What an epic day!
This morning, we lead the worship team at St. John's York Mills for a vibrant service blending our contemporary sounds with the traditional tones of the organ and choir.
After a short break, we returned back to the church for Musicfest. (I posted a photo earlier this week showing Gerald in rehearsal.) 3 handbell choirs, 1 vocal choir, 1 organ, 1 keyboard, and our Worship Team joined forces to create 90 minutes of summer fun in the midst of our gray and rainy spring.
We opened the 4pm show with a Santana inspired version of "Let the Sun Shine In." We formed a jazz quintet to play Gerald's gorgeous arrangement of Gershwin's "Summertime." Gerald and I shared vocals, and Tim lifted the song with his sax. Gerald and the men of the team formed "The Beatles" and played with the handbells on "Here Comes the Sun." The band-meets-handbells combo was a challenge, but the results were fantastic. Later in the program, we beefed up the band with a few more singers and players and rocked the house with "Wipeout" and "Summertime Blues". We closed the show with a reprise of "Let the Sun Shine In," took a short break, and did it all again at 7pm.
Tonight marked the 20th Musicfest. It originally started as a handbells event. Early on, Monika and I were invited to sing a duet or two, and over the years, it's become a family friendly event that incorporates all the musical talents of our church, raises money for great causes, and provides a relaxing afternoon for the people of our community.
I'm so proud of the work our team did for this, and now, I'm ready for a few days sleep!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Rocking with the Handbells
Gerald on guitar, Derwyn on vocals, and Carolyn leading the bells.Next Sunday, St. John's York Mills will play host to Musicfest - a family friendly musical event featuring handbells, organ, choir, and our Worship Team.
This year, Gerald and I have been asked to lead the Worship Team for the 2 concerts. Thinking on this year's theme of Summer, we've chosen to do Gerwshin's "Summertime" and summer classics "Wipeout" and "Summertime Blues." We'll also collaborate with the bells for a few songs.
This afternoon, we met with the handbells to rehearse "Here Comes the Sun." This is the first time the full band has played for Musicfest, and I think the results are going to be pretty cool.
For more details on the shows, please visit here.
Name spotting...
Gerald and I spent some cafe time this week, sipping cappuccinos and chatting with friends. As Gerald and his buddy played chess, I flipped through Wholenote magazine, and saw this ad with our name in it!
This is the same church where we played a Country Mass just last week.
Join us on Sunday, June 5 for our Country Vespers service!
Join us on Sunday, June 5 for our Country Vespers service!
Sunday, May 01, 2011
The Gathering and Surface
Our 3-church-Sunday continued with The Gathering at St. John's York Mills. Tonight, we began a 5 week mission featuring the inspired preaching of Guy Chevreau. Guy has preached around the world, and I'm really excited to hear his story and message.
After a wonderful time of worship at St. John's, we had a quick turnaround before heading to St. Clement's for Surface. This intimate Eucharist blends scripture, prayer, poetry, and music for a relaxed and inspiring evening worship. The music was an eclectic mix, and I was reminded of Louis Giglio's thought, "All music is worship music, but who are you worshiping?"
Images and stained glass at Surface
The theme for the service was Hope Filled With Doubt. Finding songs that reflected that human contradiction was a challenge. For our congregational songs, we chose "Here Comes the Sun," "Stand By Me," and "Your Grace is Enough." I sang Martina McBride's "Anyway" as a song of reflection. During Communion, Gerald sang his song, "A Prayer Will Find You."
Today was crazy busy, with over 30 different songs on the palette. But it was a wonderful day, filled with great energy, wonderful people, and inspired worship.
Monday = day off!
After a wonderful time of worship at St. John's, we had a quick turnaround before heading to St. Clement's for Surface. This intimate Eucharist blends scripture, prayer, poetry, and music for a relaxed and inspiring evening worship. The music was an eclectic mix, and I was reminded of Louis Giglio's thought, "All music is worship music, but who are you worshiping?"
Images and stained glass at Surface The theme for the service was Hope Filled With Doubt. Finding songs that reflected that human contradiction was a challenge. For our congregational songs, we chose "Here Comes the Sun," "Stand By Me," and "Your Grace is Enough." I sang Martina McBride's "Anyway" as a song of reflection. During Communion, Gerald sang his song, "A Prayer Will Find You."
Today was crazy busy, with over 30 different songs on the palette. But it was a wonderful day, filled with great energy, wonderful people, and inspired worship.
Monday = day off!
Country Mass
This is a Sunday so epic, it'll need 2 posts to cover it.
Today is a 3-church-Sunday. We usually try to do 2 churches a Sunday, but it's a great challenge to have 3 different worship services in one day. When we have multiple events in one day, I usually try to repeat a few songs to ease up on preparation, but each of today's services is so unique that we'll literally perform 30 different songs today!
We started at St. Philip's with a Country Mass. The brainchild of music director, Doug Cowling, this service married country melodies with an Anglican liturgy. Doug creatively set the Gloria to "Streets of Laredo," the Sanctus to "Aura Lee," and the psalm to Lenard Cohen's "Hallelujah." One hymn was set to "House of the Rising Sun," featuring Rev. Al Budzin on saxophone!
Gerald and I chose a mix of Gospel hymns and Gerald's original country songs for prelude, postlude, and Communion music. The choir sang on the congregational songs, and it was awesome to have their sound behind us.
Rev. Al is leaving for a sabbatical, so to close the service Doug chose "Happy Trails." Yes, as a closing hymn! Well, if you're going to do "Happy Trails" in church, you've got to go all the way. I sang the intro, and as Gerald played a quick turnaround, I and the choir all pulled out cowboy hats and plunked them on our heads! Gerald's was Johnny Cash black; mine was pink, of course! The congregation loved it! They laughed and sang and took photos.
The reaction to the service was wonderful! We may have led the music, but I need to give Doug so much of the credit for his creative planning. We've already been invited back, which is awesome.
And now, for a quick rest before service #2...
Today is a 3-church-Sunday. We usually try to do 2 churches a Sunday, but it's a great challenge to have 3 different worship services in one day. When we have multiple events in one day, I usually try to repeat a few songs to ease up on preparation, but each of today's services is so unique that we'll literally perform 30 different songs today!
We started at St. Philip's with a Country Mass. The brainchild of music director, Doug Cowling, this service married country melodies with an Anglican liturgy. Doug creatively set the Gloria to "Streets of Laredo," the Sanctus to "Aura Lee," and the psalm to Lenard Cohen's "Hallelujah." One hymn was set to "House of the Rising Sun," featuring Rev. Al Budzin on saxophone!
Gerald and I chose a mix of Gospel hymns and Gerald's original country songs for prelude, postlude, and Communion music. The choir sang on the congregational songs, and it was awesome to have their sound behind us.
Rev. Al is leaving for a sabbatical, so to close the service Doug chose "Happy Trails." Yes, as a closing hymn! Well, if you're going to do "Happy Trails" in church, you've got to go all the way. I sang the intro, and as Gerald played a quick turnaround, I and the choir all pulled out cowboy hats and plunked them on our heads! Gerald's was Johnny Cash black; mine was pink, of course! The congregation loved it! They laughed and sang and took photos.
The reaction to the service was wonderful! We may have led the music, but I need to give Doug so much of the credit for his creative planning. We've already been invited back, which is awesome.
And now, for a quick rest before service #2...
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Our Easter!
What a wonderful Easter!
I'm stuffed with Easter dinner and Easter chocolate, and that happy kind of tired that comes from a long day of singing and socializing.
I'm stuffed with Easter dinner and Easter chocolate, and that happy kind of tired that comes from a long day of singing and socializing.
Favourite songs of the morning:
- Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble
- In Christ Alone
- Mighty to Save
- Jesus Christ is Risen Today
- Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble
- In Christ Alone
- Mighty to Save
- Jesus Christ is Risen Today
The beautiful flowers in this post were part of the glorious Easter decorations at our church. What a contrast to the starkness of The Stripping of the Altar. You may recognize the large wooden cross from my Maundy Thursday post.
An empty grave is there to prove my Saviour lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!
Lyric: Because He Lives, by Bill and Gloria Gaither
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!
Lyric: Because He Lives, by Bill and Gloria Gaither
Happy Easter!!!!!
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of ChristHAPPY EASTER!!!!!!
Lyric: "In Christ Alone" by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of ChristHAPPY EASTER!!!!!!
Lyric: "In Christ Alone" by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
Friday, April 22, 2011
Good Friday
This afternoon, we were invited to sing our Hymns and Their Stories program at a seniors home in Richmond Hill.
We were set up with a good crowd in an intimate room. The audience smiled and sang along. To celebrate Holy Week, we did a special set of songs, including "O How He Loves You and Me," "Because He Lives," and "In the Garden." Gerald sang the classic "Were You There" acapella - just beautiful.
After the concert, we spent a lot of time chatting with the staff and residents. They just loved the music, but it was more than that. It really felt like a time of worship. Several people thanked us for the 'service.'
I was going to try and find a evening service today to celebrate Good Friday, but between last night and this afternoon, I really feel like I've worshiped.
I'm in waiting ... I'm ready for Easter ...
We were set up with a good crowd in an intimate room. The audience smiled and sang along. To celebrate Holy Week, we did a special set of songs, including "O How He Loves You and Me," "Because He Lives," and "In the Garden." Gerald sang the classic "Were You There" acapella - just beautiful.
After the concert, we spent a lot of time chatting with the staff and residents. They just loved the music, but it was more than that. It really felt like a time of worship. Several people thanked us for the 'service.'
I was going to try and find a evening service today to celebrate Good Friday, but between last night and this afternoon, I really feel like I've worshiped.
I'm in waiting ... I'm ready for Easter ...
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Maundy Thursday
Cross in the entrance of St. John's York MillsMaundy Thursday remembers a night that started with ordinary things - food, water, friends, and dirty feet.
