The Old Violin - Focus

When I was around 13 I discovered I had a voice. It was a radical discovery, I landed the lead in a grade 7 play. It was also traumatic, I was a rep goalie, a provincial league baseball player, but not an artist. In grade 8 I did nothing artsy, I think the whole experience freaked me out. I might add, I wasn't really a Christian at this point in my life.

Shortly thereafter though, life changed. I did become a Christian (phase 1), and started attending with my family a Pentecostal church in Mississauga called MGT, now Portico. The charismatic like their music, and I flourished there, and when we moved to BC at 15 I attended another church Christian Life Assembly in Langley. Sports were now behind me, and I was off into music land forever.

There was a famous, albeit cheesy, song about an old violin. It was really a song of redemption, but this morning as I reflect on my musical journey, I am interpreting it another way. The violin was old, beat up, and out of tune and for sale at an auction. A master violinist walked up to front during bidding (which wasn't going well) and played it so beautifully the instrument was revealed for its true purpose, its true value.

I feel like for me, my true musical value has been revealed to me over the past couple of years. I have played at jazz, and pop. I have tried to "make it" in various and sundry ways musically, but in the end, I believe the church is where I belong. When I worship God musically is when I am most alive. Over the next year, as you come to this blog or my site, you will see a growing number of new worship songs appearing, that will be my focus.

Will there be other songs...love songs..etc. I am sure there will be some, but my focus will increasingly be to build up the church. I'm excited!

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Great Sunday in Caledonia

I have know the Lead Pastor, Steve Kerr,  at Gateway Church in Caledonia for a lot of years, but we finally connected in terms of me getting out there to lead worship. I had the privilege of bringing a band, made up of mostly the usual suspects, as well as a new friend Luke on guitar.

The guest speaker was amazing, and I was encouraged by the engagement of the congregation in worship. This is a good story of a church thriving in these times where that is often not the case.

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New Worship Song Posted

I had mentioned in August (link) that I had written a new chorus. Although my plan had been to record it more professionally, which I still probably will, I did want to ship it so to speak. To that end you can go to my Worship Resources page and listen to a demo of the song and download the chord chart for free should you want to use it in your church. I am having fun re-engaging not only with my home church in worship, but networking and connecting to a greater community of artists. I will keep you updated as I post more new songs.

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Discipline a Dirty Word?

I am learning something about the true meaning of the word discipline. I think historically I have seen it as a quality to revere in someone. A characteristic that I should always strive to have more of. An intellectual concept of great value when properly implemented, but in all of those thoughts, discipline is work. Not necessarily to be avoided, but not something to look forward to.

 

But something has changed in me over the past few months. Discipline is my tool. I own it, and use it with visionary focus to accomplish the things that I think I should. I wake up early and have started investing in my whole life using the tool of discipline. Whether it be developing spiritually, working out, writing a song, doing some brainstorming for work, planning family time or accomplishing some other goal, I am viewing discipline as I would a computer. It serves me, I don't serve it.

 

What a marvelous gift to me, I have a new powerful tool in my tool box to achieve more in this life!

 

PS You can have it too!!

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More Cliff Cline Worship Resources

I have re-released several songs on my worship resources page. There are 4 choruses up from the Noticing the Sky CD as well as one that I wrote for the CMA National conference in Ottawa a few years back.

My plan is to get a brand new chorus up with a mp3 track as soon as possible. It is the song I have made reference to before, Abundant Life.

Posted via email from Cliff Cline