“Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure.” – Bill Schell

At least Starbucks got their promotion designed to spark discussion to really work, however I really do not see what the huge problem with this is. I feel that if a person thinks they know well enough who YHWH, God, Allah, et cetera is and what He’s about then there is a certain amount of arrogance, disrespect and lack of faith on their part. We don’t know nearly as much as we think we do.

What do you think?

Do yourself a favor and go here to download “Stories of a Street Sweeper: The Chronicles of Bruiser”:
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE STORY

DO IT NOW, RIGHT NOW!

Even better is the fact that every single band starts their spring ans summer tours and tons of new CDs get released.

Here’s some awesome shows coming up that I will definitely be attending:

Saturday, March 31 – Anberlin and Jonezetta with Bayside and Meg and Dia

Anberlin just released their newest CD called Cities and honestly except for the last two songs was somewhat lower than my expectations. However, the last song on the CD is called “*Fin, and is one of the most epic songs i have ever heard and gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Anberlin is known for having one of the best live, energetic, and craziest rock shows ever, so I’m planning on being there and taking pictures. Jonezetta is a great dance-rock band from my family’s hometown of Jackson, MS. I remember listening to them before they got signed.

Saturday, March 31 – Comeback Kid and It Dies Today

Comeback Kid is possibly the best punk/hardcore band out today. Its unfortunate they’re playing the same night as Anberlin, but I’m definitely gonna try and catch them.

Wednesday, April 18 – Brand New and Manchester Orchestra

Brand New’s latest CD called The Devil and God Are Raging Inside of Me has already won my nomination for best cd of the year 2007. I honestly don’t expect any other cd coming out this year to top it, except for maybe the new As Cities Burn CD coming out this summer. The Brand New disc actually changed my life, which is weird to say but music does that to me. It has the most faith and searching influenced lyrics I ever heard from a “non-Christian band”. The new Manchester Orcestra (an awesome indie band from downtown Atlanta) also has awesome faith based lyrics on their newest CD I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child.

Wednesday, May 2 – Thrice and Norma Jean with the Receiving End of Sirens

Thrice’s front-man, Dustin Kensrue, is quite possibly the best singer-songwriter from a faith band that is not in the CCM circle. Thrice’s last CD Vheissu is one of the most cohesive and well-written albums I have heard in my life, and I am eagerly anticipating their next album which is planned to be a 4-disk earth, wind, water, and fire concept album that I expect to set the stage for all rock albums to come because of its innovation. Norma Jean is also a live show that I have waited a long while to see.

Tuesday, May 15 – As Cities Burn and Cool Hand Luke with Olympia

As Cities Burn is a band that I’ve known for some time now as my cousin’s band used to play almost every weekend with them before they got signed. They recently lost their front-man though, and I’m excited to see what they sound like now. Their last CD was incredible, and even that is an understatement. Cool Hand Luke is another awesome indie-band with great faith-based lyrics.

Wednesday, May 16 -Underoath and Maylene & the Sons of Disaster

Maylene, a southern rock band from B-Ham, is finally going on tour with Underoath, which is something my friends and I have been waiting for for almost a year and a half now. The guys in Maylene are some sweet dudes, and have a special bond with me and my ex-band mates because they came upon the car accident where we lost our guitarist. Do yourself a favor and check out the song “Is That a Threat or a Promise?” on iTunes, which is the song they wrote about our loss and vocalist Dallas Taylor’s prayer as he watched the commotion at the accident scene.

If you havent checked out any of these band’s… DO IT. NOW. SERIOUSLY.

and come to a show!

Click here for trailer. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0490204/trailers-screenplay-E30807-10-2)

It looks really good.

Due to internal problems with the band as well as other situations, the band was forced to break up.

All i ask is that for any of you who have ever supported us in any way, whether by buying a shirt, one of our cds, paying to come to one of our shows, coming to one of our shows, listening to us on myspace or purevolume, talking to us in person, any of our close friends, anyone who knew mike, and all of you who are reading this, to come to one of these last two shows.

I know we can get in a last hurrah, and an awesome last show. please come support us.

January 13 at the Masquerade.
with Joshua’s Ghost, Silent Wars, and Typhoid Mary
7PM
$6

Buy a ticket from any of us, any time, message our myspace, or call us, just come help us have one last awesome show. I thank everyone one of you for everything you have done for us in the past 3-4 years since me and mike started this band.
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As for me, since I’m sure you all are wondering…

I will definately not be giving up music, and hopefully will try and get another project started up soon, though i will be taking a break from the “scene” (gay).

