FaithEngineer

Earlier this week, U2 did something that would seem a little crazy.  In the middle of their 360 concert tour, they livestreamed their show from the Rose Bowl on YouTube and then made it available for viewing.  Jenni and I saw the concert in Charlottesville, and it was an incredible experience.  Here are a few thoughts.

Overall, I’m excited about how video on the internet is developing.  From internet simulcasts, to live-streaming concerts and church services, geographical boundaries are being torn down.  We recently even hosted a evangelism training service for a church in Michigan from our church here in Virginia.  This would have been impossible to even dream about 10 years ago.

Here is the complete 2 hour and 21 minute concert.  I suggest you hook up your computer to your tv and sound system, hit the full-screen button, and sit back and enjoy the concert.  You can find more videos on the U2 YouTube channel.

I have been hesitant to blog about this, but the thoughts simply won’t go away.  At the Catalyst Conference I saw yet again something that has been bothering me about the church world.  When you step back and look around, all the pastors of contemporary churches look the same.  And all the worship leaders leaders looked the part as well.  It was a very homogenous group of 30 and 40 somethings all trying to look cool.  You could tell many of the pastors made a run on Buckle and picked up their wardrobe before dropping by the salon to get highlights in their hair.   And don’t even get me started on the tight skinny jeans and low-cut v-necks that many worship guys were wearing.

You may ask why does it matter?  Let me give you a couple of thoughts to think about.  And let me just say that I am in no way judging others.  In some ways, I very much lump myself in with the pastor crowd.

• Some may say that we dress that way to be culturally relevant.  I’m okay with that if the culture you live in actually dresses that way.  I don’t want to be cynical, but in most cases, the way we dress doesn’t actually match up with the people we are called to reach.
• Some may say that we are rebelling against the pretentious suits and ties of the previous generation.  But  is there any difference between wearing a $500 suit and a $500 outfit from a hip store?  How many people in your congregation can actually afford the clothes that you are stylin?  It’s a honest question that we must wrestle with.
• Why are worship leaders afraid to wear masculine clothing? It looks like a bunch of 40 year olds dressing like the Jonas Brothers.  That may sound harsh, but I really struggle with the styled long hair, manscara, and skinny women’s jeans they are wearing.

Let’s remember who we are to imitate.  I would argue that there is nothing inherently wrong about styles, as long as they are modest and appropriate.  I know those are subjective terms, but the bigger issue is one of our hearts.  WHY do we all look the same? Is there an unspoken pressure to conform to the music world? Why can’t we be normal?

I don’t have the answers, but I don’t think there is a valid reason that everyone looks the same.  I want to see the uniqueness and beauty of the world we live in reflected in the leaders of our churches.  Drop me a comment and help me understand.  Keep it civil, and remember that I live in a small rural town in the mountains of Virginia.  I’m just a little backward

We kicked off our study of Crazy Love with the youth and college students from Cornerstone this past Thursday night. I wanted to share the links back to my comments on each chapter of the book. I’ll be adding the later chapters to this list as we go through the study.  You can also find out more about the book at the official Crazy Love Book website.  We have a few more books available if you missed Thursday night so see us at church to get your copy.   We are reading chapters 1 & 2 for next week’s study.

Posts in this series:

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7

Last year, I shared about a new Kodak Zi6 pocketcam that I was using as my main camcorder.  I have been extremely pleased with the camcorder and we have used it a lot over the past year.   But with the cheap price and small size, pocketcams all have some drawbacks. Typically the battery life and recording times are short.  Because of the small size, it is almost impossible to keep the video stabilized while filming.  So expect some shaky footage.   But the biggest drawback for filming footage for youth and church is the audio quality.  The first generation pocketcams did not have the capability to hook in an external mic.

Fast forward to today.  All the major makers have updated their camcorders.  Flip, Creative, and Kodak all have new models out, and all the other camcorder makers are quickly jumping in this growing market. I wanted to spotlight the newest model from Kodak, the Zi8.  Here are the new features

• Record High Definition video (1080p at 30 fps with 16:9 aspect ratio)  The old Zi6 that I have only goes up to 720p resolution
• Expandable SD/SDHC card slot up to 32 GB. The new SDHC cards are getting cheaper all the time
• Rechargeable batteries and charger included.  It uses a battery pack now, but they have also added a DC port to power the unit continously.
• Vibrant 2.5-inch viewfinder; Watch footage on HDTV with included HDMI cable
• Get sharper videos and less blur thanks to built-in digital image stabilization.
• But the biggest new feature is the external mic port.  This is HUGE!  You can hook up an external mono or stereo mic to record audio from a distance.  I have not been able to use my Zi6 for many of the church videos because of the poor sound quality. With this camcorder, you can use a lapel mic or boom mic to get the sound directly from the source.

