Until December 25th, you can pick up our latest Second Mile CD, as well as a paperback copy of ‘My Beautiful Idol’ (regularly $12.99), for only $5 each. (I know. Crazy, right?!?)

You can hop over here on iTunes and give a listen to it!

And you can check out some reviews of ‘My Beautiful Idol’ .

Then you can simply click the PayPal button below and order while supplies last! (And if you have any special requests with your order, just let me know in the comments of the PayPal page…)

I was recently tagged by a good friend to make a list of the most influential 15 authors in your life–good or bad. Which is not as easy for me as it may sound. I love to read, so imagine asking an alcoholic what his favorite drink is. (Answer: Whichever one is nearby.) While I’ve certainly been more influenced by music than books (an entirely different blog), here is the meme and the list. Keep in mind, this list is not a list of best authors, but the ones who’ve influentially molded me for better or worse. 

15 Authors (meme): 

Fifteen authors (poets included) who’ve influenced you and that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag at least fifteen friends, including me, because I’m interested in seeing what authors my friends choose.

1. Len Sweet. If you know me at all, you know how much I appreciate this guy. I’ve had the honor of spending time with him (yes, over coffee!). One of the greatest thinkers/writers of our time, IMO. My favs include Nudge, Soul Tsunami, Gospel According to Starbucks, Eleven, and Jesus Manifesto. 

2. Brennan Manning. A friend loaned me Ragamuffin Gospel while I was in college. I still have it and it looks like a coloring book. It was instrumental in beginning me down the path of being free from ‘religion’ and understanding the free handout of Amazin’ Grace. Ragamuffin Gospel and Abba's Child are still on my 'read every year' list.

3. The wicked smart (former athiest and Yale/Princeton grad) Greg Boyd. God At War, and the companion work Satan and the Problem of Evil were instrumental in developing a trinitarian warfare theodicy that actually makes sense in real time. (Big words for ‘understanding why God allows bad things to happen’.)

4. Anne Rice. How could I NOT include Rice? Ever since the Vampire Chronicles, her writing and character development has amazed me. Lestat and Memnoch are probably the reason I’ve seen every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Likewise, it’s probably the same reason I hate the Twilight series. Seriously. Servant of the Bones and Angel Time are among my favorites. 

5. C.S. Lewis. Duh. A close friend of J.R.R. Tolkien, I hope to continue being influenced by Clive Staples as the years go on. Favs include Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, Narnia and The Screwtape Letters.

6. Dallas Willard. Divine Conspiracy and The Spirit of the Disciplines need to be read by anyone in ministry leadership. 

7. Richard Foster. The only book of Foster’s I’ve continued to hang on to is Celebration of Discipline. It absolutely changed my life.  It brought freedom in areas I didn’t know I was in bondage to. His insight to 'communing with God' has been transforming to me, to say the least.

8. e. e. cummings. Cumming’s writing is crazy beautiful. ‘anyone lived in a pretty how town (with up so floating many bells down) spring summer autumn winter He sang his didn’t he danced his did’. ‘children guessed (but only a few and down they forgot as up they grew)”

9. Bill Shakespeare. I feel I can call him Bill. After that semester in college when, as an English major, I read every major work he’d written…we’re close. He’s the reason I love iambic pentameter and tragedy. 

10. G.K. Chesterton. One of the men I admire most is/was Rich Mullins. So when he said, ‘You need to check out Chesterton’, I ran and grabbed the only think I could find. Luckily, it was Orthodoxy. I still remember reading, ‘Oscar Wilde said sunsets were not of any value because we can’t pay for them. But Oscar Wilde was wrong. We can pay for them by not being Oscar Wilde.’ Thus, was the beginning of me chasing to know Chesterton.

11. Tim LaHaye. There I said it. As a Southern Baptist college student in east Texas, there were two things you didn’t question: Calvinism and Tim LaHaye. I ran into his end times, pre-tribulation theology everywhere…like mushrooms after a bad rain. It formed my theology for years. 

12. Shel Silverstein. Probably most famous for The Giving Tree and A Light in the Attic, I realize how much I treasure his writing now that I am an adult and have kids of my own. 