Our worship service tonight was simple and powerful. We participated in a ceremony of foot washing, and shared Holy Communion. The sermon reminded us that Jesus showed love to his friends, right up til the last moments he spent with them. We sang hymns of worship. And as the Gospel was read, we witnessed the powerful ceremony called The Stripping of the Altar. Each piece of decoration is removed from the altar area, preparing us for the starkness of Good Friday.
I sang Keith and Kristyn Getty's "Gethsemane" during Communion, and led the congregation in "Go to Dark Gethsemane."
As I reflected after the service, I thought about the intimacy of Maundy Thursday.
Good Friday is very public - the trials, the walk to the hill, the crucifixion. In each of these acts, you can feel the push of the crowds, you can hear them yell "Crucify."
But not Maundy Thursday.
Jesus meets in a room with his friends. They walk to the garden, singing. Jesus asks a few friends to wait for him while he prays alone. A kiss on the cheek...
Intimate.
Quiet.
Personal.
Ready for Friday...
Monday, April 18, 2011
Book Review: Max on Life by Max Lucado
Max Lucado's latest book is subtitled "Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions." Drawing on letters and inquiries he's received over his years as a speaker and pastor, Max attempts to answer questions on the topics that concern us most: God, pain, family, prayer, peace, conflict, sin... you name it, it's in there. Each answer is brief (generally just one page), but full of insight and wisdom.I love Max Lucado's writing. It's like you're sitting in an cafe, having this very open, casual discussion with a brilliant mind.
I would call this a purse book or possibly a bedside table book. You won't sit down and read it in one sitting, but it's good to keep with you when you need a quick page or two of inspiration.
Side note: My Dad has also published a review of this book! You can read it here.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Palm Sunday!
Our day started with a vibrant Palm Sunday service at St. John's York Mills. Despite the snow, we gathered on the front steps of the church to welcome people, playing songs with acoustic guitar and mixed percussion. The best was "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna!" We played a vibrant mix of djembe, gourd, maracas, and various shakers, complete with an 8-bar instrumental breakdown. Great way to start the morning!
In the service, we had a true blend of worship team, handbells, choir, and organ. The music reflected the triumphant nature of Christ's entrance into Jerusalem.
This evening, we were scheduled to just sing one song at the Gathering service, but due to Monique's laryngitis, we were called in at the last minute to lead vocals for the service. It was kind of neat to just stand and sing with Gerald, sans guitar. The team was chock full - percussion, 2 guitars, piano, keys, bass, violin, and us on vocals.
For the first part of the service, we combined readings and music to tell the story of Holy Week. But the highlight was the baptism of Max. Max has been attending the Gathering for several months and has played keyboard on the team. He gave a testimony about the experiences that lead him to choose baptism in our church. The whole event was moving and beautiful.
As an intro to the baptism, we sang our new Agnus Dei. It was such an honour to have our song as part of this special event.
And now, we are officially in Holy Week. The journey has begun...
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Infinitely More is on Facebook!
We've just started our new Infinitely More band page on Facebook!
If you're a Facebook member, please visit our page and click "Like." And we'd love it if you'd please share our page with your friends!
If you're not a Facebook member, you can still visit the page and take a look around.
Here's our page: www.Facebook.com/InfinitelyMoreBand
To start us off, I've added a photo album of our recent Worship Team Workshop.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Book Review: "The Sacred Meal" by Nora Gallagher
Of the books I've reviewed so far, this is definitely my favourite.
Part of The Ancient Practices Series (edited by Phyllis Tickle,) I expected The Sacred Meal to be a fairly academic book, and to my pleasant surprise, it really wasn't.
Nora Gallagher weaves history, tradition, and memoir to explore Holy Communion. Her writing is effortless, full of imagery, and at times, poetic. Even though she explores the practicalities of this universal practice, she keeps the ultimate story of Communion to be a personal one. How does Communion affect you, today, and in these circumstances?
In reading other reviews of this book, I found it interesting that a lot of reviewers would have preferred a more academic approach to the topic, and that's definitely a fair opinion. I guess, for a lifelong Christian like me, it can get easy to fall into the sameness of Communion. Nora's book reminded me that everything I do pre-altar can feed into my Communion experience, and likewise, my Communion experience can feed into everything I do in 'real' life.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Monday, April 11, 2011
New Video!
Yesterday, I wrote about our performance of Isaac Everett's Psalm 130. Thanks to Rev. Tay Moss, we have a great video from the service.
I've decided to use this video to kick off the new Video page of our Infinitely More site!
Please visit www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Video to see the new video!
I've decided to use this video to kick off the new Video page of our Infinitely More site!
Please visit www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Video to see the new video!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Emergent Psalter
One of the things we love is receiving a cool creative challenge.
This week, we returned to Church of the Messiah where we were asked to sing Psalm 130 in the style of The Emergent Psalter.
The brainchild of composer Isaac Everett, The Emergent Psalter introduces a new musical style to the ancient art of singing the psalms. Isaac has written a simple, singable refrain for each psalm, and it's up to the musician to create the musical setting for the verses. On his podcast, he meets with different musicians who improvise until they create something they think works. The same refrain could be used to create a psalm setting that is gentle and reflective or urgent and rocking.
Since we were singing Psalm 130 in Lent, we decided to keep it simple but with intensity. For the verses, Gerald riffed on the guitar, while I did mixture of singing and speaking. Luckily, we got a great video of it, so I'll post a link to that tomorrow.
In this same service, we also performed The Wood Song, which we rehearsed last week. It went really well, and the addition of the extra voices and violin was a real pleasure.
This evening, we played for the Gathering at St. John's, which was awesome. We're nearing the end of our Lenten musical themes, and as we sang the final lines of Mighty to Save, I could feel Easter rumbling underneath, ready to break forth...
Saviour
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Hymns & Their Stories
A small sample from my collection...Tonight, we presented our new program: Hymns and Their Stories. We designed the show to be used in seniors homes (which was our venue tonight), but really, it could also be used for any kind of gathering that needs a light, 60-minute musical presentation.
I love collecting hymnals, and I love finding the stories behind my favourite hymns. It was that love that inspired Hymns in the Key of Grace, and it was also the inspiration for this new show.
Tonight, we sang lots of favourites - "Be Thou My Vision," "How Great Thou Art," "In The Garden," and "Amazing Grace." We told the stories behind their creation, and encouraged lots of singing along.
We knew we'd hit the right note after the show, when staff and residents alike stayed behind to share their own favourite hymns and stories. If you'd like to bring Hymns and Their Stories to your seniors home or event, feel free to contact me.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Church of the Messiah & The Gathering
Our busy weekend continued this morning with an awesome service at Church of the Messiah. We love visiting Messiah because they're very open to all kinds of musical voices. This morning, we lead most of the music, but we also had organ and choir for certain pieces.
Messiah's beautiful Sunday school room. The mural spreads around the room and over the ceiling.
For the Kyrie (Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy), I decided to try something different. I took a very traditional setting, shifted the metre a little, and turned it into a round. I lead from the centre of the church, directing each side in their part. It sounded so beautiful!
After the service, we met with Laura and Betsy to rehearse for next week's service. Betsy has chosen an Indigo Girls song that she thinks will resonate with the congregation. The four of us will trade off on the verses, Gerald will play guitar, and Betsy will play violin. I think it's going to sound great.
Betsy and Gerald rehearsing for next week.
This afternoon, we met for the Gathering service at St. John's York Mills. Our friend, Susan, had originally been assigned to piano for the night, but when she showed up with her guitar, it changed everything. She's a great guitar player, so to have her and Gerald playing together was just awesome. Susan is also a songwriter, so after the service, we took some time to share some of our songs with each other. It was a great way to end a musical weekend!
Gerald and Susan, trading axes.
Messiah's beautiful Sunday school room. The mural spreads around the room and over the ceiling.For the Kyrie (Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy), I decided to try something different. I took a very traditional setting, shifted the metre a little, and turned it into a round. I lead from the centre of the church, directing each side in their part. It sounded so beautiful!
After the service, we met with Laura and Betsy to rehearse for next week's service. Betsy has chosen an Indigo Girls song that she thinks will resonate with the congregation. The four of us will trade off on the verses, Gerald will play guitar, and Betsy will play violin. I think it's going to sound great.
Betsy and Gerald rehearsing for next week. This afternoon, we met for the Gathering service at St. John's York Mills. Our friend, Susan, had originally been assigned to piano for the night, but when she showed up with her guitar, it changed everything. She's a great guitar player, so to have her and Gerald playing together was just awesome. Susan is also a songwriter, so after the service, we took some time to share some of our songs with each other. It was a great way to end a musical weekend!
Gerald and Susan, trading axes.Saturday, April 02, 2011
Worship Team Workshop - Sharing Break Forth
As you may remember, this past January, Gerald and I flew to Edmonton to attend the awesome Break Forth conference (You can see photos of our experience here.)
Our church generously provided some financial assistance for the trip, so as a thanksgiving, we organized a Worship Team workshop today to share some of the things we learned at the conference.
We started by sharing the basics of Break Forth - the enormous crowds of worshipers, the amazing speakers, and the freakishly cold weather. We gave the highlights of each class we took, and shared a few nuggets of information that we felt would be interesting or useful to our team.
Then, Gerald and I took turns teaching on one specific topic. I loved what Paul Baloche taught about our role to "minister to the Lord" and the practice of personal worship. I played a clip from one of his training DVDs that addresses this exact topic, and shared my notes and thoughts from the workshop.
Then, we broke the crowd into small discussion groups of 3 or 4 people. Each group was asked to the following 2 questions:
After 15 minutes, we regrouped, and each group shared one or two ideas that they found particularly interesting or inspiring. The discussions were spirited, and it was awesome to hear some of the new ideas.
