Free David Crowder track

The David Crowder Band’s got a new movie coming out in theaters August 18th (the DVD will be available in stores the next day), “The Remedy Club Tour.”

As part of the movie, the band is giving away a free Mp3 download on their website.

Visit the site and get your own download code.

Singalong with Phil Wickham

Downloaded Phil Wickham’s Singalong today. You’re going to want this album. Seriously. Even if you’ve never heard of “Mr Divine Romance” you’ll find yourself joining in on this live Singalong album.

And better than the music – it’s free! I mean does it get cooler than that? Open source Christianity at it’s best. (in all fairness you have to sign up for Phil’s e-newsletter to get the download).

via e-mail (after downloading the album):

“Singalong” was recorded May 9th, 2008 in Portland, Oregon at Solid Rock Church. This recording is something I have wanted to do for a long time and it’s amazing to see it finally come together. The faces represented on the cover are people that were either at the show, or watched the show when it was broadcast online, then sent me their face. I hope you enjoy the record and tell your friends. Thanks so much for stopping by. -phil

So I’m telling my friends – near, far and wide – download this album.

philwickham.com

HT: Shaun Groves.

The drive in with NPR

Well I had to drive to work today due to meetings in Mesquite later today.

And I have to say, despite the annoyance that sometimes comes with having to wait on a DART bus or sitting next to someone who’s a heavy smoker — I’d rather do that any day than have to drive and sit in traffic day in and day out.

However driving to work does give me a better opportunity to catch up on the day’s news with NPR.

Some interesting stuff today that you may or may not know…

  • If you have an accident in the City of Dallas and are not a city resident, you’ll be charged $600 if you request police or fire assistance.
  • 12 people were killed in Sherman, Texas this morning when their bus (carrying them to a mission project) likely blew a tire and ran off an overpass.
  • Folks in Fort Worth aren’t happy and are protesting the continued drilling of gas wells within their city.
  • Texas Gov. McDreamy Perry requested that the EPA waive their requirements to add ethanol to gasoline within the state. The EPA told Perry to dream on.
  • Despite a jury saying a former driver for bin Laden would only have to serve out 5 more months at Guantanamo – the Pentagon tells everyone, “So what? We’re the US Government, we can hold him as long as we like.”
  • Ammon Shea likes reading — a lot. So he decided to read the nearly 22,000 pages in the Oxford English Dictionary. Among some of his favorite words :: bedinner; bemissionary; gymnologize; twi-thought; and vocabularian.
  • The US Government says they have found “without a doubt” the Anthrax killer from 2001. Apparently for the US Government, “without a doubt” can be based primarily on “circumstantial evidence.” Sadly, their suspect committed suicide last week – meaning there will never be a trial to prove or disprove the government’s statements given at a press conference last week.
  • Oh and the Olympics have started in China.

So there you have it, all the news that matters to you/me.

related ::
KERA main newsroom
NPR’s morning edition
SSL :: why i ride dart

Justin Farmer’s out Brad Hawkins is in… for now

Brad Hawkins - WFAA reporter/anchor
Brad Hawkins - WFAA reporter/anchor

As reported by Uncle Barky (as well as here) earlier this year, Justin Farmer’s last day with WFAA, Channel 8’s Daybreak was Friday, August 1. His contract officially ended August 5th.

Farmer made the announcement back in January (the same day morning co-host Cynthia Izaguirre joined the WFAA team) that he would be heading back to Atlanta to work for WSB.
Uncle Barky also reports that Brad Hawkins will be given the the rest of this year to win the job permanently.

It appears there was no mention of the switch on the air. Just a new face next to Cynthia Izaguirre on Monday morning (even though Hawkins has been filling in for Farmer throughout the year).
Hawkins will join Izaguirre, Alexa Conomos and Greg Fields weekday mornings from 5 – 7 a.m.

Folks seem to have varying opinions on the switch and move (see the comments on my original post). Amazing to see how dependent/accustomed we become to our favorite news anchors.

related ::
Uncle Barky’s original post
SSL :: Justin Farmer to leave WFAA
Uncle Barky :: Local Nielson ratings snapshot
WFAA :: Daybreak
WFAA :: Brad Hawkins

Did John Mayer write the Message or was it the other way around?

