An Inward Audio

Haiti Has My Heart

2011-03-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

I’m not sure if there’s a monthly, or even yearly, quota to consider yourself a real “blogger” or not but if there is, I am not a blogger. It’s been months since my last post. That being said, I figure it’s time to get back in the saddle and tell you about the Mission’s trip to Haiti I just returned from. Here’re a few thoughts I’ve been dealing with since my return from the western portion of the Island of Hispaniola.

*Note: yes, I realize that Haiti is considered apart of North America, but when I refer to North America in my thoughts, I'm referring to continental North America (that is, Canada/USA) and the church we are all a bit more familiar with here at home.

Culture Shock:
This is a term we hear often when North Americans visit third-world countries, disaster zones, or poverty-stricken communities. When we jump into an area of our world that is seemingly opposite to our own we feel the shock of being taken from our comfort zones. However, I didn’t feel culture-shock when we arrived in Haiti. Yes, I certainly saw some things that differed from my own culture like topless women bathing in rivers, mountains of trash that litter the streets like snow, pickup trucks used as taxi-cabs, stone/straw/mud homes, and goats tied to a lamppost outside a convenience store. Emotions run a mile a minute when you see the destruction of a home right next door to the immaculate American embassy or see throngs of people scurry around a busy market while UN officers sit idly by across the street.
Despite witnessing all of that, I did not face this “culture-shock” when we arrived in Haiti. Rather, I experienced culture shock when I arrived home to my family, my home, my car, and my computers. Upon my return to Moncton, it was what the Haitians have that we in Canada and the US do not have that was the biggest shock to me. We complain about things like road conditions, cold coffee, the length of our church services, and lineups. But it’s the things like richness in faith, the love of a community, giving the best of what you have to others, waiting on the Spirit, taking your time, singing louder than the instruments, and work-before-play that are what makes the Haitian people such a consistent, durable, and resilient people. There was a word that we were taught before our trip begun: “degaje” which is Creole for “to do the best with what you have”. In a culture where we can get what we want, when we want it, how we want it, Haiti is a culture that plays to its strengths and makes do with what little they have and I believe they are the better for it. These are some of the things there is a lack of in our own culture. A lot of things that are wrong with continental North American culture can be cured by what can be learnt from the Haitian people.

Grieving Process:
My sister-in-law went on a trip to Sri Lanka a few years ago and when she returned she experienced what she calls a “painful readjustment”. When I asked Rebecca to explain that, she replied: “I didn’t understand how the trip fit into the rest of my life and I struggled to accept my own world. I wondered how I could experience the feelings of hope and meaning that I had in Sri Lanka and apply them when I got back home.” My mother-in-law, Sandy, when helping Rebecca sort out her trip, called it her “grieving process’. I tend to stick with this same definition, though I feel similar feelings to that of Rebecca. I grieved over the state of Haiti’s culture while I wallowed in my own self-centered life back home.
It really is hard to describe to your loved ones, your co-workers, and your church what you experienced, felt, and saw from a trip of this kind. Other than telling stories and flipping through pictures, I felt I wasn’t doing justice to the people of Haiti simply by recounting my memories. Before we left, Frantz (our Nazarene Work and Witness coordinator from Haiti) told us to “…not forget about Haiti. Tell others about what you have seen, what you have done, and what you have experienced, but tell them to continue praying for Haiti”.
I was compiling some pictures and video footage from our trip to put in a 4-5 minute video for our church. I spent about 2 hours on the video on the Saturday night but it wasn’t until I sat down and watched the video with my church, among my fellow congregants, that I started to “grieve” over what I saw. It wasn’t until I sat with others just like me and watched those clips unfold that I realized the impact of my experience. I sat in the pew and wept over a country I did not understand in a country I thought I understood.
Through the stories of the other 4 men from my church that were with me on the trip, I was able to see the great things God had done in their lives and the greater things God is doing in Haiti from a whole other point-of-view (without actually having to be in Haiti).

Things I Regret:
Some of the things I regret about this trip are small, but significant.
I regret not bringing a journal. I’ve never been one to journal anything but I believe it would have helped me in my grieving process much easier had I done so. I have no way of re-living and re-capturing those momentary thoughts and experiences because I didn’t write them down. Instead I only have a few specific pictures and memories that I fear may fade with time.
I regret not having my wife with me. This was a little out of my control, but I really wish Catherine was with me to share this experience. Her heart is bigger than mine to begin with and her compassion for the poor would have built its own church. I promised her that the next time an opportunity like this comes up, we will do our best to make sure we can both go together.
I regret thinking Haiti would be a desolate place. If you base your opinion on Haiti from what you see on CNN, you (like me) are sadly mistaken. Yes, there is destruction, leftover rubble from 2010’s earthquake, and a city littered with waste and trash but the country as a whole is absolutely breath-taking. The countryside is beautiful, the mountains never end, and the sites are inspiring. Everything from the bustle of a local city market to the calm lakes and lofty mountains is awesome.
I regret feeling the least bit superior to the people. Even more beautiful than the scenery of Haiti are the people of Haiti. Their smiles are infectious, their demeanor peaceful, and the atmosphere of life is serene. Despite the physical surroundings of destruction and poverty, the attitude of these people is positive and joyful. He made my heart explode with envy.

Bringing Haiti Home:
Even though my teams' main purpose was to serve and help rebuild a Nazarene church in Saint-Raphael, I was hoping to somehow bring the prosperity of my N.A. culture to Haiti to somehow affect the lifestyle of a small community in Haiti. But, as the week flew by, I couldn't help but feel that Haiti was changing me and that it was affecting me more than I (or wee) was affecting it. There were things about the people and the way they lived that I wanted to bring to my country, my home, and my church.

The dedication service and Sunday morning services we had the pleasure to be apart of after completion of the church blew us away. The Spirit of God was evident in that church like none other I've ever experienced. Even through the language barrier, the Spirit of God was tangible and present among us and touched our hearts. The way they sang, prayed, and simply worshipped together as a house of God was so inspiring and I couldn't help but mourn for the North American (capitol "c") Church. What are we missing? Haiti's Holy Spirit seems to be much closer to the Acts 2 Holy Spirit we often talk about in our N.A. churches and that was something I'll never forget.

When we held our recap service last Sunday at my home church I couldn't help but close my eyes and envision myself in Saint-Raphael Church of the Nazarene while I sang and worshipped at Lutes Mountain Church of the Nazarene. I'm not implying the Holy Spirit isn't at work at my home church, but I couldn't help but feel God's presence both at my own church and in Saint-Raphael at the same moment in time. That's how awesome our God is.

Hope of Haiti:

Our Work & Witness coordinator, Frantz, suggested that Haiti gets a bad wrap; that she is misrepresented. "Haiti is a resilient and strong people". Even though our view from atop is skewed only by things we see on TV, we were assured that Haiti is so much more than that. And it is. Even though we spent a few days rebuilding a church in a small community of 5000, that church of 300 or 400 people can be so much to them. With Haiti's power to stretch a circumstance ("degaje") this small Nazarene church can be more than a place local congregants can worship in. This building provides a shelter for the community, provides a place to receive a clean water source (community well), provides a school building for child education, provides a center for adult literacy, and an epicenter for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to its surrounding area. The Hope of Haiti lies in its people. Sure, we North Americans can give our money, donations, and physically help in rebuilding efforts, but ultimately the hope of Haiti is in its people. So, most importantly, pray for the people of Haiti. Pray the love and hope of Jesus Christ keeps growing among the people and that He will empower them to overcome all obstacles and circumstances. As my friend Ryan (and fellow Team member) said in his blog recounting his own Haiti experience "...simply giving of your money is not enough to absolve you of your Christian responsibility".

I’ve given myself a week to digest my experience as well as given myself some time to recover from the Haiti-hangover. I was so affected by this country that I felt I needed to be released from its grasp on my heart. Part of writing this blog is part of that. I am no literary talent, no wordsmith, nor a special human being for even going on this trip. Frantz asked us to "tell our story" to family and friends when we return and I guess this is part of my way of doing that. So, on behalf of Frantz and his Haitian brothers and sisters, I implore all of us to examine our own hearts to see what God would have you do in helping Haiti. Maybe you can even join me on my next trip to Saint Raphael to see what God will do with His new church there.

Here's a brief video I slapped together from our trip. I can't imagine these images will stir your heart as much as they did mine, but I hope they at least stir a passion in you to pray for the redemption of Haiti.

Favorite Albums & Movies of 2010

2011-01-12T08:35:00.000-08:00

Every year I like to compile a short list of my favorite albums and movies of the year. It’s not until now, almost two weeks into 2011, that I remembered to do so. So, for all 4 of you who may read this or may actually be interested in music and/or movies, here’s my favorite albums and movies of the year 2010.

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Favorite Albums of 2010:

1) Gungor – Beautiful Things:
this is one of those CDs that got played so much in my car that when I ejected the CD is came out like loaf of bread out of an oven. The self-proclaimed “liturgical rock” of Gungor is not only worshipful, but challenging and beautifully arranged. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard from the “worship” or “Christian” genres, though Michael Gungor hates to classify any music “Christian” or “worship”. Amazing album.

2) John Mark MacMillan – The Medicine:
I have to be honest and say that it took me multiple spins before this record really sunk into my soul. I, admittedly, only originally checked out this album because David Crowder Band did a cover of his song “How He Loves”. But, it was only after seeing JMM perform live at Crowder’s Fantastical Church Music Conference that I was most blown away. Not necessarily because of the live performance, but because I got to catch a glimpse of the lyrics and the heart of the performer together. That was an amazing experience. You have to hear this record if you haven’t.

3) Stone Temple Pilots – Self-Titled:
STP’s first record since re-uniting after taking breaks from respective supergroups “Army of Anyone” and “Velvet Revolver” did not disappoint me. It seems as though STP picked up from where they left off. The guitar work from Dean DeLeo is exceptional and the styles vary from samba to rock to post-grunge. I love it.

4) Seabird – Over the Hills and Everywhere Christmas EP:
What “favorite album” list is complete without a Christmas CD? I could have easily put Phil Wickham’s Christmas album here, but I was pretty impressed with Seabird’s 6-song Christmas EP. While, lyrically, not much changes on these Xmas standards, the melodies have all been changed into something that sounds just like a Seabird song. For those of you who want to hear Christmas songs done differently, listen to this EP. “Go Tell it on the Mountain” is the best version of the song I’ve ever heard.

5) Joe Satriani – Black Swans & Wormhole Wizards:
I tried my best to not put this album on the list (and any “shred/virtuoso” album period), but this album is unlike anything Satch has ever done. It’s not the mindless shredding and arpeggios that one might be used to, but rather it’s all off-the-floor studio work done by recording greats like Mike Kenneally (keys/guitars), Allen Whitman (bass), and Jeff Campatelli (drums). Everything from hard-rock to jazz, to pop-fusion. Great stuff for any guitar player to listen to.

6) Brooke Fraser – Flags:
This album also took me a few spins before it really grew on me. It’s significantly different than her previous release, Albertine, but the song-writing is just as potent and the themes are just as moving. Brooke puts in great attention to the instrumentation, rhythm, and thought of her self-produced release. Also has a few tunes co-written by Jon Foreman, Aqualung, and husband Scott Ligertwood which are no doubt all highlights.

7) Audrey Assad – The House You’re Building:
catchy singer/songwriter folk-pop at its best. She’s got an amazing voice with a penchant for great lyrics. “Restless” is hauntingly good.

8) Jesus Culture – Consumed:
as far as worship albums go, this might have been one of my favorites of the year. Although Jesus Culture’s 7 or 8 minute songs can get a bit monotonous, there is great passion and honesty in these live-recording albums. They always choose to do a few worship covers that sound great as well. Also, Kim Walker did much less giggling (that is, saying “HA HA” after each chorus) on this album than others.

9) Army of Anyone - Self-Titled:
no album got more spins this year than Army of Anyone's (only) album. Thing is, this album was actually released in 2006. But, it popped up on my speakers one afternoon and I listened tot he whole record over and over and over. Brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo (of Stone Temple Pilots) needed something to do while Scott Weiland was touring with Velvet Revolver so they formed a band with Filter singer, Richard Patrick, and drummer extraordinaire, Ray Luzier. Amazing riffs, guitar work, vocals, and rhythms. This is one of my favorite rock records ever made. Ever.

10) Starfield – Saving One:
The one thing I've said about Starfield for some time now is that every record sounds the exact same. Saving One isn't any different sonically from any other Starfield release, but I seemed to enjoy this one more. Maybe it was because they used a producer not named Ed Cash, but I just really dug this release musically, lyrically, and spiritually.

Favorite Movies of 2010:

1) Inception - if this movie isn't in your Top 5 movies of 2010 then you are either certifiable or you just didn't see it. Christopher Nolan is easily becoming one of the best filmmakers of this generation.

2) TRON: Legacy - I saw the original: hated it. I saw the sequel; loved it. Not only were the visuals amazing, but the 3D aspect of it was comparable to Avatar. Great acting, appealing action sequences, and far better than the original.

3) Toy Story 3 - I actually think this movie will do what no other animated film has ever done: win the Oscar for "Best Picture". I've always said that one of the only sequels ever made that was better than its original was Toy Story 2. That being said, Toy Story was the best of the 3 and closed the storyline down in amazing fashion.

4) The Other Guys - I realize many will disagree with this statement, but I think The Other Guys was Will Ferrel's funniest movie since Anchorman. I laughed so hard at times that I was in tears. Plus, I'm a sucker for anything Marky Mark is in.

5) The Town - you've gotta give Ben Affleck credit. We wrote, directed, and starred int his movie which was a poor man's "The Departed". It had all the aspects of a Scorsese film without the Leonardo DiCaprio... and Martin Scorsese. Best "bank robber" movie ever made?

6) True Grit - although this movie came out in late-2010, I saw it in 2011. But, this is my list, so I can add it if I chose. I didn't know what to expect from this film, but I really enjoyed this John Wayne throwback. Although the ending differed slightly from the original, it was funny, entertaining, and had some good ole Western shoot-em-up moments. I covered my eyes during the rattlesnake parts, though.

7) Unstoppable - It's a movie about a runaway train. Worth seeing in the theaters? Yes. Before seeing the movie, I thought this would be more of a renter. But I'm glad I experienced it with the big sound and big screen. It was a surprisingly suspenseful movie that kept building until the very end.

8) Iron Man 2 - I'm pretty sure movies that comes from Marvel Comics have a place in my "favorite movies" list every year. I watched this one on my iPad during a plane-ride to Waco, TX and I was glued to the screen for the whole 2 hours. Downey Jr is awesome, as much as I hate to admit it, and Jon Favreau keeps directing awesome movies.

In the process of being weaned

2010-10-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 1:1-28, 2:1-10

Many of us know the story of Hannah from the Old Testament. She labored and toiled over the fact that she couldn’t bare children; the Lord had “closed her womb” (v 6). Though her husband, Elkanah, did not blame her and loved her very much, he didn’t understand her. I guess that’s pretty typical of men, right ladies? Even Elkanah’s other wife (back when polygamy was cool), Peninniah, made fun of her and rubbed in the fact that she had her own children. That’s not nice. Verse 11 says Hannah then “vowed a vow” and this was her heartfelt prayer:

"O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

It wasn’t until Elkanah saw her break down in tears on her hands and knees and pray this prayer through muttering lips (v 7) that he understood her distress. At first, he thought she was drunk and accused her of not loving him as much as she should (v 8, v 12-14) but she explained to him the shame and trouble of her heart. He felt for her and blessed her for her honesty and fervent prayer (v 17).

The text says that they rose early the next morning and worshipped. After that, “Elkanah knew his wife” (which is to say they… well, you know) and “the Lord remembered her”. They conceived a son and when he was born she named him Samuel because she had “asked the Lord for him”. Not long after she weaned him, he was ready to be taken to the temple to be given over to the Lord and temple officiants.

Normally, a baby might be weaned off of breast-milk anywhere from six months to a year (assuming mothers weaned the same length of time as most mothers do now). If we can assume this, Hannah didn’t have her own child in her possession for very long. She simply wanted to experience the love of a child and the feeling of having her own son do the work of the Lord. So, she knew she wouldn’t be in charge of him long before she gave him over to the Lord’s service. Most importantly, in all of this Hannah made sure not only to deliver the promise she gave to God (to give her firstborn son over to the Lord) but she first praised God for His goodness and answering her plea. Hannah’s prayer, found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 is a great example of a prayer of complete thankfulness, faith, and joy for God’s goodness and salvation

I can relate to Hannah’s situation. My soul has often toiled over my place in God’s will. My soul has been troubled over what He wants of me and how I can live my life as a servant like Samuel did. I've often replaced the words "son" in Hannah's prayers and pleas with the words "will" and "vocation". I was reluctant to accept God's call of church ministry on my life, but I've since prayed in like Hannah, "...forget your servant but give my your will, your vocation for my life, then I will give it to the LORD for all my life." I believe that I've accepted a particular call on my life and I'm in the weaning process. The space between the Lord's call and fulfilling the Lord's call is upon me now. I'm in the stage of God's call where I've vowed to give it over but am not ready to be taken to the temple.

I've been enjoying this last year where I've really been able to soak up a lot of worship experiences, practices, and lessons and it's all preparing me to take on God's call in my life. It's exciting. Much like Hannah (I'm sure) cherished every moment of time with her son before she brought him to the temple, I am cherishing every moment of blessing before I "move on" to the next thing in life. On the other hand, than there's all the waiting involved...

I am in still being weaned in preparation for greater things.

Speaker notes from @dcbfantastical conference

2010-10-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

Late last night I returned from David Crowder's Fantastical Music Conference in his hometown of Waco, TX. Situated on the beautiful (and large, if you’re walking) campus of Baylor University, the Fantastical Conference was absolutely (ok, I’ll say it this one last time)… fantastical. From the selection of musical artists, to the fold-out-conference-information-kit-in-an-Altoids-can, to the keynote speakers, it’s near impossible for me to relay the awe, wonder, and inspiration this conference put in my heart and mind. But i'll try my best.

Since the main auditorium we participated in did not have wifi (and I wasn’t willing to pay insane 3G roaming charges), I wasn’t able to tweet the most interesting tidbits of information as they came to us. Instead, I opted to take as many notes as I could on my iPad and share them as a whole later on. So, here are some (certainly, not all nor the most inspiring) of the main points of my favorite 3 keynotes speakers: Francis Chan, Rob Bell, and Louise Giglio. Please keep in mind these aren’t exact quotes, but certainly the gist of what I thought they were speaking to me and my own experiences:

Chan:
- After reading the account in Exodus 15 where the people praised after the Red Sea miracle: “imagine the affection the people of God would experience is we witnessed a miracle of such extravagance in front of our own eyes today."
- ”The goal is not that we leave church feeling that our worship experience was “good”. The goal of a worship experience is God looking down to us and saying "that was good"
- Just because we cry out to God in our worship doesn't mean he's listening; our lives and relationships must be right as well (directed us to Acts 5)
- God wants us to sing in unity and encourage one another. When we can march side by side in unity, that’s when people will know our salvation.
- If we put ourselves and our story in the bible how would it look? Radical? Normal? Tame? Are our churches congruent with New Testament living?
- If we take care of the poor, oppressed, and needy as part of our worship God will answer us immediately.
- Repentance is important for the spiritual life of an affective worshipper

Bell:
- Rob Bell’s speaking was based around the importance of words. The worship leader places particular words on people’s lips; guiding the breath and stops/starts of people’s voices. Words are breath put together create a magnificent space
- Bell had a very interesting concept saying we should approach the bible more literately, not literally. The importance of metaphor in our worship language is used to explore our feelings and puts forwards our thoughts in a more concise manner.
- we need to have our worship experiences & art reflect the feelings, culture, & emotions of our culture; people can understand the gospel easier is they understand it in a way that is understandable to them (much like Jesus did using parables)
- Bell says there are three kinds of biblical language:
1) atonement language (to be biblical is to be an acute observer of the world around you using images, metaphor, and experience) – as leaders, we need to come up with new metaphors and images that speak to the wolrd around us
2) enthronement language (that language of Christ as kind, majesty, splendor, drown, etc.) – may be difficult for non-Christians to understand this language because royalty is unfamiliar to us
3) three-tiered universal language (putting value on the omnipresence of God; up/down, above/below, grave/depth, etc) – these are the kinds of metaphors we want to replace to make the Word understandable to people around us; in/around, oxygen, on, with us, etc.
- Be careful not to stifle the people who are using current experience, language, and image that can reach the unsaved, unchurched, and unsure. Letting the world know “WE ARE GOING TO BE FINE” is the sacred task ahead of us.

Giglio:
- we are cosmologically insignificant yet divinely prized
- “Creation literally sings and boasts of God's wonder”. Giglio showed a great example of this by displaying sights and sound sounds/noises that created objects like stars and flowers make. These objects were spoken into existence by a creative and beautiful God.
- So, we should sing because we are part of God's universe. Why not join with all creation when it sings?
- We operate on such a thin line of worshipping a creator/maker though everything around us worships Him right now.
- “I sing because I live in god’s universe.”
- “Why not join it?”

Worship & Priorities

2010-09-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I was driving my forklift at work (yes, I have a forklift license) and while I would normally drive the lift with two hands, ten-and-two, I was also sipping from my Tim Hortons’ coffee. When I went to take a sip from my cup, I (unconsciously) swapped my coffee from my left hand to right hand because it made the coffee easier to drink. Don’t ask me why, but I immediately asked myself (not out loud, that would be crazy) why I had made the coffee more important than driving a 3500 pound machine through the narrow halls of my warehouse. Without even thinking about it, I made drinking my coffee a priority over the safety of myself and the individuals running around the warehouse.

Since I also had been thinking about my future in ministry (I do my best thinking on forklifts) it was the insignificant thought of my coffee priority that made me think about priorities in my own worship experiences. Often my weekly worship habits can seem stale so I began to think of ways I can change my worship from driving left-handed to right-handed. Maybe I should do what Carrie Underwood does and just let Jesus Take the Wheel, but I digress…
These were just a few of the thoughts I had about my own experiences. maybe they won't ring a bell with anybody and maybe they'll ring very loud for others but these are simple things that I've been trying to teach myself as I try to sculpt and follow my own journey into full-time minstry.

Spiritual Connection over Musical Perfection: although I play a few different roles/instruments in my church’s worship ministry, when I’m acting as worship leader for a particular week I’m known as the “long practice” guy. In rehearsals, I’m the leader (there are three of us who volunteer to lead) who likes to make sure things sound good, transitions well, and the music is as tight as it can be. This often makes for a longer rehearsal time. I know the music will never be ‘perfect’ but I want it to sound its best. That, however, shouldn’t be my priority in rehearsal. The message, truth, and spirit behind the words of our worship should be what is most prominent in our songs. As a worship leader, if I’m so pre-occupied with thinking how sloppy my drummer is playing (or how sloppy I'm playing the drums), I’m probably not worrying too much about connecting to my God or directing the congregation toward giving any glory to their Creator.

I'm certainly not saying that musical integrity isn't important because it is. In the OT, even David & Solomon sent forth musicians ahead of their armies (1 Chronicles 25, 9:33) and had them present for some of the most important duties and events (2 Chronicles 5). I imagine those musicians took some time to work on their chops to play before their earthly kings. Playing excellently for the Lord doesn’t denote excellence in trade. It simply means giving over our gifts to the Lord with the best of our ability. That is what truly pleases God.

Christ-Centered not Listener Supported: Sometimes playing the same old songs can get a bit dull. Sometimes it’s nice to try and breathe new life into a tune that you’ve played a million times or rearrange a song you’ve only ever played once. Sometimes changing the cadence, feel, or groove of a particular song works really well; sometimes not. Either way, when you’re breathing new life into the musicality of a song make sure that you’re not sucking the life out of it. I’ve caught myself multiple times hoping to impress someone in the congregation by trying too hard to make a song sound cool, trying to over-arrange a song, or contemporize an older song to appease the grey-hairs in the pews. I sometimes need to remind myself that making folks in the congregation happy with the style/genre/volume of a song does not take priority over the depth of its message. The song isn’t about what I think people want to hear. Rather, the sweet sound it makes in God’s ear.
“In writing or leading worship songs, we should never sacrifice clarity on the altar of creativity.” – Bob Kauflin (@bkauflin)

Meaning not Weaning: I think it’s almost essential to have at least one hymn in every set. Just because the song is found in a dusty old book in the pew doesn’t mean it’s outdated. In fact, most hymns have more meaning to our culture now than they ever have! At my own church, it sometimes seems the older songs (particularly a lot of hymns) need a Red Bull or two to sound applicable to the rest of the set. For example, I once heard a (very poor) reggae version of "Tis So Sweet" right after a slow worship song. So, while adding some energy or creativity to an old chorus or hymn is useful at times, it’s important not to take away from the true, pure theology that the songs contain and the heart-felt worship it stirs.

I never want to try and wean the church off the tradition found in the Church’s hymns. Their meaning is so vital to our history, both spiritually and musically, that we need to remember it’s not the sound of the song that takes the priority… it’s the profound statement it makes.

Written Word over Verbal Turd: As a worship leader, I’ve often tried to fill the gaps between songs with verbal tidbits and pieces of self-taught wisdom. At times, this has become more a case of verbal diarrhea more than anything of spiritual relevance. I read another tweet by Bob Kaughlin once saying “The word of God evokes the worship of God”. I took that one to heart and made it a priority to read from God’s Word over anything (un)interesting I have to say; God's words are much better than our own. Make it an important part of your worship ministry to encourage and strengthen worshippers from the mouth of the One they’re singing to.

Count the Cost not the Number of Raised Hands: I often make a judgement of my own abilities of leading worship by the number of raised hands in the congregation. That's not a good thing to do. Whatever instrument/role I have on Sunday morning, I'm most downward to my instrument or upward to the posted lyrics on the back wall. While I don't entirely depends on doing this to play competently, I sometimes also look for the reactions of the worshippers below. Are they clapping? Are they raising their hands? Are they playing their Nintendo DS? In a previous post froma few months ago I drew attention to the sacrifices we need to make in order for our worship to be honest. we're probably not being honest with ourseleves and to God if we're preoccupied to the worship of others.

I realize there are more issues out there but am I missing anything obvious? Are their other priority changes worship we, as leaders, need to make?

Finding It Hard to Love Your Kids

2010-09-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

For those that know me well, you’ll probably know I’m a pretty laid back person. However, that doesn’t mean I have the patience of a saint. Fact is, for certain things, I have little-to-no patience; long lineups, slow computers, traffic, and “know-it-alls”. But more than all of these things (to which most of us have no patience for anyway) is kids. I have no patience for rebellious, defiant, degenerate, kids and teenagers. Probably why God never called me to youth ministry. My own kids are not immune. Even though Noah & Aaron are both under the age of three, my patience can also sometimes wears thin with them. Now let me preface by saying I love my kids more than anything and I do not find it hard to love them. It was actually quite easy starting from the moment they were born. Being a father is a pure joy and totally rewarding. I mean that. But that doesn’t mean it’s all fun and games.

My two year old, Noah, is a bright, funny, and happy kid. We love him like crazy and he brings us all kinds of joy. However he’s at that stage in his life where he likes to test Mommy and Daddy’s warnings, gets into things he’s not supposed to, eat things he’s not supposed to, throws a temper when he doesn’t get his way, hits, and often does the complete opposite of what you ask him. Even my 6 month old, Aaron, can be a bit frustrating when all he wants is his mommy’s attention 24-hours a day. Now, all that being said, I do realize that these are stages that all children go through. All children. In fact, it’s these stages that help children learn crucial mental and emotional developmental skills and lessons. That doesn't mean it’s not discouraging, frustrating, or feel like just cause for murder.

Sometimes a learning process for Noah becomes a test of patience for daddy. There’s something in me that just doesn’t comprehend how one cannot learn and understand on initial counsel. Why does Noah still attempt to ride our dog, Morris, like a horse when he’s been told a million times not to? Why does he continue to throw his food on the floor when he’s not happy with the choice of condiment? Why can’t he just wake up one morning and decide to use the potty, doing away with diapers forever? Why not go to bed at 8pm and wake up at 8am like we’ve asked him to?
Is it a physical hearing problem? Of course not.
Is it selective hearing? Maybe.
Is he just a bad kid? Absolutely not.
Then what is it?

I was pondering all this the other day and asked myself, “why do I sometimes find it so hard to love my kids?”. I began to think of my own childhood/teenage years and I began to ask myself how my parents loved me through all the crap I had done. Multiple “principal’s office” visits, greediness, vanity, smoking cigarettes, stealing money from my dad’s underwear drawer, or any other selfish act I did out of spite. Yet, my parents still loved me then as much as they do now. How'd they get through it?!

Many times in the Bible, we’re identified not only as God’s creation (Gen 1:27) but His children (Rom 8:16); His kids (1 John 3:1). I began to think about how many times, as one of His children, I’ve disappointed God; how many times I’ve made God mad. David tells us in Psalm 7:11 that, “God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Every day? Aw, man…
Yet, He loves us and He loves us like crazy. So much so, in fact, that he gave one of His own kids to prove it (John 3:16-17).

In my thoughts about being patient with my own kids, the Spirit directed me to Romans 5:8-9: "God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Despite God’s disappointment toward me and you and everyone else, he figured the best way to show his absolute, head-over-heals love for us was to give a big piece of Himself so that we would not lose and end up being with Him in the end.

Even though we might make it hard for God to love us at times, He understands we’re only human. He understands that we’re still growing. Our listening skills are still being shaped and our sins are just another part of our learning curve; crucial mental and emotional developmental lessons in our journey to being more like His son, Jesus. Sound familiar?

I need to take this lesson to heart when dealing with my own kids. They are still in process and learning and developing the same ways as I did. Much like my parents loved me despite my actions, much like God loves me despite my actions, I too will love my kids despite their actions.

Even so, how could you not love these faces?!

6-month old, Aaron

2 (& 1/2) year old, Noah

Strength of our Worship Teams

2010-05-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

Psalm 19:9-14:
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Even though my church is relatively small (about 125 people on average), we're lucky to be blessed with a number of talented musicians. Their talents are not only a blessing to the music ministry, but their lives and Christ-like attitudes are what make our music ministry great. In a word, we're "perfect". Ok, well, maybe not. We are still human... I think.

I hope!

I digress.

We’ve heard it said many times before that when a ministry is really starting to succeed and do its best work, that is when the Devil also exerts his best work. That is, in a ministry's greatest time of growth comes Satan’s greatest moments to destroy. We need to keep ourselves aware of that. We are an imperfect people; myself included. That is why we also need to be keeping ourselves away from sin, distraction, and situations that can cause wrong-doing. In order to have strong worship ministries, we need to have strong worship ministers.

I believe that sometimes there are issues in each one of our lives that we bring with us to the stage when we worship, sometimes even unconsciously. It happens. If I'm being honest, there are Sunday mornings where I do not feel like leading worship (for whatever the reason). Maybe a fight with my wife, maybe I’m upset with someone who hurt me, maybe my spiritual life had been crappy that week, maybe I'm not feeling confident in my abilities. Satan uses these thoughts to fool us. Maybe he will have us think we’re not playing well, or that we aren’t good enough, or we aren’t worthy enough. Those are called lies. But, all these things are not what worship is about… they are what worship is for. Worship is about laying aside ourselves and our “stuff” for an hour or so and leaving it with God, praising him in the good times and the bad times. Either way, Jesus wants to take our burdens from our shoulders and replace them with blessing.

Furthermore, it’s also important that we be a people that seek to be holy both on and off stage, whether at rehearsal or on the stage on Sunday morning, whether at the local pub or at our workplace. That’s not always easy but we can make sure we are doing our best as Christians to be “clean”, “true” and “righteous altogether” (v. 9). For in acting in such a way, “there is great reward” (v. 11). For our ministries, it means that whereever we are, we need to make sure we are being the same people on-stage as we are off-stage; striving to be like Christ. That means keeping our language and actions clean, respecting our spouses in every way, respecting our leadership in every way, respecting each other in every way. Doing these things is respecting God in every way. The things we say, the jokes we make, the thoughts we have, and our actions must be pleasing to God (v. 14) in order for us to succeed; in order for the Devil to fail in destroying all that our churches and ministiries have worked so hard for.

I am not writing this to point judgment at any person, any church, or any ministry in particular. I’m just as guilty as the next person. I am not immune to any of this. None of us are. As leaders of a significant part of our church culture we need to make sure we are living the way Christ intended us to. And if we’re not living in such a way, He is there to help us through and get us to where and who we need to be. So how do we do that?

Hebrews 13:1-6:
1Let brotherly love continue. 2Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6So we can confidently say,
"The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?"

In order to keep our worship ministries running successfully (whatever that means) we need to be accountable for each other and ourselves. I've been struck with something as I've lead our teams over the past few weeks. The more I dig into God's Word, the more effective I am as a leader. Sure, that statement isn't rocket science but since I've been intentionally looking to God's word for guidance and direction in my life and the life of my church's music ministry, the more I've felt the Spirit lead through me and for me. I'm not saying that I've been perfect, without sin, or cleaned up my act (though I'm trying), but the Lord is starting to make me more aware of the power that His spirit holds on us and the great things that can be unleashed through it. The onus is on us to follow suit.

What Does Your Worship Cost?

2010-04-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

I recently bought some fencing for my backyard through a connection at my work. My company supplies industrial parts for a local fencing company and I asked if he might be able to get me a deal on a 25 foot length and a gate. He said to me, "Of course. I'll see what we have lying around and put something together for you." Maybe I'm just naive, but by his tone of voice and the "wink-and-gun" he gave me, I thought that meant "free fence". The next day I got a quote. Now, I did get a good deal and still have the laborious task of putting it together, but it was not free. It cost me money. The old adage "nothing in this life is free" certainly applies here and for most aspects of our lives. This includes our worship which I've come to discover by reading 2 Samuel 24:18-26 (NIV).

David disobeyed God's orders 2 Samuel 24:1-9. To atone for that disobedience, God gives David three choices of punishments. Behind door number one, three years of famine. Door number two, three months of "fleeing from your enemies". Door number three, three days of plague on the local Israelites (24:13). David pancaked at the choices and God chose to be swift and sent a pestilence across the land for three days. 70,000 people died. Basically, my whole hometown of Moncton disappeared over under the wave of an angel's hand. Gone.

God ordered the calamity to be stopped just as the Angel was reaching Jerusalem, at the threshing grounds of Aranuah the Jebusite. A threshing floor was an open area outside a city where the edible part of a grain (or other crop) was loosened from the stalk or chaff that surrounds it. When David was asked to make a sacrifice on behalf of the people to stop the pestilence on the land, Aranuah's threshing grounds became the site of the burnt offering.

Aranuah, both surprised and excited to see the king coming to his workplace, bowed and greeted the David with astonishment:
"Why have you come here of all places?"
"To buy your stuff so I can make an appropriate sacrifice for the people."
"Pffft. You don't need to buy it. Just take my threshing floor, my tools, the oxen for the burnt offering, and wooden yokes for making a fire. They're yours! Free of charge."
Then David said something that has really stuck with me lately:
"No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them" (v24).

I will not offer anything to God if it costs me nothing.

David could have easily accepted Aranuah's gift of items for the offering. Instead, David knew that God required more than just free stuff to ward off the plague that decimating the people. There wouldn't have been any honor, price, or sacrifice in burning somebody else's precious commodities. Instead, he declined the gift and gave 50 shekels of silver for the pieces necessary for proper sacrifice. King David likely had everything he's ever needed. He was given all prestige and respect by his people. Yet he was humble enough to know his own King, God, deserved more; a true offering of value that costs something.

Not only have I been trying to live that out in my life, but I've been really trying to live that out as a worship leader. Whether you're leading a congregation in worship or you're a part of the band, what does it cost you to worship your God? I'm not talking about the cost of that cool guitar pedal or preamp you just bought. Ask yourself...
What is my sacrifice as I lead today?
What am I leaving behind as I lead others?
What am I leaving out as I lead others?
What is it that I've been wanting to add to the worship experience that I've been scared to do before?
What do I really want to say or do as I worship?
How do I honestly feel about my God this morning?
How can I challenge myself or the congregation?

It's so easy for leaders and musicians to strap on their instruments each week and just play. I've done it for many years. Last Sunday, I decided that I wasn't going to let my self-consciousness or my pride hinder what I do as a leader. I wasn't going to follow the service order. I wasn't going to be distracted by what people thought of my vocals. I was not going to let how others were (or were not) worshipping affect that way I worshipped. I was going to play guitar like it is the gift that was given to me. Because I did that, something cool happened. I felt the Spirit work through me. The Holy Ghosts became a tangible presence to me. My worship felt true and accepted. That felt awesome and it didn't cost me a cent; just some possible embarrassment and my pride. As a Mastercard PR might say, my experience was "priceless".

What sacrifices are you making when you lead? What does your worship cost you?

Being the Fathers' kind of father.

2010-03-13T04:41:00.000-08:00

Two years ago (and add another 9 months or so) I would have told you that I wasn't ready for kids, that I was too young for the responsibility of taking care of another human. In fact, at that time, I was probably still learning how to take care of myself and a new 5-months old puppy. Fast forward 35 months, Catherine and I are watching a "Thomas the Tank Engine" DVD with my 2-year-old son, Noah. We're coming off of the (sugar) high of another birthday and the low of stepping into the inevitable "terrible twos".

I couldn't be happier.

Now, if you would have asked me 9th months ago about having a second child I would have laughed and said we were going to wait until Noah was starting school. Fast-forward 3 weeks and we'll be welcoming a new baby boy into our lives... again. We're praying for a healthy, safe delivery for both Mommy & Baby and Noah is getting excited with the thought of having a brother. It's really quite nerve-wracking, the thought that God has entrusted us with another human. We must be doing something right (other than successfully closing the deal on conception, of course). Everyone says that "everything changes" when you have the second child. I don't doubt it. Things changed with Noah and they'll change with our new son three-fold.

I could be more excited.

For the past few weeks, our small-group has been watching/talking about a series on Jesus' Prodigal Son parable. Save God's own image and example of being "Father" to all, the father in the parable is whom I want to strive to be. Maybe not now. My son is still trying to make coherent sentences, let alone decisions to take his inheritance and waste it on booze and hookers. But when my boys are old enough to make those kinds of decisions, I want to be the father who loves them anyway; no matter what. Like Isaiah 38:19b: "fathers tell their children about (God's) faithfulness".

When I think about being that father, I look at my own life and wonder if what I'm doing, who I am, and where I'm going is consistent with my abilities to be a good father, husband. That's when I really want to change the way I do things. I guess you've got to learn to love yourself before you can love others. When my kids are old enough to understand and live out the life of a Christian, I want make sure I've got my own spiritual things in order. I want to know I am intentionally wanting to learn more each day from God's word. I want to know that I am following God's will for my life. I want to know I'm using my gifts & abilities in the way He wants them used. I want to know my life is daily being thrown on the alter as an offering for him. I want my life to exemplify the life of the Father with the two lost sons; willing, ready, and able to love both no matter what.

Being that kind of Father is difficult. Consistent. Devout. Serving. Set. Wise. Firm. Accountable. Dependable. Loving. Nurturing. Strong. Patient. But, it's possible.

I guess I better get to work, huh?

Speaking to the Deaf

2010-02-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

Today at work, I served an older deaf man whom came in to my workplace looking to buy some bearings. The man came in, unloaded some broken pieces and parts of whatever he was working on onto the counter and started pointing. At this point, I didn't know he was deaf (deaf people don't look any different, apparently). I started to ask some questions about what exactly he wanted and he continued to glare at me and point at broken pieces. This went on for 30 seconds or so until he angrily grunted, whined, and frantically shove pieces together in an attempt to show me what he needed. I still didn't understand what he wanted at this point, but I did then realize he was either mute, deaf, or both. A few moments later, his friend walked in and tried to translate for me. However, there was more communication breakdown as I found out the deaf man didn't read lips, didn't know sign language, and both gentlemen spoke very little English. After much deliberation, I found the parts the man needed, but didn't have them in stock. The deaf man probably left as frustrated as I was.

I went back to my desk and complained to my associate about the deaf man's inability to communicate despite his aural disability. I then began to think about my own communication skills and what the man might have thought about my attempt to find the man's needs. I can't imagine I was any more sympathetic to him than he would have been to me. Was I being a good listener? Despite several frantic attempts to get my attention, we never quite ended up on the same wavelength nor was I able to help him in an efficient manner.

Then I began to wonder if God gets that easily frustrated with us. We point to the broken pieces in our lives. We stare at an invisible God with glazed eyes and frantically show Him what we want. We ask simple questions. We mumble our prayers. We don't read God's mind and sometimes we don't even speak His language. Sometimes, we are a deaf people, quiet to our own God's ears. Sometimes it feels our message just doesn't get through.

Yet, God is not deaf. He speaks our language. He hears our prayers. He answers our prayers. That's when we need to realize that God doesn't need to be told what our problems are; he knows them. He doesn't need us point our fingers; he knows where the problem really is. He loves us that much. God sent His son Jesus to understand us better; to feel and experience exactly what we do. Think of Jesus' experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. He struggled to make sense of his story. He assumed the beatings, the humiliation, the pain, the death and practically begged for their to "be another way". But, there wasn't. Though Jesus wept, prayed, pointed fingers, struggled, His voice did not go unheard. His Father heard every word, but Jesus' story went on.

His story = history.

And so does ours. We're not always going to get the results we want. We are not always going to get the answers we want. We cannot demand or expect anything from God. Rather, he demands and expects from us. Unanswered questions, unaccomplished attempts at our own dreams, and unfulfilled situations are all a part of our story. We're called to be a listening people. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Though God wants to hear our requests from our own lips, He knows our real needs, desires, and answers. We will not hear His word to us if we're always talking, asking, inquiring, and demanding from Him.

This is where the Holy Spirit comes in handy. The Spirit is the fine line between asking and demanding; talking and listening. I didn't have a "spirit" or interpreter between the old deaf man and myself. If I did, things would have been a lot smoother. But God gives us the Holy Spirit as a catalyst for communication with Him. Not only does the Holy Spirit send our "message" to God, but t also returns the favour.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17).

So when we're fighting or struggling with an issue, talk it out with God but don't forget to let Him speak back. Because if we're doing all the talking and not listening for any of His wisdom, we might as well be speaking to the deaf.

My Favorite "M"s of 2009: Movies, Music, Memories

2009-12-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been October since I last blogged. That's a long time. My apologies. I've either been really boring, had nothing to say, or have wasted all my thoughts and happenings on Twitter. Actually, all of the above apply but I figure what better way to end a year of incessant blogging with my annual "Best Of..." blog where I tell you all about my favorite movies, music, and memories of 2009. So, let's go:

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MOVIES:

Favorite Movies of 2009:

STAR TREK - I'm not a Star Trek fan, but this movie was pretty spectacular. And, loving anything JJ Abrahms does helps a lot. casting was great and was far from "geeky".

Avatar - I wasn't gaga over the storyline (since it's one we've all seen before), but the visual "experience" in the theater is amazing. It's like Jurassic Park, Pocahontas, and Star Wars in a blender... in HD... and 3D.

State of Play - great acting, great story, and great twists. Definitely a drama you've gotta catch if you haven't seen it. The ending was really good.

Inglorious Basterds - in my opinion, Tarantino's best work. It read like a novel (that you watch) and had amazing dialogue (though there was often too much of it). I had no idea what would happen next and was not disappointed.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - well, I've got a soft spot of Marvel Comics, and although Wolverine is one of my least favorite of the x-Men, the story was great and tied in nicely with other Marvel universe stories and characters. Can't wait for X-Men Origins: First Class

The Hangover - this was funny. If not for the dirty pictures/scenes during the closing credits, I would have loved this movie, but I found them uncalled for. It would have been better if we were left not knowing what happened during the bach party. Zach Galifianakis is freakin' hilarious.

The Reader - although it was nominated for multiple awards in last tears' Oscars, it was still released in 2009. Kate Winslett had an amazing role and the story was excellent.

Honorable Mention:
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
I Love You, Man
The Road

Worst Movies of 2009:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - I don't even want to talk about this one. It was terrible. Terribly terrible. Even Megan Fox was terrible in every way. I still Ike Shia Labeouf, though.

Knowing - any suspense/action movie that Nicolas Cage is in is almost always terrible. the ending was really bad.

Adventureland - what I was hoping would be a funny flick turned out to be a depressing, annoying lump of coal.

Yet to See:
Up
Public Enemies
The Informant
2012
Up in the Air
Bad Lieutenant
Crazy Heart

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Music

Favorite Albums of 2009:

Seabird - 'Til we See the Shore
Though none of these categories are in any particular order, this was easily my favorite album of the year. Like a non-depressing 'Copeland", Seabird have fantastic melodies, groove, and catchy pop-tastic songs... all lead by piano. The title track is on non-stop on my iPod.

Derek Webb - Stockholm Syndrome
I will admit it. Derek Webb's twitter ramblings about this new record had me scouring to follow its release over the net. Yes, it was self-hyped but I still love it and is unlike anything he's put out before. Derek Webb is constantly changing his sound, and this one was particularly welcome.

Future of Forestry - Travel: Vol. I & II
FoF released two 6-song EPs this year so I'm counting the first two of the 4-volume manifesto as one record. I followed the process of this record and it's seriously great. Especially since The Myriad hasn't released anything in what seems like forever.

MuteMath - Armistice
awww, the long-awaited followup to MM's self-titled release. I wasn't disappointed. Production is great and although their style may have sightly changed, the sound didn't and I love this record.

U2 - No Line on the Horizon
It's U2. Have they ever put on out a bad record? Yes, I'm including POP. I loved POP. It took me a while to dig this album, but once I did, I had to go see them live. So I did. It was awesome.

Paramore - Brand New Eyes
I though Paramore's record would be more of the same pop-punk from RIOT!, but they added some styles and sounds you wouldn't find on any other Paramore release. It's a good'un.

Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted
The production on this album is fantastic. And while it's not as good as 'Breakaway", it's leaps and bounds better than "My December"

On the Fence:

John Mayer - Battle Studies
it's not that I don't like this album, it's just that's it's so much different than JMs other records. It's a lot less blues/rock and a lot more 1970s rock/pop/ballad. Most notably, it's a lot less memorable for me. There are still some tasty tracks, though.

Christy Nockels - No Not One
I like half of the album. The other half I dislike. A few choice songs, Nathan Nockels' production value, and Christy's amazing vocals save this album from being a complete disaster

David Crowder Band - Church Music

Let me say that I don't hate this album. but I don't love it either. There're a few tracks I really dig but there are just more tracks that I disliked. I found it over-produced. DCB overuse a lot of sounds, tracking, and loops which take a way from Crowder's strong worship writing and instrumentation. I was hoping "Church Music" would explore a biblical or historical view of chruch music throughout Christendom. Rather, they just tried to make a record to please a few ears.

Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

Most will agree that Switchfoot's best release was "The Beautiful Letdown" and while no one else seemed to like "Oh, Gravity" as much as I did., Swicthfoot's latest release didn't live up to either, in my opinion. That being said, it's the next best thing and there're some stellar tracks that I really dig.

Most Dissapointing (but not terrible) Albums of 2009:

Metallica - Death Magnetic

Metallica tried to get back to the "classic" Metallica sound/arrangement. They were close, but not as good as past releases. However, it's still far better than Some Kind of Monster. Far Better.. Lars turned his snare drum on and may have used a click in some parts.

Thrice - Beggars
I also followed the recording of this record via blog, but I wasn't pleased with this self-produced/self-engineered project. I especially hate some of the drum sounds and the song-writing has seemed to lose some edge to it.

Muse - The Resistance
Again, I don't gate this record, but if I wanted to hear orchestral music, I would have bought something else. Though I understand the musical genius of Matt Bellamy and Co., I just didn't "get" this record. Half of it is classic Muse sound while the other half is Bellamy showing of his classical piano chops and orchestral arrangements. I imagine it'd still be quite the sight to see live, though.

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Memories

- this year I got to see a lot of great concerts which included my first U2 experience, seeing rock-and-roll pioneer Paul McCartney, my favorite guitar-virtuoso Joe Satriani in his supergroup Chickenfoot (which, while kind of lame, also included RHCP drummer Chad Smith), and one of my childhood favorite bands in Stone Temple Pilots. I also saw OLP for the 4th time, Finger Eleven for the 5th time, and Sloan for the 2nd time.

- watching Noah grow from a baby to a toddler has been a cool experience for Catherine and I. He's a brave little boy and his vocabulary is amazingly extensive at this stage in his life; he's almost putting together coherent sentences. Almost.

- although the news of having another baby was initially frightening to Catherine and I, we made it a point to make sure we saw this as a blessing and something that God has intrusted us with. Though Noah is sometimes too full of energy, has his odd tantrum, and still has some issues with sleeping through the night, he's becoming more and more joyful to teach and parent each day. He's such a joy to us and we can't wait to have more of that in our lives as we await the arrival of another boy at the end of March.

- I'm still trying to come with grips as to why I'm still stuck at the same job after nearly 5 years. I still truly believe that God has a ministry and/or vocation for me on the horizon but I have yet to know what that is. Trusting and awaiting God's will for my life becomes the most difficult thing in my Christian walk, yet I see the foreshadowing in small ways on a daily basis. This year, I was really hoping God would provide me with a musical outlet that I'd be able to express myself with; unfortunately, that hasn't come. Although JSB has been a tiny bit more active then in years past, I still long to find a musical outlet God can use all of my abilities and gifts.

- In November, we moved into our first home and that was a story of God's timing, will, and love for us. Although it's hard to see some months where the mortgage payment will come from, we believe that God would not provide us with such a wonderful home and not provide us with a means to afford it. We found a home that met all our needs and wants in a home and for a price that only He could have blessed us with. The whole process was smooth and the situation was absolutely laid out by God's hand for us. We're always grateful for a roof on our head, but having one you own is that much more gratifying.

- our church has seen some great growth, both spiritually and numerically, which has been really needed and gratifying. The work our Pastor and leadership have put into making Lutes Mountain Nazarene a small thriving church is amazing. Though the church is in a financial tough spot, God continues to bless it in other ways and the church remains faithful to wherever He leads. We're looking forward to serving again this year and see what God has in store for us next.

- my dad retired from the Royal Bank after 37 years of work. That's quite a feat, espeically while doing it at only 57 years of age. To celebrate the momentus occasion Dad and I made a whirlwind trip to Toronto to watch a hockey game (his Leafs versus my Flames), visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, and eat at my favorite Toronto eatery, RichTree. It was a great weekend and I'm happy we got to spend it together. Dad was very honoured by our gift and had a great time.

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so that's my year in review. stay tuned for some more blogs soon, likely about Christmas and other goodies. I promise to do this more often. It's fun and helps waste a few minutes at work when it's not busy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Cambers family.
Jamie, Catherine, Noah, and Morris.

Moral Inspiration from my Homeless Brother

2009-10-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

I’m sure most of you know some of the story about my brother, Mark, whose been living on the street for 14 years. But for those of you who don’t know about Mark, here’s a very small look into his story.

Mark is 29 years old, adopted three years before me. We’re not blood related, but were both adopted from the same agency in Halifax, NS. From a very early age, my parents noticed Mark was quite the angry and troubled little boy. Though he had a million dollar smile and playful attitude, he was always getting into trouble managed to always find himself in the wrong crowd. Or, maybe more appropriately, Mark was the wrong crowd. Either way, despite my parents’ never-ending love, care, and nurturing for Mark, he managed to find himself in and out of juvenile jails and children’s discipline homes. Mark couldn’t follow directions or take authority which made him a failure both in school and at home. As a child, he was violent (more verbally than physically) and threw uncontrollable tantrums when he didn’t get his own way. He was impossible to live with.

When I was 12, my family and I were on vacation when Mark decided he wanted to be dropped off at the closest bus station so he could leave home; he wanted nothing to do with us. I can’t remember the circumstances or why my parents succumbed to his asinine request, but he didn’t take no for an answer and we eventually landed at a bus station where Mark walked out of the car with a limited goodbye to hitch a ride with a trucker. He was 15 years old. I’ve only seen him 3 times within the last 14 years. Last weekend was one of those time and the first in 8 years.

I was in Halifax playing for worship leader Tim Milner on a worship-workshop tour. Though I’ve been talking to Mark over the phone more frequently over the past few months, Mark happened to be in Halifax that night so my father and I decided to take Mark out for a late supper. This is my experience:

Dad and I told Mark we’d meet him at McDonalds on Spring Garden Rd. As we approached the McDonalds, we noticed a man dressed in yellow rainpants, a dirty red hoody, stained white vest and giant backpack stumbling in the middle of the busy street. The man was obviously drunk as he meandered the busy Halifax strip. My dad pointed out to me that it was Mark. I couldn’t help but laugh as he yelled at people for money and played air-drums to his maxed-out cassette player. Mark hasn’t seen me in many years, so I figured I’d take advantage of the situation.

“Get off the street, ya bum!”
“F*** you”
“I mean it, get off the street.”
Mark finally locked eyes with me and stumbled closer. “Who the f*** are you to talk to me like that?”
“You mean you don’t know who I am?”
“No. Who the f*** are you?”
It’s obvious to me that even though Mark realized he was meeting with me tonight, he still had no sweet clue who I was, even with Dad beside me. I pointed at Dad and asked, “does he give you a hint?”
“No. I don’t know who the f*** that old fart is.”
“You don’t recognize your own dad?”

Mark squinted at Dad with glazed & dilated eyes. “Dad!”, he said and lunged in for a hug. Still, Mark looked at me momentarily trying to put together the pieces through his drunken stupor. Finally it dawned no him who I was. His jaw dropped, he covered his mouth with his hands and stared at me. It was one of the only times in my life that I’ve seen Mark vulnerable. Tears filled his eyes. He quietly stared at me for 20 or 30 seconds on the sidewalk until I finally ended the awkwardness with a hug. He was remarkably strong. Both his arms and back were pure muscle, which surprised me. He smelled of alcohol and dirty socks (which also didn’t surprise me). We finally ushered him into the McDonalds to get some food.

As Dad got him a Big Mac meal (to which he was very appreciative), Mark went on and on about how surprised he was and how much I’d changed. 8 years is a long time, I suppose. He hugged me over the table many times and even kissed my cheek and hands on several occasions. He began to tell me his reason for his Halifax visit. He had a friend who was going to help him with some “dental problems”. I was a bit perplexed because there was no way he could afford dental work with spare change and squeegee money. I can only assume alcohol, drugs and a pair of rusty pliers were involved.

The three of us talked for about an hour while Mark noisily ate his Big Mac meal. Mark never had great table manners and always disgusted me with the way he chewed with his mouth wide open. I digress. Having a conversation with a drunken, estranged brother is interesting, scary, and a bit embarrassing I will admit. But, I was surprised by a few things Mark shared. Let me share some tidbits of “moral encouragement” he shared with us through his drunken state... (*note: living on the streets for as long as Mark has is case for major potty-mouth. I've done my best to eliminate most curse words and replaced them with asterisks; this is a family show).

1) Street-smart people can be just as intelligent as book-smart people - I mentioned before that Mark never made it past Grade 8; he’s not a very smart fella. However, those who live on the street are ultra street-smart (especially 14-year veterans). I must mention that Mark has been everywhere in North America simply by hitchhiking and jumping trains. Everywhere. California, Vancouver, NFLD, Florida. Pretty much the 4 corners of Canada and the US (he even made it halfway to Cuba on a boat, but got turned around to a Miami jail). He has impeccable understanding of geography and travel. Also, he’s had guns to his head from drug dealers, been found overdosed in crack-houses, has some pretty bad teeth, been in and out of jail many times for many crimes, has been beaten up, and is infected with two of the three Hepatitis infections. I wondered how he’s managed to stay alive all this time. So, I asked. Mark’s answer? “I’m street savvy. I don’t f*** around.” Mark called himself street "savvy” which was not a word I thought I’d hear from his vocabulary primarily filled with four-letter-words, subtle asides, and the odd racial slur. "You've gotta know your s***, you've gotta know your friends, and you've gotta know your enemies. You need to know what you want, where you're going, and who you are. If not, you're f***ed. I guess that's applicaable for all of us. He ned to find ourseleves in God's plan, who we are in Him, and where he wants us to go.

2) Wanted by an unwanted God - “And you know what else? I think God looks after me.” Mark speaks of the time he “dropped his 40” while skateboarding. When it hit the ground, it didn’t break. Mark believes that was providential. Or the time he prayed to God for $20 to get something to eat and a couple in a van stopped and gave him a twenty dollar bill and told him, “Jesus loves you”. Mark admits, “I don’t believe in religion much and I don’t believe religion is good, but God still f***ing looks after me.”

But, despite a poor recognition of who God is, isn’t that true? No matter how much attention we’re giving God (or lack thereof), no matter how much love we’re giving him (or lack thereof), no matter the prayers we may or may not be offering, no matter the glory, honor, and praise He deserves, God still looks out for us. He still loves us despite our sin/despite our lives/despite us.