After a short break to refresh the coffee and grab more snacks (it's a church event - of course we ate!), we gathered for Gerald's talk on songwriting. We don't have a lot of active songwriters in our group right now, but we have a lot of people who are interested in songwriting, so we're excited about nurturing and developing this in the team. Gerald based part of his discussion on Brian Doerkson's class "The Agony and the Ecstasy." He talked about the writing process, the challenge of writing songs that actually minister to people, and the power of a great idea. There were a lot of questions and some great discussion. Gerald shared our dream of starting a Christian songwriting group, where we could meet together to share songs, learn new skills, and encourage each other to write great songs for worship.
All in all, it was a great experience, and the feedback was very positive. I'm hoping to get some photos soon, so I'll let you know when they're up.
Our church generously provided some financial assistance for the trip, so as a thanksgiving, we organized a Worship Team workshop today to share some of the things we learned at the conference.
We started by sharing the basics of Break Forth - the enormous crowds of worshipers, the amazing speakers, and the freakishly cold weather. We gave the highlights of each class we took, and shared a few nuggets of information that we felt would be interesting or useful to our team.
Then, Gerald and I took turns teaching on one specific topic. I loved what Paul Baloche taught about our role to "minister to the Lord" and the practice of personal worship. I played a clip from one of his training DVDs that addresses this exact topic, and shared my notes and thoughts from the workshop.
Then, we broke the crowd into small discussion groups of 3 or 4 people. Each group was asked to the following 2 questions:
- What is one thing you do Monday through Saturday (ie: not going to church) that you consider an act of worship?
- Thinking outside the box, what is one new thing you could try that could weave more worship into your everyday life?
After 15 minutes, we regrouped, and each group shared one or two ideas that they found particularly interesting or inspiring. The discussions were spirited, and it was awesome to hear some of the new ideas.
After a short break to refresh the coffee and grab more snacks (it's a church event - of course we ate!), we gathered for Gerald's talk on songwriting. We don't have a lot of active songwriters in our group right now, but we have a lot of people who are interested in songwriting, so we're excited about nurturing and developing this in the team. Gerald based part of his discussion on Brian Doerkson's class "The Agony and the Ecstasy." He talked about the writing process, the challenge of writing songs that actually minister to people, and the power of a great idea. There were a lot of questions and some great discussion. Gerald shared our dream of starting a Christian songwriting group, where we could meet together to share songs, learn new skills, and encourage each other to write great songs for worship.
All in all, it was a great experience, and the feedback was very positive. I'm hoping to get some photos soon, so I'll let you know when they're up.
Searching for Spring...
Two days ago, it snowed.
On Tuesday, it might snow again.
So I'm celebrating signs of spring...
Tulips growing in my parents' backyard.
Sedum that survived the snow in our garden.
The seasonal aisle is selling grass seed instead of ice salt.
The only time of year I'm happy to see weeds in my garden.
Mom has put up her spring wreath,
a reminder that Easter is just around the corner!
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
Song of Solomon 2:11-13 NIV
On Tuesday, it might snow again.
So I'm celebrating signs of spring...
Tulips growing in my parents' backyard.
Sedum that survived the snow in our garden.
The seasonal aisle is selling grass seed instead of ice salt.
The only time of year I'm happy to see weeds in my garden.
Mom has put up her spring wreath, a reminder that Easter is just around the corner!
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
Song of Solomon 2:11-13 NIV
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
East Coast Tour - mapping it out!
Last summer, my heart longed for Newfoundland
(as it tends to do in all Newfoundlanders)...
(as it tends to do in all Newfoundlanders)...
As the longing grew, we decided to plan an ambitious tour that will take us through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland over the entire month of August 2011.
I've been sharing our plans in our newsletter (there's a sign up box for our newsletter on the right side of this blog), but I just realized I haven't been blogging about it! What's up with that?
So, now we're blogging!
Our goal is to do a minimum of 20 concerts in festivals, private homes, and churches of all denominations. We have a few concerts on the books, and a few more in talks.
The current challenge is the route. So today, we took advantage of Mom and Dad's road-trip experiences. The four of us sat down with all the maps I'd ordered (thank you, provincial tourism!) and mapped out a driving route.
Here's our current plan for the tour (dates are approximate):
August 2 - Start the drive from Ontario.
August 4-7 - New Brunswick.
August 10-22 - Newfoundland, moving west to east.
August 23-29 - Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
August 2 - Start the drive from Ontario.
August 4-7 - New Brunswick.
August 10-22 - Newfoundland, moving west to east.
August 23-29 - Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
If you're in any of these areas, or know any churches or venues in these areas, we'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me via the Contact page on www.InfinitelyMore.ca
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Living Manna, Living Bread
What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday!
This morning, we visited St. John's Weston for another dose of Cafe Church. People gathered around tables as we played gentle welcoming music. Instead of a traditional sermon, the priest, Michelle, divided people into small groups. Each group was asked to discuss a Bible verse on the theme of "sacrificial giving," and then write and read a prayer based on their discussion. We then moved into Communion, transitioning from a meal of coffee and sweets to one of bread and wine. We sang our own songs for reflection, and to emphasize the theme, finished with the congregational song, "Sister Let Me Be Your Servant." Powerful worship in a casual setting!
This evening, we joined an awesome team at St. John's York Mills for the Gathering service. In addition to our standard band tonight, we also welcomed a keyboardist and a violin player!
As the final song of the opening set, Monique had chosen my song "Living Manna, Living Bread." It was the first time we'd done it for the Gathering, so I knew people would just be learning it on the first verse. As we got to the second verse, I could see mouths moving as people started to recognize the melody. But by the third verse, people had started to worship - hands raised, eyes closed, voices singing.
It's hard to describe the feeling of watching all this unfold. We know the songs come from a source greater than ourselves, but to see the songs connecting people back to that source, well, it's pretty awesome.
This morning, we visited St. John's Weston for another dose of Cafe Church. People gathered around tables as we played gentle welcoming music. Instead of a traditional sermon, the priest, Michelle, divided people into small groups. Each group was asked to discuss a Bible verse on the theme of "sacrificial giving," and then write and read a prayer based on their discussion. We then moved into Communion, transitioning from a meal of coffee and sweets to one of bread and wine. We sang our own songs for reflection, and to emphasize the theme, finished with the congregational song, "Sister Let Me Be Your Servant." Powerful worship in a casual setting!
This evening, we joined an awesome team at St. John's York Mills for the Gathering service. In addition to our standard band tonight, we also welcomed a keyboardist and a violin player!
As the final song of the opening set, Monique had chosen my song "Living Manna, Living Bread." It was the first time we'd done it for the Gathering, so I knew people would just be learning it on the first verse. As we got to the second verse, I could see mouths moving as people started to recognize the melody. But by the third verse, people had started to worship - hands raised, eyes closed, voices singing.
It's hard to describe the feeling of watching all this unfold. We know the songs come from a source greater than ourselves, but to see the songs connecting people back to that source, well, it's pretty awesome.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Nashville - Capturing Songs
I decided to take advantage of some quiet time today and dip into the song-filled air of Nashville.
I sat in Tara's living room by a sunny window with my favourite songwriting tools - my pink MacBook, my pink Bible, and my Masterwriter.
A blank Masterwriter page, ready for a new lyric...
Masterwriter is our favourite lyric writing program. A new file opens for each song. From that page, you can visit several resources - rhyming and regular dictionaries, thesaurus, pop culture references, a full Bible - and collect words and phrases that might inspire your song.
In the silence, I transcribed a lyric I'd recorded last month on my iphone. As I wrote out the first verse and hummed the melody, the structure became clear, and I wrote a second verse and chorus. Next, I drifted through songs that are in my "close" category - lyrics that need a final polish or maybe a pass with a co-writer. Finally, I opened a new page, and thought about Palm Sunday. A first verse came, and then more verses that took the singer through the events of Holy Week. I wrote a full lyric, but it's a different theme than I first intended, which is always kind of fascinating.
I'm feeling more and more inspired to write these days. I often think of Brian Doerkson's term "writing for the gaps." In contemporary praise music, we don't have a lot of songs for liturgical moments or certain seasons of the church year. I want to write songs for these gaps.
It's been a funny trip. We haven't been able to get out and hear any music, but I feel like the music's been coming to us...
I sat in Tara's living room by a sunny window with my favourite songwriting tools - my pink MacBook, my pink Bible, and my Masterwriter.
A blank Masterwriter page, ready for a new lyric...Masterwriter is our favourite lyric writing program. A new file opens for each song. From that page, you can visit several resources - rhyming and regular dictionaries, thesaurus, pop culture references, a full Bible - and collect words and phrases that might inspire your song.
In the silence, I transcribed a lyric I'd recorded last month on my iphone. As I wrote out the first verse and hummed the melody, the structure became clear, and I wrote a second verse and chorus. Next, I drifted through songs that are in my "close" category - lyrics that need a final polish or maybe a pass with a co-writer. Finally, I opened a new page, and thought about Palm Sunday. A first verse came, and then more verses that took the singer through the events of Holy Week. I wrote a full lyric, but it's a different theme than I first intended, which is always kind of fascinating.
I'm feeling more and more inspired to write these days. I often think of Brian Doerkson's term "writing for the gaps." In contemporary praise music, we don't have a lot of songs for liturgical moments or certain seasons of the church year. I want to write songs for these gaps.
It's been a funny trip. We haven't been able to get out and hear any music, but I feel like the music's been coming to us...
Friday, March 18, 2011
Nashville - Good Friends, Good Songs, Good Food
We spent the early part of the day with Tara, having a long lunch at the amazing Monell's. We lingered in the garden for while, drinking in the sunshine, and sharing favourite praise songs with each other. I took notes and I'm planning a "song shopping" session on CCLI when I get home.
The Cupcake Collection, while waiting in line!
In anticipation of tonight's dinner (not that we should have been thinking about more food at this point!), we walked over to The Cupcake Collection, where the line-up meandered out the door and down to the sidewalk. As we approached, people were cheering and dancing on the front porch. These are people who love their cupcakes! And trust me, their red velvet is dance worthy!
Jenna and I sat by this glorious saucer magnolia tree!
