pk worship leader likes surprises finding sacred in the secular artist spotlight
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november – december, 2012
Facing Music: the LecraeMansUp
contents
november – december, 2012
Facing the Music
Newsstand Price CDN $4.95
november – december, 2012
on the cover
Time magazine called it “Christian music’s moment.” Lecrae, a hip-hop artist whose lyrics are inspired by his Christian faith, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 when his sixth album, Gravity, was released in September. features 12
Facing Music: the LecraeMansUp
16 pk worship leader likes surprises finding sacred in the secular artist spotlight
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| aaron epp At the height of music stardom, why is Lecrae calling for men to “Man Up?”
PK Worship Leader likes Surprises
| frank stirk Andrew Thompson, national worship leader for Promise Keepers Canada, continues to find new joys in the life of a travelling music man.
Finding Sacred in the Secular | rob horsley The relationship between sacred and secular is a peculiar one, particularly for popular musicians. Just why are stories like these so interesting? A Day in the Life: Artist Spotlight
| robert white The life of a music man can pose significant challenges, especially to the artist’s family. See how these Canadian Christian artists have responded.
columns
departments
5 PK Podium Walking with men all year
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6 Man to Man When it comes to friends, choose wisely
10-11 Reviews Fresh and Familiar. Soundtracks and Second Chances.
25 Sports Scene CFL defender lays down beats for Jesus
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Pulse Bits. Blip. Beats. Blurbs.
30 What Women Want It takes two…to waltz?
advertising John Steadman jsteadman@promisekeepers.ca 1-888-901-9700
editorial advisory board MARC BRULE: WellSpring Community Church ROB HORSLEY: ChristianWeek KIRK GILES: Promise Keepers Canada JEFF STEARNS: Promise Keepers Canada MATT BREIMER: Promise Keepers Canada
one – A promise keeper is committed to honouring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. two – A promise keeper is committed to pursuing Christ-centred friendships with a few other men, connecting regularly, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises. three – A promise keeper is committed to practicing biblical integrity: spiritually, morally, ethically and sexually. four – A promise keeper is committed to strengthening families and marriages through love, honour, protection, and biblical values. five – A promise keeper is committed to supporting the mission of his church by honouring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources. six – A promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond racial, social, economic, generational, and denominational barriers to demonstrate that power of biblical unity. seven – A promise keeper is committed to influencing the world by his fervent love for God while loving his neighbour, seeking justice for the poor and oppressed, and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Power Play
Tools. Toys. Technology.
26 Money Matters What to expect when you’re not expecting
Publisher: Brian Koldyk Editorial Director: Jeff Stearns Managing Editor: Rob Horsley
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The name reflects the seven promises that form the basis of the Promise Keepers organization, which works with churches to minister to men across Canada.
Father for the fatherless
27 Out of My Depth Even men can make joyful noises
SEVEN is a Christian magazine for Canadian men that exists to help men lead more fulfilling lives and leave enduring legacies.
The PK Canada logo features a maple leaf, indicating our dedication to serve the men of Canada. An arrow breaks into the maple leaf symbolizing the impact we believe God wants to see Promise Keepers and men making in our nation.
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Promise Keepers Canada Box 20099 RPO Brant Hills Burlington, ON L7P 0A4 (905) 331-1830 info@promisekeepers.ca Postmaster: Please send address changes to Box 20099 RPO Brant Hills, Burlington, ON L7P 0A4
editorial 204-424 Logan Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3A 0R4 Phone: (204) 982-2060 (800) 263-6695 admin@christianweek.org Design: ’Segun Olude www.indigoinkstudios.com
ISSN 1916-8403 Cover image: reachrecords.com
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PK Podium
Walking With Men All Year What’s your next step? by Kirk Giles
Promise Keepers Canada is about more than just conferences. It is our commitment to walk with men all year. To do this we have identified three key elements that are required, to help all of us in our spiritual journey. These three key elements form the basis of our ministry activity. Ignite: Challenging and motivating men to follow Jesus This is perhaps what we are most known for as an organization. Every year, thousands of men gather together to be challenged and motivated at a PK Canada Conference. In the past, we had fewer events with larger audiences. However, we have discovered that we can actually reach more men by doing smaller events in more cities. In the next twelve months, we are continuing to add more locations; including events in Grande Prairie, Calgary, Saskatoon, Quebec City, and St. John’s. I know what’s in store for this year’s theme of Alive—you don’t want to miss it. Equip: Equipping men to live as disciples of Jesus Being challenged to live as a disciple is one thing, but after a major event, the realities of life settle in. We need ongoing equipping to live out our faith. The PK@Home ministry reached almost 50,000 men last year through SEVEN magazine, Men of Integrity devotional, our Speaker CDs/Podcast, and online resources.
To strengthen the efforts of the local church, we facilitate leadership workshops called Grow Your Men – Grow Your Church and make available resources for Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, and men’s small groups. We have recently added a series of workshops that can be hosted by your church. In the coming days, we will be launching a new ministry initiative called PK@Work—to encourage and equip businessmen. Impact: Connecting and directing men to influence the world for Jesus Our partnership with EduDeo Ministries provides missions opportunities for men to serve in a third world country through building schools and helping those in need. Fatherlessness is a one of the greatest issues facing our nation. Over the next year, we will be testing a new initiative to help address this need. As you seek to grow as a follower of Jesus Christ, I want to challenge you to consider these three very simple elements that are needed for all of us on an ongoing basis—Ignite: joining with other men to be spiritually challenged— Equipped: being equipped daily in your walk with God—Impact: what are you doing to show and proclaim the Good News of Jesus? We are here to serve you—throughout the year. Together, we can continue to move forward in God’s design for our lives as men.
Kirk Giles is the president of Promise Keepers Canada. However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel.
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man to man
Choose Wisely Surrounding Ourselves with Friends of Integrity By Steve Sonderman
Life is full of choices. “Which college should I attend?” “What career will I pursue?” “Who will I marry?” “What will I have for lunch?” “What will I wear to work today?” ”Where will we go on vacation?” “What will I do this weekend?” “Which team will I root for?” (for me that’s easy: the Green Bay Packers!) Every single day we make decisions. Some are small and insignificant and others very difficult and potentially lifechanging. I’d like to suggest that one of the most important decisions you will make throughout your life is the friendships you choose to maintain. In large part, the quality of your life will be determined by the relationships and friends you choose. During a recent study in the book of Proverbs, I discovered it had just as much to say about choosing your friends as it does about being a friend. It is very clear that God wants us to choose our friends carefully and wisely. Let’s look at a couple of these verses: Proverbs 12:26 – The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 13:20 – Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 22:24 –25 – Do not make friends with a hot tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you will learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. Can it be any clearer? When one looks at these verses, we learn the importance of choosing our friends as well as the danger of choosing poorly. If we choose well, we enhance our chance of going in the right direction. If your desire is to
become like Christ, follow Christ, and serve Christ, then choose friends who have the same desires and passions. If we associate with those who are easily angered, given to swearing, materialism or lustful thoughts and actions, it is contagious and will affect who we are as men. I’ll say it one more time: the course of your life will be determined by the friends you keep. My guess is each of you can think back to a time when you chose poorly and the effect it had on your life. I know I can. The guys I normally hung out with didn’t even consider drinking. But I found myself slowly spending time with another group because they were the cool guys, and before long I found myself involved in some activities that I’m not very proud of. After several months of ditching my old friends, the truth of 1 Corinthians 15:33 “bad company corrupts good character,” hit home to me and I realized I needed to make a choice: return to my friends who were heading in the direction I wanted to go and who would pull me up to the noble things in life, or stay with the guys that were pulling me down and away from the Lord. The choice was simple and to this day I’m glad I chose well. One of those men, Dave, is still my best friend after 40 years. As men we spend a great deal of time searching for the “right” doctor, lawyer, accountant, and golf pro. And usually we spend very little time carefully searching for and aggressively pursuing close friendships. Here are two key principles to keep in mind when choosing friends. Time – The best way to get to know someone and see their character, values, and ethics is to spend time with them.
