GLENN'S PODCASTS!

VANILLA

I LOVE vanilla! I mean, since I was a kid I loved the smell of it, really good quality vanilla ice cream, vanilla malts, french vanilla coffee, vanilla oil fragrance, all of it!

But what a small and rather thin world it would be if that's all the flavors there were.

Too many people are "vanilla" in terms of their judgement of other's sense of style, methodology and the like.

I.e., a "vanilla" person is so locked into their own taste that they just don't have time to experiement, pioneer or play creatively with other possibilities.

Inventors and those who have really brought sanctified imagination, art and the like into being are anything BUT vanilla.

Christians in emerging church circles may of course get lost in the rainbow of flavors, or worse, make idols of a "new vanilla"... but then again the Holy Spirit brings wide expression yet within the range of holiness- all at the same time.

It's true that we risk losing our way when we experiment with selfish motives, and there is no question one or one thousand of us can create a fresh idol and therefore idolatry out of a new flavor.

It's also true that as much as I love vanilla that God also provided tastebuds that can appreciate chocolate. And mint chocolate-chip. Anybody here remember butter-brickle?

CIGAR BOX GUITAR

Well, a bro. named Shane Speal (quite findable on the Web) and I emailed back and forth some time ago after I, on a lark, looked for something online re. -really- traditional guitar-building.

I found on his site and links from it, a whole cool world of quite do-able cigar box guitars. Just the sort of thing I like... more with less!

My love for blues and simplicity, stringed and other simple instruments, brings me to this. I confess a fair lack of ability to build good, working stuff, so this could get real interesting... and embarassing. Who knows? Should be fun though.

After wanting to do so for some years, I'm truly going to give it a go!

I'll post the pictures online at http://www.glennkaiser.com AFTER tweaking and finishing this. I think I'm going for a 4 string cigarbox design, two sound-holes, woodburn the "frets" and dot markers, and keeping it simple. I have a Barcus Berry dobro pickup that should work great for electrifying this little baby...

The real dream would be getting good acoustic tone, and electrified tone good enough- and the intonation solid enough- to actually put it on a recording at some point. We'll see...

STABILITY

There are several sides to the concept of stability. And one of them, at least on the surface of it, is boredom!

Younger people are hormones, excitement and rapid movement. The older you get, you want stability, a sense of peace and mostly, a bit slower of a pace. The tortoise and the hare come to mind. You realize that it's not who collects the accolades, it's who's standing at the end, really standing.

As Christians, we would find one common definition of stability, that being "resistance to change" both good AND bad. God Himself continually promotes change in us. More love, godliness, a heart to serve others, forgive others, and so on, all these we need MORE of so we of course must change and not resist the Holy Spirit.

In all generations (and re. most of us at one time or another) we can be dogmatic and plain stubborn about moving out of our own little boxes of comfort. We have "our ways" and those ways aren't all hardwired into the ways of Jesus or the clear pictures we get in the New Testament of what it means to really love God and others. For example, some elements of the Church are still caught in a "women must sit in a corner and speak when they're spoken to" mentality. Change is often quite needed.

Another definition of stability is solidness, a sense of constancy, reliability and being dependable.

It would be hard to argue against those from the Word of God.

A friend of ours had a dream that my wife and I broke up. She emailed us to tell us about it and asked how we were. We thanked her as it's good to have loving Christian friends who are sensitive, and act carefully on what perhaps the Spirit may be doing. And we then asked what she'd eaten before bedtime :)

My wife and I deeply love Jesus and one another, and there simply aren't any issues in our lives anywhere near what would move us to separate. There is a stability in our individual lives, marriage, and family. It comes from a deep conviction of God's call and hand on our lives. It comes from long term accountable relationships. There is a real stability.

For many years I've noticed the greatest applause of the night is when I'm doing a GKB or solo show, and I may mention in introduction to a song, that we've been married for 32 years. I mean, older people, young kids, everyone sort of lights up and just celebrates that. Why? Because there is so much divorce, separation, a great deal of instability in the world, even in the church.

From time to time folks encourage me by emailing or telling me directly that they've watched my life for years. Without saying it specifically, they talk of varied inspiration from this or that angle, but what they are saying in essence is that they're thankful and find hope in someone else's stability in a world and church where so many people sell out on one another, sell out on mission, on vision, on caring for broken people. They're really saying that they may see the grace of God in our lives and that it encourages them to trust and "keep on keeping on" whatever their situation.

