie" and you pronounce your S-sounds as Fs. You're not a big girl yet and I love that you're still little...but to see you trying so hard to adjust to the world around you inspires me and makes me grateful for every day with you.
  
  
• I love the way you watch "The Polar Express." It comes alive in your face and I'm reminded that you're able to see magic in places where I don't.
  
  
• I love your laugh. That loud, giggling, belly-laugh of yours is enough to get me through the toughest of days. I want to hear that laugh for the rest of my life.

Someday, Finley, maybe you'll look back and read this.
And it might mean something...or it might not.
But that won't matter. Because I'm decided. My life and my words and my actions will speak all of this love (and more) to you every day. You won't need memoirs or journals to know what your Daddy thinks of you, girl.
In fact, you'll be filled up with the knowledge of how much you mean to Daddy and you'll carry that love no matter where you go.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.
Daddy loves you.

Encouragement Email

I recently sent out a free mp3 to all my friends to encourage them and to let them know they're SUPER SPECIAL.
I had so many great responses that I've decided to regularly send out "Encouragement Emails."
If you'd like to be added to our "Encouragement Email E-Newsletter," simply comment below or email toddwrightband@gmail.com and I'll make sure you receive our next installment.

And, if you weren't in our ALPHA test phase, click HERE to listen to it.

Please note...commenting/emailing via this blog is the only way to be included in the group. Individuals involved in the initial program are not already built in.
Sorry.
Rules are rules.

Digging This...

Man, this record snuck up on me!
I was familiar with Brandon's previous record, but this most recent project is really, really good.
Great balance of good pop-folk and trendy, produced pop.
The songs are creative without genre-hopping.
Loving tracks like "London," "Sunrise" and "Sore Eyes." "No Not One" is really great, too.

Had a CD sneak up on you lately?
What kind of music recently surprised you?

Note to all TWB Members...

Not too long ago, I declared my love for the U2 Go Home: Live at Slane Castle, a live concert DVD that my bass player loaned me. Yes, it's a great concert...absent the Atomic Bomb tunes, its a much open set, complete with a few old tunes that have since been cut from the live shows.

But the second thing is this: this DVD has reaffirmed my love and appreciation for a particular U2 song...and what's more...it's convinced me that, in my opinion, this is probably the best tune the band's ever written and recorded.



I'm including it here for all of you out there who play music with me from time-to-time on the road. TWB - this tune is now our new soundcheck song. Learn it. Love it. Live it.

Uncle Jay

For Kristen...

Today is Kristen's birthday and I thought I might do something a little different for her this year.

When Kristen and I were first married, I played every song for her. Everything I had written, partially written or even just "covered" was played for her first. She knew every song...why I wrote it, when I finished it, what I was trying to say, the whole thing.

Now, not so much. Being married over 10 years has a way of shaping life into something that's sweet and filled with purpose and support. However, we rarely have time these days to sit down and talk about songwriting. It's often weeks after I've written something and Kristen will say, "Wait a second. You wrote that?"

I enjoy playing songs for her as they come to life, but I would change what we have for anything. Because it allows me to do something like this:

It's me and my guitar and GarageBand. It's not perfect, but it's true...and I'm happy to share it.

LISTEN HERE

When I saw you for the first time
Had no idea in mind
What would happen, what love would bring
What wonders I would come to see

When I heard you say, "Yes,"
Had no idea how blessed
You would make me, what you would do
How you would help me build my dreams and then make them all come true

So here's another song...saying something simple and true
But my voice will never be strong enough to say all that I want to
I'm loving the learning every day, discovering you

When I see you, here and now
I can't believe just how
The Father's blessed me, how great His love;
You're the best thing I've ever had the best is still yet to come

So let's laugh some more
'Cause there's so much in store
Joy and pain, some new and some same
But we'll face it together each day

Loving the learning every day
Loving everything you do and say
Thankful to the Lord you came my way
And I'm discovering you...
________________________
Happy Birthday, Kristen. You still amaze and mystify me as only you can. Hope you know how loved you are today.

Don't Hate

Twittergrader.com for Tyler, TX.
Booyah, @rstrader.
Booyah.

Okay, tweets...head over there and see how you score!

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye..

This will be fun...

I'm guessing that there are a few of you (at least) who have thought about something like this.

What do want your funeral to look like?
What do you want them to sing?
What do you want them to say?
Where should it be held?
What sort of overall "theme" would you want?

Comment below!

Surprising News for 2009

New York, New York (AP) - Startling news today from U2. Paul McGuinness, long-time manager and business front for the band, announced earlier today that one of the world's biggest bands has decided to make some personnel changes.

This comes as a shock to most, as the band is set to embark on a massive media blitz to promote their new album, No Line On The Horizon, which is tentatively set for a February 2009 release.

