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By Andy, June 25, 2009 9:56 pm

I was 6 years old, just 3 months shy of my 7th birthday, and my family and I were on a vacation down the central California coast to check out Hearst Castle.  We were driving from our home in San Francisco in our 1969 Buick Skylark coupe, listening to the AM band, when the news came over the radio that Elvis had died.

The quintessential pop icon of my parents’ generation had gone.

Twenty years later, over Labor Day weekend, I was in Las Vegas with Will and a cast of other young twenty-something men for a bachelor party weekend.  We had piled into 2 cars that Saturday morning to tour Hoover Dam, and upon our return, after a dinner at a nearby In ‘N Out Burger joint, we got ready for a night of gaming at the Hard Rock Hotel.  Television tuned to CNN, we saw the breaking news…Princess Diana had been killed in an auto accident.

The princess who’d had the storybook royal wedding when I was 10 years old had gone.

Twelve years later, sitting in a cubicle high above downtown San Francisco, I learned that Farrah Fawcett, one of the blonde bombshells whose beauty marked my childhood and adolescence, passed on after a battle with cancer.

Jill Munroe, an original Angel, had gone.

And on that same day, sitting in that same cubicle high above downtown San Francisco, following the Twitter feed of a couple of friends, I learned that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson had died.

The “Thriller” will thrill no more.

Four pop icons, whose lives have left their mark on global pop culture, have passed within a 32 year span.  Who could forget the royal wedding in 1981?  Who could forget Jill, Sabrina, Kelly, and later Kris, in various syndicated repeats?  Who could forget the moonwalk, the lighted sidewalk in the Billie Jean video, the Eddie Van Halen solo in Beat It?

A large piece of my generation’s pop culture history passed today.

Farewell.

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By Andy, June 29, 2007 7:05 am

I’ve been listening to more of Shane Barnard and Shane Everett - this time their acoustical live release, An Evening with Shane & Shane.  Of note is that they have 3 songs based on Psalms on this particular album.  My favorite of the 3 Psalms on the album is Psalm 13:

1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4 my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

Psalm 13 (NIV)

Listening to it I close my eyes and try to picture what this Psalm must have sounded to the Israelites when it was sung by David and others, what instruments would have been played, how David the worship leader led in singing of this prayer to God.  

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By Andy, April 18, 2007 5:15 am

Up To The Mountain (MLK Song)

I went up to the mountain
Because you asked me to
Up over the clouds
To where the sky was blue
I could see all around me
Everywhere
I could see all around me
Everywhere

Sometimes I feel like
I’ve never been nothing but tired
And I’ll be walking
Till the day I expire
Sometimes I lay down
No more can I do
But then I go on again
Because you ask me to

Some days I look down
Afraid I will fall
And though the sun shines
I see nothing at all
Then I hear your sweet voice, oh
Oh, come and then go, come and then go
Telling me softly
You love me so

The peaceful valley
Just over the mountain
The peaceful valley
Few come to know
I may never get there
Ever in this lifetime
But sooner or later
It’s there I will go
Sooner or later
It’s there I will go

Patty Griffin, “Children Running Through”

May those who lost their lives in Virginia find the Peaceful Valley just over the mountain.

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By Andy, March 16, 2007 6:18 am

Yesterday’s post got me thinking about one of the single greatest scenes of pure worship on screen…and it was in a secular film, about two brothers, one recently released from prison, reuniting, discovering the need of their childhood orphanage to raise funds. To assist, they re-form their R&B / soul band.

Yes…I’m talking about Jake and Elwood…and in particular, the scene in the church, early in the film, when both discover that “We’re on a mission from God.” With the singing of James Brown, the congregants dancing, the choir with arms outstretched, it was a scene of pure unadulterated worship that I wish we could see in more of our churches.

Who said that singing to Jesus requires us to stand still with our arms at our sides, holding a bulletin or hymnal or merely reading the words off the wall in front of us? Why aren’t we whooping it up, jumping up and down for joy because we know that, to use the words of John Piper, “the chief aim of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him?”

I admit it is still tough for me to raise my hands or “whoop it up” when singing - I still find myself stuck in a more stoic position as I read the lyrics…not that there’s anything wrong with it, I might add…but I want to feel free to jump for joy, short of spinning cartwheels in the center aisle like Jake in that scene from the film.

Man…we’re on a mission from God every day! Yes, the Creator of the Universe has a mission for us every day! How cool is that?

So let’s whoop it up!

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By Andy, March 15, 2007 5:56 am

“Hi there once again on this beautiful Sunday afternoon here at the Church With No Music for the matchup between the High Church Traditionals against the Suburban Contemporaries, in what will surely be a game for the ages. I am Mark Solomon, and with me, play-by-play analyst Paul Jacobs. This is going to be some war today, eh Paul?”

