Weekly Web Roundup (4/8/17)

Photo Credit: Amaza Design

Here is a collection of items from around the web that caught my attention over this past week:

How to be a Tech-Wise Family & manage kids, technology & family by Andy Crouch (AnnVoskamp.com)

"Some of our happiest times as a family have been spent on this first floor, lit entirely by candlelight and the glow of a wood fire. Why wait for a power outage? The Wi-Fi and cell signals are there, all right—but we can choose to ignore them, turning instead to conversation, music, books, or silence. Indeed, on Sundays that is what we intentionally do, all day long. And all the most beautiful and striking things—everything that would start a conversation or capture a child’s attention—require our active engagement. Children love this, by the way. They thrive in a world stocked with raw materials. Too often, and with the best of intentions, we fill their world with technology instead—devices that ask very little of them. A cheap electronic keyboard makes a few monotonous sounds, while an expensive one promises to make all kinds of sounds. But actually, neither the cheap keyboard nor the expensive one has anything like the depth and range of possibility of an acoustic piano. A single pencil can produce more “colors” of gray and black than the most high-tech screen can reproduce. For a child’s creative development, the inexpensive, deep, organic thing is far better than the expensive, broad, electronic thing."

Faceless of the Game: Where have all the MLB superstars gone? by Jayson Stark (ESPN.com)

"For more than three decades, dating to the arrival of Bird and Magic, the NBA has embraced star power as the secret sauce for How To Sell Your League. And baseball? Not so much. "Baseball has always promoted the game," [Arn] Tellem says. "But it's been more about the game and its history. And it's been less about the individual players." Tellem sees that approach beginning to change. Finally. But in a star-driven society, he said, it can't shift gears fast enough. "Baseball is at a point now where they have to reach the youth of America," he says. "And clearly, [promoting] the game is important. But it's about using stars and developing stars and helping them become bigger names, as a way of reaching the youth. And baseball has to see that convincing [those stars] and having them participate will serve the game."

‘S-Town’ Explores the Maze of the Divine Clockmaker’s Mind by Kaitlyn Schiess (Christianity Today)

"My favorite professor likes to say that a biblical view of humanity “needs to start in Genesis 1, not Genesis 3.” In saying so, he’s arguing for a fuller picture of what Scripture tells us about ourselves—not only that we’re fallen and sinful, but that each and every one of us is made in the image of God. It’s actually the combination of these ideas that most fully explains both the goodness and evil of which humans are capable: We display—albeit brokenly and imperfectly—characteristics that point us to the perfect character of our God. Christians can find signs of this eternal truth in highly unusual places, such as the incredibly successful podcast S-Town."

How Japanese Americans Survived Internment in WW2 by Emily Wilson (The Daily Beast)

"With President Trump having issued executive orders for two travel bans for majority Muslim countries, both blocked by federal judges, the history of rounding up a group of people based on ethnicity or religion seems especially relevant and urgent. A couple weeks before the exhibition’s [Exclusion: The Presidio’s Role in World War II Japanese American Incarceration] opening, Eric Blind, the director of Heritage Programs for the Presidio, showed me the space that would house it. Outside the entrance visitors will see a telephone pole with a replica of the poster telling all Japanese Americans to report to that buses that would take them to the camps. “It’s an ordinary object with an extraordinary pronouncement,” he said. “We want to create this empathy with people seeing the order—not just if you were Japanese Americans, but their friends and neighbors—about how would you feel if you saw this on a telephone pole?”"

Black Eye on America - What Is Black Twitter?: The Daily Show

Roy Wood Jr. explains how the African-American community uses Twitter to discuss social issues and finds out why that communication is unique to black culture.

The Story Behind "More To This Life" by Steven Curtis Chapman

In this video my favorite singer, Steven Curtis Chapman, tells the story of what inspired him to write his song "More To This Life." This is one of my favorite SCC songs and this is a great acoustic version. Enjoy!

Thoughts On The Passing Of Whitney Houston

Photo Credit: zennie62

Even from an early age, Whitney Houston seemed destined for greatness. As the daughter of gospel great Cissy Houston, cousin of singer Dionne Warwick and goddaughter of music legend Aretha Franklin, Whitney (she only needs to be referred to by her first name) was groomed for success. Her stunning good looks were surpassed only by her immense vocal talents. Many of us remain stunned by the news that she passed away yesterday at the age of 48.

