Bold Humility

 

I was recently at a pastors conference and the speaker challenged us to embrace to seemingly opposite qualities – boldness and humility.

In many ways those are opposites. But they can be complimentary in the lives of pastors and non-pastors alike. 

I won’t rehash someone else’s ideas but the point was to have boldness and confidence in proclaiming Jesus and serving him. At the same time, we must also embrace humility as we imitate Christ’s selflessness in the way we live. 

Bold humility is not an oxymoron when we define our terms. Our confidence is not an arrogance founded on our own merits. It is based solely on our risen Savior (see Philippians 3:7-11). Our humility is not a self-denigrating, “woe is me” attitude either. It is rooted in a gratitude for all God has done for us.

These twin traits can be balanced with a healthy self-awareness. It is easy to let boldness become pride if we lose sight of Christ our foundation. Being aware of our own hearts can operate like a thermometer, alerting us to when we’ve drifted too far into self-focus instead of being Savior-focused.

When in balance, we can boldly “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil.3:14). As we press on, we can do so with a uniform of humility. As Peter says, “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…humble yourselves, therefore under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

In our relationships, in our anxious circumstances, in our uncertainties, it is a courageous and bold endeavor to humbly trust God and his will.

One new song expresses this balance of boldness and humility well. Twenty One Pilots are not a Christian band per se, but in their single “Downstairs” they begin and end the song by saying “Cause I want to be the one after your own heart, and I might doubt the process like I doubted the start.” The bold declaration to be marked as David, “a man after God’s own heart” is tempered with the humble admission of doubt and struggle.

Maybe in your spiritual journey you don’t resonate with that tension. I certainly do. Yet I will continue to boldly trust Christ, even in the struggles. Because I know they exist in part to humble me and remind me of my need for God’s grace.

God’s grace is such a beautiful gift, granting us confidence but keeping us humble. May we all live boldly and humbly for Him.

Music Mondays: Best Covers Ever

There's no other way to describe this cover song other than "haunting". 

Twenty One Pilots employ a musical style that can often be foreboding, brooding, and even dark. Their re-imagining this My Chemical Romance song seems pitch perfect though, considering it's subject matter (i.e. the title).  

It comes with the my profession as a pastor to be with people in uncomfortable circumstances. Hospital visits are usually not super-pleasant, but as much as I can, it is my duty to point people to the hope of Christ.

And yet part of my responsibility in those times is also just to sit with people. Empathize and sympathize with them. I cannot feel their discomfort and I cannot feel the same distress that their family members feel. I can listen, I can give them space to vent and ask impossible questions. God does that with us (google "lament Psalms"). And songs like this one remind me of the importance of compassion and empathy. 

Music Mondays

The biggest award show in the music business - The Grammys - were held last night. 


My guys Twenty One Pilots picked up a golden statue and dropped their pants in the process. 

There were some legendary performers up for awards and on the docket for live performances - Beyonce, Adele, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga. The highlight of the night for me was Chance the Rapper performing a medley with Kirk Franklin that "took us to church" as they say.

He remixed Chris Tomlin's "How Great is Our God" classic and made it his own. Even if you can't keep up with his rap, the energy and emotion and joy is undeniably uplifting. And when you are able to digest his lyrics, the song's power is amplified even more.

Am I familiar with his entire catalog? No. Could his songs or his life have "objectionable" aspects that would bother the Pharisees among us? Probably. But when an artist like Kirk Franklin vouches for you, I'm willing to promote it too.

Music Mondays

When a band plays a concert, they typically save their most popular song for last or for the encore. 

Twenty-One Pilots buck that trend, which is fitting because they are the sort of band that rejects labels and lanes.

When they put on a concert, they play "Trees":

This is a song that fits the Ecclesiastes passages we looked at yesterday. "Trees" is a song that is aware of our mortality ("I can feel my death"). Yet it is a song that yearns for an encounter with the Divine ("Why won't you speak where I happen to be?, "I want to know You, I want to see, I want to say 'Hello!'").  I could be 'over-theologizing' and over-interpreting here, but knowing as much about the band as I do, I don't think I am.

Ecclesiastes 2-3 laments how death is like a dark cloud hanging over our life's activities but points us to the 'eternity' that God has placed in our souls. This song highlights the same and celebrates it in fact. And for a final statement to be made to your adoring fans, I admire the approach T.O.P. have taken.

Music Mondays

I was thinking of going a couple directions with this week's Music Monday selection. I settled on one that seems fitting for a Monday. Monday is when reality sets in. The joy of the weekend is but a distant memory and most of us have to get back to the real world. 

So with that in mind, and after hearing one of my favorite group's current Top 40 hit numerous times this weekend, I'm going with "Stressed Out" by Twenty One Pilots:

It hits a nerve to those of us who are still young enough to remember the carefree days of our childhood. Being an adult is great for many reasons, but if I'm honest - it stinks sometimes too.

Music Mondays

I've said it before - I'm all in on these guys.

Their latest album is coming soon and their latest video is out. I'm not qualified to say, but I will state it anyway - this is a quintessential twenty one pilots song. It mixes genres, has a catchy hook, uses fascinating-bordering-on-strange visuals, and actually makes you think the more you listen.

Here is Ride:

Music Mondays

One thing I've learned about music since my high school days is that songs can't always be taken straightforwardly or literally. There is often nuance and layers - music is art after all. And like some of the best paintings, songs must be absorbed, considered, and even re-evaluated - but more importantly they must be enjoyed for what they are.

This defines the music of Twenty One Pilots to a 'T' in my opinion. Granted, I'm in no real position to assert my opinion as the defining word, but this group consistently pushes its listeners to go deeper and consider issues of real life. Even when they approach the most common of pop music tropes, i.e. the Love Song, they do it uniquely:

I'm surprising myself today in making this my first post featuring this group because I'm all-in with these guys and have been listening to their stuff non-stop for over a year. Their sound cannot be categorized, but like classic art you just know its good stuff.