There were nine of us altogether. Charlie, Brandon, Sara, Sandra, Derek, myself, and 3 other guys dressed in black with white neckties. I would soon discover these guys were not an armed security detail, but rather the talented percussion section who would spend the next 3 hours keeping the beat.

We pushed open the door and suddenly we were just off-stage, to the right. Though a carefully placed folding partition blocked the view of our entrance to most in attendance, a handful of folks saw us and began clapping and yelling. Should I take the stage? I thought about it for a split second…probably not a good idea. The crowd did not come here to see Sara Groves place a rogue stage crasher in a full nelson so Charlie Peacock could pepper his ribs with body punches (not that they wouldn’t have enjoyed it). The crowd came to see good music. Who was I to get in the way of that?

I thanked Derek again for the free tickets, and found my way back to Erica while the rest of my shame-walking posse took the stage and opened the show with a rousing rendition of Sara Groves’ “Add to the Beauty”. From the moment the first chorus kicked in I knew it was going to be a great night.

And it was.

This was the Art*Music*Justice Tour. An idea dreamed up by Sara Groves and her husband Troy. It was about bringing great music and important causes to hungry ears. Erica and I were happy to make it up to Messiah College on Saturday night to take it in.

As for the Art and the Music, all five of the performers on stage played their own unique part in the evening. Whether it was solo performances of their own material or jointly leading the assembled crowd in familiar choruses, they knocked it out of the park. Musical highlights for me were Sara Groves’ “Add to the Beauty”, Sandra McCracken’s “Lock and Key”, and Sara Groves’ “I Saw What I Saw” (video below). Derek Webb’s “Savior on Capitol Hill” was awesome as always, of course.

As for the Justice portion, they did a great job highlighting two causes: Food for the Hungry and the International Justice Mission. I was especially intrigued by the work IJM is doing to free women (often young girls) from human slavery and sex trafficking. The stories of rescue and freedom were incredibly inspiring.

On a personal level I was inspired by two things. First, like I just mentioned, I was inspired to learn more about IJM, and I look forward to possibly supporting this organization for the great work they are doing. Secondly, I was inspired by the artists themselves, that they would use their platform for this cause. I had just posted about this a few days ago, and there I was Saturday night seeing it in action. People using their platform to help others. I said it then and I’ll say it now, that’s where I want to be. I want to be in the position to influence others so I can influence them to help others.

I sat there on Saturday night thoroughly enjoying the music, but more than that thinking, “I’m 32 years old and I’ve been working as an engineer for 10 years, and what do I have to show for it? I have equity in my house, no other debt, and a great standard of living where my wife and kids are taken care of. I am so thankful for these things. But am I really using all of the talents and abilities God has given me to make a difference? Am I willing to risk the safe things to take chances? Am I willing to step out and see what could happen?” We only have so much time here on earth, and if at the end of my career I’ve been working as an engineer for 25 years, is that going to be ok with me? I don’t know. For some people I think that’s right where they’re supposed to be. For me, I’m not so sure. Just being honest here. It’s something I think about a lot and have been praying about a lot.

So yeah, maybe some day I won’t head from backstage to my seat in the balcony. Maybe someday I’ll finish that walk up onto the stage to read from a book I’ve written or to speak to a gathered crowd. I have no idea if that’s what God has for me down the road. I know I have the desire, and I think I have a seed of the talent it might take, but who knows.

If my life does take that direction at some point, I can assure you of this, I will always be looking to use those opportunities to help others and use my platform for purposes outside of myself. Thanks to Derek Webb, Charlie Peacock, Brandon Heath, Sara Groves, and Sandra McCracken for showing me an example of that on Saturday night.

ps…(click here to see if one of the last few dates of the Art Music Justice Tour happens to be near you…and click here to see a video of “I Saw What I Saw”)

Granted, I have adopted some of the local inflections into my speaking voice. That’s pretty hard not to do when you move into an area. But as for the Pennsylvania Dutch sayings that are prevalent around here? Forget it.

Lancaster County Sayings That I’ll Never Incorporate Into My Vernacular

“The car needs washed” - for some reason, people around here think it’s okay to drop “to be” from a lot of their phrases. Erica will say “the laundry needs folded” or “The lawn needs mowed”. Ridiculous.

