Many of you have emailed me this past year and have asked what's in my iTunes folder that I'm listening to, what tomes I'm currently reading, what are my favorite Podcasts and blogs I consume daily. So beginning today, each Friday I am going to provide you with a list of what I am currently allowing to occupy my mind in each of those four areas. Maybe over the weekend you can begin to enjoy some of these selections as well.
Coram Dei...
What's in my iPod/iTunes Playlist:
1. Mercy Me's "Coming Up to Breathe." Great music, encouraging lyrics
2. Caedmon Call's "In the Company of Angels Volume 2." P&W from a reformed perspective.
3. Rascal Flatt's latest is a great roll down your windows Saturday drive your favorite country roads CD with someone you cherish and love. It is produced by guitar extraordinaire Dann Huff, who I have been privileged to work with on many of my own CD's. (I usually can't stand country music, but these guys have won me over).
4. Anne-Sophie Mutter - her Mozart sessions are amazing and she is one of the world's premiere violinists today.
5. Keith Green - "The Ministry Years." I love listening to my old friend. His passion for the Lord was unmistakable, "Asleep in the Light" is my favorite of all of Keith's songs. If all CCM music was like this, I would have never had to write the 107 THESES.
6. Switchfoot's "Nothing is Sound". These guys are making great biblical world-view music for mainstream radio and the common man.
Podcasts that I Listen to Everyday:
1. Rush Limbaugh
2. Laura Ingraham
3. Al Mohler
4. Desiring God
5. Grace to You
6. NBC News - Meet the "De-Press-ed" (weekly)
From the 'Paper Library':
1. "Martin Luther" (a guided tour of his life and thoughts) by Stephen J. Nichols
2. "The Federal Vision and Covenant Theology" by Guy Prentiss Waters
3. "Finding God Beyond Harvard" (the quest for veritas) by Kelly Monroe Kullberg
4. "The Christian College" (a history of protestant higher education in America) by William C. Ringenberg
5. "A Concise History of Christian Thought" by Tony Lane
6. "Sermons to the Spiritual Man" by William G.T. Shedd
My Favorite Blogs This Week:
"Emergent NO" by Carla Rolfe. This is one bold woman--the Ann Coulter of Christian blogging. Here inexorable dedication to the truth of Scripture and to fearlessly confronting the pabulum and abhorrent teachings coming from all aspects of the EC ecumenical movement is to be applauded; and more than that, appreciated. If you've never visited her blog, click here and be ready to get shaken up out of the status quo, “Ozzie and Harriet”, “Peter Pan”, nonsensical, postmodern influences that plagues much of evangelicalism today.
AND, Expose the Left. This is a wonderful conservative daily news review of what is going on in the world of politics. The key feature here is that there is very little written commentary. This site maximizes up to date video clips pertaining to the political concerns facing our nation and world. If you are an avid news watcher as moi, you will greatly appreciate the fine work these folks do. Check it out today... You will especially like the segment where Keith Olbermann (MSNBC) rants on camera for three solid minutes (count 'em) about Bill O'Relly's coverage on Congressman Murtha. It is priceless (can anyone say E. Caner?)
Well, there you have it, my first installment of THIS WEEK... As always, let me know your thoughts, feelings, reactions, suggestions, consternations and commendations. And remember, thinking can be beneficial to your spiritual health; mind your faith.
To "a faithful band of Bereans..."
Steve
Acts 17:10-12
Weekend A La Carte (December 21)
6 hours ago
13 comments:
Hi Steve,
Thanks for sharing all that with us. I always kind of wondered what kind of music you enjoyed when you were just listening rather than creating.
I suppose there wasn't a lot of suprises on that list. I really like Caedmon's Call too - I kind of miss having Derek Webb as a part of the group, but they're still doing excellent music, and now we get to enjoy solo stuff by him - which tends to be more challenging... sometimes kind of reminds me of the kind of songs you and Kieth Green have written.
Rascal Flats was kind of a surpise to me. I'm not much for country either, but I agree with you about having been won over. For some reason, their last two albums have been the only country music albums my wife and I have ever bought. I thought it was pretty cool to see Dan Huff's name on the album too. Back when I was made of money, I used to buy about every Christian album I could find (that was before getting married, having children, and having a mortgage). You couldn't help noticing his name show up all over the place, and the quality was always excellent.
I'm curious if Casting Crowns is a group you enjoy. I think some of their stuff is also very much in line for what I believe "Making Music... Christianly" is all about.
Well, thanks for all your hard work bringing us things to chew on each week, several times a week - always challenging us to think Biblically. And thanks also for sharing some of what you particularly enjoy. I sure hope you're working on some music too, Brother. It'd be great to see some of the excellent lyrics you've shared with us over the last year or so joined with their music.
