Off to Chicago!

A handful of people from my church will be going out to Chicago for the Willow Creek Arts Conference and boy are we psyched. I just wanted to let you know that this year, I plan to keep a log of some of the take-aways that we experience, as they happen! So, if you’re inclined to check in from time to time, come on back here and see what we are learning and experiencing. This event is always a great time, and a real encouragement for us who use our creative gifts to serve God, and hopefully we can share some of that great stuff with you all. Feel free to be part of the discussion if you want. I’ll be keeping up with all of this as we go!

Stay hungry, stay humble.

This weekend at my church I brought in a guest worship leader. His name is Aaron Greer, check out his band (Aaron, Clarence, and Scott-o) here. Here’s the thing. Aaron plays guitar WAY better than I will ever hope to. So when I’m in a situation like that, I have two choices. I can be intimidated and let that change the way I behave, maybe that will even make me act like a jerk… OR… I can just bask in somebody else’s talent, celebrate it and maybe even learn a thing or two on the way. Whatever the case, I grow more by being around people that are better, faster, smarter, whatever… than me, than by being intimidated by them. I hang around people who are smarter than me at work all the time. (Sometimes it makes me wonder why they let me stay here.) Makes me want to learn more and get better at what God has called me to do. Even if I’ll never play guitar as well as Aaron.

Unidentified Flying Object

Larry Norman passed away yesterday at the age of nearly 61. For those who don’t know, he was the guy who started this whole Christian Rock thing. A huge influence on me and everyone else who ever made loud music for Jesus. Condolences to his family, but we know he’s not resting in peace, he’s making a very very loud noise with all those other saints around the throne, right now! Thanks Larry! 

Great Concert with David Crowder Feb 21, 2008

My good friend Doug got me into this concert about two hours away. Thanks, Doug! Even cooler was the chance after the concert to get my Crowdster signed. For those of you who don’t know, Tom Anderson, one of the best guitar makers on the planet designed this guitar for Dave. It’s the ultimate worship-leading guitar, so, yeah, I let somebody write on the back of my really nice guitar.       The concert was great, but what’s up with the goofy smile.

Music to stir the soul… or not…

So…

I stuck in two different CDs today. One, by an artist whose name I will not mention… It was… just let’s say it was not good. Then I got out my trusty iPod (the real cool one with U2’s signatures on the back… Aren’t I just the consumer…) and pulled up Beethoven’s 6th. It made up for everything.

Trouble is, when I find myself listening to great music, then I find myself listening to something that is… not great, let’s say… I find my tolerance for the “not so great” goes lower and lower, to the point where I feel like I’m becoming a snob and not a regular person.

Another example. I was sorting through some new worship music that came across my desk (since I’m a “Worship Arts Pastor” I have to sort through this stuff) and trying desperately to find new music we could use here at the church (www.tricountychurch.net) and getting nowhere, so I pulled out a CD that I knew had great music on it to listen just to inspire me a little… Crowder’s “A Collision” (Check it here). Then I feel like I could never write a song as good as “Wholly Yours”.

Same thing with art and photography… Okay, just photography. I can take a picture, but I can’t draw a straight line. But I see something really beautiful, and it makes me feel like I could never take a picture like that.

How about you? Does great art inspire you? Or just frustrate you? Or maybe both at the same time?