Oh please tears stay, where you are made
Do not fall, do not fall
Something greater, is on the way
Just hang on, try to hang on

The love of angels becomes the love of men
Oh heavenly light, takes on earth and skin
- The Veil by The David Crowder* Band from the album Church Music

I forget the last time I felt brave
I just recall an insecurity
As it came down like a tidal wave
And sorrow swept over me
Then I was given grace and love
I was blind but now I can see
Cuz I found a new hope from above
And courage swept over me

It hurts just to wake up, where ever you're wearing thin
Alone on the outside, so tired of looking in
The end is uncertain, and I've never been so afriad
But I don't need a telescope to see that there's hope
And that makes me feel brave.
- Tidal Wave by Owl City from the album Ocean Eyes

Shine Your light so I can see You
Pull me up I need to be near You
Hold me, I need to feel love
Can You overcome this heart, that's overcome
- SMS (Shine) by The David Crowder* Band from the album Church Music

Oh happiness, there's grace enough for us and the whole human race
- Oh Happiness by The David Crowder* Band from the album Church Music

And heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way

He loves us, oh how He loves
- He Loves Us by The David Crowder* Band from the album Church Music

You are stronger, You are stronger
Sin is broken, You have saved me
It is written, Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all
- Stronger by Hillsong from the album This Is Our God

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep
'cuz everything is never as it seems
- Fireflies by Owl City from the album Ocean Eyes

"I'm not perfect..."

Heard that phrase before?  I know I have.  It's been thrown around like some cliche when someone trips up, fails, or botches anything and what's worse is that because of people's lack of understanding on what that idea means, we've chocked it up to mean a simple phrase connotating the imperfection of a person... and pass it off...

So...

when a murderer murders... well he/she isn't perfect... it's human nature
when a rapist rapes... well he/she isn't perfect... it's human nature
when a politican lies... well he/she isn't perfect... it's human nature
when a preacher falls... well he/she isn't perfect... it's human nature
when a student massacres... well he/she isn't perfect... it's human nature
when thief steals... well he/she isn't perfect... it's human nature...
when a cheater cheats... well he/she isn't perfect... it's human nature

is it really that excuseable?  Is it really something that should be passed off and left as a excuse for people to use as a means to excuse sin?

So when a murderer kills, it's fine because that's expected of a murderer since he/she is human therefore, it's human nature....
When a rapist victimizes again, it's alright because a rapist is still human and therefore it's human nature...

Sure we make a fuss about it and complain and blog about how this dude cheated on this girl... or that politician didn't live up to his/her end of the deal that they promised... or how this preacher was involved in a scandal w/ the church secretary and left his wife and 4 kids for this former church employee... but at the end of all of the complaints, blogs, and anger... nothing is done but, "Oh well, it's human nature..."  yet the pain, the heartache, the scars are still there and not one answer to show for what can be remedied about this nature that seems so cursed and broken and fallen...

I've found one answer... though not the most popular since it's also the most absolute... probably a touch one-sided... and very objective... but no other answer offers a solution to this seemingly horrid excuse that is so inexcusable and yet is so often passed off...

No other solution measures up quite like this one... one answer is that perfection is more of a state of mind rather than a nature to be... another just says that evil just is... another calls human atrocity an entropy of consciousness who then says it's a necessary thing to have...

these answers have not suited anyone but the simple-minded and/or ignorant...

only one answer not only has destroyed human nature and the pride that comes with it... but also has repaired that same psyche into something new and wonderful... sort of a resurrection if you will...

but you reader if you are a pragmatic relativist or a relativist of anything will be extremely offended by it...

A girl from my church came back from a conference she attended in the weeks prior.  She's an intelligent girl and has a very keen sense of awareness in many things.  She has a heart of gold but not too much sense when something that should be discerned better even if what was heard sounded convincingly intelligent...

Here is what ensued....

She approached me after church one sunday, ecstatic to see me and began to unload all that she was up to.  She reveals to me that she was at a conference where she learned alot.  Then proceeded to ask me a couple theological questions.  I gave both arguments from both theological camps (Arminian and Reformed) upon the topic of her question.  And then in a roundabout way asked me about music which from the speaker she heard, claimed that it was unBiblical and completely wrong for the church to have a drumset in it.  And then asserted that he had a point.  His argument, music with a beat as seen in clubs and what not stir up sensuality when one moves the hips.  She agreed with this.

Yes yes yes, I'm aware of what is going through your head reader... relax before you go off and bash this person... put away your judgmental finger for a minute and sit still and listen before you suffer from foot-in-mouth syndrome... listen before you pour forth speech that is unwarranted and ignorant and unintelligent...

She then proceeds to ask me of my opinions.  I tell her that this speaker is flat out wrong in many accounts, Scripturally, missionally, culturally, musically, and theologically.

I began to unload the notion that a beat and a rhythm is by all means first off sound arranged in a progressive sequential pattern.  The example I used was the difference between my friend David's song O Praise Him which uses the straight 4 on the floor club beat that can also be used in any radio popular song as well.  The difference is that with O Praise Him, it's for lack of a better phrase, a redeemed club beat while something from Lil' wayne, maybe not so much especially when he's talking about smack that and cappin that (i'm aware that may not be what he raps about, but I don't listen to Lil' Wayne so...)  She looked at me somewhat puzzled and asked, "But what does one do when they dance?"  I look at her and cautiously reply, "Shake their hips?"  "Yes, and that can be seen in secular clubs where there's alot of senuality."  "Yea, and that same beat is found in many of David Crowder's songs just the same and the response is different."  what's the difference?

Church music is music for the church... there is no form in which music should follow per se.  3 chords and the truth they used to call it... now its tracks and loops and programming and the truth... The thing I told her she needed to realize is that music is music... Music is a gift given to us by God and it is good... when it is unredeemed... it is our job as Christians to redeem it.  the straight 4 club beat can be used in church... just as much as it is used in the clubs as well.  Heck... especially with Crowder... he took that same beat and played it at the House of Blues or the Roxy or the Fillmore... and it was grand as far as I can tell...

the conversation ended with me warning her not to adopt traditionalism as a means of gauging what is good and what is not... I told her the error of believing such ridiculous concepts and then told her that as a Christian, your job is to redeem wherever you are with whatever you got with whomever you're with... The guy was a traditional moralist and in turn only views things from a traditionalistic basis forgetting that he's living in the now.

to be offended by a beat or a rhythm is short-sighted... and hinders the mission of Redemption Christians are called to...

she got my drift...