Gospel Industry: Ministry or Money

At the moment, I am really really purring having just watched my beloved Manchester United breeze past the Magpies (Newcastle for those of you who might be wondering). Sweet sweet revenge that was considering our last visit to St. James' park (now known as the Sports Direct Arena) was just a nightmare. Demba Ba bullied our defense and we left 3-0 losers. This time out however, it has been a reverse. We ran out 3-0 winners with goals from Johnny Evans, Patiice Evra and a wonder goal from Tom Cleverly. We spread them goals around. Anybody can score at Manchester United. Yes, that is especially meant for those haters who have the guts to claim that Man Utd are a one man team. That is such a....I dont even want to get into that ate the moment coz I will veer off completely from my purpose of this evening's blog (Yea, I know I already have)
Well, over the weekend I went home. Home home in Nakuru county, Rongai Division, Kampi-Ya-Moto location, Kabarak village. I had gone to see my dentist (U see we usually have dates at least once every month...ok the politically correct word is appointment). While coming from the dentist's place heading to the stage to take a mat home, I noticed that there was a Pilsner sponsored gig dubbed 'King of Bold' taking place at Westside Mall or for those who may have trouble finding out where that is, at Nakumatt. (There is only one Nakumatt in Nakuru so if u still cant find it, I direct you to https://maps.google.com/ coz I cant see any other way of helping you out) Well this has been a series of shows held by Pilsner around the country apparently. That is perfectly fine. I have no problem with those guyz holding gigs and the like. My concern however came when I spotted Juliani among the list of perfomers. The others being Madtraxx, Abbas and some other perfoming artiste who I dont seem to remember (obviously, otherwise I would have stated his name). Does any of you raise any eyebrows seeing Juliani's name there ama its just okay and fine with you. Is there something wrong?
Yes. There is something terribly wrong with that. You see, Juliani is a gospel artiste (last time I checked). Though not every church accepts him as a gospel artiste mainly because of his dreads and the genre of his songs, he still is a gospel artiste judging from his songs and the messages sent out from his songs. This is a guy I respect and I am a fan of his. I mean breaking away from Ukoo Flani Mau Mau (If I am not wrong) to come and sing gospel. I tell you, that is no easy feat and Juliani should be lauded for that. That been said, I believe singing or doing gospel is a calling and when singing your songs, it should be ministering to people. This is where I have a problem with Juliani perfoming in the 'King of Bold' concert/tour/gig/whatever name you want to call it. You see, this is a gig sponsored by a company that manufactures alcohol (Yes, I dont believe in drinking alcohol). Well you may ask me, what if an alcoholic company decide to sponsor a gospel event? Are gospel musicians not supposed to sing there and minister there then? Well, in as much as that is highly unlikely, as long as the company does not sell any alcoholic drinks or anything related to alcohol, I have no problem with that. The main reason why I dont want anything alcoholic there is because we all know the effects of alcohol and judgement. Your judgement becomes impared (chics get hotter, guyz get courage you would never have imagined they ever had, and in most cases that is when 'accident' that, rather than causing damage, cause children happen) so alcohol in a gospel gig is a NO! NO! I know the point of "But Jesus turned water into wine" will be raised, but that will be a discussion for another day or blog.
Now how did I even get here? Oh yes, the event being sponsored by an alcoholic beverage company. Well now that we have got that settled, the other issue is who perfomed alongside Juliani in this gig? The answer is in paragraph one. Abbas, Madtraxx and the other fellow. All of whom are secular artistes mark you, not that I have any beef with them or anything. I know some of you liberal Christians have no problem with Juliani perfoming alongside these guyz with your "But he will still sing gospel" and your "its not as if he sang secular" I agree, he will still sing gospel but for what purpose? Surely you cant mean to tell me that Juliani is there to minister to tipsy fellaz as the continue indulging themselves with alcohol as the night fades away. There is no way you can convince me that ministry is the cause of him being there. I believe it is safe to say that Juliani asked "How much?" he was given his price and he was okay with perfoming. Keyword: PERFOMING. Which begs the question, is the gospel industry ministry or money? Evidently from that situation it was the money and not ministry.
Well, that was case one. Case two: for those of you guyz who had the priviledge of going to AFLEWO (Africa Lets Worship) concert that was in NPC Karen, you must have seen how The Voice sang. This group of five young men who are extremely talented in singing acappella and have released two albums. This guyz sang and blew us away. The following week on Sunday they came to the church where I worship, that is NPC-Valley road. They were just from singing in the main church and they had been invited to the youth church to sing there as well. I was very very excited to see them because, I am in a group where we sing acappella as well and anything good in acappella excites me and interests me. So seeing these guyz come in made me really really excited. I was beaming....No scratch that. I was glowing when I saw these guyz come in. Unfortunately, they came in as the preaching was going on so they had to wait till after the preaching so that they could get a chance to sing (ok not unfortunately coz the preaching is a very important part of the service but I hope you get my drift). So they sat down and waited. However, after 10 minutes they started leaving one by one. I was disappointed. I hoped that they were doing something shortly then they would comeback but how wrong I was. They didnt resurface much to my dismay. So after service I walked to my pastor and asked him "Maze pasi niaje unatuchokoza hivi. Kutuletea the Voice halafu wanatoka" them my pasi was like "Those guyz were impatient" and I took it at that. When I got out of the church, I spotted them. So I walked to them and I was like "Mbona mlitoka hivo mapema majameni?" (owh. I might have left out a tinney weeney piece of info that these guyz are from Dar-es-saalam Tanzania) and they were like "Tulikua twauza ma cd's zetu". That reply really disappointed me. You mean guyz left service, they left a chance to minister only to sell cd's. I mean had they sang, they would have got buyers from the youth service. But leaving service to sell cd's was not a good idea at all. And this again begs the question. The gospel industry: Ministry or money?
These are just but two of the many cases around. We have heard about gospel artistes demanding a certain amount of money before perfoming. Again the word perfoming rears it ugly head. Gospel artistes refusing to perfom for a certain group of people coz they arent in their league and the like....This is nothing but unfortunate.
Dont get me wrong though. I am not hating on these guyz at all coz they are using the talent that God has given them to reach out to His people. This is just but a reality check of sorts. A challenge to them to remember the calling that they have received and do their songs for ministry...to reach out to the world from the bottom of their heart. To keep this song in mind

