Police, Power & Switchfoot

I’m a big fan of Switchfoot. I love where they’ve come from, what they’re doing through their music and what Jon Foreman is doing too!

One of the things that Jon has been doing the last few years is getting back to the good old roots of what music is all about. He’s doing all the things that ‘new school’ rockstars don’t and it’s what makes him great. Most bands do a few P.R. events, do a meet and greet, play their show and get on their bus to head to the next city. Honestly, I don’t blame them. The road is a tough gig.

Jon Foreman has been cutting through the status quo by being a real person to his die-hard fans. After a Switchfoot show he’ll usually Twitter out a location for a short little ‘aftershow’ near the venue. He comes out with his acoustic and plays a 25-30 minute set of songs they didn’t play at their show that night, talks with fans and does his mellow thing.

They were in Tampa on August 15th, 2010 and he was peacefully doing his ‘after-show’ thing until Tampa Police, Officer Fisher, came and asserted his authority in one of the lamest demonstrations I’ve ever seen. He, eventually, forcefully removes Jon from the after-show. Watch Officer Fisher BARK orders in the most annoying yard duty kind of way. LAME!!! Where does the 1st Amendment play into this situation?

shortened version

extended version

Don’t you think there’s a line for authority to assert what is theirs to enforce? What was the offense? What was it hurting for him to allow the guy to do ONE MORE SONG?

Honestly, it’s guys like Officer Fisher that give Police a bad name. He was just bored on a Sunday Night with nothing else to do but assert his authority in a super lame way. I think Tampa PD needs to publicly reprimand  Officer Fisher for his poor representation of the Department.

I’ve got some good friends who are cops and I know that how you handle a situation like that is up to the Officer’s discretion. As long as the situation was peaceful, even if it was in a place they maybe weren’t allowed to be (behind the venue?! on second thought…maybe not), they’d of let him do one more song and then shut it down.

What do you think? Where are my ‘authority’, ‘the law is the law’ people? Can you argue with this guy isn’t being a little over excited about his Sunday graveyard shift? Office Fisher needs a new gig!

Michael Jackson – The Death of A Legend

I’m a pretty big Michael Jackson fan. The reports today of his cardiac arrest and his death are heartbreaking. He’s an entertainer like no other and has a songwriting ability that only a few have and a voice like no one in history. I know some people that have worked with him and they say he was an unbelievable musician and quite a guy.

Whether you think he’s weird or great, he was an epic talent and that’s undeniable. Truly this historic day is a sad one for those of us that appreciate great artistry!

Are you a fan? What is it about M.J. that you really dig? Seriously, how big of a bummer would it be to have lost the King of Pop today?

The Shack – An Abomination?

I recently saw this clip from a Pastor in the Seattle area named Mark Driscoll. He’s a pretty credible leader within the larger scale of the church and has a wide stroke of influence nationally. I’ve actually visited their church in Seattle and they are doing some AMAZING things in that city. Mark also has some brilliant things to say about leadership, vision and the local church.

I watched this clip and for some reason it just didn’t sit right with me. Honestly, I’ve never read The Shack (and I probably need too), but, I did watch an interview that Jarett Stevens did with the Author of the book at 7:22 back in the fall. Personally, I enjoyed the interview with the Author and I thought he explained the premise on which he wrote the book and did that pretty articulately.

I’m curious what your thoughts are on Marks perspective regarding The Shack. Have you read the book? Is it, truly, heretical as Mark calls it? Do you get the sense that William Paul Young is simply utilizing a story to paint a picture or is he really making a ‘false idol’ for us to try and contain? Watch the clip and post your thoughts!

Unexpected Tragedy…

Today is one of those days where you remember the precious gift of your very breathe. I write this note as I’m just about to go to bed on this Friday the 13th, 2009 (a little weird). As I was winding down tonight the news popped on with a story and reported that a commercial plane had just gone down in the Buffalo, New York area. Oddly enough, I flew today and I also had 2 friends flying in to New York this evening too.

Immediately, when i heard the news of the crash, I had that ‘oh wow, what if that was their plane’ feeling. That’s a heart wrenching moment when your not expecting it. I shot out a text to my buddies right away and awaited a response. I finally got one back just a few minutes later. They had made it safe. Praise God!

The irony of the story is that I flew today too and so did 49 other people. The difference is for those 49 people their news wasn’t in favor of tomorrow for them. Their news was met with unexpected tragedy. For the friends and families of those lost in this wreckage it’s the beginning of a process of hurt, pain and restoration. My heart breaks for those people who now have to walk this painful journey of loss because of today. If you’re a friend or family of one of the victims and you’re reading this right now, just know you’re being prayed for in these days.The beautiful thing is that, if we’re willing to find it, there is great beauty in our brokenness. It’s actually a place where our relationship to God can become so simply, yet, articulately intimate.

This incident reminds me, as I get ready to shut my eyes for the night, that my days on this earth are numbered and I want to live my life in the fullness of who Gods made me to be in the Kingdom. While I have this life, I want to love well, play hard, work hard, cry hard, serve well and be an agent of change well!

I needed this unexpected reminder tonight. I’m bummed for the way I’m reminded, in the midst of this tragedy, but, I’m reminded that I want my life to count for great things here and now! What a hope I have in Jesus though. It’s a hope that rings out the anthem, as Louie Giglio says, that ‘even in death we win’ when we’re on the mission with Jesus. May my life reflect Him more today in this reminder and may the peace of God hug these families/friends so close as they wonder how to get through today.

Let us not forget:

Genesis 3:19 – Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return

Rock the Vote!

Well…

first off, who did you vote for today!? did you vote? if you didn’t here’s my pole:

I had an incredibly awesome experience as an American voter in these last couple days. Last night, I had the chance to sit down on go over all of the candidates, all of the props and all of the issues. It has been a simply fantastic time, personally, to regain a love for this country and it’s possibilities. It’s been awesome to discuss with friends, families, pastors, right, left, moderates and more on what it means to be American.

The thing that I’ve most appreciated are the dialogues I’ve been able to have on what it means to be Kingdom Agents in America. I’ve sensed that a fundamental responsibility I have as a Christ follower is to vote through a Kingdom lens and to be a Kingdom agent with how I struck the ballot today.

I’ve personally had HUNDREDS of dialogues on this stuff and some of my favorite ones with Promise, Chip and Amy Neal, my brother, my co-workers and those of you who read my blog. As Chip and I prayed this morning, after we voted, at the end of the day God is still God and His sovereign plan is still coming regardless of who’s gonna sleep in The White House for the next 4 years. What a hope we have in Jesus and we do have a responsibility to reflect Him well, if we claim to be following Him, as we go to the Polls today.

The last thing is that I, honestly, for the first time in awhile, just felt so proud to be an American (can you hear the song just caressing your ears…hahahah?!). The above picture is of the line I stood in at 5:45am this morning with a bunch of excited Americans that were ready to vote. It was awesome! I love that we can actually be a voice for the Kingdom in how we vote. I love that I can discuss, agree and disagree openly and honestly. I love that we are FREE. How liberating. Be proud today and high five someone and just say ‘WOO-HOO, America’. hahaha. Is anyone else feeling me on this one?! It is such a blessing to live in this country!!??

Thanks to all of you that read this blog and interact on it and I hope to further be a source of great dialogue that challenges us to think deeply and respond carefully! it’s a lot of fun. I’d love to hear your experience through this process and how you felt today.

Sound Off – Final Presidential Debate

Every once in a while i’ll do a post called SOUND OFF and it’s just an opportunity to sound off and let your voice be heard. The rules are just to share your thoughts, your gut, dialogue without killing people with words, but, disagree if you must!

My question is 2 fold:

1. Who do you think took the trophy home after tonights debate and why?

2. If tomorrow was the election who would get your vote and why?

ALSO – copy your response and see my blog at CONVERSANTLIFE.COM and paste it there for more dialogue on this one!

Presidential Debate ’08 – Mississippi University – Who Won?

I’ll make this blog entry simple and easy. I’d love to hear you sound off on the Mississippi University Presidential Debate with Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama. Who do you think had the best delivery and why? Were you surprised, in a good or bad way, by anything said by the candidates? If you had to choose today, based on this debate (whether you vote within a party or not) who would have gotten your vote and why?

SOUND OFF!!