Pretty much everything from The Black Keys is awesome, including this new video for "Lonely Boy." That's right. As you watch it, remember how awesome I said it is. It's awesome. Their new album, El Camino, comes out on the 6th of December. Their 2003 album, Thickfreakness, is $5 this month.
Two steps to Gospel Wakefulness: It's simple...& impossible for you to do...
Gospel Wakefulness, page 35.
I met Jason Cornwell (@TheCornDog) at Together for Adoption. At first I just thought he was a dude with a car who would take us from the hotel to the conference and back. But we quickly became friends (he's a ton of fun) and we learned that Jason is coming on staff with T4A. His responsibilities include...
Come to find out, his only job isn't driving Molly and me around. He's kind of a big deal for T4A and I want to encourage my readers to learn about Jason, his ministry, and how you can support him and Together for Adoption. So please go read the T4A writeup on Jason and consider helping this great ministry, and my new friend.
Talking Christmas albums on Twitter today, so in preparation for the day after Thanksgiving (the appropriate time to start listening to Christmas music) here are 4 Christmas albums I recommend that focus on Jesus/incarnation and not just the cultural holiday (though I love some cultural albums too). Let me know your faves. Mine are in no particular order...
Amazon has listed 100 Christmas albums for $5 a piece. This includes Burl Ives, Sara Groves, Mannheim Steamroller, Michael W. Smith, She & Him, Elvis, & Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits (Vince Guaraldi Trio).
Pick up some new stuff for Christmas, and go check out all 100.
Curator Magazine has this excerpt from Franklin Einspruch on excellence in the arts & middlebrow taste...
So I have worked out a pragmatic answer: Excellence is art’s reproductive drive. Excellent traits in art trigger the feelings, emotions, and attentions of the viewer. Thus aroused, an artist sets out to reproduce those traits in a new arrangement of materials. Thus the cycle begins anew. It’s not subjective or objective because it’s dynamic……
We don’t use the term “middle art,” and in my opinion there is no middle art. There doesn’t have to be, with so much overlap between high and low. There is, however, middlebrow taste. Middlebrow taste is a kind of chickening out of taste, in which you settle for familiarity instead of demanding excellence……
Go high, go low, but demand it. Whatever you do, don’t chicken out.
Read the rest: High and Low: What is Excellence in the Arts?
Check out the Christmas Catalog from The Good Book. These guys are really good at putting together resources for all ages, plus books from Tim Chester, Christianity Explored, & more.
Here are some great $5 albums for November.
Tim Chester's new book, Gospel-Centred Marriage: Becoming the Couple God Wants You To Be, is out from The Good Book Company. It's short (about 100 pages) and perfect for personal study, couples study, and group study.
WTS has it for 60% off, but when you put it in your cart the first copy is reduced to $2.99! TheGoodBook.com has it for 65% off. Either way, it's a great deal on a new book you should own.
Karen Swallow Prior interviews Tim Keller on his new book, The Meaning of Marriage. A blurb...
What does your book contributes to the conversation about marriage that other books have not?
It's not simply a how-to manual. Many Christian marriage books are "here's how to work on your problems." On the other hand, the book is not just theological on "here's the biblical view of marriage." The most recent and the best-selling Christian books on marriage from the last few years were either theological, polemical, or absolutely practical. This is a combination of those. Most books I know on the subject recently have not been written by pastors; they've been written by counselors or theologians or people like that. This book was originally a series of sermons. When you preach, the sermon usually goes from the theological to the more polemical and into the practical.
Read the entire interview.
It's Halloween, so you need The Horrors. Primary Colours (2009) was my introduction to the band. They just released Skying a couple of months ago to very good reviews. Here's "I Can See Through You" on Jools...
Tullian Tchividjian's new book, Jesus + Nothing = Everything, is out today and I encourage you to buy your copy right away. He had a copy with him at Together 4 Adoption, but only one, so I couldn't talk him into giving it to me. I probably wasn't the first person asking him for it.
I got my copy of J+N=E from Crossway last week. It's one of my most anticipated books of the year (along with Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson). Here are a few endorsements for Jesus + Nothing = Everything...
“In an evangelical culture where so many of us are unaware that the gospel isn’t just what we believe to save us but also what sustains us and carries us into maturity, this book hammers home the gospel’s power for the believer. Whether you have been in church your whole life or recently converted, this book will fuel your affections for our great God and King.”
—Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor, The Village Church, Highland Village, Texas; author, The Explicit Gospel
“My friend Tullian is a loser. So am I. If we’re honest, all of us fit that description, but the good news is that Christ came for people like us. We qualify! Under the rubric of ‘Jesus plus nothing equals everything,’ this accessible yet astonishingly profound book rearranges the furniture. If you’re looking for hope instead of hype, please read this book.”
—Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California
“In a powerful, concise, and popular style, Tchividjian announces, explicates, defends, and contrasts the gratuitous gospel of Christ’s person and work with the oft-misheld conviction of us sinners that, if we are somehow to be justified, it will have to be a matter of ‘making up for’ our offenses and of inward improvement. Chapter-by-chapter he argues that God’s saving plan is one of grace and not one of improvement. Filled with illustrations from his life as a pastor, this is no unapproachable, academic tome. But neither, thank God, is it today’s ‘Evangelical silly!’ Tchividjian wrestles openly with demons and their central lie in order that we truly ‘get’ what the Bible is really about. From every point on the compass, he contrasts ‘moral renovation’ with a free, one-sided rescue drenched in the blood of Jesus. Good news for everyone—but especially for Christians who are worn out by trying the other way, believing the lie, somehow knowing renovation isn’t working but knowing nowhere else to turn. Tchividjian is out to convince his reader that justification before God really is pure gift, is free, is by grace and through faith in Christ. . . sola!”
—Rod Rosenbladt, professor of theology, Concordia University
Who'da thunk it? "Billie Jean" is not on Barton Hollow, but it is on Jools...
Mumford & Sons released a new 13 song live album today.
Live From Shepherd's Bush Empire.
Molly and I had a great talk with Jeff Vanderstelt of Soma Communities while at Together for Adoption in Phoenix. Jeff and I have talked a couple of times, and I find his love for Jesus, the Gospel, the church, and the lost world compelling. In our talk at T4A we covered stuff on church life, preaching, evangelism, family, community and a lot more. He pastored us, and encouraged us, and answered our questions, and honestly, he just loved on us and longed to help us. We've been talking about that discussion every day since, multiple times a day. It's the most important thing that happened at T4A for us. And let me add, the best things of every conference I've ever attended have happened in the margins, not in the sessions and breakouts. Those can be amazing, but talking one on one with people has been best for me.
Let me introduce you to Jeff Vanderstelt and Soma Communities in Tacoma, Washington through this video. It's done well, and tells a story of what a Jesus community should look like. Let me know what you think.
Watch Beirut play "Santa Fe" on Fallon and then go buy The Rip Tide. It's great. By the way, their excellent 2006 album is only $5.49 | Gulag Orkestar. Can't recommend that one any higher.
Here's my best shot at creating one post with links to everything from Together for Adoption featured bloggers. Not every blogger wrote on everything or was present for every main session. I expect more posts are still coming with reflections on T4A in the days to come. I know I have some unfinished posts on some talks and a handful of other reflections to share. If you see things I've missed, let me know. FYI: I know other bloggers/twitterers said a lot at T4A, but I'm focusing on the "featured bloggers." If you want to put a link to other helpful posts in the comments from non-featured bloggers, that would be a great addition to the list.
Check out tweets still coming out from #t4aCon attenders and others RTing good quotes. Also go back in the Twitter accounts (listed below) for a ton of great quotes. That may be the best way to get direct quotes, while the posts often contain interaction on the quotes and topics.
BLOGGERS - Name [link to Twitter account] (abbreviation)
MAIN SESSIONS
Darrin Patrick | Session 1 - The Church & Social Justice
Tullian Tchividjian | Session 2 - Surprised by Adoption
Dan Cruver | Session 3 - Adoption & The God Who Cares
Bryan Loritts | Session 4 - The Church as the Theater of Transracial Adoption
Jeff Vanderstelt | Session 5 - Gospel-Motivation for Missional Living
Tim Chester | Session 6 - Relaxing in Trinitarian Love
PRE-CONFERENCE & BREAKOUTS
MISC & POST-CONFERENCE
Go pick up the Bifrost Arts free sampler. Love their music!
STREAMING FREE
DAYTROTTER FREE
$5 ALBUMS
NOTEABLE RELEASE
A Very She & Him Christmas (out today, only $5)
I don't talk much about my favorite songs. I talk about songs I like, and there are many. But one new song that I've just completely fallen for is "Wait" by M83. It's off their new 22 track double album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, which is sure to be high on my list of best albums from 2011. This isn't an official video, just a picture, but you get to hear the song. If you want to really digest it, close your eyes and crank it up. It builds and soars. Enjoy!