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There’s absolutely no substitute for time. By going to lunch with guys from work, or taking in a ball game together, or going fishing for the day you will be able to observe and learn much about them. The more time you spend with them, the more likely you will see their true nature. Talk – There’s no way of getting around it—if you want to see what a man is made of you will need to talk with him. When I’m with someone new, I will often ask questions to get to know them and what is important to them. Questions like: What do you enjoy doing in your free time? What have you read recently? What gets you excited these days? If you could do anything, what would it be? When you couple time and talk you have a window into their soul and it helps you determine if they are going to be someone who will enhance your walk with the Lord or pull you down. When you do find a friend or two, they are more precious than silver or gold as they will: Help you try again when you fail. Encourage you when you are discouraged. Lighten your load when too heavy. Give you strength when tempted. Support you when tragedy strikes. Call you to whole-hearted devotion to Jesus and serving Him with your life. I am blessed to have a few guys in my life that do just that, and my hope is you will cultivate friendships with those who will do the same in your life. Steve Sonderman is Pastor of Men’s Ministries and founder of No Regrets Men’s Ministries. He consults widely with churches worldwide, sharing his passion for ministry to men in every local church. He makes his home in Brookfield, Wisconsin with his wife, Colleen.
pulse
CANADIAN ARTIST’S FAITH GROUNDS HIM IN THE MIDST OF SUCCESS TOKYO—Canadian Christian artist Manafest recently completed an interview in Tokyo for ThisIsMeTV, a website that spotlights Christian artists of all backgrounds, and shares their stories of how God has been at work in their lives. Having once dreamed of a career as a professional skateboarder, hardrock/hip-hop artist Manafest turned his attention to music after suffering a devastating injury shortly after he completed high school. With his left foot bruised and leaving him unable to skate for a good deal of time, Manafest (real name Chris Greenwood) says that God gave him a passion for music, a passion that led to ambitious dreams as a rock/hip-hop artist. “I’m a Christian before anything else,” says Manafest, saying that his Christian faith impacts everything he does as a person, and as an artist. His faith has kept him grounded in the success that he has had, and allowed him to be a better husband at the same time. “Be a world changer,” he says, stating that it’s important to have goals and dreams in order to live life to the fullest.
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BEATS
Bits + Blips. Beats + Blurbs.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE LISTENING TO?
BEATS
Photo by mindof (DepositPhotos)
FROM THE WEB—Move over Baby Mozart; the next generation of musical tools for fostering creative children is here: in the form of a new app for the iPad. A Japanese visual design collective known as WOW recently released the Visua Musio app that allows users to create atmospheric musical compositions by adding colourful shapes to a blank canvas. Though not explicitly described as “just-for-kids” the app appears to be geared primarily towards young children. Though unable to create the same types of musical compositions as Apple’s GarageBand software, Visua Musio offers an application for simple, tangible music composition, something that children can use to grasp the idea of making music, possibly for the first time. While the app itself might appear as little more than a collection of odd tones and shapes to adult users, it offers an interesting example of the ongoing relationship of sight and sound as initially explored by experimental filmmakers and animators. Creators of the app cite Visua Musio as a tribute to those artists. For more on Visua Musio, search the project at www.creativeapplications.net
BURLINGTON, ON—The Gospel Music Association (GMA) Canada is set to air the Covenant Awards in early November. GMA Canada has reached an agreement to partner with Crossroads Television System (CTS) for GMA Canada Week 2012, in which the awards show will be aired from Crossroads Centre in Burlington. “We are excited to partner with CTS for GMA Canada Week 2012,” says Martin Smith, president of GMA Canada. “CTS has a strong history of supporting Canadian Christian music through shows such as 100 Huntley Street, Most Requested, and many others. Broadcasting the Covenant Awards gives all Canadians the opportunity to celebrate the best of Canadian Christian music.” This will mark the first time in its 34-year history that the Covenant Awards event will be aired on television. GMA Canada Week 2012 runs from November 4 to 7. The week will also feature a worship concert to “kick off” the week, as well as workshops with industry professionals, artist showcases, in addition to the Covenant Awards banquet and awards show.
Devin Westhause (Flickr)
BEATS
COVENANT AWARDS TO BE TELEVISED FOR FIRST TIME EVER
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musicreview
Record Reviews in 4/4 Time Fresh Meets Familiar in new music releases
Reviews by Aaron Epp
Oh Village | Far Side of the Sea | INDEPENDENT The debut disc from Abbotsford, B.C. rock band Oh Village is an intriguing album with a mature sound, one that belies the band members’ youth. The quartet—singer/pianist Scott Currie, guitarist Jake Janzen, bassist David Dueckman and drummer Stephen Dahl—range in age from 17 to 19. Fans of Coldplay and Radiohead will enjoy Far Side of the Sea. The song “Restart” in particular has an opening guitar line that is reminiscent of In Rainbows-era Radiohead. It’s an enchanting, downtempo tune that will tickle your ear and reward repeated listens. “In This House” is another highlight, with Currie singing, “If I rise on the wings of the dawn / If I settle on the far side of the sea / If I stay in this house as the night goes on / Even there, your hand will guide me.” Listen to Far Side of the Sea and you’ll be treated the sounds of a band that shows a lot of promise and isn’t afraid to experiment. Visit www.ohvillage.com. Review score: 3.5 out of 5
Shad | Melancholy and the Infinite Shadness | INDEPENDENT Vancouver hip-hop artist Shad doesn’t express his Christian faith in the same, explicit way that an artist like Lecrae does, but his lyrics are nonetheless inspiring. This mini EP, released via Shad’s Bandcamp page this past July, is pure joy. Melancholy and the Infinite Shadness packs five songs into 11 minutes. They’re more like sketches than songs, really, giving Shad a chance to spit clever rhymes over fun samples from songs by Milli Vanilli, The Breeders, Lenny Kravitz, Prince and PM Dawn. Lines on Melancholy like, “It’s not just Milli Vanilli / City to city, I’m Diddy samplin’ Scritti Politti / Until I’m dizzy, Shad kizzy—whattup” may seem nonsensical at first, but it’s enjoyable to hear one of Canada’s most gifted hip-hop artists stretch out and have some fun. Shad’s at the top of his game on Melancholy, and it only makes me look forward to his next album even more. Download this EP for free at www.shadk.bandcamp.com Review score: 4 out of 5
TobyMac | Eye On It | FOREFRONT/EMI Over the course of five studio albums, three remix releases and a live disc, former dc Talk member Toby McKeehan, a.k.a. TobyMac, has become one of the biggest stars of today’s Contemporary Christian Music scene with his blend of pop, rock, hip-hop, dance and reggae music. Released at the end of August, Eye On It is a collection of 12 songs that, musically-speaking, wouldn’t sound out of place on today’s secular Top 40 charts. Lead single “Me Without You” is an Owl City-like electro-pop song in which McKeehan sings about what his life would be like without God, while a few of the songs, such as the title track, experiment with elements of dubstep. While the production is top-notch and the lyrics are positive, Eye On It is an innocuous collection of songs that doesn’t include anything as truly moving as “Tonight” and “Get Back Up,” the standout tracks from his 2010 album, Tonight. Available on iTunes Review score: 3 out of 5
Steve Bell | Keening for the Dawn | SIGNPOST MUSIC Christmas comes early for fans of acclaimed Winnipeg singer-songwriter Steve Bell, whose latest release, Keening for the Dawn, contains 12 songs that reflect on the Church seasons of Advent, Christmastide and Epiphany. “On and on the night goes on / Brooding dark before the dawn / We are waiting,” Bell sings on the title track. “Keening for the dawn as such / Stirs the memory of your touch / We are waiting / We are waiting.” Although the songwriting on Bell’s albums is always marvellous, the songs have on occasion suffered from over-production. Not so on Keening for the Dawn. As on 2010’s Kindness, Bell and co-producers Dave Zeglinski and Murray Pulver have hit on just the right mixture of instruments and vocals to tastefully serve these songs. Longtime fans of Bell’s work will not be disappointed with Keening for the Dawn, and for people who have never heard Bell’s music before, the album is an excellent entryway into his rich body of work. Available November 12 Review score: 4 out of 5
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bookreview
Soundtracks. Second Chances. Graphic Novel Devotions. Reviews by Jeff Stearns
HEAR NO EVIL
THE ACTION BIBLE DEVOTIONAL
by Matthew Paul Turner The effect music has on our lives, particularly our spiritual life, can be profound. Following this theme, Turner draws from personal experience to weave a compelling story with humour and insight. No stranger to the Christian music scene, Turner attended Nashville’s Belmont University and received a BBA in music business. He then went on to line up acts for coffee houses and later became the editor of CCM magazine. As I read this book I identified with many of his experiences and remembered many of the artists he talked about. I personally know many Christian artists that have had a profound impact on my faith. Readers should be cautioned: while I found myself nodding in agreement with much of his story, some of Turner’s observations are definitely cringe-worthy. Many times it was because he was being painfully honest—something that many readers may find uncomfortable. Not everyone will agree with what he has to say or be grateful for his reflections. However, it is seldom that you read anything that you agree with 100 per cent and in the end I really enjoyed listening to his “life soundtrack” with him.