I spent the afternoon sharing caffeine and stories with my good friend, and Church of the Redeemer music director, Jenna. I talked about Infinitely More and the new songs we're writing and plans for our East Coast tour. She talked about the Redeemer team and her journey and where she feels God is directing her path. It was an inspiring visit.
As she told her story, I heard the start of a song. As I drove back to Tara's, it started to grow. I rushed into the apartment, shunning everyone til I could write down the things that were brewing. It's still very rough, but it's a start.
Gerald always says the air is full of songs here in Nashville... you just have to listen and pull them out...
The Cupcake Collection, while waiting in line!In anticipation of tonight's dinner (not that we should have been thinking about more food at this point!), we walked over to The Cupcake Collection, where the line-up meandered out the door and down to the sidewalk. As we approached, people were cheering and dancing on the front porch. These are people who love their cupcakes! And trust me, their red velvet is dance worthy!
Jenna and I sat by this glorious saucer magnolia tree!I spent the afternoon sharing caffeine and stories with my good friend, and Church of the Redeemer music director, Jenna. I talked about Infinitely More and the new songs we're writing and plans for our East Coast tour. She talked about the Redeemer team and her journey and where she feels God is directing her path. It was an inspiring visit.
As she told her story, I heard the start of a song. As I drove back to Tara's, it started to grow. I rushed into the apartment, shunning everyone til I could write down the things that were brewing. It's still very rough, but it's a start.
Gerald always says the air is full of songs here in Nashville... you just have to listen and pull them out...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Nashville - Studio Day
Last summer, we recorded 9 demos of Gerald's country songs. We were really happy with the results, but as we listened to the demos, we realized one of the vocal performances wasn't quite what we needed it to be. It's nothing against the singer, but sometimes, you just need a different feel for the song.
Denny Martin & demo singer, Paul Pace
Today, we returned to the studio of Denny Martin to re-record the vocal. We were joined by powerhouse vocalist Paul Pace. He sang 4 hours of demo singing this afternoon, was heading to a showcase at 6:00pm, and then had another full performance gig from 8 til midnight. That stamina is a great mix of natural talent and healthy technique.
And what a voice! He nailed the song - lead vocal and harmonies - both in notes and performance. He gave it just the right kind of energy. After Paul left, we stayed with Denny as he did the mixing. So interesting to watch how it all comes together, and to hear Denny's stories about his experiences in producing and songwriting.
We now have 9 awesome demos! Tomorrow, we start getting them out to the people who can do something great with them.
Denny Martin & demo singer, Paul PaceToday, we returned to the studio of Denny Martin to re-record the vocal. We were joined by powerhouse vocalist Paul Pace. He sang 4 hours of demo singing this afternoon, was heading to a showcase at 6:00pm, and then had another full performance gig from 8 til midnight. That stamina is a great mix of natural talent and healthy technique.
And what a voice! He nailed the song - lead vocal and harmonies - both in notes and performance. He gave it just the right kind of energy. After Paul left, we stayed with Denny as he did the mixing. So interesting to watch how it all comes together, and to hear Denny's stories about his experiences in producing and songwriting.
We now have 9 awesome demos! Tomorrow, we start getting them out to the people who can do something great with them.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
We're in Nashville!
In the last 2 days, we've changed countries, time zones, and seasons.
We've ditched our winter coats and admired the blooming magnolias.
We've had catfish, pulled pork, and fried green tomatoes.
We're hanging out with friends, laughing lots, and saying y'all.
We're in our southern home...
We've ditched our winter coats and admired the blooming magnolias.
We've had catfish, pulled pork, and fried green tomatoes.
We're hanging out with friends, laughing lots, and saying y'all.
We're in our southern home...
Monday, March 14, 2011
Spiritual Fitness Plan for Lent
My Dad, Rev. Hollis Hiscock, is writing a weekly Spiritual Fitness Plan for Lent. His plan includes scripture, reflections, and practical spiritual exercises.
To follow along, visit Dad's blog: www.MossFromARollingStone.blogspot.com
To follow along, visit Dad's blog: www.MossFromARollingStone.blogspot.com
Sunday, March 13, 2011
St. John's York Mills - Part 2
Gerald and I were back as team leaders tonight, and what a great band we had! Gerald on guitar/vocals, Brian on percussion, Carol on guitar, Steve on bass, Susan on piano/vocals, and me on vocals/worship leader.
We chose a mix of praise songs ("Indescribable") and songs that reminded us of the Lenten message ("Refiners Fire"). Like this morning, we offered Gerald's song "All The Things I've Broken" as a song of reflection. We tied it together with lots of prayer, led by Drew, Brian, and myself.
Playing on the team is always good, but sometimes, the music flies off the page, and the worship transcends the everyday. That's what it felt like tonight. Effortless, beautiful, and open.
Nights like tonight, I'm so glad I said "yes" when God came calling...
We chose a mix of praise songs ("Indescribable") and songs that reminded us of the Lenten message ("Refiners Fire"). Like this morning, we offered Gerald's song "All The Things I've Broken" as a song of reflection. We tied it together with lots of prayer, led by Drew, Brian, and myself.
Playing on the team is always good, but sometimes, the music flies off the page, and the worship transcends the everyday. That's what it felt like tonight. Effortless, beautiful, and open.
Nights like tonight, I'm so glad I said "yes" when God came calling...
St. John's York Mills - Part 1
This morning, Gerald and I led the praise team at St. John's. This was also the morning we welcomed our new interim music director, Eric Osborne. (Eric will lead the choir and play the organ while we're looking for a new full-time music director.)
It also marked the first Sunday of Lent, so with all these things coming together, Gerald and I decided to try a few new things today:
Traditionally, the organist has only played for the choir, but today, we invited Eric to leave the organ bench and play piano with us for "My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness."
For the first Communion song, we played Gerald's original song, "All The Things I've Broken," as a song of reflection. The praise team never gets to play a song that's not congregational, so it was nice to be able to offer this message in this way.
Our final Communion song was the beautiful "King of Love." The band played the first two verses, and when we got to the third verse, Eric joined us on organ! Yes, organ and praise band! It was majestic and awesome!
For so long (and like so many churches!), we've had two distinct music 'camps' in our church - traditional and contemporary. But today, we broke the seal. We're far from being one cohesive music team, but I truly feel that today was the first step towards a music team united by a love of great music and powerful worship.
It also marked the first Sunday of Lent, so with all these things coming together, Gerald and I decided to try a few new things today:
Traditionally, the organist has only played for the choir, but today, we invited Eric to leave the organ bench and play piano with us for "My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness."
For the first Communion song, we played Gerald's original song, "All The Things I've Broken," as a song of reflection. The praise team never gets to play a song that's not congregational, so it was nice to be able to offer this message in this way.
Our final Communion song was the beautiful "King of Love." The band played the first two verses, and when we got to the third verse, Eric joined us on organ! Yes, organ and praise band! It was majestic and awesome!
For so long (and like so many churches!), we've had two distinct music 'camps' in our church - traditional and contemporary. But today, we broke the seal. We're far from being one cohesive music team, but I truly feel that today was the first step towards a music team united by a love of great music and powerful worship.
Friday, March 11, 2011
World Day of Prayer
Today I participated in the World Day of Prayer service at St. John's. Each year, women from a particular country write a new prayer liturgy for the service. On the same day, women from over 2000 communities in Canada and 170 countries around the world lead the liturgy in their home churches.
This year, the service was written by the women of Chile, and it reflected their particular culture and language. The theme "How Many Loaves Have You?" was woven into the prayers and the music. My involvement was as a dramatic reader for the story of Elijah and the Widow. (1 Kings) I played Elijah, and it was fun to stretch my dramatic muscles a bit.
The whole service was so lovely, with references to Chilean culture and history. We had women from seven different churches participate in the service, with a reflection offered by our rector. I wasn't able to stay for the reception, but rumour has it there were empanadas and homemade bread!
Sunday, March 06, 2011
New Song Sunday
This morning, we lead the music at the Church of the Messiah in Toronto. They're a great church with a very open and creative attitude towards music and worship, so I knew we'd have a great time with them.
Since this is the last Sunday before Lent, we decided to sing lots of uplifting songs, like "How Great Thou Art" and "Shine Jesus Shine". In the Anglican tradition, we don't sing Alleluia during Lent, so we included lots of Alleluia songs, like Michael W. Smith's "Agnus Dei."
One of the challenges of visiting different churches is the service music. Most often, these pieces (like the Sanctus, the Psalm, etc) have been written for keyboard or organ and they don't work well on the guitar. So for today's service, Gerald and I decided to write two new pieces of service music!
I wrote an Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God") with a gentle, pretty melody. Gerald added his beautiful guitar, and I was really happy with the results. For the Gloria, we decided to create something based on the tradition of "paperless music." In this style, the leader teaches the congregation a simple, singable piece by rote. I made the text "Gloria to God in the highest and peace to His people on Earth" into a 2-line refrain with an uptempo beat. Gerald added a cool groove to keep the pulse going. I taught the refrain to the choir and congregation, and then sang the verses myself. People sang out, and it was really fun!
I think there are other churches who might have a need for songs like ours, so I've decided to register them with CCLI. It's going to take a little while before they're available to license them through their services, but I'll let you know when they're online.
We really had a great time at Messiah this morning. We're going to return for two Sundays in Lent, and we're talking with the cantor about ways we can work with the choir for those services.
Later in the day, we sang with our mega-sized band at St. John's for the Gathering service. Then, we came home and watched the 25th anniversary concert of Les Mis. All in all, a great day of music!
Since this is the last Sunday before Lent, we decided to sing lots of uplifting songs, like "How Great Thou Art" and "Shine Jesus Shine". In the Anglican tradition, we don't sing Alleluia during Lent, so we included lots of Alleluia songs, like Michael W. Smith's "Agnus Dei."