2) An emphasis on drugs, education, and dental hygiene – who says homeless drug addicts don’t have morals? Mark tells me that when he’s pan-handling for money, his message to young people who pass him by is: “Hey kids. Don’t forget to stay in school, brush your teeth, and where a condom. Just look at where it got me.” That’s humorous, I don’t care who you are but when you really look at this, it’s interesting to see that Mark is well aware of his state, both physically and mentally. While Mark is in full realization of his life and where it is, he says he still enjoys travelling and going the places he’s going. However, I believe he has the want and need clean his life up, but I think he lacks the will power to do it. He can look back at his life and pinpoint the moments that have changed him; he recognizes those moments as mistakes and wrong choices and wants others to recognize them as just that. Yet, he will not apologize for those choices.

3) We are who we are made to be - “I am who I am and I don’t f***ing care what people think.” Mark believes that. And while I tell him I believe it’s not who God intends him to be, Mark would never change because somebody else wants him to. Mark wants to change on his own terms, in his own time. Trouble is, I think his time is coming closer than he thinks. Mark thinks he’s invincible. He’s not. Neither am I. Neither are you. We live in an evil world and Satan is everywhere, ready and willing to attack and tempt us with whatever he can whenever he can. But, we need to be the people God calls us to be, not the people we want to be. We are created in His image. While Mark is proud of who he is and how far he’s come from, we (as Christians) need to be bold in who we are; how people see us. I am a Christian and I don’t care what the world thinks. I am who God made me and although I’m changing and trying to be a better person, I am who I am and God still loves me.

4) Doing what you love - "Whatever you do in your life, make sure you love it and don't f*** that s*** up". This was one of Mark's more sentimental moments at our reunion as he talked about how much he enjoyed living the lifestyle he's living. Not so much the addiction and physical condition he's in, but the traveling, exploring, people he's met, and places he's been. Even he admitted that you won't find many 29 year olds still alive who have been to as many places and seen as many things as he has. He's been to every Canadian province (excluding territories) and almost every U.S. state. He even ventured into Mexico and snuck on a boat going to Cuba, but was caught halfway and taken back to a Miami jail. He's escaped a drug-induced coma, been held at gun-point, witnessed a friend die in a car crash, and has had more warrants out for his arrest than Jesse James (mostly for petty misdemeanor offences).

But under the rough exterior, Mark hits a valid point here. I've blogged many times before abuot how God wants to give us teh desires of our hearts and that he's created us for His specific purposes. We need to enjoy and love what we do. Why? Because He's put us where we are for a reason. He's created us to His work. We cannot abuse or mistreat the blessings He's bestowed on us. We cannot mess up the will of God and its impact on our lives.

Let me end by saying this.
I do not condone my brothers' actions. I do not care for his decisions, his language, his lifestyle, or who he has become. I find it hard to love him. But I do love him. I believe that Satan has a tight grip on him. I believe there are demons that infiltrate his body and I believe they mock me. I often believe that Mark will never get to a place where he's healthy, whether physically, mentally, or spiritually. However, I also believe our God is bigger than all of those things. I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that the name of Jesus alone can bind and render all evil in Mark's life. I hope you can pray for my family as we struggle to find meaning in Mark's circumstance. Pray for me as I struggle to believe he'll ever clean his life up. Pray for Mark. After all, under all the sin, swearing, debauchery, addictions, lust, stealing, violence, and countless other evil that takes place in his life, he's just like you and I... a child in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.

"It's been a Long September and there's reason to believe..."

2009-09-29T10:29:00.001-07:00

"Hi. My name is Jamie and it’s been over a month since my last blog". September has been one of the most exciting, memorable, and busiest months of my life. Every weekend I’ve been away, constantly busy, or trying my best to maintain sanity. As you can well imagine, it’s also been one of the most physically and emotionally exhausting months I’ve ever had. Where to begin? Well, why not start from the beginning.

I blogged here back in July about the return of my band. Not really a return, as such, but a rejuvenation. While we continue to write new material, think of new music, and start the recording process, we also got the chance to do something we haven’t done in months: play live. The folks at NYI Atlantic invited JSB to come out and lead worship for Sr High Camp at the Nazarene camp in Oxford, NS. So, my first weekend of September was spent at Big Lake Camp, not only helping provide worship, but just spending time with the students and making relationships. It was a great time and we had some good reflection from the weekend’s speaker, Luke Anderson. It was nice to get our feet wet and play to some folks that aren’t regular Spot attendees. We even got the chance to try out a new JSB tune as well as some new ‘covers’ which were all received.

The second weekend of September saw Catherine go to Ontario for some PRC training. That, of course, left me home with Noah. Catherine had never left Noah alone for that period of time before, so you can imagine we were both reluctant. But, he’s a great little boy and was well behaved for dad. Regardless, it was still an exhausting week as I both took care of him and had 3 playoff games in softball that week.

The next week was my much anticipated trip to Toronto to see U2 in concert. We left around 4:30am on a Wednesday morning and returned swiftly on Friday evening around 10:00pm. Upon my return, I was quickly thrust into more playoff softball games and into my church’s annual Spiritual Life Week services. Although it was a whirlwind trip, I had lots of fun with Ryan, Karleigh, and Kurtis and the concert was absolutely amazing. Even if you aren’t a big U2 fan, the stage itself was enough to entertain. It was an amazing spectacle and I can now die a happy man. (More photos can be seen here but here’s one of the four of us before hand and a great stage shot).

The next weekend, I played a Maritime Worship Workshop mini-tour that covered 4 shows in 3 days, in three different provinces. I was playing guitar for worship leader and Maritimer-gone-sojourner, Tim Milner. While attendance was not good for the services and it seemed we were doing more driving than playing, the music went well despite its expected rushed sound-checks and frantic band turn-arounds. I had a fun time playing and worshipping with other leaders like Loren Lewis and Dan MacAulay. I also had a few laughs at the expense of myself and others including the great sermon illustration, “… it’s like a baby falling off a change table and breaking both of its legs.”

This same weekend, on the Friday night, I also got a chance to see my homeless brother whom I haven’t seen in 8 or 9 years. This was a very interesting visit and was an emotional roller coaster for 1 hour of my evening. This deserves a blog in and of itself, so I will fill ya’ll in on that some other time soon, but I just wanted to fill everybody in on my busy September and talk about some other great things going on in my life. Until then,
Keep fit and have fun.

Great New Music

2009-08-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

I think I commented a few blogs ago on what I thought of the current state of pop music. Even now, you’re hard pressed to find a trend-setting, mind-changing record come out that totally sweeps you off of your feet. Well, while some of these releases may not have changed my world of music, there have been a few that I thought necessary to mention; everyone loves a good listen every now and then. Here’s what I’ve been listening to lately and what’s been prompting me to write a bit differently and influence me as it pertains to recording the next JSB record.
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Thrice – Beggars

At first listen, “Beggars” is not your typical Thrice record. Although, you’ve got a light “scream” or “yell” here and there, Thrice haven’t completely left their post-hardcore sound behind. The prototypical pop-rock and Brit-pop influences have been subtly added to the familiar hard-rock/prog-rock sound in songs like “The Weight”, “Beggars”, and “Circles”. Add Teppei's soothing electric piano sounds, Dustin ethereal guitar textures and soaring melodies, layered vocals, and tight bass & drum grooves and you get a great body of work by Thrice whom also self-produced/engineered the album. Although I wasn’t as blown away with Beggars as I was the “Alchemy Index” volumes, Beggars is not a far cry from what you’d expect from the ever-evolving band of uber-talented Orange County countrymen.
Akthough I would never consider Thrice a Christian band, singer and primary lyricist Dwight Kensrue is open about Christian influence in his life. Again, Thrice's lyrics are immersed in a lot of biblical imagery and examples of Christ's teaching. "In Exile" hints has a Psalm-like longing for Jerusalem, "All the World is Mad" takes notice of man's fall from sinlessness to its loss of perfection, and "At the Last" seems to reflect teh thoughts of the Prodigal Son. Whether the lyrics are truly biblical annotations or not (I believe they are), the lyrics are just as thgouth provoking and true while the music takes you on many levels from loud to melodic ballad. While it sits second or third on my list of fave Thrice albums, I still reccomend it to anyone looking for seomthing loud, yet melodic and musical.

***

mutemath – Armistice

Honestly, who wasn’t waiting for this record to come out? It’s been a long wait since 2006’s self-titled release. I’ve been following the various scattered vlogs, blogs, and youtube vids since the beginning of the recordings, and I’ve been anxiously awaiting to hear it. Paul Meany said two interesting things during the making of this record that made me question whether I’d like it not. First, he said, “Our goal is to embarrass the first record, that's what we're trying to do here, and I think we're on point to pull it off” then adding, “Anyone who thinks first album is perfect will hate this [new] record”. I quickly became cynical in the possibility that MM “sold out to the man” and made a record the labels and MTV-cronies would want while leaving behind the sound that make them who they are. I was wrong.
While some of Armistice’s song structures follow a familiar pop-formula, MM still take you to sonic territory that not many other bands do. I am certainly interested to see how some of these will be performed live; I don’t doubt they’ll deliver one of the greatest lives shows. From the opening statement of “set it on fire!” on the opening track “The Nerve”, MM light it up on every track. From a Stevie Wonder-esque “Armistice” to a jazzy “Pins and Needles” to the Brit-pop rip-off track “Goodbye” to the Radiohead-like outro in “Burden”, mutemath take you on a roller coaster of soundscapes. Though not extremely known in the mainstream, I can’t see how Armistice gets passed by for some Grammy nominations as this record has certainly surpassed their previous release and EP.

***

Derek Webb – Stockholm Syndrome

This is another album I was following the progress on through Derek Webb’s Twitter account. What makes this release so interesting is the controversy that came along with it despite Webb being a well-known Christian song-writer and member of Caedmon’s Call. Derek’s INO record label wouldn’t let him release the album based on some controversial content, and some particular lyrics found in the song "What Matters More" (which contains the words "damn" and "shit" which, ironically, came from a popular quote by well-known theologian Tony Campolo). Derek and INO decided to agree upon releasing the record with a censored version after Derek took the liberty of making a digital copy of the album (along with other goodies) available on his website.
Lyrically, Stolkhom Syndrome doesn't stray too far from Webb's other albums where he often dances the line between what is spiritually acceptable in the Christian music market. Songs like What Matters More, What You Give Up to Get It (about the prominence of materialism) and Freddie Please (which is a response to anti-gay activist preacher Fred Phelps) contain material that often offend the squeamish of Christian cynics. Musically, however, Webb takes a 180° turn. Derek, along with co-writer and producer Josh Moore, trades in his guitar for midi controller, samples, techo-beats and many electronic sounds. While its boggling to imagine how Webb would re-create this album to his regular coffee-house crowd, Derek creates something really different and special with this album. There's a lot of toe-tapping grooves (Spirit vs Kick Drum) while also taking you on fragile soundscapes (The Proverbial Gun). If you enjoy blending sounds from the likes Radiohead, Wilco, and Muse then you might like Stockholm Syndrome. However, if you are hoping to pick up a singer/songwriter acoustic album from Webb, buy something else; this is not for you or the light-hearted Christian for that matter. Webb has some really challenging things to sing about, especially for the conservative dogmatist.

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Leeland - Love is On the Move

Leeland's debut album, The Sound of Melodies, took everyone by surprise with its mature worship-rock style of writing from a mere 16 year old Leeland Mooring. However, their sophmore album, Opposite Way, was mediocre in my opinion as they left a lot of their worship-tinged tunes behind for some straight up rock ballads (which are pretty good, mind you). Luckily, Love is On the Move returns to a more worship-centric genre and really create some great tunes including the hymn-like Via Dolorosa, Weak Man, and My Jesus.
Taking a familiar step with having well-known Christian-music producer Ed Cash come on board to engineer the album (and even help write a few songs), Leeland continue their quest to make great worship music while also entering the heights of great worship writers like Tomlin, Hughes, Redman, and the Neufeld brothers. This album is a great pickup if you liked Sound of Melodies, yet does bring some sparkle left behind by some great gems from Opposite Way like "Count Me In" and "Enter This Temple". I'm not overly gaga over it yet, but I've only given it one or two listens straight so the more I listen to it, the more the melodies will stick with me.

The Psychology of Guitar - Satriani

2009-08-07T07:08:00.001-07:00

Back in '98 or '99 my friend Tim got me to watch a VHS video of "G3 Live" which featured guitar greats Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai. Since I had only been playing guitar for a few years at that point, the stuff these guys were doing was insane and I had never heard/seen anything like it. From that point on, I was hooked on "shred". Now, 10 odd years later, my tastes have somewhat changed, though I still love to listen to virtuoso guitar players demonstrate their licks.

Last weekend I saw one of my favorite guitar players in concert. Although not one of his solo concerts (which had Chad Smith of RCHP not been playing drums, I would have preferred), Joe Satriani was playing with his super-group, Chickenfoot. When you have a group of musicians individually in tune with all aspects of their instruments in one band, you've got to realize that there're going to be some jams and big solo time. Joe had that a few times, and it was fun to watch one of the guitar greats play his like crazy. The thing I like most about Satriani is not how fast he can move his fingers, how many notes he can play in one second, or what tricks and gadgets he uses to strut his stuff (although they're all great). It's his concept of music theory and his use of that theory (primarily, modes) to create some of the most unique melodies. Sometimes with great guitar virtuosos, you just want to hear the solos or the really fast stuff. With Satriani, its how he uses his guitar to sing the song, not just blow its socks off.

Songs like "Always With Me, Always With You", "Raspberry Jam Delta-V", "Flying in a Blue Dream", and "Starry NIght" not only have cool riffs and semi-regular chord progressions but they contain a melody heard throughout the song, but carry different modal forms that still carry the integrity of what's being 'sung'.

In the following videos (two parts, about 8.5 minutes each), Joe talks about two things that really interest me about his technique and that I really want to apply to my own playing. In the first part, he talks breifly about the "psychology" of playing guitar and how modes can really transport the "feelings" or "emotions" of your playing to the audience or piece of music. Up until about 5:04, Joe shows the many modes there are and he blends them together to make a really unique little jam. At around 5:04, Joe begins to talk about interactive emotions of playing. It's pretty cool...

In the next video, Joe talks a bit about playing "outside the box". That is something I've struggled with in my own playing. Primarily, most of my lead work is done either in church or with JSB where I don't get to explore outside of a major, minor, or even Aeolian scale (kind of a mixture between the two). But here, Joe gives some tips and ways to play outside the box without stepping on a melody or chordal structure. At times, you may have to change a progression slightly (like not resolving the root of chord), but by learning the triads and structure of how one or more modes work together, you can really explore the fretboard.

"out-side of the box"

This is obviously a video for guitar geeks and players who are really into the mechanics of music theory, but it's even just cool to watch him play a similar melody but in different mode to completely change a style or feel of a sound.

Rock on.

Arts vs. Ministry: Part 10 - Baby Blue Prints

2009-08-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

So, it’s probably not news to many who know me personally, but Catherine and I are now expecting our second child. While it did come to us as a surprise last Monday, part of me said “it figures”. Another child was in our own plans for the future, but not this soon. At a point where it felt Catherine and I were making some progress on where our lives may have been taking us next, God throws us a curve ball.

He does that.

We to realize it’s just another part of the journey; another thing God is preparing us with. Another responsibility he’s blessing us with. He does that.

Of course, this is where the old adage “all in God’s timing” comes in. I’m semi-grateful for that because I'm always keen to understood His timing. I always thought that the whole desires of our hearts verse had a sense of immediacy to it. I was wrong. “Trust in Him and He will do this” does not mean God will provide my desires as soon as I find myself in a place of delighting, obeying, and pleasing Him. Rather, as you continue to read Psalm 37, the promise of God fulfilling your desires requires more thought and duty: “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways…” ("37:7a"). I am impatient and sometimes envious of others.

I’m sure a lot of people share these same feelings, but when you see someone with something you like/love and want/need, and begin to long for it, that is envy. If it gets out of hand to where those things become something to replace more important things in your life, it becomes idolatry. For example, I’ve got a number of friends who are in positions or situations I wish I could be in. Either playing music for a living or are in a creative/musical environment that I wish I could be involved in. Sometimes I envy that. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I got asked by an old friend in Calgary to move there so I can be apart of a musical project. It’s with a country artist who’s expected to be the ‘next big thing’. A few months before this, it was suggested by another friend that I be apart of another musical project which would also require a move to Calgary. While that sounds fun and exciting, it’s another thing to get up and move my family across the country to an enormous city where the cost of living is 4x as much as it is here in Moncton. Even without these opportunities for me, Calgary seemed very intriguing to Catherine and I. Her sisters both live there, we have many close friends there from our University days, there’s more opportunity for Catherine in her field of work (at twice the salary), and we just love the city. I won’t even mention it’s the home of my favorite sports team. But is this what God wants us to do and where He wants us to go? I wish it were as easy to say “yes, we’ll move to Calgary and all our dreams will comes true”. But here’s where our struggle lies… Is God slowly and subtly showing us a new plan for our lives by tickling our fancies or are our own ambitions and desires overshadowing another plan He has for us? After all, God wants to give us the desires of our hearts… right?

Sometimes, it’s hard to see the things that you desire and long for coming to fruition in the lives of others. But, it’s no secret God has different plans for each of our lives. God knows what is best for our own lives and gives us blessing upon what we’re capable of handling. We are told to "guard well" the things God has entrusted us with. Blessing just doesn’t stop with what’s been given to us. We are also supposed to use those blessings to keep giving glory, honor, and praise to Him. I’ve always maintained that wherever He leads, I will be quick to follow. Whatever cards I’m dealt, I’ll play. Whatever I’m given, I’ll be happy with. It's hard sometimes, but I try.

While the prospect of another new human in the house and both exciting and terrifying, I cannot let myself believe it changes God’s plan for our lives. Rather, it’s another way that God shows us His good and perfect will for our lives. Another child further expands our usefulness for sharing God’s love and faithfulness. It doesn’t change God’s plan for us; it just alters our own view of what that plan is for us. I still believe the things we long for will come to fruition, but not in our timing, not in our desired moment, nor in our own blue-print.

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I must add, now that I've read over this, that I am not ungrateful or dissapointed with the arrival of a new baby no matter how scary and trying it will be. While I will not argue that being a parent is often frustrating and exhausting, watching Noah from day 1 to day 511 has been an absolute, pure joy and there's no explanation to how much happiness he brings to our lives on a daily basis. I can honestly say I look forward to see that happen in another child we've created and seeing God's process work in our ever-expanding family.

The Return of JSB?

2009-07-30T12:15:00.001-07:00

Back at the end of June, I got together with my Jeff Somers Band-mates for a BBQ and “state-of-the-union” address. Basically, we wanted to re-evaluate where we were as a band and get a feel for everyone’s intentions for the band and where its importance lies in each of our lives. After some good food, good laughs, and a few memories, we sat down and discussed “what’s next for JSB?”

Without getting into too much detail, we thought it prudent to go back to the roots of what JSB was/is all about: worship. JSB grew out of a monthly worship gathering called The Spot where our sole purpose was to lead others into a place of intentional, spirit-lead worship. We all expressed our interest in re-visiting that and making the priority. Not that that purpose ever left us, but there was a time where be might've taken our focus off of the local church and try to take it elsewhere on our own accord. then again, we were blessed to have never pro-actively make things happen for ourseleves; God blessed us with many things: oppurtunities, gigs, relationships, finances, etc.

When our first record, The Origin of Moonlight, gained a bit of steam from local and national radio, we tried to push ourselves to really make thigns happen. But, after a few band-member changes, failed attempts to gain funding for another record, and committment/priority/family/vocation changes, we never fully got to feel the full effects of Origin's momentum (despite being nominated for a few CGMA Covenant Awards in 2006).

So, back to our BBQ discussion, we thought it might be wise to try and “start over” form where we began and focus back on the worship scene in our local church scene. And, hey, if that leads us to other places, venues, and experience then so be it. Also, we thought it’d be fun (and quite possibly necessary) to express ourselves creatively by writing and demoing for a new album. Sunny has quite the home-studio now and it will be our goal to use that space to demo some songs and take the journey to try (again) to make a record we’re all creatively, spiritually, and influentially responsible for. That excites me.

It's been about a month or so, and we've written about 3 or 4 songs (or song ideas). I don't have any capable recording devices so I've been using the mic on my iPhone to jot down some ideas and song-snippets. It's been fun for me because I feel that I've been so creatively drained over the past year or two that I've got plenty of ideas for possible new music. I'm not saying they're any good, but ideas none-the-less. While I also admit that I don't have as much experience/ability with writing as Jay or Sunny do, it's been nice to spread my wings and get some input from them on some ideas (and vice versa). I imagine it'll be a long process, but just the thought of writing another record excites me immensely. There's no pressure, no due-date, and nobody pushing us to get something finished, so I believe that really gives us the freedom and time to make great worship songs we enjoy playing and sharing. And while we'll use our rehearsal times to practice for The Spot (and any other worship oppurtunites that come our way), we don't have to put any pressure on ourselves to "make something happen" for JSB. We can let the spirit lead us wherever it wants to take us. I think that's an exciting thing.

Stay tuned and I'll keep ya'll posted on any updates on JSB-happenings.

http://www.jeffsomersband.com

Shakespeare and the Christian

2009-07-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

When I was an English major for the first 2 years of University, I loved my Shakespeare class most. We breezed through the most popular of Bill’s works and it taught me a lot about seeing true meaning behind his art. While comedies like “Comedy of Errors”, “As You Like It”, and “Midsummer Night’s Dream” were fun to take in, I particularly loved the tragedies. Sadistically, I loved how in most cases the protagonist dies: Romeo & Juliet die of conquering love, Othello meets his own doom through envy, Hamlet dies in order to follow through on his revenge, and Shylock is duped by greed and is forced to lose his religion (literally) in “The Merchant of Venice” (though debatably a tragedy). Although I was involved in a few high-school plays and dramas, I never had the experience of being the lead of a Shakespeare piece. I would have loved to be a Shylock or an Othello who lay it all down for their cause. That’s kind of like the Christian life, isn’t it? We build our lives in accordance to that which we believe in and (presumably) die for it. In a soliloquy in “As You Like It”, Jacques, a none-to-pleased exiled Lord, quips about how are lives are compared to just that:

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts…”

As Christians, that is “little Christs”, we live for His cause. In Him we and live and move and have our being. God is the director and we are His actors. He guides, directs, and asks for our best performances. Like protagonists in a Shakespearean tragedy, we eventually die. But our death is not death itself. It is life. Reward. Eternity. Maybe even an Oscar. Ok, maybe the Academy (ironically comprised of mostly Jewish critics) won’t recognize our lives as Oscar-worthy, but we should strive for that acclaim from God. We do it for His glory.

So act like you’re in the performance of your life. Don’t worry about the audience because you’ve only got One to perform to anyway. Everybody else is just a spectator and the best you can hope for is that your performance will affect others enough to want them to perform even better. Your performance should be infectious to others. Yet, you still only perform for an audience of One. There’s only one showing and it’s sold out so make it your best.

Enter.
Perform.
Exeunt.

Weddings and Revelations

2009-07-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

I had a great 6-day vacation this past weekend where my sister-in-law, Angela, got married. It was a great time to spend with friends & family and time to relax, reflect, and retain some relationships. I couldn’t be happier for Angela who married a Calgary-boy (and is, coincidentally, a Flames fan). Yet, Josh is much more than another dude, but a great guy who loves the Lord; a welcome addition to the family. He’s the strong, silent type and really counter-balance’s Angela’s personality. Their relationship reminds me of my own with Catherine; I’m the obnoxious, out-going, care-free, intellectual while Cat is the silent, internal, sweet, compassionate one of the two. It’s interesting to see how God connects two people. While the jury is still out on whether there is only “one true partner” for every person, it’s often not hard to see that some people are just meant to be together. I see that in Josh and Ang.

But God does that. He balance’s us out. God seeks to help us improve upon who we are, what we’re missing, and what to change. In that, servanthood appears. We are called to be servants to our spouses. We are entering a covenant much like the one God promised Noah. Noah faithfullly served and obeyed God's command and God in return made a promise to Noah. This is much like we are to do for our spouses. And, of course, servanthood also reflects a Christian covenant to help those who cannot, give to those who have not, and love those who know not.

My uncle Paul Thistle, a doctor and missionary in Zimbabwe, and Captain in the Salvation church, had a great mini-sermon on servanthood during the wedding ceremony and how that is conducive to the marriage covenant. He quoted an old Zimbabwean proverb that says, “In order to clap, you must use both hands.” Isn’t that true of God’s plan for our relationships and marriages? If we’re working together, in the same ways, with the same goals, God can use us to do amazing things. Each person is a hand and when used correctly and purposefully, we clap. We make joyful noise. We praise. We serve.

Uncle Paul quoted this prayer from St Francis of Assissi (aptly named The Prayer of St Francis) during the ceremony:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

----------------

The wedding was beautiful (can a dude say that?) and went off without a hitch... figuratively speaking, of course. The reception was very touching, entertaining, and ended with a limbo competition, dance, and lots of laughter. It’s nice to step aside from life for a moment and just enjoy a moment; an instant in time to enjoy being you, enjoy your family & friends, and seeing love communicate itself through the smiles, laughter, and joy of others around you.

God, the Provider of all Things Good

2009-07-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven’t been blogging much lately. Work has been busy as we’ve been short-staffed with vacations so I haven’ had much time to blog from work. And, Catherine and I have been very busy the past few weeks with several events gone and arriving in the near future. But, it seems that all of these events have or will have come to show me how perpetually good God is to me/us. It’s great how God uses celebrations, friends, events, and smiles to show his His inherent goodness, compassion, joy and love for our lives.

June 15th – this was Noah’s first day with his new babysitter. Noah’s old sitters were moving and had planned to spend the summer together so this put us in a mad-dash to find an alternate place for Noah. Though we had a few options, we found a great sitter named Stephanie who came with a great reputation from a friend of a friend. Noah has been enjoying his time there and has a few play-mates close to his age. God answered our prayers and found a suitable daycare provider for Noah and we feel blessed to have someone put so much effort into caring for our pride and joy.

June 26th - our landlord allowed us to put a new shower in our bathroom. Although cleanliness was not possible for 24 hours or so as the caulking died from the installation of our new 3-piece shower cap, we are now without moldy, dirty, 30-year old tiles and rusty fixtures. We were scared that the mold from the tiles & walls would somehow affect Noah during his bi-nightly bath time. So, luckily, our landlord more than welcomed the new shower and within 2 weeks we had it all cleaned up. I believe this was a small token of God’s appreciation for Catherine and I being so patient with buying our own home. We’ve been discussing buying our first home for a few weeks, but it seems that we’re just not quite financially there yet. Although we’re not necessarily happy with our current shelter, replacing the shower was definitely the biggest issue we had with staying there. But, now that it’s taken care of, we’re just a tiny bit more comfortable with the circumstance. Now onto removing the carpet…

June 30th - we celebrated my 26th birthday with a trip to Crystal Palace (took Noah on some rides), dinner at my favorite restaurant (MexiCali Rosa’s), had a BBQ with the guys in the band for supper, and capped the night off by scarfing down a DQ cake with Greg and Reanne at our house. It was nice to have a relaxing day (despite the rain) hanging out with friends, having good food, and spending a day with Catherine and Noah. I thank God for everything he provides me with. Good friends, good food, good health, a son with a million dollar smile that makes me smile even bigger, and a wife who loves me unconditionally. As a gift, Catherine got us tickets for the Halifax Rock Fest with Chickenfoot, Finger 11, Our Lady Peace, and Sloan as we as a hotel room to crash at for the night. Can’t wait.

July 2nd - Catherine and I had a romantic dinner for our 4th wedding anniversary atLe Chateau a Pape and went to movie which was funny funny funny. I’ve been so blessed to have Catherine in my life and things only get better with age. I love her so much and she’s crazy good to me. The last 4 years have had many ups and downs, but I couldn’t be more in love with a best friend. I’m sappy.

July 11th – although I, admittedly, am not a big fan of Paul McCartney (or the Beatles for that matter), I absolutely recognize Paul’s (and the Beatles’) epic role and contribution and pop & rock music. So, I’m going to see Paul McCartney play at the Halifax Commons this Saturday with a friend from Calgary (who I’ve previously mentioned in this blog). I can safely say I may be more excited to see Brendan than I am McCartney, but I’m also keeping my expectations low so musical legend Sir Paul can rock my socks off. I can’t wait. I thank God for long-lasting friendships. Even though I haven’t seen Brendan in over 4 years and thousands of kilometers separate us, God still binds us together through our love of music and using our gifts to glorify God. Brendan is an uber-talented keyboard player and musician and although I don’t get to steal him for a Sunday morning to play at church, I’m glad just to spend 28 hours with him and I’m sure we’ll enjoy every minute together.

