Matt Maher (Your Grace Is Enough)
Songwriting

1. Become A Great Reader

Worship songwriters must be come great readers. Books without pictures – steal ourselves away from constant “film only” learning.

As creatives, someone would think of electricity, democracy, worship, etc.

Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman told him the story of John Quincy Adams (PBS Miniseries) – eloquent writer.

2. Listen to new music.

Expand your boundaries. Symphony concert, jazz concert, new genre. The composers wrote for the church and for the culture. There is something to be done in the listening.

Classical music now often exists in an academic ghetto. Listen widely.

3. Learn new words.

He’s writing with Derek Webb (controversial but fantastic writer) – ten songs a year, then stops, comes out with a record.

Social networking creates an instant culture; songwriting takes time to linger in.

Careful you don’t contribute to an epidemic of “sameness” in writing.

4. Avoid stale approaches.

We turn to stock things – sounds, etc. that we’ve seen work. A G chord played with the Open The Eyes Of My Heart strumming pattern.

You could set the bar, but usually after learning what others have done. Have integrity in what you write.

If not, we adopt the horrible part of culture – the disposable. We’ll run out of cliche. Take a philosophy that says “we won’t be disposable; we’ll be accountable to do things with creative integrity.”

5. Use different instruments.

Comfortable on guitar – not so comfortable on keyboard? Try the thing that’s more challenging, or pushes you a different direction.

6. Use rhythm tracks.

Much of today’s music is more rhythm-driven. Use the loops in Garage Band.

Just for exercise. Go to iTunes, buy the backup tracks for a great song, and try to create something new over it (don’t actually use it – that’s plagiarism) – but practice that way. It’ll wake you up.

7. Find ways to show, and not tell.

We are proclamation driven. But biblically, proclamation was after 30 years living out a revelation to folks, then proclaiming the point.

I.e. Reveal God first, as opposed to proclaiming God first. Show faith before you tell it. Show ideas before you tell them. Point to truth, with compelling ideas.

Writing with Derek Webb; sat for 10 minutes in co-writing session. He just sat there looking at Matt. “Are we stuck?” Then, he had an idea. Derek works it out in his head; Matt works it out verbally.

8. Co-write.

We’re a church for a reason, sent out in two’s for a reason. Empowered to do the things we’re supposed to do. A musical extension of life in community. Come with an idea. In the process of holding it loosely, you say I’m willing for this person to tear it apart for something greater.

It’s an exercise in humility. You actually may not be the only one with great ideas. God is Trinity; consider this communal creative expression.

When artists come together, we’re experiencing (maybe) a small taste of what the Trinity is like. Co-crafting.

Other Notes:

Don’t write melodies above E over middle C for congregations – tough for them).

Think singability when writing for corporate settings.

If you write 50 songs, and 4 are congregational, great.

Records ideas in phone. Uses “iRecorder.”

Lyric idea confront melody idea? Let one of them hack up the other if needed.

Picked this up from Dan Wilts blog – some great insights here eg “Reveal God first, as opposed to proclaiming God first” in point 7.

Simple but profound.

May 15, 2010

There is no such thing as Christian music

I grew up going to a small school, which was part of the small church that I was part of in our small town, which, you may not be surprised to discover, created kind of a small view of reality in my mind.   The height of human artistic achievement was the town’s only movie theatre, Rogers Cinema, which may have had almost 4 screens!  The pinnacle of exotic culinary delight was either the Perkins family diner or perhaps the China Chef restaurant that employed probably 90 percent of the non-white people of the town.   And the story of the universe was about a six thousand year old earth that some big powerful guy that we called “God” made so that I could believe in a guy named Jesus and go to heaven when I died…

Sing it with me:  It’s all about meeeeeee, Jesus/and all this is for meeeee…

Anyway, this guy named God had music that he liked, but it was only the kind of music that was sold in stores that also sold lots of Bibles and pictures of bearded white guys holding lambs around their necks.  The other kinds of music… you know the kinds that most people listen to that say words like “baby” and “damn” that they sell in places like Best Buy… This guy named God didn’t like that music because for every minute that the music played, you couldn’t hear the word “Jesus”… well, any times!  He needed a much higher J.P.M. (Jesus per minute) before he liked the song.

