Last Night = HUGE Success

First off - thank you so much to everyone who came to the benefit concert last night. It was a HUGE success and I hope everyone had as much fun as I did. There was lots of great music - check out Motive for Motion if you ever get a chance, good guys and good music - lots of great food and drinks, and best of all...lots of great people. I made some friends and hope you all did too. Perhaps we shall meet again, hopefully in the not so distant future!

I would also like to thank everyone who bought CDs. It blows my mind every time that someone buys one, and I hope that it blesses you to listen to it as much as it blesses me to make it. You are supporting so many things by purchasing them, and especially last night when some of the proceeds went to Why the Woods. If you didn't get a chance to buy one - just comment and I can certainly take care of that!

Most importantly, God was there with us. Everything that was said, sung, and prayed is for His glory.

So by all means...new and old friends alike...keep in touch via this blog, myspace, facebook, etc., and great things are sure to happen!

Community

It's been a long time since I have posted, but the good news is that the reason I haven't is because a lot has been happening.  Due to sorting out logistics in regards to school, jobs (or lack there of), church, recording, shows, etc., my time for  blogging has been pretty slim.  But I do have a few thoughts to share with the world of cyberspace if you don't mind...

   

After years of random phone calls and emails, I finally got the chance to reconnect with a very good friend from high school.  We sat on the patio of a restaurant one night and discussed everything from personal life to philosophy to examining the effects of a post-modern society on the college population.  One thread that ran through the latter topic was that of community.  We were both amazed at how much technology has developed even in our lifetime, but also interested in the fact that some of the biggest websites today are social networking sites.  Our world is one in which you can almost be entirely self-sufficient - able to learn just about anything online, purchase anything you want online, instant gratification in many ways - and yet what is the one thing that the majority of people reach for online?  Community.  Yet I would argue that we are starved for community even though we have access to it 24/7 at our fingertips.

  

It wasn't a coincidence that Adam was lonely even with all the animals of Eden.  It wasn't because they hadn't invented Skype that church meant gathering together in one place with other believers.  No, community is an essential part of the human experience.  Community is about sharing in the struggles and joys of everyday life, helping one another, human interaction and contact, and the pursuit of things greater than ourselves.  Community is not about how many wall posts you have, MySpace hits, or followers on Twitter.  Hiding behind a cell phone or computer screen makes it easy to forget about what true community looks like.  And besides, it means you get to do it all on your own time.  Don't want to talk to John Smith right now?  You don't have to!  Don't want to disappoint your best friend by telling him you can't come to his birthday?  Just hit "not attending" on the Facebook invite!  Now, I have a Facebook and a MySpace, and I too do all of these things and more.  And yes I am well aware of the benefits that it provides us.  But it is important to remember a balance, and that while there are things that it helps us with, there are also dangers that it presents.

  

In a time of economic trouble, it has been interesting to watch as people begin to band together.  We are all sharing in a national financial situation.  I'm not sure there's a stronger bond forming agent than adversity.  We are struggling together.  And it is a time when churches, neighborhoods, offices, and whole cities would do well to pay attention to their communities, and to what it means to be a friend, neighbor, co-worker, pastor, brother, etc.  The new CD I have been working on is partly inspired by these things.  I will go into more detail in a later post after the CD is released, but for right now let me just say that everything from the message in the music to the products used for the packaging are meant to support and encourage community.  Reply to a blog, attend a concert, write an email, call up an old friend, start a Bible study, volunteer at a homeless shelter, tutor...  Whatever form it may take on for you, all I care about is that you are involved in the multiple communities to which you belong.  Community cultivates humility, healthy suffering, service, and joy, among many other things.  It is the way we understand God, it is how He chose to be with us, and it is the way in which we can strive towards sanctification in the face of trial.  