“That’s right, Mark. These are two clubs which are evenly matched, both offensively and defensively. The Traditionals typically stick with a standard offense, setting the pace on pipe organ while the choir takes to the air with the high flying sopranos. This is counterbalanced with the ground game and the basses. However, be on the lookout for chicanery when they switch from their base “Bach” formation to the spread-no-deep-back “Gospel” formation.”

“And what about the Contemporaries on offense?”

“The Contemporaries are known for delivering a quick punch with the power of their front line…a driving bassline and thundering drums. I expect them to fly high as well with searing electric guitar solos on one extreme, but can dance around the defense with their softer fingerpicking touches on acoustic guitar. They can move deftly whether in their “Tomlin” formation or in their “Sonicflood” formation.”

“How will the Contemporaries counter the Traditionals offense?”

“By incorporating the Traditionals strengths and incorporating their components into their own offense…using the pipe organ as a rock or jazz instrument and redefining the hymn with drum solos and driving basslines, drawing in the voices of those who enjoy the creativity of the multiple piece band.”

“And how will the Traditionals counter the Contemporaries?”

“I expect them to forge forward with the cacophany of pipes and the multitude of voices emanating from the choir, leading the cavalcade of voices that enjoy the creativity of choirs and organists.”

“Who wins?”

“Jesus.”

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By Andy, March 12, 2007 5:32 am

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come.
T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far
And Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this heart and flesh shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease
I shall possess within the veil
A life of joy and peace.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.

John Newton

It is a song I have sung many a time in my 36 years here, but it wasn’t until this morning when the power of the lyrics hit me square in the heart and the tears welled up in my eyes. The immense feeling of joy, the joy we feel in Christ, came over me as the lyrics reminded me of the hope that we have because of our relationship with Christ.

It was a difficult week for many in our Christian family, a week in which intense emotional pain was faced head on by those in the Family. Seeing the power of Christ’s love permeate through the Body, eloquently reflected in the words above, was enough to remind me of the power of God’s love for each of us, that no matter what kind of pain we face in our physical realm, we know that “the Lord has promised good to me”.

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By Andy, January 22, 2007 6:45 am

The great discussion we had on Friday regarding the movement of Holy Spirit was applied, by most of the commenters, to the reaction to music in worship services. Music touches the soul, and is perhaps the single most controversial topic in church after money (although given my own experience, I would argue that music could possibly exceed money as a controversial topic). Each of us has strong emotional connections to music - whether secular or religious - and those ties often lead to strong beliefs as to the kind of music we believe should be performed and sung in church.

Going with the theme of feeling the Holy Spirit, many of us have readily admitted that we often experience our strongest reactions to the movement of the Holy Spirit during the singing of songs or hymns in worship. Whereas a song like “Above All”, with a vocal harmony accompanied by piano and acoustic guitar can move me nearly to tears, for others it can be the opening strains of “Holy Holy Holy” on a pipe organ that can elicit a similar reaction. I may not like that particular rendition of that classic hymn - likewise, another may not like the contemporary song I prefer - but in both cases, those are two songs that have touched the souls of different believers.

So it is with little surprise that we humans want to re-create the experience of being touched by the Spirit in every worship service we attend, believing that it is only the worship band or only the pipe organ that can touch a person’s soul - if it isn’t performed the way that I prefer, then the entire church is completely missing out on the entire worship experience - and is NOT going to feel the Holy Spirit.

Boy, the Enemy sure has a field day with music, doesn’t he? What better way to distract the human soul from focusing on God than by telling that soul, Remember Andy, you can’t stand that hymn! Think about how much you loathe the organ rather than think about how much you want to worship MY enemy…

That’s all the Enemy needs, after all, to cause divisiveness in a congregation. I’m going to pit Joan, who likes the hymns, against Jill, who like the praise team. I’m going to pit Andy, who like the 5 piece rock worship band, against Phil, who like the pipe organ and choir.

Folks, we’re letting the Enemy win this battle EVERY WEEK.

I admit, I am not a fan of the organ, and that style of music no longer speaks to me (if it ever really did speak to me). And this morning, I admit to cringing while singing the dirge that it A Mighty Fortress is our God - that distraction prevented me from paying attention to the lyrics, in which Luther praises the power of God and that God will never fail us - and that’s just in the opening verse! But I know there was at least one person in that congregation this morning who was touched by the Holy Spirit during that hymn - and that, my friends, makes singing that song worthwhile. I have been humbled to begin to change my own attitudes towards worship and praise.

Are we that selfish that our way is the only way to worship? Unfortunately, we are, being the fallen humans that we are - but this is an area that I pray will be one in which we can set aside our selfishness and know that it does not matter whether we sing a cappella, with an organ, or with a praise band. I hardly think that God says, “There goes that church singing A Mighty Fortress with that boring organ again” or “There goes that church singing Open the Eyes of My Heart for the third Sunday in a row with that ridiculously loud praise band.”

Just sing to God’s glory. Loudly…no matter what musical instrument is accompanying you.