"I don't think people are surprised there's been a change," McGuinness said in an interview. "I think they're just shocked at which member is leaving."

McGuinness is speaking of the departure of U2's guitarist and de-facto musical director, "The Edge."

The manager is quick to answer fans who are upset by the change.
"Edge is still very much a part of the band. It's just time. Enough with the delay, already. You know?"

But the band is moving on. The story leaked over the weekend on a couple of U2-related fan blogs, drawing varied responses from fans all over the world. Not only has the band asked The Edge to step down, they've filled his spot with an unknown guitar player from the U.S.

"The band is happy with Todd. They think he'll be a great fit."

McGuinness is speaking of Todd Wright, the 32-year old Texan now slated to fill the electric guitar spot. Wright is a long-time fan of the band and can already play 2 or 3 of their songs on acoustic guitar.

"I hope the guys know that I'm more of an acoustic guy," Wright shared in an interview this morning. "I'm not real strong on the electric guitar, but I'm on a diet and I've purchased 25 beanie caps. Somebody from the wardrobe department is going to sew sequins on my jeans and buy some skinny, non sequitur t-shirts for me. I mean, the music is mostly programmed anyway."

U2 frontman, Bono, could not be reached for comment. McGuinness admitted the transition would be a difficult one, but stated that every band has to walk through difficult times like these to grow as people and musicians.

Wright is optimistic. "I can't wait to hear all those songs live." When reminded that he would have to actually play the songs live, the young guitar player ended the interview and cried in the men's room for half-an-hour.

Worship (As) Prep...

I talk a lot about worship as preparation.

Back on a WCMS post, my friend Jason I. asked me to explain myself a little bit. I'm happy to do that, because I know I need to be intentional about making my thoughts clear when it comes to worship. Though so many churches have embraced "worship" and made it more of a priority (regardless of style,) many of us forget to spend time formulating our thoughts and making sure they are clear.

This may seem a bit boring, but I figured I'd tell you what I think about worship...what I believe it should do...what I believe it accomplishes.

1. Worship Is A Priority
   It's not that I forget this principle...I just tend to assume we're all in agreement on it. I believe God deserves praise - honest, passionate, reverent, unashamed adoration. Isaiah tells us (as do others) that God gets this non-stop in the Throne Room from the angelic hosts around Him. It's my belief that when the saints gather together, we are commanded to follow suit. We worship God with our songs and prayers and applause and silence because He is worthy of that. Plain and simple. Some folks call that "keeping the main thing the main thing."
   
   Worship is first and foremost about offering up our thanks and reverence to God. That aim ought to guide us...whether we're in a pew or on a stage or even alone with the Father. Personally, I think one of the best way to get in this mindset is to ask for God's help - His help in reminding us of the great things He's done; help in aiding us to recall what scripture says about Him; help in express our thanks in ways that are Biblical and reverent.
   
   
2. Worship Is Personal
   Worship is an amazing thing because, at its core, it's a personal thing. Even though we gather together corporately so often to do it, each of us bear a responsibility to come with our hearts and minds prepared.
   
   Lots of folks would agree that "worship is personal," but unfortunately, many of us don't to anything to get ready for it. We just roll in and start worshipin'! Worship leaders and pastors also bear a responsibility in this - we've got to do a better job of pastoring our people and teaching them how to set their minds on things above before the actual worship service ever starts.
   
   In addition, when you get a room full of people who have come prepared in this way leading worship is one of the easiest jobs in the world!
   
   
   
3. Worship Is Preparation
   Jason I. is right...this is a big one with me. Because worship is a priority and it's such a personal matter, it can often loom larger than any other part of a corporate gathering.
   
   Years ago, I got convicted about this...in my own life and in what I saw in so many churches and retreats and revival services, etc. God began to convict me that I was more concerned and excited and hopeful and focused on the singing of songs than the study of His Word.
   
   To understand this conviction, let me pause here for a little statement of belief - I believe God's Word is divinely inspired. I believe that the Father, in His power, communicated these words to His prophets. I understand that interpreting the Bible is a difficult thing...and I don't have all the answers...but my personal belief is that it is the Holy and Inspired Word of God. I believe that it is without fault or error.
   
   However, I don't believe that worship songs are without fault or error. Personally, I don't believe they are the inspired Word of God. I don't think they are sacred. Blessed of God? Absolutely, but not divine.
   
   As that belief about worship songs grew in my life, I was convicted that I was placing more of my time and energy on the words of man (which are susceptible to fault) instead of the Word of God (which is without fault in my own personal belief.)
   
   Because of that, I believe that acceptable worship is that which will prepare us and focus us for his Word. In my philosophy, worship that doesn't do that is lacking something vital. This can take lots of forms - preaching, collective reading of scripture or even the worship leader reading scripture before a song - regardless, I think it's so important for us to make sure that God's Word is proclaimed every time we get together. I'm not sure if that makes me a fundamentalist or a Bible-ist or some such other -ist or-ism, but that's me.
   

