All posts by mjfelker1980

Awesomenessness

1.18.08

(See Video Above) A huge drilling platform also known as the Chuai station collapsed into the ocean and sank to the bottom in several hours. The platform located in hunderds of kilometres from the american coast belonged to the japanese corporation Tagruato. At the moment the amount of people on the place of the accident is unknown. This video was got by news agencies from an anonymous source. Experts will have to investigate what exactly this footage shows. But now we know for sure that the collapse of the platform is not a result of enviromental cataclysm. Some moments of the video show that there was skirmish. All parties releated to the incident prefer to keep silence. We may only guess what happened there.

Some informational sources say that at the current moment there are ships of US coastguard but there is not official confirmation on that from the coastguard representatives. (translation from Russian news agency)

Resources, Working Out

Motivation

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This morning I was nearing the end of my workout and I felt spent. I wanted to turn off the treadmill and limp home. I wanted to throw in the towel. I wanted to give up.

However, something motivated me to keep pushing. Something inspired me to push through the pain.

I would love to tell you that I was motivated by thoughts of my family and how getting healthy will help me stick around a bit longer in life.

I would like to say that I was inspired by the monster of obesity that I feel is nipping at my heels.

I would also like to tell you that I found inspiration deep within myself. That I heard myself chanting, “Go Micheal! I think I can. I think I can. I think I CAN!!!” like the Little Engine.

While all these things are well and good I didn’t find my motivation in any of them.

No the motivation to persevere was made evident when “Gonna Fly Now”, the theme from Rocky, started playing on my iPod.

Seriously, it is a scientific fact that you can’t give up when that song is playing. Beyond that it is against the law to cop out while that song is playing. Well, it should be anyway.

What motivates you?

Leadership, Politics, Questions

So…

I registered to vote today. My faith in the process is being re-ignited.

I’m still not certain that I will vote come November but I sure do like the tone coming from the two men who won the Iowa caucus last night. Maybe they should cross lines and run with one another! (not likely I know)

Both candidates speeches reminded me of Kennedy’s “New Frontier” speech. Say what you will about the outcome of his presidency, Kennedy’s passion in this speech for a better tomorrow is exactly what I want to hear from a candidate. I don’t want to hear about the other guy’s policies suck. I want hear about making a real difference in the lives of people within the borders of this country and how we can provide servant leadership to those outside our borders.

Something like this:

Today our concern must be with that future. For the world is changing. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do.

Abroad, the balance of power is shifting. There are new and more terrible weapons–new and uncertain nations–new pressures of population and deprivation. One-third of the world, it has been said, may be free–but one-third is the victim of cruel repression–and the other one- third is rocked by the pangs of poverty, hunger and envy. More energy is released by the awakening of these new nations than by the fission of the atom itself.

The world has been close to war before–but now man, who has survived all previous threats to his existence, has taken into his mortal hands the power to exterminate the entire species some seven times over.

Here at home, the changing face of the future is equally revolutionary. The New Deal and the Fair Deal were bold measures for their generations–but this is a new generation.

A technological revolution on the farm has led to an output explosion–but we have not yet learned to harness that explosion usefully, while protecting our farmers’ right to full parity income.

An urban population explosion has overcrowded our schools, cluttered up our suburbs, and increased the squalor of our slums.

A peaceful revolution for human rights–demanding an end to racial discrimination in all parts of our community life–has strained at the leashes imposed by timid executive leadership.

A medical revolution has extended the life of our elder citizens without providing the dignity and security those later years deserve. And a revolution of automation finds machines replacing men in the mines and mills of America, without replacing their incomes or their training or their needs to pay the family doctor, grocer and landlord.

There has also been a change–a slippage–in our intellectual and moral strength. Seven lean years of drouth and famine have withered a field of ideas. Blight has descended on our regulatory agencies–and a dry rot, beginning in Washington, is seeping into every corner of America–in the payola mentality, the expense account way of life, the confusion between what is legal and what is right. Too many Americans have lost their way, their will and their sense of historic purpose.

It is a time, in short, for a new generation of leadership–new men to cope with new problems and new opportunities.

All over the world, particularly in the newer nations, young men are coming to power–men who are not bound by the traditions of the past–men who are not blinded by the old fears and hates and rivalries–young men who can cast off the old slogans and delusions and suspicions.

But the New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises–it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them. It appeals to their pride, not to their pocketbook–it holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of more security.

