May 29, 2008
Walkie-Talkie
I am finally reading John Piper's book on missions, Let the Nations Be Glad. It was an excerpt from this book in the Perspectives class reader that first introduced me to Piper in 2003. Ever since then, I've appreciated Piper's unique "Christian Hedonism" theology and Bible-saturated teaching, mostly through podcasts of his radio program. This book is proving to be no different. My favorite quote so far has to do with prayer:
Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den.-John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad
Posted by jvp at 12:35 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2008
Visiting Ayorou
I recently returned from spending 10 days with my brother in Niger, West Africa. Mark and his wife Parker have been living in the village of Ayorou for about 18 months now. I had planned for a while to visit them sometime in 2008, but the timing of this trip came about because Parker is pregnant with their first child. She had to leave the country a month before the delivery to travel to Senegal, where there is good medical care. Mark couldn't go with her the entire time, so I went to Niger in between Parker's leaving the country and Mark's joining her. And in case you're worried about a pregnant Parker being alone in a foreign country, her Mom flew to Senegal to be with her before and after the baby comes.
So Mark and I had just over a week of brother time. I got to see first-hand what life is like with 8 hours of electricity a day. What 120 degrees feels like, and what an amazing refreshing treat a glass of cool water can be. Men and women who live today almost exactly as they have for hundreds of years, and for whom the concept of the future has no meaning, only survival for another day. Children that will instantly melt your heart, and whose smiles almost make you forget the harsh realities of disease and need that they face daily, with over half the population age 15 or younger.
And in the midst of it all, God doing amazing things. Answered prayers. Meeting Isa, the first ever adult Songhai believer in the village of Ayorou. Seeing Mark communicate in French and Zarma/Songhai and share the love and truth of Christ with so many people, and how they respect him. And, as Parker put it, feeling like I left a piece of myself in Africa.
I rode on the donkey cart with these boys to get water from the river. I had no ability to speak to them, and no idea at that point where we were going. Quite an experience!
I got to baptize Yacouba in the Niger river, an amazing blessing!
Chillin' with camels & giraffes!
Hanging out with my brother: a restaurant in Niamey, at the top of Mt. Kandadji, and... sewing?
A shack, literally on the side of the road, where we had breakfast one morning. Mark brought this man some eggs from the city, and worked it out that we got a breakfast of omelettes and a yummy hot chocolatey drink as payment.
Sitting in the shade during the hot part of the day. Everything basically shuts down between 1-4pm. The white girl in this picture is a volunteer with another mission team who is also in Ayorou.
We gave out dresses that were made by some of the women from First Baptist Church in Franklin, KY, my parents' church.
Three kids who stole my heart: Sakina, Bushira, and "Z".
Hanging out at Mark's compound with the kids.
I could go on forever (and probably already have for too long). As you can probably tell, I'm very glad I made this trip. Mark and I had a great time together, my eyes were opened, and I fell in love with Ayorou and the people there.
For more: here's my complete photo set and also a blog post that Parker wrote about my visit.
Posted by jvp at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)
March 5, 2008
Big Task
Here is a most of my CD collection. It may not look that bad, until you notice the stacks of CDs on spindles in the back. As much of a mess as this looks, the state of my digital archive of this music is worse. (Yes, I know CDs are "digital" but that's not what I mean).
Some of those CDs are ripped to a digital archive, some are not. Of the ones that are ripped, I have used different encoding bitrates over the years, anywhere from 128 (yikes) to 256kbps. Most of the ripped music exists on a network share drive, but there are a few CDs that might be only on one particular computer where I ripped it for convenience. Also, among my digital music are a few albums for which I no longer have a physical copy (the CD was lost or damaged, etc). Also, I have a moderate collection of DRM music that I've purchased from the iTunes store (sorry Jamie).
Every time I look at this mess, I realize that I should do something to clean it up. Also, I find CDs that I'd like to be listening to but get forgotten in the pile and haven't yet been ripped. The state of my current digital archive is so bad I probably need to just start over.