One of the challenges of visiting different churches is the service music. Most often, these pieces (like the Sanctus, the Psalm, etc) have been written for keyboard or organ and they don't work well on the guitar. So for today's service, Gerald and I decided to write two new pieces of service music!
I wrote an Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God") with a gentle, pretty melody. Gerald added his beautiful guitar, and I was really happy with the results. For the Gloria, we decided to create something based on the tradition of "paperless music." In this style, the leader teaches the congregation a simple, singable piece by rote. I made the text "Gloria to God in the highest and peace to His people on Earth" into a 2-line refrain with an uptempo beat. Gerald added a cool groove to keep the pulse going. I taught the refrain to the choir and congregation, and then sang the verses myself. People sang out, and it was really fun!
I think there are other churches who might have a need for songs like ours, so I've decided to register them with CCLI. It's going to take a little while before they're available to license them through their services, but I'll let you know when they're online.
We really had a great time at Messiah this morning. We're going to return for two Sundays in Lent, and we're talking with the cantor about ways we can work with the choir for those services.
Later in the day, we sang with our mega-sized band at St. John's for the Gathering service. Then, we came home and watched the 25th anniversary concert of Les Mis. All in all, a great day of music!
Monday, February 28, 2011
New photos!
I've spent the last few days reworking the Photo page of www.InfinitelyMore.ca
I decided to create photo albums so we could share more stories and photos from our adventures. I moved the photos we already had on the site into albums, and added two new albums for Break Forth and our Fireside Concert.
You can visit the newly reworked page at www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Photos I'd love your feedback on the look and feel of the new albums!
I decided to create photo albums so we could share more stories and photos from our adventures. I moved the photos we already had on the site into albums, and added two new albums for Break Forth and our Fireside Concert.
You can visit the newly reworked page at www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Photos I'd love your feedback on the look and feel of the new albums!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Book Review - "Captured By Grace" by Dr. David Jeremiah
I've been reading a lot lately, and I realized it's been a while since I posted an actual book review.
I love talking, singing, and reading about grace, so naturally, I was intrigued by this book's title. Dr. Jeremiah looks at the topic of grace through the stories of the apostle Paul and John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace."
Each line of the famous song becomes a touch point for discussing grace. For example, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" demonstrates "The Captivating Presence of Grace." Detailed verse analysis from the book of Romans delves us further into the nature of grace.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I definitely got a lot out of it. However, in a few moments, there was a suggestion of something that just made me feel uncomfortable. For example, this line "Have you been excusing sin in your life by calling it another name?" goes on to say that perhaps your "unfortunate trait," "weakness," or "unproductive habit" is actually sin. Well, having known a lot of people who suffer from addictions, biochemical disorders, and other medical issues, this passage made me uneasy. Yes, sin can be a result of this things, but not the cause. Although Dr. Jeremiah doesn't quite come out and say that sin causes these issues, he comes close enough to implying it to make me feel uneasy.
I could be misinterpreting what is being said here, and I welcome the thoughts of Dr. Jeremiah's team, but I do know that, as much as I enjoyed the book, these passages would make me hesitant to recommend it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I love talking, singing, and reading about grace, so naturally, I was intrigued by this book's title. Dr. Jeremiah looks at the topic of grace through the stories of the apostle Paul and John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace."
Each line of the famous song becomes a touch point for discussing grace. For example, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" demonstrates "The Captivating Presence of Grace." Detailed verse analysis from the book of Romans delves us further into the nature of grace.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I definitely got a lot out of it. However, in a few moments, there was a suggestion of something that just made me feel uncomfortable. For example, this line "Have you been excusing sin in your life by calling it another name?" goes on to say that perhaps your "unfortunate trait," "weakness," or "unproductive habit" is actually sin. Well, having known a lot of people who suffer from addictions, biochemical disorders, and other medical issues, this passage made me uneasy. Yes, sin can be a result of this things, but not the cause. Although Dr. Jeremiah doesn't quite come out and say that sin causes these issues, he comes close enough to implying it to make me feel uneasy.
I could be misinterpreting what is being said here, and I welcome the thoughts of Dr. Jeremiah's team, but I do know that, as much as I enjoyed the book, these passages would make me hesitant to recommend it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Fireside Concert!
Our welcome chalkboard, set up in the kitchen by the spread of sweets!What a great day for singing!
For months now, we've been looking forward to our first Fireside Concert. Our living room and dining room are L-shaped, so we imagined the space as a great performance venue. We set up our SoloAmp and guitars in the corner of the L, right by the windows. We cleared the dining room table, the TV, and a few other furniture pieces, and reconfigured the sofa and chairs. We borrowed some folding chairs from the church, and set up seating for 20+ people.
At 2:00, people started to arrive. They helped themselves to hot cider, cookies, chocolates, and fresh fruit, and found a seat. Gerald and I built a set of mostly original songs, with a few of our own arrangements of classic songs. In addition to sharing our music, we also wanted to tell the stories behind the creation of the songs. We shared favourites like A Church Song Broke Me Down, and a participatory version of Wedding at Cana.
I sang several songs from "Real Big Fan" that I haven't had the chance to perform in a while, such as Do You Wanna Be My Neighbour in Gloryland and Real Big Fan. It felt so good to sing them again! Gerald also did several of his newer and lesser performed songs, like Every Church is a Small Town and Angels in the Dust. People loved hearing about the creation of his stories told through music.
The whole afternoon had a great feeling about it - relaxed, friendly, and spiritual. We'll definitely need to do it again!
We took lots of photos, and I'll let you know when I post them online.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Fireside Concert This Week!!!!
Our Fireside Concert is this week! We're spending our days rehearsing, organizing how to set up the living room, and making sure we have lots of cider and cookies.
Hope you can join us! Please visit our site for more info or to contact me with any questions:
www.InfinitelyMore.ca
Hope you can join us! Please visit our site for more info or to contact me with any questions:
www.InfinitelyMore.ca
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Church of Our Saviour
A few years ago, while living in Nashville, I was taking songwriting courses on SongU.com when I ran across the profile for a songwriting Anglican priest with a church in Don Mills, just minutes from where my family lived. We connected online, and today, Gerald and I sang at Dennis Dolloff's church!
Church of our Saviour is a bright, cozy church hidden away in a bungalow-filled neighbourhood. The back of the sanctuary is dominated by a stunning stained glass window, that apparently was designed by a local high school student.
Stained glass at Church of Our Saviour
Dennis and his wife and music director, Lori, invited us to lead a few hymns and take the entire sermon time. Their small but robust choir helped lead the singing on our versions of "Just a Closer Walk" and "How Great Thou Art." For the musical message, we shared the story of our 2009 car accident, and focused on themes of community, healing, and love. We debuted Gerald's new song "Every Church is a Small Town" and sang a few other favourites like "Give Me Jesus".
We sat with the choir and joined in on the Communion songs. The whole service felt wonderful - such a relaxed and worshipful atmosphere!
This evening, we returned to St. John's York Mills for The Gathering. Our 6-piece band led great songs like "Moving with the Lamb" and "Your Grace is Enough." After, the whole congregation gathered for a potluck meal. Nobody cooks like church folk!
Home in time for the Grammys, and our musical day was complete!
Church of our Saviour is a bright, cozy church hidden away in a bungalow-filled neighbourhood. The back of the sanctuary is dominated by a stunning stained glass window, that apparently was designed by a local high school student.
Stained glass at Church of Our SaviourDennis and his wife and music director, Lori, invited us to lead a few hymns and take the entire sermon time. Their small but robust choir helped lead the singing on our versions of "Just a Closer Walk" and "How Great Thou Art." For the musical message, we shared the story of our 2009 car accident, and focused on themes of community, healing, and love. We debuted Gerald's new song "Every Church is a Small Town" and sang a few other favourites like "Give Me Jesus".
We sat with the choir and joined in on the Communion songs. The whole service felt wonderful - such a relaxed and worshipful atmosphere!
This evening, we returned to St. John's York Mills for The Gathering. Our 6-piece band led great songs like "Moving with the Lamb" and "Your Grace is Enough." After, the whole congregation gathered for a potluck meal. Nobody cooks like church folk!
Home in time for the Grammys, and our musical day was complete!
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Break Forth photos!
I've just put together a Facebook album for our Break Forth photos. You can visit it here.
Brian Doerkson's worship session at Break Forth.
Brian Doerkson's worship session at Break Forth.Sunday, February 06, 2011
6 Ways to Follow Up from a Conference
There's nothing more inspiring than attending a conference, but it's all a waste if you can't follow-up.
Did you just spend 3 days learning, growing, and developing,
or did you just have an over-scheduled vacation you can write off as a business expense?
As I move through my post-Break-Forth days, I'm defining my best tools for the Art of the Follow-Up:
Did you just spend 3 days learning, growing, and developing,
or did you just have an over-scheduled vacation you can write off as a business expense?
As I move through my post-Break-Forth days, I'm defining my best tools for the Art of the Follow-Up:
#1. Get over your cold.
Okay, this one is more specific to my experience, but conferences can be tiring, and in winter, you can be exposed to lots of germs and viruses. Take a day or two to catch up on lost sleep, exercise a little, and get back to healthy eating.
#2. Empty your pocket full of business cards.
I used to get to the end of a conference with stacks of anonymous business cards, and six months later they'd all be in the recycling box. If you chat with someone directly and take their card, take a few seconds to write a few words about the interaction on the card. You always think you'll remember the details, but after a few days of meeting people, faces and conversations get blurred.
#3. Do something with those cards.
If you actual met the card owner, take a minute to send them a quick email. Use that email to record their contact info in your computer or phone. If you just picked up the card from an exhibit booth, visit the website, bookmark it, and record any contact info on your computer or phone. Recycle the cards, or use them to wallpaper your office, whichever suites your fancy.
#4. Sort the swag.
I admit it! I love free stuff! I want every free pen, button, ruler, key chain, t-shirt, calender, book, and water bottle I can find! Needless to say, I find myself arriving home with a lot of ugly stuff. Take a little time to sort through the freebies and brochures. Recycle pamphlets you won't use. Find a good home for the useful stuff. Tell yourself that next time you'll exhibit more self-control (and then laugh at yourself...)
