Most of the news I post for CMCentral is very benign: entertainment stories, for the most part. Who has a new project coming out, what band was just signed, and which artist can be spotted on television this week. Yesterday I had to post a report on Kenyan members of the African Children’s Choir who had been caught up in violent eruptions following the country’s presidential election. It is not, of course, news to anyone that there is violence and suffering going on in numerous African countries. However this report mentioned details of specific choir members’ injuries and losses, including one who had been shot by an arrow. Hard to hear when you think of the ministry of the world renown African Children’s Choir, and their emphasis on the dignity and value of each African child.

In their 23 years of ministry, the Choir has gone through numerous incarnations, apparently at least fifteen, as one member is described as being part of choir number 15. I have no idea how many there have been in total, but my heart aches at the thought of these children who have lost so much, and given so much, now being faced with yet another struggle. Of course their struggle will endure until their country is able to find its way through the complicated, evil morass affecting the entire continent, and that is a huge dream indeed. But until that time, African Children’s Choir founder Ray Barnett directs our attention toward a Kenya relief fund accepting donations for the care and support of not just these choir members, but so many other African children who now find themselves without a home or basic support. The link to receive donations can be found here. Thank you for taking a moment to visit it and consider the plight of these children, and their value in God’s eyes.

Does anyone else feel terribly uncomfortable watching the Britney Spears train wreck unfold? I mean, isn’t it sort of like watching a dog on a chain being poked with a stick?

This girl’s public persona was manufactured by entertainment industry insiders with only profit in mind. A supposedly Christian belief system was thrust upon her, one that went so far as to include public discussion of her virginity, apparently whipped up for her by her handlers, which may or may not have included her own parents. Then, oops, the whole foul balloon burst in the fiery furnace of her marriage, and now her misery has multiplied to include her two sons. This hotly pursued artist has become public prey, chased by viciously gleeful paparazzi, mocked relentlessly by every entertainment host with a microphone, and bounced like a wayward pinball from disapproving judges to rehab facilities too numerous to count, and back to the scornful front pages of every tabloid in the nation. Is it any wonder that she finally took a pair of shears to her head? Geesh, I’ve been known to shave my head for a lot less!

I’m not saying she didn’t have a hand in her own inevitable yet stupendous implosion. And I understand why people who have lost loved ones to drunk drivers are especially intolerant of her almost continual bad choices. I’m just remarking on the general and disturbing lack of mercy most of us seem to have for this little girl lost. Maybe it’s because of all the opportunities she has blown; maybe it’s just because she’s wealthy. Or maybe it’s simply resentment spillage carried over from the only public figure more deserving of scorn than poor Britney. (I’m talking, of course, of the ubiquitous Paris Hilton). But whatever the reason, it brings to my mind the familiar phrase ‘there but for the grace of God….’

No, I can’t sing, or dance, or even look good in spandex anymore. But I still can recall what it’s like to be lost. God help me if I ever forget.

Resolution: (from Websters.com): “a resolve or determination, or to make a firm resolution to do something; the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.”

Funny, you’d really get a sense of personal power, wouldn’t you, in reading this definition? Like you could ‘determine a course of action, and then…. just do it.’ No offense, Nike, but if it were that easy we wouldn’t be awash in broken resolution jokes every January. My personal experience is that my willpower alone rarely brings me the success I desire. If so, I would have resolved twenty pounds away long ago.

But I love the idea of a new year, a fresh start, a clean slate. A record unmarred as yet by failure, disappointment, or unmet expectations. And I totally relate to the fresh hope we feel when facing that first clean page of the new calendar. My only hesitation to jump on the resolution bandwagon is the weakness built into it by definition. I know myself. I can ‘resolve or determine’ til the cows come home, but that twenty pounds ain’t budging until I call upon the Lord for His empowerment. Until the Lord joins me in my struggle, my efforts are often in vain. And I don’t think I’m alone in this dependency. In fact, I think it’s quite Biblical. It just might be the fatal flaw in the whole New Year’s resolution process.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7: 15, 24, 25).

I’m not anti-resolution. I just believe that God intended for us to depend on Him for enabling strength. Built into our system is the capacity to be empowered by the Creator, when we call upon Him in faith. Many resolutions depend more on willpower than dependency, and I think that might explain the high failure rates we joke about.

I still want to drop those twenty pounds. In fact, it’s my New Year’s Prayer. I’ll let you know how it goes.

It can be very easy to take shots at the Christian music industry. The name itself seems like a contradiction I terms, and I know I’m not saying anything that we haven’t all considered and discussed time and time again. But at this time of year I observe a very telling variation, one that may indicate more of a difference than we might think.