This seems like a common problem, so I'm going to blog about the task. I want to be able to play the audio on iTunes and un-hacked iPods, but I don't want Apple lock-in (yes, I know I bought Apple DRM locked-in music, but please allow me to be inconsistent here). I also want to be able to access the music from multiple computers, and not only while connected to my home network. This presents a bit of a challenge as the music collection will only grow over time and my laptop hard drive space is always a premium.
Right now, I'm thinking about ripping the CDs to FLAC format for my "archive" copy, and then converting to a medium-bitrate mp3 for day-to-day playback (160kbps stereo?). That way, I can have a pristine digital copy, but still fit large amounts of music on portable devices and laptops. The only problem is that this becomes a multi-step process for adding new music to the system.
I would also love to hear advice from you guys out there. How have you done it? What do you like or dislike about your system? Please share any thoughts in the comments!
Posted by jvp at 8:25 AM | Comments (3)
February 28, 2008
Piper on Gospel Essentials
I stayed up late the other night to watch some of the live webcast of the National Resurgence Conference. Specifically, I watched John Piper speak on How I Distinguish Between the Gospel and False Gospels. Piper used 1 Cor 15:1-5 to outline six "absolutely essential" elements of the Gospel, without one of which you have no true Gospel at all:
- The Gospel is a plan
- The Gospel involves historical events
- The Gospel involves the accomplishment of something objectively
- The Gospel involves an offer to all, to faith alone
- The Gospel is an application to YOU of what was accomplished objectively
- The Gospel is an eternal, infinitely happy future destiny for those who believe
With each point, he argued it from scripture, and then described some common distortions or denials of that point. I love listening to Piper, but it takes about 110% of my brain to fully absorb the richness of what he's saying. The other thing I like about his ministry is that they strive to put as many resources online as possible--and all of their online materials are FREE. His complete sermon notes are here, including material he wasn't able to cover in the time allowed at the conference. You can also watch or listen to the message.
The other cool feature about the event was that during his talk you could text message your questions. Anyone listening live or on the Internet could do it. Then, about 5 minutes after his talk, they had a panel Q&A session to answer them. That panel was a lot of fun--it was Mark Driscoll, John Piper and Matt Chandler. But I had to bail before it was over because it was getting late (the conference was on the West Coast).
The complete audio and video of the conference will be available on the Resurgence website soon--check it out for some great teaching!
Posted by jvp at 6:18 PM | Comments (0)
January 2, 2008
A Year of 8's
I went out last night and ran 8 miles to ring in 2008. It was cold and windy, but I would take cold and windy conditions over hot and humid any day! Running/fitness goals for 2008, which I have dubbed "the year of the 8's":
- Run 800 miles
- Run the Evansville Half Marathon at an 8-minute pace (1:44:48)
- Maintain weight below 180lbs (currently around 182)
Posted by jvp at 12:17 PM | Comments (0)
November 8, 2007
There's running and then there's....
Ultrarunning is the proper name for it. Officially, it's any run longer than a marathon, often either 50 or 100 miles. Chris has the bug, real bad. He just completed his third Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim run (R2R2R). Wow. This is where you run from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, through the middle of the canyon, across the Colorado River to the North Rim, and back again in one day! The total distance is about 46 miles, with 11,000 feet of elevation gain. Oh, and they added some running at the beginning just "to make it an even 50". Chris ran the R2R2R portion in just under 16 hours. Have I mentioned wow?
You can read his trip report here.
Posted by jvp at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)
Bell Smith Springs 2007
Last year the guys from my small group took a day-hiking trip to the Bell Smith Springs area in the Shawnee National Forest. We liked it so much we decided to go back again this year, but this time we made it an overnight trip to allow more time for hiking and exploring. So last Friday, we packed up Andy's truck and headed out. Mike joined our group for this year and unfortunately, Jason had to drop out at the last minute, so that left us with 4 guys total.
Friday night was pretty chilly--the official low was 33F. Definitely the coldest weather I've ever experienced in a tent. But we were prepared and bundled up against the cold, and everyone stayed comfortable. Saturday morning we took our time eating breakfast and warming up around the campfire before setting out.
