Recent Things

My apologies, I haven't felt as inspired on the writing side of things lately, and thus, haven't written. A few little fun things to recount.

Last weekend I used my new-ish MacBookPro laptop running Logic to back up the worship band. The band consisted of 4 singers, myself singing and leading from piano and a led guitar player. The computer played bass and drums programmed by yours truly. Apple Loops are pretty amazing, I switched up the verse, chorus and sometimes even the bridge drum parts to make them sound as legit as possible. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to keep the energy up. Reviews were actually really good. Everyone likes live, including yours truly, but a good experiment gone well.

The day before I spent the whole day rehearsing and the evening dong a live worship recording for Heather Thirsk (no website yet) in Barrie. Really a great experience, and I connected with some amazing musicians and singers who I have not connected with for a while or ever. Great to do that sort of thing.

I have a few more updates, but I need something to write about in the next few days so I will let you know more then.

Peace.

Thanks Windsor!

So last weekend I lead worship at Heritage Park Alliance Church, (link) Sat night and two Sunday morning services. Man I had a great time. The worship experience was great, I really felt a vibe between the people there and myself, and the worship of God was amazing - the point of course. Those of you that know me know I pound the piano pretty hard. It ended up being a patch chord, but the last song of the last service the piano just quit. A funny moment to say the least.

I always find it interesting to work with other worship bands, especially under tight time conditions. It challenges me to assess quickly and see what I have to do to make the band sound its best with very limited knowledge and personal experience with the players. All in all I think it went very well.

The real kicker for me was the spiritual side. I REALLY felt at ease, at home. I remember praying and thanking God before one of the services for the body of believers - His church. I really felt like, man, these are not strangers, these are my brothers and sisters - it was very cool. Anyway, we connected very well. Not only with the band but with other people in the church.

Another fellow I met and had lunch with was Terry Lesperance a pro drummer out of Windsor working in Detroit. A real cool connect and lunch.

I feel like it was one of those important connections in life, maybe as much for what it taught me about the church (BIG C) as it was for the experience itself.

Ebb and Flow

I still have not grown accustomed to the ebb and flow of music life and gigs. Granted I am still a part-timer with a real day job - I think I always will be, but as an organized guy I would love to pace and book things out perfectly. I don't think too many artists get to do that.

So last week was the surprise of the Rick Warren service. Obviously that was a thrill (granted for some wrong reasons like I get to say I led worship for a Rick Warren event) but it was great regardless. This week I have known for some time that I am going to Windsor to lead worship, should be a blast. Then next week, unscheduled until this week again, I am going to be part of a live worship recording in Barrie for Heather Thirsk (http://www.freshwind.ca/guests.asp). So it is fun, it ebbs and it flows.

Going away for a few days so I will talk to you in a day or two.

Rick Warren In Toronto

So I did end up leading worship for a Rick Warren event last night. Wow, that already seems like so long ago. It was an intimate event and it was certainly last minute from the putting together the music standpoint. In the end, the event was most likely life changing. I say most likely, because my life hasn't changed yet - but I am praying and working towards clarity on how I might make it life changing.

I have also been processing a lot of information lately. Some of the snippets of thought have come out in this blog, but over the next couple of weeks I hope to collate some summary thoughts on some of the most important things I am learning and applying. Hopefully you will find it helpful.

Good night!!

Growing Up!

It is my firstborn's Birthday today, she turns 7!! They grow up - fast. Funny how at 7 the parties go from family, and well that's it, to seven different occasions at all the families houses and of course the HUGE friends birthday party. Honestly it is so cute to see the hostess side of her personality come out. You start to see the joy she is getting out of the preparation alone and you realize how important relationships are going to be for her over her lifetime. It has been a fun couple of weeks building towards the big day. The party should be a blast, followed by two parents falling into chairs exhausted!

Cliff Cline Ring Tones

Come on, now this is funny!! I didn't do this, nor did I know it existed until today. Check it out!

link

Leading Worship with Rick Warren

I have confirmed today that I will be leading worship for a service where Rick Warren will be speaking that is coming together in Toronto around the massive aids convention (link). For those of you who are unfamiliar with Rick Warren, he has become more and more interested about solving some of the worlds problems - literally. His P.E.A.C.E. plan can be seen here, and how he got there can be seen here.

Anyway, unless anything changes I will let you know more when I know more.

Sorry, I was wrong

I don't know if I have ever been so humbled by how stupid I am. You see, I believe in Jesus Christ (that's not the stupid or wrong part). For years now I have called the place where I gather with other believers church. The building we meet in church. I have said stupid things like you should come to our church.

Christians en masse are the church. Wherever we gather, we are the church - at least potentially. If you are a Christian you can't really stop going to church, you can only stop doing the things Jesus said we need to do and be to be the church, which is Christians being as God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit would have us be together and apart.

If Christ were to come back for His bride tonight (tonight to us in Toronto anyway) we would most likely be asleep in bed. OH NO, we are not at church (the building), so we are not the church (Christ's followers, the bride of Christ), so to hell with us - literally - NOT.

I think we have been living the language we speak, and the language we speak belies what Christ and God's word, the Bible, tells us being "the church" is. Every minute we follow Christ's teaching more fully, we are set more free (John 8:31-32) to be His followers, and let me think, think, think, what's the word - to be His church across denominations, platforms, organizational models, and blah, blah, blah. Live it more with more people. Sounds good to me.

Tough Times

I think one of things that is most perplexing today, for me anyway, is how much time we as Christians spend debating morality, politics etc. My take on that is that we end up defining ourselves by what we do not believe in, rather than what we do believe in.

An example of this kind of dialogue can be seen here and here. ( Aug 2, 2006 about Colson)

There are visionaries out there that keep on claiming the same message day after day, month after month, year after year. They do not veer off course, because although they could spend time defending what they are not, it is far more productive to say and be what they are. You need to ignore to some degree the criticisms and just be.

Yes I am talking about being like Jesus Christ. We need to be Christians. People who are defined by love, guided by the Bible and the Holy Spirit, defined by caring for others, taking care of the poor, the sick (of every kind), the friendless, the homeless etc. When someone asks us an opinion on an issue we need to be like the new Chrysler commercials link (wait through intro to get to commercials). We need to tell them follow us through our day of helping people, telling people about Jesus, caring for people in our community etc. and be done with it. If they can't follow us through a day and get that message through our example, than we are preaching the wrong message somehow, don't you think?

Le Justy

The clean sweep. Seats out, rug out and washed out!



Two views, why not?



And of course, the new high tech, unbelievable cup holder!! No more spills man, no more spills!!!!

Pics of the Justy

Hey guys,

I am sorry pics of the Justy repairs coming soon, I promise.