Dis-"Connect": The Hiatus, Pt. 3

When I speak to you in mother tongue,
my words are understood,
your minds process the meaning,
and decides whatever it should.

Mais quand je parle en langue différente,
voyez-vous la difficulté à comprendre?
Ce n'est plus facile de décider,
et les messages se mèlent ensemble...

Did you try to understand me,
when I left your realm of comfort?
Or did you remain ever ignorant,
and put forth a dishonest effort?

Languages are like people,
both simple and complex,
and when we all speak in English,
The poison rarely infects.

But never do we speak in mother tongue
Being so different from each other
And therein lies the sicknesses and poisons -
we manage to give one another.

I'll be honest. This past week, I have seen so many misunderstandings, misreadings, and incomplete pictures of why people do what they do, or act a certain way, and it has my head spinning faster than the beating of a hummingbird's wings. Whatever happened to looking at something from a different point of view instead of the ones we're comfortable with? Have we all become too closed minded for our own good? Perhaps. And I don't know if you've noticed, but our lack of sight (not youth band, everyone's) has caused many a misunderstanding to escalate to something much more unpleasant. In the rawest of senses, we are raging war with one another, and we need to stop it at the root of the problem.

Don't think for a second that we're all the same... Each person is a different story.

After what I have seen over the past few days, I think that when people are introduced to a situation, don't just take a side without looking at the other... Our human minds can only see a portion of the puzzle, and as a result, fail to see all the different paths that lead to the right answer. All I'm asking us to do is to tread with a little more consideration in our hearts. Who knows? If you stop yourself and ask, "why did he/she act that way?", instead of overlooking it and placing blame or judgement wherever you may, you may be able to help with the bigger issue, rather than the petty argument.

SNL June: A Working List

Hey all, we're still taking a break from our ministry, but when we get back to it in the next week, we'll have quite a bit of things on our plate, one of these the date of the final SNL. Instead of waiting till we get back, Matt and I think that it would good to make a list so we're not caught in the middle of it when we start again. Actually, some of us have tried to make lists several times, to no avail, so Matt was saying that we should all make a list of about ten or so songs, then we'll shorten those lists into one master list, and continue from there. Sound alright? Here's mine (influenced):

1. An Introduction/The Time Has Come
2. You Are Good
3. Everything Glorious
4. You Deserve (a good middle/offering :P)
5. Shine
6. My Soul Sings
7. From The Inside Out
8. Tell The World (would be a good last one)

Post, and reply people! Still need input.

Song Of The Week - April 24

April is winding down everyone! Congrats to Ian, as well as the other students who've finished their university exams. Although, the fact that they're all all done now makes me slightly jealous of their expanse of free time before them :P. The rest of us haven't got that much farther to go either, so I'll just try and hang in there. This week, you may realize that the SOTW has been posted quite a bit earlier, hour-wise at least. I thought about it, and decided that I couldn't not write about it right now... it's been weighing on my heart all day, and has brought me much joy.

You Hold Me Now - Hillsong United, [a_CROSS//the_EARTH]: Tear Down The Walls

"No darkness/No hurt or pain/No suffering/You hold me now, You hold me now"

I am very excited for this right now. More than words can express :P. It has been nearly three years, with the exception of In A Valley By The Sea, that United has released any live albums. But from what I've been hearing and experiencing by this new music, it was well worth it.

You Hold Me Now... is the new single for United's new album, Across The Earth, which releases next month (keep your fingers crossed). I know that I have already put an SOTW by Hillsong up on the blog, but I honestly consider each formation an entirely different band, because each one possesses radically different styles... Fortunately, they all center around one important theme: The praise and worship of God.