Andy, Andrew, Mike & JVP at the start of the hike.
We ended up hiking about 6 miles on various trails. The creeks were much lower than last year, so we could get to more areas. This also meant we were able to see two of the landmarks that this area is known for: "Devil's Backbone" and the Natural Bridge.
Devil's Backbone
Natural Bridge
After our hike, we went back to the campsite for food and conversation. Eventually, our fire burned low (this took a while, mostly because someone threw extra logs on the fire when Andrew's back was turned) and we started home.
The best thing about these trips isn't the scenery, the s'mores, or even the mentos+diet coke rockets. It's all about the fellowship. We always have great conversation, and challenge each other to grow in our spiritual walks. In short, it fosters the kind of deep, not-afraid-to-step-on-toes relationships that are desperately needed in the local church.
I'm already looking forward to next year.
View the photo album for this entry
Posted by jvp at 7:37 PM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2007
First trail run
Did my first trail run today. 2.77 miles in 29 minutes on the USI Cross Country trails. I'm considering a 23K trail race in the spring, so I figured I would see what it's like to run on them.
My initial reaction is that trail running is to road running as road running is to the treadmill. Let me explain. I hate the treadmill. It has to be one of the most boring things you could possibly do for exercise. Sometimes I listen to podcasts, but even that just isn't enough distraction. Time seems to go so slowly.
When you run on roads, there is more to occupy your mind. You have to be aware of traffic, intersections, weather, and not getting lost. The conditions can vary from run to run, and you are a part of your surroundings.
Now, take all of those differences between the treadmill and road running, and multiply them about 3 times, and you've got trail running. It involves your mind even more because you have to be constantly watching the trail and thinking about where to put your feet down. You have to adjust to constantly changing trail conditions (dry one place but muddy somewhere else). And the physical demands of trails can be more intense than roads with lots of ups and down. You are still a part of your surroundings, but those surroundings are much more beautiful and serene than what you will find in your typical neighborhood.
So I had a good run. I only wish that I had trails I could run closer to my house. With the drive I have to make to run them right now, it will probably be something I can only do every couple of weeks.
Posted by jvp at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2007
Prayer Request
My sister-in-law Parker, a missionary in West Africa with my brother, writes about her pregnancy and some challenges and uncertainties they are facing. Please pray for Mark, Parker, and the baby.
Posted by jvp at 7:59 AM | Comments (1)
October 7, 2007
A Hot 13 Miles
I ran the Evansville Half Marathon today on an unseasonably hot October Sunday. It was about 85 degrees when I finished--the heat was killing everyone. I ended up with a slower-than-I-hoped-for time of 2:34:14, having to walk about 2 1/2 of the 13 total miles. Regardless of my time, I am just glad to have achieved the goal of running and finishing this race. It has been a motivator to get me in shape and I feel great!
Thanks Chris for dragging me out at lunchtime all those years ago and introducing me to running, and thanks Josh for a short conversation that prompted me to try this race. And Amy, thank you for following me around all morning, fighting roadblocks and traffic to cheer me on in the race. I am so blessed that God has given me such a wonderful wife as you.
And now it's time for a hot shower...
Posted by jvp at 12:10 PM | Comments (2)
October 2, 2007
Everything is Opinion?
I've been trying to understand more lately about the Emergent church movement, largely because I know some people who are heading that direction, and I'd like to be able to engage them in intelligent conversation and debate. I do believe that there are some legitimate concerns with the church status quo that Emergent brings to the table, but I think there can be real danger with their method of thought. To illustrate, I was reading a book tonight, and came across the following paragraph:
[There is a] changing view of reality itself, based on the growing sense that no one can be truly objective. You cannot stand outside of your own context--including experiences, biases and the historical-cultural context--and be free to make an unconditioned observation. More than the sentiment "That's your opinion," the idea is that everything is opinion. This does not mean there is not a reality "out there," just that all of our "stories" about what is "out there" are the products of individual, highly subjective minds engaging "what is."
