What If?

I did a weird thing this weekend. Well, maybe not weird, but certainly inconsistent with the previous 10 years of my life. I picked up a book. And as if that were not enough, I actually READ it.

"OH MY!" you exclaim.

I know, seriously.

And when that book was finished, I picked up another. And when THAT book was finished, I picked up another... and bought several more. The problem is, for all the answers I find as I read, I find even MORE questions. For example:

What if my life looked like the life Jesus lived? Would my days still be filled with Facebook and MySpace? Would I have watched four seasons of "The Shield" in the past month? Would I eat out three times a day, and five on the weekends? Would my money be spent on everything Steve Jobs deemed worthy of wearing that glorious little piece of fruit on its highly scratch-able outer shell?

What if I could ask a girl to dinner without wondering what (or how soon) the gawking gossips would flood the streets with rumors of romance? Is it even possible to show an interest in someone anymore without everyone running to check the registry at Sears or Target and pick out wedding gifts?

What if I talked to God the way I talk to my friends? Would our dialogue be more real? Would I still use fancy "religious" words to try and impress him, as if he had never met someone with a vocabulary quite like mine? Or would I simply be embarrassed by our conversation, because the way I talk to my friends isn't very loving?

What if my actions reflected the things I said? Or better yet, what if I only said the things I really did? Would my lips ever move?

What if I loved people the way I love myself? I mean, I love myself... a LOT. But that guy sitting on the corner of the Marietta Square in need of a job-- or more immediately, a meal-- I don't think I really love him very much. In fact, I hope he doesn't ask me for money when I walk by, because I'll probably feel awkward and tell him I don't have any money to give him. And then I'll run in to Winan's and grab a nice cup of hot chocolate, even though it's summertime, because they make really good hot chocolate.

What if the four empty rooms on the upstairs level of my house were filled with people who wouldn't otherwise have a place to call home?

What if my TV didn't sport a 60" screen? Would I still enjoy the Lakers, and Jack Bauer, and watching Simon point out Paula's (increasingly) embarrassing reactions to every singer on American Idol? What could I do with the $3000 I would have saved? How could I have used it to make this world a better place for someone other than myself to live?

What if by this time next year, my life looks nothing like it does right now, because God uses the answers to these questions to change my selfish little heart?

What if by this time next year, my life looks exactly the same?

What if you forwarded this on to all your-- just kidding. But I would encourage you to read more... and not just Harry Potter, or John Grisham, or those new vampire romance novels that can't possibly be as good as everyone says they are because, well... they're vampire romance novels. Read books that challenge you... books that make you think... books that ask hard questions, and force you to do the same.

"Candidly

Ahh the good ol' days of childhood... when screwing up meant getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar... or better yet, with cookie CRUMBS all over your face.

And yet, when asked by our sweet mother if we ate a cookie from the cookie jar, we still put on our most sincere face... and denied it.

Looking back, it seems so silly, doesn't it? I mean, can you imagine what must have been going through Mom's mind as we swore up and down with our cookie-covered lips that we were innocent?

And yet, as silly as that seems to us now, we still do the same thing with God today... and far more often than most of us are probably willing to admit. We come to him in prayer, or in worship, and we put on our best song and dance, thinking that's what He longs for, when what he REALLY longs for is US... just as we are... crying out our need FOR Him, TO Him.

I've got this sweet 25th anniversary Rubik's Cube in my house that is still in the box... totally solved... never even taken apart. Once upon a time I knew how to solve the thing myself, but now I just like telling friends that I solved my 25th anniversary cube that has never left it's box. Reality, though, would say that MY Rubik's Cube (the one that never even HAD a box in the first place) is a mess.

How silly I must look to God when I come in to church on Sunday, acting like I've got my life together... like everything's fine... like I'm as solved as my 25th anniversary Rubik's Cube.

If I REALLY wanted to be honest with God and the people around me, I'd say I DON'T have it all figured out... I'd say I have plenty of things in life that I'm struggling with... that there are times when I wonder if I'm even making the right choices with my life.

That's the relationship I want to have with God. One that is honest and real... like a candid photograph. You know the kind-- it lacks that cheesy, forced, Olan-Mills-says-turn-your-head-20-degrees-to-
the-right-and-smile expression. It's a woman weeping on her front porch steps. It's a guy in the stands, jumping up and down screaming like a mad man when his team wins the big game on a last second touchdown pass. It's the look of shock on a daughter's face when she hears her father was just taken to the hospital. It's not faked, or forced... it's real... it's candid.

That's where I'm at on this Friday, the 8th of December. Asking God to erase the facade of my "solved" life... asking him to come and unsolve me with His love... bringing me to a place where I can be candid with Him...

And knowing that he sees all the cookie crumbs that cover my face, and loves me anyway.

"Grace and Glory"

Riding the success of the 2-song "Satisfied" EP that reached #21 on the iTunes Inspirational charts, I'm THRILLED to be able to share with you a new song that we've just finished recording, called "Grace and Glory."

To hear the song in it's entirety, jump over to MYSPACE and check it out!
Thanks loves,
=rg=

SATISFIED

Nearly three full months after returning from Passion06, and returning home with the belief that it was time to record again, we are nearing completion of "SATISFIED," a 2-song EP that features the first glimpse of what will hopefully be a full album this fall. Snow and Aaron, the producer and engineer for the tracks, have done their thing. Rodney Mills, responsible for the mastering, has done his thing. Now it's time for Discmakers to do their thing... which means by early May the "SATISFIED" EP will be available for purchase.

In the meantime, if you attended Passion06, please e-mail me at freesongs@notthatmuch.com between now and April 30, and I'll be glad to e-mail you a free copy of the songs!

For more information on my music, check out www.notthatmuch.com.

Thanks for your interest in the music!
=rg=

Passion 06

Just got back from Passion '06... amazing. I set this account up just to be able to respond to Louie's and Chris's posts on their respective sites. If you want to reach me, try me at one of the following places:

MYSPACE
myspace.com/robgreene

XANGA
xanga.com/wrhoob

"WAIT NO MORE"
Oh, to know the saving love of Christ
To see our dark erased by light
Washing
Cleansing
Freeing a soul bound by chains
Til none of what was us remains
But what is You in us stands true
Stands new
Stands in grace and love and power and victory
Stands to live in all we do

Rise up, O God who saves
Rise up in our hearts
Show us the way
Your way
Let us not settle for “holy moments” in the walls of the church
Let us not say “amen” and run away to our world
Away
Away we stray
We’ll congregate another day, but until then we wait
Waiting for something to move us
Waiting for something to wow us
When what we NEED is for you to bow us
Bow our hearts to the heart of our Father
Bow our lives before our King
Until our souls can’t help but sing!

What are you waiting for, church?
What are you waiting for, people of God?
Do you not know He is risen?
Do you not know He lives and reigns this very day?
Not just Sunday
Or Wednesday
But every day
Wait no more, church
Wait no more
The time is NOW to celebrate our Lord