So, this morning’s set was labeled epic power set by my band. I didn’t think about it being that way, I just felt like these songs were supposed to go together. So far it has been quite epic. Even with the main computer going completely out and needing to be restarted.

This week as I was praying and working through this set I was thinking about how to approach this idea of fear. So I looked for the antithesis of fear. This is what I found…

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.19 We love him, because he first loved us.

God’s perfect love is the antithesis of fear. We are sharing God’s perfect love through song today. Here’s what we are singing.

O How I Love Jesus

You Never Let Go

Our God

You Are Good

Glory to God Forever

Yahweh

Blessed Assurance

The Greatness of Our God

Maybe it is kinda epic. I know it’s huge. Be blessed today!

THIS IS POST NUMBER 300!!!!! Wow! I can’t believe I’ve actually stuck with something this long. I mean, I’ve continued to get older, I keep buying new clothes, I keep eating, I keep going to work. But this is different. This is my voluntary act and I’m continuing on with it for a long time. The other thing that is cool is that I don’t have hundreds and hundreds of followers and it isn’t something that is read by the masses. But I said that this was something that I would do if people read it or not. And that’s what I’ve done 300 times. Whew!

So I was thinking the other day about this concept. I’d like for people to weigh in on this if possible. I was putting together worship sets for church (because that’s what I do), when I was going through a couple different arrangements for a popular song. And without a second thought I said “let’s think outside the box with this one”. Then I immediately thought, “Why do we say that all the time”? I mean, obviously I know why we say that, but I wondered just what the box was. I mean, does the box change? Does the box look different in 2011 than it did in 1998? In 2010? What does thinking outside the box mean in today’s world? Is the box SO bad? Is thinking outside the box an actual box itself? Am I over thinking this? What was I doing again?

As an artist, we are always trying to find fresh new ways to present what we do. That’s what keeps us moving forward. Sometimes I wonder if, in our search for a life of less boundary do we end up outside of where God wants us to be. I wonder if, in our search and desire to be relevant (which is a ever moving beast of a target), do we end up diluting what should be strong an highly concentrated. I personally like changing things up periodically because that’s part of who I am as a person and musician. Can a story be told in a different way and still get the point across? I ask that question every day. But I also have to make sure that I’m not changing the main point of the story. So does thinking outside the box change the story? Or does it just change the manner in which the story is told?

What do you think about this box? Is there even a box anymore? Lend me your thoughts…

Yesterday I shared my checklist that I go through each week to make sure that what I’m doing is what the Father wants. For those of you that missed it, the list is Relevant Engaging Vulnerable Enriching Authentic Liberating Energetic Dynamic worship. Or REVEALED. I believe that if I’m trying to create a worship service that strives to hit these things that we are heading in the right direction. Today i want to explain the first one, being relevant. It seems that everyone wants to be relevant, but I think we have to figure out exactly what that means otherwise we are shooting in the dark.

The dictionary defines relevant as bearing upon or connected to the matter at hand. So that means the things that we say and do have some sort of connection to the things going on around you. I find this an intriguing and challenging thought. Relevancy is a fluid, slippery mark. It doesn’t just sit there so you can just hit it in the face. Sometimes you have to work to find it. However, at the very same time, musically speaking, it seems to sit in one place. How? Well, when it comes to music it seems that people seem to share similar thoughts. Lately, independent artists have been really taking over. I think that’s really cool. You will always have your corporations and major labels doing what they do, but it’s fun to see guys who are making good music in their home studios start to break through and make names for themselves. People have varying style preferences and it doesn’t seem to matter because there’s enough of all of it out there.

Then there’s Christian music. For whatever reason when you get people to talk about it their comments usually end with the phrase, “If you like Christian music”. It seems as if people have taken the concept of Christian music and automatically assumed that it isn’t relevant to everything else going on. It is almost as if people are saying “the music is okay and the beat is cool to listen to if you can deal with those cheesy, outdated lyrics and antiquated themes”. So Christian music gets put in this ‘not as good as real music’ box. Let me tell you, that makes this job difficult on a regular basis. How does one continue to stay relevant in a place that people feel isn’t relevant to begin with? How can it be that the message and story of Christ has become this fairy tale that doesn’t hold water in the lives of people in the world or the church?

