The Hull Truth… and nothing but

For the last two weeks I’ve been listening pretty much non-stop to “Mike Crawford and His Secret Siblings” worship album, “Songs from Jacob’s Well”.

It is dyn-o-mite!  Which is the highest rating I can give anything in the world.

Why, you may ask, is this so dyn-o-mite? Let me count the ways…

1.  Great music, great songs, great production.

2.  All these songs are “worship” songs, but not happy, crappy praise stuff.  These are really well done songs that come from within the heart of the community of Jacob’s Well.  Songs written out of Scripture passages that they worked through together, songs written out of struggles, joys, pains and victories.  In short, it’s the real stuff of life that comes out here and comes out so beautifully.

3.  Okay, I’ll reveal a little bias on my part.  We just moved from Kansas City where we were a part of Jacob’s Well and these are the songs that I love and miss.  I’ve told friends about them for years and now I get to share them (and some of my stories that go with them).  Plus I count Mike Crawford and His Secret Siblings as friends.  BUT, don’t let my personal bias sway you because…

4.  As someone who has spent some time working with bands, musicians, etc. in the events I’ve done, I can honestly say that this album bears out what is heard most every Sunday at Jacob’s Well.  Excellent musicians.  Small touches of artistry within songs that reveal a deeper level of both revelation and beauty.  Well written songs that poetically capture in words and music what the heart is already saying.  The album music and the live music match up.

5.  I am pro-Jesus and pro-Scripture and this album is chocked full of great references to our hope, peace and love found only in Christ and revealed in Scripture.  For another level of fun you might listen to the album with Scripture in one hand.

6.  Album artwork... well it’s pretty much perfect for this album.  Also well done and completely authentic.

7.  I’ve saved this one for last because it is the most revealing and to be honest as a man who grew up in Flint, Michigan, a little hard to admit.  It makes me cry.  That’s right.  Pretty much every time I listen to the album all the way through when I get to “Words” the last song (and my favorite song in the Universe which is undoubtedly is being sung by angels as we speak), I cry.  Sometimes its just tears streaming down my cheeks, and other times its a bit of blubbering, but its true.  It moves me that much.  There I’ve blogged it and its out there for everyone to see.

If that’s not enough for you… my family loves it as well.  Go here and buy it and have it shipped immediately to wherever you are.  You will smile (and maybe cry).

UPDATE:  Here and here are a couple more reviews worth checking out.  I’d also recommend this interview with Mike.  If you are super lucky and live in KC or will be in the area this weekend check out this great opportunity.  If you go, give Mike and His Secret Siblings an appropriate man hug for me.

Special thanks to my friend Josh for mentioning these posters to me… he had assumed that I was aware of them.  He was mistaken.  Thankfully that is past tense.

You can click here to see the whole collection which includes “The Winner” (about the King James Version of the Bible) and “Contend” (about contending with the evil world).

Is it weird to anyone else that they are trying to get you to stay away from “the world” by mimicing “the world’s” posters, etc.???

One of the things that has to happen in the growth process is that things have to begin changing on the inside first. For example with a plant, there is all kinds of changes going on inside the seed before it actually starts to sprout. And there is all kinds of things going on inside the plant and leaves before it flowers. Inside – out.

So too are we people. God has to begin to do something on the inside before we see change on the outside. For example, God can begin to change my understanding of poverty and the reasons behind poverty, before I begin to act out against poverty. Inside-out.

My hope is that through this upcoming event that I’m a part of: emergentia, that people will allow God to begin to BOTH start changing them from the inside out AND begin calling us to action, giving us synergy and open doors through which we can walk together for change and kingdom growth. I believe that God can help change us on the inside as we spend time in conversation together about what God is doing in our lives personally, what He is doing in the faith communities to which we belong and what we feel God is calling us into for this new day and age. As iron sharpens iron I believe our time together will be a time of growth and refinement. For some it very well may be all inside change. I hope that part of that change is from deconstruction of the church (and specifically the Nazarene Church) to reimagination of what ministry can look like.

I also believe that God can give all kinds of places for us to grow as we come together and then send each other out. First, I believe that God can give us new found vision for what ministry in this emerging world can look like. A vision that we can grow into! Second, I believe that God can give us partnerships for ministry and for support, so that we can know that we are not alone and that there are others imaging anew as well. Third, I believe that God can give us a voice, one that is both prophetic and healing. Prophetic in the sense that it will call others to join us and to reimagine with us. Healing in the sense that it will put into words what some others are feeling (like a good poet can).

Will you join me in praying for this kind of growth?

You’ll notice I changed my header for today and want to be part in communicating about the fact that poverty is an issue and that we can quite easily make a HUGE difference.  Join in helping people live a better a life…

“Whoever has two coats shoud share with somebody who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” – John the Baptizer

Carol and I were watching the game last night and I admitted, “while I love everything about the Steelers including their uniform, the Chargers have the best uniforms in the league.  And if not the best uniforms, then the best helmets.”

My wife openly and audibly scoffed, “What????  That baby blue is so dumb.  A lightning bolt on a helmet?  How dumb is that?”

You spend 12+ years with someone and you think you know them, then WHAM! they hate the lightning bolt.

Anyone brave enough to take sides here?

My wife and I both laughed out loud when reading this chapter from Nadia Bolz-Weber’s upcoming book on watching 24 hours straight of TBN.  There has to be a research grant around somewhere for this.