What about you? What's your worship philosophy? If you had jot down some statements or core beliefs about worship, what would you say?

Love to hear from you!

I'm In...

...and then I almost got sued.

I realize there's a weird doubling of vocals...bad editing on my part. I'm lame.

Update on Father-in-law...

Hey gang..

Just got off the phone with Kristen with an update on her Dad.

Butch came through the actual procedure okay, but the findings were less than ideal.

He's got 99.9% blockage in his right coronary artery (Doc said the opening is the width of a human hair.) Doctors will do an angioplasty tomorrow, but are formulating 3 different approaches due to the unique angle of Butch's artery. In fact, an emergency surgical team will be assembled in case there complications.

Doctor says that Butch is very vulnerable, but only put him at around 10% for actual complications during surgery. Kristen and her mom are very upset and scared, so please remember them in your prayers as well.

Right now, Krist will stay in Lufkin. The kids and I will stay in Tyler.

Thanks for praying.

Word Survey!

Been awhile since we played this game...let's give it a shot!

You know the rules. No cheating...just give me your guess. (And try to refrain from the "OH-I-KNOW-THIS" response. Because some of the Todd Blog Army out there are cheaters. (Hard to believe...)

The first person to get the answer correct wins a free interview guest hosting spot. What's guest hosting? Why...that's when Todd writes something on YOUR blog! This is guaranteed to dramatically increase your site traffic. And it will make your hair shinier.

Let's do this:

gewgaw [noun / G(Y)OO-gaw]

1. A trinket
2. Creature of myth in Gaelic culture
3. Metal bracing for jib crane mechanism
4. Todd made this word up

Vote now!

Immerse Recap

First off, thanks so much for all of those who have asked how the kick-off for Immerse went on Monday. I apologize that I couldn't blog it up Monday night, but I had a retreat Tues-Wed and I just ran out of time.

I'm trying to edit some video of the worship, but that may have to wait until I can steal some time from something else!

Immerse went great. First off, the band did a wonderful job. Romack and Paul James held down drums and bass and Andrew Pulley, an Immerse guy, did piano. Andrew is very good and I'm looking forward to playing with him more. Romack and Paul were, of course, spot-on.

Not counting band and other volunteers, we had around 40 kids there. It felt great - laid back, casual, and the students were both respectful and passionate during the song set. For our first one of 2009, we were trying a couple of things...

1. New sound system. We opted for a smaller, more portable setup. I think it allowed for the crowd to hear themselves better during worship. I brought a couple of powered monitors and they worked great.
2. New stage. As you'll see below, we're on a small stage. The building we rent for this has a bigger, theater-style stage, but once of Immerse's founders built a great stage that was about half-as-tall as the normal staging. Made the service feel a lot more normal and cool that way, in my opinion.

We'll see what next week holds. I've got to put a setlist together as soon as possible and I'm hoping that I'll get the chance to get to know some of those kids better next week. For the rest of the week, I'll be posting a few video clips of the worship set...in case you enjoy watching such things. You might have to crank volume a little to hear Paul and Andrew...they both did good, but I'll probably have to bump them in the house a bit next week.

I'm at a retreat for the next day-and-a-half so I won't be able to give you guys an Immerse update, until I return, here's an awesome video, thanks to Third Chair Trombone.



Now, you: what's the worst part of that commercial?

ON COLLEGE...

Let me first thank those of you who commented on the WCMS series. I really do have some sharp readers and I appreciate the perspectives you all bring to the table.

I think the comments given were great - many of them being great lead-ins to more conversation and study about what the whole issue of "parachurch" means.

I don't have the comment threads open in front of me, but I thought I might wrap this up by responding to some of the thoughts you guys shared. First, I'll throw my thoughts out there and then a follow-up question to see what you think:

ON PRINCIPALS
Are discipleship, accountability, Bible Study and prayer important elements in a believer's life? Absolutely. Is Immerse going to meet all of those needs? I'm not sure. Maybe they'll hit just one. But how does this disqualify them? Are we really going to take the attitude of you're-not-a-church-so-you-can't-do-these-things? Or is there some magic cutoff? ("Well, there's already a BSM and a Campus Crusade Office. So we don't need you.")

It seems that most of you are saying that a parachurch college ministry isn't "enough"...it's likely that a small ministry like Immerse won't be able to do all of those things. But how does that make it dangerous?

Please hear me...I understand what most of you are saying, but what I can't seem to grasp is the Great Danger in college students meeting together during the week to worship and study God's Word. I'm not trying to speak in favor of the sub-culture here, but if I come across 45 college students who want to spend the next 20 Monday nights digging into God's Word, I don't think the Church should be scared of that. I might be off here, but from the comments I'm picking up an overall suspicion or concern about parachurch ministry.

