My boys and I made a day of it last Saturday at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. What a great day. That's the Sears Tower buried in the clouds in the first photo. That's Soldier Field in the second.
Ministry can be frustrating and exhausting. Whatever your work, I'm sure you've experienced much the same thing. Our recent vacation did little to alleviate my frustrations and I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out why. As usual what I needed more than time off was a fresh grasp of the Gospel.
For more on this head over to The High Calling you can read my new article, "Hello, My Name Is Van."
As I was listening to a sermon by one of my favorite living preachers tonight, I thought I should give a short list of my favorite preachers of 2006. As a preacher I get great reward from hearing the preaching of others. Not only because it helps me learn what good preachers do and say, but because I get the Gospel over and over again.
These five preachers have been my Gospel teachers over the past year more than anyone else. I subscribe to their sermons and/or podcasts. They are in no particular order (except for the first one).
Tim Keller
The sermons of Dr. Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC, have haunted me for a couple of years now, but never so much as in 2006. He has a number of free sermons on the web that I link to on my Tim Keller Resources page. I also have a paid subscription to the weekly preaching at Redeemer, which includes mostly Keller sermons but others as well at Redeemer.
Keller's sermons are intellectual, a little more sedated than I normally like, and very reasonable. What is best about Keller's preaching is his simple explanation of the Gospel and truth. My Gospel vernacular is forever changed because of his sermons.
Bottom line: there is no other sermon resource that has so deeply challenged and changed me. Get on board.
Rick McKinley
Rick McKinley is the pastor of Imago Dei in Portland. On the surface Rick awakens my inner surfer. Is that an accent? Whatever it is, it works. McKinley is great on Kingdom and Gospel issues. He also speaks both practically and pastorally about simple and difficult issues alike. I rarely hear him preach without feeling compelled to get up and love my neighbor.
You can grab his podcast or find his stuff at Sermon Cloud or Imago Dei.
Matt Chandler
Matt Chandler is pastor of The Village Church near Dallas. He is a passionate guy with a solid handle on Scripture, quick wit, and compelling application. His sermon, "Gravity," is easily the most important message I heard in 2006 (video here). Matt is my wife's second favorite preacher next to me (I have to say that, don't I?).
Check out the sermon database for Chandler's sermons or find his podcast at iTunes.
Mark Driscoll
Mark Driscoll, a little known pastor in Seattle (Mars Hill Church), has been a life-changer for me. Mark preached to my wife and me at least once a week in the first half of 2006. We would put on one of his sermons while doing "sabbath" on Mondays in my home.
Driscoll keeps you listening though his humor (which is sometimes over the top), but his content and theology are what feeds. What he often does best is kick your butt with the truth and open your eyes to the grace of Christ. We have been so thankful for what we have learned through Mark.
Find his sermons at the MHC site, get his podcast, watch his sermons.
Rob Bell
Rob Bell is pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids. Bell is a great communicator and may be better known for his Nooma videos.
I'm sure a few people will gasp at my listing of Bell in my favorite preachers of 2006. Doesn't he have theological issues? Doesn't he waver on hell and love McLaren (which for some is essentially the same as wavering on hell)?
I don't agree with everything I've heard in Rob Bell's sermons (same goes for any preacher). But I've listened enough to know this guy loves Jesus, strives for Scripturally accurate sermons, and aches to see lives changed by the Gospel. So even if Bell hiccups on occasion, I can't help but be challenged and compelled to faithfulness through his preaching.
Find his sermons and podcast feed at the MHC site.
Time for my top CD's of 2006. I was going to do the top 10, but I'm taking it up a notch. Too many good ones to limit it to 10.
Disclaimer: My funds are limited and I can't buy or listen to every CD worth listening to. These are my top CD's of 2006. There are probably some that would make my list or at least put up a fight: Grizzly Bear, Asobi Seksu, Midlake, Jeremy Enigk, The Mountain goats, and more. But I can't live on what I don't know, so on with the list...
21. Wolfmother: Wolfmother
Break out the air guitar and nail down a few power chords. Wolfmother is the real deal. It hints at old Ozzy, but without Satan. I noticed that "Woman" is stadium music in the new Madden 07 for PS2. My kids have also noticed it on commercials. It's powerful, blood-pumping stuff.
Download: "White Unicorn," "Woman"
20. Alan Jackson: Like Red On a Rose
The best popular level country album I've heard in a long time. And it encourages slowing down, making out, and all that good stuff.
