So, we miss out on some great things God intends for us to enjoy when we separate in worship according to musical tastes. The idea to do this comes, not from the Bible, but from American consumerism and we adopt this practice to our own peril.
As my friend Steven Phillips rightly says, we ought to use the best music, prayers, and traditions of our Christian past, so that our worship is guided and enriched by our fathers in the faith. In doing this we demonstrate that our Christian faith reaches back thousands of years. And we ought also to use the best new songs and styles – to “sing a new song to the Lord” as the Psalms say – so that we can demonstrate that the grace of God is ever new. God’s saving power is available now, in the present day, to all who call on Him in faith.
By musically blending things in this way we exercise love toward those who resonate with different musical tastes than us. We recognize that our worship service is a shared time and a shared space, so that if a particular song or style doesn’t inspire us, we can still look across the sanctuary and give thanks from our hearts for the diversity of people who are here. The gospel of Jesus Christ invites us to look across the aisle and say, “Though this song or style may not appeal to me, I see that God is using it to move you. I love you in Christ and I’m glad you’re here.”
I’m excited to spread the word about my friend, Zach Nielsen’s first official jazz release. Zach is a gifted leader and musician. Here’s what he has to say about his first recording:
It’s a five song EP called “Songs in a Minor Key”. This recording took place this past spring in Albuquerque, NM with some of the best musicians the city has to offer. It is far from perfect (what jazz recording is?) but I think you’ll find some rich moments throughout that will peek your interest and engage your ear.
Recording jazz is a very different process than my pop/rock recording experience in the past. In jazz, all the musicians play together and we do a few takes and simply choose the best one of three or fours takes. With a rock recording you usually analyze every square inch of the recording and slave over all the minutiae. Not so with jazz. We attempt to capture a performance that is rich with energy and life but perfection is not the goal. Communication, interaction, and artistic expression are the goals and I think those goals were met in these short recording sessions.
For some, jazz is esoteric and obtuse. To the unacclimated, it can sound like random noise that is challenging to listen to for extended periods of time. For that reason I recorded a couple songs that most people will recognize. The recording kicks off with my arrangement of Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” and later on you’ll find The Police’s famous hit, “Message In A Bottle”. In my experience, if people hear a simple melody that they recognize it greatly increases their enjoyment and overall listening experience. I hope that is the case for you as you encounter this recording.
The remaining three tracks are jazz standards from many decades ago. First, “Nardis” is a Miles Davis tune made famous by one of my piano heros, Bill Evans. Second, there is a lesser known Wayne Shorter tune that I learned back in college called, “Black Nile” and finally another jazz standard called, “Beautiful Love”.
I am excited to release this recording today and if you would be willing, please pass this info along to anyone you might think would appreciate it.
It can be purchased exclusively on iTunes and AmazonMP3. Take a moment and click over to either site and listen to some clips. If you would be willing, pass the links along via the various mediums of social media (Facebook, Email, Twitter, Blogs, etc). Here are the links you would need to share:
Recording Credits:
Zach Nielsen – Piano
Michael Glynn – Bass
Ian Byrd – Drums on Come As You Are and Message in a Bottle
Arnoldo Acosta – Drums on Black Nile, Nardis, and Beautiful Love
Chris Saiers – Audio Engineer
Mike Mulliniks – Mixing Engineer
Bryan Lopez – Cover Design
Ben Moore – Photography
Thanks to Fernando Ortega for letting me use his piano!
My wife, Jaime, who is incidentally celebrating her birthday today, writes:
America’s Got Talent is one of my favorite shows. It airs on Tuesday nights (and Wednesday for result shows) during the summer and goes until 11:00 pm, so my family is usually all in bed and I’m watching the end of the show by myself! This last performance brought me to tears and I had to wake up Doug before going to bed to tell him about it. I was just amazed at the gift that God has given this little girl. If you haven’t seen it yet, you gotta see this…
Speaking of kids’ worship CD’s, Walking with the Wise looks like another great album. It is the third Sovereign Grace kids’ album, the second being To Be Like Jesus (June 2009), and the first, Awesome God (Aug. 2004).
In my experience, it’s hard to find good worship CD’s for kids. Rarely do I come across children’s music that is both rich in biblical content and sounds good at the same time! That’s why I’m excited about this giveaway from God’s Kids Worship.
They are eager to give away one copy of their “God’s Kids Worship Modern CD 3-Pack.” Their music includes best-known worship songs plus brand new, made-for-kids songs that are sung by kids. Every song is great for kids to sing along to whether it be in a church context or while riding along in the family minivan. It’s a good variety of upbeat, lively music as well as reflective hymns that the whole family will enjoy worshiping to.
I agree with Tony Kummer, children’s ministry blogger, “When kids really enjoy a worship CD, that music becomes the default soundtrack for their daily lives. Their minds and hearts are filled with God-focus worship lyrics. This residual effect of music can be a powerful influence on a child’s attitude. Kids worship songs can encourage love for God and Christian growth.”
So, check out the music samples from their website and then leave me a comment below with your first impressions. Did you like the sound of the music? Can you picture kids in your family and your church family enjoying it? I will randomly draw 1 winner from the comments below on Tuesday, June 29, 2010. Comments may take a few hours to appear if this is your first time to leave a comment on my blog. I will only be able to ship to the US on this giveaway.
Recently I’ve been listening to Tenth Avenue North’s album, Over and Underneath. I love it. It’s one of the most earthy and honest albums I’ve heard in awhile. I found myself identifying with their brokenness and earnest desire to experience the love of Christ. These guys get the gospel! Here’s why they did this record:
“[These] carefully penned psalms are coming from a group of individuals who don’t have it all together, who desperately want to know truth, and who aren’t afraid to admit that they struggle to believe it … our hope is that amidst all the words, notes and musical mayhem, you would encounter Christ. Encounter him. Not just hear about him, not just sing about him, but truly, sincerely encounter him.” If you don’t have this album, I encourage you to get it and pre-order their new album, The Light Meets the Dark (listen to individual track downloads here).
Sometimes I know the right gospel words, but I need a gospel song to help bridge the gap from my head to my heart. These two songs by Andrew Peterson called “All Things New” and “Risen Indeed” strengthened my soul today. I encourage you to listen.
Just curious … what are your favorite Christian music hits from the past? Ya know … the ones that you remember singing back in the good ole’ 90’s. My wife and I reminisced and came up with these songs in no particular order, some of which came from the WOW CD. Please share your favorites!
This morning I got up early and felt pretty tired as I started my day. On the way to work, a couple hymns came into my mind and before long I found myself singing them out loud in the car. It was a great way to wake up and wake my soul up to the beauty of the gospel that I need so desperately. Here’s a couple lines that really stayed with me from the hymn, Crown Him With Many Crowns:
Crown him with many crowns
The Lamb upon his throne
Hark how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own Awake my soul and sing
Of him who died for thee
And hail him as thy matchless king
Throughout eternity
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