Curator: The Disintegration of the Music Industry and the Road to Distributism
Kevin Twit of Indelible Grace reviews Bifrost Arts: Salvation Is Created (Buy)...
This is a record that aches with longing and invites us to take off our shoes and lower our voices to a hush as we behold the wonder that is Christmas.
Swell Season's "Low Rising" (via, buy it)...
Pomplamoose with "O Come All Ye Faithful"...
Remember Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis?" Classic hack of Simon...
I'm pastoring a church striving for and working through renewal, so I'm always looking for good, Gospel-centered resources to help our people grasp the realities of what that renewal involves. When Brad Byrd (The Good Book Company, Brad on Twitter: @tweetiebyrd) gave me a copy of The Gospel-Centred Church (GCC) workbook by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester at the Acts 29 boot camp in Louisville, I hoped this would be one of those resources. It is.
GCC is broken up into an introduction, three main sections and a conclusion...
There are a total it's 18 lessons of 4-5 pages each. Each is engaging and provocative. It worked well as an individual study, but I can see greatest value in a group setting. For the most part you can read it either systematically or topically. Despite having the limitations of being a workbook under 100 pages, the authors do well to encourage us to long for and become the community the Gospel should produce.
There are six parts to each lesson. The first is a principle--the core of the lesson. A scenario is introduced to raise a dilemma in gospel ministry. Then we consider Scripture (only a reference given so you can use your own Bible) with questions, a section discussing the theology and application of the principle, discussion questions, and actionable items are finally suggested.
I enjoyed GCC. Its challenges were many: how we think about church buildings, money, community life, leadership, courage, using gifts and more. I grew progressively more convicted by chapter after chapter over this different picture of what "church" can and should be.
I most impressed by some thought-provoking statements and application. The authors were creative in making the principles practical. Specifically many of the "Ideas for action" were helpful. GCC will provoke you to be see your world in a different way because of the Gospel.
GCC will be helpful anywhere Christians are struggling with what it means to be community-focused and missional. If you are a pastor of an established church, I think GCC will be helpful for key leaders in your congregation. If you need a bit of a push out of safety and into the world, you will find encouragement here. If you need to remember the value and importance of local communities of faith, of locking arms for our mission, this is a good place to go. Small groups of various sorts will do well to check out GCC.
This is truly a workbook about a Gospel-shaped vision for the local church. If you are looking for a theological book, this isn't it. But for what it is, I found GCC useful for my own life and will be using it with some folks at Doxa.
In the email today...
Way to go, YouVersion users! Together, you've spent one billion minutes reading the Bible on your mobile device. It's pretty exciting to see so many of you reading God's word consistently because you always have your Bible with you. That’s an awesome way to make your minutes count!
While you're on the go you've been using YouVersion on iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android phones, reading the Bible in your choice of 41 translations and 21 languages.
We're polishing up some great new features we can't wait to share with you soon. (Like reading plans? You'll love what's coming!)
For now, how about taking a minute to celebrate with us http://www.onebillionminutes.com .
I've been on YouVersion for a while on my Palm phone, but haven't used it much. I just got a new Android phone and put YouVersion on there. I tried it out for a while yesterday and really liked it. Now I realize, because I was on YouVersion yesterday and I received this email today, that I may be responsible for taking YouVersion to the 1 billion minute threshold!
Ok, probably not. But it is a nice Bible app and I will use it regularly on my Droid. Check out YouVersion for your mobile phone & YouVersion.com.
My Best Albums of 2009 list is in the works. Look for it near the end of the year. A fine year for audiophiles. Go check my 2008 and 2007 lists.
Avett Brothers are getting some end of the year, end of the decade love.
The Swell Season, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, make beautiful music. If you haven't seen the movie Once where Hansard and Irglova first captured the world's attention, I highly recommend it. Their new album, Strict Joy (7.99 version - 12 songs, deluxe version $11.99 - 31 songs), is very good. "High Hope" is a new song that I've only seen in this video. Glen uses colorful language, but I hope that won't keep you from hearing this beautiful song. Also, take note of the harmonies from the crowd and one woman in particular...(via)
If you haven't read them yet, go read my reviews of the two new Christmas albums from Daniel Renstrom (download) and Bifrost Arts (download/CD). Both are great albums. I also recommend Folk Angel: Christmas Songs EP (3 songs) from Jeff Capps (@jeffcapps) and others at The Village Church.
Serena-Maneesh = cool. Liked their debut album. Next one should be good. Yes, this is a crank it up moment...
Good, cheap music...