-James Emery White, A Mind for God
Doesn't that have the ring of some things you hear from the Emergent circles? It's not too far from "God has spoken, and the rest is commentary," the Rob Bell quote on the dust jacket of his books. The thing is, this author wasn't describing Emergent at all, but rather moral relativism! I'm afraid that is the destination where some streams of Emergent thought are heading.
Anyone else grappling with this, or dealing with it in their church?
Posted by jvp at 9:06 PM | Comments (2)
September 20, 2007
Sweet
Posted by jvp at 8:56 AM | Comments (1)
September 16, 2007
20-Mile Week
I hit the streets around my house today for a 7-mile run, bringing me up to 20.4 miles for the week! This marks my first 20-mile week, which was a goal of mine before the half marathon. If you're interested, I have more running info on my running stats page.
Update 9/17 8:00 AM: This was also my first run where I carried water with me. I used a generic waist belt bottle carrier that I bought at Wal-Mart several years ago. It's made out of nylon and caused my lower back to sweat a lot around the bottle. One other update: I changed the weight graph on my stats page to include a real 14-day weighted moving average (I was using a simple smoothing formula beforehand).
Posted by jvp at 10:58 PM | Comments (2)
August 21, 2007
Run JVP Run
I started running for fitness a few years ago when Chris Gerber drug me and a couple other guys out at lunchtimes to run on the Evansville greenway. At the time, I thought it would be a good activity to get in shape, but I expected to hate it. I have never been naturally athletic, and in my high school gym class I couldn't even run a mile without stopping to walk.
Well, it turns out I loved running. I haven't stuck with it continuously, I have gone through spurts over the years. But as of right now, I am running regularly, and staying motivated by setting a goal of running the Evansville Half Marathon in October. I have been tracking my runs with a Google Spreadsheet, and running an automated script to produce the sidebar box on the front page of my blog, as well as some statistics and graphs of my progress.
Posted by jvp at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2007
Mission: Not impossible
The Evansville Courier & Press ran a story today in their religion section about CFC. The story focused mostly on our missions efforts, and I was quoted briefly talking about the recent Czech trip.
Posted by jvp at 6:54 AM | Comments (0)
August 8, 2007
Rare occurrence
When my brother went to West Africa last year as a missionary, learning to deal with the brutal heat was a major adjustment for him and his wife. However, this week, they have been enjoying a rare cool stretch, with daytime highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s. And of course here in Evansville we're in the middle of a nasty heat wave. So, it turns out, it's actually hotter in Evansville right now that in Niger! Of course, Evansville probably won't ever be able to top this.
Posted by jvp at 1:30 PM | Comments (0)
August 6, 2007
Rock Cafe Video
I put up a short video from the Czech trip Rock Cafe concert on the trip blog. Check out the video here.
Posted by jvp at 7:00 AM | Comments (0)
June 27, 2007
Freedom Is Coming
Just under two weeks back from the Czech mission trip. Jetlag has worn off, and I am tired at the normal times again. I have been asked "how was your trip" dozens of times. You'd think I would have it boiled down to a quick, 45-second response. The trouble is, I'm not sure I could express it given 45 minutes.
Our team met last night for the first time since we returned. I asked them the question "what needs to stay vivid in your memory?" Blogging about the trip is part of keeping the memory alive for me. It forces me to collect and assemble my thoughts. I don't know what the result will be, possibly just a jumble of scenes. But then, that is a pretty accurate way to describe how I recall the trip.
We got off the jet in Prague excited but tired. It was 9:30 AM, but to our bodies it was 7 hours earlier. No one had been able to sleep on the planes (that would be very different on the way back). But despite our grogginess, we still had to scramble to get across town and catch a train that would take us to Zlin. We made it, and sat nervously on the train, wondering what was ahead of us.
A few hours later we were in our first Czech home, meeting the Mikucovi, a family who would serve as translators and help with logistics for our week. They had already been busy buying supplies and making many arrangements for our trip. Their apartment was tiny by American standards, everything served multiple purposes and there was absolutely no wasted space. The four of them lived in about 500-600 square feet, and they later told us that was quite large by Czech standards.
