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A long time ago, a few of my friends decided to start a ministry. By the standards of my other compatriots and I, it was a ridiculous one – a skateboard ministry.  It began with putting on skateboard demonstrations at camp meeting and was one of these testimony-based ministries that seemed incredibly cliché. “You like skateboarding, right kid? Well, we do too! Come let us tell you why you should be a Christian!” By technicality, we were still “friends” or at least friendly acquaintances, but I didn’t hide my ridicule of them behind their back, and would definitely not be considered a “supporter” of them, not that I wanted to. Whenever ministries get all ham-fisted and excited, I tend to be suspicious, touting C. S. Lewis’s  quote about God being, “no fonder of intellectual slackers than any other slackers,” to justify my suspicions about the worldly oblivious. There’s something about an over-zealous canvaser or a high-aspiring bible worker that makes me want to say, “Really dude? You think these mean streets are going to bend to your ministerial formula? Welcome to the real world.” Fast forward ten years later, and this group floats into my Instagram feed as a suggested page. It’s a skateboard ministry that has been making its way across Europe, ending at a 3-day Christian music festival Woodstock in London, like some British Woodstock for Jesus. Sure enough, it was the same guys I had blown off. I kept repeating their story as they helped build this huge outdoor skatepark and preached to an eager crowd, while I went through the ministerial version of an Avril Lavigne song. The pithy adage “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called” seems to get thrown around whenever witnessing is is required and moral is low, and though it doesn’t negate the significance of personal gifts and talents, it does seem to be what Paul communicates in 1 Corinthians 1. Yes, we might use a strange language, and seem eccentric and “outside” to those we are trying to reach. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Of course, what we do might seem inefficient. God will be helping us. How could our portion hold up in comparison?  I failed to recognize this when my friends began their ministry in the woods of Wisconsin. Thank God they did.

Note: I fully affirm the divine inspiration of the Bible, but realize it is an ancient book whose authors saw the world much differently than I do. When their world and mine intersect, tension naturally arises. This series explores how to live within this tension. Read Part 1 Here: The Bible is Always True, Except When it Isn’t, Then it is Note two: I’m really sorry for how you are going to feel about the banner image in a few minutes. “If you don’t want homosexuals to get married because of some old book, then shouldn’t you also be punishing people for wearing clothing with two kinds of fabric or letting your cows graze with other cows? You can’t just pick and choose which parts of the Bible you follow.” I’ve heard a lot of statements over the years that sound like this one. Leviticus has become quite the popular book for wannabe theologians on both sides of the issue. The problem with the argument comes down to this: not only can you pick and choose which parts of the Bible you follow, but you actually must pick and you must choose. You just have to have a consistent method for how you do it. It might seem unfair to pick and choose which parts of the Bible to follow. It might even seem like rejecting God’s divine inspiration. We do it all the time, though, and we run into all sorts of problems if we don’t. I Really Need You to Hear Me On This Goat Milk Thing The Torah is full of laws. There are 613 of them, to be exact. On one end, we find the clear and easy to follow admonition, “Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute.” On the other, we find the downright weird. “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk,” which appears three times —more times than any other command in the Torah. God is really serious about this boiling baby goats thing. My guess is, you aren’t boiling small goats in their mother’s milk, which is good, because it’s weird. If you are, though, you aren’t necessarily violating God’s law because we don’t follow the Levitical laws. Well, we don’t follow most of them. Many of the laws in the Torah are intended for a specific group of people in a specific time in history. The Levitical laws, in particular, are about how to approach God in the tabernacle. The tabernacle has been done away with, and Jesus has replaced the former sacrificial system once used as our way to approach God. So we don’t need to follow those same rules anymore. In fact, if we followed them as is, we would be rejecting Jesus as the Messiah. So you can go ahead and boil baby goats in their mother’s milk if you feel so inclined (you probably shouldn’t though). While we don’t have to follow the Levitical laws, there are many of them we probably should follow. There are laws about not sleeping with animals (people had to be told this?), and there are laws about not sleeping with your grandkids (again, people had to be told this?). Go ahead and please keep following those laws. When deciding what portions of the Bible to follow and what parts not to follow, we have to take into mind historical and cultural factors, which parts are specific instruction and which parts are universal instruction. We use our minds and our experiences to work our way through this, but most importantly we need to rely on the Holy Spirit. It Seemed Good to the Holy Spirit and to Us The story of Acts 15 is a pivotal moment in human history. As the disciples of Jesus began to make disciples of all nations, they ran into a tricky situation. As they invited men to follow Jesus and this new way of life, they were also inviting them to cut off part of their penises. Not a great way to gain converts. Naturally, there was some resistance to this evangelism strategy. So the church convened to discuss this issue and settled on a compromise of sorts. The Jewish people decided to continue many of their traditions (like circumcision), and they also decided the gentiles don’t need to do everything they do. To be a Christ follower, they just need to do some of the big things, like abstaining from sexual immorality and food sacrificed to idols. When they announced this decision, they presented a rock solid, logical case with countless scriptural examples carefully studied and presented by a leading team of scholars, and passed through multiple committees. Just kidding. They said, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” And they shared what they’d decided. There are so many layers to what’s happening here, but let’s focus on one major truth: The Church makes a monumental decision to ignore thousands of years of tradition and hundreds of passages of scripture regarding circumcision. Their reason for doing this? It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to them. The Law of Love This realization can be frightening. The church just changing the way things have been done? Can we do that? Should we? This story raises lots of challenging questions. Before we rewrite the Bible, however, let’s slow down and work through some key truths of scripture: God’s word should be taken seriously. He is our Creator and our Lord.God is progressively bringing us to new truths. In addition to individuals growing, humanity is growing.The church is the most powerful force for good or evil that humanity possesses.The source behind all this growth and power for good is the Holy Spirit. The early church made some important decisions and some major changes. They didn’t do it carelessly but with earnest prayer, study, and fellowship. They relied heavily on the power of God’s Spirit to lead them into a newer and better understanding of God’s law. Before, people followed the law to avoid sin and death, but Jesus called them to follow the law so they could best love God and their neighbor. Before, circumcision was a sign of obedience and loyalty to God. The gentiles didn’t see it the same way. Circumcision was an obstacle to their acceptance of Jesus. If the law is about loving God and your neighbor, putting a stumbling block between God and your neighbor was not lawful. So the church changed it. They didn’t follow the letter of the law, but they followed the spirit of the law (pun intended). In a way—by not following the Bible—they were following the Bible. I don’t want you to disregard the Bible, but I do want you to move forward in life led by the Spirit of God who is calling humanity to something better and better. There is a new creation springing forth all around us. Will you be part of it?

I am a creative. That statement may have just conjured up a few ideas in your head; like a dude with a strange fashion sense, or weird haircut, or an annoyingly philosophical approach to seemingly insignificant things. But, these couldn’t be further from the truth. I am possibly the most plainly-dressed, average-haired, unphilosophical guy you will ever meet. But I am still a creative. Very few things give me as much joy as writing music about my savior or making something from the overflow of my walk with God. But this article is not about me—it’s about how we the church handle creativity. I am fortunate that my creative experience in the church has been abundantly positive. I was blessed to have grown up in a supportive, loving community that really stimulated my passions and encouraged me to steward and stretch them further than I imagined possible. Unfortunately, I have come to learn that my experience was the exception rather than the norm. We do a good job of suppressing creativity that we don’t understand in the name of tradition (obviously not you! I’m speaking in general terms). If you want proof of this, look at a video of your average Adventist church from 20 years ago and compare the stage design, presentation style, or song service with that of the average church today. Now think about how much each of those creative mediums has grown in the secular world during that time. It becomes abundantly clear that we are creating little. I am not saying that the church should follow the world. It is simply a comparison of natural creative development within and outside of the church.

It was a summer afternoon when my father told me that he was going to introduce me to a brand-new TV series. I was young and my family had always exposed us to “classics”, while other kids were watching Sponge Bob, we were watching Gilligan’s Island, Colombo, Twilight Zone, Little House on the Prairie, you get the idea… So it was on this particular day that I was intrigued to see what he was going to introduce me to next. I sat down on the couch ready to watch something new and little did I know how much it would influence my imagination in the years to come. My father popped in the disc in the then “state of the art” DVD player and then what came next was a spaceship flying in space and a voice that said “To boldly go where no man has gone before” The show was Star Trek and I was instantly hooked. More than a decade has passed since my father introduced me to Star Trek but the opening crawl has forever been etched in my mind; “To boldly go where no man has gone before” became a silent mantra throughout my formative years. Growing up in the Seventh-Day Adventist church, I realized that this mantra wasn’t exactly being practiced by my generation. We weren’t going where no one had gone before, we were simply circling where we had been told was safe to go. I truly believe that as a people who serve the most creative being that we, in turn, should be the most creative people; we should be pushing boundaries as opposed to building them. We serve a God that lives outside of a box and our approach should one that mirrors the grandeur of who he is. I took the liberty to send out a bunch of emails to different directors in hope that they would offer me the opportunity to interview them and to my surprise, many of them agreed to be interviewed for this series. This series entitled “INSIGHT” will be focused on interviewing creators of different backgrounds but in the first installment of this series we will be interviewing directors in order to inspire creators to do more with their talents and “Boldly go where no man/woman has gone before” The hope of this series is that by reading from creators who have gone out and made their dreams a reality, you may do the same with yours. Part 1: will be focusing on Jason Satterlund. For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Satterlund need look no further than his work with “The Record Keeper” a series based upon angels and their perspective of the great controversy. The following transcript is the interview and answers personally typed out by Mr. Satterlund. Intro: Please introduce yourself to the readers. Who you are? I am Jason Satterlund. I have been a film director for over twenty years. What you are and have been involved with? I have directed feature films, commercials, music videos, television shows, and documentaries all around the US, and in over thirty countries around the world. Some of my clients include Microsoft, Amazon, The Newsboys, Bon Jovi, Jack White, Hallmark Channel, CNN and the country of Jordan. What do you feel is the hardest part of staying inspired in your craft? Staying positive when work becomes a grind. Especially if you are working for a client who either doesn’t care about the quality or doesn’t recognize what a good product looks like. In those cases, staying inspired to strive higher, try harder, and be better can be extremely challenging. Phoning it in is a big temptation. No one ever told us we would encounter that in the professional world, but it happens every day. When you first started exploring your talent what was your biggest obstacle? Lack of support and mentorship. I grew up in a very conservative Christian home, far away from the film industry. The city I lived in had very little film work, and I didn’t know anyone who was in that field. I had no one to ask advice or get direction. Add on top of that the conservative Christian message that movies were tools of the Devil, and Hollywood was the lion’s den. I was discouraged from pursuing any kind of career in the arts. This left me feeling very alone and directionless. The only way to make forward progress was to do it on my own. How did you get over that obstacle? Extreme commitment to the goal and unshakable tenacity is what it takes to survive in this field. I ultimately had to leave the nest and comfort of my city. I moved across the country and started over in a new community. It was extremely difficult, but it was the only way forward. I had no leads for internships or mentors, so after exhausting all my film contacts asking for work and mentorships, I resorted to just asking if I could watch people work. They didn’t need to give me a job, I just wanted to be in the room where the film was happening. After months of groveling, one small music video director agreed to let me sit in the corner and watch. I waited tables at night and watched him work during the day. Finally, after creeping in the corner he asked if I wanted to be a PA on a music video shoot. That week I worked 20 hours a day, for five straight days, and made $50 per day. I was over the moon. I had finally found my way in. That was how it started for me. Once I got a toe hold, I was able to move up. In relation to Christian Media; what do you say to people who believe that it’s becoming redundant? I don’t feel it is becoming redundant, I feel like it has always been that way. From the earliest days of Christian media, you had three approaches. 1) A preacher looking into the camera. 2) A testimonial. 3) Some sort of simple drama. And all Faith-based dramas fall into a couple of categories. A) A Bible story (set in Bible times or retold in present day) B) Some lost person who gets saved or learns to trust God; C) a story about the end of the world. This is still the case. Christian media is so redundant and has such an established look that you know what it is the millisecond you see it. When you are flipping through the channels, the moment your finger hits that button and you pop onto a Christian channel, you know exactly what it is. That’s because it all looks exactly the same. And what do you do when you land on Christian programming? You change the channel. The Bible is one of the most comprehensive and controversial books of all time. How does one make stories from the Bible that are true to its source material without disrespecting it? This is where things get complicated because “disrespecting” a story can mean a lot of different things depending on your background. There are somewhere between 30,000 to 40,000 separate Christian denominations, many who believe slightly different things about the Bible. So, what standard are we using to say what is disrespectful? Is it by your specific denomination’s interpretation? What if you go to a non-denominational church? Is it by the letter? In every Bible story, you have to have scenes added for dramatic effect, so who decides what that is? There are also big gaps in the Bible like in Jesus’ life between ages 12 and 30. Can we fill those in, or are we required to leave them blank? The church I grew up in believes that drama is evil and that acting is a form of lying, so just the idea of telling a story in cinema is wrong. So, if I reenact a Bible story with actors, is that disrespectful? Many Christians were upset by Darren Aronofsky’s retelling of the story Noah, because it had many things that weren’t included in the Bible. However, much of what was in the film was part of Jewish mysticism. This is part of Aronofsky’s belief system, so does that mean it is disrespecting the story? Is everyone who attempts this held to the Christian interpretation? Also, many Bible stories (like Noah) are found in other sources. The story of Jonah, for example, is a story that predates the Bible. What if you used some of that original source material in the retelling of the story? Is that disrespectful? Personally, things that I find disrespectful is when all characters are white and use British accents. We all know that’s not what it was like, but that has become the accepted way to tell these stories. I think the best you can do is capture the spirit of the story, and do your best based on your own understanding. The most important aspect is to paint a true interpretation of God. Do you ever watch a mainstream movie made about Bible Characters and say to yourself “Man, I could make it better if I was properly funded!”