Music – Nathan Landis Funk's Blog https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com Musings of a Singer-Songwriter & Sojourner Mon, 01 Feb 2021 20:03:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 194852928 Is the Church (Literally) Setting the World on Fire? https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2020/10/25/is-the-church-literally-setting-the-world-on-fire/ https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2020/10/25/is-the-church-literally-setting-the-world-on-fire/#respond Sun, 25 Oct 2020 21:55:20 +0000 https://liveitreal.wordpress.com/?p=4031 I started this blog ten years ago having just graduated from Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry.  Me and my friends had been sent out to set the world on fire, and the blog was created to pass on what we were learning along the way.

I’ll save you The Tales of a Twentysomething Faith Healer (I’m actually writing a a book about it – follow updates here!), but long story short, turns out that saving the world isn’t quite as straightforward as it is in superhero movies.  Through years of traveling, gathering crowds at flea markets, and miscellaneous interesting encounters, I’ve gone through quite a few pivots on my journey of learning what it means to make a difference.  One such pivot was to put this blog into semi-retirement and devote more energy towards my singer-songwriter project.

However, two years ago I started to see something rather ominous on the horizon which I’ve realized I couldn’t fully articulate with my music. I started to wonder if there was, in fact, something I could yet contribute to the topic of saving the world. Coming from a conflict-averse Canadian Mennonite background, I’ve been procrastinating for years about saying something that might be considered controversial. But it feels to me like the situation has grown to such monstrous proportions that, out of respect for my mental well-being if nothing else, I’ve decided to bring my blog out of semi-retirement in order to articulate it.

So can we talk about climate change?

Now, statistically speaking, 20% of you rolled your eyes at the mention.  And if you’re a White Evangelical Protestant, actually, only 28% of you didn’t roll your eyes.

But that’s kinda why I think we need to talk about this.  Just for the record, I didn’t consider myself an environmentalist even just a few years ago.  Like, sure, trees and whales are nice, but as far as topics worth bringing blogs out of retirement for, it didn’t rank super high.

That is, of course, until the 2018 IPCC report came out.

A little background: the International Panel on Climate Change was created by the UN back in 1988, and reports on climate findings every four years.  The 2018 special report was created by 91 coordinating scientists and experts from 40 countries, who analyzed existing research and used 6000 scientific references in the report. 

Here’s the main thrust of the 2,000 pages of data: we have a deadline to get climate change figured out.  And it’s very soon.

Maybe you know this already, but since I’ve heard from more than a few folks who haven’t, I’m gonna run through the details.

According to the report, there’s a temperature threshold earth is approaching, which, if passed, will be irreversible.  That threshold is likely to be 2 degrees, upon which time we’ll see a lot of dramatic things.  Here’s a few definites: 99% of coral reefs die, sea levels rise 3 feet, extreme weather would be exacerbated especially in the Southern Hemisphere, and something like 1 in 8 plant/animal species will go extinct.

Right now, the planet is on track to see fisheries decreasing in catch by 1.5-3 million tonnes; giant populations of plants, insects and vertebrates losing over half their geographic range; 153 million people dying of air pollution alone this century; potentially whole regions of Africa, USA, Australia, Patagonia, and Asia uninhabitable by heat, desertification, and flooding.  Flooding would cause a number of American cities to be uninhabitable in the next 80 years: Miami Beach, New Orleans, Charleston, Virginia Beach, Atlantic City NJ, and large swaths of NYC – especially in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

And it’s not like we haven’t seen preludes to this already.  Whether it’s the disappearing glaciers or record-breaking fires in California and Australia due to drought or the fact that Indonesia is moving its capital away from Jakarta due to the fact that 95% of north Jakarta will be underwater in 30 years, it’s clear something’s up. We are currently on track to heat the world 3.1 degrees – more the double the safety threshold.

The question that’s haunted me is: how is it that nobody from the churches I grew up in seem aware this is even happening? Now that we’re talking about hothouse earth scenarios and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsing and Florida going underwater-type stuff, it would seem logical that a people commanded to steward the earth and care for the poor would be tremendously concerned about something that’s threatening the majority of humanity – especially the people we’re sending most of our missions groups and NGOs to!

Turns out there’s an interesting story behind the church and climate change, and I’m gonna share a little of what I’ve researched.

Of course, with gargantuan claims like “we might be ending the world” (which is not quite what scientists are saying but not too far off), it can be easy to write off as a liberal hoax. And it didn’t really help that An Inconvenient Truth was produced by Al Gore. But the politicization of climate change goes back further than that. From my research, I found that in the 80s and 90s, climate change wasn’t actually a partisan issue. Since Earth Day and Silent Spring helped introduce the idea, global warming was a growing concern among everyone – Evangelicals included. So what happened?

Around the year 2000 a number of conservative think tanks (CTTs) funded by Exxon and other gas companies started publishing books contradicting the general scientific community’s findings.  130 of the 141 books published since 1972 denying the seriousness of environmental problems were created by these CTTs.  For comparison, there were 928 scientific journals published between 1998 and 2002, and zero of these contradicted the idea that humans were to blame.

Evangelicals, of course, were already generally aligned with conservative politics due to the Moral Majority movement in the 80s. Which was long before global warming became partisan.

So correct me if I’m wrong, but to me it seems that climate change denial somehow crept into the church – not because “we’re not into pagan earth worship”, or “Jesus is coming soon anyway”, or “God’s in control, He can figure it out” – but largely because it just happened to be part of the political package deal (for more info, check out the helpful 20-min doc The Climate and the Cross!)

We all, to some degree, have beliefs that are simply convenient to us. It’s unavoidable. I wrote a blog on this here. And often the way we come to those beliefs is through factors that have nothing to do with the actual truth behind them. I wrote another blog on this here. I’m not sure how to fix this, or if it can be fixed, or even if it needs to be fixed. But I’d at least like to make sure we don’t get this one wrong. Because if the science is right, what we do in the next decade is going to have irreversible impact on every generation to come.

Of course, I’m far from the first (or most qualified) to be sounding the alarm on climate change. Two weeks ago was TED Countdown, where we heard from the Pope to Priyanka Chopra Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Don Cheadle, Cynthia Erivo, Prince William, and the heads of Apple, Amazon, IKEA, and TED sharing a desperate need for action. Also, David Attenborough just released his witness statement on Netflix. And there are plenty of organizations speaking up – from Extinction Rebellion to 350 to even some Christian organizations like Climate Caretakers, Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, and C4.  Not to mention millions of other less famous folks whose opinions matter no less, and who will be much more affected. But we’ve still got a lot ways to go.

And what exactly are we being asked to do? The IPCC report says that in order to stop the worst effects of climate change, we must limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. And the only way we can do that is by tackling our CO2 emissions. The report calls for a 45% reduction by 2030, and to reach a net zero by 2050.

If you haven’t heard that statement before, I’d encourage you to read it again. 45% in a decade. Net zero by 2050. That’s a tall order. For reference, the USA alone is going through 37 billion tonnes a year right now, and while emissions have dropped slightly, we’re still nowhere near close to being on track. In fact, only two countries are currently reaching the goals set in the Paris Agreement.

So what would it take to pull this off? Well, that’s the zillion-dollar question. On the one hand, it involves doing things we’re mostly familiar with already. Recycling. Driving less. Changing our diets. Buying more locally. Joining organizations. Supporting climate legislation. Helping fossil fuel companies change how they operate. And, as Christian climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe says, “Talk about it!” There’s plenty that can be done.

But at the same time, I honestly don’t know of many people who are confident we can reach our goals and avoid the hothouse earth scenario. To actually have victory over global warming would take worldwide mobilization larger even than WWII. It would be unlike anything we’ve seen before in history. All for future generations that we likely won’t get to see. In short, we need a miracle.

And that’s why I’m writing this to the church.

I started this blog ten years ago to show the world that anything was possible. You, the church, made me believe that. You taught me that what’s seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. You taught me that the whole world was my neighbor, to care for “the least of these”, to fight for our children, to follow the truth no matter how weird it sounds. You taught me to believe in miracles.

So I’m coming back to ask this. For those who are passionate about healing the sick, could we perhaps see the opportunity here to bring healing to the millions who die of air pollution every year? For those who are passionate about foreign aid, could we see the logic allowing Africa our carbon budget to help them develop?   For a people called to not store up for themselves treasures on earth, but instead to take up their cross and offer themselves as a living sacrifice, could we learn to reduce our food waste?  Our dependence on plastic? Our need to consume things in general?

No matter what – even if we this somehow ends up being an overreaction – I somehow don’t think we’ll apologize to future generations for making a cleaner, healthier, and more equal world. Sounds to me like it could be another step towards making earth a little like heaven!

Of course, nobody is doing this perfect – myself included. A lot of my journey has proven to show me how little I know. But I was sent out from Bethel to make a difference, and I hope this article in some way is still contributing to that end – even if it is just the beginning of a journey we take together. After all, history has proven time and again that when people collectively recognize a need and take action, anything is still possible.

Ten years after starting this blog, I’m still contending for miracles. Only this time, it’s for us to not set the world on fire. May we, together, rise for such a time as this.

Podcasts:

No Place Like Home

Outrage and Optimism

How Screwed Are We? from Ask Science Mike (this is the episode that began my reckoning with climate change)

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Not By Might – My New Music and What It Means… https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2013/12/29/not-by-might-my-new-music-and-what-it-means/ https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2013/12/29/not-by-might-my-new-music-and-what-it-means/#respond Mon, 30 Dec 2013 01:18:14 +0000 http://liveitreal.org/?p=2997 So you’re stuck.  You’re past the point of no return, you have a million opportunities at your feet, and you have no idea where to go.

You’ve been trying to get there.  Oh, you’ve been trying.  You’ve done all the research, listened to all the podcasts, read all the ehow articles, gone through every “For Dummies” book you could get your hands on, and followed every off-beaten path and red herring you’ve seen.  You’ve got so many files and notes on your computer that you barely know what’s in there anymore.

You thought you had it all figured out when you took your first step towards where you are now.  “There’s gold in them thar hills”, you said, and sauntered in blissful naivety into the deep that you’re in now.  Invincible.

And now you’re stuck.  The things you thought once made sense suddenly seem…shaky.  Everything’s not in neat little boxes like you thought it used to be.  The world is bigger and more complicated than you thought it was.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/126529565″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

But then, slowly, the realization comes to you.  It wafts in like an old familiar scent.  It brings memories and images from times past when you were in situations just like you’re in now.  You realize this isn’t the first time you’ve gone through this.  And it may not be the last.  And in those times past, you pulled through.  You more than pulled through.  And those things that pulled you through weren’t your mighty acts of valor or great skills.  No.

And suddenly your perspective changes radically.  And now the world seems almost…small!

“Wait, what’s my goal again?  I want to be a president?   I want to win a Nobel Peace Prize?  I want to be a a famous actor?  Pfft.  Easy.  Heck, I oughta try something new.  That’s almost boring.  I’ll get to that, and then what?  My purpose in life will just be fulfilled?  I can get there.  But what does it mean?  Come on.  I’m tired of the whole ‘I’m scared’, ‘Am I going to make it’ garbage.  Anyone in a million testimonies can talk about that.  The real questions are, what is it for?  Is it meaningful?  And am I going to enjoy the journey?”

And suddenly being in the dark about your future isn’t such a bad thing.  At the moment where you’re not sure you can have faith in yourself anymore, you’ve realized a better and infinitely more stable place for your faith to go.  And for once, your brain doesn’t have it all figured out, and you’re still ok.

If you haven’t listened to my new song up above, give it a listen.  And if you’re struggling, give your journey to the One whose got hands big enough to hold it all.

Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

Psalm 112:8

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The 10 Most Inspiring Songs I Know… https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2013/07/28/the-10-most-inspiring-songs-i-know/ https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2013/07/28/the-10-most-inspiring-songs-i-know/#respond Sun, 28 Jul 2013 19:44:49 +0000 http://liveitreal.org/?p=2839 It’s true, music takes us places that our minds can’t control.  Thank God for that!  Imagine being eternally trapped in a rational world. Now THAT’S crazy.

You know, I think King David would have had one of those “music is my drug” stickers on his harp case, and as you may know, I am a bit of a junkie myself (You can check out my self-recorded EP here).  I’ve found throughout my life that a few doses of the good stuff when I’m down or just wanting to get higher can do wonders.  Ok, I’ll stop with the drug puns, but I’m serious – this stuff can help get you places that you can’t get with your rational mind.  Hence, I want to share with you a list of the top songs from my life that have impacted me and gotten me through thick and thin.  It is my hope that you will find some new pockets of goodness yourself to keep you encouraged and strengthened on the road trip of life.

[youlist pid=”PLCwyXgMu-rLp2vlP7l2KWcawb0hLknXmK” style=”width:500px;height:400px;”]

  1. Pilot Me – Josh Garrels. This song gave me faith to keep going on a road trip that, according to the Canadian Government, I wouldn’t be able to do. And…I did it.  Thanks to my Pilot.
  2. Trust – Kristene Mueller. Just listen to it. Get free.
  3. So, In This Hour – The Rocket Summer. Don’t listen to him much anymore, but in high school, this song kept my destiny on track.
  4. The Last Rose of Summer – Andre Rieu. The only song I’ve ever cried during simply because of its beauty.
  5. Vox Populi – 30 Seconds To Mars. Need to take over the world? Let this song help. It was my alarm for three months straight while doing some of the most intense ministry of my life thus far in San Jose.
  6. Then – Brad Paisley. Need to have faith you’re going to have an amazing marriage?  Brad Paisley can testify for you.
  7. One Day More – Les Miserables. To be fair, the entire musical should be on this list, but that seems kind of unfair, so I stuck with one song.
  8. Where I Belong – Cory Asbury. “Delight in Me, delight in Me” – that bridge has inspired me more times than I can count.
  9. You’re Beautiful – Phil Wickham. Rarely when I hear a song for the first time do I know that I must have this song immediately, but this is one of those rarelys. Sang this one with my sister at my Grandma’s funeral last year.
  10.  Awakening – Switchfoot. This is my all-time most pump-up song ever, which I rarely listen to for fear of wearing out that feeling of passion and zeal for the future embedded in this song. This may partially be due to the fact that I first heard the song during my first time in California on my way to Nicaragua, but regardless, I hope it gives you the same as it’s given me.

I’ve included a playlist above for you to track down all those tracks so you can track with me.  I also should give honorable mentions to Keith Green (especially if you’ve read his life story No Compromise – now there’s a guy who lived what he sang) and Luminous Night of the Soul by Ola Gjeilo (my choir did this piece and man…I was pumped).  So, use away, my friends, and let’s change the world.

“The only music minister to whom the Lord will say, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant,” is the one whose life proves what their lyrics are saying, and to whom music is the least important part of their life.”   — Keith Green

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My Music – The Brink EP https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2012/12/25/my-music-the-brink-ep/ https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2012/12/25/my-music-the-brink-ep/#respond Wed, 26 Dec 2012 02:24:12 +0000 http://liveitreal.org/?p=2586 So, I got around to recording some of the songs I’ve written over the past few years with my home recording studio. Now here’s a disclaimer: I have next to no recording experience, and I don’t even really know how to write songs.  But, I think the message of the songs is worth sharing, so I hopped on Noisetrade.com and uploaded some songs for your listening pleasure, which you can discover below.  Seriously don’t worry about the tip thing – the love of Christ is always free – Noisetrade was just the easiest way to get this stuff to you.  Enjoy!

http://noisetrade.com/service/sharewidget/?id=b4c312bc-9075-42ee-b525-1484a61ab1da

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Get What You Came For… https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2010/11/22/get-what-you-came-for/ https://blog.nathanlandisfunk.com/2010/11/22/get-what-you-came-for/#respond Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:09:34 +0000 http://funkonventionality.com/?p=708 NOTE (1/12/18): We’re all learning and growing.  Some of the stuff I’ve written in these old posts may no longer be exactly what I believe or think, or at least may not be articulated the way I’d do it nowadays.  I preserve them in an attempt it to be transparent about my journey, and in the hopes that readers may still glean some insight from the core ideas found here.  Thanks for journeying with me!

