In part two of the ongoing 'Bobby Bishop - Everyday Man' series, the gospel rapper and I continue talking about being human and Christian. Today's topic is the everyday Christian man of the 21st century.
The Challenge
When challenged to go even deeper than he did yesterday, Bobby was up for it and then some!He said, "My book’s officially open. You, as the Barnabas of this industry, have given me a unique platform and your challenge to drop my inhibitions and be transparent is accepted. It’s official: I’m turning off the spotlights. They were blinding anyway."
Bobby continued, "Over the years we've become dear friends and you've also been the recipient of my neediness. You know that I fish for compliments and you only take my bait if you're confident that it will result in genuine nurturing. While there’s strength in my willingness to trust others in sharing my personal struggles, there is also weakness in doing so. I've often succeeded in relieving my conscience for the day, yet I neglect to take these issues straight to God. For some reason I find contentment and actual peace when I receive approval and affirmation from others. And I know better."
A Minister's Point of View
As an everyday Christian man, Bobby Bishop has been in church all of his life. When asked to share his views from that standpoint, he said, "Having been in and around ministry my entire life, I admittedly know all the “right” views to touch on. It’s tempting to share my “expertise” and my daily disciplines of how to effectively nurture a relationship with God. After all, I’m a “national” minister, aren’t I? Don’t get it twisted: I do have pure intentions on most occasions. I do have a genuine burden for the lost. That aside, I’d say I’ve done a considerable job of keeping my outward appearance “shiny” in maintaining ministerial appearances. I perform concert events several times each week and fulfill roles in my church as a bus, visitation, and youth minister. If one didn’t know better, they might say my relationship with God is solid. Years of observation have added to my ability to recite what I think people wish to hear and act how a man of God is expected to act. But actions aren’t always congruent with words. In working out my faith in this season, I’m determined to shed my preoccupation with others’ perceptions of me and the roles I fill. My preoccupation has resulted in stagnant behavior."
The Mask Comes Off
Knowing Bobby as I do, I know that for him, the walk of his faith isn't an act. His belief system isn't one that he takes off like a mask at the end of the "public" day, so I was confused by his statements.He explained, "The bottom line is that I’ve been in a spiritual rut for a couple of years. I’ve worked to dig myself out, (the weekly responsibilities I mentioned before) and I have several comrades to go to with my struggles, but I’ve grown callous to their accountability. Despite my efforts, I find myself succumbing to the same temptations and patterns that feed my complacency."
I understand being in a rut and even being complacent, but was still not sure where Bobby was going. He didn't leave me hanging for long ...
"I made the decision to return to a full-time job in 2007, after being on the road as a full-time musician for two years," he said. "This was not an admission of failure. In fact, I can proclaim with boldness that it was the right decision for my family. I have time to perform shows on the weekends, and with this new record on-deck, that’s just what I’m doing. Sometimes I fly across the country and back in two days and return to my social worker gig on Monday. By Wednesday, I’m burning the candle at both ends. The need for physical rest and spiritual renewal is imminent. Stupidly, I often find myself watching that show about the brave fishermen of the Northwest risking life and limb for crustaceans around 11pm, and have neglected my Bible, wife, and pillow. Running on empty is bad, but of real concern is that I continue to rely on my own strength. I’m so accustomed to having God in my life that I seem to have grown numb to His presence. I’ve become completely comfortable."
Growing up in the Church
Perhaps it is because I didn't really grow up in the church that my own walk has never been comfortable. Most of the time it seems as if the Lord is prodding me and I am "yeah ... but'ing" him to death. Bobby's story is different. He grew up in a strong Christian family that made church an important part of life."My parents weren't from Christian homes, but my impression was that they thought that they were. The holiday church services and the tradition of faith they were born into left them assuming that they knew God. In 1979, we moved. I am so grateful to our neighbors for reaching out and mentoring my spiritually infant parents. We soon began to attend a fairly large church. It was there that I attended Sunday school and Youth. As a child, I learned the songs, heard the stories, memorized scripture, and performed in the pageants. As a teen, I attended youth, went on retreats, and first experienced world missions. The youth ministry gave me a safe respite from the pressures of public school, as the environment was unconditional and accepting. My best friends were from church and my mentors were my youth leaders. A social misfit at school, I soon climbed the church ladder and found myself on the top rung of the youth group’s social caste system. I overcame my shyness and began dating church girls. Once females entered the picture, I got my first taste of the Christian “comfort zone.” Christian kids have hormones too, and yes, I learned some things from church girls. In fact, a lot of my extracurricular activities with my church friends went against the grain of our teaching. I smoked my first cigarette and watched R-rated movies with friends from church. We were all at ease within the context of our Christian upbringing and a supportive youth ministry to fall back on. It was our bubble and our parents’ relationship with God provided us our safety net. So what if we pushed the envelope here and there. It’s not as if we were doing drugs. Thus began my cycle of comfort, undoubtedly contributing to my present rut."