I say GLORY TO GOD for whatever stability I've been blessed with!

It CAN seem boring when you're young to keep your feet on the ground and your hand on a particular plow. That is, until the sweet corn on your plate is hot, the butter's running down your face, and the harvest is in...

We all reap what we sow. Sow stability.

Make solid choices and commitments, and forget fashion slavery. Don't ignore fashion and cultural relevance... just take real care style doesn't own you.

Down the road, when people ask "whatever happened to so-and-so", if my name's mentioned, I want it clear: "Him? He's serving Jesus and doing what he's done all along. And you know, he has the same passion we saw in him when he was young!".

I LIKE stability! And I sure enough like it better than the option.

THEORY IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE
*Warning- Rant Alert!!!

I KNOW we must first think and theorize, then talk/write and theorize -before- we can act. I truly understand, appreciate and acknowledge the wisdom and practicality of this.

Yet I'm growing increasingly weary of folks who, though they truly manifest genuine signs of real wisdom, maturity and commitment- preach, teach and write about various problems in the Church and vast world without offering practical direction about WHAT TO DO to exact change, demonstrate mercy, live out God's love to the people involved.

Lately I find myself lacking patience for words sans action.

When I was a young pup, my brother (8 years older than I) on the last day of high school mistakenly brought his American History book home with him. We shared the same room, and he moved out soon afterwards. He left that book and I learned to love it! I would stay up late at night reading that thick volume and read it through several times over the few years it took for me to reach the grade where it was still the course textbook. I was a bit ahead of the curve in that class, but only because I loved the subject. I wanted to understand people, how and why they did what they did, and that's the core reason I loved and love history. It is a record of what they did, not simply what they thought about doing.

In our early marriage if Wendi was hanging out with her girlfriends and the guys were busy or whatever, I'd often spend the last hour of the night in the library where JPUSA had a fairly new (at the time) set of encyclopedias. I read them almost nightly. They were my pre-internet studies option!

I mention this because one thing lept from the historical pages: talk inspired but actual effort inspired more.

The power (and I obviously believe in that power or I wouldn't be typing this...) of words is greatest when lived out by the author. That is in part, the real power of Jesus Christ- He did what He said, and said what He did. There was integrity between His words and His acts.

In my highschool years I wrote a bit for an underground newspaper. In fact, I may have already mentioned this point in an earlier blog... but anyway- this was during the hippie movement, and we all had a lot to protest! We pointed fingers at a lot of injustice and I still think we actually got alot of it right. But we never accomplished anything because all we did was talk and write about the problems. We didn't offer solutions, and rarely acted on our beliefs.

I was also involved in many anti-Vietnam War marches, the local Hunger Hike to feed Milwaukee's inner-city poor and a lot of other social justice efforts. In most of those matters, actual change took place and others were inspired to get off the couch and do something positive to meet the needs of people.

As a musician I realized I'd only learn to really play if I practiced... and the more I practiced the more I could "say" with guitar, bass, drums, singing and etc., and more people requested shows... and you get the point.

Theory IS helpful, even important and needed... read my first paragraph again- I indeed get it!! BUT- the power is in the application, the effort, the actual work of loving.

I have begun growing real weary of sermons, writing and other communications by folks who do not offer practical solutions that are doable... and worse, when the speaker does not directly involve him or herself in actual efforts such as those they sometimes (imagine that) propose.

Being creative is core to my life. I often produce poorly, but I try. Communicating is also my life. I have in fact communicated poorly even in this very day apologizing for doing so with a bro. I care for a great deal... so I'm not saying I do it perfectly either! BUT... may God help us to offer applicable solutions... and to walk those solutions out in our lives, not simply theorize, talk or write about them.

So let me end this by doing exactly what I'm advocating:

Let's theorize, think deeply, pray, bounce our ideas off of others via relationship building and intentional submission of our articles and other communications BEFORE we send them out to the big wide world. Let's ask godly, intelligent people who have the courage to critique our communications to help us be clear not only about the issue, but to help us bring positive -solutions- into the mix. Let's also ask ourselves and allow others to ask us what it is we're DOING about actually living out those suggestions we offer. If more people had to live with their theories, I think their would be less sloppy communication, less rather raw, merely emotive communication and a lot more people being truly helped and ultimately, loved.