#5. Tidy your notes.
All that shorthand may make sense in the moment, but give it a month and it'll become hieroglyphics. Take an evening to review your notes, clarify your ideas, and organize the information. Not only will things look neater, but you'll actual have a chance to reinforce what you've learned (yes, it's Homework 101).
#6. Share your experience with others.
There's no better way to process what you've just learned than to teach it to others. Write an article, share your notes with a colleague, say a few words to your church or community group, or arrange to teach a workshop based on your experience. Taking the time to mull over and share your experience will help you remember details, sort through larger concepts, and spark new ideas. Keep a pen handy so you're ready when inspiration strikes!
I hope these ideas help you make the most of your conference experience. Feel free to share any other ides in the comment section.
Now, to get an espresso and dig into my notes...
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Break Forth - Day 3
This morning started with a songwriting workshop with Don Poythress called Right Song, Right Place. His main focus was on knowing which song to sing in which type of venue. He brought up the image of the temple, with its outer court, inner court, and Holy of Holies. Each of these areas could represent a different kind of performance opportunity and, as songwriters, we can create unique songs for each of these areas.
Songwriter, Don Poythress
Next I attended Essentials of Worship Theology with Dan Wilt. This could be a university course! Covering topics like Celtic theology, the Trinity, and God's relationship with humanity through Genesis, Dan explained how worship can be a creative act, a communal act, a royal act, and storytelling act.
But the afternoon was the highlight for me! Our worship session was lead by Paul Baloche, and it was awesome! There's nothing like singing a song when lead by the writer. We sing "Your Name" and "Open the Eyes of My Heart" all the time, but to be lead in this song by Paul was so special. I found myself shifting from joyful worshiper to observant musician. How did he do that transition? How can we use that at home?
Years ago, I read Blue Like Jazz and couldn't stop talking about it. So hearing its author, Donald Miller, was one of the things that excited me most about this weekend. Donald is funny, intelligent, and authentic. Recalling the story of Joseph, his message focused on the kind of person God will use and to what purpose. It was inspiring and wonderful!
Break Forth is officially over, but the real work is about to begin! I'm coming home with a bag full of resources - training DVDs for our worship team, CDs of new songs, books on songwriting, and more DVDs for small groups. My bag is full of notes and websites and ideas. My imagination is percolating with new creative thoughts.
I'm so thankful my Dad found the brochure for Break Forth, and I'm so thankful for all the people that helped support us in this trip. Now we're just praying for a safe flight home tomorrow!
Songwriter, Don PoythressNext I attended Essentials of Worship Theology with Dan Wilt. This could be a university course! Covering topics like Celtic theology, the Trinity, and God's relationship with humanity through Genesis, Dan explained how worship can be a creative act, a communal act, a royal act, and storytelling act.
But the afternoon was the highlight for me! Our worship session was lead by Paul Baloche, and it was awesome! There's nothing like singing a song when lead by the writer. We sing "Your Name" and "Open the Eyes of My Heart" all the time, but to be lead in this song by Paul was so special. I found myself shifting from joyful worshiper to observant musician. How did he do that transition? How can we use that at home?
Years ago, I read Blue Like Jazz and couldn't stop talking about it. So hearing its author, Donald Miller, was one of the things that excited me most about this weekend. Donald is funny, intelligent, and authentic. Recalling the story of Joseph, his message focused on the kind of person God will use and to what purpose. It was inspiring and wonderful!
Break Forth is officially over, but the real work is about to begin! I'm coming home with a bag full of resources - training DVDs for our worship team, CDs of new songs, books on songwriting, and more DVDs for small groups. My bag is full of notes and websites and ideas. My imagination is percolating with new creative thoughts.
I'm so thankful my Dad found the brochure for Break Forth, and I'm so thankful for all the people that helped support us in this trip. Now we're just praying for a safe flight home tomorrow!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Break Forth - Day 2
The day started bright and early with a worship session lead by Pocket Full of Rocks. I hadn't heard them before, but they were really good.
John Eldredge was our speaker, and I think he'll go down as one of my favourite parts of this conference. He spoke about the importance of the humanity of Jesus. If we think Jesus was 'faking' his humanity, then how can we actually relate to him? So he brought us through different stories to show us the personality of Jesus - his playfulness, his cunning, and the camaraderie he had with this friends. The whole message felt so generous and inspiring! I could have listened for hours more.
My first elective workshop was Worship Planning with Kim Gentes. Most of it I already knew, but he did take us through an interesting history of worship planning, which was neat. After lunch, I studied the Key Attitudes of Worship Leaders with Dan Wilt, which was awesome! He listed 7 different attributes held by great worship leaders, and broke down ways we can develop these skills in ourselves. To end the afternoon, Gerald and I attended our first workshop together - Taking it to the Next Level with songwriter Don Poythress. It was really inspiring and practical.
Instead of taking a supper break, I headed straight to the exhibit hall and bookstore. My visa card got super excited! I stocked up on training DVDs from Brian Doerkson and Paul Baloche, with a few CDs and books thrown in for good measure.
Tonight was a mixed bag for me. The assembly opened with Brian Doerkson leading worship, which was awesome! His songs and the music were great, but the spirit of the session was just fantastic - gentle, sensitive, and welcoming. When Brian leads worship, you know it's going to be safe, and I mean that in a really good way. He's not going to take you anywhere weird or forced.
After a prayer and an offering, we were supposed to have another song, but something went wrong with the tech, so we sang a few acapella choruses. 15000 people singing acapella, with full harmony. Just awesome!
I was really excited to hear our speaker for tonight, Franklin Graham. I was looking forward to hearing about his experiences with Samaritan's Purse, responding to the earthquake in Haiti, and ministering to people in need. I thought, "What a great message for 15000 people who are ministering on a regular basis in their home churches!"
Unfortunately, that's not the message he gave. Instead, he gave a Bible-thumping, turn-from-your-sin-and-repent message and altar call to a room full of people who are not just Christians, but already in active ministry. He was just so over the top, very preachy, and not my cup of tea. It obviously meant something to the few people who came up during the altar call, but what about the thousands of other people in the audience who could have used a message about how to bring Christian love into areas of trial and crisis? I don't like to be openly critical of preachers, because I know they have a tough job, but I really think it was a great lesson on knowing your audience and choosing a message that can really serve them.
The session ended with another great song by Brian. Another lesson: always send them out singing!
John Eldredge was our speaker, and I think he'll go down as one of my favourite parts of this conference. He spoke about the importance of the humanity of Jesus. If we think Jesus was 'faking' his humanity, then how can we actually relate to him? So he brought us through different stories to show us the personality of Jesus - his playfulness, his cunning, and the camaraderie he had with this friends. The whole message felt so generous and inspiring! I could have listened for hours more.
My first elective workshop was Worship Planning with Kim Gentes. Most of it I already knew, but he did take us through an interesting history of worship planning, which was neat. After lunch, I studied the Key Attitudes of Worship Leaders with Dan Wilt, which was awesome! He listed 7 different attributes held by great worship leaders, and broke down ways we can develop these skills in ourselves. To end the afternoon, Gerald and I attended our first workshop together - Taking it to the Next Level with songwriter Don Poythress. It was really inspiring and practical.
Instead of taking a supper break, I headed straight to the exhibit hall and bookstore. My visa card got super excited! I stocked up on training DVDs from Brian Doerkson and Paul Baloche, with a few CDs and books thrown in for good measure.
Tonight was a mixed bag for me. The assembly opened with Brian Doerkson leading worship, which was awesome! His songs and the music were great, but the spirit of the session was just fantastic - gentle, sensitive, and welcoming. When Brian leads worship, you know it's going to be safe, and I mean that in a really good way. He's not going to take you anywhere weird or forced.
After a prayer and an offering, we were supposed to have another song, but something went wrong with the tech, so we sang a few acapella choruses. 15000 people singing acapella, with full harmony. Just awesome!
I was really excited to hear our speaker for tonight, Franklin Graham. I was looking forward to hearing about his experiences with Samaritan's Purse, responding to the earthquake in Haiti, and ministering to people in need. I thought, "What a great message for 15000 people who are ministering on a regular basis in their home churches!"
Unfortunately, that's not the message he gave. Instead, he gave a Bible-thumping, turn-from-your-sin-and-repent message and altar call to a room full of people who are not just Christians, but already in active ministry. He was just so over the top, very preachy, and not my cup of tea. It obviously meant something to the few people who came up during the altar call, but what about the thousands of other people in the audience who could have used a message about how to bring Christian love into areas of trial and crisis? I don't like to be openly critical of preachers, because I know they have a tough job, but I really think it was a great lesson on knowing your audience and choosing a message that can really serve them.
The session ended with another great song by Brian. Another lesson: always send them out singing!
Favourite Friday Story
I forgot to post this yesterday:
On a break in the workshop, I was in the ladies room, and a woman asked if I was from Edmonton. I said, "No, I'm from Toronto."
She was surprised I'd come all that way for the conference, and she asked about what I did in Toronto.
"A singer? Do you have CDs?"
"Yes, I do."
"Do you sell them here?"
"Um, you mean in the bathroom?"
"Well, yes!"
And I sold 2 CDs in the ladies room!
On a break in the workshop, I was in the ladies room, and a woman asked if I was from Edmonton. I said, "No, I'm from Toronto."
She was surprised I'd come all that way for the conference, and she asked about what I did in Toronto.
"A singer? Do you have CDs?"
"Yes, I do."
"Do you sell them here?"
"Um, you mean in the bathroom?"
"Well, yes!"
And I sold 2 CDs in the ladies room!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Break Forth - Day 1
What a day! How do I put it all in a few sentences?
We were up before dawn today and saw a glorious sunrise from our hotel before heading out to register for Break Forth. Today featured all day intensive workshops before the 'official' start of the conference tonight.