  

So to my online community and beyond, thank you for being there for me, and I pray that the mercy I have had extended to me might be extended in return to all those in need.  Extend community and all that entails, as Robert Benson would say in his fantastic book A Good Neighbor, "To those who have been given to you, and to those whom you have been given."

New Shows Added!!!

I hope this post finds you all well. Two new shows have just been added and can be seen at the right side of your screen.

The first is at a Shakespeare & Co., a wonderful little bookstore/coffee shop in Kernersville. Come out and enjoy a great cup of coffee or smoothie, check out their excellent selection of books, and enjoy friends and music. I have also heard that there is a wine bar nearby as well as a beautiful courtyard - so pray for nice weather...but no matter what the weather is like, it will be a night you will not want to miss!

The second show listed is at Son's Light Coffee House in Boone, which I highlighted in my previous post, and it is a benefit concert for Why the Woods - which I also highlighted below, so please check out their websites. I am not kidding when I say this place is phenomenal. I absolutely love being in Boone (especially in the Fall!), being with these great people, and I am amazed every time at how supportive they are of local music. So take a road trip, make a weekend vacation of it, do whatever you want but you should definitely be there Friday night!!! Great cause, great people, great coffee, great music, great fun.

More details on that show soon...other artists...new songs revealed...keep checking back for updates!!!

God bless.

Son's Light Ministries and Why The Woods

It has come to my attention that I have not posted anything in quite some time.  After thousands of emails complaining about such a catastrophe, the new post is finally here.

  

I recently had the opportunity to attend the High Country Praise Festival in Boone, NC and had a great time.  There was good music, engaging speakers, and most importantly - great people.  The event was put on by Son's Light Ministries, and if you have a spare few minutes I would highly recommend you taking the time to check out their website to learn more about what they do.  Everyone involved in that ministry is truly a servant of the Lord and they are all really, really great people.  Son's Light is also very involved with another ministry called Why The Woods, and here is their Mission Statement straight from their website:

  

"WhyTheWoods is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization passionate about showing the Love spoken and lived by Jesus Christ. Our mission is to enable others to pull themselves out of poverty and/or hopelessness by empowering them with Love, Hope, and Knowledge. We go into the woods, the wilderness, the jungles, the deserts, the mountains, the city streets, and beyond to show others His love and His peace."

  

It is a ministry that was started by Billy Riddle, an Appalachian State University football player and senior this year who is such a great guy and has already done so much for many people.  I have had the privilege and honor of playing a couple of benefit concerts at Son's Light Coffee House for Why The Woods and would not trade those experiences for the world.  With the money raised from those events, they have already provided the people from the village of Wadupe in Sudan with clean drinking water - and that is just the beginning.  They are focusing their efforts now on providing education for the village.  Please take time to learn about the great things God is doing and to find ways of helping out.  

  

So if you're ever in Boone, make a point to stop by Son's Light Coffee and say hi, they would love to see you.  Take care.

One day of Divinity School Orientation down, three to go.  As with any type of orientation, there was a ton of information thrown at us all at once, but as a whole I walked away feeling like I was a little more prepared than when I first showed up.  All of the professors and incoming students were approachable and excited for the new semester.  Today there is a student panel, so we are sure to get the E! True Hollywood Story version of Divinity School by actual students.  Sunday evening we have dinner with the Dean, and then finally on Monday we register for classes.  

  

So nothing too terribly exciting in this post, but as I get further into school, this will be a perfect place for me to share what I've learned and ask some tough questions for us to think about and discuss.  I heard several times yesterday during orientation that the Divinity School experience  is just as much about community as it is about the classroom - and that means community on and off campus.  I really appreciate all of your support and will hopefully have a more exciting report coming soon!

  

(And make sure you check out the new show listed to the right of your screen!)

Music Monday

It's Monday once again...or should I say "funday"...and that means more music!