Among pop and R&B music fans of my generation, Whitney stands above all other female vocalists (only Mariah Carey and Celine Dion are even in the conversation). The purity and freshness of her voice placed her above the many others that have sought to imitate her but have never duplicated her. So it is with great sadness that the final years of her life saw the loss of her once beautiful voice replaced by a gravely, raspy tinge that was no longer the Whitney we knew and loved.

As a young man in the late 80's and early 90's during Whitney's peak years, I counted myself among her legion of fans. In fact, the high school graduation present that I requested from my parents was to go to a concert of hers with a few of my friends. The evening was enjoyable but I couldn't help but feel a little out of place in my t-shirt and shorts alongside the majority African American audience, many of whom were dressed as if they were going to a church service (I'm sure my black friends will find the humor in this.)

Whitney's well-publicized battles with addiction have been blamed for the shortness of her life, as has her tumultuous relationship with ex-husband Bobby Brown (who happens to be another favorite musical artist of mine). While we might never know all the contributing factors as to why her life was cut short, one can't help but wonder how her career (and more importantly, her life) might have turned out differently had she chosen to eschew the temptations that so gripped her later years of life.

Whitney had grown up in the church and frequently acknowledged her faith in Christ, but at some point, she began to fill voids in her life through destructive substances and relationships that could not ultimately bring her happiness. I trust that her faith in God was real but it was also apparent that the special gift that she had been given was no longer there the past few years.

Like we are all prone to do, she turned to other things besides God in order to bring her the joy in her life that only God can bring. Those that abuse alcohol and drugs are often seeking an escape from life or to dull the pain they are experiencing. None of us will know what it was that the most talented singer of my generation was trying to escape from but I hope that now, at last, she is home and free of pain.

In her honor, I've posted the video below which contains Whitney's first ever national television appearance back in 1985. It was apparent even then that she would be a star as she sings the ballad "Home" from The Wiz.

Hip-Hop as Religion?

Taken from Chanel Graham at UrbanFaith.com:

"Pioneering hip-hop artist KRS-One is releasing a new book this fall called The Gospel of Hip-Hop. The 600-page book is modeled after the Christian Bible and said to serve as a life-guide manual for 'Hiphoppas," the term KRS-One uses to describe members of hip-hop culture. Including a hodgepodge of philosophy on faith, peace, and self-reliance, KRS-One hopes to help Hiphoppas change their circumstances to live a life that encompasses what he's termed the H-LAW (Health, Love, Awareness, and Wealth).

This isn't the first time KRS-One has talked about hip-hop as a religion. Back in 2000, he spoke with Beliefnet about what he called the Temple of Hiphop, a group whose membership included Lauryn Hill, Kid Capri, and Busta Rhymes among others who declared hip-hop their life. KRS-One, whose real name is Lawrence Krishna Parker, described the Temple of Hiphop as a "hip-hop preservation society." He said, "We believe that not only is hip-hop divine, but the temple is divinely ordained, because we accept it as that."

The Gospel of Hip-Hop is a continuation of the Temple of Hiphop ideals, as well as KRS-One's 14-year study of the music subculture. The rapper claims, "In 100 years, this book will be a new religion on earth." Bold statement.

We're not so sure KRS-One has stumbled onto the next Nation of Islam or anything, but his language does strike us as sounding a bit cultish. It is interesting, though, to ponder the idea of hip-hop as more than music. It has already evolved into a culture that transcends race and class, but at what point does the music evolve into a religion? Should we be concerned about false prophets springing up from the world of hip-hop?

I don't know about you, but it sounds to us like KRS-One is ascribing to hip-hop the kind of faith and devotion that should only belong to our Father in heaven. Perhaps he's found a purpose and fulfillment in hip-hop that he's been unable to find anywhere else. I'm sure there's millions of young men and women in our cities, suburbs, and rural communities who may have a similar testimony. Still, KRS-One and each of us need to step back from the idols we've embraced in life and realize that anything that's righteous and true is a gift from above, not from Jay Z or Lil Wayne."