Grace and peace,
Steve Hesselman
I am so happy to see you name Keith Green as one of your favorites. "Asleep in the Light" is also my favorite of his, as well as my husband's. Sometimes I wish we could have that song blasting from our sound system as people come into the church service! Incidentally, we recently discovered your "Desiring God" CD, and my little 7 year old girl loves it where you sing about the "God is my girlfriend" songs! God Bless!
Well, Campi-this post is a much-needed diversion for me. I can always somehow manage to pull up a chair for a musical discussion.
I'm with you on the country music thing; people can't believe it when I tell them I live here, but have such a strong distaste for the genre. (I normally consider it equal to fingernails on a chalkboard). I will be checking out Rascal Flatts, though. They contributed a song to the new "Cars" movie soundtrack, (which has a good selection of music as well), and I was very impressed with their sound.
I posted a similar item on my blog listing my musical preferences back in Feb., (although I'm sure folks are much more interested in your musical tastes than mine....I can see that, based on the fact that I've never gotten any emails inquiring as such):-)
And yes, you and Keith Green kind of dominate my Christian music playlist. (If all CCM music were like yours and Keith's, it would still be considered "ministry" and not "industry").
When I wrote the article, it struck me that the list of Christian music that I'm iPodding was only half the size of the secular music, which prompted me to reflect: "You may take that as an indication that I listen to more secular music than Christian music, but nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, I'm just very particular about the Christian music I listen to, and/or trust to be scripturally sound."
And by the way, the inclusion of Jill Scott on my secular list is entirely thanks to you and your keen ear.
P.S.
Hess-where in the world have you been, brother?
Interesting, thanks for sharing.
I'd like to recommend to you a new book, Grace Like a River, the autobiography of Christopher Parkening. A fun read from a great Christian musician.
Hey Campi,
thanks for the kind words. My reply is here. I didn't want to write a short novel in your comments, so I blogged it instead.
SDG,
Aunt Bea
Nice to know your heart a little better. Thanks for sharing.
I listen to Truth for Life, and Renewing Your Mind every day. Pastor Begg, and Dr. Sproul help shape my heart into the image of Christ.
We need a steady diet of the Word to be strong for the Lord. And the Lord does have His genuine teachers out there in so many ways: blogs, radio, books, magazines, etc. And along with our local church, we all have quite an abundance of God's Word avaiable to us.
I thank Him for His graciousness to us. And to whom much is given, much is required as well.
Keith Green is always on my play list as well (though I still use those antiquated CD things). Years ago, I bought the Ministry Years song books, and now I've finally found someone who can actually play the music on piano, so I have been singing many of Keith's songs for my church. I just did "Asleep in the Light" last October.
Can I find sheet music for your 80s and 90s music? I would love to share a few of your songs with my church as well.
Some really great 'stuff' on the list! It is nice to have a little insight as to what you consume. An exceptional diet it seems!
Are there any of your songs that are out as "performance tracks", and is there any possibility of finding "tracks" for the "David" project?
Keep feeding well!
Hi Steve,
I just received a new DVD from Keith Green’s Last Day’s Ministries, called Your Love Broke Through: The Keith Green Story. It is a very well done DVD that gives a perspective on Keith Green that I never knew before. Narrated by Melody Green and close friend Randy Stonehill, among others, it delves into the life of Keith before coming to the Lord, his difficult personality, and offers a wonderful perspective on the ministry of Keith Green.
For me it is hard to narrow down his music to one favorite, but if I did, it would have to be “Rushing Wind”. I was privledge to see Keith perform in Lancaster PA, it was a stormy night and Keith was concerned about his audience standing outside in such severe weather, so he asked that the doors be opened early. In addition to see Keith perform live, we also got to see him perform sound checks, and at one point he asked my buddies and I to come up on stage before the concert and help him move the piano and sound system around. It was an amazing night, that I’ll never forget, I was about ten feet away from him as he played the piano and sang and I have never seen anything like it before or since.
Just wondering if your into Jazz at all…. I recently got to see Jamie Cullum perform at the House of Blues, and he is an amazing up and coming performer.
{{{Candleman}}}
Glad to see others reading Steve Nichols' books. Steve is a good writer and teacher. Last week, I finished up a course on church history with him. He recently wrote on book on the topic, going through various figures and their books - a different way of doing church history, but was exciting. The title is Pages in Church History (P&R). This should have been out already, so I'm not sure when it will be published.
Glad to see others reading Steve Nichols' books. Steve is a good writer and teacher. Last week, I finished up a course on church history with him. He recently wrote on book on the topic, going through various figures and their books - a different way of doing church history, but was exciting. The title is Pages in Church History (P&R). This should have been out already, so I'm not sure when it will be published.
You lost all credibility by listing "Rush Limbaugh".
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