One product was the book "Payne Stewart: The Authorized Biography" (Broadman & Holman), about the golfer who perished in a bizarre plane crash last fall. Written by his widow Tracey Stewart and Ken Abraham, the book is a tribute to the man known as much for his wardrobe as his golf game. In his trademark knickers and tam-o’-shanter cap, Stewart stood out on the links. Another fashion accessory, his ever-present WWJD wristband, was a visible testimony of Stewart’s faith to fans and other golfers.

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The other product was a CD titled "Roaring Lambs." This collection of tunes from various Christian recording artists -- Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jars of Clay and Sixpence None the Richer are among the contributors -- is also a tribute of sorts. The CD was inspired by a book of the same title. Written by Bob Briner, an Emmy-winning television producer and sports executive, "Roaring Lambs" (Zondervan) is an excellent primer on lifestyle evangelism for any believer who wishes to be in, but not of, the world.

When Briner’s book was first published in 1993, things were not going so well for Christianity in our the culture at large. Our niches of Christian music and Christian publishing were thriving, and a number of political movements, particularly those associated with the right-to-life cause, were gaining ground and (often unfavorable) media attention. But whenever Christianity was discussed in the mainstream media and other forums, it was often disparagingly. We were labeled "religious right" or the "moral majority" -- terms that had become pejorative, rather than redeeming.

By 1993, Christianity had ceased to be culturally relevant. We had retreated from the playing field of popular culture into our ghettos of Christian media and publishing, contemporary Christian music and religious broadcasting. We were more concerned with condemning and criticizing the evil of popular culture than with providing a more excellent way. We had tried, without success, to bring about social change in the political arena by focusing our energies behind political candidates and social causes instead of being salt and light in our world.

At least, that was the conventional wisdom of the day.

So along comes this Bob Briner, an average Christian Joe, unknown to most of us, although well known among the mostly non-Christian leaders in television and professional sports. Having seen how little influence Christianity was having in these spheres of influence, Briner decided to write a call to the church. He decided it was time for the lambs, the silent majority of evangelical Christians, to start influencing their world.

"The church is almost a nonentity when it comes to shaping culture," Briner wrote.

In the arts, entertainment, media, education, and other culture-shaping venues of our country, the church has abdicated its role as salt and light. Culturally, we are lambs. Meek, lowly, easily dismissed cuddly creatures that are fun to watch but never a threat to the status quo.

Much of what Briner said then still holds true today. Yet I see hopeful signs that Christians are becoming more of a presence in our influential popular culture. The recent crossover success of musical groups like Jars of Clay and Sixpence None the Richer (their song "Kiss Me" was topped Billboard’s singles charts during much of last summer) is one sign that the lambs are beginning to make some noise. In recent months, two major networks have aired programs about Jesus -- a fictionized account, "Jesus," on CBS and the documentary "The Search for Jesus" on ABC. The WB Network’s "Seventh Heaven," a one-hour drama about a minister and his family, is almost as popular as that other WB program about a teenage girl who kills vampires. And while I’m not a big fan of this speculative end-times fiction, I’m very happy to see a Christian thriller like "The Indwelling," the latest in Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins’ series of "Left Behind" books, sitting at the top of the New York Times Best-seller List.

All of these are positive signs. Yet even as we make progress in our culture, there is some division in our ranks. We Christians continue to spend time bickering over nonessentials. That was the case recently when the head of one Christian organization criticized conservative Christian commentator Cal Thomas for a column he wrote on the Supreme Court’s June ruling that prohibits public prayers before high school football games.

Thomas, who was the spokesman for Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority in the 1980s, can hardly be accused of being pro-pagan. Yet Tim Wildmon of the American Family Association called Thomas’ column an attack against conservative Christians. Thomas wrote that Christians were "fooling themselves when they think public prayers are a sign that all must be right with the world. ... The only kind of faith which does work is that which is first practiced."