However, i plan to be able to devote more time to the youth and volunteering at churches in the gwinnett area. More important than any music i have ever made is the love of my Savior, Jesus Christ, who Mike and I both began this band for, and i will be pursuing that full-time. Mike’s life and tragic death is such a pure and wonderful story about the grace, love, and plans of God that it simply cannot be lost and forgotten with just the seperation of this band.

Sugar Hill United Methodist off of Highway 20 across from MOG Ford, has a youth service every sunday night at 6:30 that i lead worship at and occasionally speak (read: “message” or “sermon”), and i would love to see any of you there.

Seriously though, i am really excited for my future music endeavors and want you guys to keep a look out for them. I love you all and thank you so much for the support and time you have given this band from its inception with mike and i (and richard lyons, brad morgan, and ryan luce) to its finishing point on January 13th. please come out and give us an awesome going away show.

Love you all,
Blair Johnson

THAT IS ALL.

thank you and have a nice night.

Its a Shadowbrook Baptist Church in Suwanee, GA, and starts at 5:00 tonight and goes till 11:00 or so. Check it out.

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Where in the World is the Church?

I’VE BEEN in several meetings where we’ve been discussing the condition and future of the church in America . Many pastors are concerned about the watering down of the gospel today. In an effort to draw a crowd, we have failed to build churches. The church-lite culture, is fifty miles wide and two inches deep.

VANCE HAVNER SAID, “I used to say the world was going to the dogs, but I quit out of respect for dogs.” I wonder what he would say about the American church today. Many churches today would never have Havner or any prophetic voice in their pulpits. God forbid that anyone in the pew might feel the necessity to do something about sin.

EARLIER THIS YEAR, there was an Emergent Convention in Nashville . The Emerging Church movement is, at times, watering down the Word in an effort to attract people. Jesus attracted the people and He didn’t water down anything. Jesus died to bring people to Himself and to holiness. Jesus died for more than many are willing to live for.

SOME OF THESE CHURCHES don’t fit the New Testament description of a church, (unless you are talking about carnal Corinth ). They brag about their size, but where’s the spiritual impact? Why are over 90% of teenagers in America unchurched if these guys are doing such a great job connecting with the culture?

WE’VE GOT NUMBERS, technology, satellite sites, drama, podcasting, streaming video, great bands, exciting music, but where’s the breath of the Spirit? Where’s the unexplainable power of God? Where’s prayer? Where’s the call to holiness? Where’s the call to this materialistic age to sacrifice and serve?

IN MY OPINION, we’re serving up something less than the New Testament standard of Christianity. A factory second can have a designer label but in reality it’s nothing more than a cheaper, blemished version of a quality item. For many, church is more about being cool than having character. It’s about “rah-rah” more than righteousness.

THE GREATEST ISSUE I have with the Emerging Church is in an effort to be “cutting edge” they’ve cut off any ties to our heritage, historical roots and the saints of old who have paved the way along the way. They are moving fences without asking why they are there. The average church member today knows nothing of the faith of our fathers.

REGARDING THE LEADERS of the Emerging Church movement, one pastor said “They are whiney white boys who are mad at their dads, reject authority and think they can orchestrate change over coffee at Starbucks.” They are like the children of the 60′s who want to wave off every restraint in the name of “freedom” in Christ. They are so bent on being cool, they have forsaken the cross.

THIS IS MORE than a difference of opinion on style. These men and women are going beyond style changes. They are, in many ways, destroying the foundations. The original idea behind the Emerging Church movement (they don’t call it a movement, they call it a “conversation”) is to learn to relate to a postmodern world. There was concern about how “seeker” churches were going to relate to the younger generations.

IN THIS EFFORT, the question must be asked, “Are they raising up a generation of believers of whom the world is not worthy? Are they raising up prayer warriors? Are they raising up people with a hunger for holiness?” These are the questions we all must ask if we are seeking to build a church that is pleasing to Christ.

I HAVE A youth ministry background. We always had a separate youth service on Wednesday nights, but I never felt the need to disconnect from the rest of the body. We were still part of something greater than we were. When you start compartmentalizing a church, you will end up on a rocky road. The church for 2,000 years was together in “one place” – men, women, students, children, singles. There were no options regarding style. Everyone had to learn to get along. It was called submitting to one another. It had it’s basis in loving one another.