Download: "The Fireflys Song," "Nobody Said It Would Be Easy"
19. Decemberists: The Crane Wife
The last Decemberists CD was pretty good, not great. This is a great CD with a few unexpected sounds and melodies. Really enjoyable.
Download: "The Island," "Sons & Daughters"
18. Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
This one was slow to grow on me, but it's become a regular listen now. Neko can sing, and this alt/country is worth every penny.
Download: "Maybe Sparrow," "Star Witness"
17. The Avett Brothers: Four Theives Gone
After hearing a cut from this CD on NPR I spent a few days searching for this CD. After picking it up I had to get their other stuff. This is alt/bluegrass/emo/screamo/country at its best. And yes, I know that's a strange thing to say.
Download: "Left on Laura, Left on Lisa," "Famous Flower of Manhattan"
16. Josh Ritter: The Animal Years
I really debated putting this higher on my list. Stephen King puts it first. It's great acoustic, Dylanesque stuff. Ritter is a master songwriter. His earlier stuff is good too.
Download: "Thin-Blue Flame," "Girl in the War"
15. Mat Kearney: Nothing Left to Lose
In 2004 Kearney released Bullet, which was a small release and just fantastic. This CD is the big release of some of Bullet and some new stuff on a new label. It blows Bullet away.
Download: "Crashing Down," "Where Do We Go From Here"
14. M. Ward: Post-War
This is the first M. Ward CD that doesn't encourage me to skip over a song or two as I listen. His style is a bit strange; it took me some time to enjoy it. But the genius of the music pushed me onward, and I'm thankful.
Download: "Poison Cup," "Post-War"
13. Beirut: Gulag Orkestar
Wow, this CD is something. It's so different for me, and so enjoyable. I remember listening to it on a road trip with Joe Thorn to the Southern Baptist Convention in North Carolina. We both just loved it. I think you would too.
Download: "Brandenburg," "Postcards From Italy"
12. Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat
I didn't think I'd like this CD. I wasn't impressed with the reviews so I just forgot about it. Something recently led me to buy it, and I'm glad I did. You know, there are some songs in the world that pop into your head at unexpected times and annoy you. Most of the 80's comes into mind. Then there are songs and melodies that haunt you. For some reason Lewis' voice is always around.
Download: "Rise Up With Fists!!!," "The Changing Sky"
11. Espers: II
I read a few obscure reviews before this CD came out and figured it would be good to try. This album still blows me away. It's stunning. It leaves you dazed and dazzled at the music and the harmonies. It's a melancholy 70's folk masterpiece.
Download: "Cruel Storm," "Dead Queen"
10. Joanna Newsome: Ys
Running through a forest of fairy tales and melodies plucked on a harp. Beautiful, wistful, powerful. Newsome's syrupy voice fits the genre, and her poetry is even better.
Download: "Emily," "Cosmia"
9. The Black Angels: Passover
I heard the dude at KEXP say that this is his album of the year. That was enough for me to give it a try. The Black Angels are a bit of a rock flashback, conjuring up 70's war-related stuff. But it's every bit today as well. When I need to crank it up a bit, I go here.
Download: "The First Vietnamese War," "The Prodigal Sun"
8. Regina Spektor: Begin To Hope
This is a recent purchase, but it has been the CD of choice for our family ever since. This is Fiona Apple without the deep voice. Spektor's voice is a jewel, and she uses it brilliantly. She is strong, but playful. And when she's playful, she is at her best.
Download: "Fidelity," "Samson"
7. Cat Power: The Greatest
Chan Marshall's CD has been in my blood for months. This was an early front-runner for #1. This music is full and meaty because of great songwriting.
Download: "Lived in Bars," "Willie"
6. Tom Waits: Orphans
This is a difficult CD set for me to explain. It's three CD's: Brawler, Bawlers, and Bastards. The set is full of rarities and new stuff. Waits' voice is gravel and acid at times, other times he sounds broken and hurting. I was really afraid Orphans would lose iPod rotation quickly. Man was I wrong.
Download (a few selections from each CD): "Low Down," "Rains on Me," "You Can Never Hold Back Spring," "Never Let Go," "Books of Moses," "Two Sisters," "Home I'll Never Be"
5. Sleeping At Last: Keep No Score
When Sigur Ros gets converted and sings in English, they may sound a little like Sleeping At Last. This is Coldplayish, melody-driven, and fantastic. This is the one CD I own where the lyrics are more important than the music.