by Jeremy V. Jones, illustrated by Sergio Cariello Getting boys to read is not always easy; finding a good devotional that they will want to use is difficult at best. The Action Bible Devotional has the potential to be the big exception. This one-year devotional takes a unique approach. The Scripture passage for each week consists of the comic book version of the text and is taken from the Action Bible (one of our most popular resources—guys love comic books). Each devotion then includes a key verse and a devotional passage written to connect the story to your life. What I particularly liked was that it didn’t end with Bible
FINALLY FREE by Michael Vick I did a double take when this first came across my desk and I assumed it had to be a mistake. Isn’t Michael Vick the quarterback that was convicted in the dog fighting scandal? One of the most controversial players in recent history? How can this be coming out from a Christian publisher? It was as I turned it over that I saw the endorsement from Tony Dungy “Finally Free tells an amazing story. It’s not all pretty, but it’s real. This book will let you know why I’m proud of Michael Vick and honoured to call him a friend.” I have a lot of respect for Tony Dungy and it was enough for me to give the book—and Michael—a chance. Finally Free is about God’s grace and the second chance he gives all of us. It tells the story of Michael learning lessons the hard way, coming to faith and his drive to put God first. He even summarizes with seven principals he now lives by. They aren’t PK’s seven promises but they are awfully close. I am grateful we worship a God of second chances.
knowledge but also gave boys a weekly mission—three ideas to put what you have learned into action. It also included creative questions for further reflection. I am anxious to introduce this to my son and see if this is something we could enjoy together.
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features
Father for the fatherless: Challenging Others to Man Up New record from Lecrae calls for Hands-On Faith By Aaron Epp
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Time magazine called it “Christian music’s moment.” Lecrae, a hip-hop artist whose lyrics are inspired by his Christian faith, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 when his sixth album, Gravity, was released in September. He had already claimed the number one spot on iTunes, including owning the first, second and seventh slots on iTunes’ hip-hop chart at the same time for the deluxe and regular versions of Gravity and his mixtape, Church Clothes. The rapper’s chart-topping success is just another step in a career that has seen him start both a record company and a ministry, sell hundreds of thousands of albums, earn Grammy and GMA Dove Award nominations, and receive praise from athletes like Tim Tebow, Bubba Watson and Jeremy Lin. Not bad for a guy who, instead of singing about ‘gangsta life’ or doing drugs, spits selfless rhymes like, “Feed the hungry and touch the sick / We gon’ help the homeless and love the kids.” As he pointed out on his Instagram account when Gravity reached the top spot on iTunes, “Dear Hip Hop, this didn’t happen because of swag, drug reference, or stripper anthems. #Godisgood.” “I’m passionate about my faith,” the 33-year-old told Time in September, “and want to create great music that provides an alternative.” Fatherless gangster It wasn’t always that way, though. Born Lecrae Moore in Houston, Texas to a single mother, Lecrae never knew his father growing up. Lecrae’s father abandoned his mother and became a drug addict. “I grew up wrestling with significance because my father and mother weren’t together,” Lecrae told IAmSecond.com last year. “I felt like my dad was a piece of my life that I needed to have to feel like I was somebody.” His single mother worked a lot, leaving him in the care of family and friends. The hip-hop music videos he watched at his grandmother’s house had a deep impact on him and gave him the role models he was looking for. “I found people to look up to,” Lecrae said. “There were no Barack Obamas, there were no Martin Luther Kings or Malcolm Xs—they had all passed away. So, I had Tupac.” Lecrae wasn’t a great athlete, he wasn’t a particularly bright student and he wasn’t the toughest guy in school, but he writing hip-hop songs gave him a purpose. “Being able to rap was my source of significance.” Lecrae looked up to gangsters and clearly remembers the day his uncle showed him a real gun. Soon after, Lecrae took a BB gun into the street and pointed it at a car. The driver freaked out. “To me, that was fun,” Lecrae said. By the time he was 16, Lecrae was doing drugs, getting into fights and had been arrested for stealing. “I would say before I dedicated my life to living for God, I was really your average thrill seeker,” he told Complex magazine this past June. “Whatever came, came. They nicknamed me ‘Crazy
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‘Crae.’ I would just do whatever, whenever, however. I’d get drunk, jump out of a third-story balcony. So I just lived reckless. I think I just didn’t really know what I was living for. I was just living for whatever happens today and that was the extent of it for me.” Lecrae’s life began to change when a friend invited him to a conference where he saw Christian hip-hop group The Cross Movement perform. “[I see at this conference] guys who had been shot from being in gangs, girls who were extremely promiscuous in the past, I see rappers, I see dancers, I see singers; I see people who came from the same background I came from,” Lecrae told IAmSecond.com. “They still embodied who they were culturally, but they were all in love with Jesus, and I’d never seen that before.” A speaker at the conference who spoke about Jesus dying on the cross also impacted Lecrae. “It made me think, man, somebody thinks I’m significant enough to die for me—significant enough to climb on this mountain with this cross on his back and take nails in his wrists and his feet for me.” Lecrae’s life changed when he became a Christian. He began volunteering at a juvenile detention centre where
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he would rap for the inmates about the struggles he had experienced prior to becoming a Christian. Some of them would weep, and some were so impacted that they requested to hear the songs again. “It hit me,” Lecrae recalled. “This is what I want to do. I want to use music to offer hope and encouragement to people.” Bridging the gap Five years after becoming a Christian, Lecrae teamed up with a friend to start Reach Records. The label released his debut album, Real Talk, in 2004. Lecrae also co-founded ReachLife Ministries, an organization that, according to its website, “exists to help bridge the gap between biblical truth and the urban context.” One of the ministry’s recent initiatives was Man Up, a conference held in Atlanta, Georgia this past April. The two-day event was part of The Man Up Campaign that ReachLife started “calling men in the hip-hop culture to true biblical manhood through repentance and faith in Christ,” the organization’s website says. “It is our call for men in urban culture to repent for their failure to become the men that God has created them to be and for believers to live as who they truly are in Christ.”
