1. Fellowship So Deep, by Aaron Senseman and Kinley Lange.  This is a good choice for a song to usher a congregation together and begin a worship service.

Following “Fellowship So Deep,” we heard the Call To Worship from Psalm 7:6-8.

2. Refuge, by Sojourn’s Neil Robins, based on Isaac Watts’s Psalm 31, pt. 1.  You can view the chord sheet on our Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One page.  In fact, “Refuge” is also the song that you’ll hear on that page’s video.  Check it out!

3. Sing Alleluia, by Steve Hindalong and Marc Byrd.  A good song of adoration like this makes us realize how far is our fallen state.  So after singing we prayed a prayer of confession together, leading into a song of assurance:

4. My Rock And My Redeemer, by Sojourn’s Rebecca Dennison.  Check out the chord sheet on our These Things I Remember page.  You can hear the mp3 and read Rebecca’s story behind the writing of “My Rock And My Redeemer” here at sojournmusic.com as well (this song didn’t make it into all services, due to time constraints).

Then we engage in the Passing Of The Peace, greeting and conversing with each other in the peace that Christ won for us.  Afterwards two our our elders-in process preached (Ty Thorne in the morning services and Dave Richards in the evening).  They preached on 2 Kings 17, the destruction of Israel by the Assyrians.

5. O How The Mighty Have Fallen, by Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong.  We sang this one for the first time at Sojourn Gathered.  It complemented the sermon very well, so we placed it in an unusual position for us: immediately following the sermon but before communion:

O how the mighty have fallen
O how the reckless are crawling now
O how the mighty have fallen
Such a long way down

6. Your Blood Says Everything, by Billy Sommerville.  We’ve sung this one together for years at Sojourn Gathered, and we’ve given it a bit of a resurgence as of late.  It’s both simple and profound.  We used “Your Blood Says Everything” as our communion song this week.

7. The Power Of The Cross, by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.  This team can turn a phrase like great songwriters can, and they do it with theological integrity:

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

Worship band for the 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services:

Brooks Ritter — vocal and guitar

Neil Robins — bass guitar

Mike Cosper — lead guitar

Smitty Smith — drums

Worship band for the 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. services:

Chad Watson — vocals and guitar

Rebecca Elliott — vocals and keyboard

Mike Cosper — guitar

Eddy Morris — bass guitar

Smitty Smith — drums

Scott Daniel — liturgical readings

As news of Michael Jackson’s death spread across the internet yesterday, I saw Facebook and Twitter nearly explode. News outlets hit the pause button on nearly every story and sent crews out onto the streets to begin getting reaction interviews.

The ensuing zoo nearly broke the back of the internet, with Twitter crashing and Google reporting their capacity stretched. In the barrage of words that followed, some disturbing content emerged. As Proverbs 10:19 says, when there are many words, sin is not absent. Perhaps today we could say, when there are many tweets, sin is not absent.

Jackson’s life was certain to elicit such reactions. He is the ultimate example of a complicated life. He shattered records for sales and won the hearts of the whole world. He pioneered a sound and style that continues to be emulated to this day. At the same time, he gradually grew more and more bizarre. Plastic surgery, Neverland Ranch, prescription pain-killers, Elizabeth Taylor, and the sickening allegations of child abuse.

The reaction of Christians to Jackson’s death surprised me. Some reacted with pity and sadness. Others with a tone of indifference. Some reacted harshly, pronouncing final judgment. It got my mind running, and I thought I’d offer my own perspective.

A Christian’s Reaction to Death

Whenever we face death - in our families, in our broader communities, or on the evening news, it’s a tragedy. Even the death of the wicked is a sad reality - death was not the design! As Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men…” The death of any man - no matter how good or evil - is the sad and cursed inheritance of Adam.

The inevitability of death does not remove its sadness or shadow. Whatever our posture towards MJ, we need to agree with scripture that his death is the fruit of the fall, and not the way things are supposed to be. Death has its reign now, and will until Christ returns but will soon be finished with forever. (1 Corinthians 15:26.) While Jackson’s death was one among many thousand who died Thursday, it doesn’t make it any less tragic.

The Reaction of the Masses

Soon after word was announced of Jackson’s death, crowds began to gather at the Apollo in Harlem and on the Walk of Fame in LA. In homes and on streets around the world, fans of Michael Jackson broke down in tears. On the heels of this breakdown came the scorn of many others. The crowds of mourners were dismissed as “celebrity worshippers” and mindless mobs.

