“Arguably the best halftime show in Super Bowl history” – Chicago Sun-Times “One of the most thrilling halftime shows ever; certainly the most unpredictable, and perhaps the best.” – New York Times “While I’m no expert on Super Bowl halftime shows, that might be the best once I’ve seen since U2’s emotional 2002 show in the wake of 9-11.” – Paul Newberry, Associated Press
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Arminian Minstrels
Justin Taylor and I have been swapping videos lately, but I have to say that I think he’s found the whopper of the week. This song you are about to hear is sung by the “Joy Quartet” at Pensacola Christian College. Listen carefully to the words. You are not going to believe this.
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Auld Lang Syne
Our family has been enjoying James Taylor’s new Christmas album this holiday season, and on it I have found my new favorite version of “Auld Lang Syne” (listen to it in iTunes). If you have ever wondered what the lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne” mean, the Wikipedia article on the song has Robert Burns’ original words along with a modern translation. I commend it to you. In the meantime, I won’t be forgetting our acquaintance. Thank you for reading my blog and Happy New Year!
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Holiday Doldrums?
Does anyone else need a pick-me-up after at the end of November? After viewing the annual spectacle known as “black Friday,” I know I do. I typically feel like Charlie Brown at this time of year. I need something more than crass commercialism to get me into the real spirit of Christmas. I’ve found that there’s nothing quite like a rousing rendition of “O Holy Night” to renew one’s yuletide cheer.
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The Brilliance of Carter Beauford
Not many people know this, but once upon a time I used to be a drummer. I’m afraid the only time my drums get played anymore is when the worship band takes the stage at the Criswell College where I teach, and the guy playing my drums is definitely not me. This is for the best, since even when I was at the peak of my drumming powers, I wasn’t all that good.
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Another Hilarious Video
My good friend Barry Joslin has brought to my attention another parody video. This is from the 2006 Purpose-Driven Worship Conference.I thought this one would be worth passing on to you. Well, actually, I don’t know if it’s worth anything. But I figured if you liked the “Get in Here Ministries†parody, then you might like this one too. Here it is: Smitty – “Filled with the Spirit†After seeing this, I’m sure you will all make sure that your worship leader is at next year’s “Purpose-Driven Worship Conference.†Or maybe not. Source: Simply Youth Ministry
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The Procussions Take the World by Storm
I like to listen to hip-hop. Okay, surprise, surprise. But it’s true. What can I say? I like the beat.However, I am often not listening to hip-hop because frankly so much of it is too foul to tolerate (see Philippians 4:8). I am happy to find that this is not the case with “The Procussions†latest single “The Storm,†which is iTunes’ free download of the week. Go download the song. If you are any kind of hip-hop fan at all, you’ll really like this one. Here are some of the lyrics from the single “The Stormâ€: Yo I was born in a violent storm In an endless fight between…
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Derek Webb & CT on “Christian” Music
Readers of this blog know that Derek Webb and I are not on the same page politically and sometimes theologically (previous posts). Nevertheless, in an interview with Relevant magazine Webb has some salient reflections on the so-called “Christian” music industry. Here are the money lines: The whole secular/Christian thing is a total fiction. Don’t let your local Christian bookstore do your thinking for you and believe that everything they have there for sale is good and spiritually beneficial to you. If anything, we have proven that the Church unfortunately is identified with really poor art. The Church certainly does not have the market cornered on beauty. A lot of what…
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The South Rises Again on American Idol
I’ve already theorized in an earlier post why southerners dominate the American Idol competition. Now that Alabama-native Taylor Hicks has won, the winning streak continues. Here’s the money quote from the Washington Post: Taylor Hicks, the 29-year-old Captain K ringer from Birmingham, kept up the South’s winning streak on the most popular television show in the country (source). “Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton, Old times there are not forgotten . . .†Okay, I’ll stop gloating.
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Dixie Chicks Abandoning Dixie
My wife and I are fans of the Dixie Chicks–at least when they are not saying things that are so over-the-top offensive that we feel like joining the boycott. As many of you know, the Dixie Chicks have been on the outs with their fan-base ever since Natalie Maines zinged President Bush during a concert in London in 2003. But when I talk about offensive rhetoric, I am not talking about their politics. What I am talking about is reflected in some recent comments by Martie Maguire: