National Poetry Month 2013

It's here again! Always look forward to National Poetry Month (NPM). It's a good yearly reminder to consider our words and make the most of them. May our words be pregnant with meaning! It's a good reminder to see the world thorugh a poet's eyes. In a world of abbreviations, texting, and Twitter we would do good to say more with less. And it would be good in the hustle of life to slow down and digest something beautiful in slow meditation, seeing every word in its place and with its purpose.

Who are some poets you like? It's ok if you don't know the book sort. What songwriters do you like?

For more info on National Poetry Month, go to The Academy of American Poets website (Poets.org) (also Twitter | Facebook). They founded NPM in 1996.

New Albums Streaming FREE 4.1.13

• Besnard Lakes: Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO | Yucky title that probably has some really important meaning (?)...but I love this dreamy, ambient rock goodness
• Kurt Vile: Wakin On A Pretty Daze | I dig it
• The Black Angels: Indigo Meadows
• Caveman: Caveman
• The Lovely Wild: The Sun As It Comes

Keller | Four Kinds Of People

In Tim Keller's excellent expository guide to Galatians says there are four kinds of people concerning works & the law. I'll give you his categories with a very short explanation. Check out Galatians For You (Amazon, Kindle, WTS) starting on page 117 for a fuller explanation.

1. Law-obeying, law-relying | "Under the law," often smug, self-righteous, superior. Sensitive to criticism despite outward confidence. "Pharisees." They go to church.
2. Law-disobeying, law-relying | Strong works-righteousness, but not living consistently. May go to church, but on periphery b/c of low spiritual self-esteem. Guilt-ridden.
3. Law-disobeying, not law-relying | Secular & relativistic. Vague spirituality. Choose own moral standards & insist they are meeting them. Earn salvation by feeling superior to others.
4. Law-obeying, not law-relying | Understand the Gospel and living out the freedom of it. More tolerant than #3, more confident than #2, more sympathetic than #1. Still struggle to live out #4 and see the world as a #1, #2, or #3.

Raised?

Jonathan Dodson's new book is out, and it's free, and it's just in time for Easter: Raised?: Doubting the Resurrection. As you go download it for Kindle, iBooks, or as a PDF (or all three, like I did)...comment and share your favorite books on the resurrection. 

Creature of the Word | The Mission Chasm

If the church leaders say to people, "Living on mission in our city is vital," yet they rarely if ever offer opportunities for people to serve the city, then a chasm exists between how the leaders see the church and how others see her.

Creature of the Word (Kindle, WTS Bookstore), by Chandler, Patterson, & Geiger, pg 97.

New Music Tuesday 3.19.13

Several significant albums released today. I wanted to point out the ones I recommend you check out. There are even more than these I'm checking out but don't know well enough to recommend for you. This week I'm struggling to choose which to buy. I want all of these, and maybe a couple more. A good problem to have!

Low: The Invisible Way | One of my favorite bands with what sounds like is another great album. Highly recommend you check Low out. Many good reviews too.

Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience | Before you roll your eyes, Pitchfork gives it 8.4/10. I think JT has been making some of the best, coolest, most fun pop music around...and that was 7 years ago. Now finally with a new album, we get one of the most interesting, engaging, funny, and talented performers of our time with fresh lungs and sounds. Enjoy!

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Specter at the Feast | $5 right now. A bit of return to form to earlier albums I really loved. Paste: 8/10. I think this is a band often overlooked and who should have a wider appeal.

Phosophorescent: Muchacho | Getting great reviews. Pitchfork 8.8/10. I heard this streaming free and really liked it and will be picking it up.

Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer: Child Ballads | Not "ballads for children," but Celtic & British ballads compiled by Francis James Child. You'll struggle to find an album more thoroughly beautiful this week.

Stornoway: Tales from Terra Firma | Wonderful acoustic, folksy sounds. Very interested in this one.

Woodkid: The Golden Age | Fascinating sounds, from haunting vocals and to a visual quality to the music. It's engaging. Reminds me of Antony & the Johnsons as well as my album of the year a couple of years ago, The Poison Tree.

Les Miserables Soundtrack (Deluxe Edition) | If you can't stop singing it (see: my wife and daughter), this 42 track double album is the whole dealio. A must for lovers of the film/musical.

Vampire Weekend | "Diane Young" & "Step"

If this is the new direction of Vampire Weekend, I'm in! These two songs have me all worked up over the awesomeness. New album, Modern Vampires of the City, out in May. Here's "Diane Young" and "Step."

Music Monday 3.18.13

Here are albums streaming free this week that I think are worth checking out...

• Julian Lynch: Lines | I'm listening to this now, and it's fascinating. Electric folk Americana something. I hear Sufjan influence. Really digging it.
• Wavves: Afraid of Heights
• DJ Koze: Amygdala
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Specter at the Feast
• Low: The Invisible Way (out tomorrow, I will be buying it)

Josh Garrels is still giving away 5 albums FREE.

Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater covers Roy Orbison's "It's Over" in the Texas outdoors. If you don't know Jonathan's work (with Okkervil River too), you should check it out. I still think Palo Santo is his best work. Covering Orbison is hard work, but well done by JM.

Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater plays "It's Over" by Roy Orbison

Josh Garrels | 5 Free Albums

This is so good. Josh Garrels, the dude who made the excellent 2011 album Love & War & The Sea In Between (my #5 of 2011), is giving away his five albums free. FREE, I say. All "tips" go to World Relief, so don't be afraid to give if you have the means. This is a really cool thing for Josh to do! 

Lots-o-Links 3.13.13

Sam Storms has a new blog, is on Twitter, and you can "Like" on Facebook. It's a trifecta of Stormsian awesomeness!

I got a Maglus Stylus for my iPad (and one for Joe) and it's great! I've tried several now, and it's the best I've used. Joe told me today he's loving his too. Not only is the tip wonderfully responsive with minimal pressure, but the fact it's magnetized makes it almost impossible to forget. PLUS, if you click here you can get yours for 10% off. I seriously hope many will try this one out. LOVE it.

Serving Without Sinking is another book put out by The Good Book Company that I look forward to reading. Actually Molly might beat me to it. It looks quite helpful for those in ministry needing to not merely do our job, but to find delight in our service to Christ.

Eugene Peterson: Living the Resurrection is $1.99 for Kindle.

If you haven't seen it yet, I really hope wives of church planters, pastors' wives, and wives of men in all sorts of ministries buy and read The Church Planting Wife. Molly has been so blessed through it.

Studly Stylus for My Best Buddy

UPDATE 4.3.13: I paid full price, but you can get 10% off by using this link! Get it.

----------

I get to spend some time with my buddy, Joe Thorn, today. I'm giving him the Maglus Stylus so we can match. Matching is very manly. It's hardly going to make up for him organizing to get me a MacBook Pro & iPad, but should make his life a little better.

I've been using it for a few days and love it. If you are in the market for a stylus, you can go from very cheap to very expensive with various results. I have a couple of cheaper ones around for when I can't find anything else, but this is the one I want with me. Check out the reviews of the Maglus along with a bunch of others at The Verge. Really helpful videos are what sold me on this one.  

STREAMING FREE | Low: The Invisible Way

Stream Low: The Invisible Way | One of my favorite bands, one of my favorite styles of music (slow, heavy, thoughtful). You need to check this one out. Some background from NPR Music...

In 20 years, Low's basic ingredients haven't changed much: Guitarist Alan Sparhawk and drummer Mimi Parker swap and sometimes layer their vocals, with a third member joining the married couple on bass. The pace, for the most part, is kept deliberate, even glacial, with strategically deployed silence hanging between notes in order to enhance their power. Low songs don't often change tempo noticeably, instead achieving tension through variations in volume.