Prodigal John has a fun post over on his blog, Stuff Christians Like about Christians smuggling John Mayer into our camp. I think the original title of the post compared Mayer to Christian artist Chris Tomlin.

I think in some ways, John Mayer has snuck inside the Christian circle like a ninja. Or maybe we smuggled him in, I’m not sure. The point is, he’s here, and Christians have embraced him in a surprising way.

I’m personally a fan of John Mayer’s music. Haven’t seen him live (other than on TV) but I hear his concerts are great as well.

Along with his post, Prodigal John offers up this quiz for all. The list below is 15 quotes either from The Message Bible or John Mayer. See if you can tell which is which.

1. Then they get in all their shopping sprees. At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep,

2. Belief is a beautiful armor, but makes for the heaviest sword

3. Now we see everything that’s going wrong, with the world and those who lead it

4. I dare to believe that the luckless will get lucky someday.

5. She takes you in with your crying eyes, then all at once you have to say goodbye

6. You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes, it brought me back to life

7. I’m tired of all this—so tired. My bed has been floating … on the flood of my tears.

8. Take all your wasted honor, every little past frustration, take all of your so called problems, better put them in quotations.

9. She says the bible is all that she reads and prefers that I not use profanity

10. And I will walk outside on my own into the light, the kind of clarity that only comes to me on Sunday’s shine, Sunday’s shine

11. I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms— I’m celebrating your rescue.

12. He comes up empty. A string of zeros.

13. Someday I’ll fly, someday I’ll soar

14. Nightly he strolls in our garden, delighting in the flowers, until dawn breathes its light and night slips away

15. You tell me where to go and though I might leave to find it, I’ll never let your head hit the bed without my hand behind it

See the answers.

Related ::
Stuff Christians Like :: “Mayer” Christianity
Stuff Christians Like :: Answers to the John Mayer Quiz
John Mayer
YouTube :: Waiting on the World to Change
Chris Tomlin
Wikipedia :: The Message Bible
SSL :: Christian is a poor adjective

  

the Beatles were a Christian band

photo by headphonaught

from e-mail…

The Telegraph ran an article yesterday that reports John Lennon called the Beatles a Christian band and that he himself was a big fan of Jesus Christ.

The statements were part of a 1969 interview with The Beatles front man while he was taking part in a bed-in for peace with Yoko Ono.

As for his infamous statement about the Beatles being bigger than Jesus at the time (which I would tend to agree with)…

“It’s just an expression meaning the Beatles seem to me to have more influence over youth than Christ,” he says. “Now I wasn’t saying that was a good idea, ‘cos I’m one of Christ’s biggest fans. And if I can turn the focus on the Beatles on to Christ’s message, then that’s what we’re here to do.”

He blames “the hypocrites” for being too “uptight” in reacting to his comments. “If the Beatles get on the side of Christ, which they always were, and let people know that, then maybe the churches won’t be full, but there’ll be a lot of Christians dancing in the dance halls. Whatever they celebrate, God and Christ, I don’t think it matters as long as they’re aware of Him and His message.”

Reminds me of a couple things…

  • “Christian is a great noun but a poor adjective.”
  • And perhaps “Jesus is the only way to God – but there are many ways to get to Jesus.”
  • Someone once asked Gandhi if he was a Christian. His reported response was, “Ask the poor. They’ll tell you who the Christians are.”
  • My dad shared some of his thoughts on what a Christian is on the latest Something Beautiful Podcast.
  • Jamie Moffett also shared some of his thoughts and ideas on Something Beautiful 1.6.

I have a feeling that many people are going to get up in arms and upset because John Lennon claimed to be a fan of Christ and suggested that the Beatles might have been a Christian band.

I wonder what the root of the issue is. Is it because Lennon claimed the Beatles were “bigger than Christ.” Is it because they used drugs? Is it because they sang about love and peace? Is it because they hung out with the Maharishi? Is it because John Lennon sang, “Imagine no religion… imagine there’s no heaven?” Or is there something deeper going on?

What about you? How would YOU define “Christian.” How would you explain the Christian “religion?” Does belief in heaven, hell and religion make you a Christian? Does dis-belief in those things make you a non-Christian?

Related ::
Telegraph :: ‘Bigger than Jesus? The Beatles were a Christian band’
SSL :: Christian is a poor adjective