Lecrae’s life began to change when a friend invited him to a conference where he saw Christian hip-hop group The Cross Movement perform.
The campaign includes a film, concert series, album and curriculum for church and small group use. “Everybody on staff at ReachLife and the artists at Reach Records realized that biblical masculinity was one of the things lacking in culture, specifically urban culture,” Lecrae told Christianity Today earlier this year. Lecrae told the magazine that the Man Up Campaign addresses father absence by telling “young African American males that you're immediately an example for other African American males in the community at large. Not only are the young men challenged and encouraged by this, but also the young ladies, because they get to see what they should be looking for and how to encourage their brothers in the direction of taking leadership and responsibility.” Man Up’s impact is reaching beyond Atlanta and the Christian community. Atlanta politicians have shown interest in partnering with Man Up to address local father absence, and Lecrae was invited to speak in Washington, D.C. this past spring. “I spoke with a lot of Congress members and also to one of President Obama’s leaders for his fatherhood campaign,” Lecrae told Christianity Today. As a husband and father of three, Lecrae feels the campaign is especially important. “Now I’m a husband and a father, and I’ve never seen this fleshed out in the home, so I only know what I’ve read and what men have taught me,” he said. “That’s why it’s crucial and important for other men to learn while they have the opportunity.” He’s a successful recording artist getting coverage in Time now, but Lecrae still remembers when he was someone who “didn’t fit in anywhere. I was just a misfit of a person.” Thanks to God’s grace, that has changed. “I spent a lot of time [prior to becoming a Christian] looking for father figures,” Lecrae told IAmSecond.com. “God has shown me that ultimately, he’s my Father. That drives me to keep pressing [on]. “I’ve learned to stay close to my source of significance, to my source of worth,” he added, “and that’s God.” Aaron Epp is the managing editor of The Uniter, TheUniversity of Winnipeg's weekly urban journal, and a senior correspondent of ChristianWeek newspaper in Winnipeg.
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features
PK worship leader likes surprises Andrew Thompson leads the call to be men of action By Frank Stirk
Andrew Thompson just can’t wait to get on the road again. Thompson is the assistant pastor at Wellspring Community Church in Welland, Ontario. For the past two years, he’s also been the national worship leader for Promise Keepers Canada. That means travelling over a dozen weekends a year to different parts of the country to lead the music at PK conferences. “I look forward to it,” he says. “It’s fun and it’s work. It’s always great to see and to be surprised by what God does in each city and in each event, to hear the stories of how men’s lives are being impacted by God, and how they’re being transformed.” God and music have been part of Thompson’s life for about as long as he can remember. He surrendered his life to Christ when he was just four years old, which was about the same time that he sang his first solo in church. In fact, they have such a grip on him that Thompson, who’s a registered nurse, decided some years ago not to pursue his
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dream of becoming a doctor and missionary. “I realized that if I took that path,” he says, “I was going to be making a serious choice to disengage [to] a certain degree from singing at my church, because I knew the significant amount of dedication I would have to give to becoming a doctor. And so I made a choice not to.” That decision freed Thompson to get more involved with worship at Wellspring, becoming its worship pastor and director of outreach in 2000. It was there that he first came into contact with Promise Keepers, starting as a volunteer background singer at local events. In 2010, he became national worship leader for PK Canada, taking over from Marc Brulé, who also happens to be a pastor at Wellspring. Thompson works with the PK national team leaders on selecting songs for the conferences, always mindful that most men like their music upbeat and loud. (Women, he says, prefer “more emotive, me-and-Jesus-that’s-all-I-need songs. They love that.”)
features
Thompson is very aware that beyond the songs and the emotions they generate (or don’t), every man on the stage is a soldier engaged in spiritual warfare—and the battleground is the hearts and minds of every man in the room. “We do songs that really rock, songs about God’s attributes, His greatness, the more theologically dense songs,” Thompson says. “And dedication songs like ‘Take My Life and Let It Be.’ And call-to-action songs. Guys like to be challenged.” From there, Thompson works with the event contact person to put together a band of musicians from local churches. He’ll come in early to rehearse with the band. It’s an arrangement he much prefers over coming to town with his own band. “I always enjoy the surprise that I find in working with different bands,” says Thompson. “They bring something to the table sometimes that I wouldn’t have thought of that really takes a song to a different level. I’m doing essentially the same list this year 14 times. And so for there to be variety in that, that’s great!” At three of those events—Mississauga on November 16-17, Winnipeg on March 8-9, and Lethbridge on April 26-27— Thompson and company will be joined by Robin Mark, the well
known, world-travelled, Irish singer-songwriter and a PK favourite. “Robin is part of the fabric of Promise Keepers Canada now. His music is part of our culture. He really resonates with guys. He is the Everyman, and his songs are relevant to them that way,” says Thompson. “And he has a great heart, a very keen sense of God’s moving. The grace with which he handles people is wonderful to see.” When Thompson is on stage leading the music, he says he is “more than anything listening to the Holy Spirit.” This is one only way to tell if men are truly being drawn into the presence of God. A raised hand, he believes, is no sure indicator of where a man’s heart is at, since some could be raising it just out of habit. “Most of the time, guys are in very quickly. If they are singing out the songs, that means they’re in,” he says. “But there could also be the guy who just came from work, is exhausted, doesn’t sing, but in listening to the words of the songs and
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features
Andrew Thompson
everything else going on around him, is going, ‘God, you are rocking my world.’” Thompson adds, “We’ve been in a couple of environments where it doesn’t work, and we’ve understood later that there were some real spiritual dynamics going on there. You just have to continue to press through, regardless of whether they’re responding.” Thompson is very aware that beyond the songs and the emotions they generate (or don’t), every man on the stage is a soldier engaged in spiritual warfare—and the battleground is the hearts and minds of every man in the room. “In the Old Testament, the king put the musicians at the front of his army. That was a great place to be, but they knew and recognized how important their role was just to sing the praises of God in front of their army. Sometimes you have to do that, take the risk, until there’s a breakthrough,” he says. “That’s why prayer is so important to us. I need prayer. My wife and kids need prayer. All of the staff that are participating in this need prayer. We recognize that we are not just doing something good, but we are in the midst of a spiritual battle, and we need to take it seriously.”
