First Worship Music Team Practice

Tonight I had the pleasure of sitting in on the first rehearsal of Ember's music team. (I have bloodsworn to Garth Heasley that I will never call them the "worship team"; always the "music team".) We have so many talented musicians and singers on our team it's ridiculous, and the best part of all is that they truly want to worship Jesus with their gifts and talents. No egos. No divas. Just talented and humble worshippers. I am honored to be serving Jesus with these people.

It was fun for me to sit in on the rehearsal. Although not everyone who will be on the team was there tonight--this was just a practice for the first service--it was cool to get a sense of how Garth and his wife Kelly will lead this ministry. They're really approaching it as servant leaders, and it's clear that their primary aim is to draw the congregation into worship. Everything else, from sound quality to musical style to personal involvement, serves that end. That's the way it should be!

Despite the fact that this was the first time these great folks had ever played together, there were moments of genuine worship. The first song they practiced, Jesus Is the Lord, gave me a strong sense that this team has got it. It wasn't practice; it was worship. And that sense was confirmed for me again and again. I have to say, I'm neither a musician nor a singer, but I want to go to all their meetings!

Our first worship service is three weeks from today. My hope is that you'll be able to join us and, even more so, that you'll encounter our risen Savior in a powerful way.

*deep inhale of surprise, delight, and anticipation*

Okay, I'm really, really excited about this. The Violet Burning haven't put out a new record since 2006, and now they're putting out 3! Ahhhh!!! *head explosion*

the violet burning from the violet burning on Vimeo.

rock is dead from the violet burning on Vimeo.

the violet burning from the violet burning on Vimeo.

the violet burning from the violet burning on Vimeo.

3 albums. 33 songs. Coming in December.

Sufjan Stevens | The Age of Adz

A couple days ago I bought Sufjan Stevens' newest album, The Age of Adz. I had read some reviews beforehand and knew that it was going to be different than Michigan and Illinois, which gave me some hesitation about buying it. I really like the folk stylings of those albums (as well as Seven Swans), and I wasn't sure how I was going to deal with change. And now that I have the album...well, I'm still not sure.

The music is actually right up my alley, even more so than the folk music I had so much fallen in love with. It's a mix of orchestration, electronica, pop, and vocal effects that somehow manages to stay true to Sufjan in the process. He doesn't get lost in the technology, like I had feared would happen when I heard about the change in musical direction he was taking. He has such a distinct sound and style, and I thought that might disappear. Fortunately, it isn't.

The lyrics are, well...I'm not sure what Sufjan is trying to tell us. Some people think he's struggling to reconcile his homosexual inclinations with his Christian faith. Other people think he's telling stories from the perspective of multiple characters in his music, and some of those characters are females. Or is the whole album about Royal Robertson, the artist whose art and life inspired it in the first place? I don't know how to interpret the lyrics of The Age of Adz because I'm not sure what perspective he's writing from.

Is Sufjan gay? I don't know. Is he a Christian? Yes. Is he a talented artist who has managed to take his music in an entirely new direction and still create something both amazing and true to himself? What a ridiculous question. Of course. Do yourself a favor: Get real, get right with the Lord, and buy this album.

The Welcome Wagon

I enjoy an eclectic array of music, particularly of the independent, Christian variety. One of my favorite bands is The Welcome Wagon, which is a husband-wife duo who happen to be church planters in New York City and close friends of Sufjan Stevens. They've created a wonderful album of folksy spirituals that I would love to have in the regular rotation of the worship at my church. Check out the live cut of "But For You Who Fear My Name" in the video.

Rites of Spring

I'm not a tradition guy. I don't like doing the same thing for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It doesn't bother me if I don't see fireworks on the Fourth of July. I don't even like wearing a tie at Easter service. But there is one tradition that I absolutely love and will do for the rest of my life.

On the first beautiful day of the year, every year, I listen to the song Heaven Sent by Cush. I've done this for the past 12 years, and I do it because the song reminds me of the sun. During the winter in Ohio the sun does not come out. Ever. Seriously. Three solid months of overcast skies and freezing cold weather. (And people say that Hell is a hot place.)

But eventually, by the grace of God, winter comes to an end. That happened this week. So when the thermometer passed 50 degrees and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, I knew that it was Cush time. This song takes me to a place I've never been but where I know that I belong. This song is the summer. Enjoy.

Is This Worship?

In keeping with the Over the Rhine theme, watch this and ask yourself, is this a worship song? Or does the f*** word rule it out as worship?



What do you think? Is this worship? Could you worship to this song?

Hallelujah

Yup.

Finding the Right Music

I've been trying to find the right music for the Memorial Day tribute video I'm working on this week. The Memorial Day tribute video is basically a collection of photos of all the folks in our church who have passed away in the past twelve months. It's far and away the most sensitive video I produce every year. The thought of misspelling someone's name or, even worse, putting the wrong name with a picture, makes me shudder. So getting the right music is crucial.

Last year I used "Born" by Over the Rhine. There was a bit of a controversy because of the line "Pour me a glass of wine." (It's a good thing I didn't choose "Changes Come.") I fought for the song because I thought it was thematically and musically appropriate. Ultimately it was cleared by the pastor, and I got a lot of questions from folks that went more or less like this: "Hey Andy, great video! Who sang that song? It was incredible! Where can I get it?" So I certainly felt like it was the right song for the video.

This year I'm looking for something along the same lines, but I'd like to choose a different artist. My first thought is to use Sufjan Stevens' version of "Come Thou Fount." Obviously I won't have the lyrical controversy of last year, but I'm not convinced the song is pretty enough. It has the right mood and tone, but it may be too raw for such a sensitive video.

So even though this is my first post, I'm throwing it out there for any suggestions. What is the right music for a Memorial Day tribute video?