Charisma Magazine

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to interview "American Idol" season five finalist Mandisa Hundley (more commonly referred to as just "Mandisa"). I asked her about the ironic nature of someone such as herself, a staunchly devout Evangelical Christian, on a show that celebrates the concept of world-driven stardom.

The irony wasn't lost on the national recording artist. She fully understands how strange it must seem for so many Christians to be popping up all over the smash hit television show "American Idol." After all, doesn't one of those Ten Commandments expressly warn against the creation of idols?

But for the outspoken woman of faith, it all made sense once she realized just how powerful the show's reach really was.

"Every time I think about this, I think its funny-and just like the Lord that I know-that He would actually take a show like ‘American Idol' and use it as a platform for Him," Mandisa said. "That's who He is. And so I don't think it's a coincidence and I think He's up to something in our generation and He wants to let the world know that it's cool to love Jesus. I think He's using the biggest show in America to do it and I think that's true to His nature."

Take for instance Idol winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino and Carrie Underwood who are just a few contestants who got their starts in church. Studdard actually recorded a gospel album and Underwood's biggest hit to date is the faith-tinged "Jesus Take The Wheel."

Other participants such as Kimberly Locke, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Lakisha Jones, Jason Castro and George Huff have also displayed their beliefs through music and personal commentaries. The sixth season of American Idol produced perhaps one of the largest Christian contingencies with the likes of winner Jordin Sparks and finalists Melinda Doolittle, Phil Stacey and Chris Sligh.

Sparks has participated in various Christian talent events and has been outspoken about her beliefs on conservative issues such as abortion and abstinence. Doolittle sang backup for Martha Munizzi and Anointed and has since performed with Michael W. Smith. Stacey led worship at a church in Shawnee, Okla., and recently signed a record deal with Reunion Records. Sligh covered songs by dcTalk and Mute Math on the show and has seen great success at Christian radio with songs like "Empty Me" and "Arise."

And this year (season eight) was no different. Finalist Scott MacIntyre, the visually-impaired piano virtuoso, cut his musical teeth in the local church as did fellow finalists Michael Sarver (who led worship at Harvest Church) and Matt Giraud. Top three competitor Danny Gokey was a worship leader for Faith Builders International in Wisconsin. His on-air trip back home highlighted a strong connection to that church body.

And of course the surprise winner and proverbial underdog Kris Allen has been seen on YouTube leading worship songs such as Chris Tomlin's "God of This City."

Mandisa told me that these things are just another sign of how God is using the foolish to confound the wise-and hopefully changing lives in the process.

"Our success on [American Idol] isn't just about how we can reach the fans," she said. "This is also about reaching out to the people who are involved with the show. I can't say enough about what I hope the impact is on Paula, Simon and Randy. I think the Lord is using contestants to be his mouthpiece. I just don't think it's a coincidence."

It's a strange dynamic for sure-one that Christians usually either shun or embrace. Personally, I think having a Christian presence smack dab in the middle of a show like American Idol is nothing short of amazing.

And as long as the aforementioned believers can handle the fame and maintain their faith in God, they might just do something that Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell never intended-put the spotlight back on the Creator of all things creative.

Chad Bonham is a freelance author, journalist and television and documentary producer from Broken Arrow, Okla. He has authored several books including a four-book FCA series (Regal Books) and is the coordinating producer on a forthcoming documentary called Choosing Life.

Before there was The Da Vinci Code, there was Angels & Demons. This might come as a surprise to some who thought Dan Brown's best-selling novel turned 2006's blockbuster movie was the first to center around Robert Langdon, a fictional Harvard professor of religious symbology.

In fact, Angels & Demons was written in 2000 and preceded The Da Vinci Code by three years. But Ron Howard-who returns to direct the latest intellectual thriller-decided to tackle the two projects in reverse order, presumably because of The Da Vinci Code's more scintillating story line. He also retained Tom Hanks' services as Langdon for this prequel turned sequel that hit theatres this past weekend.

I love the feeling of stepping out of baggage claim and wandering out for a new adventure. I thoroughly enjoy experiencing fresh perspectives through the culture of a different part of the country and, on rare occasions, different parts of the world.

