Third Culture Leadership

Pastor Dave Gibbons
Willow Creek Leadership Summit 2009

(My notes below were taken real time via Twitter. Read them from the bottom up.)

# DG: revolutionary obedience= deeper collaboration+ communal living+ prayer+ radical sacrifice for outsider. Painful adaptation. #tls0910:41 AM Aug 7th from twidroid

# DG: do uc ppl as gifts & talents (wat u can get/use)? Or do u c their stories (who they are)? Do u c masses, or people? #tls0910:38 AM Aug 7th from twidroid

# DG: Change success metrics. FAILURE is success bc it’s ur platform to connect with humanity. #tls0910:37 AM Aug 7th from twidroid

# DG: we need fewer visionaries and more relationaries. Leadrshp less abt vision. God gave vision. RELATIONSHIPS trump vision10:36 AM Aug 7th from twidroid

# DG: focus on the fringe. Fringe always leads the movement. #tls0910:34 AM Aug 7th from twidroid

# DG: who is my neighbor? People who are different then me. Outsiders.10:14 AM Aug 7th from twidroid

# Dave Gibbons: Change culture by focusing on misfits, not masses10:12 AM Aug 7th from twidroid

Always a Thriller

I’ll never forget the night. We were at the Yulfo’s house. They had videotaped the Motown 25 Anniversary special, which my parents had no interest watching when it had first aired. Judy and Uncle Dave were going on and on about the craziest dance move they had ever seen; how Billie Jean was the greatest song ever; and how Michael Jackson was the man. Then Judy whipped out the VHS tape, and I stood mesmerized. I was nine. The rest is HIStory.

Jacko Tweets

+ The epitaph of Jacko’s genius: HIStory was always a Thriller, often Off the Wall, sometimes Bad, probably Dangerous, & hardly Invincible.

+ Waiting … in the airport … for ANOTHER delayed flight. Watching MJ videos on Youtube. Web 2.0ing. And blogging. Maybe.

+ Wondering: Why do eccentricity, loneliness, and despair accompany genius so often? With so much to offer the world, why so sad? So tragic…

+ Berry Gordy was a certifiable musical & marketing genius. But those Jackson 5 outfits were (dare I say it?) certifiably ridiculous!

+ Crazy how tech changes things. Heard Jacko news via 3 txts within 3 mins; countless tweets day&night. Evn in death, he’s still innovating

+ Jacko to the Man in the Mirror: Beat It. Remember the Time u were Invincible, Unbreakable? Now, a Heartbreaker. Always a Thriller.

I finally saw Slumdog Millionaire last night and join the chorus clamoring for Oscar victory. It’s no small feat for any movie to live up to the hype AND manage to leave an inspired audience feeling good despite a largely tragic subject. Dig the trailer, and see the movie, regardless of who wins Oscar tonight.

Bonus reason to root for Slumdog: my nephew bears a striking resemblance to its star Dev Patel.

So watch it here instead.

One would think that on the weekend before Barack Obama made history as the first Black man sworn in as the President of the United States, hip hop legend Jay-Z and protege Young Jeezy would have had more class than to descend into a “Nigga” obsessed wasteland. Instead, they played the part of 21st century minstrels, exploiting themselves and their talent for racist amusement by debuting a remix of Jeezy’s “My President” (language warning) two nights before the inauguration. MTV reports:

“My president is black, he’s black, he’s half white/ So even in a racist mind, he’s half right/ So if you got a racist mind, it’s alright/ My president is black, but his house is all white,” Jay spit a capella as the DJ pulled the music for his verse.

“No more white lies, my president is black!” Hov finished, as the crowd in the club repeated his last line over and over again.

Watch It

This, sadly, came a day before celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.’s exhortation to be judged on “the content of our character,” and two days before Jay-Z’s wife Beyonce serenaded President and Mrs. Obama with “At Last.”

Jeezy and Hov need to re-read then-candidate Obama’s Father’s Day speech for a refresher on how they should act in private and in public:

It’s up to us to tell our sons, those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in my [White H]ouse we live glory in achievement, self respect, and hard work. It’s up to us to set these high expectations. And that means meeting those expectations ourselves. That means setting examples of excellence in our own lives.

Here are the (explicit) lyrics of the original Jeezy song:

Yeah Be The Realest Shit I Never Wrote
I Aint Write This Shit By The Way Nigga
Some Real Shit Right Here Nigga
This Will Be The Realest Shit You Ever Quote

{{Hook}}

My President Is Black, My Lambo’s Blue
And I Be God Damn If My Rims Aint Too
My Momma Aint At Home & Daddy Still In Jail
Tryna Make A Plate Anybody Seen The Scale
My President Is Black, My Lambo’s Blue
And I Be God Damn If My Rims Aint Too
My Money’s Light green And My jordans Light Grey
And They Love To See White Now How Much You Tryna Pay
Lets Go!

