Managing your emotions (chapter 7)

In the Christian church/Church of Christ movement showing emotion in worship is often times viewed as someone showing off and trying to draw attention to themselves. However that is not the Biblical picture of worship. Worship is something that is done with everything you have. As artists we should be pouring our emotion into our work, otherwise it will be shallow and lifeless. Emotions do not need to be suppressed, but by the same token we cannot allow them to cause us to sin. It is a sign of character to do the right thing even when you don't feel like it.

Don't take yourself too seriously. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't work on your skills and try to be the best artist you can be. It means do not lose your sense of humor and the ability to laugh with other people and even at yourself. An artist without a sense of humor can be one of the most miserable people in the world. When you face disappointment (and you will) do not let bitterness set in to the point where you can't function. Disappointment is part of being an artist, it is something that will cause you to grow, you may even create one of your best works after going through disappointing times. Don't be impatient, be willing to wait on God's timing. Learning to delay gratification is a sign of maturity. Often we don't get what we want exactly when we want it.

Use your emotions to create your art. But be careful that you are not ruled by your emotions, or you will become unbearable to those around you.

Enjoy the Journey

Jealousy and Envy (chapter 6)

Jealousy and Envy are things that we all struggle with as artists. There will always be someone who is better than you. There will always be reason to aspire to be better. The problem is when our admiration turns to resentment. It is a very subtle change, as respect turns into dislike. Once you wished you could be like that person, now you wish they would just go away and stop making you look 'bad.' When that happens, you have to confess it as sin, because that is what it is. You also have to learn to appreciate your God-given talent. God made you exactly the way you are on purpose, and He gave you the gifts that you have, you need to appreciate them and use them for His glory. You must give credit where it is due. When someone performs well, you can't say they only got the gig because they have connections, acknowledge the hard work they put in and the excellence of their performance.

The root of the problem is that we are constantly comparing ourselves with each other. Like I said before, God doesn't ask us to be someone else, if He wanted us to be like them, He would have made us that way. He made each person the way they are with the gifts they have on purpose, so stop comparing yourself to other people! One way to get rid of jealousy and envy...pray for that person. You will find that it is impossible for you to remain jealous of another artist if you are constantly praying for that person. Remember this: when someone else is paid a compliment, it doesn't take anything away from you!

If someone is jealous of you, be careful not to flaunt your abilities. Frankly, it is not flattering, and people who really have it don't need to flaunt it. So stop showing off. Jealousy and envy are very strong emotions that can break a team apart very quickly if not handled properly.

Enjoy the Journey

Handling Criticism (Chapter 5)

As artists, we tend to be defensive. However, when it comes to criticism, defensiveness can kill you. It keeps us from the truth. Recognizing the truth and speaking honestly is a sign of high moral character. Defensiveness on the other hand, is a serious character flaw. Don't be quick to take offense, or you will find yourself constantly being offended. You have to have thick skin, not everyone is going to like what you do.

A major difference in performing and being in ministry is putting on a facade. When you are performing, you have to own the stage. If you are having an awful day you still have to look self-confident and enthusiastic. But that is not how ministry works. It is not entertainment, it is worship. You have to be authentic, you have to be real. Replace fake confidence with humility. Ministry demands that we allow the Holy Spirit to own the stage, and not us!

As artists, we need to be willing to welcome feedback, good or bad. Scripture says that it is foolish not to be open to feedback (Proverbs 1:7). So how do you respond? There are 3 things you need to do:
1. Be quick to listen. Shut your mouth, stop trying to defend yourself for a minute, and listen to what the other person is saying. If what they are saying is untrue, you don't have to justify yourself anyway. God loves you, they don't have to.
2. Be slow to speak. Take some time and think about what the person had to say. Again, stop trying to defend yourself! If you are wrong, you don't have a defense, if you are right, you don't need one!
3. Be slow to become angry. This is a hard one. Take a step back and cool down. Sometimes criticism comes across a lot more harshly than it is intended to. Most people (and I say most) are genuinely trying to help.

We have to ask ourselves what we can learn from this criticism that can make us a better artist. If you can't figure it out, run it by someone else. Find out what parts of the criticism are valid. Work on those things, and just let the others slide. We also need to learn how to fail. We don't like to fail, it is never a good feeling, but sometimes it is necessary to succeed. Just because you fail doesn't mean you are a failure. Sometimes we learn how not to do things before we learn how to do them.

