Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth: past events won’t be remembered; they won’t come to mind. — Isaiah 65:17 (CEB) Look! What a great way to… Read more “Look!”
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Actively listening
It has been a while since I’ve posted anything. So here we go… Last Christmas my wife got the family (but mostly me) a record player. An… Read more “Actively listening”
“Neither revol…
“Neither revolutions nor faith can be won without keen suffering. For me Christ was not to be bought for thirty pieces of silver but with my heart’s blood. We buy not cheap in this market.”
Dorothy Day
We’re all singing together
“It is not you that sings, it is the Church that is singing, and you, as a member of the church, may share in its song.”
Those words are from one of my favorite writers/thinkers/theologians/question-asker Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
As someone who gets up and leads others in song I feel it is important to get out of the way of the people. We (those up in front) need to see ourselves as part of the congregation rather than as “worship leaders.”
And in doing so we should join in with all people of God singing, not those playing instruments and holding mics, not just those in our congregation, in our town – but rather we join in songs of adoration, longing, wonder, and praise with all who call themselves children of God.
The City Harmonic
One of my new favorite bands – The City Harmonic!
I just liked this song – then my wife picked up a couple of their albums and I have to say – the City Harmonic is friggin’ awesome. First they are writing great lyrics and doing something a little different in the midst of all the music that is written now days for contemporary worship. And secondly their songs are great – fun melodies with infectious hooks – plus such an amazing energy that comes through the music.
I’ve been…to the mountaintop…
Feel free to check out their stuff:
Water Glasses sing
I saw this video earlier today via Relevant Magazine’s twitter feed –
What an amazing performance of Leonard Cohen’s classic song Hallelujah!
FUN covers Carly Rae Jepsen
Exactly what the title says –
The trio Fun covering Carly Rae Jepsen’s infectious hit “Call Me Maybe.”
How to write a worship song (in 5 minutes or less)
I saw this video posted and I was smacked in the face with a few things…
One being that I really love sarcasm. Really.
Then I realized how close to the truth this bit of comedy really was, and like great comedy it didn’t exaggerate what something may be – but rather held up a mirror and to show the absurdity of some of the songs we may sing in church.
The number of songs that follow those two forms spelled out is staggering.
Then again are we as churches demanding more?
Are we as worshipers looking at the lyrics and holding them to the standards of Wesley/Watts/Crosby and others?
Are we as songwriters trying to write better songs – or are we simply banging out a dozen songs to record and get on the Worship Conference Circuit?
Let’s do better.
Red Chair Music 