4 Life

I allow my oldest to control the radio in the mornings on our way to school. It was a bad decision when we had satellite radio and ALWAYS listened to Radio Disney. Then it was only a 5 minute commute to school and then 5 more minutes to work with the youngest, still listening to Radio Disney. That was bad. Now is worse. I don't know what I would call it. It's like pop rap. It's not pop and it's not rap ... The words flying by so quickly. I don't even know what they're saying, except when they silence out a word or string of every other word -- Even though it's silent I can figure it out.

It's the same kind of stuff they play at The Rush (except they evidently only paid for 10 songs that they play over and over again). Even though it's bad music at The Rush, I can put in my ear phones and crank up some good tunes (I'll share in a later blog post about my work out music selection ... something to look forward).

Not so in the car. I am captive. Every once in a while I will use the time for a teaching moment when I hear something particularly offensive. My oldest is open to these discussions which I appreciate. At his age I probably wasn't quite as receptive (mom doesn't have internet, she can't add comments).

It has only gotten slightly worse since my oldest has discovered that he can "mix" the sound on the car stereo. Please note this is a Saturn L300. It is by no means a jam machine. Nonetheless, my oldest can get the bass low enough to emit a slight "thumping." So when Dev's Bass Down Low comes on we do thump, some.

Today I was half listening to the radio, when I caught a lyric (again it is rare). It was "'cause everybody dies but not everybody lives, ah!" "Ah!" indeed I thought. I tried to get some of the other lyrics to see what she was really "singing" about (I'm not convinced Bass Down Low doesn't have some other meaning). I asked my oldest about the song. He didn't know the title but did tell me it was Drake. My response was, "Is this Drake singing?" It was the question that got me the "you have got to be kidding me look." I knew I had crossed some parent stupidity line so I dropped it.

Online, this morning, I found it. It's Moment 4 Life evidently by Drake but sung by Nicki Minaj, how could I have been so stupid. I began reading the "clean" lyrics (which should have been a clue to "stupid"). They started off well: I fly with the stars in the skies / I am no longer trying to survive / I believe life is a prize / But to live doesn't mean you're alive. Then it talks about slaying Goliath with a sling ... that she's not lucky "I'm blessed." Then it really falls off a mountain.

BIT: I was still thinking about our fantastic youth leading worship services yesterday, when the Moment 4 Life song came on the radio. We had 5 messages spread over two worship services that focused on "Walking with Jesus". Each young person shared about how they were striving to always (24/7/365) walk with Christ. Each was a different story. All were powerful. To Sarah White, Joe Wasileski, Ashley Wilcox, Nicolas Henderson, and Caroline Dyer, I say thank you for sharing your witness in such an inspiring way. I know I would not have been able to do what you all did on Sunday when I was your age. To all those who read scripture, lead us in prayer, played and sang (wow! Amanda Cleveland, Erin Lewis, and Jordan Kirchner -- that was recordable kind of music, what a blessing!)

I came away with two things from worship on Sunday. One, I am so proud to be a part of a congregation of such talented, inspiring, devoted followers of Jesus Christ (pinch me, it says on my door that I am the Lead Pastor of such a group). The second thing was that walking with Jesus is really about light and life. Whoever wrote, "'cause everybody dies but not everybody lives, ah!" got that part right. Life is a prize. Paul wrote about the prize (Philippians 3:12). To live doesn't mean your alive. Again, Paul wrote in Philippians 1:21, "to live is Christ." So, while Nicki Minaj is singing about rising from the bottom of her life to what she thinks is the top - her "empire." What is she listening to? Is she held captive in a car with some questionable music, or what?

I'm going to put my money on our youth, because I believe they've discovered what is truly life -- a life built on the one who said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (btw, that's Jesus in John 10:10)

BITTER: Nick White, with those smooth dance moves, You my friend are way cool, like Jesus! My heads still bobbing ...