Never buy a guitar from a store that sells mayonnaise.
- Unknown -
- Unknown -
Nate
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Sunday Blitz
> My first official Sunday away from NHC...
> Word is the band and techs did a great job without me. Attendance was up.
> Not sure if that means I'm a good leader or a Jonah...
> Redskins are looking good, but they're not catching any breaks in the first half...this is the longest first half ever...
> Went to C3 today...new building is awesome...lots of bugs to still work out, though. Good worship and sermon this morning.
> Congrats to the Patriots. I don't really care about them, but it's cool to see that kind of stuff happen.
That's all for now.
Nate
> Word is the band and techs did a great job without me. Attendance was up.
> Not sure if that means I'm a good leader or a Jonah...
> Redskins are looking good, but they're not catching any breaks in the first half...this is the longest first half ever...
> Went to C3 today...new building is awesome...lots of bugs to still work out, though. Good worship and sermon this morning.
> Congrats to the Patriots. I don't really care about them, but it's cool to see that kind of stuff happen.
That's all for now.
Nate
(Bump) Music Review #1: Casting Crowns "The Altar And The Door"
I'm bumping this and pointing you to the most recent comments...please, if you're going to take the time to post, don't be stupid...
I've had the priveledge of getting my hands on a real copy of Casting Crowns' newest CD, "The Alter And The Door" a few weeks before it's released to the public. The following is my personal review, track by track. The only bummer with these pre-release CDs is they often are not complete versions of the final cut...this one's missing the last two tracks that will be on the final CD.
"What This World Needs" - The first track is perhaps the best IMO. It starts the CD off well, and made me think for at least 4:41 that C2's sound had evolved since their last release. This song offers a very modern sound with a cool digital loop, driving kick/snare and bass line and some heavy guitar effects (think Hillsong United or Chris Tomlin's "Let God Arise"). This first song does let you know right off the bat that the one thing that hasn't changed about C2 is their hard-hitting message to and about the church. Good stuff...
"Every Man" - Track two is much more "traditional" C2...piano driven, male/female harmonies, and again, those driven lyrics. This might be the first big radio hit from this CD. Good song and something to keep on the radar to use in church one day. Listen to the nice bass licks in the last 40 seconds of this one.
"Slow Fade" - Perhaps the most biting song of this project...taking direct aim at the moral failures of Christian leaders. Another more modern sounding song with a driving feel with the acoustic guitar. A great song to use when talking about character/moral discipline.
"East To West" - (The first single released on iTunes right now) A solid song about security in our faith and release of guilt and acceptance of forgivness (Think Audio A's "Ocean Floor").
"The World Is Alive" - A song about the Word coming alive in our lives. The first song in 6/8 time, which is always a nice change...it works well with the melody of the chorus especially.
"The Alter And The Door" - This song, unfortunately (and this is just MHO), is the beginning of the end for this CD. This track, and just about every other track 'til the end loses the modern alt rock sound for a more soft rock/country sound. The lyrics are still good, but the sound of the second half of this CD is radically different than the first half. The only thing I really like about this song, musically, is the second verse...they should have had the girl sing this entire song.
"Somewhere In The MIddle" - Great lyrics, good melody hook in the chorus. Vintage C2 with the piano/violins.
"I Know You're There" - Glad to hear the ladies get a song of their own...their voices are too good to be kept so much in the BGV's. Although, lyrically, this song seems to be more of a "filler" than any of the others...one of two songs not written by C2.
"Prayer For A Friend" - Written by Mark when he was about 15. While the lyrics are not nearly as polished, and the music/melody show their age, it's cool to see that Mark was even writing such honest lyrics at that age. The simplest song, musically, of the CD with just an acoustic guitar, violin/cello and pad.
"All Because Of Jesus" - The second song on the CD not written by C2...penned by Steve Fee Maybe the only song written and meant for congregational worship. A mix of the modern and country sounds found on this album.
Hidden Track - There's a "hidden track" at the end of the CD, I believe titled "White Dove". It's maybe the oddest hidden track I've ever heard...a Korean/English "classical" sounding song... Apparently, this song was performed by the band during its recent goodwill trip to North Korea. Sounds like it belongs on the "Sound of Music" soundtrack...
Bottom line, I am a little dissapointed with this album as a whole. I'm hoping that the last two tracks that I've yet to hear may help to redeem it. Lyrically it's just as good as anything C2's done yet, but the soft rock/country flavor on 4 of the 10 tracks just left me wanting much more, and a few songs seem more like fillers than anything else... But, I'm guessing that this CD will do better than "Lifesong" because it will apeal to a broader musical pallet.