But is it really that simple? Are those who weep for Jackson celebrity worshipers, deluded into giving praise to some false god?

Missing the Point

I think this might be a case of missing the point. Undoubtedly, our world is full of idols. Celebrity worship plagues us, and our lust for celebrities to worship is so great that we coronate our little gods for the tiniest reasons. Reality TV stars, hotel heiresses, and spoiled Hollywood Hills kids now rank up with great musicians, actors, and politicians in their ability to draw a crowd.

Jackson certainly has a place in that odd legacy. The pressures of stardom led him into his bizarre life of surgery and reclusive weirdness. But Jackson also has a different place in our lives. He’s been at our weddings, our parties, our sporting events, our graduations, our holidays, our cross-country road trips, and much more. For many, his music has been a soundtrack to their lives. Losing Jackson is like losing a family member.

In Jackson, like in the death of Elvis and Lennon, the populace has lost an artist who gave their lives an added dimension, an added texture, and a richer experience. Who hasn’t had their day turned around by hearing a great song on the radio? Who hasn’t had a moment of romance accented by the perfect song? This is the power of the arts. This is why Mozart still gets played today. It’s why Shakespeare is still relevant, and why people still line up to see the Mona Lisa. Great art stirs our hearts in a way that nothing else does.

Jackson did what great artists do - he provided thousands of people (maybe millions) with just such a moment. Their experience of his art was rich enough to create an enduring appreciation in spite of his reclusiveness, bizarre behavior, and allegations of abuse. Music, like all of the arts, is a gift of common grace, a gift that falls on the righteous and the unrighteous. Jackson’s gifts, given by his creator, were extraordinary, and so was his impact on the lives of those around him.

In most Christian dialogue about the arts, we still categorize things in high culture/low culture hierarchies. Jackson’s music falls powerfully into the popular/”low” culture. Thus it’s assumed that his contributions are not historically or artistically significant. This should be vigorously argued against, (though I can’t engage that now).

That assumption allows us to dismiss his work and to dismiss his fans, but this isn’t how we treat other cultural heroes. The deaths of politicians, academics, and literary figures are always met with tributes and acts of remembrance. That remembrance is always proportional to the lives they touched, and there was very little Christian condemnation of “celebrity worship” at the funeral of Ronald Reagan.

In Conclusion

Certainly, some fans go too far. Certainly, celebrity worship runs amok in our culture. And certainly, Michael Jackson’s life is a mixed bag of tragedy, evil, and great success. But as we look at his life and we watch the world react to his death, let’s not be too quick to dismiss it all as hype and idolatry. Jackson was a serious artist with a serious impact on his world. Upon his death, we can celebrate with joy the gifts God gave him, and weep with those who weep, recognizing the sadness of his strange life and the sadness of death in general. If anything, the zoo around his life and death should stir compassion in us and prayer for the young children he leaves behind. Most certainly, they could use our prayers in the midst of the circus that is just beginning.

Check out our Over The Grave page.  We’ve now uploaded chord sheets for every song on this album, our first of two new worship records based on the hymns of Isaac Watts.

I was deeply saddened last night to hear that Louisville music legend Tim Krekel passed away after a battle with cancer. Tim has been a mainstay of Louisville music for as long as I’ve been hanging around music venues, comfortable sitting solo with an acoustic guitar or playing with a stage full of guitars, drums, and horns. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Jerry Reed, Patty Loveless, Crystal Gayle,  Delbert McClinton, and many, many more. He’s shared the stage with countless other music legends, including Jimmy Buffet, Bo Diddley, and Sam Bush.

He had a great reputation as someone who loved to help young songwriters, and I know many who count themselves blessed to have been able to work with Tim. A resume like his might lead many to an attitude and an ego - but in the encounters I had with Tim and in the conversations with my friends in the Louisville music scene, I never saw or heard anything but humility and generosity of spirit from Tim.

What you did see was an artist with a tremendous gift. His guitar tones always were incredible - he had a mastery of warm, Fender tones and played with impeccable taste. Most of all, Tim’s songs and his energy on the stage were magnetic. You left a Tim Krekel show feeling better than you did when you came.

Do yourself a favor and pick up one of Tim’s records - my personal favorite is “Underground”, which is available for download from his website. Two others are available on iTunes, both excellent as well.

Death is always a tragedy, and here at Sojourn Music, we mourn someone who many of us called a friend, and who our whole city was blessed by.

Funeral arrangements haven’t yet been announced, but will likely appear on Tim’s website.

Tune in to WFPK today at 91.9 FM in Louisville (or listen online), as they dedicate the day to him in tribute.