Download: "Careful Hands," "Hold Still"
4. Band of Horses: Everything All the Time
Yeah, this is on most lists. And it should be. "The Funeral" will be on most lists of best songs, and it should be. What a debut CD. I think "Monsters" is the best song by a mile, and that is saying a lot. If you don't have this one, get it.
Download: "The Funeral," "Monsters"
3. Page France: Hello, Dear Wind
I so wanted to make this #1. This album is incredible. This is what Christ-haunted music is supposed to sound like. This is what redemptive music sounds like. The theology is storied and not outlined. The Cross bleeds through the music.
Download: "Chariot," "Feather"
2. Joseph Arthur: Nuclear Daydream
I think Arthur's stuff is masterful. It's creative and thoughtful. Good beats, winsome melodies.
Download: "Black Lexus," "Don't Tell Your Eyes"
1. Shearwater: Palo Santo
This CD is unbelievable. I listen to it over and over and it just keeps impressing me. It's the CD I go to for time in my study and sermon work. It's haunting, at times so gentle, and at times in your face. It's amazing.
Download: "Nobody," "Hail, Mary"
A few honorable mentions: Anathallo, Danielson, Jose Gonzalez, Phoenix, Serena-Maneesh, Silversun Pickups, TV on the Radio.
I should have been linking this blog for some time now, but just realized I don't have him on my blog list. Please keep up with Steve Addison's blog, World Changers. It's consistently fantastic.
I finally got out a bit for some new photos last night. The fog was rolling in, so I grabbed my d50 and tripod and walked to the schools near our home. The top photo is a broken basketball hoop at the elementary school where my two oldest kids go. The bottom is a playground behind my 6 year olds' school.
A few weeks back I received the new ESV English-Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament (whew!). I've used it a few times now and like it a lot. If you know Greek well then this product may not be very helpful. I will probably not use it much myself since I have one of those intense Bible programs on my laptop. But for those who don't have a great grasp on the Greek, this can be a fantastic Bible study tool. I'm especially thinking of small group leaders and Bible study teachers in my church.
Basically this tool is the ESV Bible with the Greek words below. Each Greek word is transliterated, parsed and numbered from Strong's. There are helpful guides at the beginning of the book on how to use the book that explain these things further.
As a pastor who preaches from the ESV and encourages my church members to use it for their own reading and study, I want to express my thanks to the nice people over at Crossway who are continuing to deliver great ESV tools and Bible editions.
Joe Thorn has an excellent article up on Relevant Magazine's website: "Stories and an American Christmas." A blurb...
I hear from quite a few people that all of this amounts to us pretending to like each other for a few days of the year. That the smiles, acts of kindness and all the holiday cheer is a superficial facade that is dishonest. But I disagree. I think it is less of a lie and more of the recognition that this is the way it is supposed to be. It is a yearning to be and experience what is right—what is best. It is a recognition of the imago dei, and seeing that, even in literature, is exciting. It resonates with fallen humanity.
Understanding this helps me to better connect with the culture redemptively. I do not feel the need to fight with the world about the true meaning of Christmas. Instead, I can find common ground from which we can talk, really talk, about Jesus...
With winter here I figured I would share 5 of my favorite CD's for sipping hot cocoa in front of a crackling fireplace...
Alan Jackson: Like Red On A Rose -If all country music were more like this, fewer people would be ashamed to say they like it.
Amos Lee: Amos Lee - Silky-smooth, and oh so gentle.
Dirty Three: Cinder - Instrumental jazz trio, beautiful and simple.
Over the Rhine: Drunkard's Prayer - Thoughtful and emotion grabbing.
Ray LaMontagne: Trouble - Heartfelt and mellow folk/acoustic.
EXTRA! EXTRA!...
Matthew Smith (of Indelible Grace) is streaming his new CD, All I Owe, for free. Great way to check out Matthew's great worship stuff. Also keep up with his blog and myspace.
Here's a list of some music blogs (via Kevin Cawley). Cawley also pointed to NPR's Listener's Pick CD's of the year and KEXP's top 10 or 11 best debut CD's. I'll probably be giving my best of the year in a couple of weeks.
One of the podcasts I enjoy is Catalyst. Recently they interviewed Rick McKinley and discussed kingdom issues, the gospel, his church (Imago Dei, Portland) and the Church, the emerging church & Emergent, and practical missional stuff. I've listened to it a few times now and it continues to provoke me in the right direction. Check it out.