13. Chuck Palanuik. Two words that go without saying: Fight Club. His other works (like Choke and Lullaby) are sweetly twisted and expose the beauty and the fallenness of our humanity. But, because of the first rule of Chuck Club, that’s all I can say about that.

14. Edgar Allan Poe. American writer/poet best known for all things mysterious and macabre, who quite possibly invented what we know as detective-fiction. He kept me awake at night long after he was dead, not only by what he said…but by what was left unsaid. Probably the reason I wandered into the writings of #13 and #4. 

15. Dr. Seuss. I’ve learned from Seuss that sometimes it’s the questions that are complicated and the answers that are simple. And he’s continually re-opened my eyes to the wonderment of living and the inherent value in each of us. After all, ‘today you are You, that is truer than true. There’s no one alive who is Youer than You.’

There are certainly other ways to read the Bible other than ‘in 90 days’, but here are the reasons why I’m doing it this way (and why I think it will be helpful to do this every year) : 

1. If God made sure his words were recorded for us, why wouldn’t I want to read all of them numerous times?

2. Reading large portions of Scripture regularly slows me down so I can think about life from an eternal perspective. Still within the first 20 days, and I’ve had tearful moments of revelation and times of seeing things with fresh eyes.

3. In my daily life, I am constantly bombarded with images, philosophies, thoughts, reasonings, and attractions from the world, my flesh, and the Enemy. I need large quantities of God’s thoughts, empowered by his Spirit, to resist them.

4. I trust my own thoughts too much at times and it’s good to be rebooted with God’s thoughts as much as possible. 

5. Each time I read through the Bible, I’m humbled as I realize how little I actually know and understand God’s Word.

6. Reading a lot of the Bible helps me more easily see how it all fits together, and gives a fresh perspective to the biblical narrative (which perhaps was never intended to be 'nibbled on' in the first place.)

7. As a worship leader and student pastor, I want people’s faith to rest on God’s Word, not my music or my opinions. I want Scripture to be the overflow of my heart, not something I occasionally use for a desired emotional effect or dig into because I have to teach a lesson.. 

8. As a husband, father of three, and resident of planet Earth, Scripture is my primary how-to manual to marriage, parenthood, and life. You and I should be able to recite it better than the USAmerican pledge of allegiance… if my allegiance is to Christ.

I know reading completely through the Bible sounds pretty ambitious or intimidating. But if I can do it, so can you. There are multiple plans out there from which to choose.

What are you currently doing that's challenging you spiritually? 

"The only thing you will ever know

is what you see

and what you read."

In the past year, I've read (or re-read) a handful of books that are on my 'Keep These Close to You' books.  

1. Worship Matters, by Bob Kauflin. Perhaps the best thing I've read on worship this year. Whether it's as a vocalist, musician, media tech, or congregation member, the greatest obstacle you and I have in worship is not the song selection, the drum volume, or the tempo. It's the heart. It's the thing that really matters. God calls us to love Him more than we love singing about (or to) Him. Kauflin tackles some tough questions as well as offers some practical helps for developing meaningful times of worship. 

2. Finding the Groove, by Robert Gelinas. On recommendation from Len Sweet, I picked up this one, and it revolutionized a lot of my thinking on creating a jazz-shaped faith. Some of my previous thoughts on it are here and here. 

3. Satan and the Problem of Evil, by Greg Boyd. This year I finished re-reading this and it's companion, "God At War", for a second time. While they are both lean a little to the academic and scholarly crowds, Boyd does an outstanding job of explaining a Scriptural, warfare theodicy. Don't be confused: this is not so much a book on traditional spiritual warfare as it is building a construct for explaining evil, free will, injustice and restoration within a trinitarian warfare mindset. Jesus is King, but His Kingdom is not yet fully realized. You and I are living in the now-and-not-yet of that reality. You can read more here. 