Lauren, Matt Chandler's wife, said on Twitter after 10pm tonight...
He's out of surgery! He was able to recognize the surgeon--praise the Lord!
God is good! The next 24 hours in ICU are a big deal, so keep praying. More on the experience post-brain surgery. Follow Lauren on Twitter and Village Church on Twitter for updates.
Update near 1am (central time) 12.5.09...
Matt Chandler recognized his surgeon and was responding well after a seven-hour surgery to remove a brain tumor. The operation started at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.
The tumor’s pathology report, originally thought to be available on Friday, is not expected until next week. Doctors were pleased with the surgery, especially after Matt responded to questions in recovery. He will remain in the hospital for a few days before being released. His wife, Lauren, is staying with him. Full recovery is expected to take several weeks.
On behalf of the church, we thank God for Dr. David Barnett, for his skill and thoroughness of the surgery.
Evidences of God’s grace abounded throughout the day, as people from all over the world prayed and fasted. A young woman came to faith through this situation, and time and time again, everyone responded with prayers and testimonies of God’s goodness and mercy.
We will continue to post updates as they become available. Thank you for your continued prayers. Praise God for His grace. Praise Him. Praise Him.
Update Saturday 12.6.09...
The doctors have ordered Matt to get as much rest as possible in the next few days. For that reason and because his hospital room cannot accommodate many people, visitation is being limited to family members only until further notice.
Matt will have a CT scan done today as is routine after brain surgery, and he is expected to come out of ICU on Sunday. When praying, pray that the Lord give everyone patience as we navigate through the next few days of recovery.
We promise to update you whenever possible. Thank you for your testimony of prayers and for being the Church.
The last seven days have been some of the most interesting of my life. I have felt anxiety, fear, sadness and a deep and unmovable joy simultaneously and in deeper ways than I have felt before. I am grateful for this heightened sense of things. Today at 10:45 a.m. CST I will have a good portion of my right frontal lobe removed. I head into that surgery with a heart that is filled with gratitude and hope. (go read the whole thing)
Molly and I are praying during the surgery.
Most of you know my wife has been through 2 brain surgeries. Molly's condition does not include the same level of concern that Matt Chandler's tumor brings to his family, friends, church and community. I know the difference between suffering with Chiari and the dangers of cancer -- my wife is living with the first and my Mom died of the second (breast cancer). I say all that to say that we can't fathom what the Chandler's have been going through and what's to come. Few of us can. But from my experiences of having a wife go through brain surgery, I can't help but reflect on what I went through from a spouse's point of view.
I remember the odd and surreal experience of sitting in a waiting room while Molly had "brain" surgery. Still hard to believe. I remember feeling alone. I remember the overwhelming joy and thankfulness of knowing that hundreds of people were praying for Molly before, during, after (and still ongoing). Many are complete strangers who connected with this website. I remember ideas jumping through my head in the waiting room as I knew nothing about what was happening during the surgery. I had to pray those away, those "what ifs" that I couldn't know and shouldn't dwell on. I remember getting good news of successful surgery only to know that going to ICU means serious concerns remain. I remember watching Molly's every breath, wondering why alarms would sound saying they are too shallow. I remember sleeping in my van and taking long walks through hospital halls. I remember a lot and still relive these things often. These experiences have watermarked every day after.
I'm done reflecting on our experiences and I'm beginning to pray for Matt and Lauren and the kids during this surgery. Will you join with me?
Bifrost Arts is "a sacred music non-profit that exists to enrich the church and engage the world with beauty and truth." A variety of musicians are involved including like Sufjan Stevens, Isaac Wardell, Derek Webb, The Welcome Wagon, Denison Witmer, and J. Tillman among many others.
Salvation is Created is the new Christmas album from Bifrost Arts. It's their second album, following the release of Come O Spirit! Anthology of Hymns and Spiritual Songs Volume 1.
I love this Christmas album. The overwhelming feel of this CD for me is haunt. It's dark. Bing Crosby is about to get a beat-down. Don't let that scare you away! It's unique and beautiful. Song list...
Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand
Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing in His hand
Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand.
This album is about letting the imagination run to the manger scene, and contemplating the theological and practical realities of God made flesh. Sometimes these realities are captured by marionettes in muted colors on a dimly lit stage. Sometimes they are found in the march of wooden soldiers who never show their faces. Sometimes they are expressed in a solemn dance. This is music more inspired by Tim Burton than Frank Capra. It's the subversion of Christmas as we know it, and it's wonderfully dark.
