I began to think about some things I’d heard in church about how so many people today DON’T have access to clean water.  So I did a quick Google search and landed on Water.org.  Apparently, 1 billion people woke up today (and every day) without access to clean water. Woah.  I could easily take the #FirstWorldPains approach and complain about how inconvenienced I was this morning.  OR, I could do something about the larger problem of access to water in the world.  So, I started a fundraising campaign!  My modest goal is to raise enough money to give 12 people clean water FOR LIFE.  How much would that cost? Thousands? No. Only $300!  Many of us have spent more than that on electronics! That breaks down to $25 being all it takes to change a persons life.

I hope if you’re reading this and you appreciate being able to walk to a tap and turn on water to cook, drink, bathe, clean, play, or whatever… then you’ll visit my campaign page and contribute what you can.

Donate $25 to give someone Water for LIFE!

I’m one of the guest panelists for some authentic conversation about being single. There will be refreshments and a Q&A session. I hope to see a few familiar faces that night. Everyone is welcome and there’s no admission charge. I hope to see you there!

Details Here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188124591216399

Darren Calhoun is a creative professional and Christ-follower who approaches life with the perspective that life is about stories and relationships.

Darren’s story centers on being born and raised in Chicago. He’s a native south-sider who currently lives on the west side of Chicago in East Garfield Park. Darren has been engaged with various groups and activities in his 31 years of life. From leading youth retreats in Elementary and High School to founding a campus ministry and being ordained as a Lay Minister in college, and now participating with community organizing and social-justice initiatives, Darren has been engaged with serving others for more than 17 years.

Currently Darren is a member of Willow Creek Community Church and serves on the leadership team for the Arts Ministries at the Willow Chicago’s Downtown campus. Professionally, Darren helps nonprofits, businesses, artists, and individuals to effectively capture and communicate their stories using the media of photography, graphic design, and internet technology. Through his company, Quick Click Media, Darren helps to capture the very essence of what people do and why it matters in the world.

Darren’s personal story is also marked with the facing and overcoming the challenges of healing from relational and emotional brokenness, and even church abuse. Taking advantage of books, professional therapy, groups, and long talks with trusted friends, Darren has overcome great challenges. He’s positioned himself as a trusted resource for others who have or are struggling with addictive behaviors, unhealthy relationships, and self-esteem issues.

As Darren’s remarkable story continues to unfold his greatest joy is in seeking to glorify God by being a man of integrity in all he encounters both personally and professionally.

I first heard this song a few weeks ago when Michael W. Smith came to Willow Creek to do a Concert / Service for Labor Day weekend.  Before sharing the song, Smith shared with us some insight as to what prompted him to write the piece.  I remember being quite moved and encouraged because I feel that too often church has become a place where perfect problem-less people come together and praise God.  It felt good to know that Smith realized he may receive some flack about the song, but that he felt that Willow Creek was a place where the song would be well received.

In recent weeks the news has seemed to overflow with stories of young people committing suicide, church leaders standing accused of moral and ethical misconduct, and other stories of gross injustice.  I’ve been disheartened to hear people in the media being referenced as Christians but unable to offer more than short-sighted, shallow, and super-spiritualized responses to these situations.  I’m not advocating that Christians should have all the answers… I am saying that we as a body need to come a LONG way when it comes to authenticity about the human experience.  There are staggering numbers of people hurting inside and outside of the church and it is my hope that we grow a sincere compassion -to suffer with- those who are hurting and to offer the hope that is our Gospel.

The topic of this song is a heavy one – abuse.  Check it out and share any thoughts in the comment section. (Lyrics below)

LEAVE by Michael W. Smith

Daddy’s on the sofa, turning up another bottle to unleash when I get home
I pretend he doesn’t hit me
Momma just pretends that she don’t know.

I used to think of talking
Talking to my preacher
He says I should just forgive and forget.
Now my baby brother just sits and recollects the same regrets.

And I just wanna leave
Oh, God, please help me now, I wanna leave.

As if that’s not enough
We’re the new family around here
Guess that’s all the reason some kids need
‘Cause they all call me names, and say I should just take it on the chin.