But I tell you the New Frontier is here, whether we seek it or not. Beyond that frontier are the uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus. It would be easier to shrink back from that frontier, to look to the safe mediocrity of the past, to be lulled by good intentions and high rhetoric–and those who prefer that course should not cast their votes for me, regardless of party.

But I believe the times demand new invention, innovation, imagination, decision. I am asking each of you to be pioneers on that New Frontier. My call is to the young in heart, regardless of age–to all who respond to the Scriptural call: “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.”

That is the question of the New Frontier. That is the choice our nation must make–a choice that lies not merely between two men or two parties, but between the public interest and private comfort–between national greatness and national decline–between the fresh air of progress and the stale, dank atmosphere of “normalcy”–between determined dedication and creeping mediocrity.

All mankind waits upon our decision. A whole world looks to see what we will do. We cannot fail their trust, we cannot fail to try.

Can you believe that this speech was delivered nearly 50 years ago?!?! To everything turn, turn, turn.

I’ll be listening for a speech like that, but more imporantly I’ll be looking for the will to follow through. The canidate that shows me that will get my vote.

The New Frontier

Discipleship, Wrestling With Scripture

Humility

I like being right.

Scratch that, I love being right. When I’m right about something my head swells a little, I stand taller, and I smirk. Yes, I smirk. When I’m right a tiny little band inside my head plays a triumphant tune and I literally have to keep myself from dancing.

I wish that I was exaggerating but alas, I am not.

I love being right but unfortunately I hate who I become when I’m right. I hate it because I act and think in ways that are contrary to the Gospel. I am imitating the world instead of my Jesus.

The psalmist says that “The LORD supports the humble, but he brings the wicked down into the dust.” (Psalms 147:6)

Paul invites us to remember that Jesus “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.” (Philippians 2:7)

Both Matthew and Mark proclaim that Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve.”

For me these verses act as a warning and as a comforting reminder. They warn me that nothing good can come from my selfishness and assine behavior. They also comfort me to know that by being humble and seeking to serve others I’m in great company.

I think that humility is the way to go.

I’m right about that much.

2008, Discipleship, Ethos, Leadership, RTM

2008: The Year of Trying

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In his book, If Only, psychologist Dr. Neil Roese makes a distinction between two different types of regret: regrets of action and regrets of inaction. A regret of action is doing something you wish you hadn’t done. A regret of inaction is NOT doing something that you wish you had done. In theological terms, action regrets are the result of sins of commission while inaction regrets are the result of sins of omission.

I think the church has fixated on sins of commission long enough. They may be easier to quantify, but the greatest regrets at the end of our lives won’t be the things we did wrong. Our greatest regrets will be not having done the right things- things we could have, should have, and would have done.

Action regrets taste bad, but inaction regrets leave a bitter after taste that lasts a lifetime. they haunt us because they leave us asking ‘what if?’. — Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion

I am so excited about the new year.

I understand that today is really no different than yesterday. There is nothing magical about January 1st. No pixie dust fell from the sky last night and I only saw one unicorn in the wee small hours of the new year so it isn’t really that special.

However, we all live by the calendar and the first day of the new year just lends itself to the feeling of a fresh start. I have been ruminating over the passage from Batterson for quite sometime. Back in October a few friends of mine and I caught a glimpse of a coming movement. A movement that desires to see God’s people throwing off all that hinders them and becoming a force that once again changes the world.

I feel like 2008 is the begining of something spectacular. The movement begins in the heart of individuals as the seek to glorify God in all that they do. Day by day I am trying to connect to this desire a little more than the day before. I invite you to join me.

The road ahead might be frought with dangers: apathy, criticism, and rejection. The key there is “might be”. I’m no longer interested in being afraid of what dangers there “might be.” Are you?

2008: The Year of Trying

________________________________________

You Might Die Trying
Dave Matthews Band

To change the world
Start with one step
However small
The first step is hardest of all

Once you get your gait
You will walk in tall
You said you never did
‘Cause you might die trying

If you close your eyes
‘Cause the house is on fire.
And think you couldn’t move,
Until the fire dies
The things you never did
Oh, cause you might die trying
‘Cause you might die trying
You’d be as good as dead
Cause you might die trying
Cause you might die trying

If you give, you, you begin to live
If you give, you begin to live
You begin, you get the world
If you give, you begin to give
You get the world, you get the world
If you give, you begin to live

Christmas

Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”

Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the LORD restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.

2007, Music

Favorte Albums of 2007 M-Z

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Here is the last installment of my Favorite Albums of 2007. Again, they are listed in alphabetical order. Be on the look out of my list of Favorite Books of 2007 later this week. Until then, Merry Christmas everyone.

