Love Remains

This is the only way I know how to process these fires. These are lyrics from a song I wrote and will play on Sunday at Missiongathering.

Love Remains

Oh the world did change
As the skys all filled with grey
And the ground scorched with pain
Took our lives away

But love remained
Oh love remained
How love remained
Our love remained

And here we are
With sill beating hearts
And eyes to see us through
Oh here we are, Here are you

Love remains
Oh love remains
How love remains
Our love remains

Let this love, get you through
Let this love, get us through
Let your love, get us through
Let our love, get you through

Love still remains
Oh love still remains
Oh how love still remains
Our love still remains

Now Listening #5

Radiohead's new album "In Rainbows." This band continues to amaze my musical brain. Honestly, they nailed this album musically with a perfect blend of programming and great guitar work. I haven't had too much time to interact with the lyrics, but I am loving this stuff. Once again, Radiohead proves why they are my favorite band and the best live concert I have ever been to.

Intensity: In Four Parts

The last week of my life has been an extremely intense time. God is definitely speaking to me and opening my eyes through four very specific experiences in the last 6 days: Seattle, David Crowder, Brian McLaren, and the movie "For The Bible Tells Me So." So in an attempt to really document this, Im going to break these down. If you don't like long posts, or tire easily from reading long things... read one at a time... haha.

Seattle
What a wonderful city and what a wonderful experience. I can truly say I fell in love with the city of Seattle and with the people of Seattle. Throughout my four days there, I was overwhelmed by the sense of community and collective responsibility that seemed to spill out of every conversation and street corner I engaged. From my conversation with Frankie, a street kid in the Capitol District, to my time with an ecumenical gathering of Pastors and leaders from around the U-District... there was a thread of hope and collective love for one another that came through louder and clearer than anything else I heard. It seemed that there was a spirit of authentic compassion and desire to be connected to neighbors and people living in proximity to one another.

On top of all that, I got the chance to hear from leaders of the church that has come before my time. I saw the compassion and desire to live out the gospel in love and truth that refreshed my young soul in a different way. it let me know that I was not alone in my pursuit of love and hope. it let me know that I was connected to a heritage and tradition of love... and that the church truly has a message that is not necessarily new... but is taking on new life and new relationship to the world at large.

I have immense hope for a new kind of church in Seattle. One that contextually communicates the message of love and hope for those that so desperately need to hear it. I pray that I get to be a part of that. That Missiongathering gets to be a part of that new narrative that will be told. God taught me that my story is not new... but the way that I tell it will be new. God showed me that I am so connected and supported by those that have been there... and God refreshed me by giving me hope for a new future... not disconnected from our past...

David Crowder
What struck me most about my time at the DCB concert was the honest truth that I heard. This sums it all up for me:

"When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do

Where there is pain
Let there be grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Help them be brave
Where there is misery
Bring expectancy
And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Something"

God pushed me to write. God told me that its okay to write this album in the truth that he is showing me. God released me to write.

Brian McLaren
One phrase: "an epistemology of love." It was great to have Brian join us this morning at Missiongathering. I felt honored to share the stage with such an influential and honest man that is trying to help us understand what it means to have faith today. Once again, I found myself soaking in what God was surrounding me with. Letting me know that It is alright to go forward in my thoughts and convictions... and to live out my epistemology of love. That my view of the world, and my view of others is rooted in the way in which I love.

As we chatted after the gathering, Brian took me aside and said, "Thank you for the music this morning. The music was just wonderful. The songs were right. And its not often that you get really good music... and a really good mix together." (Holla Erik, soundman extrodinare). Which lead me to think... that just like good music and a good mix... there can be good music written through the epistemology of love.

Again, I feel released to write. Released to communicate in my way the love that is deepening in me.

For The Bible Tells Me So
If you have not heard about this movie or have not seen it... Head to your local indie film house and sit your butt in the seat. What a great piece on what it means to love. I am still processing everything that I saw and heard tonight, but ultimately it isnt a film that is arguing for the "rightness" of homosexuality nor the "wrongness" of it. Instead, it is saying that there are marginalized people that have been segregated by a book that was never meant to segregate. That the message of Jesus... and the message that we as christ followers should be so fixated on... is a message of inclusion. And not just inclusion... but love. I am sure tomorrow I will have more thoughts on the movie...

Wrap Up
God is showing me that the purpose in my life... the purpose of my music and my creative craziness is to communicate a love for all and a love for the marginalized and outcast. That God is screaming that message through many different mediums and is asking me to join in collective voice that the world needs to hear. I know that I haven't really been able to summarize in these few paragraphs the true swelling of my heart and soul over the last few days... but its there. Pray with me.. pray for me.. journey with me as we find out what it means to love.

Now Listening #4

Guster. Oh what a name. I know I am a little bit behind the curve in discovering their music... but it is really cool stuff. Right now I am listening to the song "Either Way." Really cool lyrics over the top of some good sample work. The song "Satellite" has some great key work in it too. guster.com

I Am Free...

Yesterday at Missiongathering was a great time. We introduced a new song called "I Am Free." It was pretty rad (and yes I used the word RAD) to see our community really engage. The lyrics speak to where we are in our life of our community. So I figured I would post the lyrics up here... so here they are:

I Am Free
Through You the blind will see
Through You the mute will sing
Through You the dead will rise
Through You all hearts will praise
Through You the darkness flees
Through You my heart screams, I am free!

I am free to run
(I am free to run)
I am free to dance
(I am free to dance)
I am free to live for you
(I am free to live for you)
I am free
(I am free)


Through You the kingdom's come
Through You the battle's won
Through You I'm not afraid
Through You the price is paid
Through You there's victory
Because of You my heart screams I am free
I am free

Who the Son sets free, Is free indeed
Who the Son sets free, Is free indeed
Who the Son sets free, Is free indeed
Who the Son sets free, Is free indeed

Street Gatherings #3

Tonight's "Street Gathering" is brought to you by the good folks at Mountain Dew... Mountain Dew, keeping people up way past consciousness.

Tonight I got the chance to meet Dante (in the black Metallica shirt) and Raymond (in the hat) at rehearsal. They rolled up pushing shopping carts full of bottles and cans and stayed through the whole rehearsal. Tonight we were working on some new material for Sunday morning, playing two great songs: "Everlasting God," and "I Am Free."

After rehearsal we got a chance to chat, and the guys really were so uplifting to us. They said some people "have it" and we "ABSOLUTELY have it." I haven't yet figured out what "it" is, but I am reassured to know that we found it. In any event, these guys were real nice guys. We talked old time vinyl from Zepplin to AC/DC to Warren Zevon and even got to rap about some pretty crazy concerts Dante had been to. Ultimately, great guys and were extremely gracious to us.

Raymond took one of my cards and wants to give it to his sister who he says is an MTV producer. He said that she has to put too much "crap" on the air that when she finally sees real talent, she will fall in love with us. Everyone knows someone whos going to make you famous.. huh.

Great night of rehearsal... Great getting to know Dante and Raymond. I hope our paths cross again.

Now Listening #3

I hooked up my vintage Scott speakers to my vintage Scott tube amplifier (all courtesy of TubieClaus) and spun my first vinyl in over two weeks. It took a good 30 minutes to fine tune the sound but... Oh the sounds of the B-side of U2's Joshua Tree. Amazing sound. Amazing clarity. Amazing... amazing... amazing. I will post some pics of the new set up tomorrow.

1/5 of the Way!

Hey all. Here is a quick update on the new album. As of today we are about one fifth of the way to having the money raised for the new album. After just a week of fundraising, I am pretty stoked. We haven't sent out letters yet, and we havent promoted beyond Mission just yet. So my hopes are up that it is going to happen. THANK YOU COMMUNITY!

Street Gatherings #2 - My Friend Dave / Isaiah 43

Last night, on my way from some dessert with some friends, I crossed paths with a local man named Dave. Dave has been coming to Missiongathering for a while now, but I have yet to really have a conversation with him. Dave also lives on the streets and is a self-proclaimed "Bum Theologian." He asked me if I had a minute, and we sat and chatted for a good 45 minutes. In the midst of hearing a little of his story, he pulled out his bible and started talking about worship leading with me.

He asked if I could write a song for him and then opened to Isaiah 43 and told me to start reading.

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, Ill be there with you. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it wont be a dead end--Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. " (msg)

We finished up our conversation over a good laugh at the old school rockers like Zepplin and Bowie and said good-bye for the night. I cant shake those verses. Talk about hope... and talk about the new TBR album. Thank you Dave. I hope I can write a song that tells your story.

Now Listening #2

Amy Winehouse. I know everyone is amped about her single "Rehab." But this girl has got talent on the rest of the album. Check out these two albums: "Frank" and "Back To Black." Bringing back the big band lounge music. A very cool website as well... click here.

currently listening

Broken Social Scene. A collection of indie kids from Canada giving us some great music and great lessons in collaboration. Check them out: http://www.noisefactoryrecords.com/bss.htm

album thoughts

im working on some material for the new TBR album. here are my thoughts on the subjects I want to write about:

The God of Love
The God of Grace
The God of Peace
The God of Hope

any thoughts about these attributes of God? stories? scriptures?