? Oh, absolutely. All the time. Do you feel like certain denominations or conferences within the Christian world put the proper focus on funding and developing media content for this generation? Why? If I am understanding the question, I feel the answer is no. However, it is a little more complicated that it seems. When I hear Christians say things like “developing media content for this generation” I am never sure what they actually mean. Is this content created for Christians to watch? Or content for the general public? Ultimately what I believe they are saying is that they need content to watch with their families, and more positive content for Christians. It is important to define this, and I think creating content for Christians is important. There are things out there that exist, and it is getting better, but it is still a far cry from where it should be. Entertainment is a hungry beast, and you have to constantly feed it. It isn’t enough to fund a movie. You need multiple television shows with season after season to enjoy. Multiple movies with spin offs and sequels. You need enough content for an active Netflix style platform. When you go to Netflix you are overwhelmed with choices. You can watch for weeks on end and never reach the end of their library. This is where Christian media should be, but so little is being created, it cannot compete with what the industry is pumping out. What is your advice for young aspiring directors, writers, content creators who want to make relevant Christian content but don’t feel supported? This is a very complicated answer and I could wax philosophical on the subject. I’ll do my best to keep it succinct. I think it is important to understand what people mean when they say “relative Christian content.” What they think they mean is Christian content that exists in the general marketplace. Most Christian filmmakers I know have this desire but getting there is a whole other story. If they try to use Christian resources to reach this goal, they will be in for a fight. This conflict arises from an identity crisis within the faith-based community. Donors have a desire to create content that reaches the “world.” So, they send money to film makers or Christian stations to make it. However, if these film makers created content that looks like what the world likes watching, it would be content that the donors don’t like or want to watch. That is not something that will make them happy and is a guaranteed way to cut off your funding source. So, compromises must be made. It is their money, after all. What usually results is a painful process of castrating all creative projects to the point where everyone in the Christian community (i.e. donor base) will be happy. But, the projects become so vanilla that the very people creating the content don’t want to watch what they are making. This is the only genre that suffers from this identity crisis. Every other network is made up of people who love the kind of content they are creating. Everyone who works at the SyFy Network loves Sci-Fi. They are telling the kind of stories that they love to tell. Everyone who works in sitcoms, loves sitcoms. They grew up on it, dreamed of working in it, and now have reached their goals. But when a Christian decides to make content for a group of people that isn’t them, it automatically creates friction. You are pretending to be something you’re not. So, the best advice is this. You have two options: Either decide to make content for you, that is, make content for Christian audiences. There is nothing wrong with this. They need content too, and someone should be out there working to create great entertainment. Or, create Christian content that lives in the global marketplace, but here’s the rub. If you want to work in the global marketplace, then you need to live in it. (Sorry mom.) In other words, you need to live in Hollywood, New York, or some other entertainment hub, AND, you have to be good enough to get hired and accomplished enough to get the green light on whatever you’re making. You have to be better at your craft than you thought you could be. What’s the most underrated part of God’s character that to you as a creator is important to you? I’m not sure if this would be considered part of His character, but I would say it is the joy of discovery. I think God is an explorer and loves to create and learn new things. Life was made to be explored. There is a big joy in learning new facts, or when a doctor learns something new about the human body, or when a new planet is found. Think about how great it feels when you learn a new language, or master a martial arts move, or learn to play a new complicated song. I say this because I feel that many Christians have lost this sense of exploration when it comes to the Bible and to spiritual things. Our biggest flaw is that we think we know it all. This belief carries over into the films we make. We try to present all the answers, even when we don’t know them. We over simplify life by reducing it to “pray and God will show the way,” and everyone lives happily ever after. Christians don’t like leaving stories open ended, even though they often are in the Bible. (Ever wondered what happened to Jonah at the end of the story?) They want to show all the answers in a tidy bow. But life is a question; terrifying and wonderful. God is so big and so large, that we do not have the thought process to comprehend Him, yet most of us think that we know everything there is to know about spiritual things. We close down our minds to greater ideas and possibilities and therefore cut ourselves off of a lot of potential joy. What the biggest obstacle for Christian Creators in this generation & What needs to be done to overcome that obstacle? Laziness. Plain and simple. The biggest problem I see in Christian media is that is just isn’t very good. The most common excuse I hear as to why it isn’t good is because the budgets are small. This is a lazy man’s excuse. It is blaming money for poor craftsmanship. The reason the quality is low is because the filmmakers have not spent the necessary time honing their craft. Money does not guarantee a great film. If you don’t believe me, watch “Transformers 5,” “Jupiter Ascending,” or “The Lone Ranger.” They had all the money in the world and still turned out a terrible product. I recently saw a faith-based film that was about a group of Christians who were setting up a new church and, you guessed it… their view on the end of the world. The craftsmanship of this film was subpar, and you could see it in every frame. The costumes, the cinematography, the acting, story and direction all looked amateur. However, the budget on the film was quite healthy. In fact, the budget was bigger than “Moonlight” and “Manchester by the Sea” combined. Both of those were academy award winning films in 2017. Attend any screenwriting workshop and what you will be told is that your work should be seen by professionals. This is how you grow. If the only people who read your script or see your film are your parents, spouse, and church family, then you aren’t taking your craft seriously. You need to have it properly critiqued by those who do this for a living. That’s how you get better. If you really want to tell stories that change the world, then your stories should be crafted better than what the world creates. Is it hard? Yes. But this is what the pros do. Points to Highlight: - Obstacles: Mr. Satterlund highlights something important in one of his answers in reference to his biggest obstacle. “Lack of support & mentorship” I know a lot of creators who because of the lack of support they receive simply give up on their goals but DO NOT give up; simply continue to work harder. “After months of groveling” is a phrase that he uses to give a picture as to how hard he needed to work just to get an opportunity to sit in and watch. Psalm 128:2 says “You will eat the fruit of your labor, blessings, and prosperity will be yours” Notice it says labor. You will reap the benefits of how hard you work for what you want to accomplish in life. As a creator, you need to remember to work hard in spite of the circumstances. - Laziness is a state of defeat: When asked what was the biggest obstacle facing Christian creators, Mr. Satterlund flat out says “Laziness” don’t use time, money, or resources as an excuse. As a creator, use whatever is at your disposal to be able to create. The excuse that your conference has “no vision”, your church is boring, or you don’t have resources is just a cover-up for laziness and lack of drive. Stop criticizing culture and start creating it! - Inspiration by Immersion:  “Either decide to make content for you, that is, make content for Christian audiences. There is nothing wrong with this. They need content too, and someone should be out there working to create great entertainment. Or, create Christian content that lives in the global market place, but here’s the rub. If you want to work in the global marketplace, then you need to live in it. (Sorry mom.) In other words, you need to live in Hollywood, New York, or some other entertainment hub, AND, you have to be good enough to get hired and accomplished enough to get the green light on whatever you’re making” In other words, if you truly want to create on a large-scale level. You need to immerse yourself in the culture you are trying to both create & change. This may not necessarily look like moving to Hollywood, or New York but it does involve immersing yourself into the process that you wish to be a part of. If you are a designer, immerse yourself in the world of design. If you are a photographer, immerse yourself in the world of photography. If you are a writer, immerse yourself in the world of writing. A lot of creators only put half their toe into the pool of what they want to accomplish. You need to dive deep, to reach the goals you want to accomplish. Treasure is rarely found at the surface, it’s always found in the deep. We hope this interview helps inspire you in some way, shape, or form as a creator to do more and be more! Special Thanks to Jason Satterlund for his time. If you want to know more about his work, you can visit:  http://www.jasonsatterlund.com/If you have any questions you would like to see asked in the future or people who you would like to be interviewed for the series email me at jpbarca86@gmail.com or follow me on Instagram @blacksheeppm where we will be continuing the conversation.

