WithoutWax.tv by Pete Wilson | Archive | August, 2011
Archive - August, 2011

Ted Dekker on Creativity, Dance, and Imagination

August 31, 2011 in Friends, Leadership with 11 Comments

Hands down “STORY” is one of the most creative, challenging and all around most exciting conferences out there. The theme for 2011 is IMAGINE NATION which speaks to the power of spiritual imagination. In Exodus 35, the artist of Israel came together to build a dwelling place for God. They carved poles, fashioned gold, and constructed curtains “with cherubim woven into them by expert hands.” The job of these artists was to envision the Kindgom and use their gifts to heighten peoples spiritual imaginations. An Imagine Nation.

Join a tribe of creative artists attempting to learn more about their craft, story telling, and imagination. One of the story tellers at STORY this year is NY Times best-selling author Ted Dekker.  Dekker’s novels have sold over 5 million copies worldwide and I’m excited to share this interview we did with Ted.

1. What is your best personal definition of a STORY?

A story is an exploration, a clawing at the cracked earth of my experiences in search of a well of life that’s buried somewhere below the surface.

2. What is one way you have found to grow or engage your imagination?

Experiences. I write to explore and discover so I go in search of life. I immerse myself in living because it’s out of that that story emerges.

3. In your experience what is the best nontraditional form or STORY telling you have seen, heard, or experienced?

I don’t know if it’s non-traditional, but I would say dance. No doubt about it. It is one of the purest forms of expression that can communicate humanity in truly unexpected ways. It moves me like nothing else can.

4. If you could encourage a creative person with one tip on being imaginative what would you tell them?

Be fully awake and pay attention. The most imaginative people in the world simply observe life more closely than everyone else and are willing to ask honest questions.

5. What is one thing you are excited about sharing with the tribes attending STORY 2011?

I’m most excited about encouraging them to discover life through their art by telling the truth. A lot of art created today, particularly by people of faith, borders on propaganda. It’s created with an agenda in mind other than telling the truth.

If you’re a writer, filmmaker, artist, performer, entrepreneur, church leader, communicator, or other type of creative, you won’t want to miss STORY 2011.To register, visit HERE or if you need a little more information visit the STORY site.

So we asked this question to Ted but I would love to get your thoughts…

If you could encourage a creative person with one tip what would it be?

The 6 Biggies

August 30, 2011 in Spiritual Growth with 66 Comments

If you know anything about me or my ministry you know I have a real desire for the church to work together instead of tearing one another apart. I’m done with the finger pointing and cheap shots. However, if there is ever going to be unity we do need to be aware of the issues that divide us and be committed to talking through our differing opinions in Christ like ways.

I read an interesting article on Relevant.com that identified the six things that divide Christianity. You can read the entire article HERE but they were…

1. Homosexuality. This is an explosive issue and is only going to get more explosive within the Christian church in the years to come. It’s the single biggest challenge facing the Church…

2. Universalism. The recent blow-up over Rob Bell’s Love Wins is just the tip of the iceberg on this one. Shortly after Justin Taylor’s first “shot heard round the world” post about “Universalist?” Rob Bell, theologian Scot McKnight wrote on his blog that “Universalism, or at least the prospect of it, is the single most significant issue running through the undercurrent of evangelicalism today…

3. Politics. The hyper-partisan atmosphere (fueled by a media that feeds on divisiveness) of contemporary politics has already wreaked havoc within Christianity, where Christian leaders and many churches seem to be more vocal about aligning with one or the other side of the political spectrum…

4. Evolution. This has been a divisive issue for a long time, and continues to be…

5. Women in Ministry. Evangelical writers and students like to talk about this issue in terms of “egalitarian” vs. “complimentarian,” but essentially it’s a debate about the role of women in church. Can they be leaders? Pastors? What kind of pastors? Are there distinct roles for men and women, both in the married relationship and in the church…

6. The Internet. This may seem like a strange thing to blame for divisiveness, but I’m more and more convinced that the Internet and its accompanying glut of niche communities, insular blog networks and an almost requisite mode of mud-slinging discourse has caused all sorts of fragmentation and dissension in the Church…

Thoughts? Would you add anything to the list?