If I’m overreacting, then why is it so cold here
Why is it so cold here, in this hell
Why would my friend Suzy
Tell me I should just go kill myself?

And I just wanna leave
Oh, God, please help me now, I wanna leave
And I, I just wanna leave
Oh, God, please help me now, I wanna leave

Oh, I wanna get out of here
Oh, God, help me now, I really wanna leave,

(oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, ooh)

And I, just wanna leave
Oh, God, please help me now, I wanna leave
Oh, but I, I just wanna believe
Oh, God, please hear me now, I wanna believe
I just need to know, that You’re really out there
Tell me if You’re really out there, ’cause I believe.

Brandon Heath wrote a song called “Give Me Your Eyes,” and white people loved it. Since the Christian church in America is very, very segregated– there’s the white church and the black church, and rarely do they blend together– there is now a black version of “Give Me Your Eyes” by the group Joshua’s Troop; I saw the video on BET. – Mark Weber

Full Blog Article: Brandon Heath for whites; Joshua’s Troop for blacks « Mark Weber Music Blog.

There is a trend happening and I think it is happening quietly because many people don’t spend time listening to anything from artists who don’t look like them.

I’ve observed songs that have been popular for years in (white) Christian Music  suddenly becoming “new hits” in (black) Gospel Music arenas.  “Breathe”, “Let It Rain”, and “God Is Here” just to name a few.  While it’s nothing new for a Christian song to be covered (almost endlessly – “How Great Is Our God”) there is such a cultural disconnect that people don’t know a song exists until it’s been re-recorded by their favorite artist.

In the same way, at my church — which is diverse but mostly white) we’ve done Contemporary Gospel songs that have been hits for YEARS (by artists like Fred Hammond, Mary Mary, and Kirk Franklin) and it never fails that people come asking about that “new song” and give a blank stare when you mention the artist.

I’m African-American and was previously in an all black church.  More than 10 years ago I branched out into what my friends then called “white people music”– referring to Contemporary Christian Music and Worship songs– after growing discontent with the Gospel Music I’d been listening to at the time.

What has been interesting to see is the gradual change in the black Gospel Music scene as “Praise and Worship” has become more popular.  It seems to have been pushed into the mainstream by groups like Shekinah Glory (“Praise Is What I Do”) and others.  What I note most often is that only the choruses of some of these songs make it in to the re-recordings like “We Fall Down (But We Get Up)” and yes the favorite… “How Great Is Our God” with 3 lead vocalists and no verses!

So what are your thoughts and what trends have you seen?

Update: 9/24/2010 – title edited to add “racially”  distinguish what kind of segregation the article talks about.

Photo By B. Clark ©2010

Luke 14:25-33 – The Cost of Discipleship

Yesterday I had this passage reintroduced to me in a way that has challenged me to the core.  The backdrop of this message is Jesus speaking to the crowds about what it really costs to follow him.  He gives several examples of people who wisely count the cost of an effort (a builder building a tower or a king going to war) to be sure that they can see it through to completion.

In the season of life I’m in right now, I’ve often questioned if many of the things that I hope for are worth the effort under my current circumstances.  I love my church, family, and friends but I’ve been overwhelmed with what it takes to support and participate in these relationships for various reasons that I won’t dig too deeply into right now.  The point is that I’d grown weary – and didn’t know if I had the strength to go on to completion.

Then the reminder comes: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” –John 6:44 and the verse from Luke shines in a new light.  The preacher shared with us that some scholars have interpreted that passage to also say that God has counted the cost of making us disciples of Christ and determined that we had what it takes to see that calling to completion – not by our own efforts, but by faith through grace.  For me, what was beginning to seem like an option that was too costly to pursue suddenly becomes the only option worth living for.  While it doesn’t make the effort easier, I realize that someone greater than me is believing in me and cheering me on.