Your heroes are dead. You can look for them, but they are buried in the soil of your childhood memories. I suspect, however, that something even more heroic is taking their place. The story of Esther is a perfect example. Too often, in the Bible, we go looking for human heroes. We oversimplify and gloss over uncomfortable details in order to find role models to emulate. Perhaps we’re looking in the wrong direction. Sometimes the true hero is hidden out of sight. Esther is a challenging book. Like so many other stories in the Bible, it is descriptive rather than prescriptive. It tells what happens, not necessarily what should happen. It is not meant to be a model for us to replicate, so much as a story that gives us insight into the God who works in our individual lives. I can still remember the story as portrayed by children’s books, such as the blue-covered Bible Heroes by Uncle Arthur. The funny thing though, is that although I’ve heard the story retold countless times in sermons and devotionals, it hasn’t changed much. Tell me if this sounds familiar: - King Ahasuerus takes center stage. He is generally good but largely ignorant of what is going on around him. He does, however, play a very important role in hosting a Disney’s Cinderella-style ball to find a new queen. This occurs after… - The story’s minor villain Queen Vashti, causes trouble for the king because she is proud and defiant. Thankfully, she is removed to make way for… - Esther the hero! She is a woman of faith and prayer, who trusts in God to intervene in her life. Because of this spiritual strength, she is able to save her people from certain destruction at the hand of… The main villain Haman, who hates the Jews and has worked out a plan to have them all killed. His obsession with committing this genocide begins because… - The honorable and righteous secondary hero Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman when he passes by. Instead he does all he can to honor God’s character. He has also raised Esther and continues to advise her during the challenges of this story. Sounds pretty nice, right? Except, the reality is a bit more complex. Here’s a version a little bit closer to what we actually find in the Bible: - King Ahasuerus, like most men in power, is accustomed to abusing his privileges and listening to the poor advice of the chauvinistic and insecure men he surrounds himself with. When Vashti refuses the king’s order, one of the “wise men” is concerned other women will show similar contempt for their husbands, and he laughably suggests Vashti be permanently dismissed “so all women will honor their husbands from the least to the greatest” (1:20). Go home dude, you’re drunk. Or better yet, go to marriage counseling. - Queen Vashti stands opposed to this power mindset, perhaps not as carefully and wisely as Esther does, but nonetheless, she exhibits courage and decency when an inebriated Ahasuerus calls her to be flaunted like a prize pet or sex object in front of his equally drunk friends. Some commentaries suggest that the order to “bring Queen Vashti before him with her royal crown” (1:11) implies that her crown was the only article of clothing she would be wearing. Regardless, the request is not a respectful one. When taking place in such a power-imbalance, this should be setting off all our #metoo alarm bells. Sadly, Vashti falls victim to this abuse of power but does so with dignity and respect. Notably, she is the only one of the five main characters who doesn’t resort to violence to resolve her difficult situation. - Esther also falls victim to the continued abuse of power. Rather than a fairytale princess-falls-in-love-with-the-prince experience, it appears she is taken by force to be a part of the king’s harem—something more akin to sex slavery than a storybook romance. Esther, like Vashti, however, displays many admirable qualities in the face of such hardship and oppression. She is courageous, clever, self-sacrificial, and a strong leader. What we don’t find, though, are any overt indications that she is a woman of faith. She is not necessarily the spiritual hero of this story. In fact, nowhere in this book is God or prayer even mentioned. While she does call for her people to fast, we’ll soon see why there is a reason to question the spiritual motive behind such a request. Why do I say this? - Because of Mordecai. While Esther was probably just an orphaned teenager, Mordecai was responsible for his actions including his decision to remain in Medo-Persia after God had already called the exiles to return home (as recorded in the books of Ezra and Zechariah). For them, their religion had become more cultural than spiritual. Many Jews refused to return, perhaps having grown accustomed to a new lifestyle less influenced by their faith, and ignored God’s warnings to escape persecution. - Which leaves Haman—who is definitely a bad guy with murderous intent—but to be fair is a descendant of the Amalekites, who have long been engaged with the Israelites in deadly exchanges. Revenge—though not admirable—makes sense for his character. Now let’s look at how all these pieces come into play. The plot progresses, full of irony and unexpected twists. Esther takes center stage with her courage and cleverness to set up both Ahasuerus and Haman for the surprise ending to her subversive plotting to save her people. And it’s awesome, right? The villain is stopped! The king really does love Esther! Genocide is averted! Now everyone can live in peace, right? Not so quick. While that may be the ending to the children’s version of this story, the Bible version continues, revealing more about these characters. To be honest, more than we’re maybe comfortable with. Esther gets permission from Ahasuerus for the Jews to defend themselves on the day Haman had set for them to be destroyed. This seems like a reasonable request for self-defense. Nonetheless, the resulting bloodbath doesn’t seem to be enough. Esther asks for a second day for the Jews to kill and destroy their enemies. Was this request made out of fear? Or perhaps it was an attempt to use their newfound power to secure safety for their people? Either way, it is ironic that the position of power held by Haman is now held by Mordecai, to similarly violent ends. By the conclusion of the two days of carnage, over 75,000 of their enemies lie dead in the streets (9:16). Now I’m not sure what to do with this story. This is messy. The line between heroes and villains has been significantly blurred. I think I’m supposed to be cheering for Esther and Mordecai, but I’m feeling sick at the thought of how they too bought into the use of violent power that was so prevalent in their enemies. And what am I to think about God in all of this? Is this what God wanted? First, I’m totally okay with the fact that the protagonists of this story aren’t super heroic after all. Again, as in so many other biblical accounts, if we’re looking to the humans of the story to be the heroes, we’re looking in the wrong place. The story of Esther is not the story of spiritual heroes; it is the story of humans making very human choices. Some good, some bad. Actually, a lot bad. Yet God still works to protect his people and provide for them. God is the unseen and unmentioned true hero of this story. Second, considering the teachings of Jesus on loving your enemies, I can’t conclude that this is ideally what God wanted from this situation. I can’t conclude that this is how Jesus would want his people to use power. Does this raise even more questions? Yes, and I’m okay with that too. What I can conclude, however, is that God is committed to keeping his promises and partnering with flawed and broken people. The fact that this whole story exists because God intervened on behalf of people who had ignored his commands actually gives me hope. My story is messy too. Sometimes I feel like a hero and a villain at the same time. I find myself glossing over details and trying to tell a story that puts me on top, but the truth is I don’t have to be super heroic. It is the abundant, more-than-heroic life of Jesus that transforms my story. His life turns weakness into strength and defeat into victory—a life partnership based on His goodness and faithfulness, not ours. This is the story Jesus invites us into.