Oh! Gravity
Switchfoot

While 2003’s The Beautiful Letdown introduced the world to Switchfoot the alum seemed incomplete. It was disjointed and the second half of the album seemed like it belonged elsewhere. This year Switchfoot released Oh! Gravity and in doing so released a fully realized album with great lyrics and stunning soundscapes. Lyrically this is their deepest album yet. The songs deal with out of control consumerism, inauthentic living, and selling our souls for less than what their worth. Oh! Gravity is Switchfoot’s best album to date and judging by their direction this is only the beginning.

Download: American Dream (acoustic), Awakening, Faust, Midas, and Myself, Dirty Second Hands

Remedy
David Crowder* Band

I am a huge DC*B fan. Remedy seems to capture everything great about the DC*B that we’ve seen before (thoughtful lyrics, organic sound) and coupled it with some new sounds (more electronic beats, guitar solos). The requisite reinterpretation of a classic hymn on this album is O For a Thousand Tounges to Sing by Charles Wesley. While Wesley argued that no one should ever change or update his hymns Crowder and Co. do a great job of bringing this beautiful song written in 1739 into the 21st century. The best surprise on this album is the guest appearance by Ted Nugent on the song We Won’t Be Quiet. The Nuge lays down some of the heaviest licks ever on a CCM album. Good stuff.

Download: Glory of It All, O For a Thousand, We Won’t Be Quiet, Everything Glorious

Snakes and Arrows
Rush

See Kratzer’s review in the comments section.

This Is Somewhere
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

The only band I was interested in seeing Sunday morning during the Austin City Limits Music Festival was a little band I had seen on Leno. I had no idea what a treat I was in for when Grace Potter and the Nocturnals took the stage. Their straight up, gospel infused, southern rock blew me away. Their latest album This is Somewhere is a solid effort from this Vermont band. I was not disappointed by this album at all. It wasn’t able to completely capture the energy and raw prowess of their live show but they sure came close.

Download: Stop the Bus, If I Was From Paris, Falling or Flying

We Shine
Fee

The award for my favorite worship album of 2007 goes to Steve Fee and his band’s first full release, We Shine. Fee led worship at this year’s Catalyst Conference and turned the volume to 11. This album has new worship songs (All Because of Jesus, Beautiful the Blood) and it has some great interpretations of worship favorites (Glorious One, Happy Day). Check out We Shine and look forward to Fee’s sophomore release.

Download: All Because of Jesus, We Shine, You Are The Light

Discipleship, Ethos, Faith in Action, Ministry, Questions, Wrestling With Scripture

K.I.S.S.

A simple church understands that people are at different places in their spiritual journey, that spiritual growth is a process. The church is designed to partner with God to move people through stages of spiritual growth.

Sadly, most churches miss this truth.

They are not simple. They have not designed a simple process for discipleship. They have not structured their church around the process of spiritual transformation.

And they are making little impact. (62)

I have been really enjoying Simple Church by Rainer & Geiger. I passed it by so many times this year in the bookstore. It’s plain white cover would stand straight and all but wave hello at me as I browsed the ministry section. I ultimately succumbed to its siren call and I have not been disappointed.

The above quote is right on the money. Most churches do not focus on discipleship. Most, because it is easier to quantify, focus on church involvement as their “spiritual maturity barometer.” To be honest, mere church involvement can’t tell you everything about a persons spiritual well-being.

As I’ve been thinking about spiritual growth I keep going back to John 15.

“Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.” (John 15:4-8 MESSAGE)

I feel like there a lot to say about spiritual growth in this chapter but these are the verses that jump out at me. The simple- remain in Jesus, mature, bear fruit.

What does this mean for us?

Remain in Jesus: Love God.

Mature: Love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-40)

Bear Fruit: Serve the world

That’s a pretty simple equation right there.

I should finish the book before Christmas and I’ll post a little more of my thoughts then.

So my question to you is…

In what ways have you seen churches focus on spiritual maturity?

What have you seen that is successful in growing disciples?

Church Marketing, Ministry, Resources, Youth Ministry

Peer Review

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Earlier today I submitted two postcard designs for peer review with the Church Marketing Lab. The aim of the lab is to help ministers share their work and to get feedback from their peers on creating and designing quality pieces for communication.

Below are the two designs I submitted. They are postcards that will be mailed out to High School students inviting them to our Tuesday night Bible study, CHIAlpha (Christ First). This semester we will be getting a bird’s eye view of the entirety of God’s story. Our goal will be to read through the major stories of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Couch Postcard_front

This will be a reminder postcard that will be mailed out one week before the study begins.

