Enjoy the video for Wilco's new song, "Born Alone." Their new album, The Whole Love, comes out September 27th. All their past albums are $5.
T4A: Pre-Conference with Tim Chester
I've been very blessed by the ministry & writing of Tim Chester. I've read Total Church twice & I've reviewed the excellent Delighting in the Trinity. You should also check out his book From Creation to New Creation among others. At the Together for Adoption Conference Tim and Dan Cruver (author of Reclaiming Adoption) are delivering a pre-conference event called "Missional Church, Missional God, Missional Story." Here's more from the website...
Missional Church, Missional God, Missional Story
Tim Chester and Dan Cruver
Missional church is not simply the latest fad. It’s rooted in the trinitarian character of God and the story of the Bible. Explore the foundations for shaping life around gospel, community and mission along with practical application for church life and the implications for orphan care.
Registration: $75 Per Person
Learn more about this pre-conference event with Tim Chester.
Delta Spirit | "Bushwick Blues" at Lollapalooza
Delta Spirit is one of my favorite live bands. Here's why. Check out "Bushwick Blues" live at Lollapalooza last month. Oh, the ending is so much fun. Get "Bushwick Blues" on their recent & fantastic album, History From Below. Also check out Ode To Sunshine.
New Albums Streaming Free
Always love to see some of my favorite artists stream their albums free before they are released. Here are a couple you should check out...
- A.A. Bondy: Believers - listening now, outstanding so far
- Blind Pilot: We Are the Tide
- St. Vincent: Strange Mercy
Find more music streaming free at NPR Music & Spinner.com.
Joe Thorn on White Horse Inn
My buddy, Joe Thorn, was interviewed by Michael Horton on my favorite Christian podcast, The White Horse Inn. The topic was preaching to yourself & Joe's book Note to Self. From Joe's blog...
Over 17 years ago I started listening to The White Horse Inn radio program. In fact, while in college a group of students would cram into a dorm room and listen to Mike Horton, Rod Rosenbladt, Ken Jones, and Kim Riddlebarger talk through theology, Scripture, evangelical culture, and church life. We felt like theoloigcal insurgents at our Bible College, but we were really just theology nerds. The WHI is still one of the most valuable things I listen to, now as a podcast, so I was humbled and excited to get an invitation to talk to Mike Horton about my book, Note to Self. You can check out our conversation at the WHI website...
If you aren’t listening to the show, you need to make it a regular part of your diet. You have enough sermons, and broadly cultural podcasts streaming into your ipod, but there isn’t much else out there like this. And, while you’re adjusting your theoloigcal intake you should also subscribe to Modern Reformation magazine. Seriously, get on that. As a subscriber you have online access to all the back issues.
It's a great interview. Great job, Joe! And you should get the podcast. I never miss an episode.
Wilco Likes $5
There's only one Wilco album I've never picked up. I've held it in my hand many times in music stores but never gotten it. I know. I'm ashamed. But now Wilco's 1999 album, Summerteeth, is $5 and I'm buying it. But that's not all. You can also buy their other albums for $5!
Here are all of Wilco's albums from earliest to most recent. And they are all good.
Creed by Winfield Bevins
(first posted at Thorntastic...)
Winfield Bevins, founding and lead pastor of Church of the Outer Banks in Nags Head NC, has written a new book I am eager to check out. Creed: Connect to the Basic Essentials of Historic Christian Faith explores the The Apostles’ Creed, The Ten Commandments, and The Lord’s Prayer and looks ideal for discipling new or young believers. Bevins isn’t interested in offering us something radically new, but something ancient. Any book that calls us back to our biblical and historic roots concerning the gospel, godliness, and a vibrant spiritual life is one I am buying.
Our church typically reads either the Apostle's Creed or Nicene Creed every Sunday. I love new books on the old Creeds, and this looks like a good one. Check out Baptist21's interview of Winfield & this video from Winfield about Creed. Follow Winfield Bevins on Twitter. Pick up Creed at Amazon or get it on your Kindle.
$5 Albums for September 2011
Good, cheap music for September. Here are my favorite $5 albums from Amazon. Let me know what you like on my list, or something I missed!
- Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More
- Ray LaMontagne: Trouble
- Tegan & Sara: The Con
- Once Soundtrack
- Wilco: Wilco (The Album)
- The Pains of Being Pure At Heart: Belong
- Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope
- Cut Copy: In Ghost Colours
- The Horrors: Primary Colours
- Surfer Blood: Astro Coast
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's Blitz!
- The Decemberists: The King Is Dead
- Amos Lee: Mission Bell
- Feist: Let It Die
- Blind Pilot: 3 Rounds & A Sound
- Explosions in the Sky: Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
- Flogging Molly: Speed of Darkness
- Local Natives: Gorilla Manor
- Liam Finn: Fomo
- Crystal Antlers: Two-Way Mirror
- Coldplay: Viva La Vita
- Tron Legacy
- TV On The Radio: Dear Science
- Josh Rouse: El Tourista
- Jay-Z: American Gangsta
- Guns & Roses: Use Your Illusion I
- John Mayer: Heavier Things
- All $5 albums for September
David Bazan: Strange Negotiations
David Bazan's May 2011 album, Strange Negotiations, is only $3.99.
Music Monday 8.29.11
Check out some music this week.
On My Radar
The War on Drugs: Slave Ambient | getting great reviews
Cheap & Noteworthy
- Beirut: Gulag Orkestar | $5.49 - debut album, so good
- Washed Out: Within & Without | $5 - like it a lot
- Mat Kearney: Young Love | $4.99
- Eleanor Friedberger: Last Summer | $5.99
$5 Albums for August - Ends Wednesday!
- Wye Oak: Civilian
- Brandi Carlile: Live at Benaroya Hall
- Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
- Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest
- Many more!
Streaming FREE
- Blind Pilot: We Are The Tide | listening today and really dig it
- Beirut: The Rip Tide (buy it tomorrow!) | fantastic
Dawes: Nothing Is Wrong
Dawes newest (June 2011), Nothing is Wrong, is $3.99 today. Hurry!
EMA: Past Life Martyred Saints
The new album from EMA: Past Life Martyred Saints is $2.99 today. I've never heard of EMA or the artist behind it, Erika M. Anderson. But seeing the daily deal on Amazon I looked up more on the album. It has remarkable reviews from Pitchfork, PopMatters, Drowned in Sound, Dusted, and MusicOMH. So I picked it up and want to encourage you to dive in. Let me know what you think.
Dark Dark Dark | "Celebrate"
Creative & beautiful version of "Celebrate" from Dark Dark Dark with help from Modern Times Spychestra. It's found on their album Wild Go.
First Day of School 2006-2011
Open-Air Preaching in Portland
I was connected through a common friend with Josh White, pastor of Door of Hope church in Portland, Oregon. My friend knew of my posts on open-air preaching and he knew that Josh White is doing it. After a couple of emails the last few weeks and then a phone call today, I'm very excited to share some of what Josh and Door of Hope are doing. (By the way, Josh is lead singer of the Christian band Telecast. I saw them open for Crowder in Lexington, KY years ago and had to pick up their CD, Eternity is Now. Still gets play time. Had no idea until the end of our phone conversation that he leads Telecast. Door of Hope also has connection with Blitzen Trapper and other solid indie bands in Portland. See more of their music family, friends, and favorites.)
After a great, descriptive email from Josh of what their open-air work looks like, I asked if I could turn what he wrote into a post. He said yes, but then he tweaked it so it could be on the church's website. Even better. So here is what Josh wrote about Church in the Park. What if more churches did this!?
Why do Church in the Park?
How do we bring the gospel to our neighborhood? How are we to be supernaturally natural in an urban environment that is less than 1% Christian? How do we encourage our Church community to stop treating their faith like a secret society? We do not see the early church primarily praying for the lost but praying for boldness. We are convinced that if our love for Christ surpasses our fear of people, we will begin to see revival occur in Portland. Church in the Park is our opportunity as a church family to declare together the good news of Jesus. However, the only exposure most of us have had to open air preaching is the zealous guy who stands alone and shouts at people, which never seems very effective. Or we see large irregular church events done with permits and sound systems, which is equally unnatural.
When do you meet?
Thursdays at 7pm.
Where do you meet?
Colonel Summer's Park
Between 19th and 20th Avenue on SE Taylor Street.What is Church in the Park?
BRING THE CHURCH GATHERING TO THE PARK. Jesus said “they shall know you are my disciples by your love for one another.” When the body is together in a public space it gives authority and validity to the preaching of the gospel. It also allows for a lot of conversations to occur that would not in the confines of a building for the park is a place where the world and the church can truly intersect.
TOTALLY UNPLUGGED. No amplification allows us to meet with out permits and allows people to listen of their own accord with out us being a giant bear in their picnic. Every week people have walked over to the fringe of our gathering and listened - and sometimes heckled.
DIRECT THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH. This allows outsiders to witness a body of faith taking in the word while trusting the Holy Spirit will draw many to Himself if Jesus is lifted up.
MUSIC. We are blessed at Door of Hope to be in Portland and to have so many talented musicians. We are a singing church, and it is powerful witness to have a church body singing worship together in a public space.
CONSISTENCY. We do church in the park regularly. Cynicism dissipates as the people see that we are part of this neighborhood too, and that we aren't going anywhere. As long as it is not raining we will do it every week.
Is childcare provided?
Unfortunately, we do not currently offer childcare at Church in the Park.
Summary
All of this is having a tremendous effect on our church. It gives us greater confidence in the Spirit's ability to use us for Kingdom work, exposing many to the gospel for first time. Church in the park is definitely creating a stir, given that gospel proclamation is not popular in our beloved city. But we believe it will make an impact for “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”.
Keller | Lloyd-Jones on Preaching & the Gospel
Tim Keller's newest blog post on Martyn Lloyd-Jones & preaching: "Lloyd-Jones on Preaching the Gospel, Part 2"...
Do we preach the gospel so clearly even when we are seeking to edify that there are always at least a trickle of people within our church who come to see that they never really believed? The purpose of every sermon, according to Dr Lloyd-Jones, is not to give information and general instruction but to preach the gospel and make it real to the heart.
$5 Albums for August
Another month, another list of recommendations from Amazon -- only $5 each. Enjoy!
- Wye Oak: Civilian
- Brandi Carlile: Live at Benaroya Hall
- Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
- Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest
- Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi: Rome
- Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island
- The Rosebuds: Loud Planes Fly Low
- The Mountain Goats: All Eternals Deck
- The Black Angels: Phosphene Dream
- Guns N' Roses: G N' R Lies
- Billy Joel: The Hits
- Luciano Pavarotti: The Best
- Thelonious Monk: The London Collection Vol 1
- See all 100 August $5 albums at Amazon!
The Milk Carton Kids
I stumbled across a new band today, The Milk Carton Kids. The cover of their album, Prologue, caught my attention so I checked it out. Wow. First, they are giving it away. Yep, it's FREE. Second, it's amazing. Delicate, thoughtful, beautiful. Check out their song "Michigan" below and then download Prologue, as well as their pre-The Milk Carton Kids album, Retrospect.
Brandi Carlile: Live at Benaroya Hall is $4.99
Brandi Carlile's Live at Benaroya Hall album has dropped to $4.99. You need it. One of the best singer-songwriters working.
Together for Adoption Conference | Early Bird
Email from the T4A folks on how you can save by registering this week for the conference. I'll be there with my beautiful wife. Hope to see you there!
You can save $30 by registering for Together for Adoption's October 21-22 orphan care/adoption conference this week (read full-details here). You may now register for just $75 today, July 25th, through Saturday, July 30th. This limited-time discount is over $30 less than our current early bird special. Take advantage of this super early bird price and help us spread the word about it this week. This sale ends on Saturday, July 30th at 11:59pm. Check here for details and to register at this super early bird rate.
If you take advantage of this early bird special and would like to sign up for conference childcare or reserve a room at one of our partner hotels, you will need to do so at our regular online registration site. You may also register there for one of our two pre-conference events as well.
NOTE: If you are coming with a group from your church, this would be a perfect opportunity for your group's members to register.
We hope to see you in Phoenix this October 21-22nd.