The basketball player who complained

This is a parable.

*****

Why are you complaining at the referees? Why do you yell and throw up your hands?

You could have dominated the game. The rebounds and shot blocking were yours. No one could stop you because you were the tallest athlete on the court.

You decided to aim your frustration at the referees, but you can't control what they call or do not call. You can not control anything but yourself.

I saw the game. I saw the way you decided to be lazy at defending the rim, you neglected offensive rebounds, and isolated your teammates. I saw the way you decided to try to win by jacking up three's and playing hero ball.

I saw what could have been, but wasn't. In a way, you did not leave it all on the court. You took a course unable to completely serve your strengths.

The game of basketball involves vision and court awareness. What can I do better than the rest of these right now? And how can I contribute to a winning effect? You take what you can and you control the circumstances. You place your efforts on your game play. It is chid's play to tear into your teammates or your referees. It is what it is, but what are you?

What are we, if not that white jersey stomping off the court in a tantrum because we did not get what we wanted? We did not get what we wanted because of the losing manner we decided to play the game. What are we if not the angry player who decided his ego and was more important than the overall winning team effort?

Listen to your mentors (Thanking Light Bearers, again)

Yesterday, I attended the Cicero Seventh-day Adventist Church where Pastor Kelly delivered one of the best sermons I have ever experienced. I say experienced because when a sermon is really good, it is not just heard, it is experienced. The emotions, the thoughts, the conviction, the challenge, the invitation to action, what you end up doing when the sermon is over, along with the place and setting of the sermon all become an experience that is not forgotten.

His sermon was directed to men. It was a rousing challenge and appeal to the men in the audience to live up to the title of, "Christian man." He ended by challenging the men to commit to encountering Christ daily by having daily devotions. It was stirring to see a pastor care so much for the people in his church to preach a challenging sermon in love and kindness.

Two of the several things which really struck me in the sermon was a reminder of the importance of having godly mentors which you listen to and how vital it is to say, "I was wrong."

I think the reason why these two things stayed in my mind is because of my experience at Light Bearers last year during the internship program. My last months of the internship were a bit dramatic and filled with some turmoil, to say the least. I have reason to believe I began to approach the need for disciplinary actions from the staff, whether it be leaving the internship or something else I am not sure, but I know there were many talks they had with me about a particular area of misbehavior and as I look back now, with more clarity, I realize how disobedient I remained.

There's plenty of things I could try to bring up to my defense. I could seek to rationalize it in my mind or even explain how I really was trying to obey them and point to some victories here or there. However, that wouldn't be honest. My conscience bears testimony against me, so in my mind, I realize, I was wrong.

*

After the sermon was over, Matt Minikus the dean of ARISE and one of the men who was keenly aware of my misconduct during the last few months of my I internship, and I walked together over to the house we were going to at. The Spirit urged me to apologize. I looked at Matt with a sheepish, apologetic smile and wish peered softly, "Hey, Matt, I am sorry. I was wrong. I was wrong and you guys were right. I should've listened to your wisdom. Thanks for your patience and forbearance with me." He smiled back at me. I appreciate the apology, I appreciate you and the staff appreciated you too and we had given you enough where we decided to be patient. Then we walked up the drive way where he stopped and drew a heart in the snow and then I added a 'J' inside the heart because it was for Josie, his wife. I smiled and thought of the days when I will get to draw hearts for my beloved and thanked Light Bearers again in my heart.

*

As a Christian man, it is important to listen to your mentors. God has placed them in mentorship over you for a reason. They have insights into where you're at. It is important to listen and obey and to admit, I was wrong, when you are. May you embrace the mentors God had placed in your life, may you seek their wisdom and obey it, and may you be humble enough to say, I was wrong, when it is time to confess.

Tuning before Songs of Ascent concert

I think the highs need emphasis, and what if that microphone gets pushed back a bit?
Oh and is this good volume for the harmony voice and what do you think about my keystrokes?
Feedback and mid's and reverb slow the process down enough to push us close to showtime.
Matt and Eric figuring out chords for this 'most fragile' song. I sound like I'm off, don't I?

Just do it. It sounds nice. I don't think it does, but no one ever does. Not of their own performance, anyways.

Something about monitors or sound bouncing improperly, uncooperatively, mind of its own.

The notes are plucked, taking us off to yet another interruption, an interrogation about quality. Is this muddy?

Eric, remember Union college? Play twinkle notes like that. Piano solo.

Don't pick me, I have terrible ears, ears not able to discern how balanced your towers are, or how twangy the strings strike.

We get off and come back. It sounded really bad and it's ok to say that in honesty, for the purpose of a good mix.

With Songs of Ascent

This morning I have realized I am very blessed.  I am touring with Songs of Ascent 2013 as a speaker across the Eastern part of the United States. I get to hang out with musicians and develop my craft of preaching? Can it get any better? (Well, actually, it could but may be more on that later.)

In any case, I am so happy and delighted to be here. To be a part of this ministry and to help out the musicians and see the Spirit minister through wholesome music. So far, we have done seven concerts and not all have been our best performances, but all of them have resulted in people letting us know the ways in which they were blessed. At a few concerts, there have been specific stories and testimonies we have received from the attendants.

A young boy's heart being moved to apologize and ask for forgiveness from his parents.

A father coming to me and letting me know he was going to take the message of the songs and narration to heart and seek to apply it in his family.

And even a few instances of folks driving out a couple hours, one father doing so when he was persuaded by his daughter whom he usually doesn't have custody of during the week, just to come out to the concert and then none of them regretting having made the drive.

So God is definitely blessing and His hand is with us. However, to be honest, the way in which I am really growing and being blessed is by the first thing I mentioned: being able to spend time with Christians musicians who see their music as a way to minister, not a way to entertain. Observing two married couples doing ministry and living off grace has begun to teach me a lot about what it means to be a godly partner, a godly teammate, and yet still keep your sanity. Watching Eric & Monique Johnson and Matt & Josie Minikus interact as couples and as fellow laborers is showing me what it looks like to be an honest and responsible worker, what priorities need to be maintained while performing, how it looks like to care about your craft while relying upon God to give the increase, what a Christian husband can look like, and how to love a woman. And these are just the more 'spiritual' things I am learning because there's plenty more 'everyday' things I am beginning to learn. Things pertaining to car maintenance, equipment preservation, how to shop for food cheaply while on the road, stewardship, minting good PR with churches and well, the list could continue but I will spare you.

All I am trying to say is that what Songs of Ascent 2013 is for me does include the developing my preaching. But really, that's the smallest part. What it really is about for me is serving four musicians whom I totally support in what they're doing and being able to pick up from their mentorship lessons and habits which I can then apply to my career in ministry and this is really the most important part of it for me. You know, the all important character development because after all, God is looking to develop characters more than gifts.

And this morning when I realized God has placed wonderful counselors and mentors in my life to instruct me is when it struck me, Wow, I'm so blessed.