And in other news, I would like to wish a happy birthday to my dear friend Jacklyne Betty and you should also read her blog http://njerijacklyne.wordpress.com/ also, in bigger news, after a long and fruitful relationship, my braces and I have broken up (both literally and figuratively).
Am now off to see what I can salvage from the thriller that is the 'el-classico'. Have a blessed week ahead y'all.

The Power of Prayer

It is a Friday night.People are out having fun, enjoying themselves clubbing or whatever else they find interesting. Basically, they are having the time of their lives while I am here blogging (whoever says I have a sad life has a sad life). Blogging is quite fun actually so I am not complaining. Getting back to the topic. I know you may have heard, seen, read about or been preached about on the title this particular post. However, before you switch off or quit reading, this thing is actually true and I can attest to it. Recent events have caused me to wholly accept the power of prayer.

How do I now start? *putting on thinking hat*..... well, I guess I shall start chronologically. See, 3 or so months ago, my parents got me an ipod touch as a gift. A present that I can't say I deserved and neither had I asked them for it. They just deemed it fit to get me an ipod touch (and I am grateful to God for granting them that kind of wisdom). That evening, I remember very well my dear father's words as he handed over the ipod, very much untouched, in its case (and boy, do apple know how to package their products). He said

Kalya, Ukipoteza hii ipod wewe ni loan tu unanilipa

I know he meant it jokingly (yes, my father has a sense of humour-------> for those who know him as a stern man) but deep inside he meant that this was an important gift (not that other gifts are unimportant), that they had sacrificed to get me this gift and I was to take care of it very well. It was one of those gifts that I was meant to guard with my life (except in cases when a thief has a gun over my head and a knife on my backside) and that I did. I took really good care of it. I had it in my sight nearly all the time (of course except when I was sleeping coz then I had no other option) until yesterday, Thursday 4th October, 2012, when it seemingly went out of my sight and consequently out of my mind (ok the latter part is not true. I just wanted to sound High school-ish).
So this is what happened, I was in a hurry to get to school. I was running late for class. I remember taking the ipod with me but I didnt listen to it (something that occurs very rarely). I took breakfast, and since I was running really late, I decided to take a mat to school. So far, nothing unusual. So I found a classmate of mine also waiting for a matatu as well so we chatted away. Punde si punde, matatu ilifika and I spotted that Newspaper in the front seat of the mat and very fast I went to seat there so that I can at least get to read and be informed of what is going on in this our country. All was well, I alighted, paid my fare, went to class, concentrated, asked my share of questions in class and yea, there was nothing unusual. So after class I go to the student's centre and there is where my ipod usually comes in.
I reach into my pocket and I get that sinking feeling. Yes, I know you have got them numerous times. The ipod wasnt there. I dont know why, but for some reason, you find yourself checking deeper into the pocket, as if your pockets have their own pockets, or a secret tunnel. I was surprised not to find it there, but I managed to quell my fears that were rapidly bubbling up consoling myself that it wasnt lost but rather, in my hurry to leave school, I had left it in my room and my day continued as usual (only without my ipod).
Evening came and I went to my room. Kwanza, I went relatively early coz I wanted to practice my guitar (yes, I try to play the guitar). I take out my key, open the door and I find my study table absolutely empty and that is when the fears came rushing back. I threw my bag to my bed (fighting the temptation to use king-sized) and started searching for it. Nothing. Now this is the time you start searching in places you never even knew existed and places that even I found laughing at myself for looking (like my cologne box). Nevertheless, despite my radiant efforts, I yielded nothing and that is when fear turned to despair and frustration. I thought of every place I had been to the whole day but I just couldnt remember where I last had my ipod but I remembered leaving with it from my room. For one reason or the other, I coulldnt remember who I had sat with during breakfast. Then my mind went to the matatu ride I had taken and boy I was finished. I mean, that wasnt my first time to have lost something in a matatu. I was now scared, gutted, frustrated, despaired. I think my face had paled (and the way I am dark. Yes, tall, dark and handsome.....ok ok stop objecting....dark and handsome).
I thought to myself "Surely Apple must have a tracking system of sorts, with all their quality control and the like, they must have one" and very fast, everything else I had planned for the evening was put on hold and online I went and that is when my frustration and emotions that I had kept within me turned to anger. How can a whole company like Apple fail to have a tracking system. I know they are annoying. What with their no sharing of songs, having a camera without a flash nor a zoom, I mean, which camera these days has no zoom? This time however they had gone too far. Yaani Apple do not have a tracking device. I was so pissed and at the same time so so disheartened. The only thing(s) I could think of was turning to God and I remember asking God to show his face and power. That whoever had that ipod could just get touched and return it. I tell you the praying I did was immense. That was when my faith was tested. I mean how many people who lose their things get them back? But I still prayed and I went to bed.
This morning I woke up with the hope of hearing it ring but 7 am came and went and then I heard it. I could swear I heard it but it was only my mind playing tricks on me. I prepared myself and went to school. That first class I can't say that I concentrated. My mind kept going back to that ipod and how I was going to inform my parents that I had lost my ipod. I still kept on praying silently for the return of my ipod. Then after class this classmate of mine comes and asks me. "Kalya nisaidie na ipod yako" And am like "eeeh sina". She then goes ahead and rummages through her handbag (these ladies handbags these days. The could be carrying children for all we know!) as she says "Utawacha kua careless" as she removes the *drumroll* ipod. I swear this song went through my mind