American Idol & How People Vote

Immediately after the surprising win of Kris Allen over Adam Lambert in the finale of American Idol Wednesday night, speculation began as to whether questions concerning Lambert's sexuality cost him the victory. Early on in this season of Idol rumors began to swirl on the Internet about Lambert. He has chosen to remain silent on the issue and feels that his ambiguity on this issue likely cost him some votes.

While I'm sure that this issue affected Adam in the eyes of some viewers, I think it was far outweighed by his musical style. American Idol is and always has been a pop music contest. Those that have come from other genres have consistently struggled to find a spot among the finalists. Even those with immense talent like Chris Daughtry or Jennifer Hudson failed to advance to the final stage of the competition because their styles were rock and R&B, respectively.

It is evident that Adam has a lot of talent and will likely continue to find success in the entertainment field. His flair for the theatrical and his vocal range is admirable. But in my opinion, his singing style harkens back to the 80's hair bands like Cinderella, Ratt, or Warrant. I don't know about you, but I could totally see him singing with Stryper! Rockers generally have not received the same kind of votes that the pure pop-driven contestants have.

Kris Allen is good-looking, has a likable personality and although he doesn't bring a lot of energy to the stage, he is a talented singer and musician. And, yes, I think the fact that he is a Christian who is a worship leader at his church certainly helped him among evangelicals. Once Danny Gokey was voted off, I think it clinched it for Kris. He probably carried the Christian vote and likely received the bulk of the votes from the teenage girls that vote en masse for this show.

Although it bills itself as a singing competition, American Idol has never merely been about singing talent. Personality, likability, potential for radio stardom, etc. all play a role. If American popular music was only about singing talent, none of us would know who Madonna Ciccone was. But on a competition like Idol, other factors come into play and people are going to vote for not only who the think is the best singer, but also who they most identify with.

Do we really expect the friends and family of contestants to not vote for them if deep down they don't feel like they're the best singer? Is it not okay for people from a finalist's hometown or home state to vote for them merely because they grew up in the same place? Of course not! So if we are to fault those that didn't vote for Adam because they believe him to be gay, then we would also need to fault those in the gay community that voted for him simply because they think he is. On the other hand, could we also determine that many that voted for Adam voted for him because they didn't want to vote for a professing Christian like Kris? I don't think it's fair to assume that.

Ultimately, there a number of factors that contribute to who wins on Idol each year. It would be difficult to single out one factor as to whether that is what made the difference. And just because the media fawns over a certain singer doesn't mean that's who the American public will vote for. My prediction is that Kris will record a pop album or two with limited success and eventually find a place in the Contemporary Christian Music market. Adam, who is probably best suited for the stage and live performance, will star on Broadway and make some pretty cool videos for his first studio album. Both these guys are extremely talented and I wish them all the best.

Lionel Richie and a Really Bad Sculpture

My family is sitting here watching the American Idol finale thoroughly enjoying the parade of music superstars that have joined the contestants for the final episode of the season. Idol typically does up the finale in grand style and it is clear that singers, both old and new, want to be on the show.

KISS just performed with Adam Lambert and I was reminded of how I was Gene Simmons for Halloween in the first grade. Sorry, Mom, but I'm just keeping it real.

Shortly before that, Danny Gokey sung the moving ballad "Hello" by Lionel Richie. Immediately, I thought back to the classic video for the song. I asked my wife, Lori, if she remembered it. And of course she had not since she did not have MTV or VH1 growing up. So every time I get nostalgic and say, "Hey, you remember that video for...?" she always responds, "No, honey, I don't remember any videos from the 80's."

Anyway, the storyline of the Hello video was that Lionel was a music teacher and was falling for this blind girl (Note: It was a seeing actress that was trying to act blind.) She makes a sculpture of him to show how much she cares. The sculpture (see above) is revealed and...looks nothing like Lionel Richie! There are three thoughts that come to mind when I see this sculpture (and none of them have anything to do with Lionel Richie):

1. Ch-ch-ch-chia!
2. "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
3. "Hey, isn't that Dan Dierdorf's bust from the Football Hall of Fame?"

If you'd like to see the complete video you can see it below. The sculpture shows up close to the 5:00 mark. Click here if the video player doesn't show up.



I don't know why but I really feel like dancing on the ceiling!

