Tag: Music
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Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming!
Listening to 24-hours of Christmas music on the radio this month has probably made you realize one thing: the classic Christmas hymns have much more depth than “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (no offense, Mariah). Did you realize, however, that most, if not all, of these classic carols were not written simply to…
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Christmas Lights, Keeping Shining On
Whether you are a Christian or not, in some way or another, you are waiting for some kind of advent–an arrival of something in your life to give you light and hope. Deep down, there is a sense of guilt, shame, inadequacy, and incompleteness in all of us. To solve these problems, we run to money, success,…
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Cantique de Noël
Cantique de Noël was written in 1847, by Placide Cappeau. An atheist poet, Cappeau was surprised when a Catholic priest asked him to pen something for Christmas mass. Despite not believing in Jesus, Cappeau delivered in a big way. This 6-minute video explains the story behind the song. The video is also posted at the bottom of this post. Cantique…
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My Plea for Pastors and Musicians to Decrease
On his journey to the cross, Jesus said something to the disciples that, if they listened, would change everything about their lives. He said something that, if they took it to heart, would destroy their self-centered and self-aggrandizing identities and reputations, only to give them something infinitely greater. Here’s what Jesus said: “If anyone would come after…
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A Ragamuffin’s Creed
I recently watched Ragamuffin: The True Story of Rich Mullins. Mullins was a musical prodigy who rose to fame in the Contemporary Christian Music scene in the 80s and 90s. Mullins confrontational and controversial style and approach to music made him some what of a “bad boy” in the CCM culture. Eventually, Mullins walked away from it…
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The Enduring Value of Great Art
Tonight we have our second Pub Theology gathering at The Local in Saratoga Springs. If you are in the Capital District, we’d love for you to join us from 7:30-9:00pm. Our discussion topic this evening will be, “Why should and how can Christians take art seriously?” As I was doing a little prep for our…
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Loved by J.J. Heller Review
A guest post by Carly Pruch J.J. Heller releases her newest studio album today entitled Loved. On the whole, Loved has the theme of perseverance through suffering and heartache by believing and trusting in the truth of Jesus. Although only one song actually mentions Jesus by name, it’s clear her trust in him is what has and…
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Jesus is Not Our Boyfriend
I have a love-hate relationship with Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). I love it because it desires to make music for Jesus. I hate it because it is often shallower than the kiddie pool. Unfortunately, its shallowness often overwhelms and leaves me longing for more. I always hesitate to write about something I know little about. I…
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Hear the Music, Don’t Learn the Steps
Part 5 in a 10 part series. View series intro and index. If you are anything like me (let’s hope not), your bent is to read the Bible to get information. You want to mine the peaks and valleys of Scripture for intellectual ascent, to out-wit, out-smart, or out-argue someone else in a theological debate. You want…
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The Keith Green Story
Keith Green died 29 years ago today. He was 28 years old. Here is an hour-long video about his life.
JAMES PRUCH 