LESSONS FROM FOOTBALL (SOCCER)

This is no evangelistic plea for more people in the U.S. to love my favorite sport, and I admit that after soccer (the REAL football) my next fave sport happens to be NFL or Canadian-style football.

Anyhow- I have long noted that like many if not all team sports, there is something a bit difficult about the "ball hog".

A lot of people I minister with at JPUSA in Chicago love to play (and yep, some even like to watch) soccer. Of course, soccer gets the bad rap while it's long been the fastest growing sport in the U.S., and nearly everyone plays it in the suburbs as well as inner-cities, but that's besides the point.

Ahem... ball hogging. That's when a person (often the most gifted player, even goal-scorer on the team) just doesn't pass. They may be experts at ball handling and shooting, powerful, lightning fast, brilliant at dribbling the ball around nearly everyone on the opposing side. But I've lost track of the number of games where the side with that sort of person lost in the end. Why? There are a load of reasons of course. But perhaps the first is "No sense of "team".

Any of this ring true among Christians and staffs, local churches?

There is a serious difference between a "community" and a "collective".

Ever notice the number of times words like "we", "us", "one another" and the like show up in the Bible?

The person who has an awareness of the best move to make- including passing the ball, even passing back, keeping possession as a team even if it seems like the ball isn't always being moved toward the opponent's goal (boring ain't it?!) often secures the win.

When the highest percentage shot on goal is available due to someone ELSE'S positioning and skill, get the ball to them!

A fine example of this in the NFL is of course the New England Patriots. Few "superstars"- and a Championship team.

Some folks arguably feel better about themselves, and certainly -some- get better work done, or certain kinds of work done more efficiently, alone.

Yet a continual principle in the Word of God and the kingdom of God is that it's a kingdom, not a hermit's shack. When we learn to work with others, we get more done, and more people thinking, praying, interacting with shared focus and vision can indeed win the day. Of course the wealth and glory must then be shared! I think that's also a problem for many of us, and we need to face it.

Have you noticed that the right people on the right team after practice (time!) and focus of thought, shared heart and plain habit of moving together don't have to talk quite so much because they fairly know what the others are going to say. Often, a look is enough to communicate. They share history. They "know" one another.

The most fun I've had playing soccer OR watching it or any team sport is when in the build-up and intensity of the moment someone passes the ball into space without looking anywhere near the direction of the pass... KNOWING that their team mate is running "right onto the ball" where they'll collect it and bang! Score.

I've been the recipient of such passes in soccer and in ministry. I've also sent quite a few and love to see the results for the most part.

In bands and ministry I've been surrounded by incredible talent... and these folks indeed make me sound better than I am, that's a fact.

My best longer writing is edited by several really talented editors- making me sound pretty smart... I ain't!

Now when a play begins waaayyyy back in your part of the field, and about three or four such fluid passes are made swiftly, expertly, and the ball moves through about five people or so, then the last angled pass is crisp, right to the head or foot, and the back of the net bulges... man, what a release!

I like to see those replays about six times, it's just SO cool...

Too many don't want to do the hard training, don't want to show up for practice, mentally are somewhere else, are not motivated from the heart, work flat rather than creatively, and finally will rarely pass the ball to those in position to score. Teams like that fail more than succeed, for they are not teams at all, rather a collective of independent super-stars... or wannabees who don't recognize their own lack OR the value of others.

A core problem is attitude and lack of humility. "ME" don't like "US". If that doesn't change, I'd say it's time to change the roster.

Tell you something else about me and soccer: in my 52 years, I've rarely been fit. But I love and study the game. I play every chance I get. Know what? I'm only passing as a goalie, and probably best at defense. I often go forward but usually do so because at the right moment someone should, the play calls for it and the one with the ball needs a couple options, and I see the space, read the defensive hole and often sneak into a prime spot for passing. Due to my weak shot, I rarely score, but do try to see the open scorer and angle, trying to both time and place my pass to him/her. I am better at accurate passing or making perhaps the right move (at least sometimes!) to put the ball at the feet or head of those who have the skill and talent to score. This is my mindset. Note- I'm pretty clear on my weaknesses and try to play to my strengths AND with conscious mind to the strengths of the TEAM I'm on.

