Chris Maxwell's Newsletter

Another Day Along the Way
Sunday, February 28, 2010

Another day,
The lady sat across the table from me. Our laughter, stories, and food brought smiles and honesty. We prayed. We thought. We listened. She wonders about her future and her dreams. She enjoys life but feels like she's staring into a world of the unknown.

The man walked beside me as he talked. A few of his dreams have been fulfilled. So many haven't. Yet. Will the dreams come true? When? How? Should they come true? Is the lack of accomplishment his fault? God's will? Whatever the reason, he feels he's living - more than ever before - with questions during this journey of the unknown.

The lady stood near me. She explained her vocation, her experience, her future goals. We talked business. We learned from each other's stories. We talked beliefs and family and spiritual development. And the weather. In her cities, my cities, and the city where our conversation occurred. But there was more. She, like so many, is seeking change during a season of uncertainty. So much is so unknown to her.

The student texted. He needed to talk. Quickly. About his present status, his long term goals, and his sense of so many unknowns shaping both his present and his future. He felt the need for change. Now. Too much is too unknown.

News. Finances. Emotions. Doubts and fears. Expectations and disappointments. Desires motivated to bring change face giants of uncertainty, regrets, disillusionment, and potential mistakes.

The fear of failure can lead toward not trying at all - which can be a failure. And, the stress of an unknown future can rob us of a joyful, peaceful assurance in the now.

The unknown. It's staring at us all. Will it promote our risks or prohibit them? Five years from today, will we look back and remember how a season of the unknown strengthened us? Or, will we pretend we're living with no questions at all?

Along the way,
Chris Maxwell

Powerful Statement: Grace is mystery, as God is mystery, which makes them both difficult to describe. (Dean Nelson, God Hides in Plain Sight)

Another Day Along the Way
Sunday, February 21, 2010

Another day,
During a recent discussion with a friend, I emphasized the importance of revisiting. Revisiting past experiences we seek to deny or avoid, revisiting healthy life seasons, revisiting songs or days or events. Revisiting conversations or confrontations, sermons or stories, smiles or tears.

I'll not go into detail, but offer just a few lines for a summary. Then, we'll join together - revisiting words from my past.

The reason for a healthy revisit or return isn't to dwell on past pain. We don't need to become obsessed by previous occurrences. Most of us fail by never moving beyond our past pain and mistakes. The purpose is to reinforce a willingness to move through, to endure, to forgive, to pursue new days in new ways. Or, to replay positives when love with God and others was more genuine, more pure, more real.

God invites us to return to our first love.

After that conversation with a friend, I decided to revisit words I wrote while studying how Jesus welcomed people around Him. In my busyness to lead and teach and write and mentor, I must never fail by forgetting what matters most. A revisit can help. It can reinforce. It can remind. And it can re-invite me to live as a recipient of the best invitation of all time.

Join me in revisiting words from Beggars Can Be Chosen:

"He see us as people, not as numbers. He knows each address, phone number, financial portfolio. The oil in our engines and the gas in our tanks. He knows our every thought. He even knows the hair on my head, how much has fallen out, how long it was during my preacher-can-still-find-ways-to-rebel days, how much my stylist cuts, and the rays of the suns reflection on my bald, bold head. What a view He has."

"We are individuals in His eyes. We have potential. He believes in what He can do with us."

Well, I need to re-read, remind, remember, receive, and reinforce my own words. I often fail to see myself through His glasses. My goal this week is to re-look. My goal is to remember.

Along the way,
Chris Maxwell

Prayer Surrendered: "God, I'm sorry for trying to make myself important."(Beggars Can Be Chosen, Chris Maxwell)

Another Day Along the Way
Friday, February 12, 2010

Another day,
The topic didn't put an immediate smile on my face. I could almost hear my stomach growl while planning the presentation. I wanted to pause the study, forget the subject, and drive down the road to order a pork sandwich plate. With chips. And red velvet cake.

But, I stuck to the subject. A subject discussed in Scripture and practiced through the years. A subject often misunderstood and applied improperly. A subject we need to remember and receive.

Fasting. Saying goodbye to food - or other things we normally depend upon - to invest time and dedication to prayer, intercession, petition, meditation, and devotion. Subtracting a portion of our normal routine in order to add more time with the Listener.

When hoping to help students learn, teachers have the honor of learning from their students. Our discussion regarding fasting taught me. The decisions students made revealed their passion, their willingness to pursue time with God, their dedication to Him.

We talked about giving up food, about biblical references, about historical understanding, about impure motives, about books explaining fasting, about seeking medical permission and advice, about other methods of fasting. The students made valuable decisions as they dedicated a spiritual addition through a willing subtraction of common, habitual routines.

Any guesses? Music. Text messages. Facebook. Twitter. Video games. Movies. Time with friends. And food.

Adding time with God by subtracting our routine can be healthy. It isn't seeking to improve our ranking or score religious points or lure God into action. It shouldn't take the place of caring for others. Scripture rebukes the fake effort toward religious stat sheets. Fasting is to never be seen as a means toward improving our spiritual grade. Or losing weight. But proper fasting is needed. It moves us away from what we normally do; it moves us toward a new place with a new mind and a new perspective.

So, take a little time to investigate your use of time. Subtract a little of your routine to add an experience with God. Ask. Seek. Knock. Listen. Think. Learn. Meditate. In silence, in petition, in intercession, in reverence. Removing the normal and entering the spiritual. Noticing the spiritual in the normal. Finding God in the nearby, the regular, the real. And choosing to value the importance of Him.

Give it a try.

Along the way,
Chris Maxwell

Powerful Statement: This physical awareness of emptiness is the reminder to turn to Jesus who alone can satisfy. (Spiritual Disciplines Handwork: Practices That Transform Us, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun)

Another Day Along the Way
Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Another day,
Some songs provoke laughter. Humorous lyrics hit the chords of fun and entertainment. There's nothing wrong with a smile or fun. A few tunes can do that.

Other songs invite listeners into new worlds. They might trigger a smile or a deep breath or a question. They inspire thoughts. They reinforce beliefs. Repeating phrases doesn't just sell a product for a commercial or give a few lines you'll always recall. The expressions articulate mystery; the rhythm leads listeners into deeper, thought provoking moments of spiritual formation.

Voyage, Christine Dente's new CD, provides that type of music. Christine and her husband Scott became well-known as the group Out of the Grey. Now, years later, Christine's writing and voice team again with Scott's music and production to invite us on a journey into a world and into ourselves - a voyage of reality.

Learn from Christine as you join in our conversation:

Chris Maxwell: What is the overall theme of the new CD?

Christine Dente: The overall theme of Voyage is one of intimate worship and wrestling prayer. A devotional book of Puritan prayers called The Valley of Vision inspired me to create these 10 songs.

I tried to blend classic piety with modern, distinctly Out of the Grey sounds, incorporating some of the old words like "thee" and "thou" with my ideas of what interesting pop music should sound like. Producers Scott Dente (my husband) and Ken Lewis created the mixture of electronic and organic elements that make this Voyage unique!

Chris: When audiences listen to that series of songs, what do you hope they learn?

Christine: I hope these songs remind listeners of God's holiness as well as his approachability. Our awareness of His AWESOMENESS makes the good news of His love and mercy all the more beautiful. Listeners have told me that this project takes some time to grow on them and then they can't stop playing it. So I also hope people will take the time to let it sink deeply into their souls and let the musical language speak to their hearts!

Chris: How does this CD compare to the earlier music of Out of the Grey?

Christine: I would say that this CD is distinct from earlier Out of the Grey in that it's as close to a worship record as we've ever come! But it is creatively closer to earlier recordings when we had less pressure to be "radio-friendly" and had more freedom to experiment. Now that we are "indie artists" the creative space is wide open!

