Tag: Shaun Groves

Three questions with Shaun Groves

Shaun Groves and his "girlfriend" in India | Photo via ShaunGroves.com

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Shaun Groves has a new album coming it — Third World Symphony. It’s sweetness!

The album drops Aug. 30, but you can listen to the entire album here and pre-order your own copy of musical greatness here.

And being the gracious guy that Shaun is (I mean how many other artists stream their entire album online two months before it’s released), Shaun offered to take some time to answer three questions for any bloggers out there that were interested (hint, he’ll answer questions for your blog as well) — so naturally, I had to take him up on it. Here’s what he had to say:
Continue reading Three questions with Shaun Groves

Shaun Groves – Third World Symphony (my first listen)

My first memory of Shaun Groves was receiving a demo version of his album Invitation to Eavesdrop (circa 2000). I don’t recall if it was for a project we were doing with Lighthouse 21 or for Powerline 89.9… but I do recall us giving a number of the tracks a fairly good rotation during our Saturday night radio program in Waco.

It was a great album to introduce us all to Shaun.

A few years later (2003/2004?) he gave a concert at UMHB and I remember thinking afterwards as he took the time to talk with those in attendance, that he wasn’t like most of the “christian artists” I had worked with over the previous few years at UMHB.

Fast forward a few years, and his record company was gone and Shaun was left without a recording contract.

But it wasn’t long before he found a new voice through his blog (which I discovered through Kevin Hendrick’s recommendation). And then after months (if not years :-)) of trying, we finally connected earlier this year and I was able to interview him and share his story on our podcast.

As part of the interview, Shaun told us about his latest project – Third World Symphony – an album that was crowd-sourced through Kickstarter.

Fast forward to today and now the album is complete and the countdown has begun until it officially releases August 30.

(You can pre-order the album now on Shaun’s website for only $10!)

But Shaun, being as gracious as he is, has published the final mastered versions of the album online so we can all wet our whistle and get a first listen.

And so… I’ve listened. And I really enjoyed it.
Continue reading Shaun Groves – Third World Symphony (my first listen)

Doing it all wrong

Shaun Groves just returned from a week+ long trip to India with a group of bloggers for Compassion International (read their thoughts here).

As part of their trip, Shaun he met with a couple different pastors who are choosing to do church outside of the norm.

Shaun Groves in India

Shaun writes…

This guy’s doing it all wrong.

He’s the pastor of a church in Kolkata, India that’s partnering with Compassion International – he says to “serve” kids in his community.

Pete and I saw a lot of unchurchy stuff going on at this church….

This is a common mistake for pastors in the developing world. They don’t know any better. They’ve never been to a pastors conference.

I’ve seen this time and again: churches in the third world doing stuff we Christians in America are savvy enough to get politicians and non-profits to do for us.

Check out Shaun’s blog for pictures and more info… and then I encourage you to say a prayer for all the guys doing it all wrong.

Responding to e-mails

Every couple weeks or so I get e-mails from folks that often go against many things I believe.

I’m not sure why they send them to me. Perhaps they think I agree with them, or perhaps they’re hoping to sway me to their side.

And while I hate seeing those messages in my inbox, for some reason, I always feel like I have to respond, I need to respond — at least once. I know it won’t sway their opinion but for some reason I can’t bring myself to simply deleting them and ignoring them.

This morning I received another one of those e-mails.

Gun control

The e-mail was entitled “Why I carry a gun.” With a list of reasons for owning one mixed in with the following images attached:

Here’s my response to the e-mail. For regular readers of my blog, it may not be anything new. But what do you think? Do you respond to e-mail propaganda (from either side)? Do you simply hit delete?

I hope my responses never come across as accusatory or judgmental (I’m sure they may to those who view things differently). But what do you think?

It’s obvious we see this differently. But since you sent your thoughts, here are mine.

“I’m a pacifist because I’m a violent son of a bitch.” – Stanley Hauerwas

As a follower of Christ, I must embrace non-violence because I am, by nature, violent.

I am sinful so I must embrace virtue.

To be more specific…

I lust after women who are not my wife, so I must embrace monogamy.

I covet your cell phone and your neighborhood and your jeans, so I must embrace simplicity.