TODAY, we divide, hoping to connect. While I am the first to agree we are all different, we need to learn from one another. The younger need to learn from the older. The older need to invest in the younger. Today we’re raising a generation of kids in single parent homes who feel no connection to family or the church.

THIS ISSUE IS, by and large, a materialistic western culture issue. You won’t find it in a third world country where being a Christian is life or death. We must not cave into a spirit of preference. What we need is a spirit of deference. Each person, needs to die to self, learn to respect others, learn to relate to other generations and learn to bow together at the cross.

THE SEEKER MOVEMENT sought to make lost people feel comfortable in church. The Emerging Church movement seeks to have the “Burger King philosophy” of church, “Have it your way.” When we set up the church to please people, we’ve stopped being the church. We’re only a social club with a religious label, and ministers become lobbyists, trying to get donors and favors.

BRIAN McLAREN, one of the key leaders of the movement says, “When you have a liberal way of being a Christian and a conservative way of being a Christian that are both modern, and modernity is over, you’ve got to find another way of being a Christian.” I guess Brian thinks the omnipotent, sovereign God of glory needs his help. I guess He doesn’t consider a Scriptural approach a valid “way of being a Christian.”

I KNOW what he’s saying, but I don’t agree with his conclusions. I’ve been in the church all my life. There is nothing “Christian” about the way many of our churches act or do business. These emerging church leaders are reacting to the junk they saw growing up in the church. Maybe they aren’t sick of church, but they’re sick of business meetings, committees and deacon possessed churches that run off pastors at a whim. Their frustrations may be valid, but their conclusions are wrong. They are going too far. They’re stretching the rubber band to the breaking point. The pendulum has swung too far. Some even say we don’t need church at all. Any philosophy that emerges that de-emphasizes the church is from the pit of hell.

MY CONCERN is this: a whole generation is being influenced by guys who “use” the Bible, but don’t study it. They do not have convictions; they have opinions. They don’t wait for a word from God; they get with a team and put together a “talk.” In a day of moral confusion and relative thinking we need a word from the Lord.

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Hm. I myself support and understand what the Emerging Church is doing. And what I think is intteresting about this article is that whoever writing it is not telling people the exact basis of the Emerging Church, about their standpoints and what not. Which is the exact reason why Christianity is going down the pooper. Basing it back on Christ is what the Emerging Church is doing. By new kind of Christian, I believe McLaren meant one that is focused on Christ, since obviously no one is any more.

Instead of badmouthing something and giving it a false name maybe the facts should be presented before somebody says all of these things… just like maybe the basics and facts and truths of Christianity should be prevalent before sermons are given about other pointless things. Beacuse thats whats wrong with Christianity, every sermon is not based on Christ anymore, and the wonderful truth of his life and his attitude and his love is nowhere to be found. Much like happened in this article: (though not to the same degree of course) If the information is skewed and completely skipped over and the basic is not shown and the truth is not there, HOW CAN YOU EVER EXPECT ANY SINGLE PERSON TO BELIEVE THE REAL TRUTH?!

I was riding a high, I was completely ecstatic and emotional and all of these other words that I can’t think of right now. Sunday, I was privileged to be able to speak at the youth service, Qara, at the church I volunteer at in Sugar Hill. Its Sugar Hill UMC, and my main duty there is leading worship for that service, but as I’ve been led to be a ‘Youth Pastor’ of sorts, I felt it was time to step my foot into the warm waters of giving sermons. Summed up, I was able to give the message Sunday night, and it was freaking awesome. I was there, for what I thought was to teach and touch some kids, and I hope to God I was able to do that, but I ended up teaching myself and being touched by God when I didn’t expect for either to happen. It was my first time speaking in front of that many people, so I was a little shaky, though not as nervous as I thought I would be, I was quite repetitive. What can I say though, for a first time, I only stumbled over three words/phrases, and I’ll only get better at public speaking the more I do it.

God’s been opening up some awesome doors for me, and He’s opened up my eyes quite a good bit recently. It just goes to show that the more you seek after Him and to learn from Him, the more He will teach you and the more He will show himself to you.

Honestly, I’m purely ecstatic. Praise God for giving me the ability to do things that 2 years ago I would have thought were crazy.

As I said in my last dysfunctional blog, by the end of the week I should have a typed copy of it up on here so that you can read it if you weren’t there. As well, me and the Dresdow will be making a ‘Qara Myspace’ as well as a podcast soon, although by soon, I might mean in a month. Bear with us.

Let me show you what He has done for me,

Blair