This week is part of a period of about two weeks in which everything pretty much shuts down, industry-wise. There won’t be a whole lot of new releases, news items coming in, and certainly no interviews are scheduled, as artists gather with families to regroup, to get charged up again, or just to remember what generates their ministry to begin with. Yes, I know other businesses slow down also, but I’ve not seen a slowdown as complete as the one I observe in the Christian music industry. And this speaks to me of a major difference in orientation.

Believers, who recognize the true value of life, of what it cost our Savior, have every reason to value relationships highly. We know, or should know, that if our activities are an end in themselves we’ve missed the boat. Artists write and perform music that honors Christ because they are called to share the good news that changed them for eternity. Their business associates manage the details of their ministry hopefully so that that ministry can reap spiritual fruit. And those of us who write content for Christian music websites also do it with spiritual ministry in mind; our hope, in the midst of all the interviews, reviews, and news items, is that readers will find beneath all of the entertainment details a genuine work of ministry, of elevating the name of Jesus Christ. And so we take these two weeks to pull back and spend time on the relationships that we are called to first: with our Lord, and with the families and friends He has placed us in for His purposes. Our prayer is that you will find refreshment in doing the same. Now that is time off well spent.

Regular CMCentral readers may recognize the name of Christa Banister, a regular contributor to CCM Magazine, and the kick-starter of the Christian music blog on MTV’s Urge.com. She’s written the semi-autobiographical Around the World in 80 Dates, a sure hit for lovers of chick lit. This is the epitome of the genre, full of descriptive passages about the shopping excursions and outfits of the protagonist, travel writer Sidney Alexander. Sidney’s dilemma is that, despite a successful and pleasant career as a globe-trotting journalist, numerous healthy friendships with family and girlfriends, and a committed relationship with the Lord, she has yet to find equally healthy patterns in her dating life.

Around the World in 80 Dates details some of the relationship adventures of Sidney and her closest friends, who do a lot more dating than I remember from my single days, even to the point of Sidney and her best friend unknowingly going out with the same guy. As I said, it’s chick lit of the highest order, and I’m not a fan of the genre, but I did find much to enjoy in Around the World. Among those: first, opening each chapter is a movie quote related to relationships, some of which are both funny and evocative, and secondly, Around the World gives you a compelling look into the world of the successful freelance writer. Maybe it’s just the writer in me, but I do think any reader could enjoy this facet of Banister’s lively book. Readers will also enjoy Sidney’s effervescent voice, and as I said, shoppers will love the fashion details. Around the World in 80 Dates may just make Christa Banister the new Queen of Chicks.

Martin Smith, in explaining to me the calling he felt to organize the CompassionArt ministry, said he felt responsible as a “person with a microphone.” In other words, he felt he needed to use his opportunities, his public voice, well. It got me thinking about the voice that I have in this blog, and on the CMCentral website. No, I don’t have the world’s attention like Martin Smith and the Delirious members might… but you’re reading this right now, aren’t you? I’ve been praying and asking the Lord for a while now to show me how to use well the opportunities afforded by this website to advance the Kingdom, to do good and not harm.

I believe our Social Justice Features, and the new Learning Curve Feature, are a result of that prayer and the desire of myself and the Salem Publishing team to use our opportunities wisely. We enjoy informing readers of artists like Martin Smith who use their public platform to serve the poor, or Amanda Falk who has a heart to see teenage girls resist the culture’s sick messages of body values, or Michael Gungor who cares as much about unifying the Body of Christ for good works as he does about selling records. These are some of our Social Justice Features coming up.

We also believe artists like Chris Nesbitt and Barry Blaze, both of whom shared honestly about times of challenge and struggle in the midst of ministry, have much to say of value, beyond their obvious musical talents. You will hear of their stories and others in our new Learning Curve features. We may not have large platforms or microphones, but we do want to honor the Lord in the way we serve our readers. Oh, and thanks for visiting and reading. We couldn’t do our part without you .

I spoke yesterday for a while with a very creative artist who mentioned having to get outside of the Christian music scene for a while to create music that fully expressed his vision. And by “Christian music scene” he meant of course, Nashville. The present epicenter of the Christian music industry. He spoke of an abundance of rules, regulations, and gatekeepers that he felt choked the soul of creativity among the believers making music today. It got me wondering about our human tendency to get stuck in ruts of reproduction.

An industry, by its nature, of course exists for profit. Humans, also apparently by nature, tend to repeat that which has proven previously successful, and by successful I mean, in this case, pleasing, well-received, captivating, and/or entertaining. So yes, the combination of these two trends can make for some repetitive, formulaic musical trends. That alone creates a need for mavericks, those that would buck the system and shake things up. These artists are not always appreciated for the vital service they provide, but they should be. I’m not in the creative loop that he is, so I have no idea how stringent the regulations of these gatekeepers might be. I am, however, fairly close to the human loop, so my guess would be that his representation was pretty accurate.