But that seemingly limited framework still provides ample room for experimentation: Low can be a sweetly chiming pop band, or it can seethe and unsettle with an almost industrial buzz. It can express emotion by drawing out the barest fragment of a phrase, or it can expound thoughtfully on life, death, secrecy, war and the way humanity collides with itself.

Low's 10th full-length studio album, The Invisible Way, was produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, who avoids any temptation to radically stretch the Minnesota band's boundaries. But he wisely dials up the interplay between Sparhawk and Parker — who's too often underutilized on Low records — while letting bits of piano and spare percussive rumbles provide the portent. "So Blue" and "Just Make It Stop" give The Invisible Way a bit of a jolt by laying Parker's vocals atop unusually jumpy arrangements, but most of these songs land squarely in that sweet spot where darkness and worry are swathed in pristine beauty.

Keller | Questions for Sleepy or Nominal Christians

Helpful post today from Tim Keller on revival and the Spirit's work on sleepy and nominal Christians. Here's a teaser...

So how do you wake up sleepy Christians and convert nominal Christians? Let me give you what I would call my modernized American versions of the kinds of questions I would ask people if I was trying to get them to really think about whether or not they know Christ. These questions are adapted from The Experience Meeting by William Williams, based on the Welsh revivals during the Great Awakening. He would ask people to share about these types of questions in small group settings each week...

[...]

Have you been finding Scripture to be alive and active? Instead of just being a book, do you feel like Scripture is coming after you?

You are going to have to go to Tim Keller's blog to read the rest of the questions. This is an issue near and dear to me as I think there are few things more important for the American church than to work for the conversion of "Christians." You have to ask questions that will show them who they are, and who they aren't.

The Church Planting Wife

There has been no other book that I've been this thankful for, concerning my wife. She has been deeply affected by reading and meditating on The Church Planting Wife by Christine Hoover. I'm writing with her permission

Our marriage hasn't been the same since she started reading it. That's no overstatement. She's understood her role better, my role better, God's perspective and love and grace better, etc. I can't even describe the full impact this book has already had on her, and me. What I can describe is that I (as the husband) feel more encouraged by her, understood, helped, cared for, and loved. Sorry to be so vague as there are specific things I can point to, but I want to allow her to continue to process this book.

I asked Molly to provide me with a quote in the book or something to post, and she left me somewhere around 20 quotes...as the ones she would single out for a post. I'll give you one. :) Here's a blurb from the book website about the book and a quote that has been meaningful for Molly. First, about the book...

Behind every church planter is a church planting wife, who plays an integral role in the formation of the church, who is often the sole encourager for her husband, and who juggles such an intense ministry while nurturing a family.

Because she is so crucial to the church planter and the church, church planting wives need support, encouragement, and help in their roles. They need an apt word from someone who has been there and applicable biblical wisdom that will sustain them.

Here's one of Molly's favorite quotes that has helped her refresh her calling as a church planting (or in our case, replanting) wife...

My husband has many people who care about him, respect him, and help him lead the church. But he only has one helpmate. I am the only one who listens to his deep discouragement, who satisfies his physical needs, who mothers his children, who is a constant and true companion, who protects his periods of rest, and who values his fruitfulness as much as he does.

Church planting is a "together" calling. 

Molly's response to the dozens and dozens of "aha" moments in this book has been that she wishes she had this book 10 years ago before I entered a full-time pastoral work. There are not only great chapters by Hoover, but helpful interviews with church planting wives like Lauren Chandler (Matt), Ginger Vassar (JR), and Jennifer Carter (Matt).

I've already ordered a copy for a church planter friend's wife and one to have ready to give out when the opportunity presents itself. I want you to pick up a copy for your wife, your pastor's wife (even if not a planter, trust me!), or whoever could benefit from this book. I had no idea when I got this book how much it would impact my marriage in such a short period of time. I'm praying it will have a lasting impact on hundreds of other church planting wives. Molly says to read it slowly and don't rush through it. Take it in, deal with your heart.

