Admittedly, I’m pilfering. Some of my favorite bloggers are re-posting their top articles from 2011 this week, so I thought I’d do the same (actually, my computer is doing it while I take a few days off). So here’s my 6th most read post this year:

July 1988.

“Alright, here’s the situation. A major movie studio has approached you about a high-paying, starring role in a new blockbuster motion picture. The only catch? You have to cuss. A lot. Would you do it?”

When you’re 14, summer vacation conversations are full of meaningless, what-if fantasies.

“Not me. I wouldn’t. No way.”

In that moment, I became a giant of the faith (right next to Moses, Paul, and Carman). The speculation of turning down fame and fortune to take a stand against the evils of swear words undoubtedly elevated me to mega-Christian status. And to find the courage to publicly proclaim it in front of a couple of my non-christian buddies nearly got me a direct ticket to heaven in an Elijah-style chariot of fire.

No doubt, God loved me extra that day.

By my freshman year in high school, I had this Jesus thing figured out:

• Avoid speaking (or writing) certain 4 letter combinations.
• Stay far away from cigarettes (although when we heard Rich Mullins smoked cigars we were very confused).
• Courageously wear variations of your famous “witness-wear” t-shirts to public school at least twice a week.
• Never let a drop of alcohol cross your lips (we made carefully monitored exceptions for NyQuil during cold season).
• Tearfully burn any rock-n-roll cassette tapes you deviously collected at least once per calendar year.
• Never attend a rated R movie (Except Braveheart. Braveheart’s cool).

This is what it means to be a Christian.

(Honestly, that list isn’t as tongue-and-cheek as I made it sound).

I’m certainly not celebrating raunchy films, nicotine, or alcohol abuse. You have to wrestle your own conscience on these issues. But I will suggest that following Jesus, embracing Christ, allowing His life to come alive inside of you, will cause you to care about bigger things than foul language. And the things He’ll ask you to lay down will probably cost a lot more than your secular music collection.

(Like your obsession with your self).

Jesus opens you to God’s heart, his passion for people, the poor, reconciliation, repentance, truth, relationships, forgiveness, grace, love. Jesus doesn’t build a fortress of meaningless “don’ts” to separate us from the world. He asks us to courageously take His life out into it.

When you stand before God, I’m pretty certain He’s not going to present you with a list of the swear words you uttered. But He will ask how well you loved. How well you served. How well you sacrificed. How much you allowed His life to supersede your own.

I want to show Him I cared about things that really mattered.

Everybody has an offensive family member (or seven).

• The know-it-all uncle who always has to “one-up” your story.
• The oblivious brother-in-law who tells inappropriate jokes around your daughter.
• The loser cousin who parks his RV in front of your house and lets his snot-nosed dog run across the dining room table.

The holidays are full of so much joy, meaning, and good cheer (and for some of you, hard liquor). Let’s be honest, some of you are dreading time with your family this Christmas. They’re broken. Dysfunctional. Offensive.

A few years ago, we spent 10 days on a bus with 50 people traveling through The Netherlands. You spend that kind of time in that small a space with that many people, and offenses are inevitable (heck, the odor alone is offensive). So we came up with a little mantra that just might help you through the holiday season while maintaining your sanity and sobriety:

“Don’t offend. Don’t be easily offended.”

There’s no way to control your cousin Eddie, but you do have control of how you respond to his antics.

If there’s real wounding, deep hurt, or reoccurring patterns of troublesome behavior, take them on. Have an honest conversation. Step into the tension. Deal with the conflict in a Biblical and God-honoring way.

But if you’re heading into Christmas just waiting to be offended, I’d say the odds are high that you probably will be. Maybe there’s a better way.

“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”
-Proverbs 19:11 (NIV)

How do you handle your cousin Eddie?

For some reason, I woke up this morning thinking about what makes a great worship leader (what, not how you started your week?). I thought I’d jot down a few ideas and share them with you today. Kinda random I know. But I think there might be something important in here for one or two of you.

For the record, I spent nearly 10 years as a worship pastor (I’ve got some street cred).

1. Your craft is important.

As much as we like to pretend “it’s all about the heart not the skill,” shoddy musicianship is never cool. You don’t have to be an American Idol, but you have to be the best you can be. Work on your craft. Put in the hours. Take it seriously. Or do something else. Please.

2. Your life is your most vital instrument.

Don’t skimp on the skill. But the end of the day, you lead people with your life not your talent. Become a person people want to follow. Be a disciple who’s also a skilled musician, not a rock star that sings songs about God. I want to be led in worship, and to do that well you first have to be a great worshipper. 99.73% of that happens off the platform.

My friend and co-pastor Nathan LaGrange is still one of my favorite worship leaders. Not because he’s the best singer, but because his life is worth following. Don’t get me wrong, he’s far from perfect (I’ve got plenty of stories…we can talk later). But Nathan lives his life in pursuit of the King, and when he steps behind a microphone nothing else could be more evident. That kind of worship leading is contagious. Be that guy (or girl).

3. Don’t just play the songs.

Songs are tools. Use them well. We’re glad you can memorize David Crowder’s latest studio arrangement, but learn to wield your own sword. Don’t just be a mediocre cover band. Lead worship. (Just a pet peeve of mine).

4. Love people.

It’s OK to love music (in fact it’s more than just OK), but if you don’t love people don’t be a worship leader. Great worship leaders have a pastor’s heart. They actually care about those they lead. If you’re just in it for the music, there are plenty of other platforms for your talent. Use your gifts to support a worship leader, just don’t be one. Loving people isn’t optional.

Just a few random thoughts for your Monday morning. Do you agree? Anything I’ve left out?

When I was in elementary school, I was in a few local TV commercials and print ads. I guess the red hair and freckles were good for something.

Since this is the weekend everyone dresses up like goblins, super heroes, or Charlie Sheen, I thought I’d share a fun little picture of myself in an old GTE print piece (a telephone company here in Indiana that no longer exists…probably because of this ad).

This is me, circa 1985.

Then last month, my friend Jonathan Thompson called me out of the blue to resurrect my “acting career.” Guess they’d seen my stellar vegetable-leotard work.

I had the honor of posing as a military veteran looking for a job in this American Legion PSA. I doubt the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be calling anytime soon, but I had a blast pretending I was tough enough to play this role.

Kudos to the American Legion for their work on behalf of our vets.

Click here if you can’t see the imbedded video

Just a little fun for your Friday (at my expense).

In the midst of my own personal journey towards vulnerability and courage, a friend sent me a link to this TED Talk from renowned shame researcher Brené Brown. It’s a worthwhile 20 minutes (just let it run in the background while you’re doing other work) as Brené humorously shares how her research ended up messing with her own personal life.

She stops short of our need for a Savior, but there are foundational elements of this discussion that I feel are imperative for us to understand. Especially in the Church.

(NOTE: If you’re offended by a little swearing, or conversation about beer and banana nut muffins, you’ve been officially warned.)