Total Randomness

August 29, 2011 in Random Fun with 64 Comments

I’m having a hard time gathering my thoughts this morning for a decent blog post so I’ve decided to just emotionally throw up on you. Here’s what’s rattling around in my mind this morning.

  • Saw a special screening of the movie “Machine Gun Preacher” based on the real life story of missionary Sam Childers. Wow! Watch the preview HERE. As fate would have it, Sam was in Nashville on Sunday and I had the opportunity to sit down with him for a couple hours. His story is absolutely fascinating. The movie comes out in late September and we plan on showing my entire interview with him a couple weeks after the movie releases.

  • Spoke at the Titans pre-game chapel on Saturday. What an amazing group of men. Sometimes I forget that they’re human like us and facing all the same spiritual battles we face. So excited to know that God is moving powerfully in some of their lives. I know professional athletes often get a bad rap, but these were some of the most spiritually hungry, respectful men I’ve ever spoken to. EVERY single player there came up and introduced themselves to my son, Jett, before they left. Made his day.
  • These are special days at Cross Point. Over 1,000 people signed up for a community group last week. Yesterday, we announced that some 3,000 Cross Pointers served in a local or foreign mission project last year. So much fun to watch them change the world. Can’t wait to hear each of the campus pastors lay out their specific campus visions this Sunday.
  • Ever been so tired you can’t sleep? Went to bed after midnight and woke up at 3:30. Uggghhhhh.
  • Excited to be speaking at Long Hollow’s staff retreat today. Their pastor, David Landrith, is a mentor and friend. He’s one of the best leaders/pastors I’ve ever met.  I’m so proud of that church and the impact they’re having here in Nashville.

Okay, enough about me. :) Tell me something exciting that you did this weekend?

Deciding Not To Decide

August 26, 2011 in Leadership with 23 Comments

I’ve been in one of those seasons where I feel God is teaching me so many things about church leadership, and leadership in general for that matter.

My most recent lesson has to do with decisions.

I’ve always thought a strong leader was a leader who could make a fast and informed decision about anything at anytime. I thought this kind of decision making would help you achieve a irreplaceable position in the organization.

And it might.

But it’s horrible for the developmental culture of your organization.

Making all of the decisions does nothing to help develop other leaders or make them feel like they’re an important part of the process and furthermore it continues to feed your self deception that you’re actually the smartest person in the room.

So these days when faced with a really important decision that needs to be made I’m learning to respond with a simple question.

What do you think?

Amazing how that one question…

-develops ownership
-generates better ideas
-creates extra time for you to focus on what only you can focus on

Don’t be afraid to let go of your need to control your own life. Decide not to decide.

I’m finding all kinds of uses for this principle at work, in my marriage and with my kids.

So let’s all say it out loud together….What do you think?

Anyone else struggle with a few control issues?

Being Fully Present

August 25, 2011 in Spiritual Growth with 11 Comments

I was reminded the other day of something I had read in The Shattered Lantern by Ronald Rolheiser. He said…

The original sin of Adam and Eve, the prototype of all sin, is presented as a failure to be receptive and grateful.

Just think about it for a second. God creates Adam and Eve and places them in the garden where they are surrounded by unmistakable beauty and all the goodness of life. They are experiencing the fullness of life, the way it was intended to be and are promised it will continue…under one condition. Just don’t eat the fruit of a certain tree.

However, we all know they would eventually fail to receive life as a gift and instead try to seize it as if it were owed to them.

When I think of my own life and the sin that often creeps in, it usually begins with my failure to see life as a gift.

My lust.
My pride.
My anger.
My lack of forgiveness.

It’s all the overflow of a heart which begins to believe that something is “owed” to me and it keeps me from being fully present and appreciative of what I have.