The Question: What are the negative effects of a college parachurch ministry in your experience? What's the logical extension of your concern...what can go wrong about services like this.

ON DISOBEDIENCE
I'll say this about the idea that parachurch ministry and youth groups and Beth Moore and women's Bible Studies are somehow an act of disobedience. (Which is interesting because now we're even talking about the local church more than a college ministry!)

When we came to Bethel, Kristen got involved in a Tuesday morning Bible Study and it has been life-changing for her. She has worked her way through the Old Testament, learning things, memorizing scripture, bringing that wisdom with her into worship and it has allowed my wife, a very shy person, to connect with other women of God in an amazing way.

My son and daughter are involved in a children's program every Sunday and they are NOT in our corporate worship service...and I wouldn't change it for the world. My kids are quoting scripture to me, they are praying things from God's Word and they cannot wait to get to church on Sunday morning.

The whole idea of keeping a church body all together all the time has merit...I truly don't want to mock that. But to imply that my church (and therefore my family) is in some form of disobedience to the Father is simply not true. I'm here. I'm seeing it first hand. And it's all kinds of obedient. (Titus 2:3-5)

One other thought that arises with the whole "fault" of separated ministries is this...if this is really a matter of college kids not having their heads on straight, then why does every church I can think of have trouble reaching and keeping this crowd?

I'm not kidding. This isn't a one church problem, guys. How's the college turnout at your place? 'Cause at my church, it could be a whole lot better. We've got great young adults, but they're kinda' outnumbered.

The Question: Is it possible that college students at churches in Tyler and Lufkin and Houston and Denton and Jacksonville are ALL being punks and not committing to the church? Or is there a possibility that we could be doing things better?

THE REALITY
Here's what I know...

I've been asked to lead worship for a ministry that wants to give college students a great opportunity to study His Word. And in accepting that invitation, I take on a responsiblity...a responsibility to lead worship that is God-honoring and Biblical in a Christian culture that is filled with random spiritual cliches set to music that tickles the ears but does nothing for the mind.

Now, I may go lead at Immerse and hate it and do my three weeks and then head for the house...or God may take control of my schedule and do something totally different...those are all possibilities. But if college kids want a time and a space to worship God and to learn what He has to say, then those of us who care and who are smart and gifted of God better step up and get involved. That's my take.

As I mentioned, I totally get what you guys are saying. And in truth, I agree with about 85% of what you're saying...

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I'LL BE THERE ON MONDAY NIGHTS.

Ministry is messy and some would say college ministry is even messier. God's asked me to get messy for the next three or four Mondays and I'm going to do it. And I couldn't be more excited.

Again...thanks for getting involved in conversations like these. They help more than you'll know. I covet your prayer over the next few Mondays. I want to walk in way that pleases the Father.

David Runnels Is A Genius...

Runnels posted this awhile back, but it is TOO great to pass up. (Not only is it fun, but it encourages comments! Yay!)

Comment on this post and I will reply with one of the following:

1. I'll respond with something random about you.

2. I'll tell you which song or movie you remind me of.

3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to eat with you.

4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me, if possible. (If not, I'll say something that only makes sense to me.)

5. I'll tell you my first memory of you.

6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.

7. I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.

8. I'll tell you my favorite thing about you.

9. I'll tell you my least favorite thing about you.

link://Runnels

Last night, I dreamed that a guy posing as a telephone repairman got into our house with the intent of stealing our digital camera.

Being a total stud, I got the guy in a headlock and held him until the police came. While waiting, I opened the trunk of the car to see what else he had taken. In the trunk were two 2-liters of Diet Dr. Pepper and a giant bag of marshmallows.

Upon seeing the marshmallow, I wept.

Dreams...what are you gonna' do?

So, what did you dream last night?

WHY COLLEGE MINISTRY STINKS, Part 4

As I prepare to start leading worship for "Immerse," a city-wide college Bible study, we're looking at common challenges within college ministry. I'd love to know what you think about these posts...what you've seen, learned, experienced through ministries like this.

The Church Is The Thing

Challenge #4 is a tough one....how do we plug students into the local church?

A few you have commented on this, and while I don't think that events like this are necessarily disrespectful to the role of the local church, I will agree that "para-church" ministries often fail at actually supporting local churches.

Here's what I like about Immerse (and about college ministries like it)...

I like that the folks at Immerse are taking worship onto the campus. I like that there's a place where Christian students can go to pray, be held accountable to some other believers and study God's Word. Isn't this the same sort of premise behind student associations on college campuses? (Wesley Foundation, Baptist Student Ministry, etc.?)

But meeting on Monday nights isn't "church"...even at its ideal, Immerse simply cannot do all the things that a church can do. And I don't think we should.

So, how do we use our time to get kids invested in a local church family?

