From The Book of Common Prayer:
ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness To us and to all men; [* particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
This may be a little cheesy, but I’ve always loved the Muppets and this is pretty creative. Also, the character of Animal was one of the reasons that I started drumming. Enjoy:
Psalm 33 has always inspired me as a musician. It motivates me to use the skills I have to the best of my ability and joyfully praise God. If you are a musician, I hope this passage will encourage you:
1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.- Psalm 33:1-4 (NIV)
Exodus 19
1 In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on the very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.
3 Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you [a] will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
Leviticus 18
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the LORD your God. 3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. 4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
3 ” ‘Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
5 ” ‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering [a] to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 6 It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up.
9 ” ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
11 ” ‘Do not steal.
” ‘Do not lie.
” ‘Do not deceive one another.13 ” ‘Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him.
” ‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.18 ” ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
32 ” ‘Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD. (NIV)
This Sunday, Rich Leatherberry will be preaching “The Way Out,” the final sermon of our Prison Break series. In this passage, we read that the Israelites were given MANY laws to follow while they were in the desert. These laws can seem overbearing and quite the opposite of freeing. However, the intent of the law was bigger than the Israelites could see; God’s purpose was to create a people after His own heart. Through the law, the Israelites became God’s treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
The law was the most important thing given to the Israelites in the desert. It was their God-given roadmap to break free from their slave mentality and become a holy nation. The law shows us that He is pure and holy and that we are prone to wander and fail without Him. It is only Jesus who can set us apart and give us power to be set free. The law is our roadmap and through the power of Jesus Christ working in us, we can live a holy life, full of excitement as part of God’s rescue plan to this world.
The songs selected this week will bring us to Jesus,who gives us the power to follow God’s will and set us free.
- Take it All – Marty Sampson, Matt Crocker, Scott Ligertwod
- All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
- We Boast in Jesus Christ – Jess Alldredge
- Devotion – Marty Sampson
- Come thou Fount of Every Blessing
- Your Grace is Enough – Matt Maher, Chris Tomlin
If you are looking for a new collection of Christmas music this year, look no further than Bifrost Arts‘ Salvation is Created. This isn’t your ordinary sentimental commercial garbage; it is familiar and forgotten hymns centered around the mystery of advent and the humble birth of Christ. The idea of faith abandons the realm of the Hallmark card and enters the real world, and the promise of ‘God with us’ comes with sobriety, but with joy that penetrates to the bone. Get it here, or on iTunes. Here are a few examples:
“Out of Heaven” – feat. Derek Webb and Evan Gregory
“Salvation is Created” – feat. Aimee Wilson
Exodus 16
2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”
4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
Exodus 17
3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5 The LORD answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Numbers 11
1 Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the LORD, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?
15 If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”
18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The LORD heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ‘ “
21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’
23 The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” (NIV)
A lot of scripture…a lot of complaining on the Egyptians’ part. So, I’ll keep it short. This Sunday, Scott Dudley will be preaching “So You Want to Go Back to Egypt,” as we continue the Prison Break sermon series. The question is: what do you want freedom from? Sometimes we can miss the freedom we desperately want because we go back to our bondage. There are two points that can help us break free of our bondage.
- Amplify the benefits of freedom and minimize the effects of our bondage. If we can acknowledge the damage that is caused from the sin that we are bonded to, we would be more likely to want freedom.
- Maximize our God and minimize the obstacles of freedom. If we simply realize the power and enormity of God, any obstacles that are in our way will seem smaller.
So, risks of faith do you need to take to get fee. What are those bondages that keep us from freedom? Fear not! God is bigger!
The songs selected this Sunday will help us acknowledge that we can be lost and trapped in our bondage and rejoice in the fact that we worship a God who is bigger than any hardship we face.
- Dancing Generation – Matt Redmond
- Solid Rock – Charlie Hall
- All Creatures of Our God and King
- Devotion – Marty Sampson
- Desert Song – Brooke Ligertwood
- Happy Day - Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelton
Final Thoughts
My wife and I went to these concerts knowing that they would be great. That expectation was fulfilled completely. There were so many things that made these shows special and enjoyable. It was great to see Sufjan in smaller, more intimate venues (the venue capacities were 500 or less). Considering that he sold out the Paramount Theater (2,800 seats) the last time he came to Seattle, these shows were unique. Since tickets were sold out within ½ an hour of opening, the people who got tickets really wanted to see him. Speaking of Seattle, even though the shows were in New York, our city was represented well in Sufjan’s band: the drummer (James McAlister), the bassist/guitarist/banjoist? (Casey Foubert), and one of the background vocalists (Rosie Thomas) are all from Seattle. Sufjan’s stage presence was great and inspirational. It was great because he is a humble person who doesn’t quite understand why so many people would be at a concert to see him. He would come out every night to help set up his own gear, even though he could have afforded guitar techs to do it for him. I also loved how he used music stands. This made me happy because I am pretty helpless without a music stand and lyrics whenever I am on stage. Sufjan doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but if a mistake happened, it was with lyrics. He definitely had a self-deprecating presence, which is not always a good thing, but since he was so phenomenal and humble, it was fitting.
The music, of course, was powerful and creative. It was simple and complex, shocking and familiar, sparse and experimental. However, the thing that stuck out the most to me at both shows was how Jesus was unashamedly glorified in the music and words. The thing that I appreciate about Sufjan Stevens the most is that he is a Christian who does not associate with the “Christian music scene,” and is able to achieve great respect and success in the secular world. The majority of people at the concerts and who buy his albums are not Christians. Sufjan avoids alienating people who don’t understand his worldview through his amazingly creative music and lyrical honesty. He does not talk about his relationship with God on the mic at concerts, but if you pay attention to his lyrics at all, God us unavoidable. Here are some examples of lyrics from the songs he sang at the concerts:
- You gave Your body to the lonely. They took Your clothes. You gave up a wife and a family. You gave Your ghost. To be alone with me You went up on a tree. – “To Be Alone With You”
- All the glory when He took our place. But He took my shoulders and He shook my face. And He takes and He takes and He takes. – “Casmir Pulaski Day” (about loosing a high school friend/girlfriend to cancer).
- Lost in the cloud, a voice: Have no fear! We draw near! Lost in the cloud, a sign: Son of man! Turn your ear! Lost in the cloud, a voice: Lamb of God! We draw near! Lost in the cloud, a sign: Son of man! Son of God! – “The Transfiguration”
The moment when I was most spiritually affected was during the new song “All Delighted People.” At the point where the lyrics All delighted people raise your hands were repeated several times, I felt the overwhelming power of God in the room. I looked on stage and saw Rosie Thomas, one of the backup singers who I know is a Christian, literally raising her hands and worshiping. God was in that room and I knew by looking around that people could feel it. At that moment, all I could do was praise God. I know that there were a lot of people who don’t know God, but for a time I know He was working in their hearts. The closing lyrics to the song perfectly fit this idea. The song seemed to be about the world being screwed up, yet Sufjan knows that God loves him and that he loves God no matter what. It was in my opinion the most powerful song both nights. I think it’s fitting to close the review with the last two choruses of the song.
And the people bowed and prayed. Oh I love You a lot. Oh I love You from the top of my heart. And what difference does it make. I still love You a lot. Oh I love You from the top of my heart. And on Your breast I gently lay. My head in Your arms. Do you love me from the top of Your heart. I tried my best, I tried in vain. Oh do You love me a lot. Do You love me from the top of Your heart.
And the people bowed and prayed. Oh I love You a lot. Oh I love You from the top of my heart. And You can see through my mistakes. Oh I’ll tell it to You now. Oh I’ll tell it from the top of my heart. And what difference does it make if the world is a mess. If the world is a mess. On your breast I gently lay. Oh my head in Your arms. Oh my head in Your arms.
Amen.
2nd Night
The second show was at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on October 6th. Since we had been to one already, we arrived at the venue a little later so that we wouldn’t have to stand and wait as long. Luckily people in Brooklyn are more laid back about concerts (probably because Brooklyn is the epicenter for the indie scene right now and there are good shows every 2 seconds), so we ended up near the front of the line. Once we got in there was an awkward run/walk to the stage and Annie and I somehow ended up in the very front.
After Cryptacize finished, we were pleasantly surprised to see a super socially awkward, weirdly dressed girl come up to the mic and begin talking. It was Sheila Saputo, Rosie Thomas’s (she sang bgv’s for Sufjan both nights) alter ego/stand-up comedian character. There was about five minutes of hilarious comments and banter with the crowd (she was also chewing a banana in the mic the whole time). Then she introduced Sufjan to the stage after pronouncing his name incorrectly about 6 times.
When Sufjan came on stage I was expecting something similar to the previous show. I knew the setlist would change a little, but I was surprised to see when the band walked out that they had added two more players. The horn/wind section was now a quartet (trumpet/french horn, french horn, trombone, clarinet/saxophone). Not only that, but an upright piano was rolled out just to the left of Annie and I at the front of the stage. This meant that the sound would be fuller and more layered. It also meant that Sufjan had written out new arrangements for all of the horn/wind players to coordinate for the larger ensemble.
This time, the set was kicked off with the psychedelic sound of the new song “Impossible Souls.” Then Sufjan sat down at the piano and started “Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois.” He sang a few lines and immediately stopped to ask the lighting technicians to turn the lights back up so he could see his lyrics. He joked that high production for concerts was “so passé” and he just wanted to “keep it real.” After throwing his music stand down (he had claimed the night before that he was trying to wean himself from using the music) during “Casmir Pulaski Day,” the concert went on without a hitch.
Some of the more exciting highlights were fan favorites like “Come On! Feel the Illinois!” and “Jacksonville.” The arrangements were slightly altered from the album versions, which kept people on their toes. “Come On! Feel the Illinois!” featured an extended solo section where Sufjan began with an impressive Copeland-styled improvisation leading into a sax and trumpet solo. The so far unreleased “Barn Owl, Night Killer” silenced the crowd as Sufjan’s voice and piano rang out though the venue.
Encores are standard at rock shows nowadays, so it was no surprise when Sufjan came out and sang “The Dress Looks Nice on You” and “Size Too Small” from Seven Swans. But after Sufjan left the stage, it seemed there was a possibility for a second encore. By this date, the new song “There’s Too Much Love” had been in heavy rotation on Youtube and music blogs. The crowd wanted more. No one left and the audience kept clapping and cheering, getting louder every minute. The post-show music was playing through the speakers and some of the stagehands began unplugging monitors, but the crowd would not relent. Finally, the crowd convinced the production crew to take the lights back down. The trumpet player came on stage and after an argument with the monitor crew to get everything plugged back in, Sufjan and the band came back on. They closed with “There’s Too Much Love” and everybody went home happy.
Well, after waiting a month to process the two Sufjan Stevens concerts my wife and I attended in New York City, I think it’s about time to get it on paper (or the internet, or blogosphere, or whatever you call this thing). To be honest, laziness was probably more of a factor in waiting a month than the processing part; but whatever. I’ll post the review in three sections over the next three days: Intro/1st night, 2nd night, and final thoughts.
Intro
First, I’ll give a little background. Sufjan Stevens is an artist residing in Brooklyn, NY who mixes autobiography, religious fantasy, and regional history to create folk songs of grand proportions. Born in Detroit, Stevens studied music at Hope College in Holland, MI and was in the masters program for writing at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Stevens’ album Come On! Feel The Illinoise! was the most critically praised album of 2005 and just won Paste Magazine’s “Best Album of the Decade” award. Needless to say, Stevens has become a huge success in the independent rock/folk world and until September of this year, he had not gone on a U.S. tour since 2006. So, when my wife and I heard that Sufjan was going on a small east coast tour this fall we decided if we could get tickets we would go to New York. Even though every show sold out within half an hour of when they went on sale, we managed to snag tickets to two shows: one at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC and the other at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.
1st Night
The first show was at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC on October 4th. We arrived an hour before doors were supposed to open. While this was a good idea (there was already a line going around the block), we had no clue that we were embarking on 5 1/2 hours of standing. Standing aside, we had a great spot four people/rows back from the stage. Considering the venue was standing room only and general admission we were lucky with our proximity to the front. Cryptacize, fellow Asthmatic Kitty label-mates with Sufjan, was the opening act. Their sparse and whimsically arranged pop music was exciting and creative. The energy was perfect and set the mood for what was to come. We had seen Cryptacize before in Seattle and loved them, but this time they had a full band and had obviously developed and become more confident. While their albums are great, seeing them live is much better. Nedelle Torrisi’s (lead singer) voice was flawless and it was nice to see her again when she sang bgv’s in Sufjan’s band. They had a solid set that lasted about 1/2 an hour. Usually, people don’t love the opening bands and want them to finish so that the main act can come on, but I got the impression that people wouldn’t have minded hearing more from Cryptacize; which is a testament to their great music and stage presence.
After a too long but understandable wait for the stage to be set, Sufjan and his band began. The set started with a banjo and a voice; the fundamentals of a stereotypical Sufjan Stevens tune. The song, “The Mistress Witch from McClure (or, the mind that knows itself),” allowed the band to slowly come alive as harmonies, horns, guitars and percussion built a beautiful texture around the simple melody. After this humble introduction, Stevens and the band that barely fit on the small stage presented their large and experimental sound with the new song “Impossible Souls.” The eight-member band included: banjo, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards/synths, drums/percussion, bass, french horn, trumpet, trombone and two background vocalists. An integral element to the sound was the number of effects pedals that were wired to every instrument. There were over forty pedals on the stage, with the trumpet player having the most! Stevens joked that before the tour they all went to Guitar Center for a couple of hours and had a lot of fun buying everything they liked. The new sound created with this band and their arsenal of electronic gear was explosive and captivating.
Though the new songs (he did 3 in NYC and 4 in Brooklyn) contained all the elements of Sufjan’s previous works (catchy melodies, tight harmonies, developed arrangements, overlapping textures and melodic passages, subtlety vs. explosiveness) they also contained experimental electronic and jazz/fusion breaks that challenged the listener. The sound was a mixture of Stevens himself with Sonic Youth, Miles Davis’ Bitches’ Brew, Radiohead and Simon and Garfunkel. Sufjan did strip the band back down for classics like “Casimir Pulaski Day” and “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” and it was in those moments where I was able to see and hear the beautiful simplicity that first got me hooked on his music. Though I had looked forward to hearing Stevens perform his hits and older material, it was the new songs that stood out and captivated the audience the most. The creativity and ability to keep his trademarks while introducing a completely new sound was impressive and after 13 songs and 2 encores, we left the concert shocked, amazed and speechless (our legs also felt like they were about to fall off).
Tim Keller with an amazing answer to an important question:
