LightsOut is non-profit 501c3 organization, seeking to provide soul-care to those serving under the lights. We provide a consistent pastoral presence in the lives of artists, speakers & bands who are consistently away from theirs. Wherever our lives intersect with theirs, we work to share with them elements of hope, help & health.
If you want to know more, email us at Info @ LightsOut.me or visit at www . LightsOut . me
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
It's a long drive to Nashville
Hi. It’s Dave here. A few weeks ago, in the middle of the afternoon, I got a phone call while running some errands. It made me smile because I knew the artist calling, and enjoy talking to this person. We chatted about several light-hearted topics, made a few jokes, and then there was an awkward pause in the conversation, followed by an apology from the caller for switching the tone of our talk. “…..I’m sorry to call like this, I am, uh.. Just driving to Nashville and, um, getting MORE and MORE angry as I think about the meetings I have with my (record) label, and I thought, who could I call to help me out… I’ll call Dave! I figured this is why you drive all over in the summer hanging out with us, right?” I was so surprised, but so thankful to God for this opportunity to walk with this artist through some tough questions that were being asked– a defining moment in thinking about who God had wired them to be, about integrity even at the cost of album sales, about living the kind of way that Jesus calls each of us to live. This was a significant conversation. It was significant because it was about faith, life, art, and the weaving together of each of those things amidst trying to support one’s family, trying to survive in an industry that is at the same time shrewd business and also supposed to be God-honoring. Sadly, those two elements don’t always see each other, and that can really mess with someone trying to navigate the Christian Music world honestly while not getting chewed up by it. This significant conversation happened because of the relationship building from this summer, from this fall. It wasn't some task we were trying to accomplish, some formula we'd tried to implement, not some 3 step plan with an outcome based strategy involved. It came as a result of our family opening our home and giving space when asked, of providing food or prayer or just practicing presence and being near physically and/or spiritually. It was significant for me, but I’m reminded– it can be that same way for ALL of us with ALL of our conversations if we are ALL willing to put in our treasured time and simply share life with others- the kind of thing that will help deepen and develop relationships with those around us. Do that, and the impact will be an eternal one– lasting even longer than that drive to Nashville.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Affirmation
Today I asked God to find someone else to do this. Feeling discouraged, i offered a prayer of hope, though it seems now like a pretty hopeless prayer. God does need to find someone else, but that someone could still be me- just different than I am today.
I got to work, and Pastor Brandt was there for staff development and taught on affirmation. He used mark 14:32-42 as the passage. He spoke about how Jesus was wanting God to find someone else to do this thing. He talked about affirmation, because Jesus not only was fully God, but also fully Man. Because of his humanity, Jesus was able to, IS able to relate fully to us, we can relate fully to him, because HE TOO wanted the cup to pass, HE TOO felt the heaviness of his calling, his cup. I'm not equating what Christ did with my small calling, but I do identify, and feel affirmed in that calling and in my struggle, because of what he felt and was honest enough to express to his father.
It's not wrong to be afraid, to want something besides what we've been given, not wrong to ask the cup be passed- just don't stay there. To say that, and not listen any longer would be an error- to say what we want, but then join Christ and listen fully for what it is God wants is the lesson we can learn from this. I was discouraged this morning, but I am not alone, and because of the honesty of Christ, and because of the example of Christ, I am affirmed in not only what I am doing, but who I am becoming.
Posted with LifeCast
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Logo a gogo?
screwing around with photoshop and trying to find a small yet still meaningful version of our longer logo. reaching, stretching, trying to get to the light.... fleeting...
anyway. if you have thoughts let me know mom. i know you are reading :) or if you have skills with a camera and photoshop, and want to help, give a holler!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
the world we touch, we want to change
a new friend asked me what we do today, i try to answer this a lot, but i'm gonna start writing what i write, hoping it will keep making sense and... ya know when you make soup? there's a pretty wide variety of things going on, but when you simmer that stuff all day, the extra stuff kinda just cooks away, leaving only the necessary... so, we're heading there- making soup, sauce, a reduction for you Top Chef peeps. anyway, this is what I wrote to the asker today:
What do we do?
...that may look different to different people we’d serve, but it’s discipleship, training, help, hope and health care- so, we want to help the person find light in their darkness. We believe that ultimate light, and hope, come from a relationship with Christ, but that someone may not be able to look there if they can’t see to begin with, so we want to address concerns holistically. We want to help artists, bands, speakers, that are traveling and away from community, from family, and for a lot of them, away from quality care- we want to help them to connect with those things, including medical and dental care while they are in this area. We plan to travel to the summer music festivals and develop and deepen relationships with these individuals, and just really be a pastor to them. Talk to them, care for them spiritually, be a confidential, non-judgmental listening ear, and help to pull them through what can be a tough way to live. We also want to provide an early year and late year (winter/spring and fall/winter) retreat experience where they can be ministered to, trained, taught, and given hope for themselves, help to be able to STAY hopeful, and also some training to stay healthy and be a healthy help to others as well- it is tough to give when you are empty.
We put a lot of weight in what these folks on stages say, the things pouring out of vessels mean a lot, and affect a lot of us. How much MORE effective would this be if the vessels were truly healthy? The sad reality is that they often are broken, cracked, dirty and without much hope to get out of that space. We want to help, to pastor them the same as any person needs a pastor, needs community, needs care, needs accountability.
So… it’s kinda all over the map here, I know… it’s a wide task, a deep breath to think about what it will take. But, we really believe that changing one, because of their stage and their impact, will change thousands. And, changing one today, and another tomorrow, and another.. why not change the world? Someone’s gotta, we want to do our part- the world we touch, we want to change.
What do we do?
...that may look different to different people we’d serve, but it’s discipleship, training, help, hope and health care- so, we want to help the person find light in their darkness. We believe that ultimate light, and hope, come from a relationship with Christ, but that someone may not be able to look there if they can’t see to begin with, so we want to address concerns holistically. We want to help artists, bands, speakers, that are traveling and away from community, from family, and for a lot of them, away from quality care- we want to help them to connect with those things, including medical and dental care while they are in this area. We plan to travel to the summer music festivals and develop and deepen relationships with these individuals, and just really be a pastor to them. Talk to them, care for them spiritually, be a confidential, non-judgmental listening ear, and help to pull them through what can be a tough way to live. We also want to provide an early year and late year (winter/spring and fall/winter) retreat experience where they can be ministered to, trained, taught, and given hope for themselves, help to be able to STAY hopeful, and also some training to stay healthy and be a healthy help to others as well- it is tough to give when you are empty.
We put a lot of weight in what these folks on stages say, the things pouring out of vessels mean a lot, and affect a lot of us. How much MORE effective would this be if the vessels were truly healthy? The sad reality is that they often are broken, cracked, dirty and without much hope to get out of that space. We want to help, to pastor them the same as any person needs a pastor, needs community, needs care, needs accountability.
So… it’s kinda all over the map here, I know… it’s a wide task, a deep breath to think about what it will take. But, we really believe that changing one, because of their stage and their impact, will change thousands. And, changing one today, and another tomorrow, and another.. why not change the world? Someone’s gotta, we want to do our part- the world we touch, we want to change.
Friday, January 23, 2009
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