The next day we got to meet the Czech church at a special Sunday service and missions conference at a retreat center up in the mountains. Barry Dubuque spoke and encouraged everyone to evangelism, and talked about how God was answering their prayers for Him to work in Zlin. There was a communion service and several of the men in the church prayed blessing for our ministry. Also, this was the first time that we played music together since we had been in country. This was a little rough, but it allowed us to work out the bugs of our sound setup, and the church seemed to enjoy what we did, and kept asking us to do "just one more song."
Monday we started our main ministry in Zln. We did music and drama for about 3 1/2 hours in the park. Our music was in English--the main focus wasn't necessarily the words, but just to be a draw for people. As people would stop and listen, the "Czech team" as they were called--a group of local believers from the church and other ministries--would engage them in conversation. We shared testimonies and invited people to our "big concert" on Wednesday night at a place called (don't laugh) the "Masters of Rock Cafe." We spent Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons doing music in the park.
The Rock Cafe concert was the largest event of the week. We were told afterwards by Samuel Ht (our main ministry partner) that it was the first evangelistic concert they had ever had in their city. The owner of the rock cafe was amazed that a group of Americans would pay their own way to come and put on such an event. Many young people came and heard a strong gospel message from a local pastor.
At other times during the week, we got to see some of the local sights, have some traditional czech meals prepared by Samuel's mother, and hang out informally with the Czech team. Throughout the entire trip, we saw much answered prayer. We created family-strong bonds with Czech believers with whom we could barely speak. Our faith was stretched, and we all grew. It was a joy to partner in ministry with them.
Leaving was a difficult experience. It was hard to believe how close we had become with the Czech team over such a short period of time. I believe the only thought in our minds for about the first week was that we wanted to go back. Knowing that we were returning to our lives, but that their lives would keep going on half a world away was hard. But we did end up back home, and our challenge now is to integrate this experience into our lives.
I don't want those nine days to become just a memory, something I remember fondly as I look back. Rather, I hope I see it as a turning point in my life. A time when I had to rely on God like never before, and that He proved Himself faithful. Something that motivated me to think outside of myself more, and to give me an urgency to share my faith. There is definitely a very lost world "out there," but there is also a lost worid right here, and both need to be reached.
Another question people ask me is, "have you recovered from your trip?" to which I always reply, "I hope I never do."
Posted by jvp at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)
November 1, 2006
Bell Smith Springs
Last Saturday, the guys from my F3 Group took a day hiking trip to the Bell Smith Springs area in Shawnee National Forest. I had never been to this area, but it was highly recommended by a friend who has spent a lot of time there (thanks, Chris!). It was well worth the visit--it's truly an amazing area. The trip was originally going to be a camping trip, but because of the weather and our desire to get back for church on Sunday morning, we switched it to just a day trip.
The only down side was that it had been such a wet fall that the creeks were all up really high. The normal places where you would cross them were all underwater, and we decided to stay dry and not try a crossing. This meant we didn't get to see what are probably the two best-known landmarks of the area, Devil's Backbone and the natural bridge.
But regardless of these setbacks, there was still plenty to explore. We had a great time rambling around the area, enjoying lots of diverse plant life, and even got to see a couple of deer up close. After a couple of hikes, we settled down at a campsite, built a fire, and enjoyed some fellowship.
The one geeky thing I tried on this trip was geotagging my photos. I didn't have any fancy device, I just left the GPS on all day, and then coordinated the photo timestamps with the GPS track log. It's a pretty crude process, but the results aren't bad. I even threw together a Google map of our two hikes (#1 in Red, #2 in Blue), with photos displayed along the way. There were a few anomalies in the GPS track data, which is why some of the pictures are off of the track lines. I could fix that but I am too lazy to do it right now.
For the non-geeky, there is also just a regular photo album for this entry. You can view it here.
Posted by jvp at 12:53 AM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2005
Gatlinburg
Amy and I spent a few days in the Gatlinburg/Smokey Mountain area last week for a short "couples getaway", while the kids stayed with Mom and Dad (AKA "Gaga" and "Papa"). We had a great time enjoying the Smokies and Cade's Cove, hiking, shopping, and just relaxing in God's creation! The one downer was that it rained pretty much the entire time we were down there. However, it never poured, and didn't really deter us from our plans. The worst part was that we didn't really get to appreciate what probably would have been some incredible views in the mountains.
We actually stayed in Knoxville the first night, because we were arriving late and didn't want to try and find our cabin in the dark. Thursday morning, we got up and drove to Cade's Cove. This is a pristine valley area inside the National Park with beautiful views and lots of history.
Some of the original structures built by settlers in the 1800s are still preserved, and there are three old church buildings and cemetaries in the cove. The area is also known for wildlife viewing. Many visitors see black bears and cubs, and there is an abundance of deer. We hoped to see a bear, but didn't. We did, however, see several deer and a fox (pictures). We visited a house built by John Oliver in the early 1800s that is still standing and still mostly in its original condition. It was pretty amazing to see the skill of construction. Particularly interesting to me were the wooden hinges on the doors, and the notched construction of the walls. This served two purposes: the slope of the notches kept water running away from the house, and the shape, like a dovetail, gave the structure added strength. The fireplace and chimney is also original, the bricks are held in place with mud from the valley.
Friday was our shopping day, and we visited several shops and outlet stores in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. We had hoped to spend some time on the strip in Gatlinburg, but we ran out of time and were pretty tired, so we didn't get to do that. One stop we had to make while in Pigeon Forge was the Apple Barn and the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. We ate here the last time we came down, and it is now a tradition. Every meal comes with the Apple Barn's well-known apple fritters and homemade apple butter... mmmmmmm.... apple fritters..... After a big meal, we headed back towards the cabin for the night.
Since Amy had a day of shopping, I got to set the agenda for Saturday. I decided to do a hike in the park. We were originally going to try the Chimney Tops trail, but one of the big attractions for that trail is the view, and with the rainy/cloudy weather, we were afraid that we wouldn't see anything. So instead, we decided on the Rainbow Falls trail. This is one of the trails that can be used to approach Mount LeConte, although we only hiked as far as the falls. This was still a pretty big hike for us to attempt--it's 2.7 miles from the trailhead to the falls, with an elevation change of about 1600 feet (then you have to turn around and hike the 2.7 miles back). It was pretty challenging, but we made it. The falls were beautiful--there was plenty of water from the rain to supply them! You can't really tell how big they are from the pictures--the drop of the falls is about 80 feet! Also, my camera lens got a little wet, so the picture quality suffered a little. I didn't notice this until we were back at the cabin after the hike. Amy had to endure a couple of blisters (neither of us had properly broken-in boots), but I think she was glad she did the hike.
Sunday it was time to come back home. We took back roads for a while to avoid the traffic out
Posted by jvp at 10:11 PM
September 7, 2005
"Cache" Me if You Can
This past weekend, we took advantage of the wonderful weather and spent most of the day outside. The humidity was down, and it was warm, but not too hot, outside. We spent the morning and some of the afternoon trying an activity called Geocaching. This is basically a treasure hunt with a GPS receiver. People hide various containers, and post the GPS coordinates and a hint to find them on a website. Then, you enter those coordinates into a GPS receiver, and go off to try and find the cache.
Some are smaller than a 35mm film canister, while others are around the size of a shoebox and are filled with various trinkets to trade. If you take something, you're supposd to also leave something behind. And there's always a log, where you can record your visit, as well as recording it on the geocaching.com website.
This is turning out to be a very fun activity for us to enjoy as a family. There are many benefits. First of all, it's cheap. The only real expense is the cost of a GPS receiver. I've actually been borrowing one from a friend (thanks, Bob), but entry level models can be had for as little as $90. After that, there's not really any expense at all. Another good thing is that It's an outdoor activity, and can even involve exercise, depending on the terrain where the cache is hidden. I did a cache the other day where I had to walk nearly a mile on a trail to get to the cache. Of course, others are more easily accessible. Regardless, you get fresh air and no TV! The kids enjoy the thrill of finding hidden "treasure", and they get to take something home with them.