When I first heard this song, I was both excited to hear something new, but was taken aback at how... beautiful it was. It has an Irish feel to it, which my mind associates with intoxicating, captivating melodies. There's something about it that pulls your heart in, and doesn't let go. But the thing that I find best of all about this song were its lyrics. They just have so much weight to them, and they immediately struck a chord somewhere inside of me. Oh... how I long to be free of the pains of the world! The song reminds me of God's promises, and the ending that is to come, in heaven's light, in His victory. I find it a reassurance... that all the pain, the hardship and suffering that we see all around us can't last forever, and one day, one glorious day... the dominion of joy and peace will reign, forever. Just that simple fact warms my entire being and sets my soul on fire. He holds us all, and will never let us go. I have waited so long for some new Hillsong United, and I am glad that it is finally here. They were the first group to get me excited about Christian Music, and more importantly, my faith. This song is yet another testimony of how Hillsong has drawn not only me, but thousands of others from all walks of life, closer to God through their ministry. I pray that He will continue to spread his message through the people He has appointed, because it is one of absolute joy.

You Hold Me Now - http://www.mediafire.com/?tn13exd23jw

Dis-"Connect": The Hiatus, Pt. 2

I have a heart, beating inside, one in which I find security, one in which I confide. There's love in there, I know it - but to show this would be folly, no one wants to see caring anymore. Keep to myself, that's the plan. Look out for number one, you're the only one that matters... but why does the world feel so cold, when my heart - it feels so warm?

The world is so full of hearts like these, and I know this because deep down, we're similar in more ways than we think. We've all got a selfish part inside of us, the part that only wants to look out for number one, the part that could care less about the pain of others. But flip that. We also have a part inside of us that cares so intensely, so radically, that it is amazing to see it. Because we rarely do. This week, the word that's been on my heart is compassion. Compassion, caring and sympathy for the less fortunate. Jimmy brought a concerning point to the table yesterday. We are self-absorbed to some degree, and some may find this to be completely fine. However, I think that all of us have been shown examples, both in whom we believe and the people around us, the effects of what selfless actions can do in someone's life. Little things make a big difference, and I hope that in time, more people come to realize this. What you may find inconsequential in your life could mean an enormous amount in the lives of others. These are my thoughts, these recent days of hiatus. Show the world you care, because Earth's fire can't warm anyone's heart if you have the match to start it.

Dis-"Connect": The Hiatus, Pt. 1

The srings stay clean. The cases are closed. The boards gather dust. The stage is empty. My goodness, what will we do when there's no one on stage...?

I have asked this question to myself quite a bit lately. What are we to do when we lay down our instruments and step away from the stage? It's what we do, right? Our ministry, how we reach out to other people. So what do we do when that stops? When we're no longer playing, and lights on stage fade into nothing?

After the events of this week, I have begun to appreciate the weight of this much more. Yes, the worship we create is very important, because we've been given the privelege to help change someone's life through the amazing gift of music. But we also have to remember that performing and leading people is only one part of our work. As I have mentioned in other articles, that what we do off stage is just as important, even more so than what we do on stage. People look at our lives, and they what they see can either help them draw them closer to God, or push them farther. I think this is what Matt wants us to remember during our break this month, our "hiatus", if you will.

Do I have all the answers? No. But I'm trying to understand...

During these next few weeks, I think we should reflect upon our time in the youth band so far, and the reasons we wanted to be in it, and continue to stick with it after all this time. And think about everything, the selfish reasons, the selfless reasons. What's keeping you going for this youth group? We have the time to think now and regain focus, which doesn't happen much, considering how fast our lives pass from day to day. Take the time, our hiatus has just begun...

Song Of The Week - April 17

Hey everyone, happy Friday! Haha, this one is a good one indeed, for me personally... some people already know the reason why :P, but it's still a very good reason to be excited I find lol. My spirits are running high right now, and I hope they'll stay that way for a bit. This weekend we're looking forward to a little trip down to Moncton and that sort of small church... which has excited some of us, and scared others. I'm grateful to have this opportunity to go, and I'm just going to show what God's given me to use while I'm down there, because I know that's more than enough...

This week, we've got a little bit of a... guilty pleasure for the SOTW ;). I don't usually listen to pop tunes because I find them repetitive and uninteresting, but for some reason, this particular one has me hooked. It's got power, and lots of it.

Love Me - Nathan Walters, Escape

"I want you to love me..."

As I said, I personally don't listen to a large amount of pop songs by any stretch, quite possibly because I haven't found any that either spoke to me, or would get me grooving for more than just those three minutes on the radio. But there comes a time when something awesome happens, and you find something that you never expected to. Nathan Walters is a solo Christian artist, fairly new because I hadn't heard anything about him over the past year. There are a couple things that I noticed about him from the get go: 1 - His voice is high, almost to the point of annoyance haha, but very well crafted, smooth, and if you can adjust to it, very enjoyable as well. 2 - He is very passionate. His album is full of it, and while the style is not completely my taste, it rings through a lot when I hear him sing. No long explanations about this one, well... maybe.

Love Me is a fairly pumping song, and the first thing that grips you into it is the beat and the synth together, setting a really serious atmosphere for the entire piece. There may be some more undertones and meanings during the song, but for me, the part that grips me the most is the chorus. Just the words I want(need) you to love me... They're sung with so much passion and power, and I feel that the singer is shouting out a genuine cry out to God, not wrapped in the pretty ribbons of advanced eloquence, or sugar coated in an attempt to make ourselves look good. It's sad, but true. When we talk or pray to God, whether it be in front of people or by ourselves, we think that we need to talk in a way that is more intelligent or more formal (or perhaps not, Tim Hawkins gives a good example of this), when all God really wants from us is an honest heart and humble lips. I think that's why this song provides such a pull for me. It's a raw, powerful cry, and every time I hear it, I think of how much I want Him to love me, as well as how much I need Him. The song is almost like a representation of the deepest, innermost cry in all of us, what our hearts yearn for deep down inside... The thing that gripped me about this song was the unabated power and passion. Take it as you may, pop song, repetitive, annoying... crappy :P, but I take it as something much more than that, and that's why I have nominated Love Me as this week's SOTW.

Love Me - http://www.mediafire.com/?3zty2yyyywm

Easter Service 2009

He is risen indeed! Today's service was just amazing for me in some many ways, I hope it was for you as well. Matt Doige intended for this service to be a celebration, as well as many others, and I felt that it was all that and more. It was... amazing, it really was. If you want proof, just listen... Happy Easter, everyone.

Easter Service - April 12 2009
Salvation Is Here
The Lord Reigns
Jesus Paid It All
Revelation Song
Today Is The Day

Song Of The Week - April 10

Allo, et bonjour tout le monde...

I'm hoping that everyone had a very good Holy Week, and hopefully took some time to reflect on why we have this long weekend. It's always good to have some days off from school or work ;), but I also think it's very important to remember the specific reasons why we have that particular day off from routines we'd like to get away from. And though I may be biased slightly, I think that this break is because of the most important reason of all... The reason we still live, and the reason that we can still hold our heads up at all. Today is Good Friday, and let's hope and pray that we never forget the importance of that.

This week, the SOTW is reflecting a bit of the things on my heart, and also an old acquaintance. He came by once, just him and his acoustic guitar...

Come Back Around - Matt Brouwer, Where's Our Revolution

"When your heroes have all let down/And you find that your faith is unsound/come to me dear/With your broken heart"

As most of you know, this year's Holy Week has been a rough one for me. I have talked, argued, been beaten down emotionally, and I've just been running along a razor's edge this entire week... It's been exhausting, to say the least. And there was a point where I just couldn't find any comfort. The earth was beating down, and it was pounding hard.

That is why this week's SOTW is close, and probably will stay close to my heart for a long time to come. Come Back Around is by Matt Brouwer, who came and performed at our church last June. One thing I realized about him was that his songwriting and lyrics were so relatable, and dealt with a lot of what I was feeling at the time, and a bit of what I feel now. The song is short, but I chose this song for its quality, not its quantity. I just find so much comfort in what it has to say.