Living Above 'The Fray' of Christian Cliche'

One of the most promising bands to hit the music scene over the past few years is The Fray. Not only does this talented group produce great music, but they are also committed Christians. Along with a number of other bands like Switchfoot and P.O.D., The Fray seeks to have their music exposed to a much broader audience than those that would typically purchase music on "Christian" labels.

While reading up on the band I came across this interview that they did in Christianity Today a couple of years ago. While providing some background on the history of the group, lead singer Isaac Slade offers an interesting take on the band's purpose. Here's a segment of Stan Friedman's article:

"Critics have credited the band's success in part to their catchy hooks and melodies, but the power of Slade's lyrics also has been key to catapulting The Fray into the national limelight. How to Save a Life is filled with songs that tell stories of depth and emotion that go beyond the ever-present angst—and Christian—bands. The band members' lives were largely formed in Denver churches where they helped lead worship, and in the Christian school three of them attended. Slade, 24, and guitarist Joe King, 25, were several years ahead of drummer Ben Wysocki, 21, at Faith Christian Academy. Wysocki and guitarist David Welsh, 21, played in the same worship band.
The band avoided Christian record labels, saying God called them to the secular market instead. "I feel he would be disappointed with us if we limited ourselves," Wysocki says. Slade says he used to "write all Christian lyrics" until he had an epiphany while working a shift at Starbucks: "None of my friends outside the church understood any of my songs; we had a different set of vocabulary," he says. "So I went home and threw away all those songs." He adds, "If I handed somebody a double grande mocha latte and told them, 'Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life,' they might throw it back on me.
"If we grow up in the church, it's easy to think it's our Christian duty to preach to every single person because God is the most important thing. And he is, but I'm a musician first. This is my job. We're not pastors. We're not preachers. We're not even missionaries." Slade likens his job to any other. "If you're a painter, paint, but you don't have to have Jesus in every picture. Paint well, and if you paint well enough, they might ask you why you do that."

Within Christian circles there is often an expectation placed upon musicians to be more upfront and vocal about their faith than we expect from those in other professions. For example, we don't expect lawyers who are Christians to refer to Jesus in every opening argument, but we are often dismayed if a singer who is a Christian doesn't use the name of Jesus in every song. I am not at all saying that singers who are followers of Christians shouldn't refer to God in their songs. I would be disappointed if they didn't.

But what I am concerned is the desire of some of us to place Christians artists in a box and relegate them to the Christian subculture that we've created. There may be some that have a calling from God to minister to and encourage those that are already part of The Church and that is a great thing. However, there are others that have a calling to reach those outside of the Christian faith. In order to do this effectively they need to speak a language that the broader culture will understand and do so in a manner that points them to God.

As in any profession, musicians that are believers in Jesus need to work at their craft with excellence and seek to let their light shine wherever God leads them. Simple things like working hard, showing up on time, completing assignments and being a friend to co-workers are all things that honor God in the workplace. On the other hand, musicians have a platform that many of us don't possess. They have a voice that is heard by millions and opportunities to influence culture. Whether they are explicitly Christian in their lyrical content or they seek to raise questions that will cause people to seek spiritual answers, Christian artists should seek to live as God would want any of us to live. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

No matter if I claim the title of pastor or missionary or singer or plumber, my role as a Christian is to follow God each day and live in a manner that pleases Him. We are to seek ways that honor him and opportunities to make Him known by always being prepared to share the reason for the hope that is within us with gentleness and respect. (I Peter 3:15)

A Tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman

In asking everyone to pray for Steven Curtis Chapman and his family on the death of his daughter, I realize some of you may not be that familiar with his music and legacy within the contemporary Christian music industry. In addition to having sold over ten million albums, Steven has also won more Gospel Music Association Dove Awards than anyone in history (over 50 at last count), not to mention his five Grammys.

Generally considered one of the nicest guys in the Christian music scene, he's used his popularity to be an advocate for issues like adoption, Bible translation and concern for prisoners. He's also done some acting and appeared on a number of movie soundtracks. I remember when, a number of years ago, Steven was selected to be one of the presenters when they made the Grammy nominations. They had representatives from the different genres of music and there was Steven Curtis Chapman, the poster boy for nice guy Christians, standing next to Busta Rhymes, the popular rapper. He was bringing light to a mainstream stage and I know that he'll continue to do that with the platform he's receiving now the in midst of this tragedy.