Gerald spent the day with songwriter Don Poythress, and I focused on worship skills with Brian Doerkson and Paul Baloche.
When Brian started, I thought, "Oh, this is going to be casual and anecdotal." How deceptive! Within minutes, he had us on a 2 hour journey about the inherent nature of all humans to worship something, and the role of the worship leader in redirecting that focus to God. He spoke about idolatry, individualism, and the fascinating concepts of the "orphan mindset" and "fatherless worship." So much to chew on and sort through.
Songwriter & worship leader, Brian Doerkson.
Gerald and I met for lunch in a busy pub to compare notes, and then I headed back for Paul Baloche's share of the day. His style was high energy, hilarious, and very practical. But before even hitting the 'practical' tools of organizing a set and leading a team, he brought us through the worship leader's Biblical role of "ministering to the Lord."
This evening, we had a full opening assembly. There were songs by Canadian singer-songwriters Steve Bell and Joel Auge. During the worship session, painter Lewis Lavoie created a canvas live on the stage. The main worship session was lead by the always wonderful Casting Crowns. Their music is so rich and full, and yet the songs are real worship songs - simple melodies, personal lyrics, and very accessible to sing. The hardest part of the evening was my still-missing voice. I can speak better than I could earlier in the week, but my singing voice is not back. Worshiping without a voice is a new experience for me, yet I still found the time moving and meaningful. I have a feeling a song may come out of this.
Our huge opening assembly. I'm about halfway back, so you can see the venue is huge!
Our speaker, Dr. Kevin Leman, writes about family and marriage. His psychology was a little too Mars-Venus for me in some places, but he's absolutely hilarious, and when he really wants to make a point, it can be very powerful.
Gerald and I decided to skip the late night concerts tonight so we could review the day and continue to rest my voice. So much to see and do tomorrow! I haven't even hit the bookstore yet - my visa card is so excited!
We were up before dawn today and saw a glorious sunrise from our hotel before heading out to register for Break Forth. Today featured all day intensive workshops before the 'official' start of the conference tonight.
Gerald spent the day with songwriter Don Poythress, and I focused on worship skills with Brian Doerkson and Paul Baloche.
When Brian started, I thought, "Oh, this is going to be casual and anecdotal." How deceptive! Within minutes, he had us on a 2 hour journey about the inherent nature of all humans to worship something, and the role of the worship leader in redirecting that focus to God. He spoke about idolatry, individualism, and the fascinating concepts of the "orphan mindset" and "fatherless worship." So much to chew on and sort through.
Songwriter & worship leader, Brian Doerkson.Gerald and I met for lunch in a busy pub to compare notes, and then I headed back for Paul Baloche's share of the day. His style was high energy, hilarious, and very practical. But before even hitting the 'practical' tools of organizing a set and leading a team, he brought us through the worship leader's Biblical role of "ministering to the Lord."
This evening, we had a full opening assembly. There were songs by Canadian singer-songwriters Steve Bell and Joel Auge. During the worship session, painter Lewis Lavoie created a canvas live on the stage. The main worship session was lead by the always wonderful Casting Crowns. Their music is so rich and full, and yet the songs are real worship songs - simple melodies, personal lyrics, and very accessible to sing. The hardest part of the evening was my still-missing voice. I can speak better than I could earlier in the week, but my singing voice is not back. Worshiping without a voice is a new experience for me, yet I still found the time moving and meaningful. I have a feeling a song may come out of this.
Our huge opening assembly. I'm about halfway back, so you can see the venue is huge!Our speaker, Dr. Kevin Leman, writes about family and marriage. His psychology was a little too Mars-Venus for me in some places, but he's absolutely hilarious, and when he really wants to make a point, it can be very powerful.
Gerald and I decided to skip the late night concerts tonight so we could review the day and continue to rest my voice. So much to see and do tomorrow! I haven't even hit the bookstore yet - my visa card is so excited!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Ready to Break Forth!
This morning, we finally hit the Edmonton Mall (after much prodding from all my Facebook friends). I think I expected it to be more architecturally imposing, like the Eaton Centre. Instead, it was just huge and sprawling, with ice rinks, a water park, a pirate ship, China Town, and sea lions. We didn't buy a lot, but we did have a red velvet cupcake (still can't find one as good as in the South) and butter chicken poutine (surprisingly good!).
This afternoon we checked into our hotel, which has the most amazing view! This photo doesn't even do it justice:
We spent the evening relaxing, trying to continue my vocal rest, and prepping for the next three days. This conference is going to be huge, so I'm hoping a little planning today will help us make the most of the next few days. Can't wait for the morning!
This afternoon we checked into our hotel, which has the most amazing view! This photo doesn't even do it justice:
We spent the evening relaxing, trying to continue my vocal rest, and prepping for the next three days. This conference is going to be huge, so I'm hoping a little planning today will help us make the most of the next few days. Can't wait for the morning!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tonight's Concert is Canceled!
Well, God made the decision for us!
This morning, I woke up, still voiceless. Gerald called to cancel our participation in tonight's concert, but the organizer was still eager to find a Plan B for the evening.
Within 2 hours she called us back: the roads between here and Barrhead are completely shut down due to ice conditions, so the pastor has canceled tonight's concert!
Even if I was perfectly healthy, the concert still wouldn't have happened!
Well, I now have 60 CDs in my suitcase, if anyone wants to buy a few. *sigh*
This morning, I woke up, still voiceless. Gerald called to cancel our participation in tonight's concert, but the organizer was still eager to find a Plan B for the evening.
Within 2 hours she called us back: the roads between here and Barrhead are completely shut down due to ice conditions, so the pastor has canceled tonight's concert!
Even if I was perfectly healthy, the concert still wouldn't have happened!
Well, I now have 60 CDs in my suitcase, if anyone wants to buy a few. *sigh*
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Arrival in Edmonton!
All weekend long, we've been making jokes about heading to Edmonton to warm up this week. Well, after a near perfect flight, we touched down in Edmonton to +6 Celsius and glorious sunshine!
We spent the day reuniting with Gerald's longtime friend and our best man, Tim, and his family. It's been comfortable and relaxing. The day, however, has not been without my own conflicts.
I've been so excited to come on this trip, in large part because of our two concerts tomorrow. Last week, I struggled with a cold. I've been tired, but I still sang on the weekend and it was fine.
Yesterday, however, it was not fine. I woke up with no voice. I mean, no voice! Gerald and I were scheduled to play for a senior's home in the afternoon, so he rushed and rehearsed and, bless his heart, he performed a full solo version of our show with almost no notice.
I headed straight to my doctor, who was on vacation, so I saw a nurse practitioner. Even though I explained that I was a professional singer about to fly halfway across the country to sing 2 concerts, I knew she wasn't taking me seriously when she suggested I might want to try tea with honey. Really???
My real doctor (who is awesome) arrived home early, saw that I had visited, read the report and called me right away. She took me very seriously (which is why she's awesome), and prescribed a heavy dose of steroids. It's not something she's ever given me, but given the circumstances, she thought it was our best chance.
I'm feeling a bit stronger today, and my throat isn't sore, but I have no voice, and I still mean no voice! It's just killing me! I didn't want to mention it in yesterday's blog because I was hoping the steroids would start to change things today. I've already had to cancel tomorrow's afternoon concert, and the evening event hangs precariously in the balance.
I'm just heartsick about all of this! To come so far, to do all the planning - both by me and by the people of Barrhead - and then to be voiceless, it's all just so upsetting.
As I write this, I still have no speaking voice, much less any kind of singing voice. If I wake up in the morning and I think I can even do a few songs, we're going to go ahead with it, but if I am still voiceless, then I think our options are few.
Please keep me in prayer tonight - for healing, wisdom, and grace. Thanks.
We spent the day reuniting with Gerald's longtime friend and our best man, Tim, and his family. It's been comfortable and relaxing. The day, however, has not been without my own conflicts.
I've been so excited to come on this trip, in large part because of our two concerts tomorrow. Last week, I struggled with a cold. I've been tired, but I still sang on the weekend and it was fine.
Yesterday, however, it was not fine. I woke up with no voice. I mean, no voice! Gerald and I were scheduled to play for a senior's home in the afternoon, so he rushed and rehearsed and, bless his heart, he performed a full solo version of our show with almost no notice.
I headed straight to my doctor, who was on vacation, so I saw a nurse practitioner. Even though I explained that I was a professional singer about to fly halfway across the country to sing 2 concerts, I knew she wasn't taking me seriously when she suggested I might want to try tea with honey. Really???
My real doctor (who is awesome) arrived home early, saw that I had visited, read the report and called me right away. She took me very seriously (which is why she's awesome), and prescribed a heavy dose of steroids. It's not something she's ever given me, but given the circumstances, she thought it was our best chance.
I'm feeling a bit stronger today, and my throat isn't sore, but I have no voice, and I still mean no voice! It's just killing me! I didn't want to mention it in yesterday's blog because I was hoping the steroids would start to change things today. I've already had to cancel tomorrow's afternoon concert, and the evening event hangs precariously in the balance.
I'm just heartsick about all of this! To come so far, to do all the planning - both by me and by the people of Barrhead - and then to be voiceless, it's all just so upsetting.
As I write this, I still have no speaking voice, much less any kind of singing voice. If I wake up in the morning and I think I can even do a few songs, we're going to go ahead with it, but if I am still voiceless, then I think our options are few.
Please keep me in prayer tonight - for healing, wisdom, and grace. Thanks.
Mike Holmes and Church Music
On today’s flight to Edmonton, I switched to HGTV and found contractor extraordinaire, Mike Holmes.
As I watched him lay a new tile floor, he said something that caught my ear. “Most people think a tile floor needs to be level, but that’s where they’re wrong.”
“What?” I thought, “How could level be wrong? Level is perfection. It’s accurate. Isn’t not-level wrong?”