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Thompson releases first CD For sale at Promise Keeper Canada’s conferences this year will be Andrew Thompson’s new CD release, The God Who Sees. “It’s been a long time coming. I’m just really excited, honoured, humbled to be able to do this,” he says. Thompson wrote or co-wrote all of the songs. Although they’re aimed at a general audience, some of the songs have been featured at PK events— including a Celtic-flavoured tune that Robin Mark sings lead on. The album is also available in the iTunes store.
features
Finding Sacred in the Secular: Cash, Cooper and Corgan Popular artists seeking the divine melody By Rob Horsley
Photo by Chris Boland (Flickr)
evangelist Billy Graham, collaborating with him on The Gospel Road, a film for which Cash assumed co-writer and narrator duties. At the same time, Cash was notorious for battling substance for much of his musical career, and found himself in and out of rehabilitation programs over the course of several decades. Though his faith in God was well documented, Cash just couldn’t seem to rid himself of the drug-related demons that tormented him for much of his life. Encounters with substance are a familiar topic for many in the rock music world. Heavy-metal musician Alice Cooper was an admitted alcoholic for much of his early career and made a name for himself as the original shock-rock artist, an image that inspired figures like Marilyn Manson in later decades. Cooper kicked his alcohol habits and eventually found Christ in the mid-1980s. Since then, Cooper has refrained from alcohol use altogether, and has become
Photo by Man Alive! (Flickr)
The relationship between sacred and secular is a peculiar one, particularly for popular musicians. Since the early days of rock and roll, many artists have expressed belief in some kind of higher power or divine being. Though many are reluctant to go into specifics as to what this being looks like, several mainstream artists acknowledge their belief in the God of Christianity. But while God may still be registering on the radar of many popular musicians, such relationships might look odd to Christian observers. After all, if these people are really Christians, why isn’t their lifestyle matching up with that? Take Johnny Cash for instance. The original “Man in Black” once released a spoken-recording of the King James Version of the New Testament. He also authored The Man in White, a book comparing his conversion experience to that of the Apostle Paul in the Book of Acts. He was also noted for being friends with
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features
Finding sacred in the secular
Photo by Heinrich Klaffs (Flickr)
more vocal about his faith as a Christian in recent years. His shock-rock image however, is still one he upholds, continuing to wear heavy black makeup and ghoulish performance attire, a choice that still raises the eyebrows of some members of the Christian faith. “I’m the first one to rock as loud as I can, but when it comes to what I believe, I’m the first one to defend it too,” says Cooper in an interview with JesusJournal.com. “It has also gotten me in trouble with the staunch Christians who believe that in order to be a Christian you have to be on your knees 24 hours a day in a closet somewhere.” Though not a member of any formal religious group, singer/guitarist Billy Corgan of the alternative rock outfit Smashing Pumpkins has expressed some form of Christian faith, and has been described as an active seeker of Jesus at points in his life. Spiritual themes continue to feature strongly in his music, and Corgan is said to devote time each day to prayer. However, Corgan’s relationship with God is another strange example of popular artists embracing Christianity from a distance. “God is just out my back door, yet I choose not to visit,” he once stated on his [now-defunct] website for inter-faith dialogue. “I would rather sit alone and scheme on how to be remembered, on what more that I can do here to cement the evidence that I once walked these roads with you. [It’s] a futile exercise. I know it is, and yet I persist.” Corgan’s spiritual identity, as well as those of fellow musicians Cash and Cooper, adds to the already complex relationship between secular art and sacred expression. Why is this the case? And why do figures like these capture our attention so vividly, sometimes even more than a sermon or worship song? For Cash, the struggles of drug use were a curse that plagued the singer well into the later years of his career. Corgan has never been able to fully embrace a faith God, though the longing is clearly there. Cooper, perhaps the most comfortable Christian
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of this trio, remains somewhat of a mystery given that his persona has changed relatively little despite his conversion and ongoing commitment. So why are these stories so interesting? Part of the answer might lie in the way that secular artists depict the world around them in their music. While contemporary Christian artists do a fantastic job of lifting the spirits of churches and congregants, there seems to be something missing from expressions like these at times. Christian music has been criticized now and again for feeling empty, and not an accurate reflection of the way things actually occur in the real world. While this might come across as an overly cynical perspective (and perhaps rightly so) there might be some truth in the claim that secular artists have done a better job at capturing the struggles of faith—the laments, the turmoils, the emptiness—than their Christianmusic counterparts. Feelings like these aren’t limited to non-believers. Christians can experience times of despair too. A good portion of the Book of Psalms captures feelings of lament and sorrow, though Christian music is often not reflective of this. For some, the choruses of praise in Christian music may not seem to accurately describe a particular moment in their lives. Seeing secular artists struggle to find faith, as well as their place in the world, is something that many Christians can resonate with, and serve as a reminder that no one has it all figured out—it’s sometimes encouraging to know that everyone, from superstars to regular Joes can find themselves unsure of what they believe. God continues to call. Stars like Alice Cooper have found their way to Him, and find comfort in who they are through their life in Christ. Finding Jesus doesn’t mean an instant turnaround, as seen in the chronic battles of Johnny Cash. And for people like Billy Corgan, faith may seem a step too big to take, despite knowing that God is waiting. Whatever your place in the journey, be reminded that God continues to call His children to a place in His holy harmony of believers.
features
A Day in the Ltiofne Spotligh Canadian Christian Artists hite By Robert W
usic-man’ ravelling-m ‘t e th f o The life rly for , particula e n o lt u c fi if can be a d ny artists in ily. For ma m fa s t’ is the art cene, an music s ti s ri h C n ia the Canad ir careers pace of the d n a m th the rhy they flection as re r fo e s u have be ca icians, being mus in e c n la a seek b God. nd men of a , rs e th fa husbands,
Brandt finds balance With nearly 30 awards—Canadian Country Music, Junos, GMA Canada Covenant, Country Music, CMT (US) and Western Canadian Music—Paul Brandt is Canada’s most awarded male country musician. Before finding success as an artist, the Calgary native wanted to be a doctor. Instead, while working as a nurse at Alberta Children’s Hospital, he entered the Calgary Stampede’s Youth Talent Showdown. Brandt quickly left the bandages and bedpans of Calgary behind for the studios and stages of Nashville. In 1996, his first single, “My Heart has a History,” hit number one in Canada and broke the Billboard Top 10. Last year, Brandt capped off 15 years of songwriting, recording and touring with NOW (a retrospective boxed set), Give It Away (his 10th album), a performance for Prince William and Princess Kate and as the host of CMT (Canada)’s Build it Forward. “The biggest thing is trying to maintain some kind of balance,” says Brandt about his career. “It’s a business that really pushes hard for certain seasons of work. “You’re lucky to catch a couple hours of sleep while you’re going really hard at touring or working on new music, promoting projects or whatever.” Brandt cites his wife, Liz, and “solid friends” who could “ask me the important questions,” as keys to staying balanced, as well as some long-lasting advice from his pastor. “He told me ‘the best way to maintain balance in your life if you’re a person who believes in God is to put Him first, then put Him second, put Him third and everything else falls into place on its own,’” recalls Brandt. Visit www.paulbrandt.com
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features