And the price … currently it is $179 on Amazon.  I have been able to simply drop the footage into iMovie from my Zi6.  If you are looking for a cheap high quality camcorder, then you may want to check this one out.   You can find out more info about using this camera over at worshipideas.com.

Nineteen years ago I was running in the state cross-country finals.  We had a great team and I was a scrawny 135 lb senior running 18 minute times in 5K’s. Since that time, I really haven’t continued running and the years and pounds have added on.  Over the last couple of years I have tried to start running, but I have lacked consistency.  This summer I have managed to rack up about 25 miles, but I am still far from being in shape.  But I am playing basketball regularly, biking, and jogging.  I am definitely making an effort to be more disciplined in all areas of my life.

This morning I ran the Susan G. Komen Lowcountry Race For the Cure near Charleston, South Carolina with over 5000 other people.  It was a fun race, but the real reason I ran was to honor my mother-in-law (you can see the details of her previous battle with cancer here) .  My wife Jennifer had planned to run, but her knee has been locking up and will probably require surgery in the next few weeks, so she was unable to run.  But I ran with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law for Team Bambu.  Our kids all ran the 1 mile fun run as well.

I wasn’t real pleased with my time of 32 minutes, but with my lack of training and current weight, it is all that I really could expect.  I started developing shin splints several weeks back and they really bothered me during the race.  I wasn’t used to running on pavement and the impact took it’s toll on me. I still need to drop about 25 pounds to get to a decent running weight.  It was still a fun race and I’m glad that I ran it.  Check out some pictures below.

If you want to learn from my mistakes, here is what I recommend:

• Don’t compare yourself to others.  Even if you get passed by 70 year olds, women pushing strollers, your sister-in-law , and a man in a fat suit (which all happened to me today) don’t give up.  It takes discipline and hard work to get in shape.  And some people are just natural runners.
• Forget your past.  It doesn’t really matter what you used to do.  All that matters is where you are now and where you need to go.
• Music is a great motivator.  Be sure to pick music that keeps you running at a good tempo. Nike has some great running mixes and the free podrunner podcast is a great place to pick up some good techno running music.
• Have a plan! Start gradually and work your into shape – the couch to 5k plan is a great way to get in shape for a 5k in two months. They also have a podcast and a couch to 5k application for the iphone and ipod touch.
• Mix things up, don’t feel bad changing your workout routine. Weight training is important as well
• And finally, train on the same surfaces that you will be racing on. I’ve been running on the trail at home and the road really bothered my knees and shins during the race.

I wanted to share a couple of memorable moments from Catalyst. One was crazy and the other was powerful.

Professor Splash set a new world record high dive. He dove from a tower over 35 feet high into a pool with only 12 inches of water. Check out the video below. It’s another crazy world record from the Catalyst Conference.

Professor Splash Breaks World Record! from Catalyst on Vimeo.

The second video literally brought me to tears. It was a powerful moment when Jimmy Wambua met Mark, his Compassion Sponsor of 19 years, for the 1st time. Our family has sponsored a little girl in Indonesia for the last three years through Compassion and I hope that it makes the same kind of impact in her life. The video is a little long, but it is definitely worth it. Skip to about the 9 minute mark if you just want to see his reaction when he finds out that the man who had sponsored him was there to meet him.

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Image by Stephen Hunton

Three days later, and I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the Catalyst Experience.  It was again a great trip.  In the past, I have shared about what each speaker shared, but this year, I just want to talk about the overall experience.  You can find summaries of the talks at the Catalyst Blog.

I was able to split my time between two groups, the young leaders coaching group that I have been a part of and a group of leaders from Cornerstone.   My wife was able to make the trip as well and volunteer with Land of 1000 Hills Coffee.  At a conference like this, you are exposed to encouraging times of worship and great teaching.  But for me, I felt a little more like a guide this year to those I was traveling with. It was great to see the conference through their eyes.