All of these songs are quite singable in their own way, though at times (Silent Night, for example) not as much as in the traditional versions. With candles lit and friends gathered 'round, I think these songs will make your Christmas more thoughtful, meaningful, and lovely. I'm sincerely thankful for folks like Bifrost Arts who are making winning efforts to restoring beauty and truth to songs we can sing together. And through this album in particular, they help restore the melody of Christmas to sounds of mystery and awe. A sound found in our Scripture but too often missing from our Season.
May your Advent season be haunted by this beauty. Spread it around.
Article on Tim Keller/Redeemer in New York Magazine
Jim Belcher: written interview about Deep Church at The Gospel Coalition
Mark Driscoll: Organizing a Silence & Solitude Day series is complete (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Jared Wilson: Sweat Equity Salvation is of the Devil
Village Church elders concerning Matt Chandler's health
Jonathan McIntosh need prayer and a pile of gold. He's going to plant a church in Memphis. His reason? He hates the Cardinals. Praying for you, brother!
"Love Song for Buddy" by Headlights might be one of the saddest videos I've ever seen.
I'm intrigued by whatever Devon Sproule does now that I've heard her amazing song, "Joy Joy!!!" (listen to/download "Joy Joy!!!" for free) from the new Bifrost Arts Christmas Album, Salvation is Created. A review of that album very soon. But first, here's Devon Sproule on Jools with "Stop By Anytime"...
In closing, the Muppets do Bohemian Rhapsody...
Elijah (Santa hat) and Danny were checking out some model trains across from the model train store and in the cafe section of La Petite Creperie on the Woodstock Square. A beautiful, wonderfully chilly night for the Lighting of the Square.
Pray for Matt Chandler, Pastor of The Village Church in Dallas. He had a seizure this morning and went to the ER where an MRI showed a small mass on his frontal lobe. He will be seeing a neurosurgeon next week.
For Updates...
The last two years we have taken a creative route with our Christmas card photos. It's been a blast for us to create and people love getting them in the mail. With Thanksgiving a few days away and Christmas cards going out soon, why not think outside the box, er, the card?
I want to encourage you, even if you don't consider yourself a photographer, to get more creative this Christmas season. Surprise everyone on your Christmas card list with something a little more fun and they just might keep your ugly mug on the refrigerator a bit longer.
Special Black Friday sale!!! Don't miss these great albums, only $5 at Amazon. All come Reformissionary Recommended...
New (or new to me) albums I'm enjoying...
Bowerbirds put together a beautiful Tiny Desk Concert
Current: The Decemberists, Passion Pit and Bon Iver in one video. It's all good, but the best part is Bon Iver in the last few minutes singing and wandering in Paris.
We Were Promised Jetpacks (album) new video for "Roll Up Your Sleeves"...
Like this song from Charlotte Gainesbourg and Beck, "Heaven Can Wait." The video is a little odd...
I'm officially on the Verge social media team and for the Verge Missional Community Conference from February 4-6. Hope to see some of my readers there! Follow Verge on Twitter and Facebook. Early bird rate for another 10 days. Go register now.
Sojourn: Ambition - Acts 29 Louisville boot camp audio
Dustin Neeley: Matt Chandler interview Part 1, Part 2
Ed Stetzer's 2008 interview of Tim Keller
Homeless man throws coffee in face of barista in the Crystal Lake Starbucks I visit somewhat regularly.
Daniel Renstrom (Twitter) contacted me early last year and asked if I would be willing to review his EP, Adore and Tremble. Not knowing Daniel or his music I emailed and said I would listen and say something on the blog if I liked it, but no promises since I don't like much Christian music. He kindly sent the CD anyway and I really, really liked it and still listen to it. Check my brief take on Adore and Tremble from March of last year.
Daniel contacted me again a few weeks ago and told me he has a new Christmas album called On The Incarnation (OTI). I can't listen to Christmas CD's before Thanksgiving. I mean, seriously. But after enjoying his previous album I couldn't say no. My only stipulation for the review was that it couldn't include "My Favorite Things." Robert Goulet, after all, offered us the definitive rendition.
-----
On The Incarnation released on 10.29. Eight songs, obviously selected and written to encourage worship and not just good seasonal feelings. This is a theology-minded Christmas album. Reflective.
First let me talk about a few Christmas staples on the album. "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" is joyous and upbeat. The popping strum of a mandolin colors this song folksy and fun. Love it. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" surprised me. I'm used to it being a collective, jolly sounding song like at the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Daniel offers a beautiful, quieter, more contemplative version. Just great. "Angels We Have Heard On High" has an updated, worship band feel to it. It feels like a Sojourn song, which I mean as a high compliment. I'm not a musician and I don't want to explain this wrong, but it seems to have a minor key worked into the song that isn't in the traditional version. That tweaks the feel of the song which I think is pretty cool. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is a short, music-only song leading into Daniel's song, "Rise and Fall."