But here's the oxymoronic part. I hate just about everything it takes to get from point A to point B. There is absolutely nothing endearing about parking my car; waiting for the shuttle driver to arrive; deliberating the etiquette of tipping said shuttle driver; waiting in line to get a boarding pass (hoping the "easy" check-in machine can read my credit card); standing in line for security; dumping all of my belongings (shoes included) on to a conveyer belt; walking through a screening machine (praying it doesn't beep); hustling to the terminal only to find that the flight has been delayed; waiting for said flight to finally arrive; standing in line to get on the plane; wading through the congested aisle while looking for that last empty overhead bin; squeezing into a seat that seems to shrink with each trip; praying I don't get stuck sitting next to that one person who has never flown before and has major anxiety attacks throughout the entire trip; wading through the congested aisle while de-boarding the plane; hustling to the connecting flight that is boarding precariously close to the previous flight and going through the whole routine again until finally arriving at that glorious destination that was surely worth the trouble.

Then there's something I like to call "flight risk" (pun intended). No matter how hard I try to forget about it; there is always the chance that something could go wrong. Whether it be a terrorist attack or an untimely encounter with a flock of birds taking to the so-called "friendly skies", it isn't always danger-free. And of course, there's always those inevitable pockets of stomach-turning turbulence.

My forays into air travel kind of remind me of my relationship with Christ. I love the benefits of my salvation. I deeply appreciate the hope that I have thanks to the great sacrifice He made on the cross. I gladly accept the blessings and promises of God's Word. I wait longingly for Jesus' return when I will take that last flight to an eternity in heaven.

But just like I deplore the hassles of flying, I often find myself frustrated with, and sometimes even resistant to, the process that I must go through as a follower of Christ. Finding time to pray and read the Bible is a daily challenge. Disciplining myself to fast and deny myself life's simple pleasures for the sake of His call is a near impossibility. Focusing on relationships in a meaningful, Christ-like manner is a constant struggle. And being patient in waiting for dreams to be fulfilled and prayers to be answered is a painstaking process that drives me to the edge of insanity.

The walk of faith is also full of significant risk. My good friend Kenny Luck wrote about this in a book aptly titled Risk. Check it out sometime if you find yourself, like me, struggling with the inherent dangers of the Christian faith.

You see, our spiritual journey is full of trials and tribulations. The Bible often compares it to the process that fine metals like gold and silver go through in order to be purified. Sometimes we deal with persecution from those who don't share our beliefs. For some in other parts of the world persecution is serious business and can result in physical harm, imprisonment or even death. These are all things that we must deal with in order to become the people God called us to be. The risk we take dots a path that leads to great reward both here on earth and in heaven.

Towards the end of his life, Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith (HCSB)."

Paul had a very difficult road and described his journey as a fight, albeit a "good fight." Paul also wrote in Romans 12:12 that we should, "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer."

He knew that there was something much greater waiting for him beyond this world. He understood that his devotion to the faith would produce a great reward-the "riches of the glory" he referred to in Colossians 1:27 (NASB). Paul also reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2:9 that, "no eye has seen and no ear has heard and what has never come into a man's heart, is what God has prepared for those who love Him."

I started this blog sitting in the Tulsa airport. I finished sitting in a room overlooking a beautiful stretch of Pensacola Beach. The trip was definitely worth the trouble. And I'm strangely affirmed by the promise that eternity with our Lord is worth any "flight risk" we as Christians will ever be asked to take.

Chad Bonham is a freelance author; journalist and television and documentary producer from Broken Arrow; Okla. He has authored several books including a four-book FCA series (Regal Books) and is the coordinating producer on a forthcoming documentary called Choosing Life.

Marie Green was an amazing woman. As the wife of a church-planting pastor and the mother of six ministry-minded children, her legacy continues to have a far-reaching impact.

In case you haven't heard about Marie Green (and I'm assuming that's probably the case), let me tell you a little bit about her.

Marie was a prayer warrior. She spent countless hours on her knees praying for people in her community, in her nation and in her world. Marie had an incredible passion for missions. Although she never left the country, she was indirectly responsible for evangelizing millions of people in places like China, the Ukraine and throughout Africa, South America and here in the United States.