Old wineskins tend to crack, don’t they? We need those who are willing to shake things up so the new wine can be received. Viva la creators.

Sometimes this Editor’s gig offers the best perks. No, not the obvious one: all the great music, although I do enjoy that as well. I’m talking about letters from readers like the one I received this morning from Tom, a Pennsylvania man.

Tom took his family to hear Sanctus Real play back in September, a show that impacted them all pretty powerfully. Enough so that they waited in the meet and greet line after the show to express their appreciation. Actually, they waited quite a while, as they were last in line. But that was no problem for Tom, who had waited all summer to see the band that God had used so effectively in his life.

However, for whatever reason, when Tom finally reached the front of the line and met the guys he didn’t get across much more than “Great show, you mind if my wife takes a picture of us?” and “Have a safe trip home”. But here is where it gets interesting.

Most of us, even if we had regrets about unspoken gratitude, would have forgotten about it by morning. Not Tom. He continued to be bothered by the thought that maybe these band members, who had done so much for others, might have the need to be affirmed themselves. In other words, he felt his sincere gratitude might be a helpful offering to worthy servants. I know, what a concept, right?

Indeed. Tom spent random time over the next few months trying to track down contact information, so he could express to the Sanctus Real guys how much they’ve influenced him toward good. He wrote the band a letter and then began to search websites, fan sites, and various other places to find an address. Which is how I finally got to meet him. I was able to give Tom an email for the band’s management team, but I couldn’t get his mission out of my mind for the rest of the day. I kept coming back to it: his relentless pursuit of an opportunity to encourage servants of the Lord. I’ve spoken to frontman Matt Hammitt and I definitely formed the same impression of his dedication and sense of mission. It really does my heart good to think of him getting back some of what he works so hard to share through his music. We all need encouragement occasionally; it does a body good. I’m thinking I might take a page out of Tom’s book for myself.

Last week my blog was one of sincere repentance, following a slow-dawning revelation of how I had let my spirituality standards slide gradually down to a shameful low. I don’t know how shameful they’d appear to you or anyone else, but that’s not the point, is it? They’d fallen past the point where they’d be pleasing to the Lord, and His is the standard that matters. For that matter, they’d slid past even my own; I just hadn’t been paying attention.

But my encounter with a brother in the Lord, and his remarkable family, really woke me up. It reminded me of how I used to live out my faith, not that long ago. He mentioned some spiritual practices that I had let fall away without even realizing. The effect was galvanizing.

Romans 7:24,25 says it all: “What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.” Rather than fall even further backwards by despairing and giving in to discouragement, I am excited to look forward and grab hold of the hope I have in this promise. Did I feel sorrow at my disappointing behavior? Ah, yes…. But I cannot be overwhelmed if I cling to the Rock that is stronger than I. Well, I guess I could… but why would I?

No, I delight in my rescue and my Rescuer. Together we will go on to do the works already prepared. Things are lookin’ up. All the way up.

In the course of my work, I’ve run across a story that I just can’t get out of my thoughts. My spirit keeps coming back to ruminate over its details, its challenge to me personally.

I’ve spoken with Chris Nesbitt a lot over the past few weeks, and gotten pretty familiar with his incredible story. The independent recording artist and worship leader is giving away his new album, the fantastic “Liquid Worship,” making it available as a free download from his website, as instructed by the Lord. No, Chris is not independently wealthy. In fact, he put his house up to cover the coast of making the album, and at the time he did it he was not at all planning on giving it away. But the Lord had other plans for Chris and his gift. A lot of ‘em.

Another unexpected one involved him moving his family of six across the country, from California to Nashville, again following the leading of the Lord. It wasn’t a flaky, impulsive act, but came after much prayer, reflection and attentive listening. He and his wife have known for years that at some point in God’s timing they would be uprooted from their home and led to a new and unknown place for a new work. What they did not know, and still do not completely understand, is why. However, they have the most important concept down cold: obedience.

I’ve been greatly challenged by Chris’ story. We actually have much in common. Well, not the enormous talent part, but other significant factors that help me to understand the difficulties and challenges of moving a family of 6 across the country without having all the financial and practical logistics in place. And did I mention Chris has teenagers?

What I have been forced to admit to myself is that we do not have that level of submission in common. I did not realize until talking with Chris how I’ve been bending in my thinking, in tiny increments over a period of years, toward a lifestyle of self-rule. My awe and wonder at his story slowly morphed into recognition of the shabbiness of my own. And I don’t say that with excessive discouragement, but with great excitement. It’s never too late to wake up, to stir your spirit toward the Light. I have been inspired by Chris’ example, and that of his family. With a lot of prayer and surrender, I hope in fact to be as obedient and faithful as one of his kids.

To find out more about Chris’ great worship album, visit either www.chrisnesbitt.com or www.liquidworship.com.