I’m wondering how different today would be for each one of us if we seek to go through this day to day viewing our life, our circumstances, our relationships, and yes, even our hardships and challenges as gifts. As opportunities to be the men or women God has created us to be.

Today I seek to be receptive, grateful and simply present.

Visit CatalystConference.com

As you know I’m a huge fan of the Catalyst Conference and all God is using them to accomplish. This year’s Catalyst Atlanta conference, Oct 5-7,  has an amazing theme of “Be Present.” I can’t wait to see how these two amazing days help us learn to “be present” in our lives and ministry. Today, August 25th, is the early bird deadline for Catalyst conference so if you haven’t already, jump over there and register today.

Hope Of The Broken World

August 24, 2011 in Friends with 94 Comments

When we first started a church in Nashville I had people repeatedly tell me that local artists, especially Christian artists, would be too stuck up and cynical  to ever serve inside the church. People said, “They might attend from time to time but they’re too busy doing their own thing to contribute to the church.”

I’ve got to say in the almost nine years of Cross Point I’ve never found something to be so untrue in my life. We have artists that pull back into Nashville at 5:00 a.m. on a tour bus and step off the bus and come straight to Cross Point to volunteer playing for multiple services! We used to have a drummer who had a hard time getting up early enough for rehearsal so he would sleep in his car outside the church on Saturday night so we could wake him up on Sunday morning. Now that’s dedication.

The artists in Nashville, whether they be musicians, photographers, authors, songwriters, or vocalist, have been instrumental in what God has done here over the years.  They’ve contributed in so many unique and memorable ways.

I bring all of this up because two of my great friends from Cross Point, Todd Smith and Alan Hall, are the founding members of Selah and their latest CD came out yesterday.

They have to be the most humble,  down to earth guys I’ve ever met and I’m so proud of the way God is using them. They’ve sold  over 2.5-million-albums and have won the Dove Award for “Inspirational Album of the Year” four stinking times.

“Selah’s latest album, Hope of the Broken World (Curb) is a celebration of the hope Todd Smith, Allan Hall and Amy Perry have discovered through surrender to God, and a testimony to the group’s collective desire to share these stories of hope with broken people through music.

With Hope of the Broken World, Selah recognizes their opportunity to relate with and help listeners heal through songs that poignantly contrast worldly hurt with spiritual hope. “We don’t know what people need when they put in a Selah CD, or when they come to a concert,” Amy humbly discloses. “We just want God to use us.” Allan agrees. “We have always wanted to comfort hurting souls. I wear it as a badge of honor that our fans are broken people who say our music speaks to them because we don’t shy away from loss or suffering.”

I’m so proud of my friends and super excited to be able to give away 5 Free copies of Hope Of A Broken World today.

In order to be entered into the drawing answer this,

What’s the last CD (or song on iTunes) you actually purchased?


Criticize By Creating

August 23, 2011 in Church Leadership, Leadership with 23 Comments

I was talking with a friend recently who reminded me of the quote from Michelangelo that says, “Criticize by creating.”  If you know me at all you know I’m passionate about the church changing the world.  At times I’ve been called naive about this matter, but I really do believe it’s possible.

However, I think one of the greatest obstacles to the church bringing about wide spread change in this world is our constant desire to tear one another down.

We’re in the middle of a vision series right now at Cross Point entitled “Together We Will.” In this series we’ve tried to focus on getting back to the basics of the original vision God gave us for our church.  If we could just focus on Jesus and his call to “love God and love people” we wouldn’t get so jacked up about whether we have a….

choir or worship team

lights or candles

hymnals or powerpoint

robes or v-necks

guitars or pianos

video or live

big or small

missional or attractional

Listen, I know there are changes that need to be made in the context of our churches and the greater Kingdom of God. I know there are things that drive you crazy. But please, criticize by creating, not by standing on the sidelines and firing your arrows.

Jesus Prayed…

John 17:  20“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

We’ve got a lot of work to do in this area, don’t we?

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