Last year, in honor of winning his 50th Dove Award, a tribute was done in his honor. You can watch the video below to learn a little more about the man. If the video player doesn't show up, you can click here.



Technorati Tags: steven curtis chapman, dove awards

American Idol 'Shouts to the Lord'

I know this is over a week late, but I thought I would comment on what happened during the group song portion of American Idol during "Idol Gives Back" week. Since it has been covered extensively in the Christian blogging community over the past week and a half, I won't go into all the details of what happened. But at the end of the show, which focused on needs in Africa, the remaining contestants sang "Shout to the Lord", the popular Christian worship song by Darlene Zschech (pronounced "Check").

Now to those of us that are evangelical Christians, "Shout to the Lord" is an extremely popular song. In fact, it is currently the fifth most popular song in American churches today (according to the CCLI.) But for the general population, I doubt very few of heard of it. And now thanks to the makers of American Idol, tens of millions are familiar with the song.

There has been quite a scuttle about AI's choice to perform this song. Some argue that since it is a thoroughly Christian worship song, it has no place on a secular show with all the contestants having to sing it. On the other hand, some Christians are bothered because the opening line of the song was changed from "My Jesus, My Savior" to "My Shepherd, My Savior." Some thoughts...

1. I'm happy they did the song. I think that having a Christian song sung at the end of a night devoted to giving was appropriate. While other religions also are involved in giving, I doubt any other faith gives more time, money and resources to Africa than the Christian church. Obviously, the producers of the show were fine with it and that is why they performed the song. Another thoroughly Christian song, Amazing Grace, is sung all the time by non-Christians and nobody says boo about it.

2. Since American Idol is easily the most watched show in the U.S. right now, millions of viewers got exposed to a song (and possibly a genre of music) that they were previously unfamiliar with. I don't have any high and lofty notion that millions placed their faith in Christ the night the show aired, but my guess is that the iTunes ranking on Shout to the Lord went up dramatically in the days following the performance. And just maybe some of those people that bought that track, bought some others and might find a relationship with God as a result.

3. I do wonder why they changed the opening lyric. I'm not mad about it...just curious. I know the reasons why they changed it (not wanting to offend and all), but if you're gonna do the song, then do the song. Jesus has been mentioned in other songs on the show (e.g. just recently with Dolly Parton) , so why eliminate His name when it is in the context of adoration? For those of us that hold this perspective, we also need to be okay with it were they to do a song that refers to some other faith's deity (e.g. Allah, Krishna, etc.) In a pluralistic society, if we want our views expressed, we have to allow for others as well.

For some more complete insights on this, I suggest you check out Joshua Harris' blog. Josh is the author of the popular book, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye", and a very good friend of mine. No, I'm just kidding. I've never met the dude, but do check out his posts.

Technorati Tags: american idol, shout to the lord, idol gives back

The State of Christian Music

In a recent article in Christianity Today Online, author Patton Dodd has this to say about the current state of Christian Music,

"Show me an evangelical between the ages of 15 and 50, and I'll show you an evangelical who can tell this story (or something much like it): I used to listen to secular music, then I discarded it all and listened only to Christian music. Then I realized I didn't like much Christian music, so I slowly started listening to secular music again. Now I listen to the David Crowder Band in the mornings and Radiohead on the drive home."
You can read the rest of Dodd's article here.

I resonate with Dodd's viewpoint. As a church-going youth raised in a Christian home, I was exposed to some Christian music in my formative years. Some Michael W. Smith. A little Amy Grant. A smattering of Carman. And a bunch of music for old people. What I knew of contemporary Christian music (CCM) really didn't meet my tastes. For one thing, the quality of CCM back in the eighties was mostly inferior to what I heard on mainstream radio. Secondly, the type of music that I liked in high school and early college was primarily rap and R&B. Public Enemy. N.W.A. Run-D.M.C. Bobby Brown. Boyz II Men. That sort of stuff.

I wasn't exposed to any Christian music that I really liked until after I became a Christian in college and the Campus Crusade folks got ahold of me. I did get a BeBe & CeCe Winans tape as a first foray into gospel music during my freshmen year of college (and the only reason I got that was because I had seen one of their videos on BET). So after I started getting serious about my relationship with Christ, I thought that, as a good Christian, I should get rid of all my tapes with the "Parental Advisory-Explicit Lyrics" stickers on them. So I did that. But then I found myself asking myself, "So what do I listen to now?"