Well personally I believe that the story of the Gospel always is and always will be relevant and that there is music today that speaks to that awesome story. There are people out there doing an amazing job at getting that point across in very creative ways. So I make sure that I am doing my best to reach for music and songs that are creative enough without distracting from the message or diluting it. That means I get to listen to a lot of music. Then when I find good music I get to share it with the people around me. There is relevant music out there. I know that music isn’t the only part of the worship experience, and the others come into play as we unpack the other elements of worship:REVEALED.

This sermon series is turning out to be quite good. If you are a reader and are looking for a church to visit, consider visiting The Word at Shaw. The stories that we are hearing are pretty good and I can only imagine what we will here over the next two weeks. This week we talked about having faith in troubled times and knowing that God is the one in control even when it feels like he’s not moving. Here are the songs from today.

Opener-Yahweh-Hillsong

Worship Set

All Creatures of Our God and King

Unchanging-Chris Tomlin

Glory to God Forever- Steve Fee

In music theory, a deceptive cadence occurs when you come to the end of a phrase and when convention tells you the next chord should be one thing something else happens there. You were deceived into thinking that you knew what was coming next. It happens a lot in music and when it does it is generally a dramatic difference.

The same thing happens in our lives all the time. Things are running along smoothly and we do pretty well at knowing what’s going on. Our analysis of a certain situation may be spot on. But then something happens. You get a phone call that reports a tragedy. You walk out of the office to see that your car isn’t where you parked it. You come home to an envelope that has papers that you didn’t want to see. Your child learns one of those painful lessons of teenage heartbreak. Something happens and it rocks your world and takes you somewhere you weren’t expecting to go.

Generally, a deceptive cadence will double back and repeat a portion of the section before en route to ending a song. It also has the ability to take you somewhere completely different and into a new section. We can’t really know what lies ahead around the next corner. We can only know what’s right in front of us. That’s why these types of cadences work. Sometimes they will cause a complete shift in your life. However, sometimes they will just simply lead you in a new direction, a direction you may not have seen before. Don’t be afraid of that direction because there may be something there for you that you may have never noticed.

God is the master conductor who is orchestrating our lives. We may think we know exactly what’s going on and how things are going to work out when change occurs and we aren’t sure how to handle it. It isn’t our job to know. It’s our job to pay attention to the conductor and make sure that we don’t miss our entrance to play. The cadence may be deceptive at first and catch you off guard, but in the end it’s all a part of His song. And we already know how that one ends.

This may be one of the coolest things that I’ve ever been asked to do. I, Harry Walls IV, was actually given a pre-released copy of a CD and asked to write a review about it. So even though this isn’t the end of the month, I’m going to write a middle of the month review.

Last week I received a pre-released copy of the Hymns and Spiritual Songs EP by Russ Mohr. For those of you who don’t know who he is, he is the front man for the St. Louis soul group called The Fundamental Elements. If you don’t know who they are, then click here and take a listen. But then come back. I hit play on my computer and just sat back. If you are unaware, I’m a big fan of FE and so I had a feeling that this would be good as well. I was not disappointed. Russ and FE drummer, guitarist, producer and whatever else he does Luke DeJaynes have put together a solid project that not only sounds good but lifts up the name of Jesus. This 6 track EP (5 and a reprise) has a really cool vibe to it and stays consistent throughout. The original songs, especially the song No One Like You is one that could easily be done in a worship set on a Sunday morning. I’m actually thinking of rolling it out in my church in a few weeks. Sometimes it’s hard to redo a hymn or find a way that someone else hasn’t done it before without it jumping so far off track that it’s not an attractive move. Both My Jesus I Love Thee and What a Friend We Have In Jesus stay right where they need to be. They fit right where they need to be and if you are looking for a different way to present these songs in your church then I say at least take a listen.

The other cool aspect about this project is why it was done. Russ and his wife Katie are in the process of adopting their second child. For those of you who are adopting or have adopted before understand the amazing cost that goes into making this happen. This project was created to help offset some of that cost as well as be a gift to some have already give assistance and aid toward the goal. I’m excited for my chance to help out a musician and fellow South City dweller. I gotta represent St. Louis whenever I can so those of you that don’t live here understand that not EVERYONE is going out aiding in our number 1 murder capital status. Russ is a cool guy with a great voice and I’d love it if you could help him out when this CD is released in digital copy form in about a week or so. Keep your eyes open here and once it is released I will let you all know where you can get it.

If you read this blog on a regular basis, I told you at the end of the year I had a resolution to listen to more music. I have started slow on that, but we are off and running now. My goal is to review a couple CD’s per month. I believe that I can support this music habit now so this should be fun. For February, I only have one to report. Fortunately for you, it’s a good one.

