It’s been a small dream of mine to have John Mark McMillan lead our congregation in worship for a few years now. It’s finally happening a week from tonight. If you live in the area you should come out and join us.
This past weekend was just about perfect. Thanks to the generosity of some of my production friends here at willow I had the opportunity to visit soundcheck for one of my favorite bands, Zac Brown Band. We were scoping out their PA system and salivating. Crafting a good audio mix has become such a science and it was fun to talk shop w/ their crew and our crew.
On Saturday morning Stella and I made pancakes. (The secret is to add sugar to the batter.)
Hundreds of folks were baptized at church this past weekend. It is always a highlight when we celebrate baptism together as a church. Below you can see our tradition: all of the friends and family of those baptized are able to come up on stage and celebrate w/ them as we worship. It’s always a moving experience.
Yesterday we stacked firewood and cleaned up the yard. Ezra was a big help!
I also snuck in a date night w/ Beki…we watched Breaking Dawn, of course. My wife is currently hooked on all things twilight.
As we move into thanksgiving I’m really appreciating all of the blessing of my life…big and small. Cheers to you and your families this week!
b
Here’s a little trailer that we put together for our upcoming “Hot Topics” series.
The guys from All the Bright Lights graciously gave us permission to use their song “Waiting on A Child.”
I just came upon this recording of us playing our version of ‘All the Poor and Powerless’ in Tennessee this past summer. For those of you asking, we are recording this thing and it will be available very soon.
much love,
b
It is truly amazing how much the fall affects my mood. As soon as the air cools and the leaves begin to turn my mind immediately shifts to a more contemplative place. I’ve always loved the fall and even the winter months in Chicago. Here are some of the tunes that will accompany me in this season.
All the Bright Lights - Self Titled Album
Lucky Now - Ryan Adams - pre-release single (new album soon!)
Holy & We Are Here for You - Matt Redman - best sounding live album I’ve heard in awhile and there are some real genuine songs for the church on this record.
Toes - Lights
Helena Beat - Foster the People
Sail - AWOLNATION
Here is the clip of our pastor, Bill Hybels, addressing the Leadership Summit attendees regarding the cancellation of keynote speaker, Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz. I absolutely applaud how he handles this situation.
And here is an interesting article (read the comments too) from the Huffington Post that was released about an hour ago.
My friend and bandmate Jonny Mendez just released what I feel is the best album I’ve heard this year. And I’m not just exaggerating because he’s my friend. It has all the best elements of my favorite influences…Ryan Adams, David Bazan, Jimmy Eat Word, and more. But Jonny isn’t just playing copy-cat. These songs are genuinely him and it’s really refreshing to hear. Phil Schawel did a fantastic job producing the record. This is literally the best album that you don’t know about yet. Go pick it up!
If you’ve been in church work for very long, you’ve come across some innocent soul who had the nerve to ask you this question. So…what do you guys do all day?
I’ve been asked that a few times recently by random folks and also by some ministry friends in the creative realm who had honest questions about how to structure their time. And so I sent them this little concise breakdown of how our creative process works each week. And I thought I’d pass it on to you. Hope it helps…and I’d love to hear your weekly rhythm as well!
Friday – nine days out – band confirmed, music selected, distributed, rehearsals scheduled
Tuesday – six days out – Programming “Tactical” meeting
Wednesday – five days out – Programming Meeting
Wednesday (monthly) - Creative Meeting
Thursday – four days out – Production meeting
Sunday – day of – lots of things
Do it all again!
Recently one of our songs was featured on a new compilation project called “Songs for the Oppressed”. All of the profits from the album are donated to projects that are making a difference in the lives of oppressed people groups around the world. Several other artists are featured on the project, including Aaron Niequest, The Brilliance, and Becky Johnson. Here are a couple endorsements: one from Lynne Hybels and another from Brian McLaren.
I’m telling everyone that I know to read my friend Darren’s new book, Rumors of God. This video is a quick snapshot of the idea behind the book. Also you should know that this is an actual church that’s built on top of a Chicago skyscraper. I love the symbolism of a church quietly buried in the Chicago skyline…a quiet beacon of hope watching over the city and calling on God to renew his promises in our day. One of my favorite collaborators, Jesse Oxford, produced this and the soundtrack was contributed by our very own Aaron Ruse.