 

 

My time in San Jose draws to a close today, and I am thinking of the many things ahead.  I love thinking about 2 Corinthians 3:18 – it says God is transforming us to look more like him with ever-increasing glory.  If we really believe that, then we have good reason to think that tomorrow should be better than today.  Actually, we should expect it – God said it, and that settles it (Smith Wigglesworth quote)!

I’m so glad to say that I really did get what I came to San Jose to get – experience, excitement, and a reality check.  I have been fully convinced that since Jesus really is who he says He is, I really need to be who he said I’m supposed to be.  I used to be worried that if I got too deep into “Christian stuff” I would just get brainwashed and not be able to relate to anyone anymore.  And yeah, there is a difference between getting brainwashed into a Christian culture, and getting brainwashed with knowing Jesus.  I support the latter.  And since I have become convinced of this reality, I have done my best to start brainwashing myself with Scriptures and truth.  I mean, everyone is technically brainwashed – the question is, with what?

I have seen miracles, with my own eyes.  No going back now.  You can argue someone out of theology, but not encounters.  That’s why people actually listened to what Philip was saying, for example, in Acts 8:6 – “When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did,
they all paid close attention to what he said.”  A few days ago while visiting a hospital, we prayed for a guy who had lost his sense of smell and had a smoking addiction.  After praying, he crushed his cigarette under his foot and had him smell my wallet (the only thing on us that actually smelled like something…).  For the first time in years the guy smelled the scent of leather.  Can anyone talk him out of an encounter like that or tell him Jesus isn’t looking out for him?

I’ve seen more of what it’s like to be passionate for the gospel.  When you really get to know Jesus and what he wants to do in people, there’s really no other option but to get amped.  It’s like watching Braveheart or Lord of the Rings, and then realizing that you’re actually right in the middle of a battle so much bigger than either.  You hold the keys to victory inside you.  You can’t lose if you’re in Jesus (2 Corinthians 2:14, Luke 10:19).  My advice if you  want to kill giants – follow a giant killer.  They tend to rub off on you (check out the story of David’s mighty men in 2 Samuel 23, compared with their humble beginnings in 1 Samuel 22:2).

And I’ve seen the a bit more of the reality of the task ahead for us.  This Gospel thing really will take up our whole life.  That’s how it’s meant to be – it doesn’t make sense any other way.  Five years ago I wrote in my journal, “I put my priorities as #1 God, #2 Volleyball, #3 School, etc…”.  I realize now that way of thinking is flawed.  If God isn’t in every part of my life, I totally missed the whole idea to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and strength” thing.  I am in full-time ministry, whether I get paid for it or not.  And only from staying in Jesus do we get anything worthwhile done (John 15:5).

So, what’s the main point of this article?  Well, I actually just wanted to write an article without pre-planning it to see where we’d end up…

Keep asking questions.  Don’t be satisfied with answers you get if they don’t actually seem to line up with what you see in the Bible or what you know from God already.  Truth doesn’t always follow crowds.  Your life does have a purpose.  You do have a destiny. If you’re not excited about tomorrow, start writing down some dreams.  Seriously.  Last year I wrote down about 40 life dreams, and a couple weeks ago I got to fulfill two in one day – learned to surf and explored a sunken ship!  You see, God said to trust in Him, and He will give you the desires of YOUR heart (Psalm 37:4).  Could it be that maybe God doesn’t hate your ideas?  Mmmm…that calls for another article at another time…

This has been what they call a “general exhortation”.  But for those of you who are looking for something new, perhaps ask: have you already applied what we have been writing in the past?  Brandon, Travis and I were talking the other day, and figured that if someone could just live out all the stuff from the videos and resources we’ve put online already, they world would totally revolutionize the world in a day.  Since writing my last article I suppose I have been more cautious about what I write, cuz I basically convicted myself to never write about something that I’m not planning on living out!

With that, we move on.  Lots of love especially to everyone in San Jose who has blessed me radically over the past 3 months and those who have kept in touch with me since being here.  I’m going to miss you guys so much, but really, this is really just the end of the beginning, and there will be lots more to come.  So let’s continue in life, liberty, and the pursuit of his Kingdom.  Live it real.


[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WRFeYLJyOg&w=640&h=385]

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