Justin & Jesus

It's March 1st! I know that actual warm weather may still be a few weeks off but the fact that it's finally March means spring is getting closer!! This makes me deliriously happy.

And apparently it's Justin Bieber's birthday today. I only know this because of Twitter and Facebook. Now I'm no stranger to teen pop star mania (though when I was in high school it was a boy band named New Kids on the Block that girls in a frenzy - literally), but Justin Bieber is everywhere!

Justin turned 17 this year. An age where teens are usually finishing up their junior years, moving towards graduation, making plans and having fun with friends. Justin spends his time with millions of screaming fans, surrounded by an entourage and vacationing with his older girlfriend. It's such an alternate world. And I can't help but wonder about the different reception Justin Bieber would get vs. the reception that Jesus would get.

Jesus was followed around by crowds, too. I'm reading through the Gospel of Mark right now and it mentions on multiple occasions that the "crowds pressed in" on Him. Desperate, hurting people. Many of them sick, looking for a miracle. Jesus called them "sheep without a shepherd" and He had compassion on them. People seek out what they need, and the people in Jesus' day recognized that Jesus had something that they lacked. So they pursued Him. He healed many people, set them free from demons and taught them God's ways through stories. Jesus had words of life and he freely gave to those that sought the truth.

Justin Bieber does claim to be a Christian. I can only hope that he really means what he says. And that he stays the course. But I think I'm a bit more concerned about his legions of fans. All of the swooning. All of the ... idol worship. I realize that most of his fans are young...Beliebers. But no matter what our age, we are told:

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4;23)

There's nothing wrong with liking his music, even admiring him as an "artist" or an individual - but your heart? Your worship? That should belong to God alone. So next time you react to a Bieber sighting, think about it - do you react that way when you spend time with God?

And for those of you beyond the Bieber years:-) There are many other things that begin to vie for our worship - maybe a guy? Maybe a job? Maybe a dream?

To whom does your heart truly belong?

Thoughts?

Sarah Anne Sumpolec is a speaker, writes teen fiction, including the Becoming Beka series, blogs at her website: a naked faith and can be found on twitter as well.

Worship songs - fast or slow?

Camy here, talking about worship songs.

I lead worship for the youth group at our meetings on Saturday nights, and last weekend one of the high school girls requested a song they’d learned at JEMS Mount Hermon, a yearly set of Christian camps for families, singles, and teens.

The song is “The Words That You Say,” and she got me the link for a YouTube video of the song. The song was played slowly, so I intended it to be sung slowly.

But my pianist said it was supposed to be faster and upbeat. I think that’s how it was sung at Mount Hermon, but since I hadn’t been at the high school camp and didn’t hear the worship there, I just went by what she said.

So we played it fast. It’s actually quite good with an upbeat tempo, I think.

But then after worship, I got a “gentle complaint” from another teen (although he went to college camp, not high school camp, but he’s familiar with the song) who said the song was too fast. He even said the speed was kind of distracting from the words.

Now I’m completely confused. Since I never heard the song played at Mount Hermon high school camp, I can’t say for sure how it’s supposed to be played. Some teens like it fast, others apparently like it slow.

I can’t please anybody!!!!

I admit, there are some worship songs I really enjoy played with a good beat. The first that comes to mind is “Open the Eyes of My Heart.”

I went to a SonicFlood concert years ago and they opened with that song, and it was so powerful and worshipful played with a strong drum beat and loud electric guitars, that I’ll never forget the incredible feeling of God’s presence as we stood and sang and worshipped.

To see You high and lifted up
Shining in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy ...

Other songs are often played fast, but I prefer them slow. I like “I Want To Know You” played ... well, not slow, certainly, but not super speed, either. The words to that song are so powerful that I enjoy singing them--and meaning what I sing--rather than rattling them off to a fast beat.

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

How about you? Slow or fast?

Camy Tang lives in San Jose, California. She previously worked in biology research, and she is a staff worker for her church youth group. She runs the Story Sensei critique service, and her latest Asian chick lit novel, Only Uni, released in February. Join her newsletter YahooGroup for monthly Christian fiction giveaways!

Brave

Camy here, talking about being brave.

This past week on my blog, I posted the lyrics for a Nichole Nordeman song that inspired me while I was writing my novel, Only Uni.

I love this song because it talks about how we don’t need to know it all, and we can still be strong believers in Christ. The world can think we’re completely loco, and it doesn’t matter because God is with us.

I admit I struggle with this. As much as I tell myself it doesn’t matter what other people think, helllooooooooo, yes it does matter. I don’t like it, but I can tell myself to ignore it all I want and still I won’t feel any different, I’ll still feel self-conscious.

Worship is my worst area for this. I’m pretty sure no one is going to think anything if I stand or raise my hands or even if I dance around the sanctuary (although I’d probably trip over some lady’s walker if I did that). But something inside me holds back and I just sit there meekly and sing the songs.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always want to raise my hands or stand, but sometimes I feel a push in me to do it, and I ignore it.

At other times (and this is totally perverse of me, but I’ve gotten used to my illogic), I wonder if I feel like I ought to raise my hands because God would want me to, or it would be expected of someone who was a true Christian—not because I really want to raise my hands. You know what I mean?

At the same time, I know that God moves me in other ways, outside of worship at church. He moves me during worship team practices before youth group meetings. He moves me in the shower. He moves me when I’m listening to music during the day. Then, I raise my hands and sing with some gusto.

God also makes me brave in other areas—in telling my teen girls some hard things about their spiritual lives, or their choices. In writing hard things in my fiction. In confessing hard things to my Bible study group or my prayer group.

Why can’t I be brave at church and raise my hands? At the same time, why is it so necessary for me to do that at all?

Is it wrong not to be moved during worship at church? Is that irreverent for me to even ask that?

Well, I have church today (I’m writing this the night before). I’ll talk to God some during service and see if He has an answer for me.

Camy Tang lives in San Jose, California. She previously worked in biology research, and she is a staff worker for her church youth group. She runs the Story Sensei critique service, and her new Asian chick lit novel, Only Uni, just released this month. Join her newsletter YahooGroup for monthly Christian fiction giveaways!