Filed under: Uncategorized
And do you want to know the post that consistently gets the highest hits??
I didn’t even write that with coherent thought!!
Even yesterday it got more hits than any other. Just looking over it…here are the stats!
- of the 1134 hits since January, 102 of them have been the turtles. That’s almost 10%!
- Since posting the Turtles post on the 20th January, it has never had a day when it wasn’t viewed
- the search phrase that far and above gets people to my blog is ‘Turtle ninja’ on 28, followed by ‘ninja turtle’ on 7
- Tell me why more people search for ‘turtle ninja’ than ‘ninja turtle’!!!
Perhaps I should bring out more posts like… Biker Mice of the Sound desk or Street Sharks of communion.
Hey all. Just read a great little article by Dave Hughes (not the comedian). He’s the drummer for the youth worship band at Saddleback. He wrote down his insights into ‘worhip leading’ as seen from someone in the band. I think that the whole article is filled with practical insights and helpful truisms. Some of his best lines are:
‘If God has called us to lead others in worshiping Him through music, we must be focused on the elements of it that honor him.’ (namely lyrics)
‘Don’t convince yourself a song will work great in your congregation because you can’t stop playing the sweet jam to it.‘
‘Get comfortable, be real, and take as much time as you need to greet your family.’
‘Don’t make the congregation feel like they are left out of something’
‘“Something like that” usually results in failure’
It’s got some good insights into guitarists and facial hair as well. Go check it out.
Filed under: Uncategorized
We did some recording on our church camp this past weekend. Today I posted a new song that one of our songwriters Josh Watt wrote. It’s a cool song called Holy, Sovereign Lord. Go to the website and check it out. Know that it’s not designed to be beautiful quality but rather something our church can stick on their ipods in order to learn new songs and build community.
Bob Kauflin wrote a helpful answer to someone’s question about whether we should sing songs written by people who we disagree with theologically. The example given was ‘Your grace is enough’ a song written by Chris Tomlin and Matt Maher. We have started singing this song at Nitechurch but until now I had no idea who Matt Maher is. Turns out he is a well known Catholic song writer. Read Bob’s reply to the question.
Filed under: General Music
I saw a great movie last night. The music in it was haunting and beautiful. Ren bought the soundtrack straight after watching it. The movie is kind of like a modern day folk musical. I’d say 70% of the film is sung. It’s a really simple storyline.
You know when you see a good movie you want to tell everyone about it. I wonder what motivates that. Is it that we want people to enjoy it or is it that somehow we want to honor the movie. I think I’m the second. If I see a good movie then I think it deserves me to tell others about it.
The actors in Once are just musos who are being filmed. Neither of the main characters, Guy and Girl played by Glen Hansard and Margeta Irglova have acted before. Their dialogue is natural. The best parts of the film though is when they are singing. You can see in their faces that at those times they aren’t acting, but rather are lost in the music they are creating.
Music has that ability. It channels thoughts and leads to a place. That’s why a feature film can be filled with songs. The songs contain the deep emotion that the dialogue lacks. It’s like when the song begins the curtain is pulled back and the heart is revealed. It’s amazing that words put to music have that ability.
I just got this email from Paul Baloche (we are buddies) and it said that there is this project going on at the moment in the UK with heaps of top Christian Musicians.
Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Tim Hughes, Matt Redman, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, Stu G (Delirious), Martin Smith and Paul Baloche have been spending a week in an old mansion in Scotland on a song writing retreat. They came up with 20 songs, 12 of which are going to be recorded for Compassionart a recording project that gives funds to the poor and underprivileged globally.
Already a who’s who of christian music, Chris Tomlin dropped by for the recording time at Abbey Rd so that he could be part of the action. I feel some pride that Darlene’s there. Onya Aussie.
The songs that come out of it should be worth a listen.
Filed under: General Music
Simply Youth Ministry have a podcast that’s all about worship/music. First episode looks good. Could be good for anyone involved in youth music ministry (max??)
Filed under: Thinking Music
“Boldness, love and joy are not to be thought of as purely private and interior experiences, however; they are to distinguish our public worship. The brief time we spend together on the Lord’s Day, far from being divorced from the rest of our life, is intended to bring it into sharp focus. Humbly (as sinners), yet boldly (as forgiven sinners), we press into God’s presence, responding to his loving initiative with an answering love of our own, and not only worshipping him with musical instruments but articulating our joy in songs of praise. WM Clow was right to draw our attention to singing as a unique feature of Christian Worship, and the reason for it:
There is no forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come, except through the cross of Christ. ‘Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.’ The religions of paganism scarcely knew the word… The great faiths of the Buddhist and the Muslim give no place either to the need or the grace of reconciliation. The clearest proof of this is the simplest. It lies in the hymns of Christian worship. A Buddhist temple never resounds with a cry of praise. Muslim worshippers never sing. Their prayers are, at the highest, prayers of submission and request. They seldom reach the gladder note of thanksgiving. They are never jubilant with the songs of the forgiven.
By contrast, whenever Christian people come together it is impossible to stop them singing. The Christian community is a community of celebration”
- John Stott, The Cross of Christ, chap 10. ‘The community of celebration’
I have mentioned before on this blog why it is so important for people involved in music ministry to be reading. I thought that it might be helpful to put up a kind of reading list of books or resources that I have found helpful. You could call this a music ministry ‘top 10′ (according to me – someone who has no authority to call it anything). I haven’t just included books because I think that there are some sermons that have been just as influential if not more in shaping my thinking on this issue than many books have.
1. The book of Hebrews
2. Desiring God - John Piper
3. Music through the eyes of Faith – Harold Best
4. Idolatry and Worship (mp3) – Mark Driscoll
5. Engaging with God – David Peterson
6. The Worship Leader’s Role (mp3) – Bob Kauflin
7. Worship by the book – ed. DA Carson
8. The Arts in Worship: Can’t Art just be art? (mp3) – Harold Best
9. Stirrings of the Soul – Mike Raiter
10. The Religious Affections – Jonathan Edwards
If you have time start at the top and work your way down. If you would like to borrow a book come and ask. I love lending books. I love getting them back too.