Suggested Listening: Better Than Ezra - "Closer"

These guys have been around since 1988, and are from the great state of Louisiana. They have gone through some changes (including the death of one of their members), but are still going strong with their own sweet blend of southern rock. One of their biggest hits, "Good," came off of their 1993 release Deluxe, but I find Closer to be a much more accessible and listener-friendly record. First released in 2001, Closer has a stellar track list and excellent audio production. Seriously, start at track 1 ("Misunderstood") and listen straight through to the end. This is truly a solid album that I would recommend to fans of any genre. "A Lifetime," is a story about a girl dying in a car crash on her way to graduation. It is a sad story, but the song is inspirational, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. If nothing else, listen to both tracks that feature DJ Swamp - "Extraordinary," and "Recognize" - you'll be glad you did.

Grade: A

Notable New Releases for Aug. 18:

Third Eye Blind – “Ursa Major”

Reba McEntire – “Keep On Loving You”

Sister Hazel – “Release”

Colin Hay – “American Sunshine”

MUTEMATH – “Armistice”

Happy listening!!!

Wake up, O sleeper, and rise from the dead...

"The last thing the faithful wish for is to be disturbed."  --Peter J. Gomes

  

My heart grows more weary every time I read that quote.  The truth of it is an anchor that threatens to pin the Church to the ocean floor.  It has become increasingly more common to hear discussions about "Americanized Christianity" and the way our church communities have become nothing more than neighborhood Novocain dealers to help us make it through another week.  Surely there are exceptions to this (possibly) exaggerated accusation, but the point must be made nonetheless.  We want church, and even God for that matter, to work for us.  We want the songs that make us feel worshipful, we want the service to end in time to beat the lunch crowds, we want Bible study to begin and end in the classroom, and we want sermons that inspire us just enough so that we can admit to ourselves we know the right things to do...but not so much that we discipline ourselves to change our ways.  We have found insipid safety of routine and hung a big fat "Do Not Disturb" sign on every sanctuary door, altar, and crucifix.  

  

Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead...

  

The contributing factors to our paralyzed state are too numerous to count, but include such things as the influence of media, widespread use and advancement of technology, increase in self-dependency, and even downright ignorance.  And ignorance, I believe, is the problem that every church has the ability and responsibility to address.  Small groups and Sunday school have been compared to "spiritual daycare" (Gomes again), music ministers' and worship leaders' artistry has moved from music to manipulation, and pastors/preachers/ministers have become timid enough that the church is more about comfort than transformation.  I am not convinced it is the fault of the church leadership, in fact I am almost convinced that they are not even the half of it.  I believe a major contributing factor to these digressions is the powerful voice of the congregations.  If people are not "getting out of church" what they want, their voices are loud and clear and are all but impossible to ignore.  However, that being said, the leadership and laity must necessarily work together in order to restore sustenance and meaning to their church communities.  Which brings us back to one of my proposed solutions: education.  If the church could provide the opportunity for people to become educated, provide them with opportunities to experience, and provide purposed community involvement, I suspect we would see some life breathed back into our congregations.  When the congregation can articulate why a service is ordered the way it is, or have a very very very basic comprehension of church history or doctrinal beliefs or the religions of the world, or see how every song, prayer, Scripture reading, sermon subject, and Bible study topics are interwoven to create a holistic learning and spiritual experience, the Awesomeness and utter Majesty of God will be all the more real.  It is only in His infinite wisdom and grace that we should venture forward in these things.

  

I feel free to say all this because I too am guilty of complacency, comfort, and ignorance.  This is a call born out of finding myself as Lazarus did, in the dank back corner of a tomb with the voice of Jesus Christ telling me to come out.  I need a community and a church to help me hear that voice, and what I have said here is a collection of thoughts that have been brewing over the last few years.  There are probably things I have overstated or am wrong about, but there is also so much more to be discussed and explored.  I once heard a sermon that asked the question, "Are we looking at Jesus in a glass case, or feeling His breath on our face?"  Please, please entreat me as I entreat you: Wake up O sleeper...