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. - Hebrews 12:1-3

Lord, thank you for believing in me… for standing by and cheering me on… and for giving me a community of believers who are pursuing your high calling as well.  — Amen

Hey Friends and Family,

I just wanted to share a blog post that beautifully sums up the “I’m Sorry” campaign I participated in at the Gay Pride parade in Chicago this past Sunday with The Marin Foundation.  The echoing reactions have been powerful and people across the country have been inspired to take action toward reconciliation with the Gay community.

From Nathan’s Blog Post:

…
“What I saw and experienced at Pride 2010 was the beginning of reconciliation. It was in the shocked faces of gay men and women who did not ever think Christians would apologize to them.”

It’s actions like this that I think are essential to restoring broken relationships with the disenfranchised.  I don’t think one has to argue or debate the religious beliefs about homosexuality to say from one individual or group to another “I’m sorry for what I / we have done to hurt you”. If living out life as Christ would live in our current circumstances is our goal, then I think this speaks to the reality of what that might look like.

Even to those that say that this is a “nice try” or “just a start” I think that our actions as a group as well as individually will show in the long run how authentic our actions are.  The reality is that no single event that any of us could do is going to undo all the wrong and balance society into perfect harmony.  However, we can use the best of what we have to move in that direction.

Please share your thoughts and questions and be sure to check out Nathan’s blog here.

(Photo Credit: Michelle at maladjustedmedia.com)

Would Darren “Do The Church Dance”? Anyone who knows me well would probably quickly say “YES” because I’m known to dance – and on occasion break a sweat doing so.  But the continued enjoyment of dancing hasn’t come without much consideration in my Christian life.  In fact, when I first had my born-again experience in 1998, I quickly stopped dancing all-together because I associated it with being “worldly” and leading to “sinful behavior”.  That was my conviction then, but it was probably fueled more by zeal and shallow thinking.  It’s probably didn’t help much that the church I was part of at the time didn’t condone any dance other than that modified two-step or an equivalent of bucking around wildly. (Full disclosure… I could “cut a step” with the rest of ‘em!)

However, as I grew and studied the word, I came to realize that dance (and music) aren’t strictly the devil’s territory.  I eventually found a renewed desire to express myself through dance – and to do so in praise to God.   I also learned that much of what we disdain in church has more to do with our cultural objections (and fears) than with transcendent biblical truth.

I posted the “Do The Church Dance” video on my Facebook page and (as to be expected) was met with mixed reactions.  I’m also following the comments on pages of several friends who posted it.  Mostly there are LOL’s about the video, but by the comments a few people have taken offense.  I’m curious to get others perspective on why this is offensive to them.  Many seem to consider this ‘inappropriate’ for church – and while I wouldn’t lead a congregation in a round of it, I don’t think it’s ‘wrong’ or making fun of the church.  (They do a STRING of dances you can see in many African-American churches on any given Sunday!)

On one of the comment threads, I shared this in considering the opinion that church should be reverent/reserved.

Listening to the lyrics (while not life changing) he talked about living his life differently than the way his contemporaries are living. I think he also is encouraging people to dance and express themselves in the dance style that is familiar to them – while incorporating some ‘moves’ from the previous generations.

I think the modern “hip-hop” styling and dancing may be challenging to many – especially for people from traditionally reverent worship communities. But this is true in the same way that the introduction of the Hammond B-3 organ was considered the devil’s instrument and inappropriate for the church (the “B” stood for BAR – like where people go to Drink).

I think people generally are cautious about cultural things that relate back to areas that were sinful for them in the past and for good reason.  We can’t just go about life without giving consideration to what influences us.  But in considering history, I think this will pan out in similar ways to the contributions of Thomas Dorsey (great video link!) and Mahalia Jackson, or more recently songs like “Oh Happy Day” – in their time, they were considered worldly and inappropriate – but today they are “traditional” and “old school” church!

What are your thoughts?  Would you defend or support releases like “Do The Church Dance”?

Check out the above link to AfroSpear – a blog where I found powerful yet simple video that inspired this post.

I’m becoming more and more interested in the dynamics of story. Not just in literary form but also in music, drama, video, and cultural traditions.  Our worldviews are built on the stories we’ve heard and accepted.  History exists as a collection of stories.  We long to live the kind of life that makes a great story someday after we’re gone.