This month I am thoroughly enjoying the new CD by Adele titled 21. I’m not really sure where I’ve been for the past few years seeing that this is her second album. Either way, I’m glad that I ran across this one. I saw the video for Rolling In the Deep on a channel on the digital antenna that we have and was blown away by her voice. So I decided to take a risk on the whole CD. The last time I had done that was when I bought Sara Barellies ‘Little Voice’. And just like that time, I was SUPER happy that I made the purchase. 21 is solid from top to bottom with very few flaws. Maybe it’s her raw, old school, soulful voice. Maybe it’s the piano driven nature of the songs (I have been known to play a little piano myself). Maybe it’s all of the above and a little more. Whatever it is, I listened straight through from beginning to end and didn’t realize I had spent 51.5 minutes according to iTunes. The CD opens up with the aforementioned Rolling In The Deep and and her voice just explodes into the chorus. I fell in love with the song all over again. Her voice carries you all the way through the 12 songs with energy and intensity. It sits nicely on top of the musical arrangements that hang back simply and allow the power and shimmer of this 21 year old voice to do it’s job. No perfect example of that are the songs Turning Tables (my favorite) and Lovesong (favorite 1A).

I could listen to this CD repeatedly, which I have pretty much done since I bought it last week. The words and the vocals make me quite happy even though some of the musical arrangements don’t excite me as much. You won’t be disappointed if you spend money on this one. Grade: A-

As I’m writing this, I’m almost ashamed at the fact that I used that as a title. However, I think it’s worth stating because that statement is at the heart of who I am. I have always loved music. I grew up in a Motown family so I have people like Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson and others in my list of favorites. I love voices that don’t make sense which is why I love people like Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston. My love for instrumental music and voices different than my own bring me to a love of people like Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire and Hall and Oates. I love lyrics and classics so I love The Beatles. I grew up in an interesting time and so the mix in my brain is so intense that includes the likes of Kirk Franklin, Israel Houghton, Common, Mos Def, John Mayer, Audrey Assad, Hillsong, DeBarge, Anita Baker, Paramore, Sting, The Spinners and the list goes on and on and on…

I also have developed a love for music that isn’t quite as widely known, but still simply amazing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that one of my favorite groups today happens to be from St. Louis called the Fundamental Elements. I was also introduced to a group called Paper Route that I had never heard of before that rocked my socks at a concert. I’ve broadened my musical horizons in church hearing songs like Different from a group called Acceptance. I’m always learning more about music every day and hearing some of the best lyrics ever just by doing a little digging.

One of the things that I’ve come to realize is that music brings people together more than anything I’ve ever experienced before. I know that’s not a revolutionary statement, but I feel that it’s worth repeating. Most of the people that I’ve been blessed to know in my life come from a general love for music whether it be playing and singing it or listening to it and picking it apart in a way that only musicians can. I am learning that this gift that God has given us is something that can be used to His glory unlike anything else. I also see that even if it’s not billed as “Christian” music, that can still be accomplished. Case in point, I am doing a show at a local coffee shop in the Tower Grove area and the whole goal is for our church to reach out to the community and let them know that we are there. However, one of the main points that was made in planning this from our end is that it wasn’t going to be a worship concert. I’m glad that we have that mind. We just want to build relationships with people. I think this will be a super great way to pull that off.

A huge reason that I’m writing this entry right now is because I’m having my ears caressed by the lyrics and vocals of my friend, Seth Primm. He has always pushed me to want to be a better vocalist because he’s always been amazing in the 10 years that I’ve known him. I honestly can’t believe that I’m listening to this voice and know the person that goes with the voice. That makes it that much better. He and his beautiful wife are in the process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia and have written a collection of songs as a prayer, speaking life into this little girl before we even know who she is. I’m overwhelmed by this project not only because these are true friends of mine, but because of what it stands for. Even more, it reminds me why I love music. Pure. Simple. Right. Music. Thanks guys, for reminding me why I do this.