Keep all of this in mind when you are giving criticism as well. Think through what you need to say and say only that. Put yourself on the other side of your comments and speak the truth in love.

Enjoy the Journey

Write Love on My Heart

A song I wrote...

Verse 1:
Broken on the street corner
A scene that's too familiar, a world that's passed her by
Emptied of all feeling, she can't bring herself to cry
Another day, another heartache, you're born and then you die

Pre-Chorus:
Is there no hope?
Is there no love?
Is there nothing real?

Chorus:
Write love on my heart
Teach me to love like You do
More than words or an idea, make it something that is true
Write love on my heart
Cause its all we'll ever need
In a world falling apart
Help me, write love on my heart

Verse 2:
Three nights in a row
A broken hand and no place to go
Rejection is everywhere, and no one seems to care
The hurt is deeper than we'll ever know

Pre-Chorus:
Is there no hope?
Is there no love?
Is there nothing real?

Bridge:
How long, how long
We will stand here pretending it's alright?
How far will we let them fall?
Until they cannot see the light?

Chorus:
Write love on my heart
Teach me to love like You do
More than words or an idea, make it something that is true
Write love on my heart
Cause its all we'll ever need
In a world falling apart
Help me, write love on my heart

Excellence vs. Perfectionism (Chapter 4)

As artists it is all too easy to fall into the perfectionism trap. This happens many times because we think too much in black and white. Our performance was either all good or all bad. I am either a really good artist or I don't deserve to be called one at all. As an artist we need to be careful not to find our self-esteem in our performance, but in our identity as children of God. We also need to have realistic expectations of ourselves.

We need to savor the positive. What that means is not patting ourselves on the back for doing a good job, but letting God pat you on the back for doing what He called you to do. This turns a performance into a worship experience. Maximizing the negative is really self-centered (although it doesn't seem so at first) because it focuses on us and our shortcomings.

Instead of pursing perfection, we should pursue excellence. A good definition of excellence is "doing the best you can with what you have." We should always do the best we can, because that brings glory to God, which is the purpose of our art in the first place. Check out this quote from Rory Noland: "Excellence is also a powerful witness for Christ. Most non-Christians who ever end up in church expect the music to be lousy and outdated. They don't expect to be moved by drama or dance or the visual arts. Wouldn't it be great if they were to come expecting the worst but instead found the arts produced with creativity and excellence?" It is our responsibility to bring glory to Christ with excellent art.

As Christians we should be committed to quality. After all, God deserves nothing less. We should not be looking for excuses to produce second rate stuff. This doesn't mean that there isn't room for experiments and growth, but it does mean that there is no excuse for continuing mediocrity. In 2 Samuel 24:24 David insists that he will not offer the Lord anything that cost him nothing, we should do the same. We should hone our skills so we can offer Him our best.

When we talk about effective communication, we have to talk about stage presence. 'There's been a sentiment in the church for far too long that singers who perform without any facial expression or emotion are somehow less distracting and more spiritual. When we're talking about something important to us, we don't stand at attention like robots. We move our arms to emphasize our point. Our faces register an emotion that matches our words. Vocalists, when you rehearse, do you give as much attention to how you're going to communicate a song as you do your technique? Do you know what the payoff lyrics are, the ones you don't want anybody to miss? Does your face reflect what you are singing about? We in the church need to take communication seriously, because we've been given the charge to communicate the Good News!

We also need to be prepared spiritually. It is just as important as rehearsing the songs. If a song doesn't minister to the person singing it, it won't minister to anyone else. Make sure that your walk with God is a daily thing, and you will be amazed at the things He tells you through song.

Enjoy the Journey

Purity and Proximity

"If you practice only purity apart from proximity to the culture, you inevitably become pietistic, separatist, and conceited. If you live in close proximity to the culture without also living in a holy manner, you become indistinguishable from fallen culture and useless in God's kingdom."