I know this sounds funny, and I wouldn’t have ever put it into those words, but that was basically the reality.  I remember when the youth group burned all of our “secular” tapes.  (didn’t the Nazis do something like that…)  But I had a problem, because I didn’t really own any secular tapes, at least none with words like “baby” or “damn” in them.  So I think I may have just found my tape with the least amount of J.P.M.-ness and tore it to pieces!

I look back at those days with a mixture of embarrassment and fondness.  I liked how simple the world was when it was so small and understandable.  But, small-mindedness doesn’t always have the greatest effect of good in the world…

I guess it was a gradual thing, but over the years, as I walked with God, I realized I had made idols and silly images of him in my head.  He wasn’t a guy “up there”.  In fact, God wasn’t really a “He” at all, that was just a metaphor.  Then I went to college and learned that there’s pretty good evidence that the earth is older than 6,000 years old, and that the universe is bigger than I thought it was, as I learned that there are a lot of things that people don’t know…it all humbled me a bit.  I began to realize that all creativity and goodness and beauty comes from this infinite creative source that is responsible for the universe’s existence.  This God that holds all things together and is the source of all life and love is also responsible for any beautiful thing that human beings ever do, no matter what they believe about Jesus or God or how old the earth is or whatever.  All beauty belongs to God.

Then I got signed by a “Christian” label, and started learning about the “Christian music industry”, and realized that many people in the industry aren’t really Christians.  In fact, sometimes the Christian music industry has shadier things going on then people in the mainstream market.  I realized that a lot of these people that called themselves Christians said things that they didn’t really actually seem to live out or believe.

Then I realized that things like labels or CD’s can’t be “Christian”, only people can be “Christian.”  Christian means being a follower of Jesus.  Music can’t follow Jesus.  Only people can.  That means there is actually no such thing as Christian music.  That would be like saying that a house is agnostic because an agnostic built it.   A house is a house.  Words are words. Music is music.  This also means there is no such thing as “secular” music.  It’s all just music.

I think this idea of secular music being evil is probably not as prevalent as it was in the 90’s.  But I’m not actually sure it’s for the best reasons… Let me explain:

I’m not sure that the American Church hasn’t just faded into the culture more.  A lot of us used to be “not in the world” in our attempt to be “not of the world”, and now a lot of us are both “in the world” and “of the world.”  Scriptures teach us that we are to be “in the world, but not of the world.”

So, I’m not sure that our reasons for being in the world, listening to their music, watching their shows…etc are really rooted in anything deeper most of the time than that we do not care that much anymore.  I don’t think that’s healthy either.

Ideally, I think Christians should seek to maintain a purity of mind and heart that is “not of this world.”  We should be aware of what we drink in and how it affects us.  For me, I have realized that if I listen to too much Christian radio, I end up getting cynical and angry.  So I don’t listen to it.  If I read too many books that are really anti-faith, I tend towards the same line, so I limit my intake of that stuff as well. But I also try to open my mind and heart to the potential voice and beauty of God that is all around me and very present even within the unexpected places in our culture.

For example, I personally have seen and experienced FAR more of the beauty of God in the films of the master filmmakers of our culture than in the movies labeled as Christian.   There are films and plays and pieces of literature and art and music that are drenched with the creativity and majesty of the Creator that are made by artists who would call themselves “atheists.”  They can’t help where they got that creativity from, even if they’d like to try.

On the other side of the coin, for those who may be cynical towards the “Christian” markets, we must remind ourselves that even in things labeled “Christian”, the beauty of God can be found.  Perhaps we can even find the beauty of God reflected in music of hypocrites and Pharisees.  Perhaps even on Christian radio.