I’ve had a couple weird blog days this past week. There was also the fact that my posts were posting later than I actually posted them. Weird times…anyway I hope that we’ll get back on track this week. I’m starting the week off with a doozy! Yesterday, I was reading my Bible (it was Sunday) and ran across this gem of a chapter in the Psalms. For those of you that don’t know, I have been dealing with quite a lot lately in life. I feel as if I’m in a constant state of transition, not knowing what the next step is going to be. I have been praying that God would show me what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel like I should know something because we have been walking this same road for so long. I’ve almost felt entitled. “Why won’t God just answer me? He knows this situation and He knows what we need. SERIOUSLY!” That was a statement of mine from an actual conversation. All that to say that I’ve been quite frustrated with life as of late.  There are some things that I want to do, and some things that I don’t want to do. There are some things that I’m hoping God will work through and my brain has been through a million scenarios.

In getting ready for the SpiritWing 25th Anniversary Reunion (more on that later), I was listening to the song Psalm 40 by Newsong. This was one of the songs that I led during the year I was in SpiritWing and we are singing it again. That song and passage came to my mind yesterday morning before service because I was a little discouraged about things. The chapter starts out talking about how David waited patiently for the Lord to do what He was going to do. That immediately struck home. But I think took a glance at a passage I had marked from chapter 39. It simply floored me.

You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro…

Psalm 39:5-6a

The thought that I’m just a breath, a phantom completely blew me away. I’ve been sitting here wondering what God is waiting on and then I saw that He doesn’t have to tell me anything and that in a blink I could be gone. That was a quick pick me up before service started. This world is NOT about me or you. It’s about God working in and through us. I got completely and utterly blasted by this passage. I immediately started writing a song based on this passage. It’s coming soon and I will do my best to bring the fire that the words speak. However, (you should read this chapter, btw), the rest of this chapter is beautiful. I can’t wait to weave this thing into a song. I’m excited about it!!!

Did you need to know this week that you’re a phantom man? I know I did…

That sounds SOOOOO horrible, doesn’t? Especially when you think about what a mutt is. You may even have one in your home. A mixed breed. They automatically get looked down on. People see one running around the neighborhood and automatically think, “Oh that’s just a mutt. No one wants him.” Or at least it used to be that way. Now it seems that people are purposefully mix breeding dogs looking for combinations of dogs that will be the strongest or the prettiest. Now it’s not so bad to be a mixed breed evidently. Except for dog shows…they still want pure or nothing at all.

I feel like sometimes worship gets looked at the same way. Everyone has their opinions about how worship music is supposed to look or sound or feel. You either have to move forward and be progressive as the music is progressing. Or you can only be musically pure in the church if you stick with the standards and the traditional. That’s when music was at it’s best. I’m not saying that I’ve heard ANY of these things said before (hehehe), well maybe I am… but the truth of that matter is, people are rarely going for the mix. The question is why?

The mix is hard. The mix walks a fine, fine line that I believe worship/song leaders of the day don’t really want to walk. By the way, I am writing this as more of a discussion starter because I constantly deal with this myself. The whole concept of blended worship is one that continues to change, making it hard to get a grasp on. By everyday terms in the church, blended worship basically says “We don’t want to make anyone mad, and we want to keep everyone here happy so let’s do our best to make each week and safe, even mixture of music for everyone. We know we can’t continue to do hymns forever because we are losing our kids by the second. But we don’t want to make the elder people mad because they have helped build and sustain this church. And their name is on that pew…” So at best, we’re asking our worship leaders to be diplomats on a weekly basis. It’s not easy to feel led by the Spirit and be a diplomat. Let me tell you that from experience. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing the idea of a blended worship gathering. But a lot of times, my present situation included, a blended service is only a means to and end. Over a short period of time, people eventually move toward multiple services where those who want traditional hymns and things of that nature get to wake up earlier and come here the sleepy sounding, not as cool, energy-less “old people music. Then the later service is the hip, ultra cool, contemporary, “the only way the music could be this cool is if you wake up later and can drink coffee in the sanctuary” music. There is NO division in those two families of thought, right?

How do we treat the concept of a blended (or later named converged) worship experience from becoming ‘mutt worship’? I know from experience that doing this on a weekly basis can be terribly hard to maintain. I’m not saying that it is really easy to do either of the extremes. However, it seems to take an extra bit of planning because you have to keep everyone’s musical taste in your thoughts each week. You have to remember that Ms. Whatsherface thinks that new fancy song you played last week had too much of a beat and she felt like she was at a club. You also have to remember the group of young college kids that told you how lame that second song was and that if they have to hear that one one more time they may just lose it (with a couple OMG’s thrown in cause they sent this to you via text message). Then you think, “shouldn’t worship be about the one we’re worshiping anyway?” Hmmmm…