Of Marie's six children (all named after men and women from the Bible), five went on to become pastors or the spouses of pastors. To this day, her son James has a church in Douglasville, Ga., and her daughter Lois is a pastor's wife in Oklahoma. Marie's son Joe is a former pastor and his two sons Jeff and Randy are big-hearted businessmen who have contributed greatly to ministry causes across the globe. Her daughter Esther is a former pastor's wife.

Perhaps Marie's most notable legacy is tied to her second youngest son David who is one of the wealthiest men in America. He is the only Green sibling not tied directly to traditional church ministry, but his hugely successful business (he started the national Hobby Lobby chain out of his garage and built it into a multi-billion dollar company) has allowed him to give millions of dollars to various ministries and efforts all over the world. David's primary goal is to put appropriately-translated Bibles into as many people's hands as possible-including every single Chinese man, woman and child.

David's son Steve and daughter Darsee are intricately involved at Hobby Lobby while his other son Mart is the founder of a Christian bookstore chain. More recently, Mart has created multiple media companies including Every Tribe Entertainment and Ethnographic Media. He is responsible for the production of the film End of the Spear and the documentaries Beyond the Gates of Splendor and Miss HIV.

Over the past 18 months, Mart has been in the news for another reason. On behalf of the Green family, he donated $70 million to the debt-riddled Oral Roberts University (ORU) and was named chairman of the board. Since that gift, ORU has found the solid footing it has sought for several years and is healthier than its ever been.

So on Saturday, May 2 at ORU's graduation ceremony, Marie Green will receive a lifetime achievement award from the university. Everywhere David and Mart speak, they inevitably mention their mother and grandmother, giving her credit as their personal inspirations to become generous givers and world-impacting men.

But the reason for my adoration is a little more personal. That's because Marie Green is my grandmother-the mother of my mom Betty Bonham. I didn't get much time with my grandmother. She passed away when I was only four years old. Yet somehow, I remember visiting her and my Grandpa Green in Midland, Texas, not long before her death. She was 72 years old at the time.

My mom was greatly influenced by my grandmother. By the age of 18, she was traveling the country with her sisters. They would sing and preach and lead people to Christ in powerful revival services. My mom later became a pastor for a few years at various churches in central Oklahoma and continued to evangelize after that. My grandmother's legacy continued with my oldest sister Rhonda Dilldine who is the worship leader at Hope Church in Broken Arrow, Okla. My other sister Karla Partridge has been the children's pastor at Hope for over 20 years. Both have been rock solid pillars of leadership and amazing examples to everyone in our church.

I like to think I've turned out pretty good myself. And I owe it all to the legacy of my grandparents-grandparents Bonham and Green-and both of my parents-Stan and Betty. I have two sons of my own now-Lance Andrew and Cole Avery-and by God's grace I intend to see that legacy continue through them.

You see there was no way to tell back then what great things Marie Green's children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and now even one great-great grandchild (and another one the way) would go on to achieve. It's clear now that her legacy of constant prayer, sacrificial giving and unconditional love has been felt by more than even she could have ever imagined.

My grandmother's faithfulness was greatly blessed. She has an amazing Christian lineage in which every single one of her offspring have gone on to become followers of Jesus and servants of God. It reminds me of these Old Testament words:

"God, You have heard my vows; You have given a heritage to those who fear Your name" (Psalm 61:5, HCSB).

Although that verse was penned by King David, it could have been written by my grandmother who left a heritage that continues today and has spanned the globe reaching countless souls with the Gospel.

Perhaps William James said it best: "The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it."

That's really the message here. No matter where you are at in life or what you think you may or may not have to offer, it's never too late to start a legacy of faithful service to God.

Will your legacy look like Marie Green's? Probably not. But as long as your life is blanketed in prayer, service, love and a passionate pursuit of God, you and those you touch will be blessed for generations to come.

Chad Bonham is a freelance author, journalist and television and documentary producer from Broken Arrow, Okla. He has authored several books including a four-book FCA series (Regal Books) and is the coordinating producer on a forthcoming documentary called Choosing Life.