We've all been let down, dissapointed, saddened... And it's a horrible feeling. When a friend leaves you hanging, when someone fails to keep a promise, when everything that could possibly go wrong for you does go wrong, and you feel like the only one going through any of that. It's a rough place to be, and I personally think that that's when we forget God. Sure, we also forget Him in the good times unfortunately, but although we may remember Him more when the going gets tough, sometimes we just lock ourselves away, to be undisturbed by anyone, and ignore the outsretched hands that are there in front of you. This song reminded me that God is ever present, whenever I need Him. That He cares enough to hold me and support my hurts and insufficiencies is still something that I have not fully appreciated yet, and something I don't know if I ever can. The fact that He has sacrificed everything He could possibly sacrifice in order for us to have a chance... I'm disgusted with myself for not being able to appreciate the weight of it all, and even shun it if I deem it inconvenient or uncomfortable. I am grateful everyday that despite the fact that we turn our backs on Him, if something gets us down, He never turns away. In fact, he draws nearer. Our Savior... he never fails to astound me. I wouldn't be where I am today without His love and comfort. And today, I remember what He did to give me a chance, and what He continues to do to lift me from the burdens that I face in my life. Let this song remind you that whatever happens, you can still go to Him, because of what he did today over two millenia ago.. and because of who He is. Remember Christ this weekend, he will never forget you.

Come Back Around - http://www.mediafire.com/?gw1tyzouedm

Song Of The Week - April 3

Thought I wouldn't have enough time to write up an SOTW today eh? Well guess again! I still have time to stress out in the TMT and still come back to write my thoughts and feelings for this week! As you can see, this makes me happy :P. I know my commitments haha. Well today, we are welcoming a new month, and are also on the eve of celebrating for a certain someone who's on this blog... wonder who it is lol! Well, let's roll on out, shall we? I think that this song is quite well made, and it's also in the same key as Don't You Know (makes it more awesome :P).

Empty Handed - Raining And Ok, Always Will Be

"I am empty handed/singing/I'm broken and I'm stranded/crying out..."

Raining And Ok... what a peculiar name for a band was my first thought when I downloaded them. Does anyone have that problem with bands? If the name doesn't sound good to you, it doesn't matter if you've never heard them before, you'll judge how good they are based on their name. Am I wrong? I used to do that all the time, which hindered me from hearing a lot of good music earlier. I make sure now that I Myspace the bands before I make a decision. A book shouldn't be judged by its cover, and neither should band names (well, withing reason haha). This is one such case for me.

Empty Handed is a beautiful piano driven ballad, that I think expresses our emptyness, and our sense of loss, without something that sustains us and revives us. I was looking for a song to nominate this week, and couldn't find much that I wanted to expand upon. I found this song because I decided to go through all of my new music here, and I ended up finding this... I see this song as a representation of what we are without God: broken, empty handed and isolated. It is something I've been thinking about for some time, and this piece voices my thoughts exactly over the past couple days. We'll never be able to be complete or whole by our own means, not with material things, or occupations, social lives, or anything else someone might take part in to try and fill up a part of their lives. No matter how hard we try, we'll never be able to, and as the song speaks about in some lyrics, our cups will never be quite full without Him. I feel that these lyrics would've been something that I might have said, if I hadn't known God at this moment. He has helped me through so much, and to not have His presence over me, to not know Him... I know I'd be broken, and a lot nore helpless than I feel at times when I forget that He's still there... This is a sound message, helping everyone to acknowledge that we're broken without Him. Listen in everyone... listen.

Empty Handed - http://www.mediafire.com/?zowhe0dznzw

Yellow And Black

My only emotion after last night was relief. I've been both anticipating and dreading this weekend for months now... both because of what I had to do, and what I didn't think I could do. But God is good. All the time. The performance I did last night, and will attempt to do tonight, is not, and will never be for my ego. All I have learned about God rang true yesterday. He comforts, He sustains, and He is... amazing. At the end of the day, it's because of Him that I can do what I do, and it doesn't look like I'll forget that for quite some time.

Black guys with fat lips :P