This constant tension of trying to live in the world but not of it is a tricky one, and it’s easy to get the two ideas mixed up.  There’s nothing wrong with singing songs about Jesus, and trying to sell it to Christians.  At least I hope not, because that’s what my job is…  And, believe it or not, I do love a lot of Christian music actually.  But my hope for myself and the Church today is that we could learn how to recognize and be formed by the true, the good, the beautiful that is reflective of the presence and voice of God in the world around us, both inside and outside of the church.  And secondly, that we would recognize the pollution of the world that is present in much of the human art as well, both inside and outside of the church, and learn how to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world.

I’d love to hear your comments.

I think Michael Gungors views match my observations of late having been a worship leader for over 20 years I’ve noticed a shift in the past few years.

I made this video to unpack what I am seeing:

Years ago I remember being so challenged by the concept explained here that I publicly destroyed a perfectly good Fender Telecaster as an act of sacrifice and worship.

It was very cathartic for me but misunderstood by others!

Thanks to Gareth for posting this.

A policing group which believes that the power of prayer can catch criminals and keep officers safe from harm has been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Home Office

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  A Christian policing group which believes that the power of prayer can catch criminals and keep officers safe from harm has been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Home Office to widen its involvement with local church groups.

  The Christian Police Association (CPA) wants members of the public to “adopt a cop” by praying for the safety of local officers as they ply their beats. Subjects that the association says congregations should be encouraged to pray for include “helping officers make on-the-spot decisions” and encouraging them to “resist corruption”.

  The nationwide organisation, which boasts 2,000 members, claims that there is “circumstantial evidence” to suggest that regular prayer sessions can help reduce crime rates and encourage criminals to make a new start to their lives.

  This week they are launching a new initiative called “CoAct”, which is partly funded by a £10,000 Home Office grant, to improve links between local church groups and police officers and encourage congregations to act as “peacemakers” in areas where gang violence and antisocial behaviour is high.

  Don Axcell, a retired Metropolitan Police sergeant who heads the CPA, told Police Review: “We want people to pray for the police, for example in solving crimes or protecting officers. We want to see the Christian community fully interacting with the service. I think it will break down barriers.”

  Mr Axcell said two incidents from his own career had made him believe that prayer really could help apprehend suspects. “One officer was investigating an incident but had not been able to apprehend a suspect,” he said. “He encouraged a church to pray for him and within days a suspect had been charged. Another officer encouraged churches to pray about domestic burglary and over the year it came down by 30 per cent. We do not discount good police work, which is why we call it circumstantial evidence.”

  Les Isaacs, the founder of the influential Street Pastors movement, which patrols more than 70 cities across the country helping drunken revellers and diffusing gang tensions, says church groups already play a strong role in tackling antisocial behaviour.

  “The approach has to be both pragmatic and spiritual,” he said. “Prayer makes a tangible difference, we see it every day. If you pray for the well-being of the community around you will see people physically become less aggressive.”

  But Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said the Government should not be funding religious-oriented police organisations which he believes have helped factionalise officers into competing camps.

  “I have no objection to a local congregation praying for their community but the Government should not be funding these sorts of sectarian police groups,” he said. “If there’s one institution that should be avowedly secular, it is the police force. Yet we have Christian, Muslim and Jewish police associations all battling for greater recognition and government funding.”

  Matt Baggott, chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and president of the Christian Police Association, said CoAct would be a “great way of giving police officers the support, care and encouragement that they need and value”.

  A Home Office spokesman added: “We have given the Christian Police Association a one-off grant of £10,000 to support its ongoing work to improve community safety, tackle antisocial behaviour and reduce violence.”

  via independent.co.uk

Unleashing Gratitude

eric posted on November 26, 2009

He had incredible potential, a keen intellect, and a passionate heart for the things of God. But as substantial as his gifting was, it was equally matched by his brokenness. I was more than happy to invest in his life, and certainly his promise and eagerness were motivation enough. I was mentoring a small community while working a full-time job and trying to be faithful as a good husband and father of two. It caught me by surprise the day he sat me down and reprimanded me. It was no small rebuke. He told me I had let him down. I had not followed through on my commitment. I was not giving him enough time and investment.

I considered arguing with him, but experience reminded me it would be no use. So I just took him home. We sat in the living room with my wife, Kim, who has a wonderful way of cutting through everything and just getting at the truth. I only asked her one question. “Honey, who do I spend more time with, you or him?”