Nate
I've had the priveledge of getting my hands on a real copy of Casting Crowns' newest CD, "The Alter And The Door" a few weeks before it's released to the public. The following is my personal review, track by track. The only bummer with these pre-release CDs is they often are not complete versions of the final cut...this one's missing the last two tracks that will be on the final CD.
"What This World Needs" - The first track is perhaps the best IMO. It starts the CD off well, and made me think for at least 4:41 that C2's sound had evolved since their last release. This song offers a very modern sound with a cool digital loop, driving kick/snare and bass line and some heavy guitar effects (think Hillsong United or Chris Tomlin's "Let God Arise"). This first song does let you know right off the bat that the one thing that hasn't changed about C2 is their hard-hitting message to and about the church. Good stuff...
"Every Man" - Track two is much more "traditional" C2...piano driven, male/female harmonies, and again, those driven lyrics. This might be the first big radio hit from this CD. Good song and something to keep on the radar to use in church one day. Listen to the nice bass licks in the last 40 seconds of this one.
"Slow Fade" - Perhaps the most biting song of this project...taking direct aim at the moral failures of Christian leaders. Another more modern sounding song with a driving feel with the acoustic guitar. A great song to use when talking about character/moral discipline.
"East To West" - (The first single released on iTunes right now) A solid song about security in our faith and release of guilt and acceptance of forgivness (Think Audio A's "Ocean Floor").
"The World Is Alive" - A song about the Word coming alive in our lives. The first song in 6/8 time, which is always a nice change...it works well with the melody of the chorus especially.
"The Alter And The Door" - This song, unfortunately (and this is just MHO), is the beginning of the end for this CD. This track, and just about every other track 'til the end loses the modern alt rock sound for a more soft rock/country sound. The lyrics are still good, but the sound of the second half of this CD is radically different than the first half. The only thing I really like about this song, musically, is the second verse...they should have had the girl sing this entire song.
"Somewhere In The MIddle" - Great lyrics, good melody hook in the chorus. Vintage C2 with the piano/violins.
"I Know You're There" - Glad to hear the ladies get a song of their own...their voices are too good to be kept so much in the BGV's. Although, lyrically, this song seems to be more of a "filler" than any of the others...one of two songs not written by C2.
"Prayer For A Friend" - Written by Mark when he was about 15. While the lyrics are not nearly as polished, and the music/melody show their age, it's cool to see that Mark was even writing such honest lyrics at that age. The simplest song, musically, of the CD with just an acoustic guitar, violin/cello and pad.
"All Because Of Jesus" - The second song on the CD not written by C2...penned by Steve Fee Maybe the only song written and meant for congregational worship. A mix of the modern and country sounds found on this album.
Hidden Track - There's a "hidden track" at the end of the CD, I believe titled "White Dove". It's maybe the oddest hidden track I've ever heard...a Korean/English "classical" sounding song... Apparently, this song was performed by the band during its recent goodwill trip to North Korea. Sounds like it belongs on the "Sound of Music" soundtrack...
Bottom line, I am a little dissapointed with this album as a whole. I'm hoping that the last two tracks that I've yet to hear may help to redeem it. Lyrically it's just as good as anything C2's done yet, but the soft rock/country flavor on 4 of the 10 tracks just left me wanting much more, and a few songs seem more like fillers than anything else... But, I'm guessing that this CD will do better than "Lifesong" because it will apeal to a broader musical pallet.
Nate
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Got Fluff?
One of the most common and aggravating characteristics of an evangelical church service is the presence of fluff. Fluff is anything that takes up any amount of time in a worship service that is not really necessary to the overall purpose of the church service.What can you identify (either in your church or another) as fluff?
Do you care about fluff, and if so, what do you do to insure that you minimize the fluff in your church service?
Jump into the discussion!
Nate
Friday, December 28, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Worship Service Flow?
The way I see it, there are three distinctive styles of worship service flow:
1) The Stop & Go - every song is it's own separate piece of the worship gathering. Every song has a distinctive beginning and end, with a pause between each song (either dead time, another element of the gathering or some talking/praying/lead-in for the next song). The emphasis tends to be on making each song unique and memorable. You'll see/hear this style at a Bon Jovi or Casting Crowns concert.
