Inspire, Summer 2011

Study Tour of Israel Join Dr. Bill Brown and Dr. Bob Gromacki on a May 8–18, 2012 Follow the footsteps of Jesus and heroes of the faith who walked before us through biblically significant sites. Caesarea Mount Carmel Megiddo Mount Arbel Sea of Galilee Dead Sea Masada En Gedi Qumran Jerusalem Reignite your passion for the Word of God and its relevance to our lives. View the complete itinerary: cedarville.edu/studytour Being the publisher of Rolling Stone magazine and being involved with the brand was an important job. I felt so blessed to have had that opportunity. But at the same time, it is the bible of “sex, drugs, and rock and roll,” and it didn’t seem like a very good fit. I knew that if you were an executive at Rolling Stone, the morality of your lifestyle choices didn’t matter as long as you were successful in business. And that was radical in its way. I decided I was going to be radical as an out-in-the-open Christian. I had a very good run there, and it was a very good business experience. If I hadn’t done a good job there, I would not have had the opportunity to be a light in that environment. Paul talks in Ephesians about being a “love letter.” If I’m really living in Christ’s identity, I don’t need to proselytize and corner people, saying, “I know what you need!” I was public and open about my faith, and when somebody saw something I had that they wanted, they would come talk to me. And that certainly happened. There were other people for whom my values and way of living were like holy water to a vampire. I met people who were being used by the system and people who were selling their souls to it. I met people who were wildly successful, who probably felt they had no need for God. I just tried to put myself in a position where I could be a positive example. In my current role in the fashion industry, I oversee a number of businesses. When I started this job, I said, “God, please be my business partner. Let me turn to You.” I still have to fire people and do hard things, but I find I can do things from a Christian perspective. I can turn to the Holy Spirit in those times when I need discernment. I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it because I like to mentor young people and I like to develop them in their careers. I like fashion; I find the clothing very interesting. The “spectacle” of the shows is really fun. But that’s a gift. My responsibility in the job is to do a good job, to make the business work, and to give these people an opportunity to grow. Even a Christian boxer has to punch people in the face. Whatever you choose to do, you have to do it really, really well. Sometimes we get into a mode, thinking about where we should be in five years or how we’re not where we want to be right now. But no matter what you’re doing, you have to do that thing well, and that will lead to other opportunities. The Fairchild Fashion Group is a unit of Condé Nast, which publishes consumer magazines, trade publications, and websites. Michael Easley (August 22–25) Lead Teaching Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church Nashville, Tennessee fellowshipnashville.org Children of the World Choir (September 14) Sponsored by WorldHelp Forest, Virginia worldhelp.net Joni Eareckson Tada (September 15) Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Joni and Friends International Disability Center Agoura Hills, California joniandfriends.org Mike Yankoski (October 27) Author of Under the Overpass and Zealous Love Vancouver, British Columbia yankoski.com Save your seat in chapel to hear these exciting speakers. Listen online at cedarville.edu/chapel . ______________________________________________________________________ Whatever You Do, Do It Well The following is an excerpt from Dr. Bill Brown’s chapel interview with Will Schenck on January 24, 2011. Will Schenck is a former publisher of Rolling Stone magazine and is now vice president and chief revenue officer of Fairchild Fashion Group in New York City. Listen to the full interview at cedarville.edu/chapel . “If I’m really living in Christ’s identity, I don’t need to proselytize and corner people, saying, ‘I know what you need!’” 24 SUMMER 2011 chapel repor t