Buy The Church Planting Wife. Also pastor/planter/replanter wives should visit and read Christine Hoover's blog, GraceCoversMe.com.

Illustrated Puritans

One of the things I love to see is when someone takes good, old books and repackages them for a new audience. We have the blessing of having so much Puritan literature in print, accessible to many. I'm excited about a new approach to publishing Puritan works: Illustrated Puritans. 

The first to be published is The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes. From the publisher...

Each of these classic works features dozens of original illustrations which both complement and elevate the text. In addition, the Illustrated Puritan series provides the reader with everything needed for deep, fluid study, from wide margins, to language helps, to in-line footnotes for each scripture referenced.

One of the issues that comes up when reading the Puritans is a bit of a language barrier. It's fairly small, but still can be a turn-off. These new books explain when meanings aren't clear through clarifying in footnotes. And the illustrations fit. These aren't meant to be slick, but gritty and real. While they are done well, there's an "everyman" quality to it. As you read, the illustrations draw you in but don't overwhelm. The art points to the words rather than focusing on the art itself. It's a hard thing to do, but done well here.

I hope this new generation of Illustrated Puritans books will be picked up and read by a new generation of disciple, enriched by gospel-centered writings from great writers and preachers of our past. Go buy yourself a copy.

Kids Taking Notes During Sermons

A few weeks ago I emphasized to one son that it would be good to takes notes during my sermons. Now it seems to be viral. Here's a sample from my two other sons from Sunday. The backs are both covered with notes too. My 12 yr old said how much easier it is to remember what I'm saying and not have his mind wander when he takes notes. They really love letting me see what they wrote. It's a pretty cool thing. Jack (14) now is keeping a notebook of sermon notes. What do your kids do during sermons? Would love to see if any do something like this. (Click the pic to see it bigger & in more detail.)

Music Monday 3.4.13

• Phosphorescent: Muchacho | Enjoying this one a lot
• Josh Ritter: The Beast In It's Tracks
• Youth Lagoon: Wondrous Bughouse
• Dave Grohl & Friends: Sound City: Real to Reel

• Jack White: Blunderbuss ($5)
• Low: C'Mon ($5)
• Langhorne Slim & The Law: The Way We Move ($5)
• Josh Ritter: The Animal Years ($5) | Put "Thin Blue Flame" on repeat
• Beach House: Bloom ($5)
• Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde & Blood on the Tracks ($2.99 each)
• The Black Keys: Thickfreakness ($5)
• Flogging Molly: Drunken Lullabies ($4.99) & Speed of Darkness ($5)
• Pearl Jam: Vs ($2.99)

Beersplosion

If you haven't seen someone sing and break glass before, this is pretty cool. It's cool even if you have seen it! Jim Cornelison sings the National Anthem at every Chicago Blackhawks game, one of the most rousing Anthems around. Here he is singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," starting at just the right point to show the power of his voice. Awesome.

Tim Keller | The Grieving Sisters

Dr. Timothy Keller's third installment in the eBook series, Encounters With Jesus, is out. Go download The Grieving Sisters for $1.99. Also check out: The Skeptical Student and The Insider & The Outcast. These are coming out monthly.

About the Encounters With Jesus Series | "Those who met Jesus were often profoundly affected by their conversations with him. In his Encounters with Jesus series, Timothy Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, explores these conversations to show how they can still change our lives today." 

If you don't have it, I highly recommend the Kindle Paperwhite. Or you can download the book and read it for free on various Kindle apps for your computer, phone, or tablet.

"Father & Son" by Jack McCoy

My two older kids make some great art. Jack (14) just freehanded this on his Bamboo Create Tablet. And I asked him, to be sure, and it wasn't in response to our particular "Father & Son" relationship. :) Going to public school shows you the adversarial nature of too many fathers with their sons, and sons with their fathers.