Jesus was fierce. He was the type of man who could confront a person teeming with demons head on without flinching. While your average person would have squirmed uncomfortably or made a skillful exit, Jesus talked to that person and found a way to help him. He was the type of man who could sleep through a thunderstorm in a sinking boat in the middle of the lake. The disciples were terrified as they tried their best to rectify the situation. Jesus simply talked to the angry wind and waves. Then, chided His disciples for being afraid. He reached out and touched people with highly contagious diseases. Others would have avoided contact or at least put on gloves. Jesus reached out and touched. Jesus healed. He stood up to religious leaders who had the power to kill him. He even got between them and one of their greatest money making schemes when He tore through the temple like a hurricane. He turned over tables and chased the greedy salesmen out of his father’s house with holy fervor. It’s not surprising that they plotted His death after that. You know how people get when you get between them and their money. A great writer sums it up well, “[Jesus] was never elated by applause, nor dejected by censure or disappointment. Amid the greatest opposition and the most cruel treatment, He was still of good courage.” Yet, despite the ferocious confidence that Jesus had from being completely surrendered to God there was one thing that made Him anxious. Something, that terrified him. Facing the second death –eternal separation for from His father. It’s pretty evident that Jesus’ motto was very similar to the gospel song Anywhere with [My Father] I can safely go, Anywhere He leads me in this world below. Anywhere without Him, dearest joys would fade; Anywhere with [My Father] I am not afraid. This should teach us something. If Jesus could face the most terrifying situations like that, we can too. Yes, we tend to get anxious about more trivial things; yet, we can learn a little about how to conquer those fears using the same principles that Jesus used the one time that He was anxious. The time is when He was in Gethsemane. Here Jesus was dipping his toes in the deep, dark waters of eternal death unsure if He would ever resurface if He stepped in. His strength was failing him. His companions had to steady him as He walked into the Garden to pray. His anguish was so great that blood leaked through his skin and dripped down his face. He wavered between wanting His closest friends to be near Him and wanting to hide His terrifying struggle from their terrified eyes. 1. He Kept It Real The task before Jesus was scary. And He didn’t want to go forward. He wanted to stop right there and go back. And He told God so. “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me.” Matthew 26:39, New Living Translation In other words, “I don’t want to do this. Can you tell me I don’t have to?” But there was no way around it. This was the only way to save humanity. Similarly, we should be honest with God. Let Him know when you don’t want to do something. Once you get that out of the way you can move forward, but start there. Maybe you like the sin or you don’t want to surrender that relationship or you think your plan is better than God’s direction. Well, let him know. 2. He Kept Surrendering Jesus’ ultimate desire was for God’s will to be done. He kept struggling and wrestling until he truly accepted God’s plan for his life. He didn’t have to surrender one time nor two times, but three. “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” Matthew 26:42, New Living Translation We often think that it is sufficient to surrender our desires to God once; however, those desires can be very strong. It takes much prayer and a constant surrender to turn them over to God. They may very well pop back up like stubborn weeds. So, we have to take them back to the feet of Jesus. 3. He Kept Clinging Jesus didn’t stop clinging until He got consolation from God. The clouds didn’t part. He didn’t feel connected. There was still the deep dark gulf between Him and His father. He went through the whole ordeal by faith. He was never able to see past the dark cloud that obscured the Father’s face. Yet, God sent an angel to encourage Him and remind Him that His mission would be successful. That was enough to keep clinging. In the same way, we should cling to God refusing to let go until He brings us some consolation. It may not be what we want or expect, but there will be some ray of light. Often, it is easier to complain or want to escape the struggle before us, but we must continue to cling asking God for the strength to carry us through. In our anxiety, let’s be like Jesus.

Andy Mineo – “II: The Sword” (Sept 21, 2018) Andy Mineo has always been the one presence in the current Christian Hip Hop movement who has seemingly been the most transparent, self-deprecating, and somehow funniest all at the same time. II: The Sword continues this trend with a short “one two punch” of an EP. He keeps with the prevailing 116 M.O. – keep the overt theology down to an acceptable but poignant minimum, while talking on more commonly relatable topics while exposing personal struggles and concerns. In other words, it’s a more honest form of Hip-Hop than what you might have gotten out of earlier 116. This is what we’ve come to expect by this point, and up until this point it has been refreshing. And while Mineo’s EPs have typically been good (Never Land, anyone? That was dope), this time around the “honest” act has left a few holes visible. The content is great – relatable, funny when it needs to be, and sincere – but the energy level seems lower. It’s musically less impactful than previous releases. The atmosphere is intentionally relaxed, with a lot of the instruments sounding pop or R&B when compared to the oversaturation of trap beats going on everywhere else, but it can at times found overly passive. Too sleepy. Honestly, the record is good. The songs are definitely good. The bars are definitely there. The individual elements on this joint are really, really good. But the overall product feels understated, underwhelming, and understated. Maybe that’s what Mineo wanted? I could see it being an intentional stylistic choice, but I think there is something to be said about the lack of that extra “special sauce” that made Heroes For Sale so heavy hitting. I probably sound overly pessimistic. There are some songs on this record that will probably go down as Mineo classics. Shame is emotionally diverse, gripping, and sincere. Donuts feels like a genuine demonstration of rap for the sake of rapping – lyrically clever and emcee-centric. And None Of My Business is perhaps the most provocative, playful, funny song on the whole release. On a release as short as an EP, a majority of good songs is a job well done. There is a lot to be liked here. Some may find this to be a new favorite from Mineo. I’m just left feeling like I wanted a bit more. More of what, you ask? I don’t know. Intensity? Jokes? Self-deprecating humor? Theological depth? Emotion? I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like this record knows either. II: The Sword simply seems like a collection of good songs and not more. I tried to find a common theme or common emotional tone, and it wasn’t quite there. Maybe that’s versatility, or maybe it’s lack of focus. I doubt an album of higher caliber would leave me feeling so “maybe” about it all. 7/10 (P.S. I feel like I’ve been pretty tough on CHH so far this year, but I just don’t know if I’ve heard anything that I’d consider a classic. If you’re paying attention to the Christian hip-hop scene and you think there’s some worthy releases that have come out this year, let me know. I’m sure there’s gotta be something golden out there.)

Fit For A King – “Dark Skies” (Sept 14, 2018) Fit For A King has emerged as one of the most likeable of the new SolidState Records metalcore acts. Their 2014 album Slave To Nothing in particular made a massive impact and solidified them as a youngblood band to be reckoned with. With this band, the breakdowns have been consistently devastating, the emotional tone has always been gripping and relatable, and the vocal contrast has proven to be one of the best clean-harsh pairings in metalcore since Underoath. This formula has obviously been refined and honed on Dark Skies, and to great effect. The album was preceded by a larger than usual army of singles – I count five in total. Five singles. Each of these stood strong on their own merit, especially The Price of Agony – a politically charged critique of current trends in public discourse – and When Everything Means Nothing, which deals with the harm caused to mental and social health by the often unrealistic portrayal of life through social media. While the material released in advance of the album was quite strong, you would also maybe think that releasing literally half of the album as singles would take away from the sense of discovery and excitement upon the arrival of the actual album. In this case, Fit For A King has delivered an album that is strong enough and diverse enough to stay intriguing all the way through in spite of the extensive previewing. This strength is understandable for a few reasons: one, the emotional tone of this album is heartfelt, urgent, angsty, and intentionally dark enough to tap into fairly universal feelings of frustration and alienation, and two, the music has enough layers to it to keep the listener guessing. The band can shift between the absolutely bludgeoning sounds of a rager like Anthem of the Defeated, move on to plaintive melodies in Youth | Division, and then throw in a semi-screamed spoken word curveball part way through Shattered Glass. Here, Fit For A King is proving why metalcore as a subgenre has managed to survive and remain relevant well over ten years into it’s time as a musical movement: alongside labelmates Silent Planet and Norma Jean, Fit For A King has found a way to avoid repetition and clichés. Instead of re-treading genre tropes, the metalcore bands of this era are One of the biggest pitfalls of Dark Skies is a corollary of one of its strengths – the tone. While one would logically expect darkness just based on the album’s title, the band sometimes over delivers on this theme, even to the extent of being corny at times. “If I don’t fix my life I could die tonight” is an angst-ridden line that might border on a little too “on the nose,” and definitely a bit overly literal. The more metaphorical lines on the record – “I will climb the tower of pain,” for example – go to the opposite extreme, being a little overly poetic, all of this adding up to melodrama. Is melodrama an overzealous criticism for a metalcore record? Maybe not ten years ago, no, but in a day when the bar for topical and emotional maturity is set by a band as serious and insightful as Silent Planet, the standard is quite high. Fit For A King has tended to stray from “on the nose” theology, couching their spirituality under a thick layer of angst. This works for them and gives them a wide appeal outside of the Christian music bubble, but it does mean that you’ll need to be willing to get in touch with your inner emo kid. Also, this is really good but it’s not better than Slave To Nothing because of course it’s not. Slave To Nothing is undefeated. 7.5/10 (P.S. It’s kind of silly for me to review metal albums on here just given the nature of the Haystack’s demographic, a.k.a Seventh-day Adventists. Progressive and edgy as some of you are, we still don’t really have space in our culture to fit metalheads, at least not super passionate ones who keep up the look. I barely present as “metal,” and I scream in a band for goodness sake. Still, I figure that if we’re going to be reviewing Christian music releases, we should cover a broad swath of things, right? Like maybe some of you out there might be open enough to give some of this heavier stuff a chance. I feel like that’s a risk worth taking.)

Lifelong Worship – Self-Titled Album (January 1, 2018) Lifelong Worship is a music ministry initiative from the Florida Hospital Church, featuring musicians and songwriters from their congregation. This is perhaps one of the more complete, well-rounded, and polished efforts I’ve seen from a Seventh-day Adventist congregation in terms of crafting a musical release collectively. Hopefully, this sets a precedent for other musically-inclined churches to do the same. It seems like this church has a thriving music program that takes the development and maximization of its talent seriously, which is an enormously needed dimension of music based discipleship. For that, I applaud Lifelong Worship for making strides in that direction. Onto the record itself. The opening track is a fairly creative re-imagination of Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress”. It is heavily modernized both in terms of vocal production (just barely obvious autotuning). The arrangement is interesting and manages to squeeze the lyrical meter mostly unawkwardly into typical 4/4 time phrasing. The arrangement generally works, although the added chorus “Oh my God, my God, you’re my God” feels astonishingly simplistic compared to the rest of the song. Whether it’s a good contrast or an awkward departure, I’m not sure. But in terms of departures, the rest of the album is a showcase of stylistic meandering. The immediate follow up to the opening track is a Bossa-Nova inspired arrangement of “Take My Life”. Each song seems to change genre: a reggae song, a country song, a gospel song, a rock song, a piano ballad with string accompaniment, an adult-contemporary style soft rock/pop rock tune, and two mandolin-laden folk songs to close the album. The total experience of the album is a bit scattered. Production-wise, it sounds pristine, well recorded, well-mixed, and possibly a little over-polished. In terms of style, there is no consistent sound that holds the album together. There is no “Lifelong Worship” sound, per se. Each genre change plays to the genre tropes almost exactly. Add to this the frequent change of lead vocalists, and this record plays more like a playlist or a compilation than an actual album by one group. In terms of usefulness, the arrangements on this record are ready to slide into your Sabbath morning worship slot, and might occasionally be a fresh and welcome change from more standard versions of these songs. But these songs are made exactly for use at church, and won’t likely end up on anyone’s favorites playlist. The overall listening experience is a tad too unadventurous, too clean, and too safe. It sounds good. It sounds really, really good. And it fairly falls prey to the same problems that other really good sounding worship music does: it’s a little cheesy. This is light criticism, and the album has its own share of strengths. Particularly, the original songs are significantly stronger on their own merit than the hymn remakes. The fact is that this album does meet a need within Adventism for more high quality music recordings, and for stylistic variation that is often too lacking. Whether or not this album stands on its own as an adventurous, artistic piece is only one concern. The usefulness of this album in a church setting is a significant boost to how I’m going to rate it, even though it’s far from a contender for my album of the year. Cheers to a genuine and valiant effort! 7/10 (To be honest, I was going to rate this album a little bit lower, but the thought did occur to me that this is the exact kind of thing that would work really well as a “spice up” for a church service. So hey, I can change my mind. Plus, I don’t want to discourage people who I think are genuinely doing a good thing and taking steps in the right direction, even if I didn’t dig the music personally that much. I’m going to have to give something a bad review soon though, because everything I’ve done so far sits above a 5, and if I keep this up too long it might seem like I just give everything a pass. What could I review and actually rip on a bit? I saw one request on Facebook for “1941 SDA Church Hymnal.” Hmm..)