Leave condolences at wfpk.org

]]> http://www.sojournmusic.com/2009/06/25/sojourn-remembers-louisville-music-legend-tim-krekel-1950-2009/feed/ http://www.sojournmusic.com/2009/06/25/sojourn-remembers-louisville-music-legend-tim-krekel-1950-2009/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sojournmusic/~3/d_Y8wFlOh4c/ http://www.sojournmusic.com/2009/06/24/the-early-reviews-for-over-the-grave-are-in/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:00:20 +0000 Bobby Gilles http://www.sojournmusic.com/?p=2859 Thanks to all of you who have purchased Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One.  We’ve seen several reviews for it so far in the blogosphere.  Here is what we’ve found so far, by some of our favorite bloggers across the country.  If you know of other reviews, share them with us!

Between Two Worlds, by Justin Taylor

“The lyrics, of course, are theologically sound—God-centered and gospel-centered … The music is creative, diverse, and excellent … If it’s not clear yet, I give it my highest recommendation.”

The Joint (Joel Klampert, Conner Byrd, Alastair Vance)

they’ve done an incredible job of taking some difficult subject matter that doesn’t crop up in modern worship music so much … (Byrd)

It’s new, fresh and totally engages you in worship … (Vance)

I could literally go on for hours about how revolutionary this CD and how rich its theology is … The “bottom Line” is this. This CD is the best CD of 2009 hands down. (Klampert)

Saint Lewis, by Shannon Lewis

… as a life-long U2 fan, OVER THE GRAVE is challenging NO LINE ON THE HORIZON as my favorite release of the year - it is that good. In fact, I don’t recall the last time I was so moved by a “worship record”.

Purgatorio, by Marc Heinrich

Finally, this album is my favorite of the year, scratch that, of the last couple of years, no contest. Please notice I didn’t say favorite “Christian” album, but out of all the music I listen to, and I listen to a lot. Way to go Sojourn, looking forward to Volume 2!

The Sojourn band will lead attendees in worship at 11:45 before the panel discussion begins.  Registration is officially closed since we’ve reached capacity in the auditorium, although we can fit about 100 more into overflow seating, where you will be able to watch everything on big screen video.

We’ll also have copies for sale of our new CD, Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One. If you’re in town for the Annual Meeting, join us.  If you cannot attend during this particular time, we still hope you’ll come by during your stay this week, say “hi” and tour our facility.  You can get a map and all the details you’d need at our sister site, TravelBlog — Sojourn’s online journal.

Our liturgical reader addressed us to begin, saying:
We show up here today to worship because our God, the Creator shows up. Our presence and actions are a response to His presence and actions. He is not like us: He doesn’t hide or play hooky, he isn’t late and the thoughts of His heart don’t drift off somewhere else. His affection and attention is laser focused on His people because He loves us and wants us to know Him.
We then recited a Call To Worship from Isaiah 40:9-11.

1. Our Great God, by Fernando Ortega and Mac Powell.  I love this portion from the first verse, leading into the “hallelujah” of the chorus:

Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight
around your glorious throne
They raise their voices day and night in praise to you alone

Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!

We then recited aloud a Prayer Of Confession, adapted from a Puritan prayer.  Remember that you can read and use many of Sojourn’s prayers and corporate readings at theopensourcebook.org, a collaborative effort between Nathan Bierma of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and our Worship & Arts Pastor Mike Cosper. Use them on Power Point, bulletins, whatever you’d like — simply include a line of attribution to theopensourcebook.org.

2. Begone Unbelief, by John Newton, with music and lyrical arrangement by our friend Kevin Twit of Indelible Grace.  Though not nearly as famous as Newton’s “Amazing Grace,” this is a solid song all the way through.  The final verse:

Since all that I meet will work for my good,
The bitter is sweet, The medicine food;
Though painful at present, will cease before long,
And then, O! how glorious, The conqueror’s song!
And then, O! how glorious, The conqueror’s song!

3. O Help My Unbelief, by Isaac Watts, with new melody by Justin Smith of Indelible Grace.  This song, like the preceding one, are on the latest Indelible Grace record, Wake Thy Slumbering Children.  If you like theologically solid hymns set to compelling modern arrangements, you should check out this album.  Those of you who are into roots music will particularly like it.

