sneak peek of new cd cover
Here’s a sneak peek at the cover design for the new CD… working on the finishing touches of the audio and graphic design… should be released in a few weeks (you can pre-purchase the record here)… What do you...
Read More »new cd coming soon – you can pre-order it now
Wednesday is the last recording session for the new CD… then it’s on to mixing and mastering, design work and manufacturing… The CD is available for pre-purchase (at a crazy low price for multiple copies) here. Pre-purchasing the record helps to fund it “up front” (much appreciated!), guarantees that you receive the first copies (aiming to have it ready by the end of August), and by pre-ordering multiple copies you can help to spread the word and get this music into as many hands and homes and hearts as possible. This is my fifth album of “songs of faith for small and tall” and I’m very excited about it! Where my last CD (A New Heart – 2009) was probably my most ambitious recording to date in terms of instrumentation and arrangements, this album has a more “stripped down” and rootsy acoustic approach. Singing scripture in new ways, these are songs that help us to explore and internalize how we are part of the ongoing story of what God is doing in the world. From the blistering bluegrass tune “New World Coming” to the evocative “Make Room”… from the playful “Detectives of Divinity” to the stark “Lofty Words”… from the fun sing-along “Fruit of the Spirit” to the vivid storytelling of “Take Heart,” this is a collection of songs that bring us face to face with the realities of our day-to-day life in light of the scriptural story, in a way that gets “small and tall” singing and talking and laughing and praying together. Scheduled for release in August. Available for pre-purchase now –...
Read More »a wee bit of video
Some folks have been after me for a long time, saying I should have more of a “video presence” on YouTube and so on. The world of video, at this point, is rather beyond my comfort zone, and has not been a priority for me… But some friends from Fraser Lake Camp contacted me a while ago, wanting to make a short video… so here it is. These folks (John Wideman, of Ode Productions, and Scott Eyre and Eric Musselman) really know what they’re doing and, much to my surprise, made it fun. Who knows, maybe after dipping this toe in the water of video, I’ll decide to “take the plunge” someday and do some more with this medium… This particular segment was “cut” to keep it brief, and directly related to camp and how I (and my music ministry) have been impacted by my camp experience. There is the possibility of putting together a different “cut” of the interview, with more on songwriting, and so on… we’ll see (maybe)… Anyway, you can have a look and see what you...
Read More »choosing the right songs
This past weekend’s adult Sunday School class in Wadsworth, Ohio was a new experience for me. The congregation is in the midst of a visioning and discernment process, seeking to have open eyes, ears and hearts for “God’s good plans for us” (Jeremiah 29:11). The pastor and I had put together a plan for the class, where there would be an invitation for people to share their experiences and reflections on what God is doing in their midst, and I would respond periodically with some comments and songs, reflecting on whatever was shared. We started with a brand new song – “Detectives of Divinity” (possibly the title track for the new CD that I’m recording): “We are detectives of divinity, we’re looking all around For signs of God’s activity wherever they are found God is up to something, of that you can be sure So start the investigation, the clues are everywhere…” I had no idea what would happen, or how it would go. But I found it to be a deeply moving time, as people shared about realities in their town, in their congregation, in their own physical bodies… searching and sharing and celebrating together the “signs of God’s activity wherever they are found”… and finding ways to sing those experiences and realities, expressing our openness and desire to see, to hear, to follow. Choosing the right song… A couple of weeks earlier, I had a similar-but-totally different experience. I had been asked to help to plan and lead worship at an international, ecumenical conference on mining, hosted by KAIROS. Preparing for this event was a rich experience in itself – working closely together with two colleagues – one Mennonite, one Catholic – crafting worship experiences for this event. The conference happened on Sunday to Tuesday, May 1-3… and the Canadian federal election took place on Monday, smack dab in the middle. Needless to say, given the KAIROS funding situation that has been unfolding over the past couple of years, there was deep concern at the conference about the implications of a Conservative majority government… In our planning for the rhythm and flow of the worship times over the course of the conference, one of the songs we had chosen for Tuesday morning was this one – “Inspired by Love and Anger.” . This choice was made well in advance of the election and the election results, but it seemed to “hit home” at that time and place in ways that we could not have imagined. Choosing the right song… Since September I’ve been participating in a once-per-month class on the book of Job… taught by this exceptionally excellent prof (who happens to be my brother)… and one of the things that has struck me has been the degree to which the conversation (debate/argument/knock-down-full-out-no-holds-barred-verbal-bout) between Job and the three friends has to do with “choosing the right song.”...
Read More »infiltrating iowa
(The following has been reconstructed from top secret files and the memory of several key agents. Well, one in particular. We have reason to believe it is a reasonably accurate depiction of the sequence of events, if not an exact transcription of actual conversations and timelines. The phone lines and vehicles were not bugged at the time in question.) ——- It all started with a surreptitious call from an elderly secret agent in Donnellson, Iowa. “Hi. Our pastor really likes your music, and we’d like to get her three of your CDs as a baby shower present. We want it to be a surprise. Can you get them out here by the weekend?” Transaction completed. Parcel delivered. Surprise sustained. Mission accomplished. Until… “Hello. I’m a pastor in Donnellson, Iowa. I really like your music. If you’re ever coming through this area, please let us know – we’d love to have you come and do an event with our community.” Operation phase 2, approximately 10 months later… Morning assignment completed. Gathering with local chapter of agents in Iowa City… instructions deciphered from scripture, allegiances reaffirmed, all sent forth to continue the mission… Sustenance attained (compressed energy via stacked noodles in lasagna formation, stimulating conversation, uproarious laughter, new connections and allies in the cause), rolling down the highway en route to rendezvous in Mount Pleasant McDonalds parking lot… anticipating transference of asset to agent in green Buick… Positive identification on green Buick… approach initiated… transfer completed… next rendezvous: Donnellson. Asset hustled into building… more compressed energy via stacked noodles… more conferring and connecting with co-conspirators… equipment checked, materials (digital discs, printed transcriptions) laid out in plain view… operation smalltallsongs awaiting signal, ready for launch… …communication delivered and engaged… multiple agents deputized, equipped, mobilized, dispersed… … subsequent multi-location operations initiated… awaiting further...
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