This is a quote from Mike Metzger that I read today in the Book UnChristian. It was in the middle of a chapter about how sheltered Christians often are. It has been something that I have felt for a long time but never really put it into words before. If you know me you know that I absolutely loath the 'Christian' subculture bubble. In my opinion we are not far off from the money lenders Christ drove out of the temple many times. Put Jesus' name on it and sell it to Christians, doesn't matter if its a piece of garbage, they'll buy it because they are Christian. Fake. We become so caught up in the Christian subculture that we isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. No wonder they think we don't have a clue, because we don't. How can we have compassion for a world that we want nothing to do with? If we are unwilling to engage the world because they are offensive to our beliefs, we can never introduce them to Christ.

In the midst of this I came across an organization today which I had heard of before, but had never really looked into. The organization is called 'To Write Love On Her Arms.' It is the exact opposite of what I just talked about. This is a group who is out there helping the hurting. It started with a group that was helping a young girl who was struggling with cutting herself. If you want to learn more about them you can visit their website or their myspace.

Being compassionate means being willing to stand with people who are hurting. It will take many more people living that way if we are to shake the 'UnChristian' label.

The Artist in Community (Chapter 3)

To know and be known is a basic human need, and artists are no exception! Especially in the church, how can we be at our best if we don't work together? We have to come together to do what no one of us could do alone. That is called teamwork, and it is vital to a music ministry. There are several things that can kill teamwork:

1. Selfishness- This one is pretty obvious, if you are being selfish, you aren't thinking about the team.

2. Grumbling and Complaining- Philippians 2:14 instructs us all to "do everything without complaining or arguing," because grumbling and complaining are like cancers that grow and spread and eventually kill a team or even an entire church.

3. A Competitive Spirit- This one is really hard as artists. We are competitive by nature. We want to be the best their is in our area. But in the church we need to learn to cooperate, and stop competing.

4. Unresolved Relation Conflict- This usually occurs because the three mentioned above are occurring! When problems arise between team members, they need to talk to each other and work it out. Often they will find that things are not as bad as they seem. But left unchecked, things grow into big problems.

Team unity is absolutely essential. Don't ever think unity is optional. It's required if we're going to do anything together in God's name. There are several things that need to happen for this to become reality. One of them is that you need to be willing to bring a 'healthy self' when you come. This means physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Take care of your body! Just because you are an artist doesn't mean that you don't need to take a walk every once in a while! If you are not doing well physically, it will translate into your art. The same is true spiritually and emotionally. If you are a spiritual and/or emotional train wreck, it will translate to every area of your life, including your art. We also need to get past caring who gets the credit. This is a big one, because artists like to be recognized. But there comes a point when you have to decide that it is more important that the work gets done than it is that you get recognized for it. Once you get to that point, it is amazing the things that can be accomplished.

Enjoy the Journey

Servanthood Vs. Stardom (Chapter 2)

As an artist it is so hard to be a servant. Most of the time we are up on stage and everyone is looking for us to do something great. Servanthood is all about humility. Often we have the wrong idea when it comes to humility. We think that humility means that we don't think that we are any good. It doesn't mean that at all! It means that we have an accurate view of ourselves. Don't beat yourself up and pretend that you are humble. Don't mistake a poor self image for humility. The focus then is still on yourself, it is just a negative focus instead of a positive one. Know your strengths, know your weaknesses, and give glory to God. I say give glory to God because without Him we wouldn't have any of the talents that we have to begin with! The prideful person says, 'Look what I did!' But the humble person says, 'Look what God used me to do!'

In Luke 17:10 we learn that when we do what God has gifted us to do we have 'done our duty.' Don't expect to be patted on the back all the time for using your gifts. You should be using your gifts to glorify God, that is why He gave them to you! Another thing we 'artsy types' struggle with is an intense desire to be better than everyone else. This is pride. C.S. Lewis says, "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man."

Artists in the church need to keep all of this in mind. But perhaps the most important thing for an artist in the church to remember is that the message is first and foremost. If 'tricking' your voice makes a word harder to understand, don't do it, no matter how good it makes you sound! If you are an instrumentalist, don't crank it up to 11 to draw attention to how great your solo is. Don't draw undue attention to yourself. As artists in the church, we are to serve the message, not ourselves.

What is the secret of humility? I think Rory Noland put it very well when he said, "We are all background. Jesus Christ is center stage, not us. He must increase and we must decrease."