I HAVE NO IDEA.

I'm being serious. With these other issues I've mentioned, I've seen things work...I can look back on my experience and share those tips and ideas that seem to be a consistent benefit.

But local church? I'm don't know. I just know it's hard. Here's why:

1. Which Church?
   Doing this is difficult because I really can't step up on stage and say something like, "You need to be plugged into a local church. BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH MEETS SUNDAYS AT 9 AND 10:30 WITH SERVICES. FIND US AT BETHELBIBLE.COM."
   
   It's a difficult thing, knowing that you need to encourage kids to have a home church and yet also knowing that you're unable to recommend one specifically. You end up speaking in generalities...which really doesn't work in this situation.
   
   
2. How Do We Know?
   Let's say we find a way to do it...we find a way to offer up some vague, non-committal advertisement for being part of a home church.
   
   How do we know if it's working? What if our kids plug in somewhere and hate it? What do we do then? Respond with something like "Oh, yeah...that church sounds horrible. Okay, well, time to find a new one!"
   
   Doesn't seem very healthy, does it?
   
   
3. Is There A Payoff?
   The third problem is finding church support. Connecting with churches is hard in ministries like this...I don't know that Immerse is in any sort of competition, but I know sometimes that's a fear in situations like this one.
   
   Sadly, the idea of "payoff" ends up hurting here. As a minister in a local church myself, I understand this. If somebody calls me or mails me a letter to encourage my people to attend some event, my first thought is often, "What's in it for us? Is this part of my mission here in my church?" I don't think that's necessarily bad...I just think it's true.
   
   How do ministries like Immerse maintain the support of local churches when we really can't turn around and do specific infomercials for them?

You guys are smart...some of you may have seen this aspect before. How do we do better? How do we support local churches? How do they support parachurch ministries?

Can it be done?

Props to one of my new Tyler Twitter pals. Caleb Canal called this thing WCMS a few days ago. That's smart. I should have been calling it that all along! Dang it!

WHY COLLEGE MINISTRY STINKS, Part 3

As I prepare to start leading worship for "Immerse," a city-wide college Bible study, we're looking at common challenges within college ministry. I'd love to know what you think about these posts...what you've seen, learned, experienced through ministries like this.

Beware the Worship Junkie!

Challenge #3 in college ministry is all about Worship.

One common issue among city-wide college ministries is an unhealthy view of "worship." And I'm using in this context as most do...the songs, prayers, and stuff that happens in the first thirty minutes before the preaching. I don't think that's specific to college students - most folks default to the worship-as-music thing pretty easily.

In my experience, many college students don't feel like the worship at their home churches fits them. You hear phrases like I just can't connect with those songs or there's no life in our worship. I think there are a lot of reasons why college students think like this...and almost all of is pretty unhealthy...but it's still a reality. And because of that reality, ministries like Metro, Breakaway, Immerse, inject-your-trendy-service-name-here end up attracting all kinds of worship junkies.

These are kids who LOVE worship...they're passionate, they want to engage in music and creativity and they want worship to be something that's important...they want to know that their worship is "doing something." Those aren't bad things - those are good things. But what typically happens is that we've got a room filled with kids who've come to get goosebumps. And that's not healthy. For a lot of reasons.

So, how do we manage the worship junkies? What can worship leaders do to create a time that's reverent and right according to God's Word?

1. GO SMALLER
   "Going smaller" is the voluntary act of down-playing worship ad nauseam. Worship leaders can use a lot of practical tips to make this happen; in the large scheme we are trying to make it evident that our focus is on the words of God...and not ourselves. We've gathered to hear something that we know to be divinely inspired - not spending an hour singing songs that we think might be divinely inspired. Practically...
   
   Shorten your set. I know a lot of songs. That doesn't mean we need to sing seven of them...or sing three of them for 52 minutes. Shortening the set makes it evident that this form of worship is prepatory - it's leading us to something. Something holy and true and spoken by the Father.
   Change up the band. Put nine people on stage and your crowd is going to expect the All American Freedom Jam. If you think your crowd is prone to worship the worship, then use less instrumentation. Sit or stand closer to the crowd. Use less stage lighting. Make it clear that you're just a few folks who aren't rock stars who are doing this thing for the Father.
   Don't do covers. There's a great new Sanctus Real song called "Black Coal." It's awesome and I'd LOVE to play it sometime with a great band behind me. But it's not built for worship...it's a great concert song, but adding covers or show-off performances into your set is going to cause folks to think and talk and remember more about you and the band that what was actually preached from scripture.
   
   
2. USE SCRIPTURE
   Reading scripture in between songs is an obvious statement about why we gather together to worship in this way. And I'm not even talking about reading a scripture and then preaching on it for four minutes. (There's a time and place for that...but be wise about over-talking.) Hearing scripture in a set reminds folks that what we're doing is something that God tells us is important. It's important to Him and it's important for us.
   
