Soul Renovatus

A song I can't get out of my head...

For some reason I can't get this song out of my head.  I think the of the NOOMA "Rhythm" when I hear this (although it's not directly connected to that line of thinking).  It's catchy, and Leeland's vocals are incredible.  Hard to believe this guy's 18 years old (and I think that's recent, he wrote this at least when he was 17 or younger).

I just can't stop listening to it. The song is the title of their album, "Song Of Melodies."

If you like listening to music...

Some of you have heard of this already, but go check out Pandora.  You can tailor any station to whatever you want to listen to.  For example, I like U2, so Pandora selects it with music that is similar to it.  You can tell it if you like it or not, and it will custom tailor your selections with the type of music on that station.  It is unbelievable...AND FREE!!!

I found out i really love 40's Christmas music.  Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, etc...I've tailored a Christmas station toward that taste!  It brings all sorts of warm fuzzies!

Go check it out.

"It's Hard Out Here Being a Pimp"

Came home late to watch the rest of the Oscars. I was dumbfounded to see "It's Hard Out Here Being a Pimp" win an Oscar!

Our culture continues to feed the line that women are just "hoes," and that the best way to live life is to be "pimp." I can't tell you how many times I see students here on the street having these conversations.

Last Wednesday one of the guys was referring to one of the girls as "Baby Ruth." Which invited many other boys in on the fun to call her other candy bar names. I would here comments like "Hey Kit-Kat, I need to break off a piece of that," and many other similar comments. I had had enough and stopped them, and whispered to the girl that I'm sorry she had to hear that, and that she's worth way much more than a candy bar. She tried to joke around with it, but inside I knew it was like getting stabbed with a knife multiple times.

I fight against this mentality on a daily basis. And now we have a song that elevates this mentality by giving it an Oscar. I was so sick to my stomach as I watched them smile with their win, thinking of how many conversations I will have Wednesday with students who will feel licensed too objectify women even more.

It was good to see Crash win Best Picture. I have not seen the other films, but Crash disturbed me at the deepest levels (in a good way). Everybody talks about the Passion of the Christ being an "evangelistic tool" (which I couldn't stand that campaign), but Crash is just as intense.

I also have this theory going about best actress/supporting actress Oscars. I would have to go back and look, but it always seems when a woman is nude in a movie that is semi-decent, they have a shot at an Oscar. I remember Gwenth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love, I thought she had incredible roles in earlier films, but throw the top off and boom! She's got an Oscar. Now, it's Rachel Weisz. I was shocked to see her win for Constant Gardener because she really didn't do that much in the movie. If anything Ralph Fiennes should've got a nomination. It was an incredible film, but I'm amazed at the whole nudity thing and Oscars. Look, I'm sure I'm totally wrong, but it's just odd to me that more lately it seems you have to bare some skin to get an award.

Enough ranting, I'm going to watch 24.

A Collision...

Wow! You HAVE to get this CD!

I can't stop listening to it.

It's amazing that I wouldn't even call it a worship CD...like the ones where you can pull a few songs off of and sing them in your church (although there are many of those).

It's more of a worship experience. From beginning to end. I mean, you just need to sit down, listen to the whole thing straightthrough, and see how beautiful it flows...

For example, there is a part called "B Quiet Interlude." Which says..."Be more quiet now, and wait for a voice to say...be more quiet now, and wait for a voice to say...Be more quiet now, and wait for a voice to say...be more quiet now, and wait for a voice to say to you..."

But musically, it starts very mellow...and as it repeats this line...the music builds...like God is starting to speak now that you are still...then quiets down again with the same line...begging you to be still...

And then it moves to the next song called, "Do Not Move," which you feel like you're waiting for something big to happen...and then it does. And you can't explain it...musically DCB is playing a song that just doesn't sound like stuff they normally do...but it still captures you to listen to...and then the words come...

"I don't wanna move, and I don't think I could. I don't wanna move, and I don't think I should...it repeats this and then goes into the next part...which you need to be still to do...

"Breathe in deeper now, breathe in deeper now, breathe in deeper, breathe in now..." Musically you feel it as well.

And that's what really speaks to me on the CD. If you just gave me a title and just played the music, you could get the same message. It's absolutely astounding. It's just encompassing of the entire CD.

Just go get it and take in the experience...the variety of music is vast and the experience is incredible. They just continue to get better with every CD that they produce. God has truly gifted these men to amazing things in the worship music movement.

Grace,

Mike