I went home to my parents for the summer after my sophomore year ended and I made a visit to the local Christian bookstore to see if I could find the type of music that I liked -- but with lyrics about Jesus. If you've ever tried to buy music by black artists at most mom & pop Christian bookstores then you know what I encountered. Let's just say that there was a paltry selection. So I bought the five tapes that had black faces on them (a few rap groups like Dynamic Twins, D.O.C., and Dawkins & Dawkins and a couple gospel/R & B groups like Commissioned) and headed home. And I dug this stuff. It was pretty good.

Then I started to develop "convictions" about what music I listened to. Not only did I get rid of all my "secular" music (I don't know why I thought Whitney Houston was that evil), but I also began to let other Christians know that they shouldn't be listening to that stuff either. They should be listening to good Christian music like Steven Curtis Chapman and Twila Paris. I suppose many young Christians go through that stage of legalism when you're trying to establish your walk with Christ and rid yourselves of the temptations of the world. There probably wasn't anything wrong with deciding to listen to Christian music exclusively -- I just probably shouldn't have told everyone else what I thought God wanted them to do.

So my "Christian music only" period went on for several years (And this was probably good for me. I needed to become grounded in my relationship with the Lord and didn't need to be filling my mind with some of the stuff that I had been). Then I gradually began to introduce other types of music into what I was listening to. I found that as I was maturing as a Christian, that some of the music that I used to listen to didn't affect me like it used to. I was able listen to a fun song on the radio without it negatively affecting my spirituality.

With CCM we have created a whole subculture of music by Christians that is for Christians. And this is not necessarily a bad thing. It's good for Christians to listen to music that is explicitly about God, even when we're outside of church. But when singers talk about wanting to use their music for ministry to non-Christians and then only do concerts in churches and at Christian music festivals and only have their CD's sold in Christian bookstores, I have to wonder how many non-Christians are they really reaching? There is a growing trend of Christian musicians who refuse to be identified as "a Christian band." It is not because they are ashamed of Jesus, but because they don't want to be associated with the Christian ghetto that the CCM industry has become. They know that some listeners may not give them a hearing if they are labeled as a Christian band.

I remember back when Jars of Clay had a huge mainstream hit with the song Flood back in 1995. They were instantly given an audience among non-Christians and they took advantage of it. They began playing gigs in bars and clubs and were living out Christ's admonition in Matthew 5 to let their light shine (Read the passage here). They never denied their faith in Christ, but were merely seeking to go to the types of places that Jesus did while He was on earth. And boy did they catch some grief from some Christians for this. They were accused of selling out, blah, blah, blah.

Look at what prolific church planter Neil Cole says:

"If you want to win this world to Christ, you are going to have to sit in the smoking section. That is where lost people are found and if you make them put their cigarette out to hear the message they will be thinking about only one thing: “When can I get another cigarette?”

I am concerned that we have created a Christian music industry that is so "positive and encouraging" that it doesn't address real life. It may be nice music, but it may not get to some of the nitty gritty of everyday life. I think that music that truly honors God is music that addresses all areas of life. Yes, we need to sing about Jesus and praise God and sing about heaven and all that stuff. But we also need to sing about heartbreak and love and disappointment. Just like a two-foot long sugar stick, some modern CCM is so candy-coated that it's hard to swallow. It's why I really like Christian artists like Nichole Nordeman and the late Rich Mullins. They sing God-honoring lyrics, yet they are able to sing about the real struggles of life. If Christian artists produce good quality music that addresses the whole of life, people will buy it.

I recently finished the book Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2 by Steve Stockman. Stockman does a great job of showing how this group has consistently had Christian themes in their music and is now having a tremendous influence in reaching out to the poor and oppressed all over the world. Before being so quick to judge Christian artists that are seeking to make an impact, maybe we should wait and see how God might use them. There have been a number of Christian singers in recent years that have found mainstream success that has opened new doors for them to share Christ with others. Let's pray for them instead of throwing stones at them.

Technorati Tags: christian music secular music U2 jars of clay