I lie to get a laugh or make my life easier, so I must embrace honesty.

I think I’m smarter than you, so I must embrace humility.

I need to be in control, so I must embrace submission.

I’m a loner, so I must embrace community.

I want to ruin your name, so I must embrace forgiveness.

I want to be served, so I must embrace service.

And I want to harm when I’m harmed, so I must embrace non-violence.

– Shaun Groves

And here’s a semi-related story told by Dr. Tony Campolo:

During World War II, a group of Bulgarian Jews are rounded up at a train station to be taken off to Auschwitz. Yet,despite Bulgaria’s alliance with Germany in World War II, the leader of the Orthodox church in Bulgaria comes walking up to a train station in the middle of the night. The leader of the church is followed by 300 members of his church.

He walks to the fenced in area where the Jews are being kept and the guards tell him, “Father you’re not allowed in there.” He laughs and brushes their machine guns aside as he walks into the gated area. The Jews gathered around him, waiting to see what the Christian leader in Bulgaria would say in their moment of despair.

As they cried and begged for help the leader of the Bulgarian church quoted a simple verse from Ruth.

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16)

The Jews cheered. The Christians outside the fenced in area cheered. The noise became so loud that it woke up everyone in the community and they came to the train station and heard the news. Quickly the hundreds grew to thousands.

The Nazi soldiers suddenly realized there was no way they could overcome everyone there. There was no way they’d be able to get away with carting off the Jews to the concentration camps. The train left a short time later with none of the Jews on board and never returned again. And after that point, no Jews from Bulgaria were taken to a concentration camp of any sort.

“Because the Church of Jesus Christ boldly stood up and said we’re not going to kill the enemy, we’re going to identify with the suffering and suffer with them. This is Jesus’ way.”

And finally,
With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” – Matthew 26:51-54

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
 – Psalm 20:7

The old becomes new

Day 39: 02-08-08

Shaun Groves has an amazing blog. If you’re not follow it – you should be. Monday he wrote a post that shook me. It took my ideas of pacifism and really made me rethink my ideas — and more importantly God’s ideas.

Shaun quotes theologian Stanley Hauerwas ::

“I’m a pacifist because I’m a violent son of a bitch.”

What in the world?

Let’s look at that again….

“I’m a pacifist because I’m a violent son of a bitch.”

OK. Really, its OK to go back and read that a couple more times. Think on it. Chew on it. Wrestle with it.

Shaun writes that while he doesn’t particularly care for his choice of words but he’s a big fan of Stanley’s honesty.

His brief explanation gets directly to one of the most convincing (at least for me) reasons I, a follower of Christ, must embrace non-violence: I am, by nature, violent.

He continues…

I am sinful so I must embrace virtue.

To be more specific…

I lust after women who are not my wife, so I must embrace monogamy.

I covet your cell phone and your neighborhood and your jeans, so I must embrace simplicity.

I lie to get a laugh or make my life easier, so I must embrace honesty.

I think I’m smarter than you, so I must embrace humility.

I need to be in control, so I must embrace submission.

I’m a loner, so I must embrace community.

I want to ruin your name, so I must embrace forgiveness.

I want to be served, so I must embrace service.

And I want to harm when I’m harmed, so I must embrace non-violence.

As Christians aren’t we called to put away the selfish and old way of doing things? Aren’t we called to take part in this upside down Kingdom of God?

Isn’t the Kingdom of God really about the great reversal? Where the last will be first and the first will be last? Isn’t the Kingdom of God really about serving the meek and loving our enemies — no matter how many times they’ve hurt us or ignored us in the past?

The sinful nature of mankind is often cited in arguments against Christian non-violence. Violence, it’s said, is sometimes necessary to slow or even stop sin’s march across the world.

Mankind’s nature? What about my own?

Non-violence stops my sinful nature’s march from within me into the world. Into your world.

I’m a pacifist because I know who I really am.

What about you?

You too can change the world – 50 words or less

“We may not be able to change the whole world, but we can change the whole world for one person.”

Shaun Groves and his band of bloggers are returning from the Dominican Republic today. Take some time to learn what they’ve learned.

(What are other folks saying this weekend in 50 words or less?)