“the milk is all” - When something is “all” that means it’s empty. This one usually refers to food being empty or gone. I guess it’s short for “all gone”? I mean, really, are we trying to conserve words here or something. “the brownies are all”, “my drink is all”. How about, “my correct usage of the English Language is all”.

“Are you coming with?” - this is the only one I might dare use from time to time. Again, it’s another case of dropping words out that are deemed understood. This time it’s the word “me” that gets left off. If you ever hear me say this, feel free to land a backhand across the side of my face.

“Can you bring me the remote awhile?” - this is foolish. you would think that “awhile” is short for “in a while”, but no. “awhile” actually means now. So if you want something done awhile, you want it done right away. Why not just say “are we leaving now?” instead of “are we leaving awhile?” WHO KNOWS. (I’ve also heard that “awhile” is short for “for a while”…either way it’s just silly)

“What for shoes are those?” - This is THE WORST one of all. In this case “what for” actually means “what kind of”. So if someone says, “what for shirt is that” they mean “what kind of shirt is that” or “what brand of shirt is that”. It’s absurd. I’ve really only heard it used twice in real life. One time I heard an amish man ask someone else “what for muffler do you have on your car?” I thought he was asking what a muffler was for. Turns out he was asking what kind of muffler he had. The other time I heard this was golfing with my bro-in-law Chad a few years ago. He asked me “what for club was that?”, meaning, “Which of your irons did you just use?” I was so confused, I just looked at him with a blank stare for 20 seconds.

Some other expressions that I’ve never heard, but I know exist:

“Outen the Lights” - another way to say ‘turn the lights off.

“When’s it over till?” - a yoda-like way of asking when something is going to be finished.

“Quit yer rutching” - This means “sit still”.

If I’ve missed any, let me know. And if you ever hear me using any of these sayings, you better call me on it.

And this concludes the most pointless blog post ever.

That’s not the first or last time I’ve been recognized by a stranger and I’ve got to admit, it’s kinda cool. When you think about it, that’s basically what being famous is. A famous person is someone who is recognized and talked about by people they don’t know.

Think of celebrities. They know a few thousand people, but they are known by millions. For them, celebrity often becomes a drug. The recognition by strangers is a high that boosts the ego and impedes upon normal life all at the same time. When it becomes inconvenient (think paparazzi) they wish it would go away. When they start to be ignored, they thrust themselves back out there in hopes to become recognized again (think photo shoots for Us Weekly, sex tapes, publicity stunts, etc.)

If I’m honest, I have to admit that I enjoy the ego-boost that comes from being recognized by a stranger at a CC or Derek Webb show (it’s happened maybe 5 or 6 times). But I also realize that it’s a false high, and I realize how addictive and self-destructive it could become if I were to pursue it. Not only that, but to be obsessed with fame is to be obsessed with how many strangers know who you are. I have enough problem taking the focus off of myself so i can focus on the people around me that i love. My wife, my kids, my friends. Never mind devoting time and energy towards impressing people I don’t even know.

Do I really want to be a celebrity? Do I really want to be known everywhere I go? No, I’m pretty sure I don’t.

(Would I like to be known and respected by others for my talents and skills? Yes, I would. I would like to be known by other writers as a great writer - long way to go there - in the same way that my friend Jon might want to be known by other musicians and fans as a great musician. But this is different, I think, than wanting to be famous.)

I bring all this up because I just read a short interview with Bono on CNN.com. In it, he talks about some of the work he is currently doing for Africa, including the funding that was just appropriated to end malaria by 2015, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes that kills 3000 African children every day. How amazing is that! And when the reporter mentions the access that Bono has gained because of who he is, Bono chalks it up to “the absurdity of celebrity”. I love that. He realizes how foolish it is that a musician like himself is such a celebrity, but instead of using it for personal gain (which he probably does from time to time), he uses his celebrity to champion the causes of the oppressed, the needy, and the poor.

No, I don’t want to be a celebrity, and I’m pretty sure it’s a problem I’ll never have. But If I ever do become famous, I want to be like Bono. I want to use the absurdity of celebrity for something good.