July 18th – Catherine’s sister, Angela, is getting married and I get to host the bachelor party on the 16th for her fiancé, Josh, and his brother/buddies from Calgary. Not only am I excited for an evening of paintball and the pub, but I’m excited to have a brother-in-law. Not just because he’s a great guy (loves the Lord), but because he’s a die-hard Flames fan. What else could anyone ask for? I’ve been asked to provide all the music for the wedding (I’m just playing/arranging, not singing) which is fun, but I’m also looking forward to the time with family and friends. I’m glad that God has found someone for Angela and that Joshua and I get along so well. I pray God will bless them in their marriage and continue to help them grow in Him as they seek His purpose for their lives together.

So, even though I’m not where I want to be musically or maybe even spiritually, God is still working in my life, in the lives of others around me, and is still blessing me and using me despite of me. That’s how good God is. He loves us no matter who we are or what we do. He continues to bless us in our impatience, our bad attitudes, and in disobedience. God’s compassion and love for us makes me want to love and serve him even more than I already do.

I encourage you to look at the things that surround your life and thank God for them. Whether its something as small as a new shower wall or something as big as the smile of a child, God is all around you and is blessing you. That’s a great thing. Do not take for granted the things you are provided with on a daily basis. No matter how dirty, moldy, broken, shoddy, shiny, grumpy, or exuberant it is, thank God for it. He is our Jehovah-Jirah, our provider of all things good.

Life Mantra

2009-06-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

*sigh

I joined Twitter today.
I know, I know. I said I'd never join. But, all the hoopla got me interested and I’ve been hooked all day. There're some interesting tidbits of information all over the place. I get the sports rumours & comedy from the fellas @ TSN (#DarrenDreger, #tsnotoole, #JayOnrait), inside info on my fave musicains (#johncmayer, #crowderband) and catch up on the Nazarene General Assembly via Greg (#kraussdaddy) and Matt (#mattbarbour). Besides, it's a good way to hear what every single person is up to at that exact moment of their lives... if you're into that sort of thing.

Anywho... while I was creating my profile, I was asked to enter a "one line bio". I mean, how do you summarize all of who you are in one line (specifically, 160 characters). I didn't even think about it and my fingers happened to type:

I live for Him.
I love for her.
I'm responsible for him.

I'm not even sure if that makes sense. It did to me. Those are the things in my life that are most important in my life: my God, my wife, and my son.

I live for Him
I love for her
I'm responsible for him

I don’t think I’ve ever had a life mantra before, but if I did I think that would be it. And who would have thought a simple bio for Twitter would have given the inspiration to have one and live by one?

Do you have life mantra?
If not, why?
If so, what is it?

Follow Me on Twitter: #JCambers

A few quick thoughts on anything...

2009-06-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

- there's a guy in Nova Scotia selling a Bad Cat Hot Cat 30R and I almost sold my Morris Amps head to purchase it. Anyone wanna lend me $2000?

- The Calgary Flames named their new head coach this afternoon. Brent Sutter just quit his job as the New Jersey Devils coach to work with his big brother Darryl in Calgary. I would have much preferred recently fired Dallas Stars coach Dave Tippett, but Brent will do as he had a great system working for the Devils in New Jersey. The assistant coaches (whom I am very excited about) are former Calgary Hitmen coach Dave Lowry, former Quad City Flames coach Ryan McGill, and the goaltending coach is former Flames back-up and class-act Jamie McLellan.

- I don't follow Twitter at all, but my friend Greg was telling me about some great "tweets" by Casting Crowns singer Mark Hall. Briefly, he talked about how we need to trust that God will bring us through whatever storms we're going through. When plan A doesn't seem to be working, we make up our own plan B and begin to follow that. Instead, we need to trust that God will bring us through plan A; that's what he made it for.

- Catherine and I have been seriously pursuing buying our first home. Though we still have some financial hurdles to jump, we're still praying over it and pursuing it hard. The only other hurdle is whether we feel God calling us to "go" somewhere else. We've been mildy talking about moving to Calgary, but that possibility seems miles away (both figuratively and literally).

- I love playlists. My sister-in-law, Angela, gets married in a few weeks and I'm providing the music... she's chosen some great tunes for her ceremony:
Sail Away - David Gray
Reign in Us - Starfield
Beautiful One - Jonny Lang
The World Spins Madly On - The Weepies

- I now materialism and consumerism isn't a biblical virtue, but I really want the new iPhones. Anyone wanna take over my cell phone contract with Bell? 1 year left @ $45/month. I'll even pay you $20 to take it over!

- Noah is doing well at his new daycare provider. Stephanie is a wonderful baby-sitter and Noah is meshing well with the new kids. No 2-year-olds to beat him up with drumsticks anymore! No but, he's doing well. It's taken him some time to get used to the busy atmosphere, but praise God for providing us with a place he enjoys.

- I was stoked to get back to playing softball tonight, but rain cancelled the game (again) and we'll have to continue our 7-game losing streak later on this week. We're 0-7 with a -75 in points for/points against, but I am batting a sold .344 which is great since I sucked at baseball when I was a kid.

- God has been really good to Catherine and I lately. Just in our relationship, His provision, and guidance. Even though we're struggling to grasp His purpose and will in our lives right now, we do believe that we're right where He wants us to be and will continue to show us "the way" as we move on.

I hope to blog soon

Pedalboard Renovation

2009-06-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Size matters, right? That's what they've always said but I don't buy it. Although, judging from the size of the pedalboards I've had over the past 8 years or so, you could certainly deduct that I believe it to be true. Ever since I started playing guitar about 12 years ago (geesh... I'm getting old) I've been fascinated with gadgets and stomp-boxes of all kinds for making unique, pure, and ambient guitar sounds; not to mention the guitarists constant search for the tone. I've had some gems and some lumps of coal over the years, yet I find I'm really finding my favorite sounds in some of the pedals I'm now using. I recently got a bonus from work and my wife gave me permission to use some of it to replace and upgrade some of my current pedals:

1) Digitech Whammy 4 - this pedal is, of course, most known for its use by players like Tom Morello and Joe Satriani. On its most useful setting, you play a note (or more, if you're brave) and kick the treadle forward to ascend the note one (or two) octaves up. Although it doesn't find much use when I'm playing lead in worship, it can create some unique chorus sounds, pitch-changes, harmony bends, and creative lead sounds. I recently sold my old, squeaky, wobbly, input-frtizy whammy and bought a brand new one. It's shiny and red.

2) Ibanez Ts9 w/ 808 Mod - The onyl pedals that have constantly been chaning on my board are drive pedals. I've missed my modded Ibanez TS9 (a staple in light-overdrives), so I decided to trade an old-school version of the Fulltone Fulldrive II for a modded TS9 to a guy here in town. While my Mosfet Fulltdrive has a great medium-gain rhythm sound with gain/mid-boost on the 2nd channel, I wanted a drive that'd do a slightly overdriven sound/clean boost and a modded TS9 is one of the best in the business (imo). Welcome home Tube Screamer.

3) Catalinbread Ottava Magus - this tiny little pedal is pretty fraggin' sweet. It's tiny, but has got some big volume capabilities. It's a copy of the "octave-up" fuzz that Hendrix, Satriani, and Robin Trower get a lot of use out of. It's always been one of my favorite tones and this one soudns especially good before another overdrive pedal. It gives me that octave tone without beeing too "fuzzy" and tgives a great lead boost as well. And, since the pedal is so tiny, it fits well ib my cramped custom pedalboard.

4) Electro-Harmonix MicroPOG - there was a guy who was selling his EHX POG locally for a great price and I coudln't pass up the offer. I was absolutely impressed with the POG's capabilites and sounds. Essentially, you can make use of it's 1 or 2 octavess down/1 or 2 octaves up sounds and get unique instument sounds. From a 12-string guitar, a 4 or 12 string bass, and even an oscillating church organ and POG's soudns are endless and it tracks chords amazingly. Unfortuneatly, the POG is a giant pedal and it coudl not fit on my board. So, opting out of selling me equally-sized EHX Memory Man to fit the POG, I decided to sell it (and in turn made profit) and bought a MicroPOG which was similar sounds, but isn't nearly as capable of as many soudns. But, it still emulates a bass guiar, 12-string, and (for what I want it for) a church-organ sound. It replaces my seldom-used MicroVibe and should give me some great chord and tone options.

So, those are my new and upgraded pedals. Here is my current pedal lineup and pic of my board:
Line 6 DL4 -> pretty much every worship guitar players delay staple since you can store 3 delays and have tap-tempo capabilities
Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man -> this has become my staple for getting that .1/8("dotted eight") delay that The Edge makes so popular. Not only that, but I also use it for that pure analog "ambient" sound by turning up the repeat feedback and delay volume down
Fulltone Fulldrive II -> see above
Fulltone Fulldrive II (Mosfet) -> see above
Catalinbread Ottava Magus -> see above
MXR Dyncomp -> probably not my first choice of compressor (I'd love to have Keeley's 4-knob compressor), but I find this far better than most other non-boutique comps I've tried and they're at a great price. I use this particularly when playing with single coils, need a squashed sound, or need some really long sustain
pedalboards.com True Bypass Loop (Tuna Melt, Wah, Whammy) ->
Danelectro Tuna Melt -> I have some subtle tremolo in my amp head, but the Tuna Melt has a great "stutter" tremolo sound which casues for some neat sound. I don' use it often, but it's cheap and small
Digitech WHammy IV -> see above
Crybaby 535 Wah -> everyone has a wah in their setup. Not onyl are they graet for sols, but they give you different rhythm options when they're used as frequency gate(see Dire Straights "Money or Nothing" or Wide Mouth Mason's "Alright, Alright", "Once You Got It", or "Fa Na Na")
EHX MicroPOG -> see above
Boss TU2 -> the tuner everyone uses who don't want to pay for a Peterson Strobostomp

I hope to post some audio clips sooner or later. Here's a pic of my current board.

Art vs. Ministry: Part 9 - The Most Dangerous Prayer

2009-06-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

I had a great conversation with an old friend last night. When I was living in Calgary during my last two yeas of university, Justin was one of my best friends and I loved spending every moment with him (except when he was hungry in which he became a very mean and grumpy person). Justin and I have more in common than any other person I’ve ever met and we think so much alike it’s scary. He’s also a musical mentor of mine (see this blog from April) even though he’s 2 or 3 years younger than me. Not only is he the best bass player I’ve ever played with (no offence to Ross, Tim, and the others players I’ve had the pleasure to play with), but he’s got a great head for music and simply just loves to play. He’s got more talent in his two, small Asian hands than I do in my whole body. It’s really quite remarkable. Above that, his passion to use his talents and abilities to glorify God is just as remarkable.

After playing catch-up for a while, we started to talk about music and where he was in his life. He’s practically playing full-time as a session guy for numerous musicians in Alberta and though he isn’t rolling in the dough, God is blessing him with the experience, relationships, and provision he needs to move on in his journey. To be honest, I was a little bit envious. As we talked, the conversation moved to where I am in my musical & spiritual journey and he proceeded to challenge me with a tough question: “are you waiting to hear from God what His will is for your life is or are you willing to step out in faith and hope it is His call”.

At first, I stammered at the question and got him to unpack it for me.

“Are you waiting to hear from God what His will is for your life is?”
“Yes”

“Are you at the place where you’re willing to step out in faith?”
“Sure.”

“Even if it meant not knowing where you are going or having no security?”
‘Well…”

I had a tough time with that part. I turn 26 in a few weeks. Even though I still consider myself young, I do have a wife of four years and a 16-month-old child whom I need to care for and put above my own wants and desires. I am in no way saying Cat and Noah are keeping me from any dreams or desires I have. That is certainly not the case. They are along for the ride with me and we follow God’s calling no matter where, when, or why we go. Marriage implies the two become one concept and I don’t believe God calls one and not the other; God’s will is all inclusive and is perfect, right, and good.

I explained to Justin that Catherine and I are in limbo right now. We’re not sure what God wants for us in our lives right now.
Are we content with where we are? I suppose we are, but we know there’s more for us.
Are we willing to drop everything in order to follow where He leads us? Most likely.
Do we believe that God would put us in a situation where we are not happy? No.
Do I believe God would put us in a place where we are not using our gifts, abilities, and relationships to serve Him? No. Luckily he doesn’t work that way.
The trouble is, though, that Christians today have difficulty living the “stepping out in faith” part. Sure, we can say we’re willing to follow Him wherever He leads, but sometimes He asks us to do things we just don’t want to or don’t believe He’d ask us to do. Basically, sometimes God’s will is easier said than done.

This past Sunday, my father-in-law preached a fantastic sermon on “praying the most dangerous prayer”. He talked about praying the phrase “use me, Lord”. That’s dangerous stuff because we don’t know what that entails.

Me: “Use me, Lord”
God: “Ok, then I want your identity, your influence, and your income”
Me: “Mmmm… all of those things?”
God: “Yup”
Me: “You sure?”
God: “Yes”
Me: “How about just…”
God: “All of them”

God wants our identity. He wants who we are. He wants what we stand for. He wants to change us to become more like His son. He wants us to reflect His love.
God wants our influence. He wants to use us and show others what He’s done for us, through us. He wants our words, music, love, and actions to affect others.
God wants our income. No only does God want to be control of our money but he wants us to use our possessions and tools to His glory and purpose.

These are tough things to give up, but following God’s will truly requires a step of faith. A walk into the unknown. A moment where you push all your chips in hoping your hand is better than his. God has pulled Catherine and I out of the miry clay before. He has provided for us when provision was scarce. He has blessed us many times before. I don’t believe these things ever stop but it’s a matter of believing He will keep doing it if you’re willing to lay it all down for Him. It’s a dangerous prayer and I am ready to pray it. I am ready to follow the next step in His will for our lives. Where to, God?

1 John 1:8-9

2009-06-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

- 1 John 1:8-10

Pretty self-explanatory, I suppose. I mean, who wants to call God a liar? Not I!

Which reminds me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm-HJvUkSdQ

If I were in a cover band...

2009-06-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Catherine and I cancelled out cable a few months back and I must say I do miss it. However, in lieu of less TV, we've been able to talk more, pray more, and spend more time together. Although I do feel I've been missing out on things, I guess youtube, blogs, and online-news reels cover most of the important things I've been missing.

I only found out a few weeks ago that Jay Leno was moving to daytime and Conan O'Brien was replacing with on the Tonight Show. Oh, how I miss both Jay and Conan (and Letterman's Top 10 Lists). During Conan's opening week, he had John Mayer Trio on as his musical guests. JM3 did a cover of "The Mamas and the Papas" song California Dreaming. And, wow. It's pretty tight and has a really cool arrangement.

It's not the type of song you can really see someone turn into a blues-rock cover, but it works and maintained that familiar 70's groove. So, I thought to myself, if I was in a band (I wish I was), what songs would I want to revamp and cover? well, a la David Letterman, here's my Top 10 songs to cover

1) O My God by The Police - asks some great spiritual questions and cool double-time groove
2) For Once in my Life by Stevie Wonder - I'd slow it down and put a slower groove to it
3) Something by The Beatles - great version on the "Across the Universe" soundtrack that I'd steal from
4) Recovering the Satellites by Counting Crows - great vocals and lots of room for musical expressions
5) Mind's Eye by dc Talk - awesome riff, U2-esque chorus, and great lyrics
6) Paranoid Android by Radiohead - ok, well, maybe not the whole song because Radiohead are practically musical geniuses, but I'd want use 3:38-6:27 and incorporate it into some kind of worshipful interlude (realizing, of course, that the song IS NOT intended for that).
7) Until the End of the World by U2 - I know that you can't really cover a U2 song, but with some ideas and different groove, I think this could be a really cool cover
8) God's Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash - the weird thing about this song is that it's so simple and so cut-and-dry that it's hard to cover it; any deviation from Johnny's baritone vocals or even the melody may take away from its originality. There's opportunity for cool arrangements, though.
9) If I Ever Lose My Faith In You by Sting - of course you can spiritualize this song, but if you listen to the version from the "All This Time" cd, there's a really cool groove and rendition to build off of to make this a cool cover song
10) You by Marvin Gaye - I heard a version of Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" done by John Mayer that had a really cool modern vibe to it; I'd love to do a similar spin on this great Gaye tune (lol). Some good spiritual overtones too.

what songs would you like to cover?

1 John 1:5-7 - Light

2009-06-05T08:51:00.001-07:00

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

- 1 John 1:5-7

"I want to be in the light/as you are in the light/I want to shine like the stars in the heavens/oh Lord be my light/and be my salvation/because all I want to be is in the light"

When I first became a Christian, one of my favorite Christian bands to listen to was dc Talk. Believe it or not, I wasn't a huge fan of the song "Jesus Freak"; rather, the rest of the "Jesus Freak" album had a big impact on me. One of the songs that I loved to listen to was "In the Light" and the above video is from the dc Talk's "Welcome to the Freakshow" VHS from way back when. "In the Light" was one of those songs that I'd sing amongst friends with acoustic guitars around a camp fire. I have great memories doing that. I'm sure this song stems from the 1 John verses above about being in Christ's light.

There's a reason why horror/thriller/suspense movies are filmed primarily at night. 'Darkness' or any 'absence of light' cast a shadow (figuratively speaking) on all things good and pure. We expect bad, scary, negative, disheartening things to happen when we can't see the full picture or see what is hidden from us. Conversely, in the light we are sure of what we see and know what we're given in front of us. Christ was a light we were open to see. He lead a sinless life; there was no darkness in him. Therefore, there was nothing hidden from us and we were given full access to who he was, who he is, and what he's done. If we say we are a follower of Christ, yet do not reflect his light or wallow in darkness, we are not fully his; we are not followers. Christ's light is so bright, so blinding, that it has become hot enough to burn all sin and shame from our lives. Yet, if we put on our son-glasses (see what I did there with the word sun/son?), we are deliberately shielding ourselves from complete redemption and letting datrkness enter us in some way or another. We need to make sure to be in his light, being open and honest, loving and compassionate, righteous and just. Walking in his light causes us to never stray from his path; we see where we're going at all time.

So, with that being said, I leave you with a more recent favorite song of mine from song-writer/worship-leader Robbie Seay (pronounced "sea", not "say") called "Shine Your Light on Us".

"Oh, my God/Shine Your light on us/That we might live
Shine Your light/Shine it down/Let Your rescue come for us, we long to love
And if you feel lost, sing along"

1 John 1:1-4 - Who He Said He Was

2009-06-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete."

- 1 John 1:1-3

This morning, my friend Tim had a blog about who Jesus is. Not that I was trying to ride the coattails of what he was blogging about, but it just so happens my portion of 1 John today touches a bit on just that; who Jesus is.

The author, John the Apostle (not to be confused with John the Baptist) starts this book out by explaining the purpose of his writings: to share and express the "Word of Life" to its readers. John makes some suggestions about what the Word of Life is. Or, if you will, who the Word of Life is. Since John likely saw Jesus' ministry first hand, it's easier for him to be able to draw comparisons to person of Jesus and the prophesied Jesus. Apostle John takes the literal "Word" and applies it to the person of Jesus:
Jesus is - "from the beginning" (v. 1)
Jesus is that - "which we have heard (v. 1)
Jesus is that - "which we have seen with our eyes" (v. 1)
Jesus is that - "which we have looked at" (v. 1)
Jesus is the one whom- "our hands have touched" (v. 1)
Jesus - "appeared" (v. 2)
Jesus is - "the eternal life" (v. 2)
Jesus was - "with the Father and has appeared to us" (v. 2)

John's epistle is to "proclaim to you" what we (the apostles) have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us (the apostles)". A call to the sinner, the unsaved, the Jew and the Gentile, to believe that Jesus was the prophesied one and the gift of God in flesh; the truth, the way, and the life. Jesus' story and ministry make "our joy complete" (v. 4).

I was reading (not taking part in) an interesting thread today where people were arguing the existence of God; more precisely, the existence of deities like Jesus, Buddha, or Mohammad. The one Christian in the conversation proceeding to defend Christianity by simply comparing Jesus as superior to Buddha or Mohammad. Instead of using historical fact, scripture, or even the ministry/example of Jesus, he proceeded to just slam other religious figures.

I've quoted this from Bono on a recent blog but I thought it prudent to repeat it. In an interview he did with Bill Hybels where he says, "You either have to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God or believe that he was a complete nutcase. Jesus was either Charles Manson... an absolute nutcase or, in my opinion, who He said He was."

Jesus is the beginning and end who we have seen, heard, touched, and felt. You can either believe who he said he is, or you cannot. I say this to make our joy complete.

1 John 4:1-3 - Spirit vs spirits

2009-06-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world"

- 1 John 4:1-3

There are two significant things that qualify this verse in Catherine and I’s life right now. First, we are now in the process of trying to find a new care-provider for Noah. His current situation isn’t quite working and we were forced to find another babysitter for him in about 4 weeks time. Although a few different options came up for us, and we were stuck between two particular options which both had their pros & cons. Our first option was with a Christian lady with a good reputation but she lived on the opposite side of the city and it would require 40-45 minutes of extra driving each day. The other is also a lady with a good reputation and even though recommended to us by a Christian friend, she’s not a Christian. However, she lives only 2 minutes away from our house making it an easy drop-off each morning.

While Catherine and I were praying together for guidance on the subject, we were struck with the question of why God would provide us with a non-Christian option. I thought of this verse (which I read last week) and thought it prudent to see if this was in deed from Him. We concluded that God is not a God of confusion. I don’t believe He provides us with “options” or “doors” that are not from Him. I don’t believe he provides us with situations that can hurt us. Yes, he can often provide us with situations that challenge us and test our trust/faith, but none that will cause us harm. Conversely, maybe the “non-Christian” lady is an option where Catherine and I are provided with a “walk across the room” opportunity. While we still have not made any decisions, either way I believe we’ll be making the right decision by covering it in prayer.

The second situation that applies to some friends we have who are desperately seeking some spiritual enlightenment in their lives and in their relationship. First let me say that I’m all for that. I think it’s important. I love to see couples seeking God to spiritually rekindle their lives and have that affect the lives of others around them. However, they seem to have found an avenue to experience this spiritual awakening in a local church that is known to be very charismatic. There is, of course, nothing wrong with most charismatic churches; they’re subjective to the Christian’s beliefs and practices. However, I (personally) believe that some of the beliefs and practices at this church are not necessarily recognized by the Spirit of God. Conversely, I believe that there may be false prophets and practices that would not be blessed by God. That being said, I am not one to say what is and is not blessed and holy. However, I do believe that if they do not reflect or demonstrate that what is written in the Word and comes straight from the life of Christ, it is not and will be not be blessed nor Holy.

While I'm hesitant to step in and make my feelings known to these individuals, I must first seek it in prayer and I use this 1 John verse as a base. I'm also hesitant to call the people leading our friends astray "false prophets" because who am I to judge, but I do believe there are some "false teachings" being used including questionable prayer methods, assumed "spiritual gifts (like prophecy and tongues), and things like "spirit casting" being used without proper biblical structure by unauthorized layman. Scary stuff. Either way, I do not believe it is all the Spirit of God who is working within these people.

These spirits are not Spirit. It is a conflict of God's work and something we should always be aware of in an evil world. So, remember to make sure you recognize the Spirit of God when you are confronted with new spiritual ideas, when making decisions for yourself, and fully realize the power of God when you pray for His good and perfect will. Pray against false teachings, false prophets, and evil spirits that may surround you. Cover yourself in the Word and in prayer and He will defend you, guide you, teach you, and lead you in all ways holy.

1 John 4:12 - Unknowingly Showing God's Love to Others

2009-05-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

"No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, and God lives in us, his love is perfected in us."

-1 John 4:12 (NRSV)

This week, I'm going to make a conscious effort to dig into the Word. This is something that I, admittedly, do not do often enough. In fact, I hardly ever read my bible unless I'm teaching a class or looking for some spur-of-the-moment encouragement. Then, I wonder why God isn't working in me and through me. I believe that His Word is part of how the Christian grows and lives, yet I'm not making it a detrimental part of who I am in Christ.
So, over the next few blogs, I'm going to try and make some exegesis of 1 John. And, because this is essentially a music blog, I will try and apply some musical expression to it as well.

So, I came by the above verse today in my "email devotional" that I get every morning (which I don't often read) and was struck by the thought that God's love is "perfected" in me. I thought to myself, "how is God's love being perfected in me... someone who doesn't read His Word much or even pray as often as I could? Are my own actions, personalities, and words the kind that would be portraying Christ's love?" Well, these are all questions we all must ask ourselves. When/If we cannot show or explain who God is through some sort of physical or tanbigle way, then we are told that we become that expression of God's love. We are tangible. We are God's physical expressions of love. This is both challenging and exciting. Challenging because it means we have to constantly be aware of who we are in Christ, yet exciting because we are able to put God's love in corporeal form for others to sense, if not understand.

I think of some guitar players and musicians who put love into their instrument; love that we can't quite understand until we hear them play. Moreover, see and feel them play....

John Mayer, for example, may be chalk-full of himself, but when he plays guitar, you see how much he loves his instrument it in every lick, riff, and screwed-up faical expression he makes.

Bono, as another example, is an entertainer but holds such a passion when and how he sings. I have yet to "feel" the energy he brings to a live crowd, but I can feel it even through the DVDs I own.

Stevie Wonder's face may be 1/3 hidden from big black glasses, buy the way he slaps the keyboard, sways to the groove, and sings his heart out everytime, you know he loves what he's doing and wants to prove it to you.

What about you?
Are you conscious of the "God's love" you're always displaying?
Can you think of any other musicians that show their love in their music?
How do you show God's love frokm your own life?

Art vs. Ministry: Part 8 (a turning point?)

2009-05-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog… or at least a blog that actually means something to the whole point of this blogsite. While I have thrown in a few words here or there or a video just to let anyone (who might read this) know I’m still alive, I’ve also been very reflective lately and have been really looking into my “Arts vs. Ministry” debate.
Without getting into too many details (since I don’t know all of them myself), I’ll say that I’ve recently been offered an opportunity that has struck interest in me. The opportunity that presents itself requires not only some serious soul-searching but probably includes some changes that’d affect my families current financial, social, and geographic situations. While I can’t say if those would be good or bad things (ignorance is bliss?), they are changes that test your faith and devotion to seeking out God’s will. And, that’s what this whole thing is about: finding and knowing God’s will. Let me flesh my thoughts out for you and fill you in on where I’m coming from.

Over the past few weeks and months, many of my friends have been given some very important and exciting opportunities. Some are venturing into new ministry positions, some are stepping out in faith and making big changes to follow their God-given dreams, some are moving across the country to follow God’s will even though they’re not sure why He’s called them there, and some have had God reveal totally new visions of ministry and impact on their lives. First, let me say that this excites me. Each one of these situations excites me immensely and I’m so happy to see their dependence on Him for finding God’s truth in their lives. Secondly, however, it depresses me. Not only because I hate to see close friends move away or expand physical distance between us, but more so because it seems that I am running to stand still. People are moving on and I am not. I'm still selling bearings and other industrial goods while people are cautiously following His way for them. This frustrates me, yet it has nothing to do with those people at all. Am I not seeking God’s will the right way? Am I not God-ly enough? Am I not reading His Word enough? Do I not pray enough? Am I not willing to step out in faith? Do I not trust my own instincts? Am I ignoring the Spirit’s guidance? I can’t convincingly answer any those questions for myself. I do not believe there is one singular, concrete way for one to find God’s will for their own life. I do, however, believe it is always attained by reading His word, fervently praying, and being mindful of God using certain people and situations to direct that way. It just happens to come differently for each person at different times. I believe I had one of those “situations” the other day in the form of a comment my wife made…

Though this conversation is paraphrased, Catherine and I were talking about God’s will for our lives and she asked me, for her own clarification, what “Jamie” wanted; what I desired. My answer was a conservative, “to either be playing in a band or have a position as a worship pastor”. That wasn’t good enough for her. She continued, “What do YOU want?”
I began to understand what she was getting at. “I want to be playing music. I want to be part of a creative group of musicians who are using their abilities to glorify God.” Catherine gave me a whole new set of questions to think about: Am I trying to be worship leader because it’s easier (to get a job or sustainable paycheck)? Am I just trying to please other people (my wife, my family, my church) and before myself? Just because I enjoy leading worship and enjoy being apart of worship ministry, does that mean I’m meant for it? Can my desire to be an artist/successful musician truly contain the aspects of ministry I long to be fruitful in?