Christians need to "stop believing that public displays of their faith are changing anything," Thomas wrote. "Their influence is needed now more than ever, but it will not be felt so long as they settle for a lesser, worldly power, which is really no power at all."

I don’t know about you, but I tend to side with Thomas. I wrote him an e-mail thanking him for being a Christian presence on the op-ed pages of many of America’s most influential newspapers. We need more roaring lions like Thomas, who are out to influence our culture, and fewer snipers like Wildmon, who do little to advance the cause of Christ.

In his book, Briner often mentions Christians who are making an impact on the culture as being members of a fictitious Roaring Lambs Hall of Fame. Now, the Roaring Lambs Web site invites us to nominate our own contributions to the Roaring Lambs Hall of Fame. Below are a few of my nominees from the ranks of popular culture. Perhaps you have a few you’d like to include as well.

-- In the arena of professional sports, faith has always seemed to play a significant, if superficial, role. Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, there are no unbelievers in the ninth-inning prayer vigils of professional baseball. But some true believers deserve special recognition. The story of former All-Star baseball pitcher Dave Dravecky, who returned to the game he loved after being sidelined by cancer, testifies to the power of faith in the midst of adversity. (While Dravecky’s return to the game was short-lived, as his pitching arm was amputated after the cancer returned, his powerful story continues to influence many.) Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce and other Christians who led the St. Louis Rams football team to the 2000 Super Bowl championship have used their success on the gridiron as a platform to speak about Jesus Christ. Another champion, for Christ as well as for his team, is A.C. Green of the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, who has been a proponent of sexual abstinence. A virgin and proud of it at age 36, Green is a far cry from Lakers legends of old like Wilt Chamberlain, who bragged of his womanizing ways, and Magic Johnson. Of course, the late golfer Payne Stewart is a roaring lamb for his open testimony of Christ’s saving grace, a testimony magnified when he won the U.S. Open last year.

-- In television, perhaps no program has influenced pop culture for the past 25 years like "Saturday Night Live." From 1986 to 1993, Victoria Jackson was part of that cultural force, working with the likes of Dana Carvey, Al Franken, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Dennis Miller and Mike Myers. She often played a blonde bimbo or did the occasional tapdance or handstand. As a devout Christian, however, she proved during her stint on SNL that comedy and Christianity are not incompatible. Even today, with a role in the Comedy Central series "Strip Mall," Jackson continues to hone her comedy craft. And on her official web site, she shares her faith on the bio page:

Well, I’d feel like we didn’t really connect if I didn’t tell you about what I really feel is important. I am a genuine true blue believer...not in Scientology...not in the New Age movement...not in Mormonism...not in Buddism...not in Hinduism...not in Catholicism... but in Jesus Christ. I’ve studied all those other religions...and as a cynic, and a free spirit...I personally decided to put my faith in Jesus. I’ve read the Bible all the way through....and I believe it is the Truth...the Word of God. Read John 3:l6, Ephesians 2:8,9, Romans 3:23, and Romans 6:23 and tell me what you think. What do you think? ... What is your faith in? I’m eager to listen and discuss.

-- A more recent addition to TV is the so-called "reality" program "Survivors." One of the castaways of this program, a 20-something substitute teacher named Dirk Been, is a Christian who is not ashamed to talk about his faith. Not necessarily an actor in the traditional sense of the word, Dirk has nevertheless made the most of his opportunity to share Christ. You can read and see more about his faith online at Episode 4 of CBS’ Survivors Web site.

-- In literature, John Grisham gets my nod for the Roaring Lambs Hall of Fame. Since his first novel, "A Time to Kill," Grisham has been writing about the biblical theme of justice. He is a Southern Baptist who takes his faith seriously, as well as a writer the publishing industry listens to. His 1999 release, "The Testament," is his most overtly Christian to date, but still a best seller. Grisham proves he doesn’t have to water down his faith to sell books, nor sacrifice his writing talents to remain faithful to Jesus.

So, who are your roaring lambs? Give them the recognition they deserve.