It’s why I’ve added the Compassion International widget to the sidebar of my blog (you won’t be able to see it if you’re reading this in a feedreader). I don’t have millions reading here. Just a few hundred every week. But if I can use the fact that I have a small audience and help just one kid every month get sponsored for $32/month to provide schooling, food, and knowledge of the gospel, then woohah! I can be like a mini Bono, helping out people here and there with the tiny amount of influence that I have.

You can help too…if you don’t currently sponsor a child in another country, I’m not asking you to do it, just asking you to consider it. Keep reloading my blog until the slot machine that is the Compassion Widget pops up a kid from a country you want to sponsor and sign up. In doing so, you’ll be affecting the life of a child in another country, and even though you might be a stranger, you’ll be the biggest celebrity that kid has ever known. We get letters from our sponsor child, Berakania, a few times a year, and honestly, reading those makes me feel even better than I did when that guy recognized me in Alabama.

Because unlike being famous, there’s nothing false about the high that comes from being a generous giver.

Beat LA!

As they are so good at doing, the Onion takes it one step further…

Obama Runs Constructive Criticism Ad Against McCain

Friday Night

7:00pm - It’s just under a 3-hour drive from our home in Intercourse to Port Matilda, PA. The cabin we are going to is about 10 minutes from Happy Valley, the home of Penn State. This drive sucks for 5 reasons: 1-it’s raining, 2-it’s at night, 3-I don’t know where I’m going, 4-I’m trying to follow someone, and 5-The roads are curvier than the shoppers at Lane Bryant.

9:30pm - We arrive safely at the cabin and we’re all hanging out: Me & Erica, Than & Kandace, and Jon & Erin. The kids are tucked in bed. We’re trying to watch the presidential debate, but every time we get into it, we start having conversations that are infinitely more interesting than the debate itself. I feel like Obama is being too nice and McCain is winning. I am surprised to find out later that more people thought Obama “won” the debate.

Saturday

8:30am - I’m a big fan of drinking coffee outside on a crisp fall morning.

1:30pm - We decide to take a hike around the land that the cabin is on. We take advantage of a few photo ops along the way.

The Allains

The Deckers (Jon, Erin, Addison)

The DaCostas (Than, Kandace, Brady)

6:00pm - Jeff & Meredith arrive at the cabin. We set up a mannequin head and some pages ripped out of a Glamour Magazine as targets and shoot guns at them. It’s only the second time I’ve shot a gun, but I enjoyed it. (if you were wondering, I think it was a .22 9mm). I was careful not to be around any murder scenes for the rest of the day as I knew I had gunshot residue on my hands. (Thanks CSI!)

Than shooting the 9mm

10:00pm - We enjoy some crappy cigars and decide that the bullet holes we put in the mannequin’s head were not quite enough punishment. Unnamed assailant #1 lit the mannequin’s hair on fire. Unnamed assailant #2 sprayed various aerosol sprays onto said hair in hopes of encouraging the flames. Ever the journalist, I said nothing and took pictures. When our campfire is discovered by the concerned wives of the assailants, it is quickly extinguished. Despite some residual anger, the marriages can be saved. The mannequin head, however, is a lost cause.

Fiery Mannequin Heads are Fun

11:30pm - It’s guys versus girls in a rousing game of Catchphrase. In a moment of equal parts triumph and embarrassment, I correctly guess “Hermionne Granger” from clues like ‘Herman, and rhymes with danger’. Random Harry Potter trivia…that’s how I roll. The guys win 3 games to 2, but you probably already figured that because we are some brilliant men.

12:30am - Jeff wants us to go look for bears in the woods. Than has other, equally unappealing ideas. Jon is tired. So am I. We decide to crash.

Sunday

5:00am - I get up to pee. It is pouring outside. We are supposed to golf today. It is my birthday. Boo. Back to bed.

7:44am - I officially turn 32 years old at this very minute. I am asleep however, and celebrate the moment by having a dream that I am preaching at church, only I don’t have any notes and the service is getting chaotic. Dumbest. Dream. Ever.