This past weekend, I got an opportunity to travel down to Oxford, NS and watch a group of friends put on a concert at the Nazarene May Rally. I got to have some great conversation with some of the guys before & after and got a glimpse of what God is doing in their own band & lives. It was great to hear God is testing their faith and moving them into a direction that is difficult, but also hopeful and exciting. God isn’t promising them riches nor a multi-album contract deal, but rather the assurance they’re following His will and He will bless them from there. That, to me, would be more rewarding than money and records. These guys are stepping out in faith to take their God-given and God-glorifying art to where God wants it to grow and continue. That’s exciting.

So where does this lead me? Well, I’m not exactly sure, but I believe that I’m a little bit closer to where I should be. As I daily try to become closer to God, both in prayer and in the Word, I am encouraged when I apply these questions to some of the promises we find in God’s Word:
John 16:13 - "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
Proverbs 3:6 – “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Isaiah 30:20, 21 – “Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Luke 11:9-10 - "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
Psalm 37:23 – “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord..."

I believe the day is near where God will reveal His way to Catherine and I. I believe that while we seek His will, he will bless us with great opportunity where we’re both using our gifts and abilities to give glory to Him. Whether that’s a ministry, a band, or a job at a toothpaste factory, I long for Him to speak into my life, change me, and use me to help change others. As I’ve heard prayed many times, “where He leads, I’ll be quick to follow.”

Please pray for Catherine and I (and Noah and Morris too) as we seek for God’s perfect direction for our lives; whatever, wherever, however… we want to know His purpose for us.

So, how about you? Have you ever caught yourself trying to be someone or do something that God hasn't necessarily planned to to be/do? Have you followed alternative options because you didn't think your desires were God's desires for you?

Cutting Back Budgets

2009-05-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

Calgary Flames: Off-Season Plan

2009-05-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this blog is going to be a little off-rack from what I'm normally blogging about. Most of you know I'm a big Hockey fan and an even bigger Calgary Flames fan. But, I spent a lot of time, thought, and typing into this manifesto of off-season moves, so I'm going to blog it here as well. Here's the moves I thikn Flames GM Darryl Sutter coudl and may make during teh off-season...

My Off-Season Suggestions and Opinion

1) Coaching - My first engagement in the Flames’ off-season moves would be to make a coaching change. But, unlike most of the outcry from Flames fans and media, I would not fire Mike Keenan as head coach. I know most fans are calling for Keenan’s head I believe that (other than the constant line-juggling and “strong encouragement” to have Kipper play all the games), the worst thing to do would bring in another head coach. Instead, I would see through to the end of Jim Playfair and Rich Preston’s assistant coaching contracts and break ties. Preston’s special teams were an obvious flop down the stretch and Preston’s defensive systems were never entirely seized by the players. I would bring up Lowry and Otto from the Hitmen to assist under Keenen and bring the success they’ve had from the Hitmen onto the Flames’ bench.

2) RFAs – with the unexpected injury flu that hit the Flames this year, we were finally able to see some of the club’s farm players in action; and for the most part, we weren’t disappointed and got to see some great rising talent in the rganization. Here're a list of the RFA players this summer and my opinion on each:
- Dustin Boyd: SIGN. If the fans' voices aren't loud enough, Boyd's play as a 4th line checking center spoke for itself. A hidden gem in teh organization, Boyd really stepped up his play this year and is starting to use his speed, size, and beautiful curly locks to create chances for the team. I believe he's make a great 3rd-line Center and a possible 2nd-Line center after a few more eyars of experience.
- Curtis McElhinney: LET WALK. Playing under Kipprusoff, McElhinney will not get the required experience to develope him into a better goalie. While he had some very bright spots this year (like his games vs. the Red Wings and Hurricanes), but Curtis needs at least 15-20 games to get him where he needs to be; he won't find that on the Flames' bench.
- Adam Pardy: SIGN. Pardy had a trial-by-fire this year, and came only with 1st-deghree burns. His defensive play vastly impoved by the end of the season and showed signs of a Regehr-type d-man with a few more years of experience. He proved himself as a Flames regular and I him to get 5/6 defenseman minutes again next year.
- Kris Chucko: SIGN. We didn’t get to see much of Chucko this year, but it was encouraging and left us wanting more. Chucko could become a diamond-in-the-rough depth guy, yet also holds enough promise to be part of a good trade package for another player.
- Kyle Greentree: SIGN. Like Chucko, we didn’t see much of Greentree, but he played steady minutes and also left us wanting more. I can’t see Sutter ditching Greentree after acquiring him from Philly last season.
- Adam Cracknell: LET WALK
- Aki Seitsonen: LET WALK

3) Flames UFAs - in the salary cap world, UFAs have become the most valued (and more often, overvalued) commodities in the NHL. The media have made Trade Day and Free Agent Day national holidays for the NHL. UFA-Day really gets rumors mongers and salivating fans the chance to ask "who's going where?" and makes for great commentary. Here's my comments/opinions on the Flames' UFAs this summer:
- Mike Cammalleri: the question is not "does Sutter want Cam back on teh team?", but "can Suter afford to have Cam back on the team?" The unfortunate answer is NO. Mike is coming intohis prime and will get top-dollar offers from teams needing to bolster their offence. With big money tied up in the Flames' core players, Sutter won't be able to match offers from other teams unles he ditches some major cap rom from other non-core players like Langkow, Vandermeer, and Sarich. Cammalleri WALKS.
- Todd Bertuzzi: from what I've been, the jury is out on re-signing Big Bert. He had moments of glory and moments of dissapointment, especially his defensive play. I take the stance that many fans do; if Bert will sign a contract similar to what he did last season ($1.5-$2.5/season), Sutter will keep Bert around. Bert RE-SIGNS.
- Adrian Aucoin: much to fans chagrin, Sutter brought an older, slower Aucoin into the organization with a big $4mil/yr salary. Despite Aucoin's big shot at the point, Aucoin never quite put up the PP points he should have; mostly because of Dion's PP presence. I've heard some request we bring Aucoin back if he would agree to take a big pay-cut. I would disagree as I think we need to get younger & faster in the defence department and his $4mil could go toward filling other roster spots. LET WALK.
- Andre Roy: From what I've heard, Roy is a great guy to have in the dressingroom and his size/presence as an aggressive fighter and 4th-line energy guy is needed. RE-SIGN.
- Jamie Lundmark: while Bourque was out with an ankle injury, Lundmark had some key games and key plays on his time on the 2nd line. From what looked like a career destined to dwell in the minors, Lundmark showed that he can belong in the big leagues. If he's willing to re-sign with a small salary increase, he shoudl stay. RE-SIGN.
- Jordan Leopold: I, along with most people, thought that Leopold (as the 2nd half of a big trade day for Calgary) thought Leopold's presence would puch the Flames over the top as Cup contenders. As the games rolled on, Leoold didn't quite fit in to the system that the Flames had carried over the season and Leopold didn't have any immediate chemsitry with Dion or any other d-pairing for that matter. Unless there's a substantial paycut in Leopold's salary, I wouldn't have him back and use the salary room to sign other players that fit the mold. LET WALK

4) UFAs - there arne't many players this year on my radar. Sure, there're a few superstar players that stick out from the pack, but because of the Flames' tight salrary cap (and with an expected decrease in next years' cap), there isn't much room for many big names to fill the spot. withe the imminent departures of Cammalleri, Aucoin, and Leopold, I believe the Flames are in need of 3 important spots to be filled: a Top-6 winger, a top-4 D-man, and a veteran/experienced backup goaltender. Here're my trop 3 UFA choices for each posistion:

Defence -
i) Jay Bouwmeester: ok, he's everyone's first choice for a defenceman and possibly everyone's first choice UFA. I can't imagine what a Phaneuf/Bouwmeester pairing would look like, but I can imagine it'd be amazing. If J-Bou can take a "home-province-discount" at about $5.5-$6 mil/year contract long-term, I think Sutter can pull it off from the cap he'd be saving by not re-signing Cammalleri, Aucoin, and Leopold. J-Bou signs for a back-loaded 6 year/35mil contract
ii) Cam Barker: the problem here is that Barker is an RFA, not UFA. So because of Barker's strong presence in the playoffs and a great regular season, I imagine the Blackhawks can and would match any offer put up by opposing teams. However, I would be willing to offer a hefty raise over his $0.975 contract with a new 6-year @ $3.3/year contract
iii) Mike Komisarek: whle I do believe the Flames need a bit more offensive depth on the blue-line, Komisarek bring size, strength, and big minutes to a Top-4 position: 3-years @ $3.15/year

Forwards:
i) Steve Sullivan: although Sullivan’s carreer has been marred by injury, it seems that this season’s surgeries may have cured his ailing back problems. He’s a smaller guy, but has a great scoring touch that may replace that of Cammalleri’s. Plus, he’s a left-wing which fits well between Jokinen and Iginla. 2 years @ $3/yr
ii) Brian Gionta: Gionta probably doesn’t fit Sutter’s “bigger, stronger, faster” forwards, but does have a scoring touch and is fast because of his small stature. He may not fit on the top line, but if Bourque can make the move as the 1st line’s LW, Gionta could play a 2nd line RW very well. 2 years @ $3/yr
iii) Jussi Jokinen: has had up and downs, and this season has been both. From being put on a waivers to helping Carolina have a great end-of-the-season and playoff run, Jokinen may have proved himself worthy of Top 6 minutes. Though not related to Olli, the Finnish countrymen could find chemistry since Jussi can be a playmaker to Iginla and Olli’s scoring touches. Although, Jussi does have a nose for the net which may be more suitable on 2nd-line duty with Langkow and Bertuzzi. 2 yrs @ $1.85

Backup Goal-tenders:
i) Manny Legace: although Manny had a rough year with St Louis (both on and off the ice), I believe he can still play great games and give Kipprusoff a sigh of relief. Kipper needs more games off and needs to play less so as to not burn out come playoff time. Plus, Legace has great veteran experience and that can prove to bode well for quiet-Kip. 1 year @ $1 mil
ii) Ty Conklin: there was a point during the season with Detroit (and possibly last season with the Penguins) where Conklin could have taken the #1 position as goalie. But, Conklin struggled near the end of the year and Osgood prevailed. Yet, Conklin and put up great games and steal a show. 1 year at $1 mil
iii) Craig Anderson: Anderson put up great numbers for the Panthers this year and may even get a shot as a #1 goalie with a team struggling to find a great puck-stopper. If Anderson doesn’t get a #1 job, I’d put my trust in him to help Kipper put up the W’s. 2 years @ $1.6/yr

Honourable Mentions:
Kurtis Foster: even though the Flames drafted him and then traded him away, if Foster can overcome his devastating leg injury, he could bode well to help bolster the Flames’ blueline and put up big minutes.
Ryan Clowe: Clowe dominated the Flames in the ’08 playoff series with the Sharks, but as an RFA might be untouchable. He’s a tough, gritty energey guy who can put up numbers, sohe may be worth looking at.
David Booth: although an RFA, Booth proved to put up really good numbers with the Panthers this year and would work very well on a Flames 2nd (or 1st) line as a scorer.
Chris Neil: if Sutter is looking for a 3rd line energy guy who can bring toughness and fists to his game, Chris Neil is your guys and could replace Andre Roy if on re-signed (yet has a bigger paycheque)

5) Trades - my impression is that Sutter has had his trade fill for the year making a big splash at the deadline with acquiring Jokinen and Leopold at the expense of a 1st Rounder, Lombardi, and Prust so I don't imagine he'll make any draft or July 1st trades. However, in order to make the cap work, and in order to get some picks back, I believe there may be some players considered to be moved in lieu of the younger guys who've proved their spots in the roster:
i) Jim Vandermeer: I don't know what Sutter was thiking signing Vandermeer to a multi-year contract worth 2.3 per, but in order to salvage some picks and some cap room, I suggest trading Vandy for a 3rd or 4th rounder.
ii) Wayne Primeau: I enjoyed watching Primeau in in 07/08, but i'mafraid that Boyd may have played Primeau out of his spot. Wayne will either retire because of injuries or get trade for low picks
iii) Daymond Langkow: although I woudl like to see Langkow get traded, I don't think it'll happen this year. In my opinion, I'd like to se Langkow get traded to free up cap space and let rising start Mikael Backlund get some strong minutes as the 2nd line Center, but Backlund may get another year with the Kelowna Rockets before he's ready to take over for Langkow. If Sutter looks to gain a 1st Rd Pick, Langkow may be part of a package to deal for a 1st Rd pick.

LINEUP:
- here's my projected roster for the 09/10 Flames and the overall cap outlook:

Sullivan (3)– Jokinen (5.25)– Iginla (7)
Bourque (1.35)– Langkow (4.5) – Bertuzzi (2)
Glencross (1.2) – Conroy (1.05)– Moss (1.3)
Nystrom (.687)– Boyd (0.985) - Lundmark (.750)

Phaneuf (6.5)– Bouwmeester (5.875)
Regehr (4.02) – Giordano (.891)
Sarich (3.6)– Pardy (0.750)

Kipprusoff (5.83)
Legace (1.0)

Cap Hit: 57.5

LOVE

2009-04-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

Other than music, I'm not much of an art-buff. I enjoy reading, I like poetry, and can observe paintings. There are few physical pieces that move me as much as music does. But, there are a few exceptions, and I want to talk about one of them. There's a popular piece of art on the street corner of 55th St and 6th Ave in New York City. I'm sure you've seen it before. LOVE. That's it. The letters L and O (which is slanted) over the letters V and E. The face of the letters are red and the silhouette is blue. It's nothing fancy, colorful, or significant. Ring any bells? Here's a pic:

Pretty simple right? For something so obvious and artistically relevant, it carries the weight of a city on its shoulders. Though just a four-letter word, LOVE packs a strong meaning, and is simple to say, do, and experience. Right?
"What have I learned about love? It's a dangerous commodity, froth will peril". That's a quote from the artist, Robert Indiana, who originally created the concept for the cover of a Christmas Card for the Museum of Modern Art in 1964. It then became a popular (and now collectable) postage stamp 9 years later. In 1966, Indiana made a steel sculpture of it and was displayed in the Museum of Modern Art for many years before being moved out onto the corner of 55th and 6. As you can see from the picture, it stands alone as an obvious reminder to the millions of New Yorkers and tourists who walk by it each year to simply love.

Has it worked? Probably not. We live in a world that seems to do the complete opposite as fine wine; it gets worse with age. Sitting in the Christian box for a moment, I hear about love all the time. With all the sermons, books, music, and special speakers I hear over the course of a year, you'd think that I'd be learning to love better, love more, and love differently. I'm not the one to judge whether that's true or not, but at least I have some sort of self-awareness of it. Sitting in the secular box for a moment, I see more war, killing, lust, and immoral opportunity every time I turn on the TV. When I sit in my lunch room at work every day, CBC news is on (it's the only channel we get) and all I see if how many have been killed in this Eastern country, what political party is slamming the other, and what Pres Obama is doing to save the universe today. (side note: Obama, by the way, had his own version of the LOVE statue created by Indiana to raise money for his campaign which replaced the word "LOVE" with "HOPE").

We're bombarded with pleas to love more. Love each other, love our neighbor, and love our enemies. Love others despite race, religion, sex, political affiliation, and moral belief. Why is it so hard for us to do? Can something as small as buying a hamburger for an ungrateful homeless man be considered love? Can doing the dishes for our spouse be considered love? Can offering hugs to complete strangers be love? Yes, it can. But what else is LOVE and why does Indiana himself call love a "dangerous commodity"? And where do find our example of what love is?

God is Love. And Jesus ended up being the "dangerous commodity" that Indiana spoke about. Jesus' death became the "peril" of what love brings. He was the ultimate sacrifice of love. Maybe you don't believe in God or Jesus. That's fine. But, even the simple concept of God's love is something amazing. I can't imagine giving up my son, Noah, to die for any one human being, let alone all of human race. Regardless, the most fruitful example of love is found in Jesus. His care, love, compassion, and encouragement for the poor, needy, helpless, and disenfranchised is beyond any other religious, literary, fictional, or physical example we've even been confronted with. Bono has a great quote in an interview he did with Bill Hybels where he says, "You either have to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God or believe that he was a complete nutcase. Jesus was either Charles Manson... an absolute nutcase or, in my opinion, who He said He was."

To push these comments a little further, world-renown preacher/speaker/spiritual advisor, Tony Campolo made an appearance on "The Hour" one night and said about Bono, "Here is a guy who is a rock singer who has done more to articulate what Christianity is really about than most of we preachers. In fact, he says to be Christian is to commit to the poor and to the oppressed." Later on in that same interview, Campolo talks a bit about love and how it's portrayed in society (using Luke 25 as his basis): "I (God) am not up in the sky somewhere. I'm waiting to be loved in people who hurt. As you relate to people who are hurt, you relate to me. There is no Christianity that does not tie (Christians) up with the poor and oppressed of the world".

Jesus shows this example of love many times in the scriptures. "The least of these..." so-to-speak. But not only Jesus' example of love through who He is, but God's example of love my simply sending His son down from Heaven into a world that needed love more desperately than ever. Jesus was God's 55th & 6th sculpture. He was the purest form of love to give us, yet "God so loved" that he "gave". We were the poor and disenfranchised until God sent a love to real and pure we didn't have to be reminded; just shown what real love meant, what real love felt like.

Still, though, why do we need a simple structure of steel to remind us to love? A simple word and simple piece of art is all we have left as a physical reminder of God's gift to us. The world is denouncing Christ, taking Him out of our schools, and find every way to find truth without Jesus. I don't believe that's possible. I realize I've asked a lot of questions in this blog without answers, but I leave it up to you to truly seek what true love is; find it so powerfully that you don't need anyone or anything to remind you of it. Having Christ is the ultimate expression of love and by giving, expressing, displaying, and showing love we can make this world better. Of course, that doesn't mean we need to stop making art about it; we just need to make sure that it points to the most fantastic, unreal, and purest example of it. Jesus. LOVE.

"Music is my first love. To wake up early in the morning with a melody in my head is a great gift."
- Bono

Strat for Sale.

2009-04-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

For those of you who play guitar, specifically electric guitar, do you have use a backup guitar? Along with my coveted PRS Swamp Ash Special (I covet it in a non-sinful way), I have a 1987 MIJ Fender Strat that I use as a backup. Actually, if I'm being totally honest, I hardly ever use it. I like the feel, tone, and play of my PRS so much that I can't not use it. It's an alright guitar and the 5th strat I've owned. I love teh sound of a strat and I don't think there's many guitar that are better and more versatile. However, I've had the unfortunate experience of never owning a strat I LOVE.

My friend Tim has a really nice Lonestar Strat that he got as a wedding gift years ago and I loved to play that thing. It had that undeniable strat-jangle and sounded like a strat in any amp it was in. Mine dosen't necessarily have that sound & feel to it and it's kind of depressing; I love strats so much but certainly can't afford to purchase one that's "the one" for me. My PRS does have strat capabilities by pulling of the tone knob and splitting the humbuckers (and engaging the Seymour Duncan Hot Rail single coil in between), but it just doesn't sound the same. Although it has a Strat feel, it has the Les Paul sound that is also awesome.

Anywho... I've been trying to sell my strat lately. It doesn't get used very often and I'm sure someone can give it a good home. I'll attach a picture and a link to some other pictures so if you (or anyone you know) is looking for a great electric guitar, let me know and we'll work out a deal. It does have some fretwear, but has been serviced and cleaned (before/after pics are in link) and gives it a "relic'd" look. It's a great guitar and needs a good home. I'm thjnking of selling it (along with a Fulltone Ultimate Octave and Voodoo Labs Microvibe) and buying some pedals I've had my eye on; I'm always looking to perfect the tone on my pedalboard.

Drop me a comment or email if you (or anyone else) is interested:
jcambers at gmail dot com

More pics here:
http://s115.photobucket.com/albums/n291/JamCam0702/1987%20Fender%20MIJ%20Strat/

My Favorite Albums of All Time

2009-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I don't think I'm too far off stating that the music industry has become a little bit stale over the past few years. The formula to making a 'successful' album is easily found on most pop records these days and this formulae has really dried up a lot of the truly great song-writers, musicians, and bands. Catchy lyrics, 4-chord progressions, a great melody, and anything not written by the actual performer are probably all goods starting points to writing a hit song. American Idol has re-popularized listener-friendly friendly pop music and the media's glorification of material possessions, sex, and women have even made the most terrible songs into hits because of content their lyrical content alone. And, the means of attaining music these days have become another problem; downloading an album over the net (whether free or not) have taken over CD sales and is causing a massive decrease in album manufacturing. So, to find truly original and undeniably great music you've really gotta search for it. The popularity of "indie" music, "brit-pop", and "the underground sound" have taken over, but most of these albums cannot be attained over the internet.

So, lately, I've been finding myself going back into my catalog of music and reintroducing myself to some of the most impactful albums on my life (both musically, instrumentally, and even spiritually). I'd be comfortable in saying that most musicians can recite some of their favorite albums of all time. I can only assume that some musicians can even remember the time/place they first heard 'that song' or 'that album'. Certainly, for some of these albums listed below, I can remember just those times & places. Whether it was a great solo, a great guitar tone, a catchy lyric, a melody or a moving chorus, the following albums have had everlasting impact on my musical development over the years. Yes, I'm sure there'll be others over to comes, but I believe it's also important to pay homage to those albums that have brought music to where it is today. So, here're my favorite and most inspirational albums of all time. These albums are in no particular order since they're all from different genres, eras, styles, and content. Feel free to comment with your Fave Albums in the comment section: I'd be interested to hear own opinions & styles. Enjoy:

"Ten" by Pearl Jam (1991)

- while I could have easily put Nirvana's "Nevermind" in place of this record, I chose "Ten" because of it's coolness factor as a guitar player. Stone Gossard and Mike McCready have some amazing guitar tones, riffs, and solo parts. While Nirvana started the grunge movement, this album opened the flood-gates wide. With Eddie Vedder's charismatic vocals, a tight rock element, subtle use of guitar effects, and a purely raw sound, Pearl Jam's "Ten" is one of the most successful and profound debut albums of all time. when I first learned my pentatonic guitar scale, I practiced it over the solo section in "Alive" for hours and hours (no lie). I learned licks from that 2-minute solo section and applied them to my own style that started me on my "lead guitar" journey.
Must listen: "Alive", "Black", "Even Flow"
"Any Given Thursday" by John Mayer (2003)

I debated whether to include this album or not for two reasons: it’s a live album and it’s not my favorite John Mayer album. But, when I was living in Calgary I probably watched this DVD two or three times a week. Mayer was probably one of the first singer/song-writers I really got into. At a time when I was only listening to loud, heavy music I heard an acoustic version of “Neon” and was blown away. I checked him out and eventually got this live album & DVD. It really took me out of my shell and immersed me into a different kind of music. Even my guitar playing changed since, at that point, every solo I could play was shred. I stole a lot of licks, progressions, and structure from John’s playing and was introduced to a very important part of lead-guitar playing. “feel” and “emotion” (listen to “Lenny/Man on the Side” and “Covered in Rain”). You don’t get much feel when you’re shedding through a Metallica song, but John’s definitely got some SRV & Slow-Hand touch here. I even had a new-found respect for song-writing and acoustic playing (see “Neon” and “Message in a Bottle”).
Must listen: "Covered in Rain", "Lenny/Man on the Side", "Love Song for No One"
"The Alchemy Index: Volumes I, II, III, IV"" by Thrice (2007/2008)

- this one is another difficult album to include because it's a 4-CD, 2-Volume concept manifesto. But, the way it’s made, produced, and conceptualized makes it one of my favorite volumes of music. “Concept albums” have always been sketchy with me, but this one really worked for me. It really showed the breadth and depth of Thrice’s musicality. Each volume is an interpretation of an element of the alchemist’s index; Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Fire is a raw, loud, heavy. Water has lots of flow and groove to it, with some digital aspects. Air is rock, but melodic and vibrant. Earth is very down-to-earth, honest, and mostly acoustic. This manifesto covers many genres, styles, and tones of music and I invite any music lover to immerse themselves in this collection. It’s absolutely amazing.
Must listen: "The Arsonist" (Fire), "Digital Sea" (Water), "Daedalus" (Air), "Come All You Weary" (Earth)
"OK Computer" by Radiohead (1997)

- As I stated at the beginning of this blog, music has become stale and formulaic. Every now and then, though, an album comes out that totally redefines that era’s music and reinterprets what music is to the artist. Radiohead’s OK Computer did just that in 1997. Although I enjoyed many songs from that record back then (I remember learning the tab of Paranoid Android from Guitar World way back then), it wasn’t until a few years ago that I was re-introduced to this album. It had as much impact on me 2 or 3 years ago as it did to the music industry back in 1997. Odd chord progressions, off-time beats, cryptic sounds, Thom Yorke’s muttering, eclectic guitar sounds, and electronic ambiance makes this album a staple for the music-lovers collection.
Must listen: "Paranoid Android", "Airbag", "Exit Music (for a Film)"
"A Collision" by David Crowder Band (2005)

- as I mentioned in a previous post, the David Crowder Band is probably my favorite “Christian” band; furthermore, he may be one of my 3 favorite worship song-writers and the band has an immense amount of musical talent and creativity. Before this record, I wasn’t crazy over them. But, my friend Sunny persisted and I really dug this album. The use of rhythmic guitar textures, loops, and yet simple 4-chord progression worship songs really got me hooked. The simplicity of song-writing and worship meets the intricacies of rhythms, sounds, and digital syncopation. I was curious as to how DCB would relate this to a live situation and I was even more blow away when I saw them in November of 2007 in New York City. Their live sound was pristine and was almost identical to their studio records.
Must listen: "Here is Our King", "Come and Listen", "Do Not Move"
"Achtung Baby!" by U2 (1991)

- U2 make great albums. Everyone knows that. But to pick a favorite from their illustrious 30+ year career and 12-album collection is quite the task. I pick Achtung Baby because it, like OK Computer, set a new bar for music at its particular moment in time. Achtung Baby mixed U2's unique rock sound with a dance sound and yet still stuck to their formulaic guns to make pop hits that garnered many #1 hits (One, Mysterious Ways, Even Better than the Real Thing). The Edge experimented with unheard of guitar sounds and made them work which really caught my ear. The envelope-filtered "Mysterious Ways" riff, 12/8 syncopated tremolo of "Acrobat", whammy-driven opener of "Even Better then the Real Thing", and industrial-thick distortion of "The Fly" make Auctung Baby the bar for guitar soundscapes and industry-changing albums.
Must listen: "Mysterious Ways", "The Fly", "Until the End of the World"
"Long Line of Leavers" by Caedmon's Call (2000)

- the first time I heard this album, I was driving to Toronto to go see a John Mayer concert with friends, Sunny & Marc. Between the three of us, our 17-hour drive consisted of many different albums. Marc happened to pop this one in and although it wasn't my favorite "styles" of music at the time, I had never heard such an emphasis on great melody and relevant, honest lyrics before. I bought this album shortly after and really dove into it. Lyrical depth and unforgettable melody made this my favorite folk-rock/sing-songwriter albums off all time. This also lead me to be a big fan of controversial Christina song-writer, Derek Webb (check out his album, "The Ringing Bell". Fantastic).
Must liten: "Dance", "Love Along", "Prepare Ye the Way"
"mutemath (self-titled)" by MuteMath (2006)

- as millennium rolled on, pop-music was becoming more and more a carbon copy of itself and was hard to find original and musically enriched artists... that is unless you were looking under the covers (or "the underground" as the kids call it). Using MySpace as a stepping stone, MuteMath came from out of nowhere and blessed everyone with a new and fresh sound. Mixing rock, psychedelic, neo-pop, and dance, MuteMath was the new sound everyone was waiting to hear. After their 5-song EP garnered some attention and their extravagant & energetic live performances garnered even more attention. When their self-titled album came out (produced by famous produce, Tedd T), MuteMath used MySpace as their only means of marketing and became an overnight (and underground) success. There hasn't been a keyboard/piano as a lead-instrument since Toto, and lead singer Paul Meany plays it to a tee. The ultra-talented band could make unbelievable music using spoons, a chair, dental floss, and a toilet. Using loops, pads, mega-tight drum & bass grooves, guitar-created soundscapes, a delayed-out Rhodes, and powerful vocals (all melodically, vocally, and lyrically) this album takes the listener on a cinematic journey over a musical one.
Must listen: "Chaos", "Break the Same", "Noticed"
"Re-Load" by Metallica (1997)

- when 1996's "Load" came out, Metallica got into a bunch of heat from their fans for "selling out" because the album wasn't as "metal" as 1990's hugely successful "Black Album". Oh, and because they cut their long hair. But, Load had a few gems and the purest of fans embraced the new sound. Originally, the album was supposed to be a 2-CD collection, but the label pressed them into releasing it as one album and re-releasing the "rest" of the songs as a B-Sides item. Evidently, "Load" didn't fair so well so on the charts or with most fans, so they decided to try releasing the B-Sides as "ReLoad". I'm not one to say whether it was more or less successful than Load, but to me, it is one of my favorite guitar albums. Some of the riffs, though simple, are memorable and I spent hours with the tab book learning every song in and out.
"The Memory Remain", "Fixxer", "Prince Charming"

"Jesus Freak" by dc Talk(1997)

- I'm pretty sure this was the first CD I ever bought. Sure, the song 'Jesus Freak' was the Christian song of its day, but this album has a few gems that were hidden in the shadows of the hugely successful title song; "Mind's Eye", "So Help Me God", and "Like It, Love It, Need It" were all great rocks songs with some very powerful riffage. Then, there are some "softer" tunes like "What if I Stumble?" and "In the Light" that really caught the listener's ear and, more importantly, heart. Strong lyrics, vocals, and plethora of styles really makes this an inspirational album, both spiritually and musically.
Must listen: "Mind's Eye", "So Help Me God", "What Have We Become"
"In Loving Memory" by Big Wreck (1997)

- Ian Thornley is one of the most underrated guitar players ever. His riffs are awesome, his chops undeniable, and tones are my favorite of any guitar player. Oh, and he's the front man and does it all while singing fantastic & complicated melodies. His band were mega-tight and ultra-talented as well, but Ian obviously stole the show. This was especially evident after Big Wreck (unfortunately) broke up in 2002. Ian, however, went on to create his own solo rock-band, Thornley, in 2004 (I also recommend the album "Come Again" by Thonrley). Ian Thornley has a way of making his guitar sing louder than his piercing tenor & falsetto voice. He has some of the most amazing guitar tones and is a master at making guitar effects work )see #1 hit "The Oaf", "That Song", and "Blown Wide Open"). There's also some great slide-guitar tidbits on songs like "Look What I found" and the solo on "Under the Lighthouse"). You can probably find this CD for $3 on your local pawn-shop shelf. I recommend you start looking.
Must listen: "The Oaf (My Luck is Wasted)", "Under the Lighthouse", "Blown Wide Open"
"Scenery & Fish" by I Mother Earth (1996)

- I neglected to put this album in since it's closely related to the Big Wreck album (after all, Canadian Rock of the mid-90's sounded too similar). But, then I played this album again and noticed a lot of sounds & grooves that weren't found in the Big Wreck, Our Lady Peace, and Finger 11 sounds of its day. Rather, Scenery & Fish is very rhythmically driven with Stuart Copeland-like drums, Tower of Power-percussion, lightning fast bass grooves, and Jagori's high-gain Hendrix riffs. For a a trio of musicians, they really beef up the sound and have a rock sound unlike any other band with their mix of R&B, Funk, and ethnic styles of music; all with a pop-sensitive attitude of melody and rock.
Must listen: "Pisser", "Used to Be Alright", "One More Astronaut"

Other honorable mentions:

"Albertine" by Brooke Fraser"
"Not to Us" by Chris Tomlin
"Morning View" by Incubus
"Twenty Something" by Jamie Cullum
"With Arrows, with Poise" by the Myriad
"About a Burning Fire" by Blindside
"Eat, Sleep, Repeat" by Copeland
"Black Holes & Revelations" by Muse
"Access:d" by Delirious
"Falling into Infinity" by Dream Theater

Art vs. Ministry: Part 7

2009-04-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if this is Art or Ministry, or the best collaboration of both... but whatever it is, it's what I want...