   This isn't hard and fast...but we just need to be on the lookout for opportunities to make God's Word heard!
   
   
3. LIVE IT OUT
   The way we talk about our college ministries makes all the difference. If you lead worship one night and four people find you afterward to tell you how rockin' it was, be gracious...but also guard your heart. Praise like that can easily feed ego.
   
   If you're able, find ways to talk about the overall ministry...what's happening with the small groups or how the sermon series is working. Pray that God will give you eyes and ears to appreciate the whole ministry effort and not just your 30 minutes.

Okay...

A lot of you readers have played gigs like this one. How can we prevent "worshipping the worship?"

BIG TIME...

BURN

It's Here!

WHY COLLEGE MINISTRY STINKS, Part 2

As I prepare to start leading worship for "Immerse," a city-wide college Bible study, we're looking at common challenges within college ministry. I'd love to know what you think about these posts...what you've seen, learned, experienced through ministries like this.

Things Are Different Now...

Challenge #2 is Originality.

In most cases, college ministries like "Immerse" are targeted at students who are Christians. That's not to say that evangelism doesn't happen...but since it is a service with worship and Bible study, your typical draw is going to be kids with at least some measure of faith.

But I think that technology has positioned us in a very interesting place as we try to serve college students. (Not only college students, actually...I think the premise stays pretty consistent with most any group.)

Let me see if I can get real practical here...

When I was 19 years old, I was pretty committed to my faith. I was a devout kid...but I knew very little about theology. I had no idea about other teachers and pastors who were "movers and shakers" in the world of religion, and specifically, Christianity. The spiritual formation I had was a good one, but not a broad one. I was under the care of great pastor and teacher in a healthy church, but didn't have a lot of other scriptural influences in my life.

That's not the case, now. Thanks to tech developments - the biggest being the emergence of podcasting - people are exposed to many more viewpoints about God and personal discipleship. These days, in a given college ministry setting, you've got kids who have an appreciation for the works of John Piper, and by that connection, even "old dead dudes." You've got students passionate about recent prayer movements across the country. Some are convicted about social justice and what that really means to a Christian.

I would submit these are good developments, but here's where they hurt us...

WE CAN'T FAKE THIS ANYMORE.

Let's be honest. Fifteen years ago, you could plagiarize an Ed Young Jr. sermon...and nobody would know it. You could lift a chapter out of R.C. Sproul and they'd be none-the-wiser. You could regurgitate the exact transition between two worship songs from a "popular" worship CD and it would be all good.

I'm not saying that college ministry is filled with students who are all spiritual giants...I don't know many places filled with spiritual giants, as a matter of fact! But I do think we've got kids are so much more "informed" than they used to be.

There are some who would bristle at an encouragement for "originality." Some would say that we are speaking/preaching/living out an ancient word...and they would be right. But I would say that God has been gracious to give us the gift of creativity. We've got to use that...we've got to invest time in seeking what God would have us to say and we've got to work hard to make it our own.

And while our original work may not ever be as cool as some big shot on a CD or TV, I think making something our own...speaking it with honesty to the people we've been called to care for...will say volumes about both our investment in scripture and our passion for relationship with our crowd.

PS...on a completely unrelated note, all you RSS kids need to click over to the actual blog. I'm running a survey to convince my wife to loan me $60.

WHY COLLEGE MINISTRY STINKS, Part 1

As I prepare to start leading worship for "Immerse," a city-wide college Bible study, we're looking at common challenges within college ministry. I'd love to know what you think about these posts...what you've seen, learned, experienced through ministries like this.

Nobody's Got It All Together...

Challenge #1 in city-wide college ministry is one of Identity.

I'm not sure why it happens. I have my theories, but I'm not convinced.

I think perhaps the church in general has become a victim of marketing.

Somewhere along the way, the church started believing there was a model for everything.

Starting a new contemporary service? Buy this book.

Building a new sanctuary? Watch this DVD.

Feeling discouraged? Go to this conference.

None of those things are inherently bad, but I do think years of marketing have put into us this idea that the way to do ministry to find the guy who's doing it best and then copy him.

I've been to "Metro." And "Breakaway." I've listened to the Passion podcasts and watched online footage of these huge college ministries. They're phenomenal. They're awesome.

But they're probably not us.

The challenge of identity in college ministry is a tough one. We're trying to serve a group of people who are in the midst of making huge life decisions. That's an important time and it's hard to know how to best minister to these students. So many times...we just try a formula and hope it works.

HOW TO BEAT THE CHALLENGE

I'm not trying to imply that I have all the answers here, but I do think there are some things we, as ministers, can do to protect ourselves from suffering from a cookie-cutter mentality.