It's great to be part of a sweet play, score or defensive stand but some scores have been made because in my drawing a defender over to me, space was then open for the scorer. I never got the pass and could care less! I was in the right place and helped make that goal possible. If nobody else notices, so what?! People who know game tactics know it. In many cases the scorer does also.

Too many in ministry are working out of selfish personal ambition, focused on their identity and image rather than on God and on other's and THEIR needs. This is a central reason relationships sever among co-workers. They aren't willing to pay the price of true community.

How many bands have split up, local churches split up, ministry teams broken apart and fruitful fields are left fallow due to lack of teamwork, right attitudes, unwillingness to humbly face our own lack (and of course it's always that OTHER person's bad attitude and lack of perception of your gifts and strengths isn't it?!!!)?

If you want what you want and aren't pliable you're carrying misery with you wherever you go. If you're constantly "losing" and breaking up, the only consistent thing is... yourself.

Teams are about all of us, not you or me alone. Same for Christian community. Same for the kingdom of God. Here comes the ball... what you gonna do with it?

Evangelism/Discipleship Paradigms

The old paradigm being "believe, behave, belong" we are looking at "belong, believe, behave". Frankly, the second makes a great deal more sense, though it too is fraught with problems, humans (Christian and not yet so) being what we are!

Tribal, dysfunctional family and church being what it is in the present day, younger people indeed seem more open and are in fact joining before knowing much about anything, or so it seems. In a sense, there is MORE risk to join a group not really knowing all that much about what they believe and are living out. But that is often lost on the young who ache for family/koinonia.

So they're take on first belonging makes a great deal of sense. IF you accept me as I am, without hammering me with the local rules, IF I think I -might- fit in, short or maybe long term, cool, I'll give it a go. Makes sense when you consider the typical state of families and society, mobile and non-committal these days, certainly in the West.

AFTER belonging/acceptance, in time, they indeed realize (and mostly this is true for all of us) what folks REALLY believe to the point of application/living out, in this case we hope, Christ's love, Christ's Word, the saving faith that actually works, is lived out in daily relationship to God and others. And IN TIME, they often believe, for there is more to belief than mental acknowledgment of truth, no? The devils believe... -yet- tremble. Demons are not saved.

And IN TIME, imperfectly as for ALL Christians, these who belong and have in reality, believed... they do behave more as the Christians they have become.

Makes A LOT of sense to me.

Ohhhh but the patience believers in the local fellowship must have, the long and sometimes hard slog of painful relationship to be themselves useful to the Holy Spirit via which real and even eternal change is worked in the life of the new follower of Jesus!

I myself am an evangelist, but also a pastor and teacher. And you know, it's FAR easier to lead someone to faith in Christ than it is to biblically disciple them!

I don't know if in general, the churches do better at evangelism OR discipleship. I just don't know.

What I do think is that biblical evangelism and discipleship are not as disconnected as they are often thought to be. Seems to me they are two sides of the same coin, really. And one without the other (except when the new convert is about to literally die very quickly, and leave this earth) seems to me, quite sterile. Perhaps anemic would be a better word.

But one thing is clear- God the Holy Spirit calls we who are followers of Jesus and His Word to both share the good news via attitude, word and deed, and to make disciples teaching them to obey everything He has commanded us.

I'm equally concerned with whether WE get this right as I am whether the "newcomer" is getting it right. And though I truly trust the Holy Spirit to cover and help (He's the Helper for sure!) us in our mistakes and own selfish, stumbling example of what a true follower of Jesus is... I'm still concerned that the patience and straight sacrifices one must make to encourage saving faith and genuine spiritual maturity in those who show up are often refused by those of us who know Jesus.

Jesus is still telling us "the fields are white for harvest. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send WORKERS (my caps here) into the harvest".

But it takes workers to inspire workers... doers to inspire "forgetful hearers". It begins with ME, not you or "them".

-Glenn

The Gift (and accompanying grace) of Vulnerability

For years I have taken the position (not always easily!) that being truly vulnerable is the best defense as well as posture inviting critique (both profitable and not...) whereby I can grow.

The risk of putting one's "head on the block" by opening up one's temptations, sins, past and present "negative issues" is of course, unusual and often unsettling. But IF one can do so in/with faith toward God, God's Word and God's protecting grace, not only I but those who hear me benefit.