Enjoy the Journey

Character (Chapter 1)

Having character as an artists (especially in the church)is so important! Why? Because people can tell if you are real, or if you are a fake. I ask our artists in the church all the time to make me believe them! People can tell if you believe what you are singing, playing, writing, painting, etc. Your character gives you credibility.

I love this quote from John Wooden, the legendary UCLA men's basketball coach: "Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

As artists in the church, we are expected to live lives of high character. We expect our pastors and leaders to live godly lives, but we address the same people with the same message that they do! We should not be living double lives either! A life of character brings blessing and fulfillment.

Enjoy the Journey

Artsy Types (Introduction)

Musicians and others with 'artsy' personalities often get a bad reputation for being overly sensitive and moody. Admittedly, this is often times true. However we cannot overlook the importance of the arts. When commended on his excellent 'entertainment' by Lord Kinnoul (who was talking about The Missiah Handel said this, "My Lord, I should be sorry if I only entertain them. I wish to make them better." The arts do entertain, but that is not their sole purpose. This goes for the church as well. Often times people sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, and sometimes as artists we like it that way. This should not be so, we too, like Handel should be letting God work through us so that we may 'make them better.'

If you are an artist, and you don't like what you are doing, stop doing it! Especially if you are serving in a church. Do not use the church as a stepping stone to a 'better' field. Work in the area of your passion, you...and everyone else will be much happier.

Arts in the church are vital. Why? Because the arts speak to the heart. A well read poem or a song well sung will stay with a person for a long time. It used to be that the premier artists did their work in churches. Work at your craft and make it the best it can possibly be. But even more than that, we need artists in our churches who are known for their art...and their character.

Enjoy the Journey

He gave His one and only Son

God gave His one and only Son for me. Now there is a humbling thought. Me, the guy who can't drive to work in the morning without sin, much less go a whole day. God gave His son to die for me so that I could be with Him! Are you kidding me? What part of that deal was fair? People complain all the time that life isn't fair. I for one, am glad it isn't, because if it was I would go straight to hell. I am glad life isn't fair!

Jesus is the one and only. That is a pretty crazy thought. He is the one who has the ultimate power. The guy everyone pretends to be when they are little. Everyone wants to be in control, but He actually is! He can calm storms or create them, he causes the sun to rise and set. He is one with the Father, and He came to die for me! Now that is love.

For God so loved the world...

The love of God is an amazing thing. It isn't like the love of this world. There is alot of fragile love in this world. Love that grows old, cracks, fades, and breaks. God's love isn't that way. It is a love that endures for all time. A love that caused Him to come from heaven and save my sorry soul. The things about God's love is that I don't deserve it. It is something that He just gave to me. I can't do anything to earn His love, but the great part is I don't have to earn it. It has already been given.

God's love will never let go. I love the words penned by Matt Redman:
"Oh no, You never let go
Trough the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord You never let go of me."

That is such a comforting thought to me. Even though at times it seems like everyone else has left, I know that God will not ever leave. He won't ever kick me off the team or vote me off the island. His love for me runs deeper than I can even fathom. Wow.

The Most Famous Conversation Ever

Nicodemus was a man well respected in the community as a religious leader, yet he finds himself sneaking around late at night going to talk to a homeless carpenter from Nazareth. He comes and and pays Jesus a compliment saying that he knows he is a great teacher from God, probably expecting Jesus to return the compliment. Jesus does not. He gets right to the point and says, 'unless you are born again, you can't get to heaven.' Nicodemus is really confused and probably thinks it is a bit of a joke. After a few minutes it became quite clear that Jesus wasn't joking around.

Think about it though, how much work did you do when you were born? Nicodemus lived in a culture that preached works to get to heaven, and Jesus was totally turning that idea inside out! Your mom did all the work when you were born the first time, and God is going to do all the work the second time! You can't earn your way to heaven, it is a gift of grace.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

Probably the most well known verse of scripture. Sometimes it almost becomes cliche. But take a few minutes and look at the hope that springs from this verse. God isn't an angry God waiting to send us all to hell! It says He loved us so much He would rather send His son to die than send us to hell! All we have to do is believe and follow. Amazing. Nicodemus was the first to hear these words of hope, it what may have been the most famous, and most important conversation of all time.

Enjoy the Journey