4. Why Your Church Must Twitter (e-book), by Anthony Coppedge. It cost me $5 to have the privilege to make and distribute copies…so let me know if you follow me on Twitter, DM me and I’ll send you one. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

What is it about creative ventures that makes us nervous about each other’s mental health? Those who inhabit the far end of the creative spectrum are often known for their unstable, capricious moodiness that often leads to depression, manic tendencies, and even suicide. The question Gilbert raises is: as a ‘creative’, are you OK with that? If you create (songs, poetry, art, fashion, design, or ANYTHING), you’ll relate to the capriciousness of creativity and the oftentimes fleeting and frustrating process of creativity…and you’ll identify with her story I have no idea of Gilbert’s religious belief system, but her time in the video is spent trying to convince at least some of her audience that the creative process is fueled by some kind of ‘divine’ or ‘spiritual’ force that can inhabit and direct us as we create something.

It’s not a new concept, and certainly WAY too long to encompass on a blog like this one, but many great works of art (songs, paintings, etc.) have been documented as having been created effortlessly…as if the Spirit simply flowed through the artist. The result has been everything from a ‘classic’ work of art to a significant worship song to a watershed writing which helped change the course of history.

Do you resonate with the story of poet Ruth Stone at 10:20 in the video? Or is that too irrational? Too far out of our civility? What do you think? Have you ever brushed up against something like that? How do you explain it?

And if you’re not familiar with TEDblog (Technology, Entertainment, Design), spend a little time there and become inspired and refueled.

And follow TEDtalks on Twitter.

With respect to the fourth sin, which is spiritual gluttony, . . . such persons expend all their effort in seeking spiritual pleasure and consolation; they never tire, therefore, of reading books; and they begin, now one meditation, now another, in their pursuit of this pleasure which they desire to experience in the things of God. But God, very justly, wisely and lovingly, denies it to them, for otherwise this spiritual gluttony and inordinate appetite would breed innumerable evils. It is, therefore, very fitting that they should enter into the dark night, . . . that they may be purged from this childishness.

Hmmm..I’m not sure how to digest that. In a day where evangelical hipsters are voraciously reading every new and ancient spiritual father, I wonder if it’s become the mark of the new Pharisee. Could it be that we eagerly chase after spiritual instruction and, mistaking knowledge for discipleship, never get around to putting feet to the ideas?

How would you respond if a spiritual giant told you to lighten up?

A week or so ago, Pete Gall sent me some audio files to his forthcoming book Learning My Name. As I sat listening, I remembered what I fell in love with in Idol. It’s beautifully dirty and honest. It struggles and exposes. As Gall presents himself in Learning My Name, I secretly wonder if he’s been spying on me. Stalking my thoughts. Reading my mail. 

In the preface, after quoting from Karl Marx’s Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right, Gall says: 

Most days, I’m not searching for an omnipotent God. I don’t need ‘all-powerful’. Just a little potent…say ‘medium powerful’ will do. …just a little heavenly chiropractic care… But most days, even with my lowered expectations, He isn’t showing up to fix me like I want him to. 

Ashamedly, that’s me. 

I don’t expect or search for a truly omnipotent God like I should. Just a God that’s moderately powerful enough for my mundane, commonplace issues of my own egocentric humanity. Just an adjustment here and there. Nothing major really, thanks. I show up for a little spinal adjustment, a good massage, and some muzak. Nevermind the busted femur pierced through my leg and the fact that I’m bleeding out. (Truth be told, I probably don’t even know where my real injuries are…)

So, be on the lookout for Learning My Name. And if you get the offer to chow down some Rudy’s with Gall (or any of the Pirate Monks, for that matter), be careful. You might unknowingly tap into a better opiate: grace with a shot of brotherhood. 

I ordered it a month ago from Amazon. It came (woo-hoo!) but the demands of ministry have been such that I just now have the time to devote to it. I could speed-read it through and move on…but I’m trying hard at slowing down these days.

Len Sweet’s latest book titled “11: Indispensible Relationships You Can’t Live Without” is something I (you?) shouldn’t speed-read. He describes 11 characters from Scripture as people we can’t successfully live our lives without. And first up is Nathan: King David’s friend, counselor and advisor who loved him enough to wag his bony finger in the king’s face about his sexual relationship with Bathsheba. Without Nathan, King Dave would have continued his alduterous and murderous behavior and corrupted the Davidic line.