downhere knew when to move on After about a dozen years of recording and playing together, the four members of downhere decided to call it quits. The alternative rock band was started in 1999 by Marc Martel and Jason Germain who were roommates at Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Sask. The original lineup included Jeremy Thiessen, Tyson Manning and Corey Doak. Manning and Doak departed and Glenn Lavender joined when the group moved to Nashville in 2001. Earlier this year, the band announced that January 1, 2013 would “mark the end of our travelling ministry for the foreseeable future.” The release to fans and supporters emphasized “this is not a band break up. In fact, we are open to playing a select few shows or events in the future.” Lavender says there had been a few times when downhere thought about ‘hanging up their skates,’ but there was always a sense that God wanted them to continue. But not this time. “The fathering hand of God that put us together and allowed us to do what we do for the last 10 years seems to be causing us to end,” says Lavender. “The timing is now based on our circumstances and what’s going on.” Those circumstances, for a band that quickly developed a loyal following and earned 21 GMA Canada Covenant awards, one GMA Dove award and four Juno awards, include growing families and Martel's involvement with the Queen Extravaganza band. “We’re not saying we’re breaking up or we’re totally done or anything but this season that we’ve been in needs to change,” says Lavender. Visit www.downhere.com
When life throws curve balls As the writer of several award-winning tracks like “Refiner’s Fire,” “Faithful One,” “Come, Now is the Time to Worship,” “Holy God,” and “Today (As For Me and My House),” one might assume that Brian Doerksen would have life together. But the story behind Doerksen’s song “Your Faithfulness” paints a different picture. Doerksen and his wife, Joyce, already had one son who had been diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome—a condition that causes severe developmental delays. Living in England, awaiting the birth of their sixth child (having already given birth to four daughters), the Doerksens knew that if it was another boy, he might be born with Fragile X as well. Recalling the song’s history on www.re-vive.com, Doerksen wrote, “As I began to pour out my heart at the piano, this song spilled out amid the tears with the assurance that there is only one thing we can really count on, even when we don’t understand. The faithfulness of God.” “I don’t know what this day will bring Will it be disappointing, filled with longed for things? I don’t know what tomorrow holds Still I know I can trust Your faithfulness” The day after he penned those lyrics, Ben was born—and also eventually diagnosed with Fragile X. Some would call the Doerksens heroes for raising two special needs children. Instead, Doersksen, who lives on a homestead outside Abbotsford, B.C., points to God’s faithfulness, saying in a recent Clarity magazine article that raising Ben, now 20, and Isaiah, 12, is “a sincere expression of who they are. “We’re very ordinary people who are trying to figure out how this works,” Doerksen says in the article. Visit www.briandoerksen.com
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Canadian Christian artists
Putting first things first In it for the long haul Family, friends and community are key Winnipeg musician Steve Bell’s 35 years in music. He began playing the bar circuit in Winnipeg during the late ‘70s before a spiritual awakening in the late ‘80s, when he began writing and performing music from a Christian perspective. Since his first solo project, 1989’s Comfort My People, he’s produced 15 CDs, which have sold over 300,000 copies. Bell’s work has earned numerous accolades including two Juno Awards and multiple Prairie Music, GMA Canada Covenant, Vibe, and Western Canadian Music Awards. Bell, referring to his longevity, jokingly says he’s “not really good at anything else” before admitting there’s an inner sense that he’s been created for music. “I do it because, when I’m performing, to quote Eric Liddell, ‘I feel the pleasure of God,” says Bell. Along the way he’s been supported by two key people: his wife, Nanci, and his business partner, Dave Zeglinski. “My wife affirmed me years ago. She’s never complained about the time I spend on the road,” says Bell. “She believes in this as much as I do.” He stumbled upon Zeglinski early in his career as someone who could do the work a musician can’t, or often won’t. It was an organic relationship, with a common vision for Bell’s ministry. “And I’ve had tremendous community support: people who have come on board to help with the cost of recording or touring,” he says, comparing himself to the “prow of a boat. “I feel it in my bones that I’m part of something much bigger than myself.” Visit www.stevebell.com
For Guelph, Ontario jazz violinist Trevor Dick, his main ministry isn’t the music he makes but the family he raises. Born in Nigeria to missionary parents, Dick’s dad tragically died in a car accident while the family was still in the mission field. His mother moved the family to Nanaimo, B.C. where Dick picked up the violin and toured with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada before studying music and education at the University of Toronto. During his stint as a worship pastor in Guelph, Dick “came to the conclusion that my number one ministry is my family. “And when that calling went from being a music pastor to a parachurch ministry as music artist, my philosophical approach to ministry stayed the same,” he says. Mainly a solo artist, Dick has performed and toured with Robin Mark, Carolyn Arends, Amanda Falk and Geoff Moore. And his five CDs have earned two GMA Canada Covenant awards. But it’s his family time that he prizes most. He limits his touring—recently turning down a 14-plus day tour on the East Coast for tour that was 10-days long— despite the financial advantages to a longer tour. When he’s home, Dick carves out time in his schedule to be with his family. He alternates Thursday morning breakfasts between his three boys. “Monday night is also ‘daddy night’ where we hang out and do stuff together,” says Dick. And he and his wife Le-Anne have weekly lunches. “I find by sticking to what I believe, God’s been blessing that. I’m more interested in a healthy family than money,” says Dick. “That’s what’s going to matter in the end.” Visit www.flyingbow.com
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Canadian Christian artists
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sports scene
features
CFL Star Finds a Beat all his own Muamba’s Love for Rap has a Gospel Sound by Scott Taylor the midway point in the season he had earned a starting role. To his credit, he has improved with every game—and in Week 13, after the Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12, he was named the CFL’s Canadian Player of the Week. Although the Bombers have not played particularly well as a team this season, Muamba, a 6-foot, 230-pound middle linebacker, has been one of the shining stars. And, be sure, he does not hesitate to thank his Lord Jesus Christ for all of his success. “I am born again and I am so grateful,” says Muamba unapologetically. “I grew up in a Christian home and the Churc h has always been a big part of my life. But it’s bigger now than it’s ever been.” It is often difficult to attend church regularly when you’re a professional athlete, living away from home and often traveling on weekends, but he does attend the Bombers Football Chapel convened by team pastor Lorne Korol. However, in today’s world, you always have modern technology. Muamba, who admits he’s attended “a number of churches in Winnipeg,” always returns to his computer to get what he needs. “I’ve attended a few different churches, but I don’t have a home church in Winnipeg yet,” he says. “But I go to football chapel and I go to church online.” Online? “Yeah, my church in Mississauga, Kingdom Covenant Church, has complete on-line services,” Muamba says. “I watch a lot of video from my church and the weekly sermon is always online. The world has really changed.” And so, too, has sacred music. Take, for instance, these lyrics from Lecrae’s song, “No Regrets:’
“You only live once so live it up tonight I hope we live twice cause I can't wait to give up this life Don't get me wrong I love my fam and my experience Been around the world and back seven wonders I done seen ‘em Number eight is just us wonderin what happens when we perish And I don't want no regrets I'm a tell the ones I cherish That I love ‘em thinking of 'em on this red eye flight to Paris If I die before I wake at my wake please tell my parents That your son will positively wake in paradise” Those aren’t “gangsta” lyrics. “I love this music because it’s the style of music I enjoy, but also the lyrics are positive and uplifting,” Muamba says. “I get a great deal of comfort from my faith, but I’m a 23-year-old guy and I like the same music most 23-year-old guys like. I’ve just found a form of that music that makes me feel good, not angry or hateful. And I’m pleasantly surprised that a lot of my teammates listen to it, too.” Scott Taylor is a Winnipeg-based sportswriter and broadcaster.