What also must be considered is the fact that stories are often told from a single perspective.  We often gain new understanding when we hear a story from another perspective – even if the story has been told to us for ages.

I was booked by the United Congress of Religious and Community Organizations to do a day trip to Springfield, Illinois and photograph the convergence of several community organizations at the state capitol pushing for human rights bills that are now in the house.  It was also neat because the cover of the policy guide they produced featured my photography.

I was also able to buy a new lens this week, the Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8.  I’ve only been shooting with it for a week now, but I must say I really enjoy having something other than my 50mm f/1.8 available for low-light shooting.  I’m still editing photos from the Springfield trip, but I’ll post a few shots from that trip soon.  I also got a smaller, sling-style camera bag – this should make it easier for me to carry my camera for events or just for random photowalks – now if I could only fit my netbook into the bag I’d be unstoppable! lol.

I also spent a good deal of time over the last few weeks making arrangements for an Arts Ministry Volunteer Celebration at my church. It’s the first annual event for the newly forming umbrella of the Arts Ministry.  One of the first things that attracted me to my church was the arts – I was inspired to no end from day one! I often tell people that I came home and re-branded my business after my first visit to the church!  Anyway, the Celebration was a hit! Over 100 people came, ate what seemed like an endless supply of Pizza,  and got to know interesting facts about one another through an ice breaker my mom helped create for the event. We had more planned (like a video, presentations, etc…) but as with many things with life, not everything worked out the way we planned.  I was happy that I was able to slow-down and enjoy the moment not continually running around trying to pull things together.  It just worked I’m thankful for that!

This weekend also served as the Launch of our B-1 campaign.  B-1 is the rallying cry of our Arts Ministry.  Jesus prays in John 17:11(b) says “… so that they may all BE ONE as we are one”.  It’s our prayer and endeavor to take this to heart in how we grow in our intentional efforts to include more people and empower them to serve with their arts gifts.  I almost had a misty eyed moment as I saw more than 50 people standing on stage this Sunday wearing the tee-shirts I designed to promote this campaign.  I don’t know, it’s just something that started off as a small and fun idea and now has grown into something with limitless possibilities and outcomes.  I’m just excited.

In many ways I feel like I’ve told my “same old sad story” about the challenges I’ve faced in life and specifically in church.  Because I hear myself tell it so much, I feel like I’m going to be that old guy who is always reliving war stories and never really doing much else.  Today in part helped me realize that that’s not the case for me.  The reality is that I’m meeting new people and building brand-new relationships.  These new people don’t instantly get a complete picture of me so I have to over time share more of myself with them.  The beauty about that is that we grow closer in the process and I gain a bit more understanding each time.  Also, the purpose of sharing my story isn’t to relive it, but rather to learn more about my process and to take action in writing a new ending.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 (NIV)

Today I had a long over-due meeting with my church.  I was able to share some very personal and raw areas of my life and get a renewal of their commitment to walk with me through it all.  Because of some very negative experiences in similar situations in the past, events like these stir apprehension and fear. What’s amazing is to go into a situation that has turned out so terribly in the past and to discover that there are other healthy people out there who have the same goals and aspirations as you do.  It’s so affirming to be in a healthy church even though it’s not a perfect church.  I underlined “to each other” and “for each other” in the above scripture because the events of today underscored the two-way  relationship of accountability and healing in relationships. Each party must be able to own their part of what’s wrong, but also pray and support the other.

*Sigh* this is all vague now, but I hope to begin to retell this story with clarity soon. Thanks for listening.

–Darren

Updates coming soon. I’m writing this from the new iPhone app WordPress 2 – so maybe I’ll write more frequently.

So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave
–Nichole Nordeman

Brave (Acoustic Special Edition version) – Nichole Nordeman

October 28, 2009 will mark 11 years since my born-again Christian experience began and in some ways I feel like I’m still where I started back then.  Let’s be clear, God has done some miraculous things during this time – I have a LONG list of what God has done in and through me and life certainly wouldn’t have just ‘happened’ this way.  Where I’m challenged right now is in that I am still the same – I struggle with my own humanity and all the messy things that come with it.  I want the issues and struggles that have been brewing and stirring my whole life to be purely memories from before I “got saved”.  I want to be fully living out all the wonderful ideas in my head about life in Godliness.  But the reality is that I’m just as much a wretch in need of a savior as I was that night that I screamed out to the Lord in 1998.

