For anyone who has known me for any period of time, the above heading should come as no surprise. Pearl Jam is my favourite band and has been so for a long time. Whenever a new album is coming out, or for the 6 months or so before they are touring, I'll tell everybody - There's a new PJ album coming out! Pearl Jam are touring! I'm going to be seeing them in however many days, etc.
I have their T-shirts, posters, CD's, Vinyls, cassette tapes, official bootlegs of every concert I've seen and then more. I know useless details about the history of the band, and can recite the story about the formation of the band.
When I hear a particularly favourite line in a song, sometimes I'll text that line to an equally obsessed friend so they can share in the joy I have in hearing that song.
And I'm proud of that, I'm not ashamed to be a Pearl Jam fan and I'm not afraid to tell anybody.
But when I look at my Christianity, it's hard for me to make parallels. Why is it that we can tell anyone and everyone about the worthless things that we love but when it comes to the one thing that matters, it's so much harder?
Wouldn't it be great if in what I said above about Pearl Jam, I could consistently say the same things about my faith? I'll spend however much to see them 3 times in one week, yet I'll shirk at spending money on a resource for ministry or giving to the needy.
So, less spreading my love of Pearl Jam, and more spreading the love of God that we can have in Jesus.
If you want to know more, drop me an email or check out www.matthiasmedia.com.au/2wtl/.
...and once you've checked that out, check out www.pearljam.com for a great band :)
5 comments:
Hey DJ!
In the latest issue of The Briefing there is a blurb which basically suggests that whatever you talk about most of the time is your gospel. What would an observer conclude was my gospel?
I am ashamed to say that it probably wouldn't be the death and resurrection of Jesus but maybe the superiority of the West Wing as a TV show (well at least it's not Pearl Jam.... sorry mate)
Love your work.
I love new Christians cos the gospel is such a natural part of how they talk about their life.. like little children they haven't learnt to be ashamed.. I am working on weaving God talk into the natural way I talk about my life.. but it just isn't as easy.. like you said.. it is so much easier to talk about our other loves.. but hopefully they are not my heart or my gospel..
okay DJ,
when's the next installment... don't let your blog fall into the abyss of the non-blogging blogger...
the other thing to note that often what speaks volumes is not your words, but actions - the not swearing, the not having burnt music etc. all point to a difference, that is the springboard to the gospel.
I think in today's western world, the outspoken approach isnt as well received - though this might be my own fears trying to reason away my responsibility. I have always felt I show Christs love by my actions and the actions are where God gives me the opportunities to share Him. But then again God challenges all of us differently - I guess as long as you follow his will, you can do no wrong...
Dan, Dan, where are you?
We need your wisdom.
Blog, blog, blog.................
Hi DJ,
I don't think you'll ever get around to reading this, considering your blog has unfortunately fallen into the abyss of non-bloggered blogs :'( *until further notice*
But I wanted to say:
Having just finished Matthew for the 3rd time, understanding that Jesus is GOD and therefore independent of the human construct of time, our Lord says some pretty crazy things.
Matthew 24:3-14
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,[a]' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
-- The end will come when every nation has heard the gospel. When I read this first time through I had a mental blank, which often happens when I don't understand something. In this case, I didn't want to understand what Jesus was saying to me, it was just too intense. But it's in there, the urgency is great and soon the end will come, and we'll have no more excuses.
So that's how I push myself. I want to learn how to be an effective evangelist. Right now I rely on the power of the Holy Spirit when I strategically place myself in non christian-friend making contexts. At Mac I went out surveying, asking questions like: "Do you ever think about spiritual things?" to "If you were to die tonight, what do you think would happen to you?"
I digress.. hope to talk to you soon. Miss your blogs :(
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