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Photo by Shawn Coates
If you’re a fan of the Canadian Football League, you may have seen Henoc Muamba listening to music. And you might think the Winnipeg Blue Bomber middle linebacker is listening to his favorite hip-hop or rap artist; someone like Jay-Z or Rick Ross or Ludacris. And you would almost be correct. Muamba, a 23-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario, who played his college football at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, does indeed love hip-hop and rap music. The difference between him and a lot of other pro football players is that Muamba prefers “gospel rap.” When he’s listening to music, he’s not listening to “gangsta rap,” but instead artists like Lecrae, Trip Lee or Sho Baraka, names that many rap fans don’t know well. “I was actually surprised when I got to Winnipeg,” Muamba said. “I thought I’d be the only guy on a professional football team listening to gospel rap, but I found out a lot of guys listen to it. “I like it because it has a great beat and I’m attracted to the message.” And, as it turns out, it’s a lot more popular than today’s pop, dance, rap and hip-hop radio programmers would have you believe. Of course, so too, is Muamba, a young man born Kinshasa, Congo, who moved to Canada as a child, and started playing football at Father Michael Goetz Secondary School in Mississauga. From there he went on to become one of the best players in Canadian University football and was the Blue Bombers’ first selection in the 2011 CFL entry draft. Last year in Winnipeg, he played on special teams and waited for his turn to join the defensive roster. This year, he was the backup middle linebacker coming out of training camp, but by
money matters
Prepared to be Surprised No one knows what the future holds: be prepared for an unexpected event by Karen Bjerland
We hear a lot about risk management these days, and for good reason: it’s a relevant topic for the current economic environment. Every day we are confronted with a myriad of risks in our personal and working lives. In its simplest form, risk is the potential that an event, an action, an activity, or inaction or inactivity, will lead to an undesirable outcome. Some risks pose little or no material impact and are highly improbable, while others are more probable and pose significant material impact. Regardless, we cannot escape the fact that risks are everpresent—and influence our activities and well-being. Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing and prioritizing risks, followed by using resources to steer clear of undesirable events. Generally, “impact” is equated with “loss”—whether the loss be money or otherwise (loss of life, for example). Risk management can be methodical and formalized, or informal and circumstantial, such as: • Should I go through the intersection with the yellow light, or should I stop? • Should I use my tax refund to pay down my mortgage or to invest in my brother’s booming business? • Should I eat a big piece of chocolate cake or an apple every day?
Because each of these hypothetical decisions poses a risk to our bodies or to our finances, a combination of quick thinking, planning and risk management is needed. In business, risks are identified and assessed for potential timing, for probability and for potential impact, resulting in a prioritized “heat map” of risks, based on the inter-relation of the identified factors. From this, we develop strategies to take appropriate actions at the right times. Individuals may not need to engage in such a formal and rigorous exercise. Here are a few things you can do to manage the risk in your life: • Ask yourself a few “What if?” questions and review a few possible scenarios so that you are not caught off guard. • Discuss with your spouse the various areas where risk is already present in your life. This could be related to your health, your living environment, your job, your budget or your retirement. Consider what would happen if your income stopped today due to an illness or a death? At what age would you be able to retire? • Create a “heat map” to assess possible hot spots based on potential timing and impact of the risk you are facing.
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Seek wise counsel from your pastor, your doctor, and a trusted financial representative to create a strategy for addressing risks in your life. • Take a few small steps to create a plan that you can stick to. Even one thing done differently can lower your risk. •
We owe it to ourselves, our families and those around us to act responsibly and prudently to evaluate the risks that life brings. However, keep in mind that there are things we don’t know and things that cannot reasonably be predicted. These include low probability, high-impact disruptions or events that almost no one can foresee. The type and timing of the actions or plans we develop will vary, as we seek to address various types of risk. However, by considering the potential for such events to occur, we will be better prepared when surprises occur. Proverbs 16:3 tells us to, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” God has been very gracious to give us life and hope. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that He knows the plans that He has for us—plans to give us peace, hope and a future—in spite of the risks that we face each day
Karen Bjerland is President & CEO of FaithLife Financial.
Out of my depth
Sing the Moments Belting out moments of our lives by Phil Wagler
There may be a song that takes you back to when your childhood hockey team pumped themselves up with an anthem for the ages in the dressing room before the game. Here in Vancouver “O Canada” is belted out with a cappella power by Canucks fans in a way that shames most churches on Sunday morning. Ironically “a cappella” actually means “in the manner of the church”—so the beerinfused version on hockey night is probably right on target given the religious devotion to the sport in our country. There are songs that can take you back to glory days—props to Springsteen for capturing that one so well. Some songs immediately make you remember the product or show they were produced to sell. See if you can you fill in the blank: “_____ _______ is going to move you” or think of what sitcom goes with this: “We’re moving on up, to the east side…” Then there are songs that take us back to moments of romantic twitterpation. For me, that horribly hummable Richard Marx ballad, “Right Here Waiting,” that could never be extricated once you heard it, remains a trigger back to young love—and young love lost. I eventually proposed to my bride-to-be using another song air banded before a crowd with a few of my buddies—who were about as musical as Richard Marx’s hair was natural. I’m pretty sure none of them will agree to a remix at our twenty-fifth anniversary.
Now, I’m not particularly musical. I play the guitar. Okay, I have a guitar. Nevertheless, music is a constant reality in my life and I love it. In fact, most guys I know love a good song. They go to concerts, outfit cars with powerful stereos, and keep iTunes in business. Which is why, I simply do not buy the excuses given for why guys don’t like to sing when the church gathers. While there may be the odd bloke out there who simply can only do talk radio, generally speaking the practical evidence about a man’s enjoyment of music is quite to the contrary. So, why do so many men stand there as if struck dumb on Sunday mornings? Is the music really that bad? Can’t be. Our churches are full of great musicians of all ages and genders. Sometimes the rationale is that Sunday’s songs are too emotional, too effeminate and guys don’t like singing “love songs” to Jesus. I would agree there are a few songs out there that make me squeamish, but that has as much to do with their theology than the emotional element. At the end of the day, the number of songs that cross the feared emotive line are few and far between and don’t tend to stick around very long. So, we come to a quandary: why do we love music in so many venues of our lives, but complain about it in the one where our song touches heaven? Psalm 96—a scriptural song—begins with this command:
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all the peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods.
To sing is a command given to God’s people. Singing is a strange and mysterious wonder whereby our lips are set free from the simplicity and drudgery of speech. It is the complex joyful expression of the heart. And why should we sing? Because God is great and only a new song in response to His glory is worthy of each moment beneath His grace-filled reign. And so, it must be asked, do we gents who like music but don’t like to sing in church, actually have too small a view of God? Do we who can’t help but tap out “raise a little hell” at a sporting event and claim to know God really have any excuse for silently enduring “God is great and His praise fills the earth fills the heavens and your name will be praise through all the world?”
Phil Wagler is a pastor who lives in Surrey, BC with his wife of 18 years whom he sings to each day. Okay, maybe not.
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power play
Great games. Great toys. Great gadgets. Reviews by Sandy McMurray
WASHABLE KEYBOARD logitech.com
Computer keyboards are hard to clean. Over time, they trap and hold dust and dirt. If you eat or drink near your computer, things get worse. One spilled glass of water or cup of coffee can be the end of your keyboard.
NEW IPODS
WIRED WAFFLES AND SYRUP
apple.ca/ipod
wiredwaffles.com thinkgeek.com
The new iPod nano is about the size of a credit card—the thinnest iPod ever made. Its 2.5-inch touch display is nearly twice as big as the screen on the previous model. In addition to the music, photos and video features, the iPod nano includes an FM radio, a podcast player, a pedometer gauge, and Nike+ support for runners. The iPod touch has also been upgraded. No longer a poor cousin to the iPhone, the new iPod touch has a bigger and better display, a new camera, and a new set of headphones. The new 4-inch “Retina display” on the iPod touch is bigger, brighter, and taller, just like the screen on the iPhone 5. The new 5-megapixel camera is capable of recording 1080p HD video and features tap to focus, an LED flash, and face detection. There’s also a new panorama feature that makes it easy to capture wide shots. These new iPods now come with EarPods, a redesigned in-ear speaker that promises a more comfortable fit and better sound than the previous earbuds. The iPod nano sells for $149. The iPod touch starts at $299.
If the word waffle makes you think of sleepy Saturday mornings, brace yourself for a delicious wake-up. Wired Waffles are the opposite of sleepy. Each waffle contains 200mg of caffeine, which is about the same as a large cup of coffee. While you smack your lips, this snack smacks you awake. Still snoozing? Add Wired Wyatt's caffeinated syrup to your waffles. Each spoonful of this sticky pick-me-up adds another 88mg of caffeine. Soon you’ll be able to run to work instead of driving. Somewhere in a lab, someone is figuring out how to add caffeine to bacon and eggs. Science marches on, mostly because it hasn’t slept in a very long time.