After hearing and partially reciting Words of Assurance from Romans 8:15-17, we then engaged in the Passing Of The Peace.  Following this short time of greeting and extending friendship to those we aren’t familar with, Teaching Pastor Daniel Montgomery preached He Is God: Pray Where You Are, from 1 Kings 18.  This is the story of Elijah versus Ahab, Jezebel and the 450 prophets of Baal.  The key thing to take from this story is that we must worship God alone rather than God and idols, and that God hears us when we pray.

4. Nothing But The Blood, by Robert Lowry.  This staple of Sunday school classes and Vacation Bible School sing-a-longs is good for any occasion where Christians gather.  “How precious is the flow/ that makes me white as snow/ no other fount I know/ nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

5. Jesus Paid It All, by Elvina Hall and John T. Grape, with a bridge by Matt Redman.  Like “Nothing But The Blood,” this is a simple song with the timeless truth, “Jesus paid it all/ all to Him I owe/ sin had left a crimson stain/ He washed it white as snow.”

After our liturgical reader pointed out that, as we’d heard in the sermon, Elijah was not afraid to stand alone for God, we read a corporate reading from Romans 1:16-17 (“… for I am not ashamed of the gospel”).

6. Reveal Your Love, by Sojourn’s Jesse Eubanks and Neil Robins.  The band just sang this Friday night at our CD Release Party as well.  You can hear it on the brand new Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One. The guitar part will melt your face off, the vocals will stun you, but best of all, the lyrics are a wonderful prayer of petition:

Reveal Your Love, not Your Wrath alone,
Let experience prove the mercies of Your throne.
Souls bow down with heavy cares,
Flesh with pain oppressed, our pain forbids us rest,
Reveal Your Love!

The evening worship band substituted “Reveal Your Love” for “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”

After announcements, we ended with a Benediction.  To hear a brief talk about the place in modern church services for a benediction and other elements like calls to worship, check out our series Worship: Why We Do What We Do.

Worship band for the 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services:

Dave Moisan — vocals and keyboard

Kate Robins — vocals

Neil Robins — guitars

Robert James — bass guitar

Ryan Harvey — drums

Micah Revell — liturgy readings

Worship band for the 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. services:

Jamie Barnes — vocals and banjo

Katie Vaughn — vocals

Chad Watson — vocals and guitar

Tim Donaldson — cello

Dony Erwin — bass

Andy Meyers — drums

Sojourners and lots of others packed the building out and created a great vibe.  It was cool to meet some of our blog readers for the first time and to visit with old friends as well, including a contigent of our friends from The Oaks Community Church in Middleton, Ohio, lead by worship director Kyle Jamison.

Below you’ll find Ryan Harvey’s photos of the event.  Ryan is also a drummer, and played with the second of three bands last night — the band led by Pastor Mike Cosper.  You can see photos by Chuck Heeke from that part of the evening, and photos of the gathering crowd, at our sister site, travelblog.sojournchurch.com. And now here are Ryan’s photos, featuring the band led by Jamie Barnes and the band led by Neil Robins, who produced Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One:
The entire Jamie Barnes band, left to right: Christi Osterday, Bryon Shrock, Matt Harris, Jamie Barnes, Rebecca Dennison, Katie Vaughn and David Weir.

The band did Jamie’s original material, including songs based on Sojourn’s current Old Testament sermon series and Jamie’s “collaboration” with Isaac Watts, “Absent From Flesh.” That song will be featured on volume two of our Isaac Watts project.

They also led us in the classic hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” and the gospel standard “Go Down, Moses.”

The Neil Robins band closed out the night with songs from Over The Grave. Left to right: Joel Gerdis, Brian Meurer (hiding behind Joel Gerdis. Bryan played bass), Alex O’Nan, Kate Robins, Neil Robins and Daniel LaChance.

The energy was incredible.

Our musicians have played many venues with many bands, and have recorded various projects. They could play virtually anywhere, but they choose to use their talents to lead God’s people in songs of worship.

Neil breaks out a guitar solo. There is no telling how many hours he put into producing, playing, singing and writing songs for this album.

I’ve never heard Kate sound as good as she did this night, which is saying a lot. After completing our Isaac Watts songs, she closed out the night with a rendition of “I Have To Believe” by Rita Springer.

I have to add that I was personally touched at the end of the last intermission when Pastor Mike gave Neil and myself each a very old (1822) copy of an Isaac Watts hymnal, “The Psalms Of David, Imitated In The Language Of The New Testament And Applied To The Christian State And Worship.”  I couldn’t think of a better memento to commemorate our work on this project, and the kinship we felt with Dr. Watts as we tried to contextualize his lyrics for our own time and place.

Full details and a map on Facebook.