{Verse 1}

Today Was A Good Day Hope I Have Me A Great Nite
I Dunno Wat U Fishin For Hope U Catch You A Great White
Need I Say Great White Heavy As Killer Wales
I Cannot Believe This Who Knew It Came In Bails
Who Knew It Came Wit Jail Who Knew It Came With Prison
Jus Cuz You Got An Opinion Does That Make You A Politician
Bush Robbed All Of Us Would That Make Him A Criminal
& Den He Cheated In Florida Would Dat Make Him a Seminal
I Say And I Quote We Need A Miracle
And I Say A Miracle Cuz This Shit Is Histerical
By My Nephews And Nieces I Will Email Jesus
Tell Him Forward To Moses And CC: Allah
Mr Soul Survivor Does That Make Me A Konvict
Be All U Can Be Now Dont Dat Sound Like Some Dumb Shit
When You Dogged Of Crew Orders Black As My Nigga Boo
It’s Really A Desert Storm Thats Word To My Nigga Clue
Catch Me In Las Vegas, A.R. Arizona
Rep For Them Real Niggaz Im Winnin In California
Winnin In Tennessee Hands Down Atlanta
Landslide Alabama On My Way To Sevana

{{Hook}}

{Verse 2}

Woke Up This Morning Headache THIS BIG!
Pay All These Damn Bills Feed All These Damn Kids
Buy All These School Shoes Buy All These School Clothes
For Some Strange Reason My Son Addicted To Polos
Love Me Some Spinach Dip Im Addicted To Use This
And If The Numbers Is Right I Take A Trip Out To Houston
A Earthquake Out In China A Hurricane In New Orleans
Street Dreams Tour I Showed My Ass In New Orleans
Did It For Soulja Slim Brought Out B.G.
Its All Love From The Beginnin You Pimp C
You Know How The Pimp Be
That Nigga Go’n Speak His Mind
If He Could Speak Down From Heaven
He Tell Me Straight All My Crimes
Tell Him Im Doin Fine Obama For Mankind
We Ready For Damn Change So Ya’ll Let The Man Shine
Stuntin On Martin Luther Cuz Im Feelin Just Like A King
Guess Dis Is Wat He Meant Wen He Said Dat He Had A Dream

{{Hook}}

{Nas}

History, Black History
No President Ever Did Shit For Me
Had To Hit The Streets Try To Flip Some Keys
So A Nigga Wont Go Broke
Then They Put Us In Jail Now A Nigga Cant Go Vote
So I Spend Dough All These Hoes Is Trippin
She Aint A Politician Honeys A Polotician
My President Is Black Rolls Golden Charms
22 Inch Rims Like Hulk Hogans Arms
When Thousands Of People Is Riled Up To See You
That Can Arouse Ya Ego You Got Mouths To Feed So
Gotta Stay Tru To Who You Are And Where You Came From
Cuz At The Top Will Be The Same Place You Hang From
No Matter How Big You Can Ever Be
For Whatever Fee Or Publicity Never Lose Your Integrity
For Years Theres Been Surprise Horses In This Stable
Just Two Albums In I’m The Realest Nigga On This Label
Mr Black President Yeah Obama Fa Reel
They Gotta Put Ya Face On The $5000 Dollar Bill

{{Hook}}

{Outro}

So Im Sittin Here Right Now Man
Its June 3rd Haha 2:08 Am
Nigga I Wont Say Win, Lose Or Draw
Man We Congratulate You Already Homie
See I Motivate The Thugs Right
You Motivate Us Homie
Thats What It Is, This A Hands On Policy
Ya’ll Touchin Me Right
Yeah 1st Black President
Win, Lose Or Draw Nigga Haha
Matta Fact You Know What It Is Man
Shouts Out Jackie Robinson
Booker T Washington Homie
Oh Y’all Aint Think I Knew That Shit!
My President Is Black
I’m Important Too Though!

Am I being too harsh, or should lyrics like this be acceptable? Why/not?

In light of the seismic shift that happened in the socio-political landscape last week, and President-Elect Barack Obama’s campaign pledge of “change we can believe in,” this thought from Andy Crouch’s book Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling stood out this afternoon:

“Is there a way to change the world without falling into one of the many traps laid for would-be world changers? If so, it will require us to learn the one thing the language of “changing the world” usually lacks: humility, defined not so much as bashfulness about our own abilities as awed and quiet confidence in God’s ability.” — Culture Making, p.201

In all the evangelical hand wringing that occurred before and after the election, where have we heard some humility? Even conservative icon P.J. O’Rourke confessed after the election, “We blew it.” Please, let’s make that be the start of any Conservative evangelical discussion of an Obama Presidency.

Even if the camera isn’t real

“You’re overtaken.”

This video takes a minute to warm up, but it’s worth the wait (and don’t fast forward, as the premise is key).

HT: Andy Crouch (via Kirk on Facebook)

Snap Krackle Pop Dance Instructional (original)

Souljah Boy, too passe. The Twist, too old-school. The Makarana, too forgettable. Snap Krackle Pop, just right.

Join the dance craze that’s sweeping the nation. From my friends at The First Family of holy hip hop, featuring DOC front man Alton Lee and his family.

The First Family taught kids from the Middle East (Baltimore) how to Snap, Krackle, Pop last week during Chain Reaction.

Storytellas Present “The Blood is Real”

From The Man, produced by Crossroads Tabernacle


On Sunday, Crossroads reminded me why I appreciate them so. Hip Bop, Storytellas style, is another reason. Notice Pastor Joe on drums, and the (Alvin Ailey and Broadway) dancers. Wow.

Related

+ Pictures from Sunday (courtesy of Pastor Joseph Henry Cortese)

Perhaps Myspace saw this, or just received lots of disgruntled emails from Christians subscribers. But today I noticed a different kind of advertising when I logged into Myspace. Instead of the usual underwear clad teenage girl urging me to be “naughty,” I saw this:

Myspace’s targeted advertising department got the Christian part down. But the single thing … not so much.