Don’t, for a second, confuse this with accountability. Len makes clear something I’ve tried to say for a long time: to quote Joe Meyers, we don’t need accountability, we need ‘edit-ability’.

In the world of accounting, it’s all too easy to keep double books: one for for accountability partners and one for your secret self. Plus, the whole ‘accountability mentality’ has grown up a generation of religious pharisees who seem to love sniffing out failure like a drug dog in east Austin. Monitoring the sins of others comes easy enough: racism, sexism, ageism, liberalism, homophobism, conservatism, war, abortion, stem-cell research and condoms.

The real issue is not accountability, but editability. Do you mind your life being overhauled by someone else’s thumbs? By another’s red pen? Do you mind being sculpted by another artisan? Everyone needs an editor. Or three.

At the time of his rendevouz with Bathsheba, Nathan had already built up a good account with David. He wasn’t just a nuisiance. He had access to the king because he had already given him good advice and, as a result, had a standing invitation to drop by and ‘carpe momentum’ when the script desperately needed a rewite.

Nathan is someone who cares and wants the best for you…even when they show up on your doorstep with a sword. As best as I can see, however, he usually shows up with a scalpel.

I have a few Nathans. Some live hours away while some live within walking distance. They get under my skin at just the right time. They ask hard questions. They remind me it is very possible, in my life, to accomplish much but never amount to much. They challenge, convict, and comfort me. My Nathans help me see the truth about myself: I’m not as good as I imagine, but I’m not as bad as I fear I am either. Truth is, I’m probably worse, but that’s for another blog..

So, today, thank you, Jesus, for someone like Nathan. Keep me editable.

I’ve been kicking this post around in my head for a while. The hard thing is that blogs have inherently short posts, and this is not something I can express in 200 words or less. Nevertheless…

As I posted not too long ago, a very dear ministry friend of mine emerged from rehab a while back and recommended Nate Larkin’s Samson and the Pirate Monks to me. As a book that recounts Larkin’s own struggles with addictions, from sexual issues to pride and ego issues, it’s absolutely great. He paints the portrait that we are sinner-saints: beautiful monsters that are at once theiving and pillaging Pirates as well as God-chasing Monks. It’s about him finding God in the midst of struggle, addiction, and destruction of his personal world. To be honest, I was expecting someing along the lines of Elderedge’s Wild at Heart. But what I found was incredibly more honest. Vulnerable. Refreshing. Dare I say… ‘balanced’?

Just like Fight Club, I have to add, the I-Ching-search-for-God flick of our generation. I can imagine meeting Larkin on the street at night, downing a couple dozen glazed Crispy Cremes (ala ‘Bob’). When I ask him why he hasn’t been at our local men’s retreat lately, he replies, "Oh…I’ve found something so much better. But the first rule is…I’m not supposed to talk about it. And the second rule is…I’m not supposed to talk about it. And the third rule is…"

So, to Nate: I’m a member. I’ve joined the Samson Society. No, it’ s not a secret underground boxing club. It’s an online group of men who are looking for authentic brotherhood, encouragement, friendship and accountability.

Some are alcoholics.

Some are porn addicts.

Some are cancer survivors.

Some divorced.

Some sexually abused or verbally abusive.

Some are struggling musicians and artists.

Some are just tired of the macho, chest-thumping that poses for manhood and want a group of friends they can count on to share their hopes and fears and dreams. A group they can count on to walk their rocky and uncertain journey with.

Check out the book, Samson and the Pirate Monks, as well as the Samson Society online.

“We are a company of Christian men. We are also natural loners, who have recognized the dangers of isolation and are determined to escape them, natural wanderers who are finding spiritual peace and prosperity at home, natural liars who are now finding freedom in the truth, natural judges who are learning how to judge ourselves aright, and natural strongmen who are experiencing God’s strength as we admit our weaknesses.”

-Nate Larkin, Samson and the Pirate Monks

Brotherhood is a beautiful thing.