Chris: Give us a description of your own spiritual formation and development.

Christine: I would describe my spiritual formation and development as "slow but sure." I did not grow up in a Christian home but had Christian influence all around me in my native Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I remember the Good News Club with felt-figures of Jesus and always knowing that He was the real deal. I think I actually avoided a lot of the pitfalls of "churched" kids who often end up spending their adult life unraveling the effects of bad theology. Much of my walk is the unraveling of the ravages of alcoholism, divorce and emotional abuse. (On second thought, bad theology may have been preferable.)

Telling my story in God's bigger story through music and recently, my weekly women's group, has been a huge part of my spiritual development. I have devoured Scripture and theological books my entire adult life; but, although I crave the INFORMATION, it has never been enough. I need more than just me and Jesus, a great book and a good cup of coffee. I am still learning to trust and invest my heart in community - experiencing the Lord through His people. Turns out I do need friends after all.

Chris: I've been able to spend time with your family. Update us on your children and provide your overall perspective about parenting in today's culture.

Christine: Our son Julian is nearly 18; our daughters, Carina and Chloe are 15 and 13. We've always been home-based educators (home-school, road-school, studio-school, etc.) with the many advantages and struggles of constantly being together. Many of my early ideals of parenting have held vibrantly true while others have mellowed to a softer hue of grace. For example, high expectations of obedience worked well for us and we have self-controlled and respectful children. On the other hand, my early expectations of what Christian education should look like have since given way to realistic accommodations to weariness, busy-ness and laziness. And to these three individuals whom I cannot and should not control!

I wish I could have kept our kids from the culture longer than we have because soon enough they face the world as it is. I do believe sheltering is important for a time, based on knowing who each child is.

But ultimately, I want to teach them to know the truth so well that they can recognize a counterfeit immediately. In other words, focusing on Christ and our relationship with Him will prepare them to be discerning and thoughtful people within, but not of, the culture. And they will be part of its transformation!

Also, we humans are always tempted to use the law/rules to control behavior, forgetting that the heart/motivation is what God looks at. So when I am tempted to try to control what they choose to watch on TV or how they use social media (I still do a lot of that), instead I focus on our relationships, the inward motivation and encourage them to learn to love Jesus.

Scott and I try to be transparent and we apologize to our children a lot. If he and I can live as honest, submissive, broken, forgiven and rejoicing Christians, this will go a long way in helping our kids live in such a time as this.

Chris: What do you see as you glance into the future? Your music and your other roles? Concerts?

Christine: We'd like to do more concerts so long as it doesn't involve travel :-) Actually, I have a lot of excitement about the future. Scott and I are still enjoying each other after 22 years of marriage and we would like to do some traveling when the kids are all grown. In this economic climate, touring at our level is tough but we'd like to showcase some of the new as well as the old music!

Chris: Let's go back to the CD. If you could pick three songs for everyone to hear, which would you pick? Why?

Christine: My three favorites are Voyage, Valley of Vision and The Mover. The first song sets the pace for the record, bringing out the turbulence of this seemingly chaotic life and reminding us of our desperate need for assurance: "Convert my every care to prayer, convince my heart you're really there and may the world this day be glad that I'm alive."

The second song highlights the paradox of the Jesus way: "Lord, in your wisdom, the way up is down and bearing the cross is wearing the crown."

And the third song, The Mover, has this flowing, jazzy, ghostly feel and it's all about the Holy Spirit, who doesn't "move men like stones but endues them with life, that they may be free to be moved by Thee."

Along the way,
Chris Maxwell


Powerful Statement: "Convert my every care to prayer, convince my heart you're really there and may the world this day be glad that I'm alive."
(Christine Dente, Voyage)

We invite you to purchase Christine Dente's Voyage:

www.christinedente.net is the place to go for a signed copy of the CD and also where you'll find song descriptions and lyrics!

Downloading folks can go to cdbaby.com or ITunes!