I’ll never forget Kim’s response. “Are you kidding? I thought you were married to him.” The conversation was over. The point I couldn’t make was made with emphasis.

When we lack wholeness, our ability to perceive the investment of others is damaged. Our perception is that we’re just not getting what we need. The truth is, nothing sticks because our heart lacks the proper texture for the investment to mature. This is the mystery of gratitude. Without it, all the investment in the world will not result in wholeness. Thankfully, this particular individual had a dramatic change of heart. A decade later it’s my privilege to know him and I am always amazed at the level of his servanthood. It certainly wasn’t the result of learning something new.

Sometimes the simple truth is the most profound. That we will never become whole without gratefulness probably doesn’t seem complex enough to be true. For whatever it’s worth, I have always found the greatest mysteries of life to be hidden in simplicity. The quest for nobility is a journey that takes us from gratitude to wholeness to generosity. There is no other path that leads us to the freedom that makes us complete. There is no way to circumvent the process. It all begins here. And as we will discover, it also ends here. It is a life of gratitude that makes us whole, overwhelms us with love, and moves us to live generous lives.

No truth, no matter how profound, will find its way into a heart that is absent of gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving.

An exerpt taken from Erwin McManus’ Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul

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Here’s the very first song from the very first gig of my on-going house concert world tour which ‘glamorously’ started in Randalstown, Co. Antrim here in Northern Ireland. The 2009 leg went from there to the US (Ohio, Pennsylvania, California & Washington) and then back to NI (Bangor, Kilkeel, Coleraine & Comber).

The house concert tour has been a most excellent adventure. To simply hit the road with a ‘have-guitar-will-travel’ sense of not knowing what’s around the next corner, who you’re going to meet, where you’re going to stay has been invigorating.

Every single gig that I did was arranged by folks who I had never met outside of cyberspace – yet they were willing to put together an event invite their friends and see where it goes.

If you’re wondering what a house concert is, it’s quite simply a live music performance in your home. You invite your friends and acquaintances over for a live show. Each of your friends donates a few bucks/pounds/euros (depends where you are) for the privilege. You then get live music in your home.

Your friends get a unique, personalized, relaxed environment to experience great music.

This year’s tour will head to the South of Ireland, back to the US and possibly Australia.

If you fancy hosting a house concert check out http://www.andyrogersmusic.com/house-concerts/ for all the details.

I finally had the privilege of viewing James Cameron’s new file, Avatar, last evening. As usual, I had on my “art delivers worldview” glasses, and a 3D glasses, in order to take in the whole experience as both and entertaining and educational enterprise.

I was not disappointed by the visuals, nor was I appalled by the story line – overused as it is. For me, the worldview blends of biological deification (a leaning I can appreciate because of my own sense of growing wonder at the biological world), voodoo-meets-mother earth, and sacrificial spirituality all rumbled together throughout the film.

I welcomed many of the elements of the story as responses to modernist culture, with it’s deification of all things machine. The emphasis on the biological world, and the mysteries still remnant in its intricate weavings, is always a delight to me.

As for me, the Christian Story that I embrace as the human Story is big enough, grand enough, expansive enough to talk about a movie like this with nuance. However, I know many Christians who swing two ways – one recoiling in conservatism at blatant spiritual themes that contradict what I might suggested is a small vision of our faith, and the other who simply buys the art of popular culture like a baby chick being fed by mother Hollywood – and quietly integrates spiritualist themes into a non-discerning faith.

We must look for the beauty in the worldview and delivery mechanism of every piece of art, but then also exercise discernment as to what ideas it is artfully introducing into the psyches of the age.

I enjoyed the film, but would be hesitant to let someone under 16 see it due to the lack of strong critical thinking skills related to the worldview portion it pumps their way. Again, I’m an advocate of discussion after a child has seen a film.

Cheers to due diligence, and the long haul effort toward great film making that went into the production.

Dan Wilt’s review of Avatar from a worldview perspective – I mostly concur!