David Crowder Band is probably my favorite "Christian" band. Evidently enough, Crowder is probably one of my favorite worship leaders/writers as well. He and the band have this way of melding instrumentation, worship, rock, ambient sounds, and noise to make masterpieces of music. The song above is an awesome live depiction of just what it is that they do so well.

Wanna know something else? Catherine and I were at this exact concert. It was at New York's City's Hammerstien Ballroom and was amazing. The Myriad opened and they blew the show away for me; they were the opening act.

Scratching off the top of my Bucket List

2009-03-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

Ever see the movie “The Bucket List”? Yes? Well, I feel for you. Ok, sot he Nicholson/Freeman combo was good idea, but the movie didn’t really deliver. Sure, it had a neat concept, but just wasn’t realistic and was a bit cheesy. But the movie does, however, provoke the question “if you had X-amount of time to live, what would you do?”

Of course, not all of us have unlimited amounts of money to spend on frivolous materials and marvelous journeys but we do all have things we wish to accomplish, do, and see in our limited time here on earth. I can’t say I’ve made my list yet but before I even think about such things, I automatically know what would be the first thing on my list: to see U2 in concert.

On March 3rd, U2 released their latest album called “No Line of the Horizon”. I like it. It’s no “Achtung Baby”, but it’s close. I told Catherine months before its release that this would be one of the very few chances I’d have left to see U2 on Tour since they’re getting old and frail; conversely enough, the music does not and still holds just as much power as it always has. I quickly scanned the U2.com for tour-dates and after a few weeks of NLOTH’s release, they released dates and was on the prowl for tickets. Though pre-sale tickets quickly came and went last week, I didn’t have the $50 to spend on a membership to try and get pre-sale tickets. Rather, I waited out until the public sale yesterday afternoon. I was on the phone for 1.5 hours trying to get tickets but could not get through. I had a line on my work phone on hold with TicketMaster, kept trying to call TicketMaster on my cell phone, and kept getting put in and out of queues online. I (along with friend Matt Barbour) wanted to get tickets for the Boston show but by the time I finally got through to a human-being all that was left were the terrible $252 seats. So, I tried the to get tickets for the Toronto show (to which they added another show the next day). Funny enough I only had to make one call to get through the Ticketmaster.ca number and got 3 tickets for the Sept. 17th show at the Rogers Stadium. Although I didn’t get the tickets I wanted ($57 General Admission tickets that were standing-room on the field with the stage) I had to splurge and get “ok” seats for $97. I am excited, though, and can’t wait to finally get to see them live.

I once read (can’t remember where) a memorable quote from a pastor who went to a U2 concert once; he explained it something like this: “a U2 concert is a worship experience like none other. Except, this worship concert has the occasional cuss word and alcoholic beverage”. Even from all the U2 DVD’s I own, you get swept away by the music and its impact on a crowd. I can wait to get caught up in that and just take in the experience for myself.

This is a video of U2's second single from NLOTH, "Magnificent" and is my fave track from teh album. After the album's release, DAvid Letterman had U2 as the musical guests for a whole week and tore the Ed Sullivan Theater down with nermous performances; this, also, was my fave. What a fantastic lyricist:

"I was born, I was born to sing for you.
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
and sing whatever song you wanted me to.
I'll give you back my voice.
From the womb my first cry it was a joyful noise."

"Only love, only love can leave such a mark."

Art vs. Ministry: Part 6

2009-03-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

In the summer Catherine, Noah and I visited our friend Tim & Mel Heerebout in London, Ont for a week or so. We always seem to have great conversations about the Church, worship, and God. In a chat about worship & ministry Tim & Mel gave me a book by Rory Noland called "The Heart of the Artist". Noland is (or was at the time he wrote the book) the worship & creative arts minister at Bill Hybels church in Willow Creek Church.
The book, in essence, is a guidebook for worship & creative arts ministry teams. At 350 pages, the book really is a manifesto that covers everything from character building, leadership, handling criticism, spiritual disciplines, emotions, to performance. Because I'm in the middle of a book right now ("The Shack") I haven't had time to really dig into this book. However, I have been flipping through and reading small portions here and there (mostly the things that Mel had underlined and written above/below paragraphs). Even within the first chapter, there were a few things that really spoke to me and answered some questions I often ask myself. Let me share:

"... what would I do if I had to choose between a highly talented musician who wasn't very spiritual or a deeply spiritual musician who wasn't very talented? I think that question captures the dilemma the church has been in with artists for along time... He (a Hebrew artist named Bezalel from Exodus 35) was talented and godly. That's what we need to be shooting for! That's the biblical standard. We can't expect to get by on just talent alone. It's imperative that you and I keep growing spiritually and artistically."

- I found that this excerpt particularly helpful when I was thinking about my role as worship leader in my church. Though I am one of three leaders at my church, I'm probably the most dedicated to musicianship than the other two. By that I mean I probably put a higher price on how we "sound" and getting things orderly, flowing, and sounding the way I'd like them to in my head. On the flip-side, Greg (one of my best friends and another leader at the church) and Loralee (other leader) put more stock into the spiritual side of the songs and his leading. That's not to say that I don't put any spiritual effort in leading (how could I not?) but I'm glad Noland mentions this in the paragraph above because I think it's something the church needs; excellence in music and spiritual character. But, where do we draw the line between excellence & submission of gifts?

"Every time we use our gifts for Him, we need to go into it wanting to do the best we can but trusting God's will to be done, not our self-centered, lofty expectation to be met... pursuing excellence means we do our best with what we have to the glory of God. He is worthy of our very best."

- this is something that I've struggled with as being a leader. I certainly have a tendency to lean toward musical excellence than spiritual guidance when leading. I want things to sound their best, but am neglecting the notion that when I'm deliberately playing my best for Him, I am indeed pursuing excellence.

"The Greek philosopher Heraclitus taught that your character is your destiny. That's a value shift for us because we tend to think that our destiny is wrapped up in our talent. But our destiny doesn't hinge entirely on what we do as artists; it hinges on who we are as people... We need to be people of proven character. Building character simply means that we're trying to become the people God wants us to be. For those of us with temperaments, it means becoming the artists god wants us to be."

- this excerpt impacted me greatly. As I journey on the "arts vs. ministry" road, this spoke miles to me. Certainly my talents and abilities are the things I rely on to "make it happen". But, this isn't the end. Sure, these things help guide and direct me to where God wants me, but it's my person, my being, and who I am in Christ that puts me there. While I realize my talents & abilities have lessened over the past year or two (because of many factors), I still strive to improve on those things and make them better. I can practice and play guitar or sing in the shower until the cows come home, but no matter how much effort I put into honing my musical abilities I will not end up where God wants me without re-shaping and molding my Christian character as well. I think about some of the most talented and successful Christian musicians: Lincoln Brewster, Christ Tomlin, Martin Smith, David Crowder (Band), or Phil Keaggy. These musicians & songwriters come from strong backgrounds, experiences, and maturity that has taken years to develop. Whether from being worship leaders at their church homes, touring all over the world with some of the most popular artists, or having their beginnings from ministries started to relieve a need in their local university, their characters were being shaped along with their talents to play guitar or write songs.

That's where I want to be. I've never been one to admit I don't need spiritual development on the inside. I know I do. But while I'm trying to make things happen with the what I have in my fingers, I also need to make things happen with my heart. I need to deeply search God's word for help and understanding. It comes with serving when I don't want to serve, helping when I don't want to help, loving when I don't want to love, and even playing when I don't want to play. It is then that I believe God will show me the more obvious pathways to fulfilling His will for my life.

Noah's "Highchair Fail"

2009-03-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

I’ve posted some pics from Fail Blog earlier this month and it’s a pretty funny place where you can find stupid/funny/ridiculous videos & pics of people, places, and things that just don’t seem right. My one-year-old, Noah, is on the cusp of being featured on fail-blog, so he needs your votes!
Please visit http://www.failblog.org/vote , scroll down to the 4th or 5th photo, and click the “yes/thumbs up” symbol for Noah’s “Highchair Fail”
Go do it.
Now.
Do it.

Noah's First Birthday

2009-03-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged much about being a dad. I guess it's because it's a position that naturally comes without notice and is a gradual learning process. If I'm being as honest as I can, it's the most frustrating and rewarding thing I've ever had to experience. On the one hand, I'm not sure if there's any better sight than to see my son, Noah, smile and no better sound than to hear him giggle. I know that sounds cliche and sappy, but it's the Gods-honest truth; I'm sure any dad will agree. On the other hand, the first 9 months or so were a bit of a challenge because of loooong nights of 5 or less hours of sleep, headaches from the screaming and crying, and the worries that surround his eating, sleeping, and pooping habits. It's all relative when you're a dad.

But, today Noah is one year old and I couldn't be happier. Not only for him but his health, to see him grow, develop a personality of his own, and see him change daily. A year of my life has never gone faster, and I thank God for the many blessings he's given us, getting us through financial difficulties, and most importantly blessing us with a boy that coudln't make us any happier. Since Noah wasn't planned this earlier in our marriage, God has challenged us to be as good a parent as ours were to us and I believe we're walking in the right direction. I can admit that God still has some things to do inside of me, but I believe He's teaching me and Noah has been a huge part of that.

Noah is starting to walk now (actually, he just took 4 steps and bailed beside me while I write this) and his baby-babble is more prevalent (yet, still irrelevant), and he's sleeping about 10-11 hours a night. He's a beautiful boy and Catherine and I are so proud of him. And, if I can say so, I'm proud of us too. We've survived the first year and I imagine the second will be just as rewarding, exiting, and purely frustrating as the first. Funny thing is, I can't wait.

Happy 1st Birthday Noah.
I love you and can't wait to put skates on you so you can make me millions when you're older.
Or, put you behind a drum-kit so I can have someone to jam with.

PS: I've made a video of Noah's first year and I will post it as soon as I've finished editing it... stay tuned.
PPS: Macs make life so much easier.

Pipe Dreams/Guitar Solo of the Week

2009-03-07T04:39:00.000-08:00

When JSB were rehearsing for our recent Texas trip, we (somehow) got into the habit of ending our practices with doing covers of Tragically Hip songs. After much deliberation, we presumed that we sounded so good that if the worship thing didn't work out for us, we'd become a bar band that does covers. Those bands can make good money doing just that; copying/slaughtering others peoples' songs. Fun.
But, if I'm being honest, I've always had smalltime dreams of being in a blues/jazz trio or quartet that just jam for fun. Of course, I have not developed a talent that's anything close to a professional (or semi-professional) jazz guitar player. I have, however, played with some friends in Calgary who could (and have) done well for themselves playing at local bistros, bars, and small clubs.
While I was living in Calgary going to school, I played with some guys who taught me so much about music. Not only that, but they taught me to love music of all varieties. And, though my knowledge of music theory was limited, they all made sense of theory to me. Despite the fact that these three guys were far beyond the proficiency of their instrument than I was (and am), they still pulled me along, encouraged me, and made me love music. Those guys were Justin Kudding (bass), Brendan Waters (keys), and Nate Northridge:

We always joked around about starting our on band, but of course that never happened and I moved back home to New Brunswick. Those guys are still around, playing with whomever, and are becoming quite the session/live players around Calgary. Those three were the guys that I've always wanted to jam & play with. I always thought it'd be so cool to just play at any small venue that'd take us and just enjoy playing music together. I was scanning YouTube today and found these videos with Lee Ritenour (guitar), Marcus Miller (bass), and George Duke (keys), and Vinnie Colaiuta and thought about Justin, Brendan, and Nate, how much I missed playing with them, learning from them, hearing them, and (most importantly) how much I missed their friendship. So, this clip is for them and you to enjoy:

Losing a Legend: the iPod Photo

2009-02-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

I’ve never been shy to say that music is a big part of my life. I live it, eat it, breathe it, and sleep it. It’s the “universal language”, so to speak. My wife bought me a used iPod for our first Christmas in 2005. I can say it may have been the most valuable gift I’ve ever received from anyone. She bought it used, it was a bit scuffed up, but it’s served me faithfully for 3 years. It followed me everywhere I went, whether in the car or at work; kind of like a pet. iPet? Anywho… yesterday, at work, my iPod died. I used it everyday at work and it runs about 3-4 hours at my desk in my little iBlaster speaker thingy. It was working fine in the morning until it started making some odd noises. No, I wasn’t listening to Radiohead, it was an internal noise that sounded like an old PC trying to load. Finally, it froze the iPod and when I went to reboot it, an icon of a “sad” iPod came up:

Sad iPod told me to go here: here and proceeded to inform me that my iPod was having a hardware issue. Well, that’s nice. At least my iPod is smart enough to tell me when’s sick and too old to continue pumping out my jams.

So, now I am on the lookout for a new iPod. These little machines have come a long way since the iPod Photo came out 5 or 6 years ago so I have the choice of getting the sexy, sleek looking iPod Touch with all of its abilities and tricks or pay tribute to the classic, tough, sturdy, and oh-so-plentiful 120G of memory an iPod Classic has come standardized with. There’s also about $150 between the price considering I’d need more than 8G or 16G of memory to even consider an iTouch (I’ve got about 13G of music alone). So, a new debate arises: to touch or not to touch?

Funny Pics

2009-02-19T15:51:00.001-08:00

So, when I don't have anything clever, witty, or interesting to talk about, I simply post a blog with someonthing useless, clever, or witty. While I was in Windsor, NS last weekend for our youth's annual ski rally (I was helping with worship), but buds and I scanned someone funny pics/videos from www.failblog.org
Here're a few of my faves:

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

Art vs. Ministry: Part 5

2009-02-13T06:40:00.000-08:00

Last night at my K-Cell (read "small group") had an exercise where we listened to southern gospel quartet sing a song called, "Gentle Shepherd, Lead Us". I'm not necessarily a fan of southern gospel quartet music, but the exercise provided us with time to pray & reflect on where god is leading our own lives as the words were sung:

...

"Gentle Shepherd, Come and lead us,
For we need you, To help us find our way,
Gentle Shepherd, Come and feed us,
For we need your strength from day to day,

There's no other, We can turn to,
Who can help us face another day,

Gentle Shepherd, Come and lead us,
For we need you to help us find our way."

...

As the quartet sang (presumably gathered around one dynamic mic with with a single piano recorded in a bath tub made of marble), my reflection turned to this blog; my ever-increasing endeavour to find God's purpose for my life, the Art vs. Ministry battle. I began to really flesh out what exactly it meant to be the Artists or be the Minister; I see "Art" as being a musician who is creating art with other Christians in hopes to reach & teach non-specific people about the love of Christ whereas "Ministry" is being a minister that also teaches and reaches but to a specific group of believers (and non) in a ministry or church position. That's a bit of Mickey Mouse, dumbed-down version of what I visualize as I realize both these things can be one-in-the-same but I believe there is a specific time and place that God wants me.

The following thoughts are just some of give or take, right or wrong, pro or con, this or that, and love or like factors that I had been going over in my head to help flesh out some of this in my own mind. So, these are just some musings of those things, but they also carry some deep meaning when trying to extrapolate the mind of the Creator of the Universe regarding me:

Art vs. Ministry:

play vs. work

love vs. learn

faith vs. faithfulness

wagon vs. tent

uncertainty vs. security

inspire vs. desire

crowd vs. congregation

sing with vs. sing to

electric vs. acoustic

prize vs. praise

the Church vs. a church

stage vs. pulpit

rock vs. Rock

translate vs. transform

perform vs. reform

belong vs. behave

affect vs. effect

create vs. imitate

commission vs. communion

musician vs. minister

Am I missing anything?

div>

Art vs. Minsitry: Part 4

2009-02-10T11:36:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I last blogged. Not sure why. Maybe I've been busy. OK, yeah, I've been busy. There I said it. Catherine has gone back to work so our days are fairly busy trying to get the baby ready in the morning to making sure he goes down for bed for a full night's sleep. Work has finally picked up and my days are pretty full at work (where I usually blog from anyway) so I guess that explains my lack of blogness. I just realized I hate the word BLOG. The again, an "online journal" sounds mega-gay, so I'll steer away from that one. I'll also steer about from using the word "mega-gay" too much.

I had lunch with my father-in-law and we sat down to talk about the possibility of me pursuing a Local Minister's License through our church. In most cases, the Local Minister's License (LML) is a predecessor to ordination in the Church of the Nazarene. The process takes a few years and some further studies beyond my B.A. in Biblical Studies, but certainly some learning I’m willing to take in for sure. During Pastor Dale/Dad’s explanation of the LML process, he reminded me of something that resonates with the “Art vs. Ministry” debate I’m always having. He reminded me of biblical characters like Moses and Joseph who God used to do extraordinary things despite the fact that they were average people who were ok with their circumstances. Between the time of the Prince of Egypt episode and the Mountain Experience, Moses was a simple shepherd who was content with his situation and place in his world. When confronted by God via a burning bush, Moses was humbled by not only God’s presence, but God’s willingness to use him for an even more extraordinary plan to rescue the Hebrews from Pharaoh. And then there’s Joseph who, the youngest of 12 boys, was put in many different situations to which he escaped with god’s providence. From being stuck in a well and left for dead, to being a travelling gypsy, to escaping Potiphar’s house (and wife), to his struggles in jail; God used Joseph and what he had to offer no matter the circumstance.

In both these examples, I drew parallels of my art/ministry debacle. In Moses's story, God called Moses out from his situation into something extraordinary; something that Moses was unaware he could do. Moses meager abilities to shepherd sheep was turned into an awesome display of God's grace and power as Moses ended up shepherding a large group of unruly and belligerent and grumbling Hebrews across desert for 40 years. Not only this, but between confronting the Pharaoh and rescuing his people, God taught Moses patience. Moses sat idle while God waited for the perfect time to use him. This is wheree I am now. I am between the Pharaoh and the Mountain, waiting on God to put me in the right position at the right time with the right people. Like Moses, I don't know what to expect and I don't know what kind of journey he wants me to experience. While my patience wears thin, I also have time to really search out God's will for my life. I don't believe the right situation will jump out and bite me; I believe I have to seek God's will and purpose for me and then He will open the doors.

In Joseph's case, God used in him in the kind of positions he didn't want to be in. Joseph's gift of dreams got him out of some tough spots and that gift propelled him to bigger and greater things. I reflect on this thought as well. Joseph had certain gifts that were used in the right place and time, even when he though this circumstance was terminal. Yet, God lifted Joseph up even higher when he realized his circumstance was not in vain and his gifts were used to give glory to God.

So anyway... my own journey continues. I believe that God is making some progress in my own heart as I discern God's place for me. I've always wrestled with the phrase
...He will give you the desires of you heart. sure, that sounds great and dandy but it feels as though I've never seen the result of the desires of my heart. But, after reading what's before it, "Delight yourself in the Lord..." I realized something. I don't appreciate or praise God for where I am right now. Whether it's making a few dollars playing guitar for a musician passing-by or leading worship at my church on Sunday mornings, I am not delighting in what I am doing now. God doesn't want to bless somebody with their dreams and desires if they're not appreciative or giving their whole abilities/gifts/heart/etc. into what they're doing now; at least for me. I need to enjoy and give my all to what I am doing now.

Like Moses, I will be patient and wait for the Lord to use me in the "next big thing"
Like Joseph, I will use my gifts and abilities to do His work no matter what the situation
Like the Psalmist, I will delight in Him and enjoy what He has me do now

Mayer & Goal-la

2009-01-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

these're are my two funny videos of the week:

1) the first is a Sesame Street clip with a guest appearance from my favorite blues crooner:

2) the second is a clip of a song written by a Calgary Flames fan after the Oilers got TROUNCED by the Buffalo Sabres 10-2 this past week. On a side note, Flames beat the Sabres the next day 5-2 with a hat-trick by Mike Cammalleri.

Everything is bigger in Texas... especially the hearts.

2009-01-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

Just got back from Texas. What a blast. Putting it into perspective, there's no better feeling then travelling with friends and playing music. Well, ok maybe it sits third to seeing your child for the first time and sex. Yeah, I said sex, and if you're married you know it's true. We had a fantastic time in Houston/The Woodlands with plenty of fun, jokes, old/new friends, great food, and music. We were, however, short one man when J (our rhythm/keys player) realized the night before that his passport expired a week ago. Ironically, J is probably being the most responsible and well-travelled person in the band which made this mishap even more startling and dissapointing (especially for him). We recovered, however, by re-arranging some songs: Jeff played more electric, I played less lead, and Jill sang backup. Musically, it took teh students some time to get used to us, but late in the sets they seemed to have "got it" and there was a great worshipful atmosphere.

When we weren't taking extremly long detours to get to our destination, we were making fun of Tim's ugly/beautiful beard, complaining about the temperature of our family-van, and being totally blessed by our friends at Woodsedge Community Church. One of the coolest things about our weekend was the staff/leaders of Woodsedge and there willingness to be as helpful and encouraging as possible. Two things we heard all weekend was "How can I serve you?" and "How can I pray for you?". The student leadership staff and volunteers were rediculously kind to us and were always wanting to serve us in any way they could. We were so blessed and it made us feel like we were home. I (we) give so much thanks to Jason, Rocky, Tara, Greg, Todd, and all the other folks that were so willing to just plain ol' love us. It made our stay so welcoming.

I honestly believe that if all of our churches were filled with people like those above, our world would be is good hands. If the church was occupied with people who were so adamant to love/serve others we'd be in good hands. Not only that, but they are a church that prays for other churches in its community and they (as a congregation of about 6000) memorize scripture on a weekly basis. That's cool. God is blessing their church and for good reason.

Though I did miss Catherine and Noah very much, the experience was great and I'd love to go back; anytime, anywhere. Here're a few pics from our trip:
The best trunk-packer in the business; seriously.
Rehearsing in the Student Ministries Building (great venue)
Our tri-annual visit our favorite pawn shop: Guitars, Guns, & Gold
The band (minus J)under the lights.
We are that fast (somebody messing with shutter-speed)
Going to The Cheesecake Factory; some of the best food we've ever had. We realy missed J, but he may have been replaced by our amazing waiter named Gene. Gene wore white pants and had a lasting impression on Jillian.
Sunny A/B'd his signal (clean/dirty) between an AC30 Head and Bad Cat Cub IIr (lucky!)

this was my rig for the weekend: Fractal Audio AxeFX with Ground Control Pro (w/ tap tempo and 2 Ernie Ball expression pedals). Tim used an SWR Workingman Head with Aguilar 210 cab. Nice.
This is the view from the stage of our Sunday morning crowd.

Blame it on Texas.

2009-01-21T07:38:00.001-08:00

Wow, I've been a terrible blogger as of late. Although I'm still working on a blog to give my review on Fractal Audio's AxeFX, but I figure I better give ya'll a little something before I leave the country for a few days.

Really, not too much to talk about. But, I will blame my lack of blogging on Texas. It's big and can handle it. I'm leaving for Houston, TX tomorrow morning and am really excited (not for 6:06am flight, though). The band seems well rehearsed (hence no time to blog) and we've got a great list of songs to bring to Texas with us. We're playing at a youth conference called Freedom Weekend at Woodsedge Community Church. We were lucky enough to provide the worship at the same event 3 years ago and we had a blast. From what I can remember, the students were really into and we had a great time of worship, shopping, and riding segues. And, hey, to get out of chilly Moncton for a few days is a bonus. Just so you know, it'll be 22º on Thursday and 23º on Friday. Unfortunately, only 15º on Saturday and 14º on Sunday compared to Moncton's -16º and -22º. Bah!

I had a great iChat (Macpower unite!) with my friend, Tim, yesterday and we had a great talk about the state of the church, worship, and art. As faithful followers of each others' blogs, Tim had some great insight on my art vs. ministry debate and had some encouraging words as well. I just finished Reading Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis" and some of his points really struck a chord with me. Although Bell's insight can be a bit ambitious, he's very passionate about the state of the church and all of Christendom. The book had some basis on Tim and I's conversation regarding missions (not introducing or bringing Christ to them, rather showing them that he's already amongst them and displaying the evidence that they simply cannot see yet) and the church (being relevant isn't necessarily what we need to do as a church; rather, we need to follow Christ's command of loving and serving our communities rather than trying to be or look like this or that). I've also started to read Francis Chan's "Crazy Love" which is supposed to be ground-breaking as far as realizing and exploring God's love for us. I'm sure I'll get a bit of reading done on the plane which is great.

I'm really gonna miss Catherine and Noah ove rthe next few days. Noah is at the stage where he's learning thigns everyday and is just beginning to take his first few steps (his balance isn't there yet) so I'd be bummed if I missed his first few attempts at walking. Also, Cat isn't a fan of being alone but I've made sure Morris (our boxer) is extra attentative to strangers and folks at the door. I've filed his teeth down to a desired sharpness to bite when told. Ok, he woudln't hurt a fly, but he looks and sounds mean.

I'll try to give an update and drop some pics over the weekend if I get the chance. Keep me and the band in your prayers; people in Texas are allowed to carry guns.

A quick-hit...