About a month ago a group of construction workers started screaming inappropriate comments to me as I was walking into my office. I pretended I didn’t hear them. The more I walked the angrier I got. I am a 31-year-old Professor of Communication. Why did I feel an instinctive need to normalize their behavior when I literally lecture on how females are trained to systematically mute themselves in order to not disrupt male patriarchy? I have every tool at my disposal that should prepare me to confront this parking lot loser, and yet instead I walked briskly passed them pretending I had a phone call. It took me about 6 minutes to decide I had time for this. I introduced myself as Dr. Day to their foreman, and made sure he was aware that this was a University campus, with young women perhaps more vulnerable than I, who may like to walk to their classes without being harassed. This is the world we live in and it doesn’t matter how educated you are, how old you are, or how many kids you have, a woman will experience sexual harassment just for being a woman. Oh and by the way, #churchtoo. A friend of mine preached recently. She’s young, and vibrant and has an incredibly gentle spirit. She wants to be a pastor and I think she’ll make a great one. After her message many of the church members asked her to come back. She stayed for potluck at their insistence and before leaving she ran back to the sanctuary to collect her things. A man followed her, and proceeded to tell her that not only could she not be a pastor because of her gender, but also that she was dressed indecently. Her dress was long and modest, but it didn’t have sleeves. This man didn’t think that she looked holy enough apparently to minister to his congregation, and instructed her not to come back unless she was dressed appropriately. She was mortified, and through tears, apologized for her dress. When she called me and told me what happened, I was seething. In my early twenties I too thought I should be a pastor. I took a couple semesters worth of coursework at the seminary before deciding I wasn’t saved enough to survive church ministry as a woman. Now, I do have female friends who are sharp, and educated, and tactful, and who handle situations like this with grace and poise, and I thank GOD for their work.  But for myself, as a married woman, and mother of 3, when men feel the need to comment on my dress after a sermon, I feel the need to remind them of the work God is clearly still trying to do in them. If a female’s arms are so sexualized in your mind, that you can’t listen to her share the gospel without getting hot and bothered, could we perhaps pause and reassess whose problem this is? I am all for the “stumbling block” concept, but let’s be reasonable. A man who would follow a 22-year-old girl INSIDE THE SANCTUARY after she just poured her heart into a sermon, should have every elder laying hands on him trying to get that demonic spirit out. How much porn have you watched that you can’t sit in church and hear the gospel without thinking about sex? The problem probably isn’t my dress, or hers, it’s your browser and I think we are allowing our churches to be unsafe places for women if we don’t call out this misogynistic behavior. Studies show that when men see women, AND when women see women, we see a mismatch of body parts. Rather than see a whole person, our first instincts are to see breasts, legs, hair, thighs, eyes, and butts. We compartmentalize women based on their bodies and it’s disturbing. Scientists have found that 96% of the medias sexual imagery is of women’s bodies. Objectification is rampant in our sex obsessed culture, and our churches are no different. Objectification is when we train ourselves to see men as people who have sex, and women as people who have sex done to them. Pornography has a huge hand in how this all has happened. With the introduction of pornography we have completely found ourselves in a culture where men are sexual subjects, and women are sexual objects.  This type of thinking leads us to live in a world where men have power, and women do not. Men get jobs often based on how they think, while women still have to read articles that reference the importance of how they look, even in the workplace. 80% of our political offices are held by men. Men are in power in virtually every industry in the world, despite the fact that there are more female workers. This type of cultural paradigm has brought us to social media, where girls are taught to self-objectify. The only problem is that when we treat ourselves as objects, we lose our humanness. Studies have found that when girls self-objectify it lowers self-esteem, it lowers cognitive skills, it creates sexual dysfunction in relationships, it destroys body image. It is interesting because we post photos of ourselves in order to feel pretty and valued, and yet we lower our self-esteem. For goodness sakes the average woman monitors her body every 30 seconds and no that was not a typo! My dress isn’t what makes me holy and you can say the name of God without knowing Him. We need women in ministry because 1 in 3 children today are growing up without dads, and so for many people, the female voice may be the only one they can feel safe trusting. I want our church leadership to challenge any men who would make their pews uncomfortable for female speakers and listeners. Jesus Himself made a whip, and drove the bad guys out of His house. If we want to rebuild the church, and stop the mass exodus of young people, we need men and women who are willing to fight for the vulnerable and bring darkness to light. Please remember, when you objectify the female body, you are revealing your own spiritual nakedness. The gospel can help all of us, but not if we aren’t honest about how much we need it. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Andrews University. She is the author of five Christian books, including “Life After Eden,” and writer for The Spilled Milk Club. You can follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

I’ve lost track of how many times it’s happened. A car pulls quickly into my lane. Later, I’m being tailgated by an impatient truck. An SUV intentionally rushes into the parking spot I was waiting for. These kinds of things always bother me, of course, but it’s interesting how often I catch a fish decal or a “Jesus Saves” bumper sticker on the offending vehicle. My purpose for writing this is not to generalize Christian drivers, but I’d like us to step back together, and explore how we navigate the world as representatives of Christ. I spend a lot of time working on an online storytelling platform called Humans of Adventism. It’s a collection of posts highlighting the different views we hold and the lives we live as Seventh-day Adventists. One aspect of managing this platform is handling our branded merch. For us, that’s mostly t-shirts sporting the simple words “Adventist. Human.” Wearing this shirt in public means advertising that you are an Adventist, and inevitably, it means you’re inviting conversations from people you don’t know. That’s what we wanted. But it also means whatever you do while wearing the shirt will reflect on both you and Adventism as a whole. I became very aware of this recently when I went out to lunch with my family. We sat down, had a great meal, and were getting ready to leave when I started looking at the bill. It was a little more expensive than I’d expected. The blank line labeled “tip” stressed me out a little bit. But as I stared at that little piece of paper, I started thinking about how my decision, in that moment, would affect our waitress. Adventist. Human. The words were written right there for everyone to see. What would she think of Adventism if I left a poor tip? An average tip? A generous one? In the end, I decided her impression was worth more than a couple extra bucks in our bank account. I took that experience with me, I kept thinking on the importance and impact my actions could have, and I came up with a short list of how I would like to wear my Adventism. Always, if possible, and definitely while advertising my faith, I will: - Tip generously - Not ignore the needy or homeless - Make time for service - Listen to others attentively - Stand up for the hurting Notice anything about this list? I did. It looks suspiciously like what God asks us to do anyway. So why do I even need a list like this? The truth is, I shouldn’t. The truth is, I shouldn’t have to act differently if I’ve already learned to show God’s love to the people around me. The shirt, the bumper sticker, the Jesus fish — all should point to the type of person we already are. Those items should signify that we have dedicated ourselves to a God that loves us more than we can possibly understand. Do they? John 13:35 says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Maybe now is a good time to re-evaluate who we are and how we treat other people. The people around us can see through the Bible verse memes on our Facebook wall when we’re leaving insults below other posts. The fish on our car becomes a symbol of harm when we road rage. And that Adventist Human shirt? Nothing but a poor fashion statement if I can’t help my waitress pay her bills.