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The Washable Keyboard K310 is easy to clean and easy to dry. It’s not just water resistant; you can submerge it in water and scrub with soap, and it has drainage holes at the back for quick drying. There are some limits, of course. It’s hand wash only—no dishwashers, please—and the water can’t be too hot or too deep. You also have to keep the USB
cable above water, even though the rest of the keyboard can be submerged. Still. Take a good look at the keyboard you have now. If you see ink smudges, food crumbs, dead bugs, or evidence of sticky spills, this could be the keyboard for you.
RETURN OF THE VACUUM TUBE samsung.ca
The DA-E750 Audio Dock from Samsung makes a great first impression as a lovely piece of furniture. Inside its polished wood cabinet, you’ll find a collection of modern digital technology
power play
as well as an unexpected blast from the past: two vacuum tubes, glowing warmly inside a glass bubble. Vacuum tubes, once a staple of radio sets all over the world, are still widely used in guitar amplifiers. By including this purely analog technology in the pre-amps of its new audio dock, Samsung is appealing to musicians and audiophiles who swear by its “warmer” sound. Other notable features of the E750 include support both Apple and Android devices. You can connect using one of two docks, plug in with USB or 3.5mm inputs, or connect wirelessly with Samsung’s AllShare Play, Apple’s AirPlay or Bluetooth 3.0. All these features (and the lovely wood cabinet) will set you back about $800.
PERSONAL SPY PLANE spyhawkfpv.com
The SpyHawk is a lightweight radio controlled mini glider with an exciting bonus feature: a built-in video camera. The view from the front of the plane is broadcast to a 3.5 inch screen on the controller, so you can watch where you're going and see from the point of view of the plane. Steering the plane and watching the screen is like a
video game made real. As the plane flies, you can see the landscape ahead and the ground below. You can pretend you’re a pilot, flying over the park (or field, or parking lot, or wherever you are). The controller also includes a 4GB SD card, so you can record flight video for later playback. Unlike some RC vehicles that require great skill to control, the SpyHawk can be enjoyed by beginners and experts alike. Features include a flight stabilization system that keeps the plane level and serves as a sort of autopilot. The SpyHawk has a range of about 600 metres and can fly for about 15 minutes on a single charge of its battery. Suggested retail price is about $350.
SMELL LIKE A MAN archermen.com
What does a man’s world smell like? Sometimes it smells like a locker room, or empty pizza boxes, or fishing tackle. Ideally, though, the smells are more pleasant, like the oil and sawdust scent of a garage with a workbench, or the hair tonic and aftershave smell of a barbershop. In a world filled with air fresheners that smell like flowers and fruit, someone has finally made a product for men. Archer “Air Superiority” room sprays come in three manly fragrances: European Sports
Car, Hunting Lodge, and Distillery. Hmmm. Come to think of it, flowers and fruit are pretty great smells. They remind us of women, the only reason most of us try to smell good in the first place.
FIRE SALE campfire-cologne.com
Speaking of good smells...the scent of a campfire is a powerful thing. Wood smoke brings back memories of outdoor adventures, and good times with friends and
family. Campfire Cologne captures that smell perfectly, but it’s not a bottle full of perfume. Oh no. Campfire Cologne is the authentic smell of a tiny campfire. Each kit contains a small box full of sweet kindling and a smaller box of matches. You light the wood on fire, extinguish the flames, then “waft the essence over your flannel and beard.” There. Now you smell like a campfire. Each box of Campfire Cologne costs $12.95, plus shipping. Hot dogs and marshmallows not included. Sandy McMurray writes about games, toys, and gadgets at funspot.ca and techstuff.ca
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What women want
Can I Have This Dance? It really does take two to tango (or waltz) by Sheila Wray Gregoire
When I was 19 and dating my nowhusband, we were separated for eight weeks during the summer break. As my VIA train pulled into the station in Belleville, Ontario, I could barely breathe. Keith was standing on the platform, beaming, holding flowers. And as we climbed into his car, “Walking on Sunshine” played on the radio. Ever since then, it’s been our song. Romance and music seem to go together, as if relationships need soundtracks. And perhaps they do. There’s something about rhythm that makes relationships make sense. There’s a give and take; a progression; a back and forth that solidifies that idea that while we’re in this together, we are not the same. A few years ago, while pondering the concept of soundtracks and romance, I had this brilliant idea. “Darling,” I said, “let’s take ballroom dancing lessons!” Keith must have felt like he owed me something that week, because he kept the smile pasted on his face as he replied, “Yes, let’s!” I knew he would have rather done just about anything than grace that dance floor, but I took him at his word, and off to waltz we went. While professional ballroom dancers make waltzes look easy, they’re not. It’s a whole new way of moving—and counting. Keith spent most of that first lesson staring at his feet as he repeated 1-2-3, 12-3. When he got the courage and the rhythm to look up, he found that all the other men in the room were sporting huge smiles on their faces. He felt like a klutz, and like he was the worst husband
in the world. Here were these other men, enjoying themselves for their wives’ benefit, and him with such a bad attitude. When we arrived home that night, he figured out why all the other men were smiling. The next week, Keith rushed home from work and said, “Honey, it’s Thursday night! Let’s go dancing!” What was it about falling all over our feet that made me feel so romantic? It’s certainly something to do with music and rhythm. It’s definitely because you’re holding each other. But it’s more than that. It’s also because it really does change your relationship. It makes you work together. It makes you smile. But most of all, it makes you feel like men, and us feel like women. In most areas of our lives today, the sexes are interchangeable. A woman can do whatever a man can do, and vice versa. Dancing is one of the few areas of life where you have to either be a man or be a woman. You each have very defined roles, and it reminds you that you are two very different halves of one whole. And the only way to get good at it is for the woman to figure out that she has to let the man lead. I actually said to my husband, “You’ve got to start pushing me around more!” In no other area of our relationship will those words ever cross my lips. But if you’ve ever longed to hear her say, “Just show me what you want me to do,” or “You decide and I’ll follow,” you’ve got to hit the dance floor. Perhaps rhythm isn’t your strong suit, but if you’ve ever tapped your knees in time with a song, dreaming of being a drummer in a rock band, then you can hear the beat. And if you can count to 3,
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you can waltz. Count to 4, you can rumba. Count to 8, and you can merengue. And you’ve never really seen your wife move unless you’ve seen her do the merengue. But there’s one more lesson that dancing taught us: couples that move beautifully together always make it look effortless. Yet a whole lot of practice went on first. That’s true in most areas of marriage. When we’re first married we can see all the unrealistic expectations our spouses have of us, but we tend to classify our own expectations under the heading “common sense.” We need to learn how to settle conflict, how to show love, even how to make love. We think these things come naturally, but they don’t. They take compromise. They take vulnerability as you tell your spouse what you need and want. And they take selflessness, a lesson for which marriage is often the best teacher. In fact, that’s probably why God designed marriage in the first place: for marriage to work, we each have to look more like Jesus. If your relationship doesn’t look effortless yet, then, it’s not necessarily because there’s anything wrong. Maybe you just need to find the rhythm. And you can’t find it unless you start dancing together—whether figuratively or literally. Start moving together. Do things together. Talk together. Share together. When things don’t work, don’t give up or retreat. Take her in your arms, take a deep breath, and keep dancing.
You can find Sheila at www.SheilaWrayGregoire.com.
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