“I’m more interested,” he continued, “in things being true. What house is level? You could make a floor level, but if your walls and counter are naturally uneven, then your level floor will look wrong. You need things to be true.”
You need things to be true.
My mind drifted to church music. Are we being true?
As a professional musician, quality is really important to me, but isn’t it more important to be true?
I don’t mean true as in right or correct, but true as in honest, authentic, and, to carry on with Mike’s thoughts, appropriate for your specific room.
If I walk into a living room, I may not know if the floor was perfectly laid, or if the stitching on the couch is perfect, but I do know if I feel comfortable, welcomed, and able to be myself.
The same rings true in church music.
On the average Sunday morning, most people don’t know if every note is played perfectly, or if every syncopation matches the sheet music, but they will know how the music makes them feel.
Do they feel welcomed and enveloped by the music? Do they feel comfortable singing along? Are the songs and musical styles well suited to the congregation and their worship format?
Most importantly, do they feel inspired, worshipful, and somehow closer to God through the experience?
Yes, we should always aim for the best quality of music, for many reasons, but maybe this week, instead of trying to be perfectly level, we should aim to be truly inspiring.
As I watched him lay a new tile floor, he said something that caught my ear. “Most people think a tile floor needs to be level, but that’s where they’re wrong.”
“What?” I thought, “How could level be wrong? Level is perfection. It’s accurate. Isn’t not-level wrong?”
“I’m more interested,” he continued, “in things being true. What house is level? You could make a floor level, but if your walls and counter are naturally uneven, then your level floor will look wrong. You need things to be true.”
You need things to be true.
My mind drifted to church music. Are we being true?
As a professional musician, quality is really important to me, but isn’t it more important to be true?
I don’t mean true as in right or correct, but true as in honest, authentic, and, to carry on with Mike’s thoughts, appropriate for your specific room.
If I walk into a living room, I may not know if the floor was perfectly laid, or if the stitching on the couch is perfect, but I do know if I feel comfortable, welcomed, and able to be myself.
The same rings true in church music.
On the average Sunday morning, most people don’t know if every note is played perfectly, or if every syncopation matches the sheet music, but they will know how the music makes them feel.
Do they feel welcomed and enveloped by the music? Do they feel comfortable singing along? Are the songs and musical styles well suited to the congregation and their worship format?
Most importantly, do they feel inspired, worshipful, and somehow closer to God through the experience?
Yes, we should always aim for the best quality of music, for many reasons, but maybe this week, instead of trying to be perfectly level, we should aim to be truly inspiring.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Ready for a New Adventure!
Just a few months ago, Dad handed us a brochure and said "You two may want to check this out."
Within days, Gerald and I were making plans to attend Break Forth - 3 days of workshops, worship sessions, concerts, and keynote speakers in Edmonton, Alberta.
Then, I thought about a wonderful lady from Alberta named Heidi that I met while attending the Elijah Conference in Nashville. With one quick message, we started the process of booking concerts in her home town.
And now, we're hours away from our trip!
I've been fighting a cold all week, so it's been a rough week of planning and prepping, but I'm pumped up on high quality meds, and ready for a good night's sleep before our flight.
If you're the praying kind, please throw out a few for good health, safe travels, and a great week of music!
If you're in the Edmonton area, you can see our concert schedule here.
And, of course, I'll be blogging every night!
Within days, Gerald and I were making plans to attend Break Forth - 3 days of workshops, worship sessions, concerts, and keynote speakers in Edmonton, Alberta.
Then, I thought about a wonderful lady from Alberta named Heidi that I met while attending the Elijah Conference in Nashville. With one quick message, we started the process of booking concerts in her home town.
And now, we're hours away from our trip!
I've been fighting a cold all week, so it's been a rough week of planning and prepping, but I'm pumped up on high quality meds, and ready for a good night's sleep before our flight.
If you're the praying kind, please throw out a few for good health, safe travels, and a great week of music!
If you're in the Edmonton area, you can see our concert schedule here.
And, of course, I'll be blogging every night!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
New Video!
I've just created a video of my recent cancer wig donation.
To watch the video, please visit the Cut for Cancer page of my website.
UPDATE (January 19): I also posted the video on YouTube. As of 5:41 tonight, it's had 2244 views! Wow!
To watch the video, please visit the Cut for Cancer page of my website.
UPDATE (January 19): I also posted the video on YouTube. As of 5:41 tonight, it's had 2244 views! Wow!
Fireside Concert Announcement!
Gerald and I are thrilled to announce our new concert for winter!
Infinitely More Fireside Concert
Saturday, February 19, 2011
2:00pm
Comer House
11 Don Ridge Dr, North York
Tickets: $15.00
Saturday, February 19, 2011
2:00pm
Comer House
11 Don Ridge Dr, North York
Tickets: $15.00
Come join us for an intimate afternoon of inspiring music
and the stories behind the songs.
Your ticket also includes cider, sweets, and other treats.
I'll have the poster soon. Very excited about this event!!
and the stories behind the songs.
Your ticket also includes cider, sweets, and other treats.
I'll have the poster soon. Very excited about this event!!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Photos of Infinitely More
Saturday, January 08, 2011
A DIVA No More...
I called my Mom this week and said, "Mom, I'm not a DIVA anymore."
She said, "Yes you are."
I said, "No, I'm not a Christian DIVA anymore."
She said, "Oh yes you are."
Funny Momma.
This week, after much prayer, and talking Gerald's ear off, I decided to leave the Christian DIVAs. I've been part of the group since 2007, my first summer in Nashville.
In my time with the DIVAs, I was part of a concert weekend in Nashville, had 2 songs included in our compilation album, did a tour of Illinois, and spent countless hours connecting with amazing Christian artists from across the States - praying, sharing stories, and just trying to encourage one another in our individual ministries.
But life shifts, and I leave the DIVAs with no regrets. Living in Canada and having a regular church position, it's harder for me to be part of the events, and with the launch of Infinitely More, I'm feeling less and less like a solo artist. The DIVAs are about to launch a lot of great new projects, and it just felt like the right time to leave and open a spot for another artist to join their ranks.
Our last night in Illinois, Leah, Tara and I were booked to sing for a Sunday evening service. As we arrived, a woman greeted us by saying "Oh, the Christian DIVAs are here!" In that moment, I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself, and that felt great. This year, when Gerald and I started to talk about becoming a duo, I had the same feeling - I have the chance to be part of something bigger than myself, and I'm excited to see how God is going to use that.
She said, "Yes you are."
I said, "No, I'm not a Christian DIVA anymore."
She said, "Oh yes you are."
Funny Momma.
This week, after much prayer, and talking Gerald's ear off, I decided to leave the Christian DIVAs. I've been part of the group since 2007, my first summer in Nashville.
In my time with the DIVAs, I was part of a concert weekend in Nashville, had 2 songs included in our compilation album, did a tour of Illinois, and spent countless hours connecting with amazing Christian artists from across the States - praying, sharing stories, and just trying to encourage one another in our individual ministries.
But life shifts, and I leave the DIVAs with no regrets. Living in Canada and having a regular church position, it's harder for me to be part of the events, and with the launch of Infinitely More, I'm feeling less and less like a solo artist. The DIVAs are about to launch a lot of great new projects, and it just felt like the right time to leave and open a spot for another artist to join their ranks.
Our last night in Illinois, Leah, Tara and I were booked to sing for a Sunday evening service. As we arrived, a woman greeted us by saying "Oh, the Christian DIVAs are here!" In that moment, I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself, and that felt great. This year, when Gerald and I started to talk about becoming a duo, I had the same feeling - I have the chance to be part of something bigger than myself, and I'm excited to see how God is going to use that.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Happy New Year!
I realize we're a week into the New Year, but since Boxing Day, I've been in a self-imposed cocoon of family, food, films, and firesides ... and very limited internet. It's been lovely!
Our December was wonderful. Gerald and I sang for over 26 performances, in a whole range of churches and venues. On Christmas Day, we sang at two senior's homes before joining our families for Christmas dinner.
As we arrived at our first performance of the day, the administrator asked us to walk from floor to floor, singing for the residents in their rooms. Many of the people in this long term care facility were bedridden, and few had visitors that morning. In one room, we found two women who were clearly good friends. As we sang, they propped themselves up on their walkers and smiled. Partway through the song, one of them said, "Come on, let's dance!" and, like a scene out of a movie, they threw aside their walkers, leaned on each other, and danced! It was awesome!
I've been spending some time this week thinking about last year, and dreaming about 2011. I had a bit of a kick in the gut last week when I looked at my resolutions for 2010. It looked more like a five year plan! It was so unreasonable, and even though 2010 was an amazing year, in the light of my ridiculous list, it was hard not to be disappointed.
As we head into 2011, I'm making some great plans, but also being reasonable about what we can accomplish. I'm spending time in prayer, reflection, and discovery, confident in our calling, and seeking the next steps on our adventure!
Happy 2011, everyone!
Our December was wonderful. Gerald and I sang for over 26 performances, in a whole range of churches and venues. On Christmas Day, we sang at two senior's homes before joining our families for Christmas dinner.
As we arrived at our first performance of the day, the administrator asked us to walk from floor to floor, singing for the residents in their rooms. Many of the people in this long term care facility were bedridden, and few had visitors that morning. In one room, we found two women who were clearly good friends. As we sang, they propped themselves up on their walkers and smiled. Partway through the song, one of them said, "Come on, let's dance!" and, like a scene out of a movie, they threw aside their walkers, leaned on each other, and danced! It was awesome!
I've been spending some time this week thinking about last year, and dreaming about 2011. I had a bit of a kick in the gut last week when I looked at my resolutions for 2010. It looked more like a five year plan! It was so unreasonable, and even though 2010 was an amazing year, in the light of my ridiculous list, it was hard not to be disappointed.
As we head into 2011, I'm making some great plans, but also being reasonable about what we can accomplish. I'm spending time in prayer, reflection, and discovery, confident in our calling, and seeking the next steps on our adventure!
Happy 2011, everyone!
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