2009-01-13T05:48:00.000-08:00

The flu has been ravaging the land these days and it finally caught up to me and the family. Both my wife and I have had the flu in the last week, and both of us (including Noah) have also had colds. We’ve basically been breeding germs like a Greenhouse. Morris, however, seems to have been inoculated by all of them. Luckily dog.
I had to confine myself to a bed for many days and drink lots of orange juice. It was nice, in some respect, because I felt like I was able to catch up on some much needed sleep. Noah’s sleeping habits seem to be getting worse as he consistently gets up at 10pm and somewhere between 3am and 6 am each morning. It’s been especially hard on Catherine who has the duty of getting him to sleep the only way we know how; nursing. This poses another problem since she’s begun the weaning process of breast milk. So, with sleepless nights and days of recovery, thing are slowly getting back into the swing of things. Say tuned for a review on Fractal Audio's AxeFX preamp/processor...

Guitar Solo of the Week: "Dreams" by Derek Trucks

2009-01-03T09:32:00.001-08:00

This clip is taken from "The Allman Brothers Band: Live at the Beacon Theater".
Derek Trucks is by far one of my favorite guitar players. I had the chance to see him back in September but for whatever couldn't make it down to Fredericton to see him. I was disappointed to say the least. But, he is by far one of the best and most creative slide guitar players I've ever heard. Not only that, but he's got fantastic chops beyond the slide. This solo has a little bit of both.
I think you even get a hint of "the brown note" at around 2:58 of the clip. (If you don't know what the "brown note" is, check this clip out of an interview with John Mayer, Derek Trucks, and John Frusciante). This solo rocks; so does the DVD. Enjoy.

Resolutions or Revelations?

2009-01-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a week or so since I've last blogged, and my last blog was a poor excuse of a blog. So, I just wanted to comment on "New Years Resolutions".

I don't really have any. I can't say I've ever really had any New Years resolutions before. At least not any that worked out well. But, being someone who is conscious of his own inner and outer being (both physically and spiritually), I realize that there are things that I do need to change or improve on. I'm not sure that they're considered resolutions or not because I don't believe most issues can be "resolved" in a year. Rather, I believe I can "reveal" in my own soul that need improvemnt, changing, and beginnings. So, this year I'm replacing resolution with revelation; I choose to improve myself by not changing who I am. Rather, change who I am by the improvements I make. When we look at our own lives, the things we need to resolve are revealed to us over the course of our journey. So, here're the things that've been revealed to me that I want to accomplish:

Eating:
It's only been the last few years that I've started to notice the spare tire starting to form around my gut. It's more of the bicycle tire at this point, but who's to say it won't move to a motorized vehicle tire at some point soon? So, if anything, I'm probably going to watch how much late-night snacks and in-between-meals munchies I'm consuming. I've always had great metabolism, but since I got married (and probably become less active the past few years), I find my sugary desires catch up to me and show a bit more. I am in no way saying I'm fat or need a diet, but I can certainly become more aware and disciplined in my eating habits. My wife is always serving me great (and healthier) foods so I certainly can't blame her. It's my own cupboard-scouring habits that get me into trouble.

Less TV/More Reading:
I love TV. And I especially like watching movies/DVDs. There're only a few shows on TV that I deliberately watch: House, Heroes, & 24 on Monday with Survivor and The Office on Thursdays. There're also a few shows that I like to catch now and then like American Idol (usually only the audition episodes), 30 Rock, and Hell's Kitchen/Kitchen Nightmares. And, of course, I'll watch every Calgary Flames game I can when they happen to be on TV (if not, I'll try and catch a live stream on the net). So, that only takes up a few of my TV-watching hours in the course of a week.
I hate reading. However, I love knowledge, spirituality, philosophy, and debate. I've got a stack of about 4 or 5 books that I deeply want to read. Moreover, I don't just want to read them, I want to enjoy them. With the TV being on almost all the time, with being a father, and with the the weekly routine filling in the rest of the blanks, I find I don't really have time for reading as much as I would like. Catherine and I have mentioned canceling our TV service on several occasions, but we've never followed through. I imagine that is only because we really don't want to miss the shows we faithfully love to follow (see above). While I'm sure I could download those episodes, we then wouldn't have the time to catch up on them. And with the digital-cable era taking over, there will soon be no such thing as "basic" cable or the 3 fuzzy channels that any TV might receive. A conundrum, for sure.
So, this year, I hope to watch less TV and read more books.

Bible/T.A.W.G.:
As a Christian, I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what God's Word has for me. Then again, I doubt anyone really has, but even just the simple stuff is waiting there for me to retain. My Bible (wherever it lies in my house) has virtually been unopened this past year, so I intend to start to wear the binding a bit more. Along with this, my Time Alone With God has also suffered. Although I have taken some steps over the past few months to change that, improvement is still needed. Even if it takes getting up a 1/2 hour earlier (thx, Tim) then I should do so if it is going to refresh my soul. I'm sure the payoff is killer (figuratively speaking).

Patience:
I think I've actually become a more patient person since getting married. My wife brings out the best in me, I believe. Probably because I'm more patient than her and it makes me feel better about my own... heh. But, no, she does bring the best in me and I love her for it. Even when my son is crying in my ear, or being stubborn as a mule, I need to learn patience and not get frustrated so easily. Babies are learning too. Also, cooped up dogs need something to keep them entertained. So when Morris has been alone for a few hours and feels the urge to chew my Dion Phaneuf statuette or eat the whole bag of caramels my mom bought for me, I need to be more patient with him. I also need to have patience in finding God's will for my life. God is enver late, God is never early, God is always on time. That needs to be instilled in my life. Then again, I can only discover that through reading His Word more and said T.A.W.G.

Play More Guitar:
I'm serious. If there's one thing I could do more of in my spare time, it'd be playing guitar. If it's something I want to do as a living, I better get better at it. My practice time is next-to-none these days. When I get home, I veg for a few minutes, eat supper, and help my wife exhaust the baby and put him to bed. Once that's done, I can't turn my guitar amp on in fear that it'll keep/wake the baby up. I had the chance to play a few gigs with Matt Brouwer over the holidays and while they all seemed to go very well, I realized how important it was that I stay sharp on all my chops. On our drive home from Saint John on New Years Eve, Matt had some very encourageing words for me on my playing. While I strive to accept both criticism and compliments equally, I couldn't help but feel my playing was inadequate as he talked about some players and artists he's shared the stage with. I also think of what opportunities could be held for me if I was to be better at my craft.
On the flip side of this, I do believe that I'm learning more about music in general. Theory, different styles, music technology, and playing different kinds of instruments are all aspects of playing music I've been able to embrace. I certainly can't claim any deep comprehension any of those aspects, but I do believe they've made me grow as a musician in small ways.

---------------------------

Anywho... those're my 2009 "goals". I believe I have a great support system in friends and family that will keep my accountable on those things. So, feel free to be one of those people and send me a msg now and then to see how I'm doing on those accounts.

So, from myself, Catherine, Noah, and Morris, the Cambers family wish you a very (belated) Merry Christmas and Blessed 2009!

My Loot...

2008-12-26T12:45:00.000-08:00

"What'd ya get for Christmas?"

That's probably the most asked question on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. When you're put on the spot like that, you can never really remember everything you got. So, don't ask, just read:

Sony Handycam
The Dark Knight DVD
WALL-E DVD
Snakes on a Plane DVD (this was a joke gift because I have a fear of snakes. It was wrapped nicely with fake ribber rattlesnakes that Noah has been happily chewing on)
NHL2K9 for Wii
Guitar Hero: World Tour for Wii
Socks
PJ bottoms
Cash for clothes (I love Dec. 27th @ the mall)
Greco Certificate
Boston Pizza Gift Certificate
Empire Theater passes
Blockbuster gift cards
"Muffler" Scarf
Calgary Flames fleece sweater
candy

A Swift Kick in the Pants...

2008-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

I had a very interesting weekend.
My friend's Eric and Brad and I were going to Halifax for the weekend to play with singer/song-writer, Matt Brouwer. Matt (an old JSB friend and Truro, NS native) is home for the holidays (by way of Houston, TX) and will be playing some shows in Atlantic Canada during his stay. Brad, Eric, and I were his musicians for the weekend; a 3-service concert-series (Sat. @ 6:30pm, and Sun. @ 9am & 11am) at Stoneridge Community Church in Lower Sackville, NS (whose vibrancy, kindness, and passion deserve a blog of its own). Anywho…

Minutes before the three of us were leaving Moncton for Halifax, I got a frantic call from Matt's manager informing me that Matt was stuck in New Jersey (where he had played the night before) at the airport because all flights were cancelled to the big storm they had. In a last-minute decision, Matt decided to rent a car and drive 15 hours from New Jersey to Halifax to be able to make the 9:00am service. This, of course, meant he would not be able to make Saturday evening's service. Matt's manager asked me if I could put something together to fill Matt's empty slot as the church had no back-up plan for Matt's absence. Matt’s manager seemed no longer frantic, but certainly it passed onto me. So, I threw 10 or so powerpoint slides on a CD, we packed the cars with our gear, and hopped on the road. On the way down, I called our friend Tammy and asked if she was busy that night. Luckily, she was able to help us out and she came and played some acoustic & sang with me.

Although I got us lost in Sackville twice, forgot to bring cash for the Cobequit Toll, and drove in Nova Scotia while talking on my cell phone (which is illegal there) we finally made it to the church about 1.25 hours later than expected. Regardless, Carl & Brad (our sound/PPT techs for the weekend), welcomed us with open arms and made our setup/soundcheck experience very easy and thorough. After choosing a few songs and barely rehearsing them, we met briefly with the leadership staff before the service began and they were very appreciative and encouraging with our “hurried” situation. My nerves began to physically show as I started to worry whether everything would work out. We prayed and went on stage...

When we were introduced as not being Matt Brouwer, you could tell there was a little bit of disappointment in the room. Not because of who we were, but who we were not. Also, I think there were some friends of family of Matt’s in the audience who were hoping to see him. When I got up to the mic, I was sure to try and break the “unfamiliarity barrier” as soon as I could. Luckily, they didn’t hiss or boo.

Without getting into a lot of detail about how the service went, all I can say that God is gracious and compassionate. The congregation accepted us immediately and (without invitation) were standing, clapping, and singing aloud with us. They even clapped after a few songs which is seldom heard during a worship set. Just when I thought my humble offerings of worship would be meaningless and serve only to fill Matt’s absence, God used my/our abilities to lead a group of people into a place of honest worship. Maybe our musicianship & arrangements didn’t blow any minds, but He used our small group of 4 and whole-heartedly lead some people into a holy moment. I can’t thank God enough for teaching me a big lessons here.

Despite my frantic efforts to make something like that work and make it memorable, he made the simplicity and sincerity of it to bless me. While I’m sure he blessed others through it as well, it truly blessed me like I had never been blessed before. It also served as a swift kick in the pants for me to put a bit more trust in him than I did on my drive to Halifax. I took my own abilities for granted and left little room for God to take care of the small stuff. But, when push came to shove, I believe God worked a tough situation into a holy moment for me (& the band).

Top 5's of 2008

2008-12-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

New Year has never been anything particularly special to me in the past, but the one thing I consistently love each year is watching "Top-10" or "Best Of..." lists. Whether it's the best in the years' sports clip, plays, music, movies, or car accidents, I love to see how certain things are categorized. It's probably because I've got a knack for things that're organized and listed. So, as I do every year, here is my Top 5 albums, movies, and websites of the year. Enjoy.

Top 5 Albums of 2008:

“With Arrows, With Poise” by The Myriad – about half the songs from this album are on my iPod’s “Most Played” playlist. I saw them open for David Crowder in New York and they blew me away and stole the show (imo). Fantastic sound and some great grooves & textures.

“The Alchemy Index: Vol. I-IV (Fire, Water, Air, Earth)” by Thrice – this 4-volume manifesto explores music that reflects the four elements; fire, water, air, and earth. Each elements uniquely defines and shapes teh music. In Volume I (Fire), Thrice burn it up and show where they’ve come from with some heavy/loud/fiery songs while Volume II (Water) shows Thrice’s penchant for the digital & organic side of music. (“Digital Sea” may be one of my favorite songs in a long time). Vol. III (Air) takes you on a musical flight and takes your breath away with textured sound-scapes while Earth sees the band get down-to-earth with an acoustic and scaled-down audiophoria.

“New Surrender” by Anberlin – although Anberlin has become less hard-rock, lyrically and musically they’ve become much more defined and exploratory while keeping a lot of their post-punk/post-hardcore beginnings. This is a great follow-up to their previous album, “Cities”.

“Where the Light Is: Live in L.A.” by John Mayer – I’ve never been shy to promote my love for John’s music. Although I think he’s a bit full of himself in reality, this live show gives him a million reasons to be. He does 3 different sets in this concert (acoustic, blues trio, and full-band) and there’re gems in each one. John’s virtuoso tag takes off with plenty of solos & band jams, as well as some great renditions of his Grammy-award winning songs like Daughters (which, sounds fantastic with Robbie McIntosh’s slide/resonator guitar playing).

“Hello Love” by Chris Tomlin – there weren’t many fantastic worship albums that came out this year, but Tomlin’s Hello Love topped them all on my list. Yes, most songs are carbon copies of Tomlin’s previous church anthems, but there are a few songs on this album that really have hymn-like and traditional vibes to them. I feel Tomlin turned it up a bit on this album and it pays off.

On the bubble:

“The Bright Sadness” by Charlie Hall – not worshippy, but great writing, arranging, and producing
“Play: The Guitar Album” by Brad Paisley – I don’t like country enough to fully enjoy this album, but some of the best guitar work I’ve seen ina long time.
“Viva La Vida (Death and All His Friends)” by Coldplay – this might have made my Top 5 list if Coldplay hadn’t ripped off Joe Satriani’s song “If I could Fly” for their hit-single “Vida la Vida”. Satriani is now suing Coldplay for their stealing his art & creativity. Click here to read more about the lawsuit. Also, click here to hear the difference/similarities in the two songs.

Disappointed:
“Kingdom of Comfort” by Delirious – not their worst effort, but what’s most disappointing about this album was that it was their last record before officially disbanding.
“Death Magnetic” by Metallica – yes, it was an improvement from “t Anger”, but it’s obvious that ‘tallica tried far too hard to go back to their metal roots.
“Drastic Fantastic” by KT Tunstall – there’re some great songs on the album, but aren’t as strong as the songs from her folk-rock gem “Eye to the Telescope”

Top Movies of 2008:

The Dark Knight – everybody and their dog loved this movie. Heath Ledger’s posthumous role aside, the directing, cinematography, and writing are all fantastic. It was a non-stop roller-coaster ride leaving you wanting more. The only down-side of this movie is Christian Bale’s “voice” as Batman; he sounds like he has throat cancer.

Iron Man – even as comic-geek when I was growing up, I’m surprised my top 2 movies of the year are both super-hero movies. Iron Man far exceeded my expectations and I liked this movie a lot. Lots of action, great story (with enough background and pre-text to dismiss any terrible prequels), and great casting.

Wall-E – when I went to the theater to see The Dark Knight for the third time, the only seats that were left were front row. I can’t watch a movie from the front-row, I don’t care how good it is. So, when we decided to go see something else, the Pixar-animated “Wall-E” was the only thing yet to play. Surprisingly, I absolutely loved it and thought Pixar’s take on global warming & materialism in a child’s animated feature was outstanding. This is a buyer for me and will go beside “The Incredibles” on my DVD shelf.

Cloverfield – I may get some flack from some, but since I was a faithful follower of all the Internet hoopla & build-up for this movie, so it made it all the more special for me. I loved Monster movies growing up, and this is a well-crafted take on a Godzilla movie taking place in NYC. The constantly-moving camera took some getting used to, but the large movie screen helped. I loved this movie and bought it the day it came out on DVD. Sure, the acting wasn’t fantastic, but the story and efx were great and it’s really entertaining.

Street Kings – ok, so this is a Keanu Reeves movie, but although it wasn’t a block-buster in the theaters, it made for a great rental and kept me really entertained. It wasn’t the caliber of Scorsese’s “The Departed”, but it was a great dirty-cop/internal affairs movie that kept you guessing.

On the Bubble:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – I haven’t seen this yet, but I imagine it’ll be great and garner some Oscar nods.
Step Brothers – because of it’s crass & tasteless jokes, constant innuendo, and dirty language, I couldn’t put myself up to putting this on my Top 5 list. But, it was freakin’ hilarious. Funnier than most recent Farrell movies, but the story was kinda weak. But funny.

Disappointed:
007: Quantum of Solace – this wasn’t a bad movie at all, but it was a bit disappointing since it didn’t live up to Casino Royale’s hype. It was a bit confusing, especially if you don’t recap Casino Royale before-hand. Less gadgets, less girls, and less cars makes James a dull boy.

Top 5 Websites:

www.stuffchristianslike.net - Jon is a fantastic wirter and blogger. He's got something interesting, funny, and spirtually fulfilling everyday.
www.hockeybuzz.com - the internet's best place for hockey rumors and stories
www.facebook.com - Facebook overpowers MySpace now. Although, I'm sure, Facebook will fizzle out in 2009, I will create the next best networking site: FaceSpace.
www.blogger.com - I raelly got into blogging this past year. Ienjoy reading them as much as I do writing them.
www.tsn.ca/nhl - I've become particularly enthralled with hockey these past two years. This is where I go for all my scores, news, and highlights.

Video of the Week: "Digital Sea" by Thrice

2008-12-12T14:53:00.001-08:00

So, I skipped the "guitar solo of the week" and I'm exchanging it for the "music video of the week".
I like the song more-so than I do this particular video, but the concept is really cool and the song is, well.. fan-friggin'-tastic. Notice how some of the beats/instruments/programing correspond to items on the shelves like meters on a sound-board; teh lights react as well. Cool. The groove is fantastic and the "1's and 0's" ending is pretty rad. I saw a video of them doing it live and, even though they're considered a "post-hardcore" band that is usually pretty loud/heavy, this song (from the Volume ii: Water part of the THE ALCHEMY INDEX) was done with a Rhodes, a Nord Electro, and a harmonica mic running through some kind of small vocoder/keyboard (the the live drummer playing drums and controlling the drum triggers).
Thrice are one of my favorite bands and their last studio effort, "The Alchemy Index: Volumes i, ii, iii, & iv" is absolutely amazing.

Trading comfort for human life; that's not just murder, it's suicide.

2008-12-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

I called this blog "an inward audio" because I believe in this innate sound that we all have inside of us. I'm not necessarily talking about our "conscience" (although, I believe that's probably a part of it) but there's a sound that is found in us that only we can hear. It's universal to us yet sounds differently to each of us. Consequently, this inward audio has the same denouement for everyone; the same ending and means to an end. What makes it different to each of us is how often we listen to it, what it says/sings to us, and how much white noise masks the correct sound. I long to hear an inward audio that speaks/sings louder than all the other noise in my heart, soul, or whatever else is contained in your upper thorax.

There's a fella named Derek Webb who, for lack of better definition, is one of the most controversial Christian artists/writers ever. I also believe that alone propels him to the upper-echelon of Christian artists. You may know him as part of the folk-rock band Caedmon’s Call, but his solo work is what really defines him as being an exceptional writer. I believe Derek Webb has a unique sense of listening to that inward audio I speak of. While I'm sure, like many of us, he has to discern between the inward audio and the noise that surrounds it, but I believe Webb is one of the most disgustingly honest and potent writers out there. That's a good thing. In fact, that's a great thing.

He writes songs of all kinds, from comedic to truth that makes you cringe, but I find he particularly excels in writing songs of social commentary and social justice. On one hand, he pens great phrases like the ones seen here in the song “I Wanna Marry You All Over Again” which recounts the story of meeting and falling in love with his wife:

I wanna marry you all over again/I’ll meet your parents at the airport bar/I’ll take you out in my rental car/I wanna court you on the record label’s dime

I wanna buy you an old upright/I wanna accidentally stay all night/I wanna read the Bible and I wanna make out.

Then, just as quickly, he can move into something much more serious and thought-provoking like the disparaging (but poignant) remarks made in “Rich Young Ruler”:

Poverty/ is so hard to see/ when it’s only on your TV/ or 20 miles across town/Where we’re all living so good since we moved out of Jesus’ neighborhood/ where He’s hungry and not feeling so good from going through our trash

He says “More than just your cash and coin/I want your time, I want your voice/I want the things you just can’t give me”

So come on and follow me/Sell your house, sell your SUV/Sell your stocks, sell your security/ and give it to the poor

I was listening to Webb’s latest release called “The Ringing Bell” at work this morning. I honestly can’t say I’ve consciously made it through the whole album (that is, really pay attention to the lyrics), but there's a song called “This Too Shall Be Made Right” which talks a bit about the way we treat each other, ourselves, and the earth. I believe it also speaks a bit to the exclusion of things like oppression and poverty in Heaven. It’s a short song, but is totally worth a read (let alone a great, simple melody). Check it out here.

I really encourage you to take a listen to Derek Webb’s stuff. In fact you can download “The Ringing Bell” FREE @ noisetrade.com. It’s a site that Derek highly supports which distributes free digital downloads of music from independent artists. It’s an important site as it doesn’t necessarily promote the “anti-download” side of the spectrum, but encourages a way for seldom-heard artists to get their great music and important messages out to listeners... for free.

All this to say… Sometimes our inward audio isn’t always rainbows & butterflies. Our inward audio wants to direct us on a path that is righteous and holy… and brutally honest. Webb’s inward audio informs us that we, as Christians, aren’t doing a good enough job exemplifying the life of Christ in our actions. I know I’m not. Not just socially, but personally. There’re always changes that need to be made. Thus, there will always be “that sound” inside of us and listening is really just the beginning. What’s it saying to you?

Art vs. Ministry: Part 3

2008-12-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

My last few blogs haven’t really been much about music and the “inward audio” I often speak of, so I had some thoughts today I had to get off my chest and would appreciate some feedback. So, I bring to you…

Art vs. Ministry: Part 3

Deuteronomy 31:19-22
19 “Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel. 20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves oand grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.” 22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.

We have a very creative God. Music was one of the many “arts” that was created under Him. There are over 1100 references of music, instruments, and/or singing between Gen: 31-:27 and Rev: 18:22-23. In the bible, there are all sorts of reason for singing: marriage, praise, bereavement, merriment, worship. I’m sure that with the various kinds of instruments (flute, harp, lyre, cymbals, etc.), there were also different styles of music. It’s important to note that God created not only music as a whole but different sounds & kinds of music.

I think that one of the biggest mistakes any one person who enjoys music can make is being exclusive to one or two genres of music. I grew up on metal and anything loud. Metallica, Finger 11, and Nirvana were my bread and butter as a wee young’n. I even had a major Marilyn Manson phase, if you can believe it. But, as I’ve grown older my tastes have changed quite a bit. I’m now listening to rock, pop-rock, blues, (self-coined term) ”computer-rock”, alt-rock, worship, world music, singer/song-writer stuff, new-school jazz, and even some post-hardcore. I think it’s important for any musician to explore as much music as possible. There's no better way to expand a musicians abilities and gifts than to expose themselves to music that they would not normally listen to. Steve Vai, guitar virtuoso, emerses himself in all kinds of music (like Hungarian wedding music and Indian tabla/sitar songs) that heavily make its way into his own music. Vai is one of the most influential, accomplished, and versatile guitar players in teh world. I'm sure that if I hadn’t been introduced to John Mayer’s acoustic version of “Neon” I’d still be stuck with Dream Theater in my headphones and playing old Metallica riffs. Listening to Mayer’s great song-writing and smooth guitar playing also introduced me to bands like The Police and Marvin Gaye as well as re-igniting my love for Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. And, through my years with JSB, Jay and Sunny introduced to other bands like Copeland, Future of Forestry, and even Coldplay that really made me think outside my musical box.

So where does this all fit in the “Art vs. Music” dilemma I’ve been exploring? I thought about it this afternoon, and you don’t find many “ministries” that are making art (bare with me here before you get all puffed-up). Sure, worship music is still “art” and worship leaders/song-writers are “artists”. I won’t dispute that; God made music which is an “art”. And while I like a lot of worship music available, there aren’t too many song-writers willing to push the envelope of worship-music with (in my opinion) the exception of people like David Crowder and Charlie Hall who are using on-stage sequencing/loop programs like Ableton & Reason run and instruments like turn-tables, Guitar Hero controllers, and toy Xylophones to push their musical sound-scapes. All that, and their focus is on leading a large group of people to a place of communicating with God through music. However…

Then there’re the bands, artists, and musicians who are always reinventing what people think of music. Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead, and Feist are a few names that come to mind that I believe are redefining the art of music. Yet, while I do not necessarily love all of their music, claim to be ½ as talented as those individuals, nor inspire to make similar music, I long to follow their footsteps and be artistic and create. I don’t quite understand how to make “ministry” out of a form of art that isn’t necessarily meant to spiritually rejuvenate a specific group of people.

I could define Christian Ministry as a definite profession that serves the specific function of meeting people's needs with love and humility on Christ's behalf. Christians are to minister to others out of their devotion to Christ and their love for others, whether the other people are believers or unbelievers. Ministry to others should be impartial and unconditional, always seeking to help others as Jesus would. So, can ones profession of being an “artist” still meet these specific needs? There are plenty of artists out there who are Christians, write/sing about Christian things, yet don’t consider themselves a ministry. Moreover, they’re introducing Christ (whether obvious or not) through their music. Is that still ministry or does ministry have to have the purpose of teaching/leading other into a better understanding of Christ or introducing others to the person of Christ? There’s a question for some discussion. I’d like to hear some different opinions.

Super-Preachers: my picks

2008-12-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

I made a new friend through this whole blogging experience. His name is Matt, he's from Kansas City (home of everything Nazarene) and he has a blog called the Church of no people. I read an interesting blog of his today called "5 Super-preachers we need" which include figures that would make fantastic preachers if they were Christian; who knows, maybe some of them are, but Matt's list included Guy Fieri, Jim Cramer, and Cesar Millian to name a few... all valid choices. So, I decided to hi-jack his idea and make my own list of eccentric characters that may make good praechers. Voila...

------

Bono - this may be an obvious one. Beyond his superstar rock empire, Bono single-handedly put Africa on the map of one of the most financially desolate and poverished countries in the world. Thus, he got people from all over the world to donate millions of dollars into medical supplies, food, educaiton, and clean drinking water for Africa and AIDS orphans. Oh yeah, he also does work with organizations like the ONE campaign, DATA, (Red), World Vision, and Amnesty International. But, beyond that, he can also get more people worshipping than most worship leaders can. When singing songs like "40" or "Streets", everybody seems to be singing high God's praises; even the folks who have no idea what they're singing about.

Macho-Man" Randy Savage - What's sad about Macho-Man is that after a few years of living a particular chracter on WWF payperviews for years, that character started making its way into his real life. While always challenging Hulk Hogan to a fight whenever he had the chance and even attempting his own hip-hop career, Randy's outfits are reminiscent to that of John the Baptist which were always getting attention. But, let's face it, when Macho Man spoke, everyone listened, he always got his girl, and was always heard saying "Oh, Yeah!" as if to be agreeing from the back pew as well as referring to everyone as "Brother" like the elders do.

Don Cherry - because Don wears big & loud suits like T.D. Jakes, he's almost a shoe-in to be a super-pracher. Because of his imfamous celebrity, strong opinion, and the way everyone tunes in to his "sermon" every Saturday night around 8:45pm, he basically is a preacher. Don may even have the upper-hand on most of these preacher nominees because his sermons are only about 6 minutes long.

Ty Pennington - Ty is probably the closest thing to Jesus since, well... Jesus. Get this: he's a carpenter, has a massive following, is ruggedly handsome and white (just like all the depictions of Jesus we see) and he's also helping the impoverished, homeless, widows, and orphans. Sound familiar? His already loud-and-obnoxious voice doesn't call for the use of a bullhorn, but he uses one anyway. How could you not listen to him rant about the coming of Christ?

Jo Frost - The SuperNanny is halfway there; she's already "super". Meanwhile, her expertise lies in manipulating people to do what is right and good. That just about fits the bill to be a "super-preacher". She'd make a perfect evangelist; she travels around and helps families with their issues and in-house affairs. Plus, she's intimdating and is not afraid to use an umbrella.

Guitar Solo of the Week: "Invincible" by Matt Bellamy of MUSE

2008-11-29T15:24:00.000-08:00

I couldn't find a video of just this guitar solo, so you'll find it between 4:30 and 5:01. But, I absolutely love this whole song so the solo really is the icing on the cake.
The solo isn't too difficult or fancy, but I find it really creative and expressive. Using a whammy and some delay, Matt Bellamy uses hammer-ons for the legato parts (with the whammy pedal heel-down) and then taps a single note (the melody) while pushing the Whammy pedal toe-down. Since this is a live version, it's not as clean as the album's solo, but still pretty neat. I highly recommend you check out this album by MUSE called "Black Holes and Revelations". It's a good'n.