Anyway, if you like technology or gadgets, and you like the outdoors, geocaching may be right up your alley--check it out!
View the photo album for this entry.
Posted by jvp at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)
September 6, 2005
The Blog is Not Dead
Okay, months have gone by and I'm wanting to come back to this blog and keep it updated better. I'm planning to add a photo gallery, and give the look an overhaul, to make it something other than the default movable type look and feel. Stay tuned...
Posted by jvp at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)
February 24, 2005
Concert Review: Steven Curtis Chapman
Amy and I saw Steven Curtis Chapman's "All Things New" tour on Sunday, with Casting Crowns and Chris Tomlin. Honestly, when we decided to go to the concert, Chris Tomlin was the largest draw for me. I really like what Casting Crowns is trying to do with their ministry, but as far as their musical style, I can take it or leave it. I enjoy it enough when I hear it, but I'm not likely to reach for their CD if I'm looking for something to listen to. I think there's just not enough that's distinctive about their sound to make me either like it or dislike it.
I knew that Steven Curtis Chapman had a reputation for doing a very good live show. I actually saw him back in the early 90's at an Icthus event in Kentucky, but at the time, I was more interested in the main act the next night (Petra). I enjoyed his show that night, but it was a polite enjoyment of the Friday night act while anticipating Petra on Saturday night. I listened to SCC a good deal in the later 90s, but not as much lately. So, being out of touch with his music, I can't say that he's what made me want to go.
As I said, Chris Tomlin was the reason I wanted to go. I've had great worship experiences with many of his songs, and my brother Mark had seen him live before and said he was great, especially at getting an audience drawn in to a song they had never heard before. I was anticipating a great worship time with his leading.
To say that I was pleasantly surprised by the entire concert would be an understatement. It started with Steven Curtis Chapman coming out and praying for the concert. He sang a bit of the song "Much of You" from his new CD as a prayer, and then prayed. It was something I have never seen done before, and it was great to set the tone for the evening.
After that, Casting Crowns came on and played about 6 songs. They started right away with "If We Are the Body" which got the crowd into it. They turned out to be a lot of fun and very engaging in a live setting, more than I had found them to be on their CD. The crowd, which was probably about 7-8,000 was very active—it actually seemed like they were more excited about Casting Crowns than Steven Curtis Chapman. That would change later. I think all of their songs were performed with video tracks and had the lyrics overlaid. I enjoyed the video tracks, but I would have also preferred to have close-up video of the musicians, since I was in the cheap seats. Steven Curtis Chapman joined them for the lsat song they did, which was "Voice of Truth" (I think). I enjoyed their set much more than I expected I would. So far, so good.
While they were setting up for Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman came out with a very minimal band and played a little medley of his popular songs from years ago. Songs like "More to this Life", "For the Sake of the Call", and "The Walk". It seemed like 80-90% of the crowd had never heard these before, but I was loving it. No "Let Us Pray" though... too bad. A nice alternative to an intermission, and it satisfied the need to play those old hits that people always want to hear, without devoting too much time to it.
After that was Chris Tomlin, and it was an awesome worship time, as I had hoped. He did "Forever", "Holy is the Lord", "How Great is Our God" (went into "How Great Thou Art"), "Indescribable", and a couple others from his "Arriving" CD. The only negative thing was that the songs were in keys that were a little high for me, so it was hard to sing along at times.
Intermission was next. By this time, it was already about 8:45 (concert started at 7:00). The concert ended up going until about 10:30. Steven Curtis Chapman came out and did one of the best concerts that I have ever seen. He had the crowd on its feet for nearly an hour an a half, did a wide variety of material, and "won over" the crowd with ease. I said earlier that they seemed more excited about Casting Crowns, but by the end of the night, everyone was pumped up about SCC.
I noticed a couple of interesting technical details. First of all, he used two projection screens. One was mounted abov
Posted by jvp at 12:08 AM