I’m doing some of the hardest emotional work of my life right now – digging into all the whys of what I do.  It’s difficult because everything – what I might consider good or bad – gets cross examined and a root is found.  It’s unsettling to dig up that my drive to serve and help others is likely to lead to the same origin as my tendency to think negatively of myself.  Because this is so difficult – it’s easy to become fearful or simply want to ignore it and when things are going “good” then why dig into it and mess it all up?

Well thank God for people who will help you dig.  I met with a friend this week and ended up digging into some unsettling things about myself.  Interestingly enough, it’s nothing new – but actually facing these things without running away or being pushed away is uncharted territory for me.  I’m being reminded of God’s grace and his faithfulness through the physical presence of some close and trusted friends.  I’m also painfully aware that while I socialize with a lot of people, I stink at reaching out for help or support.

So, I’m doing things differently… I’m in a very vulnerable place, but I know God is present.  I’m choosing to be brave, to not walk away even if I am guilty of turning back.   I want to see God’s Kingdom in me and me in it.  I hear so many clamoring for their right to go with the status quo… I want to be all that God wants for me.  Lord HELP!

I’ve got another action-packed weekend ahead, so I just wanted to get that out there.  Thanks for reading and sharing in my life.  As always feel free to comment below.

–Darren

A few days ago I got a phone call from a friend insisting that I dropped whatever I was doing to jump on YouTube to see this interview.  As a little background to this story, I’ve been a fan of Tonex (pronounced Toe-nay) for about 10 years now.  Tonex’s music – both vocally and instrumentally is unique and raw in many ways.  He is a Christian, but his creations often ruffled the feathers of ‘traditional’ believers.  His music has a strong ‘cross-over’ appeal and often would be found in stores outside of the Christian music section.  Tonex often writes songs in first-hand perspective of a person struggling with addiction, sexuality, mourning, or other topics that are part of life, but not often part of ‘church talk’.  I was draw to this music because I felt “finally, another believer who is using this struggles of his past to bring glory to God and expose the darkness of these situations”.

Tonex has been a magnet for controversy not just because of his writing, but also his physical appearance.  He’s been known to wear hair and clothes in range from a suit and tie, to hip-hop street culture, to goth (including long purple bangs and black painted nails).  The latter often has called his sexuality into question.  In addition to all this, in recent years he ‘retired’ from the music industry citing the unfairness of how he was financially struggling yet his music was selling well.  He also was hit with the difficult transitions of being divorced, his Father and Pastor suddenly dieing, and having to assume his father’s position as Pastor of their church.

Tonex has been out of the spotlight for some months, other than releasing the occasional ‘underground’ music release online.  This interview was the first major news about Tonex in a while.  If there’s one thing Tonex has always done well it’s address topics that too often go unmentioned in the church.  While the theological views expressed in this interview may not be agreeable to everyone – I think it’s important that we all really hear what his thoughts and perspectives are.  Check out the interview (3 parts) below.

Lexi and Tonex Interview: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Please be advised that the interview gets into topics of sexual abuse and mature discussion of sexuality.

What is so refreshing to me about this interview is that it potentially breaks the silence in what I refer to as the black church around the topic of homosexuality.  It would seem that in many African-American churches there is a stereotypical presence of gays in the choir, or band, or preaching – but it’s a secret second life that goes unexamined as long as you don’t “bring that in the church”. Or there is the homophobic response of churches where from the pulpit homosexuals are stereotyped to be ‘butch women’ or ‘effeminate men’ and openly called fagots and damned to hell in the Sunday service (yeah… how’s THAT for outreach?!).