This is the Christmas Tree at Daley Plaza in Chicago. My wife and I received free tickets Wednesday morning for A Christmas Carol at Goodman Theater on Wednesday night. So we found a babysitter, hopped on a train, ate some P.F. Changs and enjoyed a show in downtown Chicago. I took these photos after the play as we walked back to the train station.
Oh geez, this is funny (via: Riddleblog). This is a Lutheran Advent Calendar.
Merry Christmas!
Riddlebarger comments, "Sorry, but you Southern Baptists are out of luck . . ."
Not all of us, bro. :)
Scot McKnight put up a picture of himself with hair. I couldn't resist putting a few words over it. I sent it to him and let him post it first, but here it is for you...
I don't know if I've linked this before, but just in case here's Tim Keller's message at the Desiring God Conference, "The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in the Postmodern World."
Love this Monday Night Football video.
It will cost you a few bucks, but if you want to understand art and "cultural creatives" you should get Tim Keller's message "Christianity and the Creative Age." This is a lecture given for the Redeemer InterArts Fellowship in September 2006. The Redeemer InterArts Fellowship is "for anyone working in (or interested in) the
fine or performing arts, design, media, or entertainment."
This lecture is helpful on consumerism, art & artists, the city, creativity and relationships. It's particularly helpful for pastors desiring to encourage a biblical view of the arts and, obviously, artists.
I've mentioned some of these before, but here are the ways I discover new music. I'll try to put them in order of importance for me.
1. Metacritic. This site compiles reviews for movies, DVD's, TV shows, books, and yes, music. I only use it for music. Click "Music" at the top, and then on the left sidebar you will notice a few "Best of..." links. Below that is an "Upcoming and Current Releases" list in alphabetical order. Click "Sort Them By Score" and see the list in order of best to worst according to combined reviews.
Now you can click artist by artist and see which CD is reviewed and then read blurbs from each reviewer. A number of the reviews contain a link to the full, external review.
This site isn't perfect. When reviews don't contain a number score, Metacritic will assign it a number on a 100 point scale so it can be put in the tally. Some review sites and mags end up giving a slew of 100 ratings, and that just doesn't work. So you may find inflated scores here and there.
Another problem is that there are artists and CD's I would love to see reviewed that aren't given any attention. That can be frustrating.
Nonetheless, this is still my favorite site for discovering which CD's I want to look up on iTunes to see if it might be worth buying. I also have this site as a favorite on my Treo cell phone so I can use it when at the music store.
2. Peruse good music magazines. You may want subscribe to a good magazine like Paste (my personal favorite) or Under the Radar. They will have a number of reviews in each issue. I can't afford to subscribe to much, so I spend a few minutes shuffling through the pages in the bookstore to see what stands out. And I'll pick up an issue here or there to read about artists I'm interested in.
A downfall of depending on one magazine is that they might not like something you think it great. Or maybe it will be the other way around. I rarely read one review before picking up a CD.
3. Read music websites. A number of magazines put their reviews online. Good to check those out. But there are sites that focus only on the web. Some of the ones I like are Pitchfork, Dusted, and Coke Machine Glow.
4. Podcasts. Many of the music magazines and websites have their own podcast highlighting artists and CD's. I've tried out many and find them all helpful in different ways. Currently I subscribe to KEXP's Live Performances and NPR's All Songs Considered.
5. Internet radio. Sites like Pandora (easily my favorite) and Last.fm can be very helpful in finding music that fits in the style range of music you already like. So you tell them what you like (each site has a unique way of doing this) and they play similar music.
This doesn't always work like you want it. Sometimes I think, This isn't anything like the music I enjoy. But you can skip songs and move along. I still find these sites worthwhile.
It's budget time at our church and Tim Keller's words are painfully evident. Ugh.
The smaller church by its nature gives immature, outspoken,opinionated, and broken members far more power over the whole body. Since everyone knows everyone else, when a family or small group of members express strong opposition to the direction set by the pastor and leaders, that small group’s misery can hold the whole congregation hostage. If they threaten to leave, the majority of people will urge the leaders to desist in their project. It is extremely difficult to get complete consensus from a group of 50-150 people about program and direction, especially in today’s diverse, fragmented society. Yet in smaller churches there is an unwritten rule that most everyone must be happy with any new initiative in order for it to be implement. Leaders of small churches must be brave enough to lead and to confront immature members in spite of its unpleasantness.
Tim Keller, "Leadership and Church Size Dynamics"