Being a leader is hard. There’s no question or doubt about it. I tend to avoid leadership positions and support those who have to shoulder that load. There are some leadership techniques that creep into Christian leader’s toolboxes as certified tools; however, they are not at all principles found in the way of Jesus. Remember, Paul reminds us not to conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2). Many of these alternative methods use force as though violence, pressure and aggression will wrench out allegiance. They don’t seek to reach the hearts of the people they lead. These kind of tactics might summon suppression, but not loyalty. As one inspired writer reminds us, “The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened.” Here are a few of the un-Christlike methods commonly used by leaders: Lording Don’t give orders. Take them. “But Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant…’” Matthew 20:25-27, New Living Translation. Eric[1] had asked Shannon to join him in a pioneer mission project. She had previous experience in that particular sort of work. Sometimes when the small team was training, Shannon would share her experiences to help the other team members better do their work. Understanding and relief broke over the other team members faces as they wrapped their minds around the intricate ways they could connect with the people they were trying to serve. However, Eric was upset his leadership was being threatened. He was concerned the team members would see Shannon as the leader instead of him—or even like her better. Eric confronted Shannon telling her he felt she threatened him, and asked her to be more submissive. Shannon had no desire to be the leader. She knew very well that it is an often a difficult and thankless job. She was disappointed that Eric could only think of his image instead of the weighty matters at hand, like how they could most effectively do the Lord’s work. When our focus shifts to our ego from how we can serve, it is misplaced. We don’t need to worry about our image or what great position we may occupy. In Jesus’ leadership methods, we won’t look like leaders. We’ll look like servants. Monopolizing You don’t receive the Holy Spirit by attending Andrews or SOULS West. The burden of leading the community of Israelites is too heavy for Moses. He follows some wise advice to delegate some of the responsibilities to others. God instructs Moses to gather these people together, so he can pour out His Spirit on them. Two of the men don’t make it to the gathering. Yet, God pours out his Holy Spirit on them anyway and they begin showing signs of God’s power where they are. “Let me go stop them!” exclaims a horrified Joshua. “No!” counters Moses, “I wish that all of you would be filled with God’s Spirit like this!” There’s a similar story in the New Testament. Where someone is casting out demons. The disciples stop him. Jesus rebukes them. “But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.” Luke 9:50, New Living Translation To consider another Bible figure, Paul wasn’t in the upper room after Pentecost. He didn’t get a chance to sit at the feet of Jesus. Yet, Jesus still called him. There will be people that aren’t official ministers of the church. Perhaps they won’t go to official schools or be with the official conference program. Don’t check to see if they have the official credentials. Simply look for the Spirit of Jesus. If we find the fruit, let’s work to support them. Clinging The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Don’t over stay your welcome. “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”  Philippians 2:6-8, New Living Translation “I don’t know what they’ll do if something were to happen to me,” Josh confided smugly. While it’s gratifying to feel needed and useful at what you do, it’s important to remember that God could call you elsewhere in a moments notice. It’s important to prepare the structure of your ministry to be able to pass on your leadership. Moses wisely delegated his leadership. Even Joshua prepared the leaders to carry on a strong spiritual leadership after his death. Jesus himself was willing to step down from his position as God when it was demanded of him. Always lead with all you’ve got, being prepared to give up the position tomorrow if that’s what is best for the people you are serving. Self-Victimizing No, the enemy is not angry. He is probably happy that you’re sulking in a corner. “People who do not get along with others are interested only in themselves; they will disagree with what everyone else knows is right.” Proverbs 18:1, Good News Translation Ryan confided to Riley that he wasn’t getting along with his best friend. He mentioned that this was surely the best friend’s fault. Then there was friction between him and Riley. He then shared that this wasn’t the first time he had bumped heads with a best friend. In fact, he was at odds with a whole ministry resulting in the loss of a best friend and a girlfriend. He chalked this conflict up to the enemy being angry. Riley was uncomfortable with some of the decisions Ryan was making. First, he was disregarding the team and then the authorities’ warnings and concerns. Riley felt Ryan would ultimately endanger their ministry team, and someone could get badly hurt. She knew her input would not be welcomed, so she tried to keep her mouth shut and prayed that God would have mercy. Then it happened. One of the team members did get injured. She burst out in frustration saying, “You really need to listen more!” Ryan immediately started to sulk. Bemoaning to the other team members that Riley told him that no one would like him if he didn’t listen and that she just hated him. He was overwhelmed by the sticky situation which he decided was all his fault. While a little bit of foresight and thoughtfulness on Ryan’s part could have helped to avoid this situation, this was not the time to be having a pity party. It was time to figure a way out. You might not be this childish, but watch yourself. Are you making a situation all about you when it shouldn’t be? Are you getting jealous when others get the attention? Are you only looking out for your own interests? Now would be a good time to stop, pray and refocus. Vintaging Don’t make the good old days your standard. “Don’t long for ‘the good old days.’ This is not wise.” Ecclesiastes 7:10, Good News Translation “When I was at Mountain Top Ministry, we did things this way.” Oops, I let it slip out of my mouth. Again. My ministry leader looked pained.  I should have known better because I expended a lot of energy trying to get my Pathfinder leaders to adopt innovative techniques that would inspire and engage. Yet, old age was already getting to me and I wanted to be safe. While there’s nothing wrong with borrowing techniques that worked in the past, it’s not good to dwell there. Sometimes what we should be saying is, “How can we develop this idea?” or “I see some flaws here. Is there a solution for them?” Other times we need to just shut up, try it out and asses for failure afterward. Today’s solutions are different from yesterday’s. Be open to trying new things. Marginalizing Discrimination is not okay. Stop it. “But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.” James 2:9, New Living Translation It’s easy to oppress the downtrodden when they are already on the floor. Last year, a famous tele-evangelist fell into the trap when he couldn’t be bothered to open up his mega-church as a shelter when Hurricane Harvey swept through Houston. Marginalizing can happen in very simple ways, like picking the church members with money to be on the board, or only seeking out the cool kids to join you in ministry. Jesus is all about being there for those who are looked down upon by society. Being a Christ-like leader not only means find ways to ease their suffering, but also including them in ministry. Give them a chance. Praise their efforts. Listen to their ideas. Just like Jesus did for people like Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene. Let’s sum it all up like this. If leaders want to be like Jesus, they must shun all of these controlling and manipulative techniques, and serve others in humility and love. How have you seen Christlike and in-Christlike behaviors in leadership? —— [1] Obviously, the names of all ministries and people have been changed to protect the innocent, but especially the guilty.