The new songs written by Renstrom are excellent. The album begins with "His Company," calling us to sing because Jesus is our Immanuel...
Who has believed
This message we have loved
Invisible God, came in flesh from aboveMighty, wonderful God, Prince of Peace
Bringing sight to the lost, calling us to singJoin oh join the angel melody
God with man is pleased to dwell
Sing confess, with all His company
Jesus our Immanuel
"Rise and Fall" will likely be the most recognizable song off the album. It's the most curious sounding. I can't listen to it without cranking up the volume and bass. What a great reminder, missing in the consumer Christmas world as well as too often in our churches, that the birth of Jesus wasn't just about joy. It threatened those who oppose. Here's the whole song...
The dawn of the light
Is breaking tonight
At the birth of this dangerous KingAnd shepherds and kings
Bow down and sing
At the birth of this dangerous KingMany will rise and fall
At the birth of this King, the birth of this KingThose who oppose
Stumble on this stone
The birth of this dangerous KingBut many will hear
Believing in fear
Will hope in this dangerous King
"Comfort Ye" has a more traditional sound. It starts acoustic and quiet with a hint of a rising and fading ambient sound behind it, eventually leading to the mountaintop of music and lyric that deserves exclamation points...
Immanuel / God with us / Son of God / Hallelujah
But the worshipful conclusion above doesn't come without a recognition of our responsibility to the world. It's preceded by...
In Christ we know hope for the hurting
In Christ we know love for the lost
In Christ we know no other one can save
The short, closing song is "Divine Messiah." It's a simple, short and quiet piano song expressing a longing for Messiah.
The truly great thing about On The Incarnation is that it doesn't repel you when you are not in a Christmas season mood. It's a gift from Renstrom that we can hear it outside the season and still enjoy it. I played the album for the kids in the car on the way to Louisville two weeks ago. Four songs in they said, "Are you sure these are Christmas songs?" The answer is yes, in the best sense.
On The Incarnation will make a great addition to your music library. It will be a blessing for Sunday morning worship in the weeks to come. You may want to give it as a gift to a Christian who needs to get beyond "Winter Wonderland" or a non-Christian who needs the Gospel.
The lyrics and chord charts are available for free. Download the album for $7.12 at Amazon.
Don't miss the $5 albums this month at Amazon.
I've been wanting get the Megafaun album, Gather, Form & Fly, for some time. Finally got it at Ear X-tacy in Louisville. And it's outstanding. Here's "The Fade"...
New video for Animal Collective's opening song from Merriweather Post Pavilion, "In The Flowers." Trippy & weird video. Hard to believe from AC, I know...
Monsters of Folk have a new video out for "Say Please"...
Had a great trip to Louisville for the Acts 29 Boot Camp: Ambition. Thankful for a church like Sojourn and good friends who serve there as well as many friends in Acts 29. It was a like a family reunion and I'm not even in Acts 29! It was a great couple of days. Check out Chuck Heeke's Flickr account for Ambition photos. (Photo on this post is from Chuck.)
Though I'm not going to talk about any details, the wives' track really impacted Molly. Huge. Just what she needed.
Otherwise, throughout the conference a couple of reoccurring themes stuck out to us. We are still processing and praying about what we learned, but we wanted to share a four things with you that we.
1. Believe the Gospel. -- We all struggle with unbelief with all sorts of issues, at all kinds of times. This was hit upon by many speakers, of course. But it was lasered into me by Steve Timmis (Total Church, http://twitter.com/stimmis). We need to always be encouraging each other to believe the Gospel, not just seek practical advice. We need Gospel intentionality, to bring Gospel truth to bear on our lives and the lives of others.
A part of this is the overarching emphasis at the conference of recognizing our sin and having a life marked by confession and repentance. In a time when conferences are more and more practical, Acts 29 has done well to keep it theological, doxological, and Gospel-centered.
2. Know and love your city. -- Kevin Cawley (http://twitter.com/kevincawley) talked about decoding your city and knowing it like a life-long resident, a cab driver, a geographer, and a spiritual anthropologist. We need to get on the inside of our city and then speak as one of them. We need to let our ambition for the Gospel drive us to become students of the space we are in. We need to learn the questions people are asking and speak the truth of the Gospel as the answers.