Even when I mentioned the news that Tonex speaks out publicly about his Bisexuality, some of my friends were not impressed saying “well we all knew that – you could tell” – basically saying that they only needed to think he was gay – it never needed to be confirmed or denied.  That seems to be the case as there are several prominent gospel recording artists who are rumored to be gay – and if they came out, their career would be ended, but as long as no body ‘claims it’ they will be celebrated in black churches all over America.

My concern is that the black church is burying its head in the sand. Like so many other abuses that are happening in our church, we turn a deaf ear practical implications of our human experience and give all our attention to the topics of heaven, prosperity, and personal spiritual gifts or ”ministry callings”.  As a result – when people with difficult situations DO turn to the church, they are met with ill-prepared people who haven’t gone any deeper than “homosexuality is sin” and can’t offer much more council or direction than that.  Too many guys who struggle with their sexuality have told me that when they went to their pastor about their struggle that they were only given advice to “find a wife” and “join the men’s ministry”.

I hope that this interview sparks deeper conversations within churches around the topic of homosexuality. Churches have to be more involved in this issue than simply rallying against gay-marriage legislation or preaching it as a sign of the end-times.  I really want to dig into the cultural norms that I think differentiate the black church from how this dynamic works in other cultures.

As always the comments section is open for discussion and questions.  I don’t claim to have answers – or to even have done a good job of proof reading this post! (lol).  But I think the more we wrap our minds around this and seek God – the more we’ll be able to have a meaningful and positive impact in our churches, communities, and families.

The Weight I Carry on Vimeo on Vimeo

I loved this video from Igniter Media from both a design perspective and a personal one.

So often I look ‘fine’ on the surface, but just minutes into a thoughtful reflection on “how am I doing” and suddenly the burdens of my life all start grappling for attention.  I think the challenge is not avoiding having things to carry – I’m not sure how attainable that goal is.  I think we are called to 1) cast our Cares on Him (Jesus) and 2) bear one another’s burdens.  In my mind I think I do both, but in reality I’m not doing so well with either of those.

For me to allow someone else to bear some of my burden would require me to let go of part of it, to actually put the weight of my life in part on someone else.  Theoretically that would make things so much more ‘doable’ but I really struggle with feeling like I’m ‘being a burden’ on someone else.

And giving my cares to Jesus is sooooo much easier to sing about – but in daily living it would seem that I make that a last resort when I’ve run out of things I can do myself.  How much different would my life be if I practiced daily surrendering my cares to Him and seeing what he leaves me to work on?

These are just the thoughts that pass through my mind… these are the thoughts that need to become actions in my life. I hope these things inspire something within you as well.

This past weekend was an exercise in listening for and responding to God’s prompting. I’m normally pretty busy serving on Sundays, but on Thursday God was giving me a clear directive to ‘be still and know that I am God’. On Thursday I was all set for ‘stillness’ by Saturday night I was ready to make some phone calls and get back to all my activity on Sunday morning.

Well, I resisted that urge and remained still. Because I wasn’t busy, I ended up sitting next to a friend who I haven’t seen for a while in church. Through the service I kept feeling like I should give him a hug – I didn’t do so until the end of service. When I hugged him he broke out in tears and tells me about something terrible that happened to him on the way to church that morning. I was able to get some help for him and just be a friend in the time of need – something I would have totally missed had I been ‘busy’ with all my normal stuff that God told me on THURSDAY to take a break from.

Because I submitted to God, I had the opportunity to see how he would use me beyond my gifting and expectations. God has a purpose in all that I do and go through.  I’m challenged to know all the more – WHERE DO YOU WANT ME TODAY. LORD?

My weekend closed with the opportunity to see Sy Rogers preach at City Church Chicago.  I’d never heard of him before that day, but a friend insisted that I come to the service.  I was glad I did.  Sy Rogers defies the expectations of many about the look and sound of a born-again Christian – or any preacher for that matter. I love that!  He brings the message of the Gospel and teaches in practical ways that apply to most anyone who hears him.  I’ll let this video clip speak for itself.

Please be sure to share your thoughts and responses.  I’m finding lots of people are being challenged right now to submit to God and to be still.

Be blessed!