1. Stop Envisioning
   We all do this. We plan an event or a song or a sermon and then we daydream about how it's going to be. We try to imagine how many people are going to be there and what's the response gonna' be like. (Most of the time, we imagine the room full of screaming, adoring worshipping people.)
   
   Dreams are important and having an overall vision for your ministry is vital, but we've got to stop daydreaming. We've got to stop building up our services and outreaches in our minds because no matter how great the event is, it will most likely never be as great as we imagined.
   
   By staying focused and keeping envisioning to a minimum, we operate in a much more healthy and prayerful way and we just might end up surprised at what happens at our event.
   
   
2. Invest In Relationships
   Your college ministry is not going to look like Northpoint's. It's not going to feel like Northpoint's ministry feels.
   
   Know why?
   
   Because you're not Northpoint.
   
   The students in your ministry are unique...they bring a whole set of individuals skills and challenges and spiritual needs and unless we're willing to invest in getting to know them, we'll always being playing a game of chance when it comes to ministry. Rather than knowing our people, we're just throwing different styles at them, hoping that one of them will stick.
   
   If we'll invest in getting to know these kids, we'll find that a lot of the ideas we read about aren't really right for our people. And we'll also find that some tried-and-tested principles still apply. But we'll never know that if we don't make time for relationship.
   
   
3. Listen and Learn
   Some of us have very vocal students...if something isn't working, they let us know. Others have more quiet congregants. But if asked, even those quiet ones will probably speak honestly.
   
   If we're going to build an identity, we've got to learn from the students in our midst. I'm talking about doing more than just plugging them into some volunteer spot so they'll have "ownership." (Can you say buzz word, class?)
   
   I'm talking about having an open heart to these students...to approach conversations with the idea that it's YOUR job to learn something, and not the other way around.
   

HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you're a college student, you can do some amazing stuff to make sure our ministries are more healthy.

1. Call us on the Cookie-Cutter.
   If it's obvious to you that we're trying to copy somebody else, just tell us. Tell us that you see it and recognize it for what it is.
   
   Maybe encourage us a little, too, so we don't feel too horrible. But for the most part, just call us on it. Help us to know what parts of our services feel forced or trite.
   
   
2. Let us in.
   We want to get to know you. We want to learn from you. We want to hang out with you. We'll try not to be too weird and "old." We believe God's great stuff for you and we'd love to know what you think about that.
   
   
3. Speak up.
   We're gonna' forget to ask your opinion. That's a fact. We're gonna' get busy and distracted and every once in awhile, you may have to slow us down and help us process what's going on.
   
   It sounds silly, but worship is two totally different experiences based on where you're located. From the stage, I may think things are awesome...but out in the crowd, the service may be dying. So help us to know...we want to constantly learn and grow.

___

What about you all?

I know there's folks out there with college ministry experience!

Spill it...how can we do better in finding our own identity?

WHY COLLEGE MINISTRY STINKS, An Introduction

Over the next week or so, you'll be seeing and hearing a lot about "Immerse," a community Bible study for college students in Tyler, Texas.

While I am both honored and excited to be a part of this ministry, that's not necessarily fueling all the posts, videos and "tweets" you're going to be seeing.

I'm doing this because it's my way of asking you to walk with me in this and to help me.

Because it's hard.

In my experience, there are common "challenges" when trying to pull of something like Immerse is trying to do. And I commend them for it. I believe in it...I wouldn't be leading worship if I didn't. (Trust me...I don't like gigging that much. I play for places I can believe in!)

Over the next few days, I'll be looking at a few of these challenges from the perspective of a worship leader. Here's what I'm asking of you:

1. Comment. My perspective is mine alone. I'm just one dude and I'd love to know what your take on the whole issue of city-wide college ministry. Many, many of you are deeply invested in God's Kingdom and a lot of you spend a lot of brain power asking questions about our motivations and how we judge success.
   
   
2. Pray. I won't lie. I need prayer. I love leading worship and it's a big part of my life, but taking on a new place is always tough. I'm asking God to bless me in my ability to get to know the kids at Immerse and I'd be honored if you'd join me.
   
   
3. Talk. Services like these are not for everybody...but they are for somebody. I'm specifically asking those in the Tyler area to spread the word to college students who might benefit from a Monday night worship and Bible study time.

Personally, I'm not big on hyper-spiritual blogs. They tend to bore me. So I'll try to keep the posts practical and simple...so I won't bore myself!

As always, thanks for checking out the site.

And be back tomorrow for Part 1 - "Nobody's Got It All Together."

Broadcasting Live from Bethel

RECORD REVIEW

todd vlog ep. 27 - RECORD REVIEW from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

You can get the record HERE.

SEVEN POUNDS SPOILER

Will Smith is Keyser Soze.

REVIEW: Avatar

Finally got a chance to see James Cameron's latest creation. I liked it and actually came away with quite a few observations.