8:30am - Erin makes me a ham and cheese omelet. This is better than any birthday cake, hands down. I get birthday wishes from my kids and a wonderfully sweet card from my wife. She’s the best.

12:30pm - The rain finally lets up. Parker goes to the pond with Jeff and Meredith and catches a fish. We play some Rummikub. Jon challenges Parker to a Wii boxing match and gets destroyed. Jon makes good on his pre-fight promise and bows to Parker, much to Parker’s delight.

Parker revels in his boxing win

2:30pm - The weather is so nice now, we decide to go golfing. It is my birthday after all. We stop at a mini-mart to buy gatorade. I have the following conversation with the 50-year old cashier:

Me: It’s my birthday.

Cashier: Oh! Happy Birthday!

Me: Thanks! I’m telling everyone.

Cashier: *stares blankly at me, wondering why a 32-year old is acting like an 8-year old*

5:00pm - We finish up 9 holes at the beautiful FreeStone Golf Course. I played lousy, but I did chip in for birdie on #4, so that rocked.

8:30pm - We pull into our driveway, exhausted and ready for bed. Always nice to get away for a couple days with friends. Thanks to Jon/Erin for having us and thanks to the Mannequin Head for being so willing to cooperate.

But that all changed yesterday as I wrapped up the championship in our Rotisserie Baseball League, holding off Geof’s Alabama Slammers to secure the title for my “Prayers For Blowouts” team.

I tracked my team’s performance throughout the season, and looking back on it now, I can’t believe I finished in first. On June 3rd, 3 months into the season, I had 35 fantasy points and was in DEAD LAST place. But I stuck with my guys, made a few key pickups, and 2 months later I found myself in 2nd place. A couple weeks ago I moved up to first, and that’s where I ended up.

I know no one really cares about this. But if you can’t rejoice in your fake team winning a championship on your blog, where can you rejoice?

His response…

I don’t know why everyone rejected The Shack, but I can tell you that I’ve talked with a few editors who will openly admit they turned it down because they felt the writing wasn’t up to par. There’s been a rumor floating that CBA houses were scared off by the story (or the notion of God being in the form of an African-American woman), but I’ve yet to talk to the publisher who agrees with that scenario. The fact is, the author showed it around, couldn’t find a taker, so he self-published some copies. It started to grow via word of mouth, he printed some more, advertised on “The Ooze,” and eventually it took off. Recently the authors sold the package to Hachette.

We live in a world of spiritually hungry people, and The Shack speaks to that need. So while I found the story interesting, I thought much of the writing was weak. In fact, I might very well have rejected it had it come across my desk (and since I had a computer die, I admit that I don’t have a record of having done so, though I’ve talked with plenty of agents who claim to have rejected it). Of course, I take no pleasure in saying that. I’d have loved to have represented a million-seller. It proves, once again, that this is an art as much as a science. I’m not sure I agree with those in the industry who seem to think this proves that people have bad taste — the fact is, there are numerous writers who have done well with novels the literati look down on (J.K. Rowling and Jerry B Jenkins are two recent examples). Perhaps we sometimes want to impose rules onto novels unnecessarily. My guess is that the author of The Shack, Paul Young, hears the criticism of academics, then cries all the way to the bank.

I agree with Chip that the writing was a bit weak. I thought the same thing as I read through the book earlier this year. Interesting to hear that it might have been more of a factor as to why it was not originally published than the “too Christian for ABA, to edgy for CBA” reason.

That said, I still enjoyed the book a lot. It challenged a lot of the notions that I have of God, mostly in good ways. Is there some sketchy theology in there? Yeah, I think there is. (for a comprehensive breakdown of the theology of the book, check out Tim Challies review). But on the whole, I was glad I read it.

Have you read it? If so, join the conversation and share your thoughts on the book…

Barack is the only candidate willing to talk about his faith in Jesus. Other candidates are reluctant, but Obama is not. He is the only one who has consistently talked about the cross, about redemption, and about repentance. Many white evangelicals have a misconception about Barack…they believe that because he is a Democrat, he cannot be a Christian. But times have changed, culture has changed, and political parties change. So one of the reasons I support Barack is because he is my Christian brother, and other Christians are rejecting him.