2) The Emotional Flow - every song seams to seamlessly flow into the next using extended musical interludes between songs, as if an entire set were just one long song. It's hard to tell where one song begins and another ends. The emphasis tends to be on using individual songs to create one big emotional experience for every set of songs. You'll see/hear this style at a Coldplay or Hillsong United concert.
3) The Anti-Climax - one song leads right into another, building the energy with every song. It's easy to distinguish the individual songs (with solid beginnings and endings), but there is no musical break between...this tends to be a blend of the first two styles. The emphasis tends to be on building a huge wave of energy and emotion with each song in the set. You'll see/hear this style at a Bruce Springsteen concert or...actually, off the top of my head, I can't think of a Christian artist who really utilizes this style well.
There are positives and negatives with each style, and every band needs to determine what their preferred style is going to be based on their own preferences and their own audiences/congregations.
We've determined that our style bounces between #1 and #3 depending on several factors. #1 is definitely the easiest, #2 probably requires the most amount of talent and awareness, and #3 requires the most amount of energy and charisma.
So, what do you think? Can you identify other distinctive styles? Has your band purposely determined your preferred style, or are you still trying to find your way? Let me know.
Nate
1) The Stop & Go - every song is it's own separate piece of the worship gathering. Every song has a distinctive beginning and end, with a pause between each song (either dead time, another element of the gathering or some talking/praying/lead-in for the next song). The emphasis tends to be on making each song unique and memorable. You'll see/hear this style at a Bon Jovi or Casting Crowns concert.
2) The Emotional Flow - every song seams to seamlessly flow into the next using extended musical interludes between songs, as if an entire set were just one long song. It's hard to tell where one song begins and another ends. The emphasis tends to be on using individual songs to create one big emotional experience for every set of songs. You'll see/hear this style at a Coldplay or Hillsong United concert.
3) The Anti-Climax - one song leads right into another, building the energy with every song. It's easy to distinguish the individual songs (with solid beginnings and endings), but there is no musical break between...this tends to be a blend of the first two styles. The emphasis tends to be on building a huge wave of energy and emotion with each song in the set. You'll see/hear this style at a Bruce Springsteen concert or...actually, off the top of my head, I can't think of a Christian artist who really utilizes this style well.
There are positives and negatives with each style, and every band needs to determine what their preferred style is going to be based on their own preferences and their own audiences/congregations.
We've determined that our style bounces between #1 and #3 depending on several factors. #1 is definitely the easiest, #2 probably requires the most amount of talent and awareness, and #3 requires the most amount of energy and charisma.
So, what do you think? Can you identify other distinctive styles? Has your band purposely determined your preferred style, or are you still trying to find your way? Let me know.
Nate
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
My Last Sunday Leading Worship
At least for a while.
This Sunday will probably be the last time I'm able to lead worship at my church for a while. That makes me sad. Few things bring me more fulfillment than leading my friends in worship of the True God.
My wife is going to be in Durham for at least a few months (learn more about that story here), and my church has released me to be with her during this time. I'll still be doing as much work as possible away from the church and my normal hands-on ministry, but it definitely won't be the same.
But, I am looking forward to the break from the stress of Sunday mornings and to the opportunity to spend time with Tricia during this time. I'm finding that every moment with her is becoming more precious to me.
I'm also looking forward to giving the people who I serve with the opportunity to step up and carry on without me.
It is said that one of the signs of a good leader is the ability of those he leads to function well and even excel without him/her. I am confident that my people will do well, because I know their abilities and their hearts for God, and I know that our ministry is so much more than me.
And, that feels good.
Nate
This Sunday will probably be the last time I'm able to lead worship at my church for a while. That makes me sad. Few things bring me more fulfillment than leading my friends in worship of the True God.
My wife is going to be in Durham for at least a few months (learn more about that story here), and my church has released me to be with her during this time. I'll still be doing as much work as possible away from the church and my normal hands-on ministry, but it definitely won't be the same.
But, I am looking forward to the break from the stress of Sunday mornings and to the opportunity to spend time with Tricia during this time. I'm finding that every moment with her is becoming more precious to me.
I'm also looking forward to giving the people who I serve with the opportunity to step up and carry on without me.
It is said that one of the signs of a good leader is the ability of those he leads to function well and even excel without him/her. I am confident that my people will do well, because I know their abilities and their hearts for God, and I know that our ministry is so much more than me.
And, that feels good.
Nate
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