Other speakers talked about calling and how our call should affect our heart for our city. A great reminder and encouragement.
3. Be yourself. -- Matt Chandler (http://twitter.com/mattchandler74) said, "You wanting to be anyone other than you is sinful." I chatted with and sought advice from an Acts 29 church planter and friend who said much the same thing, but from the angle of freedom. Be free to be yourself as you serve and love your city. You will be bad at being anyone else.
Don't seek to be like another pastor, or preacher, or whoever has a similar calling. Darrin Patrick talked about knowing our divine design. Who are you? How has God made you? Go be you. That's who Jesus made you to be.
4. If you want to know more people, blog about your wife's health and tweet photos of your kids. -- Holy cow. Everyone knew Molly. Ok, overstatement. But so many we didn't know came up and said they've been praying for Molly's health issues. One couple said they've been praying together for her for years. How much blessing have we received from the connections made through Reformissionary and Twitter? We'll only learn on That Day. We are continually blown away by the love and prayer of brothers and sisters all over the world.
We had a similar experience with our kids, as people recognized them from the blog and Twitter. They were at Sojourn on Wednesday afternoon because there was no room for them at the inn, and we heard that one person said (when we weren't there to hear), "Hey, those are the McCoy kids." Weird, but cool.
I regularly tell other pastors of the blessings of blogging/Twittering. It can connect you to a community of coworkers and friends that you wouldn't otherwise know.
-----
Let me add this here at the end, as something worth spreading from the conference. Matt Chandler gave an outstanding and devastating quote during the last message of the conference. It's from Eugene Peterson's Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity, which I read way back in Bible college. Here it is for you...
For a long time, I have been convinced that I could take a person with a high school education, give him or her a six-month trade school training, and provide a pastor who would be satisfactory to any discriminating American congregation. The curriculum would consist of four courses.
Course I: Creative Plagiarism. I would put you in touch with a wide range of excellent and inspirational talks, show you how to alter them just enough to obscure their origins, and get you a reputation for wit and wisdom.
Course II: Voice Control for Prayer and Counseling. We would develop your own distinct style of Holy Joe intonation, acquiring the skill in resonance and modulation that conveys and unmistakable aura of sanctity.
Course III: Efficient Office Management. There is nothing that parishioners admire more in their pastors than the capacity to run a tight ship administratively. If we return all phone calls within twenty-four hours, answer all the letters within a week, distributing enough carbons to key people so that they know we are on top of things, and have just the right amount of clutter on our desk—not too much, or we appear inefficient, not too little or we appear underemployed—we quickly get the reputation for efficiency that is far more important than anything that we actually do.
Course IV: Image Projection. Here we would master the half-dozen well-known and easily implemented devices that that create the impression that we are terrifically busy and widely sought after for counsel by influential people in the community. A one-week refresher course each year would introduce new phrases that would convince our parishioners that we are bold innovators on the cutting edge of the megatrends and at the same time solidly rooted in all the traditional values of our sainted ancestors.
(I have been laughing for several years over this trade school training with which I plan to make my fortune. Recently, though, the joke has backfired on me. I keep seeing advertisements for institutes and workshops all over the country that invite pastors to sign up for this exact curriculum. The advertised course offerings are not quite as honestly labeled as mine, but the content appears to be identical—a curriculum that trains pastors to satisfy the current consumer tastes in religion. I’m not laughing anymore.)
Creation Project: Resources for Biblical Womanhood, Resources for Biblical Manhood -- also Thinking Well About Your City
Mark Driscoll: Organizing a Silence and Solitude Day, Part 1 (4 more coming)
Rethink Mission: Books Every Church Planter Needs to Read
I connected at the Acts 29 Boot Camp in Louisville with a guy I met a years ago at Capitol Hill BC in DC, Brad Byrd. I stayed at his house when visiting CHBC. He gave me a copy of The Gospel-Centred Church workbook by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester from the press he works for, The Good Book Company. Hope to review it soon. I should also be getting The Gospel-Centred Life soon for review. Find The Good Book Company on Facebook & Twitter. Glad to connect again Brad!
A bunch of great $5 albums available today. Reformissionary recommends...
I can't say enough about Mumford & Sons. I'm telling you, might be my new favorite band. They might be the greatest band ever. They sound like a mix between and Irish band and The Avett Brothers. They are in fact from England and have me gushing. Thanks to Heather and her website I Am Fuel You Are Freinds, which also has 4 downloads. Here are two videos. Tremendous!
Paste lists their 50 best albums of the decade. Some great albums here.