Tattoo Postcard_front

So, what do you think? Give me some feedback. I’m looking for anything positive or negative that will help me create the best designs possible. Thanks for helping me out.

2007, Music

Favorte Albums of 2007 A-L

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Welcome to the first installment of my Favorite Albums of 2007. Since I am a fan of good music in general, I tend to shy away from numerically ranking these albums. Instead I am posting my thoughts in alphabetical order by album title. Here are the first five album reviews from A through L.

As I Am
Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys = my guilty pleasure. Ms. Keys third album is a captivating sonic experience. No longer a timid little songstress, Alicia stretches her legs and proves that she is a strong artist with a desire make music on her terms. If you were able to catch her VMA performance you saw the only standout performance by a true artist that night. She debuted the strong single No One with moxie and capped it with a cover of George Michael’s Freedom ‘90. Too bad that this memorable performance was over-shrouded by a certain Starbucks-loving, deadbeat mom pretending to be a pop princess debacle that garnered most of the media attention. Fortunately, Alicia Keys doesn’t have to compete for attention here. The fourteen tracks featured on As I Am are strong lyrically as well as musically. You get caught up in the stories and the emotions. The songs deal with growing up and moving on through adversity- universal themes if there ever were any. A great album to rock in your car, on your iPod, or at home on the stereo.

Download: Superwoman, No One, Lesson Learned (feat. John Mayer), Wreckless Love, Sure Looks Good to Me, The Thing About Love

Back to Black
Amy Winehouse

Thanks to a tip from a friend living in England earlier this year, I jump on the Amy Winehouse bandwagon early and I have yet to disembark. In March I purchased her US debut for $7.99 from the iTunes store (haha suckers it is now $9.99) and then promptly purchased the import of Frank from the Virgin record store. On one hand there is something fresh about Winehouse’s sound but on the other it is something that is oddly familiar. Someone wrote that listening to this album was like listening to some distant radio transmission from a parallel 1960s. If this is the type of music she makes in a self-destructive nose dive imagine what she could do if she gets her life together. If you haven’t checked Winehouse out give her a listen. You will not be disappointed.

Download: Back to Black, Rehab, Wake Up Alone, You Know I’m No Good

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Foo Fighters

I like the Foo Fighters. I mean, what’s not to like? Raw emotions, big sound, and tight rhythms are the markers for great bands. Foo Fighters has them all and all are on display here. Their last studio effort yielded a (slightly) bloated two disc set of good tracks. What took them two discs and twenty songs there is concentrated into a tight mix of twelve semi-perfect tracks here. The production work is great and I haven’t been this excited about the Foo Fighters since ‘97s The Colour and the Shape (ESPG is produced by Gil Norton, the producer behind The Colour and the Shape). Grohl and company certainly delivered with quite possibly their best album to date.

Download: Let It Die, Home, The Pretender

Icky Thump
The White Stripes

They say that “almost” only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades. I now believe that “almost” can and should apply to seeing the White Stripes live. At this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival I “almost” got to see Jack and Meg perform live. Alas it was not to be. however, I spent a great deal of time rocking out to this superb rock album. This is probably the White Stripes loudest album. Icky Thump contains some of Jack White’s best guitar work. The title track just plain rocks. Of course a White Stripes album wouldn’t be complete without a little drama and oddness. Conquest is an epic song in the vein of Tenacious D where as St. Andrew might be the only WS song to feature bagpiping. Not quite a substitute for a cancelled world tour but I guess it will have to do.

Download: You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told)

Live at Radio City
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds

Two men, two acoustic guitars and one of the most famous venues in the world. This truly is a fitting sequel to 1999’s Live at Luther. It was that album that introduced me to Dave Matthews back in college . The true nature of these songs are laid bare through this intimate and raw acoustic performance. Classic tracks such as Bartender, Stay or Leave, and Don’t Drink the Water are re-imagined as haunting acoustic ballads far removed from the full band sounds that we are used to. While the songs may have lost the keyboards, drums, and wind instruments they haven’t lost their intensity. A few new songs made their debuts here as well. Eh Hee, a frenetic and wild song inspired by a trip to Africa, is a new favorite of mine. Also, Cornbread and Sister, while new to the cannon, sit comfortably alongside old favorites like Crush and Dancing Nancies. I have probably spent more time with this album than any other. A true classic and a must have for any fan of true music.

Download: The entire album