For me personally, I think God really spoke to me about rest.  That may be a funny thing to take away from a leadership conference that is over the top in so many ways, but I was able to just close my eyes and soak in what God wanted me to hear.  I have been through a busy season of ministry, but it is time for me to focus on others.  If our church is to continue growing and reaching others, then I have to do less. I have to give away more responsibility, and spend more of my time to train and equip the saints (Ephesians 4:11-12).  One of the highlights of the trip was the ride home. I was able to spend some great time with Jennifer, Chad, Ben, & Randy as we talked about what God had showed each of us.  The challenge for everyone at Catlayst is to not just gain knowledge, but to gain wisdom in how to apply that knowledge. Learning what to do as a result of what we have heard is very important.   What sin do we need to confess and repent? What do we need to start doing? What do we need to stop doing? What do we need to share with others?  My hope and prayer is that I will take what I have learned, and use it to build God’s Kingdom here on earth.

For those of you reading my blog who attended Catalyst, what did God speak to you this year?

Tomorrow, I’ll be driving down to the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. This will be my third year in a row that I have atttended. We’re taking a group of 6 people from Cornerstone, so I’m excited for our team as well. Catalyst is not your typical conference. From the time you enter the parking lot, everything is about creating an experience you won’t forget. The teaching is excellent, the activities are over the top, and the worship is passionate. I love that the conference is focused on developing and building young leaders.

I’ll be hanging out with a group of young pastors during the conference. We have been meeting with a mentor and friend who has been pouring into our lives and leadership over the past year. It will be the first time to the conference for all of them, so I’m sure we will have a great time.

Here are the main stage speakers
Andy Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, Louie Giglio, Malcolm Gladwell, Tony Dungy, Matt Chandler, Rob Bell, Priscilla Shirer, Dave Ramsey, Jessica Jackley, Shane Hipps, Josh Hamilton, Reggie Joiner, Margaret Feinburg, and Francis Chan

WOW, from athletes to business people to incredible pastors and church leaders, Catalyst is truly an experience. If you haven’t been before, then prepare to be amazed. If you can’t make it, you will want to check out the Catalyst Backstage website for info and videos about the conference. I’ll be posting updates from my twitter account as well.

Catalyst 2009 Preview from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Over the past 13 years in ministry, I’ve heard a lot of young bands.  In the past six months, I’ve had the opportunity to hear this new band twice and I really like their music. I have a lot of blog readers in the southeast, so I wanted to let everyone know about this band from Greenville, South Carolina. I think their music is a blend of Creed, Daughtry, Todd Agnew, and Decemberadio, with a little vintage Jeremy Camp thrown in as well. They guys put on a great concert and I love their testimony and message. Check out their main website, their myspace page (with music), and their facebook page for more info.

Crashing Jericho Christian Rock Band Music Booking CD

Last week, I noticed that one of my friends on facebook had a couple of extra tickets to the U2 concert in Charlottesville.  It worked out for Jennifer and I to go, so we decided to go on a big date.  The tickets were general admission for the field and were sold during the presale for members of the fan club.  In other words, the tickets were great and inexpensive.   If you’re not familiar with the 360 tour, I’ll share a little about the stage.  You can see a picture above, but it is hard to comprehend how large and incredible it really is.  The 40 million dollar stage is 164 feet tall and takes over 100 tractor and trailers to transport. Simply amazing. You can find more info about the concert and stage from wikipedia.

The round high-tech stage was surrounded by an outer circular walkway that connected by an overhead moving bridge.  Jennifer and I were able to get in the inner ring, and we were constantly surrounded by the band as they moved around the stage.  Bono was literally inches away from us as he walked across the bridge.  The Edge was perfect as always and we were close enough to see all the guitar magic.  They played a good mix of old and new music and they were able to really engage the crowd.  U2 puts on an incredible show, and Muse was a great opener as well.  As a technology junkie, I was amazed at the stage and video and production of it all.  My only big regret was that I didn’t take a better camera. The tickets said no cameras allowed except cell phones, but they didn’t check for them and it seemed like everyone brought nice cameras in.  We were on our feet for almost 6 straight hours and we had to walk a mile and a half each way, but it was worth it.

The best part — I was able to enjoy the entire experience with Jennifer.  Simply Awesome.  Here are a few pictures from my phone for you to enjoy.