I was so relieved and I believe I should say that I will be forever be indebted to on Caroline Mutiso well until I take her to Sankara for lunch or dinner, yea we have got that settled. Forever indebted it is. But I was so grateful to God. If that is not an answered prayer, I dont know what is then.
However, in spite of all the pain and emotional distress I went through, I learnt a very valuable lesson. If just an ipod, a material thing can shake me to the very core of my emotions when I lose it or misplace it, how much more pain and torture and despair will I feel when the people I love are taken away from me? And will people feel despair when I am taken away from them? In that light, we should not take the ones who love us and the ones we love for granted. Love them with your all  and give them your all lest the Lord decides to take them away from you.Fight for that love. Listen to this song

Even I am surprised by my level of deepness or is it depth

Finally......I am blogging (this is the moment where there is the victory trumpet sound). Its something I have always planned on doing but this thing called procrastination has been holding me back. Well, they say that procrastination is the mother of....well nobody. See what I did there? ( Ok I admit, I did nothing). Today however, I got some inspiration to start blogging. Well my friends have inspired me ( I tell you I have some talented friends) yes you Jackie, Ivy, Joan, Gachugo (though I dont understand a thing about anime) and of course Qikki who apparently has a disorder. Its called wanting to write (yes, I also know some medicine). These guyz have inspired me but today its something else that really made me come and start blogging and I thought I should share.
U see (hehe direct translation), I do this course known as Bachelor of Business Studies in Financial Economics and I tell you! My friend that thing is not easy. (Coming from me u better believe it). So today my pals and I were talking and I made a major discovery. Kumbe I am not alone in the fight. This BBS was or rather is troubling all of us. Well, one option is to cry about it and am afraid that is not an option for me. U see, my culture frowns upon men who cry.
The other option is to do according to this guy and give up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lxRRCxfRvI


well, my parents will frown upon that greatly. U see, they taught me to rise above the challenges that I face. You cant keep running away from the troubles you face (Besides getting a retake is not a trouble btw) and I greatly love this course.
Now, the what we decided is that we should jengana. A great friend of mine keeps reminding me "Kalya maze! Hii degree ni harambee. Lazima tujengane" and that is a strong point you guyz. This thing you cannot claim to do it by urself. We must help each other in order to succeed. We are in this together. Its a struggle yo (twitter guyz will get that one).
We also realized that we need to talk to each other. This thing of dying by yourself, in as much as it seems manly, is not worth it. Talk to someone, trust someone and just talk your problems out ( At this point in time I shall emphasise I am straight) we should be accountable to each other tujengane tupite wote. Thats how we shall get to do well.
This does not only apply to school life. Even life 'out there' (where is this out there btw. Av heard of it since primary school) we need to talk to each other and help each other out. Even God in His word (This is where I become a preacher) tells us to be our brother's and dare I add sister's keeper. So, look around you. Look at where you want to be. Have a vision, gather your friends round and tell them of your vision and hopefully they wont Joseph you (a Biblical analogy) and together you push each other to the goal.
I leave you with a quote my great friend, one Andrew Kabucho, told me:

Do not bring your goals to the standard of your effort, but rather lift your efforts to the standard of your goal

And finally, other news, somebody today bought a good friend of his milk. Mark you this friend is a chic who had specifically asked for chocolate. Say what you may but I thought that to be out of the box thinking. ( Get it? Out of the box.....milk? Aaaarg I knew u wouldnt get it)