By Josh Wann

Having the opportunity to travel around and participate in panel discussions on music has given me the ability see that God's people have a lot in common.  It's encouraging to see believers wrestling with similar things in an attempt to honor the One that called them to be set apart.  The majority of my time, I find myself in front of young people who dwell in an urban context.  As a result, one of the hottest discussions always develops around the topic of secular music.

Let me unpack some of the implications of this discussion.  Those that find themselves tuning the radio to hear the "hottest hip-hop and R&B" are confronted with lewd depictions of godlessness in a very attention grabbing package.  It is music that speaks their language, but it also addresses issues that matter most to them, even if it uses crude and vulgar content in the process.  But this has been one of the reasons that Christian hip-hop can be such a powerful tool.  It uses the same packaging, but presents different content.  As an alternative, "hip-hop heads" (an endearing term for avid hip-hop/rap listeners), who are also believers, can now enjoy the music that is their preference, but without the guilt of knowing that they are not honoring their Savior.  Though there is well-crafted stuff out there, the challenge with non-Christian hip-hop music is that the majority is flagrantly foul and there doesn't seem to be much of a neutral middle ground.  With that in mind, we must see how we can wrestle with a wicked culture, but remain unblemished during the interaction.

The question that challenges believers of every generation is, "How do I wrestle through the command to live in the world, but to not be influenced by the world?”  The cultural expressions may change, but the overarching reality that we live in and interact with our cultures never fades.  As I sort through this, I find myself wrestling with 3 options.  1) I can choose to jump head first into the culture with no blinders on, which inevitably leads to being influenced by the culture.  2) I can choose a form of modern monasticism, which moves me so far out of the culture that I lose my influence.  3) I can learn how to be discerning and interact with my culture, but only to the point of remaining influential, not influenced.  My goal is to strive for the latter point.  How I do it is the hard part.

In answering these questions, I always face the temptation to run to point 1 or 2.  Admittedly, it would be much easier for me to float along with the current of the culture.  Amidst all of the current media outlets, all I have to do is to open my eyes and ears to encounter the world.  How much easier it would be to live life this way!  With no concerns of what I digest, I can mistakenly think that living an unrestrained life is actually freedom.  When those temptations arise, I must bring to mind the psalm of Asaph - Psalm 73.  Only with an eternal perspective can I battle my desires that want to be immersed in my culture.

On the other hand, running from the culture looks very attractive, too.  A common question I ask myself is, "If I could just live life in seclusion with no TV wouldn't I be much holier"?  As I ask this I'm reminded of the Pharisees.  They too looked to outward actions to produce their godliness.  I guess that doesn't work for me, either.  It was Paul, when writing to the church at Colossae, that reminded them that their tendency towards asceticism was "of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh".  In fact, Paul went on to tell them to turn their attention to Christ, where He is seated at the right hand of God.  In light of this, I now have some sort of framework with which to engage my culture.

If I am successful in setting my mind on things above, only then will I be able to navigate through my culture.  When I taste and see that the LORD is good, then how tasteless will the world be!  My affections will be fresh for the Savior and will allow me to be the salt of the earth.  As I am given grace in this area, I am now free to interact with my culture.  I don't have to worry about separating myself (physically) from my culture because I know that one day I will be separate from it.  I am not of it.  I do not belong to it.  I don't find my identity in the culture or buy into it’s prescriptions for life.  Rather the opposite is true.  I see the culture for what it is and pray that I can be the fragrant aroma of Jesus.

Posted by Josh Wann

Editor’s Note:  Today we get the first post from Josh Wann, one of the fine single men in our church.  Josh is a producer and performer of Christian Hip Hop music under the aka DJ Essence.  This post comes from his ruminations traveling to do concert ministry.

I currently find myself stranded at an airport.  Bad weather has invaded the air space which leaves airports, airline employees and travelers in disarray.  As I witness irate travelers scoff at unable employees, I wonder what my responsibility as a believer is in response to being left hopeless.  It's one thing to know that a flight is delayed, but it's altogether different to know it's been delayed, but without any hope of how long.  Adding to the equation is the ambiguity of other airports affected, as well as connecting flights.  I immediately panic into a frenzy of unwelcome thoughts.

Will I ever make it back home?  What will happen to my dog?  Should I consider forwarding my mail?  Is anyone concerned about the way I feel?  Wait, I don't have a dog...and this isn't the end of the world!

Submerging out of a self-medicating loathing session, I have to wrestle with one simple question.  How do I glorify God in response to my current situation?

Coming out of a weekend in which I have sought to minister to teens through music, I find myself in a situation in which I need to turn the message on myself.  In God's providence, the passage that has been affecting me over the weekend is one in which, by His grace, I now get to try and apply to my life.  Colossians 1:3-6 states, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.  Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing--as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,"

I've been meditating on the fact that I have a hope laid up for me in heaven.  This hope, which is anchored in heaven, reaches out to express itself in faith in Christ Jesus, as well as expresses itself in love for the saints.  It's a hope which is transmitted by hearing the gospel - the word of truth.  In my current situation everything seems hopeless and all around me testifies of this.  People are stranded with no sign of change.  They had plans and agendas, but this unavoidable circumstance has left them staring at their futility.  With this temporal perspective, I now have something to contrast my eternal perspective.  Yes, I may be in a situation that seems hopeless.  I have no idea when my plane will arrive or if I'll make my connecting flight.  I may be stuck in this airport for a few hours.  Due to the storms, I've already missed the second event that I had scheduled

But I can rest assured of making the main event.  That of the second coming of Jesus.  He's my treasure that is laid up in heaven.  With this anchoring reality, a few more hours stuck in an airport turns into a means of grace and allows me to display a fragrant aroma of the gospel to the world around me.  It is what the LORD has saved me for and allows me to find joy in the midst of what seems like hopelessness.  And, on top of that, it gives me time to catch up on some much needed reading!