Macaroni, Guns, & God

2008-11-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

The lunchroom at my work has a TV. It only has one channel. That channel is CBC. Guess what CBC airs everyday @ 12:00pm-ish? The news. Guess what CBC News is usually running? Economic, politcal, and religious turmoil around the world. Neat. I get to watch more Palestinians vs. Israelites terrorize each other, monotonous updates on the stock market, and the next Stephen Harper beat-down whlie I eat my Michaelena's microwavable mac and cheese. Why can't I enjoy my perservatives in peace? What is the world coming to?
I've never been one to follow politics, economics, or religious warfare all that much. That's not to say it doesn't bother me or that I've become immune to it. I mean, how could I possibly dodge it? It's everywhere. And, maybe the more important question is, how can I help?
Well, the long and short of it is that I can't. Ever since Cain and Able there has been warfare of some sort. Cain's fruits & veggies didn't match up to Able's beef & pork chops. So, he killed him. But, can you blame God for choosing hamburgers over stir-fry? Of course not, but that's neither here nor there. We're so used to seeing violence, martyrdom, material excess, and damage to political system that we tend to discount its importance and le it roll off of our shoulders. At least I so. What about you?

Since I don't follow all this "news" gobbledeegook, I s'pose all the questions I have will never be answered for me:
Why are two religions fighting over a street that separates them?
Why is everyone on Stephen Harper's back if we're the ones who put him there in the first place?
Why are we so worried about economic decline if we're so busy spending our money on iTouch games and kasmir scarves?

All we've been hearing as of that is the financial crisis we've been going through. I'm sure that, in the long run, it'll affect me somewhere down the line, but it's been all rainbows and sunshine in my world. Specifically, the cost of gas has gone down $0.40/L or so over the past few months. Cool! My gas bill is decreased by $25 or so. And, when I inquired about filling my furnace-oil-tank a few months ago it was going to cost me about $1100 to fill. Now, it's only about $810. Awesome!
Who said we were in a financiapocalypse?

Woah. That's a good word. Financiapocalypse.
I'm going to write a song with that title.
It's going to be a hit.

Guitar Hero: Worship Leader Edition

2008-11-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

I’m sure many of you have seen this concept before, either as a Facebook group or maybe even through email. Most of the ideas expressed in the following are taken directly from the “Worship Hero” Facebook group but, as a worship leader/musician, I thought it’d be appropriate to edit, organize, and repost it for all to see. The truth is both true and funny so take it with a grain of salt. I present to you...

Guitar Hero: Worship Leader Edition

Your Mission:
You are a musician with a call to lead God’s people into worship on a voluntary (or, God permitting, vocational) basis. The first level starts you off leading worship at a small church building your spiritual gifts and efforts up by making your way through many ministries and churches to the ultimate goal of becoming a worship leader at a prestigious mega-church.

Your Purpose:
To become a multi-million dollar worship leader (see "rock-star") while still giving all glory, honor, and praise to God through music.

Rules of (Spiritual) Engagement:

All worship sets must include a minimum of two hymns, one Chris Tomlin song, and one 80’s/90’s worship chorus. In addition, tempo transitions must start out fast, followed by medium-tempo songs, ending with slow tempo songs.

All songs must follow the following map: Verses, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus. Deviation from this order can result in excommunication and mass confusion of instrumentalists.

Some levels will require you to conduct certain stage designs which must incldue particular realistic touches to your environment such as tacky plastic foliage, inspirational banners, or plexi-glass pulpits.

You must maintain your team's dress-code during services. This code excludes skrits above the knee, open-toed shoes, hats of any kind, ripped/torn/faded jeans, and t-shirts. Any choice of "inappropriate" clothing will result in an uprising of old congregationalists and threatening elders.

Every so often you, as the leader, will take it upon yourself to demand an acoustic set which will face great and silent opposition from your keyboard players and drummers who are forced to play percussive instruments. No matter how boring this is, no one is allowed to or will ever complain because we all know that we do not come to church to be entertained. Inproper balance of this level is dangferous as you may experience higher than normal level on the FHLI (False Humility Level Indicator) and you may also lose some youth at the next service.

You, as the worship leader, must conduct the entire congregation. You will not keep tempo however. You must force the band to follow your seizure-like speed changes.

Games Modes:

Practice Mode: as worship leader, you must direct, practice, and rehearse your worship band on a weekly basis. This mode will always be fantastic and include many elements foreign to Sunday mornings (ie: drum fills, shots, accapellas, interludes, worship, and the Holy Spirit) and every song's tempo will be increased by 30bpm with fluctuations in anxiety levels

Service Mode: You must develop a repertoire of worship songs. Instrumentalists are permitted to experiment with solos, but take caution: any excessive soloing will cause an uproar amongst some of the elder. Your transposition and arranging skills must be honed to make sure that every song has no more than four chords (the fewer, the better) and must not deviate from the keys of G, E, or D as they are the easiest for guitar players to play.

Your Band & Instrumentalists:
you must recruit a band on a weekly basis composed entirely of Churched individuals who think they are skilled in their instrument.

Your worship team must have a minimum of:
-at least three guitar players (bass, acoustic, electric)
-at least four singers
-at least one keyboard player
-two percussionists: one must be a drummer while the other must consist of a musician who cannot play any instrument or sing but still wants to be on the worship team; you provide them with a triangle, bongos, djembe, or tambourine.

Guitar players:

electric guitarists must play 94% of what the acoustic player is playing. Any derivation should be dealt with by turning the amp down

guitar amps must be run through a DI Box. Do not mic the amp. Heaven forbid you have good tone

guitar players must not have their amps turned up past 0.5 on the volume knob. Failure to do so will result in dissension from the sound techs and the elderly.

occasionally, one of your guitarists will require a capo. This will result in utter chaos as you will now have two sets of chord sheets which will inevitably be mixed up and none of your band members will know which key to actaully play in

any and all guitar solos must begin with the melody of the song's chorus. Derivation from this will be allowed (but not recommended) after 4 bars

Drummers:

drum kits must be fully engulfed by a plexi-glass wall. No one will know or ever understand the reasoning for this but failure to do so will result in dissension from sound techs and the elderly

drummers must resort to "Hot Rods" and/or plastic sticks because wood sticks make too much noise

even if volume of a song is only going from soft to mind-blowingly loud in half a measure, your drummer requires only one skill: and that is to build

Bass players:

bass players must go direct through a D.I. (direct input) and musn't use amplifiers larger than one 10" speaker. Failure to do so will result in dissension from sound techs and the elderly

you will lose points if your bass player is making any use whatsoever of the subwoofers provided by the church's sound system

bass players will always be the only member of the band with actual talent. To ensure that no one hears them, make sure he is turned down at all times except for simple, one-note intros

Keyboard/Piano/Organ:

every song (fast or slow) must have a keyboard pad as the background. The keyboardist must work hard to make it look like they are contributing. This is usually achieved by dramatic facial expressions, swaying, or yelling in between pre-choruses and choruses

the final slow song must be dominated by an angelic synth sound. This activates the Holy Spirit.

Vocalists:

75% of your vocalists must sing the melody. A maximum of two harmonies are allowed which must be at 50% the volume of the melody

any vocal harmony must be dragged out longer than the melody to allow the congregation to hear them

POINT STRUCTURE:

points are awarded if you or any band member shouts “Jesus!”, “Yes, Lord!”, or other indistinguishable noises between choruses

points are awarded for getting your band-mates to properly execute map and tambre changes using any means necessary including leg-lifts, dirty looks, frantic arm waving, and/or yelling

be sure not to leave more than 4 seconds of awkward silence while transitioning songs, as the Holy Spirit Level Indicator (HSLI) will take a sudden drop. If the HSLI remains in the red for more than 15 seconds, your team will be asked to leave the stage, and you will be told gently that there are other teams who would like to use their gifts for God as well

bonus points are awarded if everyone in your band (including vocalists) shows up on time. However, double MINUS those points because the sound techs are MIA

points will also be lost when you request "just the voices" and your drummer or guitar player keeps playing

points will be lost when the vast majority of the congregation raises their hands and sings only during the chorus while staring blankly at you or the projection screen during the verses

points are lost if you say, "God is good" and no one replies "all the time"

at the end of a set (level), a middle-aged woman who knows your name but doesn't introduce herself will say, "You are SO anointed!" Your FHLI (False Humility Level Indicator) will blink indicating the false humility you're about to use to respond with. 5000 extra points and a free set of in-ears if you can figure out how to respond well

Christmas List

2008-11-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Every kid writes a Christmas List to give to their parents in hopes that'll make it's way to Santa (or the local Futureshop representative). I don't get Sears' annual "WishList" catalog anymore so I can cricle the thigns I want with highlighter, so here’s my Christmas list for this year. I’ll follow up on it after ward:

Jamie's Christmas Wish-List:
iPod Touch
MacBook Pro
Calgary Flames jersey (#3 Phaneuf customization optional)
Calgary Flames to win Stanley Cup
42" LCD HDTV (preferably, wall-mountable)
Dwight Schrute Bobblehead
Jesus Christ Bobblehead
"Guitar Hero: World Tour" for Wii
The Force Unleashed for Wii
Mario Kart for Wii
NHL2K9 for Wii
world peace
Wall-E DVD
The Dark Knight DVD
Gone Baby Gone DVD
John Mayer: Where the Light Is DVD
Crossroads: Guitar Festival 2007 DVD
David Crowder Band: Remedy Club Tour
Trip to Hawaii
Plain black zip-up hoodie
Catalinbread Ottava Magus

One of my favorite things about Christmas when I was a kid was making a Christmas list. It’s like an adult buying a 649 ticket and just imagining the possibilities (enter “million-dollar happy dance” here). Most of my wish-list when I was kid consisted of some very extravagant things like an electric Jeep and the deed to Legoland. But I was often disappointed when I would open boxes of white socks, underwear, and knit-sweaters; things my mother said I “needed”.
As I’ve grown older, though I still want that deed, I noticed that my Christmas lists still aren’t reflecting things that I need. Instead, I noticed that it’s filled with electronic devices that would be obsolete as soon as plug it in, movies that will be watched a few times before they begin to collect dust, and unrealistic hopes. The fact is, I actually do need a few pairs of white socks, underwear, and a sweater or two (no wool, please). I have debt I need to pay off (not add onto), a 200 gallon oil tank that needs to be kept filled so we can keep warm, and a son growing out of his clothes faster than Oprah at a buffet.

Needless to say, I don't put so much faith in my Christmas lists anymore. Why? Multiple reasons:
1) Catherine and I decided not to exchange gifts anymore? Why? multiple reasons:
a) we don't have the money
b) we have each other (thank you Santa?)
c) we get to spend a little money on Noah
2) Our parents bless us with so much throughout the year, that we couldn’t possibly ask anything more of them
3) All my 'wants' are too expensive and material. Instead, "trip to Hawaii" becomes "boxer/briefs with no holes"
4) I've lost faith in Santa’s H0H 0H0 postal code

I was reading on a Christmas-justice organization called The Advent Conspiracy the other day. The Advent Conspiracy is an attempt to make Christmas a "world-changing event again by turning our focus back to the birth of Christ". They encourage participants to "trade our season of stress for a season celebration and unbelievable memories with your friends and family" while also helping out those in need in our communities. How do they do this? They have 4 tasks they practice:
- Worship Fully: the story of Jesus means entering a season of overwhelming passion to worship Jesus
- Spend Less: buy ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas. many who have taken this small sacrifice have been more available to celebrate Christ during the advent season
- Give More: it’s time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right
- Love All: by spending less at Christmas we have the opportunity to join Him in giving resources and time to those who need help the most.

I encouraged my pastor a few other church-leaders to really look into this organization as a means to get the church involved in Christmas of a different kind; love of another kind. One of less “wanting” and “wishing” with more “needing”, “giving” and “loving’. I dare you.

Guitar Solo of the Week: "Little Wing" by Monte Montgomery

2008-11-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

This week's guitar-solo is not necessarily a solo, but a song in general.
It's "Little Wing" ; written by the great Jimi Hendrix, perfected (and perhaps bettered) by Stevie Ray Vaughan, and imitated by practically every good guitar player in history. Hendrix had a knack for writing guitar part that not only created chordal structure tot eh song, but included melody in the same arrangement. So, most of the time it sounds like two guitars. Originally written for the electric, Monte Montgomery rocks this out on an old beat-up acoustic. While still sounding like the original, Monte really fancies this version up a bit (maybe a bit too much at times) but throws in a few different flavours (including classical, jazz, and a bit of flamenco).

Beware: this clip is about 10 minutes long. While the whole song seems to be a solo and certainly worth watching, the "payoff" for me comes somewhere between 5:20-6:30. Wowzers

Thx to Sunny for introducing me to Monte Montgomery. Enjoy.

Super-Powers of the Bible

2008-11-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

Bleh… I’m not feeling well this morning. It probably has to do with a the fact that Catherine and I haven’t been getting much sleep lately because Noah is trying to get back into his sleep schedule. The trip to Calgary last week really messed with his sked and now mom & dad are taking the brunt of the sked. Also, I think I’m coming down with a cold. I played floor hockey last night and walked home afterward. Even though it’s not far for me to walk, I think the mixture of sweat and cold night air didn’t mix well with me. I couldn’t’ even stay up for HEROES I was tired! Oh well, I’ll have to d/l it tonight.

I’ve been struggling with HEROES this season; there’s so much going on and so many characters to follow. It’s starting to become more like your average day-time soap but with electricity , time/space manipulation , and the cutting off of heads . Oh, and characters who don’t belong . Then again, day-time soaps have those too. But, it got me thinking this morning, “what if people in the Bible had super-powers”? Then I thought, “I guess in a way they did. Jesus had super-powers and God passed his super-powers onto other people”. Then I thought again, “this calls for a list”. Get our your Bibles and prepare to do a small bit of reading. Here’re some examples of some of the coolest super-powers found in the Bible:

The Conjuring of Bears: 2 Kings 2:23-25 – some youth start to poke fun at Elisha so he puts a curse on them; a curse that would have two bears appear out of nowhere and maul 42 mouthy kids. Take that you tight-jean-wearing, emo kids!

The Staff of Moses: Exodus 7:10-12 – neat. This staff could turn into snakes and eat other staffs/snakes. Cool. This staff could do a few other small feats like turn water into blood, part seas, make frogs grow from the earth, and also control the weather. If I owned this staff, there’d be no more snow. And, the Peticodiac would become that of Grape Koool-Aid

Health by Fashion: Mark 5:25-35 – a woman suffering from hemophelia who was too ill to elbow her way through a crowd of people to see Jesus, thought to herself, “if I just touch his robe, I will be healed”. Surely enough, the woman stretched out and caught a nibble of Jesus’ robe. Jesus sensed the touch and told her that because of her faith, she’d been healed. Neat. If our TWLOHA shirts could all do that, life would be so much more healthy, am I right?

Demon-pigs: Matthew 8:30-32 – I’ve got mixed emotions on this one. On the one hand, it would be fun to single-handedly drive out demons from friends and family and into the closest livestock. Demons, and the grips they have on our sins, suck. But on the other hand, why take it out on the pigs? If we had no pigs, we’d have no bacon. That would definitely suck.

Lion Meat: Judges 14:5-6 – “The Spirit of the LORD came upon him (Samson) in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat.” Enough said.

Water into Wine: John 2:1-11 – Jesus makes a big splash at a wedding turning the water into wine. This is two-fold. For the wine connoisseur, it’d be a helpful way to smell, stir, and swish to your hearts desire. But alcoholism would also be up 400%.

Balaam’s Ass speaks: Numbers 22:21-35 – Ok, maybe I was just looking for an excuse to say “ass", but Balaam deserves some cred because I imagine it’s where DreamWorks got the idea for Donkey .

Raising an army of dead: Ezekiel 37: 1-14 – Just think of what it could do to the war on terror… it would bring new meaning to "beating a dead horse".

Confusion and Coals: Isaiah 6:1-8 – The presence of God is like a rubix cube. You really gotta sit down, concentrate, and unpack what you’re looking at. Then, all of a sudden, BAM! Someone burns your mouth like a hot pan of sizzling fajita meat.

Of course there're a lot more miracles & feats in the Bible. I guess I'd be foolish to not mention Jesus taking a crazy beating and then raising himself from the dead. Sounds kind of like Claire Bennet , but without the "saving humanity" and "defeating Satan" part.

Guitar Solo of the Week: "Answers" solo by Steve Vai

2008-11-11T05:52:00.000-08:00

Guitar solos aren't necessarily a lost art, but good, original, creative solos certainly aren't as common either. While I believe in some musical cases, the "solo" has been replaced by cool riffs, great melody, and Macbook-powered/Appleby-driven loops & sequencing, it's so refreshing to hear a creative/original solo every now and then. Thus, every week I'm going to post a "guitar solo of the week" video. The first solo I'm going to post is not the solo I ever heard, but certainly the first solo I ever "felt" or "experienced". Here it is in all it's shred/glory...

Back in '98 or so, when I had first met my friend Tim Heerebout, he got me into this guitar virtuoso concert thing called "G3" starring Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson. I had never heard of any of these players before as I was still into my "only-listen-to-metal" stage of adolescents. But, Tim got me hook on these guys and I remember going gaga over this solo section at the end of Vai's song called "Answers". The whole thing is pretty neat, but about 0:39 seconds in, he goes into this part that boggles my mind: he sweep-picks on the way down, taps the fretboard on the way up, and does a whole bunch of hammer-on/pull-offs in between; not only that, but it sounds so perfect and "beautiful".
Now, this version is from the DVD, though he has a different version on the CD (which I prefer as he adds a bit of whammy bar in it). Anywho... check it out. It really took me back. Enjoy:
Guitar - Steve Vai
Rhythm/Keys - Mike Keneely
Drums: Mike Mangini
Bass: Michael Tait from dc Talk?

Ronery... So, Ronery

2008-11-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

I had to get up @ 4:30am on Wednesday morning to drive Catherine and Noah to the airport. That wasn't fun. Then again, I guess I dug my own grave because it was I (and both sets of parents) who bought Catherine a plane ticket for her birthday to Calgary to go visit her sisters and get away with the baby for a week. She deserves it. However, it’s only day 2 of having the house to myself (and Morris), but it’s pretty lonely. I miss seeing Noah’s smiling face in the morning and his giggle when he sees me come home. In a house with an empty oil tank (it’s $1100 to fill!) I miss the warm body to help war things up. Microwavable dinners aren’t as good as home-cookin’ I’ve discovered.
However, I have been able to play a lot more guitar. Once I get home from work, eat supper, play with Noah, and get him to bed, it’s a task to be quiet in the house. Thus, I never have time to play guitar (or else I’ll wake the baby). It’s been nice to warm up the 6L6’s and just play for once. I noticed I’ve really lost a lot of chops lately. With all the rhythm guitar playing I’ve been doing with worship, I seem to have left my lead chops somewhere. While that’s ok (I’m not doing much lead playing anyway) it’s been fun to just turn it up and play.
Also, I’m looking forward to jamming with some friends this weekend. We’re gonna take a hours to jam a few covers and maybe put some chords together and create something else. Who knows. It’ll just be fun to mess around with some other musicians and “create”. I haven’t done that in forever so it’ll nice to see if there’re any creative juices left flowing.

Listening to:
“Gazing” by Future of Forestry
“Feel Good Drag” by Anberlin
“Paperthin Hymn” by Anberlin
“Sometimes” from Across the Universe soundtrack
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” from Across the Universe soundtrack

Art vs. Ministry: Part 2 (?)

2008-11-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

Last night, I was in Truro, NS where I got the chance to lead a worship event with some friends. Though not too many folks came out and the response seemed a bit sparse (at least from my view), it went well and we (the band) had a good time playing. It was a good (read humbling) experience and I’m glad we got to expand some people’s worship experience. The highlight for me, though, may have been the conversation on the drive home. We (Pyke & Jamie Sutherland) talked a little bit about the ”art vs. ministry” dilemma that I blogged about a few weeks ago. We also talked about passion as musicians and when one’s hope of becoming a rock n’ roll star becomes a passing dream. Jamie (Sutherland) said something really interesting during our conversation:
“I’m 3_ years old (you’re welcome, Mr. Sutherland) and I still have those dreams being at playing music for a living. But, even though I’ve come to grips with the fact that that is probably not going to happen, I believe that those dreams eventually come to fruition in one way or another. Why else would God promise us the desires of our heart?”
Well, I’m only 25 so I’m sure I’ve still got lots of years before my hopes & dreams are totally behind me but, at least for me, it feels like my chances have come and gone. Until the “desires of my heart” change, I still have hopes of being a vocational musician. I feel like I’ve got a lot of creative input that needs to come out of my head and I hope to find the right people to share that with. This leads me to another interesting conversation I had this past week…
I had a unsuspected/encouraging chat with a friend this past week who was probing me (not physically) about my musical endeavors (or lack thereof). He assured me that I should need to find a group of guys that share the same musical grasp, talent, and style as me and that I could make something of what I’ve got. Ok, maybe he didn’t use as many words, but he was encouraging me to find my own musical output and keep searching for a musical vehicle to transport some creativity.
Well, I plan on it.
I’m getting together with some buds this weekend and we’re gonna jam around. That’s always fun whether anything comes of it or not.

I'm Not Listening

2008-10-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

“Cover girls line the windows you walk by
Selling more than you're able to buy.
High-finance and romance are unified.
Hear the television cry, "Open up your eyes"

All around the world, It's all about a girl.
We're drowning in the noise of another song for boys.

I'm not listening.”

- “Another Song” by The Silent

Catherine and I were at the grocery store the other day and the cashier’s lineup was long. So much so, in fact, that I had ample enough time to scan the tabloid titles on the racks of either side of the cash. I was not intentionally looking for the latest tidbit of gossip, sex secrets, or fashion tips but found myself attracted to the colorful magazines amongst the batteries and chocolate bars. I glanced over the titles & headlines when Catherine wasn’t looking; not because I felt like I was doing anything wrong or looking at anything I shouldn’t have been looking at, but because I was afraid of what she might think I was specifically looking at something. Rather, I was attracted to the front page headlines that were so bolded and big that I assumed they were important:
“Jamie-Lynn Spears Pregnant Again! Should She Abort?”
“Which of these celebrities has lost 50 lbs?”
“How to Lose Your Mummy-Tummy in 30 days”
“Jennifer (Aniston)’s Sexual Obsession”

Pretty disgusting stuff. I’m not much a magazine reader (unless it’s The Hockey News, Guitar World, or something similar), so I don’t know what always makes the headlines for more important social magazines like MacLean’s, TIME, and Popular Science. But I do know enough to realize that the above mentioned titles are not important; at least not to me. I love pop-culture and I love meida. But true or untrue, the headlines of those magazines made me feel a bit sorry for the lives on the covers. Not quite pity, but sympathy. I felt like I was sticking my nose in someone else’s business. I guess that’s part of the shame I felt when reading the titles. Maybe I don’t want my wife thinking I’m interested in the pictures of the Hollywood beauties that grace the pages or the sob-stories and cellulite secrets. I’m not. I don’t have cellulite. And I don’t care if anybody else has. Why would I?

But my dilemma reminded me of the song above ("Another Song”) by some friends of mine. We’re surrounded, even bombarded, by sex, drugs (including medical “help/loss” strategies), and celebrity. Women in bikinis selling hair-loss cream; young girls the size of a flag poles selling weight-loss plans; buff, muscular dudes convincing teens of the best malt liquor to overuse. Even music is selling us mental images of what we don’t have and should want (Nelly’s “Hot in Here” comes to mind). So much stock (figuratively speaking, considering the TSX/DOW as of late) has been put into making people look better, eat thinner, dress nicer, communicate more efficiently, smell fresher, and just plain "be" better. It’s everywhere. It’s “all around the world” and we’re “drowning in the noise” of it all. And why? So people will like us more? So we can seem more important and successful than we actually are?

We find this is a small story in Mark 12:28-34 where Jesus is confronted about which commandment is most important. “29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'[b] 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c]There is no commandment greater than these." There is a difference between demand and suggestion. This, here, is not a suggestion. To love our neighbor (besides our faults or masquerades) is a command. To love our neighbors “is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (v. 33b). That is, more important than ourselves, what we wear, how we smell, what we offer, and what we do.

Ok, I’m getting of track here, so back to my dilemma. So, why are we so interested in other people’s lives if we’re so consumed with making our own so much better? Why are we bothering to wonder how Ms. mini-Spears is going to cope with another baby while trying to fll our own tummys with material posessions? Why are we interested in someone else’s sex life when the magazines are telling us how to make our own sex-lives better? And why are people so concerned with weight when we’re constantly on search for the best Chinese buffet in town? Why are we killing ourselves to live? I’m not one to worry about my weight. Sure, I’ve gained 20 lbs since I got married, but my wife still loves (and feeds) me unconditionally. Why do I need to look better? My wife says I look nice. Why do I need to smell better? Ok, my wife is quick to tell me when I need to roll on the Speed-Stick, I’ll be honest, but I’m still not going to pay $119 for the latest smelly water because it has a cK logo on it.

Why is it that we can’t tune out the magazines on the rack? Why is it that we wade in the “noise of another song for boys”. Why must we need the next gadget to impress? I realize I'm posing far more questions than I am answers so I must admit that I am not perfect. My eyes have looked at things they shouldn’t have and my ears have listened to things that were not a sweet sound to His ear. I’d also love to replace my 20G iPod Classic with an 80G iTouch, I’d love to trade in my Bongo jeans for some expensive Levis, and I worry about when my belly goes from bicycle-tire to spare-tire. But it’s not important. Not to me, not to my wife, and especially not to God. We are a personal, hand-crafted creation of His. He made us what we are and what we will be. I don’t know where our eyes, nose, and ears got us in trouble, but we need to use them for the right reason. We’re seeing things that aren’t there, we’re sticking our noses where they don’t belong, and we’re listening to things that are not true. When it comes to the point that I’m using my eyes to hear and ears to see (yes, I said that right), pass me the blindfold so I can love without impression and hear your heart; pass me the earplugs so I can ignore the noise and see your heart.

I’m not listening.

Hello Love. Hello Great Album.

2008-10-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

There is a formula for making a worship album. All the top worship artists have succumbed to this formula. Maybe it’s the producer, maybe it’s the artist, maybe it’s the consumer, but most every worship album that comes out of Nashville, TN has this mould that any songs can fit into (worship leaders & musicians know it as "I, V, Ch, V2, Ch, Br, Ch, O"). As repetitive as it is, it works. In my opinion, Chris Tomlin is one of the guiltiest (word?) for it. And, he's made yet another fantastic album using this familiar formula called "Hello Love". Except, there’s a catch…

“Hello Love” is the familiar Tomlin we all love and hear. Congregationally friendly songs that have accessible lyrics, catchy hooks, and singable melodies. Ed Cash (the genius behind most contemporary worship albums these days, IMO) has again captured Tomlin’s penchant for church-songwriting. But, where’s the catch? I find that there’re some songs on this record that go beyond (rather, go back) the formulaic approach of worship music. While songs like “Sing, Sing, Sing”, “God Almighty”, and “My Deliverer” stick to the familiar structures, there’re songs that have a very hymn-like feel to them. The songs “Exalted”, “Praise the Father, Praise the Son”, and “All the Way my Savior Leads Me” (a rendition of an old hymn) all have this traditional vibe to them as if they were written by the Wesley brothers, Isaac Watts, or Fanny Crosby. Growing up Nazarene, and having heard a large portion of hymns in my early church experience, I’ve grown quite fond of the spiritual depth and melody of the hymns. I think it’s important for every church to pay homage to the hymnody regularly; where would the state of worship music be without them? But I digress…

I find that Tomlin really delved backed into traditional song-writer with a few of the songs on this record and for that he must be commended. Even his lead single, “Jesus Messiah”, has a traditional vibe to it. Though it follows above formula, lyrically and theologically the song has a touch of 19th century to it. Although many worship artists are revamping hymns these days, not many original songs have this hymnody-feel to them.

Even without these few old school/new school songs on the record, the album is (IMO) Tomlin’s best work. Production is great (Ed Cash will always be "the" worship-album guy) though there're some mixing choices I would have changed. The songs are so accessible to both church and listener (old and new). All in all, it’s a great record I recommend picking up even though it’s the same-old Tomlin/Redman/Starfield/Hughes/Crowder/etc , but with a few gems that take you back.