First off, I wasn't all that excited for it until I saw an interview with Avatar's effects supervisor, Robert Legato. (Via Kevin Pollak Chat Show...download from iTunes for free. One of my favorite "shows" these days.)

After hearing how this new effects approach allowed this digital film to maintain the director's "eye," I wanted to see if this movie actually translated differently than a standard CGI project. Turns out...Legato is right. The movie has the feel of a live action film that, to my mind, minimizes the CG aspect and focuses the eyes and mind on other things.

Let's talk about the movie...

STORY
The big complaint that's been circulating the web is that the story isn't complex enough...that the story line is predictable and therefore not engaging enough to compete with the visual component. For what it's worth, the story IS predictable. But since when do multi-billion dollar CGI blockbusters have great story lines? Sure, there are some...but let's be honest...couldn't we say that the majority of every film out of Hollywood is pretty predictable? I'm not sure what folks are looking for with Avatar, but if something costs 500 jillion dollars, it's pretty safe that story is going to take a backseat. And for what it's worth, there were a few surprises...

ACTING
With the exception of Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver (and maybe Michelle Rodriguez,) I thought the acting was top notch. I thought Sam Worthington's role as the lead was especially strong. He did a great job of capturing just how displaced "Jake Sully" truly is when he shows up on Pandora. Gionvanni Ribisi also was great as the project administrator...making him more than just a bad guy.

THEME
There are a few themes working in Avatar, and strangely, the love story/family connection concept gets overshadowed by two heavy-handed thematic lines. There's obviously an "oppression" theme - and while the bad guys here aren't "cowboys," the idea of rooting out natives for financial pursuit is clear. As a fan of Westerns, I love this aspect of the movie. Sure, it's not original, but it's been awhile since we saw a fiction work focused on the upheaval of indigenous people. The other obvious theme is environmentalism. I didn't mind the overall concept, but it was overkill. Cameron obviously didn't think we would get it, I guess, because one monologue in particular might as well have said, "THIS-MOVIE-IS-ABOUT-GLOBABL-WARMING-AND-YOU-SHOULD-FEEL-GUILTY-FOR-THE-DAMAGE-YOU'VE-DONE-TO-MOTHER-EARTH."

MISC.(rapid fire random musings.)

• Yes, the movie is too long. Personally, I thought there was a very obvious place to end the film...but it kept going. And going. Which is sad because even the best movies can suffer because of their length.
  
  
• There's a lot of vlogging in the movie. I kid you not. Every time Jake sits down to do a begrudging "video log," I got a little giggle. Times have changed, y'all.
  
  
• I was grateful that this movie didn't feel "3D." After a few minutes of acclimation, you're really invested in it and the film thankfully doesn't do anything stupid with the technology (Have native hold flower toward camera....flower floats in mid air in front of audience!)
  
  
• I enjoyed the movie, but didn't think it was near as epic as I had been led to believe. Maybe came in with expectations too high?
  
  
• I actually enjoyed how sleeping played a role in the film. I want use any spoilers here, but it was fun to figure out what the avatar was doing every time we saw Jake Sully up and moving around on the base. It was fun to keep that story-track running in my head.
  
  
• Of course, my favorite part of going to the movies is the trailers! On Tuesday, I'll share a few of the trailers I caught and share my thoughts.

Did you see Avatar? Did you like it?

SEVEN

When Kristen was pregnant with Jonah, I remember a mentor of mine pulling me aside and saying,
"Cherish every moment, Todd."

I took his words to heart. I've tried to cherish this little guy...even in those times when I haven't felt like it.
Jonah turns seven today. I know it probably sounds silly to lots of people, but I will say it nonetheless:
The time has flown by.

This little boy has changed my life in more ways that I ever imagined.

Every day, I am amazed at what God's built into his little mind and soul.
Every day, I am perplexed as to how to raise him in a way that pleases God.
Every day, I am heartbroken to know that, in addition to new opportunities and wonders, the new year also brings new challenges, new hurts and new tears.

I don't know what God has planned for Jonah, but I know He has a plan.
He sees and knows this little one, my firstborn.
He knows what awaits my Jonah.
And I pray that I'll be smart enough and quiet enough to let the Father speak into me the things I need to love and raise my son right.

Jonah, words aren't enough. But here are a few that come to my mind when I think about you, buddy.

You can make me laugh, when all others fail
My shadows no match for your smile
Your voice, the sweetest, purest thing
Better and stronger than mine

Your mind moves faster than I could guess
Your heart beats so fast and so loud
You laugh, you cry, it's all the same
Same within, without

I thought I would teach you, and maybe I have
But it's reversed more often I feel
To have you, to love you, to be loved by you
A gift heaven in the now and the here

One more testament to God's good hand
One more reason to sing
One more smile, one more day, one more year to watch you
become what God made you to be
---
I love you, Jonah.
Happy Birthday.