Category: Music
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Singing the Blues in Psalm 32
Back in high school, all my friends were listening to the usual radio stations–dear God, Nickleback had the number one song my senior year–but my brother and I were a bit more antiestablishment, even back then. We rolled down the road in our dad’s ’88 Bronco II (which is still the coolest truck or car […]
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Album Review- Wilco: The Whole Love
So I’m sitting there in the park, enjoying the view over Elliot Bay in Seattle, minding my own business, when some 20-year-old dude breaks into the silence of a sun-soaked day. Hey have you heard their new album? What’s that? I asked him politely because I am a pastor-type and we pastor-types should respond with […]
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The Man in Black and the God of the Light: Johnny Cash, Addiction & Jesus
If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. -1 John 1:7 After that meteoric rise to the top, Johnny Cash was well on his way. Over the next ten years, he would travel […]
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Meeting an Old Friend: Johnny Cash, the Man in Black
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down; Living in the hopeless hungry side of town. I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime; But is there because he’s a victim of the times. -Johnny Cash, the Man in Black In the Summer of 1969, […]
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Believing Our Own Press: Bonhoeffer, Duritz and PR departments
One of my favorite all-time songs, for those keeping score at home, is “Mr. Jones” by Counting Crows. You remember this song, I am sure. Adam Duritz, the writer and singer confesses: When everybody loves me; I’m just about as happy as I can be. Who among us would argue? The truth is that all […]
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Life in the Rattle and Hum
A few years ago a friend asked me what I thought was the best album ever made. For the record, there are not many questions that will engage me more quickly in a conversation, not only because it makes me feel like I’m a music expert (which is the next-best thing to being a rock-star) […]
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Gillian Preaches the Gospel: The God We Know By the Mark in His Hands
A man of riches may claim a crown of jewels; but the King of heaven can’t be told from a prince of fools. Sweet, pure gospel. Jesus, the King of heaven, possesses all the riches of Godhood and yet you cannot pick him out of a crowd of morons. Really, who could possibly see […]
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The Gospel According to Arcade Fire
It might be a bit too revealing to admit, but one of the proudest moments of my life had to be a few weeks ago when a favorite band of mine called Arcade Fire won this year’s Grammy for best album. Personally, I have been a fan of this band since their last album, Neon […]
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The Love that Let us Share our Name
About a year ago now my dad stumbled upon a song by the Avett Brothers called “Murder in the City.” We took a vote, my mom, brothers and I, and we decided this song is officially now our family’s theme song. We called this one right. Hear it here: As many times as I have […]