Easier said than done. Easier done when one is already somewhat of a public figure, plus a natural extrovert.

I'm more than certain I'm a sinner, often wrong (in spades!) and a royal pain for a long list of reasons.

In fact, rather than writing a nice safe blog about vulnerability, why not DO it (what a concept for Christians, heh!)??

Sins of my past: name most things one might imagine. Most all but murder, fully acted-out homosexuality.Well, I neither ever wanted to nor comitted most sexual crimes, nor robbed banks. O.K., I guess I didn't do a lot of stuff... but general lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life issues were my daily m.o. prior to following Jesus at 18, and while decreased did not all entirely end in my life from that point.

Sins of my present: I would say stubborness, arrogance, generally speaking too many words, self-righteousness, petty lust (mostly in my mind, sometimes eyes or with my body alone) insensitivity to God and others are all up high on the list.

Why publically open myself to such "Amen's!" and "you should be ashamed you jerk" from others, Christian or otherwise?

Many reasons-

But first, let me admit I SHOULD BE ASHAMED AND OFTEN AM! I reject the notion that being ashamed of myself is somehow damaging to me. Sin is sin. The only question is whether I'm guilty as charged, not whether I'm guilty at all.

I KNOW Jesus died for me, that through His blood the Father declares me not guilty. I equally know I'm not sinlessly perfect while on this earth. Both are facts, not only one or the other. I am at peace with the tension in both truths.

I take my sins to God and also to those I have deep and trusting relationships with in our local congregation. I speak, listen, pray and try to make biblical response to each issue. This scenario repeats itself over and over again in my life, by my choice. I don't live in guilt and shame when I deal with sins in this way. Vulnerability is a huge part of the answer to the needs in my life, in our churches and in the world!

I find my peace, solace and sense of value in a personal relationship to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His Word, my blood and by-marriage family, my closest (godly... and they truly are) friends and pastors, and from the assisting prayers of an incredible array of fellow sinners world wide.

Much of what I do (at least in my conscious mind, though I'm certain my every motive isn't as pure as I may think it to be) is done with a view to spiritually and practically edifying (building up and encouraging, maybe even inspiring or agitating) others to trust Him and His love, His Word, His plan for them regardless of their sins, needs, problems. There is NOBODY "like Jesus" in the fullest sense of the word. HE moves my thoughts, speech and life choices toward being vulnerable as opposed to pretense, lying or acting (as in being an actor).

If it weren't for God's love and grace, and if it weren't for the love and grace of those I'm accountable to in our local congregation I'd likely have chucked God and the church a looooong time ago!

As I read the Bible I see in the various stories and lists of sins, my own face and heart in that mirror. I read the Word, the Word literally reads me! So I find myself vulnerable before this one and only, HOLY God before whom all things and all of us are naked... and often ashamed.

I thank Him I have constant chance (and I sure enough take Him up on it, nearly daily) to repent, confess, be accountable to good and godly fellow sinners in my local congregation. I'm certain of prayers of many believers around the world who not only share similar sins as I, but also who pray for me to grow up and become more of a reflection of Jesus in my own life.

The fact is, the opposite of being vulnerable is an option I refuse to take for more reasons than I care to list here. Fear, pride, lying, self-deception and scams all fold neatly into the fabric of a life that chooses darkness and hiding. There is a privacy that destroys, and I refuse to live there though I admit I sometimes visit such a place. Life in the shadows is dangerous, and I refuse it.

This does not mean everyone needs to hear me do nothing other than blab on about myself, or my sins and temptations, or my life, choices and current events. It means that confession and vulnerability are not only essential but keep the living waters of the Spirit flowing in my life.

Some will write this off as a natural extrovert's personal justification. I know far too many un-vulnerable people who have made clear biblical (in the sense of what the Bible offers as ungodly, deeply sad) shipwrecks of their faith.

When we reject walking in the light, our fellowship with Him and others is compromised. That, is death.

Faithful, risky, painful and often imperfect but upward-struggling vulnerability is the answer. Life isn't centered in me, alone, in the dark. It can only come from Jesus Christ and by His Spirit through those around me who in vulnerability themselves, continue to choose to walk closely with Him and with each of us. But of course, we each have both responsibility and ability to choose or reject such life.

Thank God for epiphany!