Music
Derek Webb albums are $5: Ctrl | Feedback | The Ringing Bell | Stockholm Syndrome | Mockingbird | I See Things Upside Down | The House Show | She Must & Shall Go Free
Amazon has 50 classical albums for $1.99 each.
Google Play is trying to get your attention with 48 albums for $2.99 each. Some goodies like Radiohead & U2. Also, various genres represented.
Dear white, Puritan-loving Southern Baptist leaders,
Important voices are chiming in on Propaganda's "Precious Puritans" -- from Thabiti Anyabwile's post on The Gospel Coalition to David Murray's comment (prof at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary!) to Anthony Bradley's post as well as several comments and tweets, and more. They realize this is a big issue. Where are the voices of our white, Puritan-loving Southern Baptist leaders, and seminary presidents, and deans, and entity leaders, and prominent pastors?
We need your voices on this.
Steve
Jake Armerding at The Curator lists some "I love music because..." statements. Here's a sample...
I love music because it can’t be conquered. No one will ever get to the end of music, solve it or master it, although it can be dumbed down.
I love music because no one should make it because they feel required to. I don’t mean musicians don’t have a responsibility to make it; rather, I mean anyone who isn’t making it because they love to, probably shouldn’t be. Music is there to be made, or not, just as you please. It is the opposite of bills, jogging, taxes, health insurance and laundry.
I love music because it’s such an easy way to get happy.
Music is good for you. What some people do to music can be bad for you, but music itself is good and does not require moderation. It is good for weekdays, the weekend, holidays, Sundays, cloudy days, sunny days, fast days, slow days, work or play, alone or with friends, home or traveling, relaxed or serious, weddings and funerals and Tuesdays, year-round. And it is especially good for boredom.
I love music because it is free and unregulated, and anyone can make it.
Go read the whole thing and check out Jake Armerding and his music.
Nice list of $5 albums for October. My recommended albums are below. Check out the list of all 100.
Discussions surrounding the new song by Propaganda, "Precious Puritans," have been interesting. If you haven't picked the album, Excellent, it's free (or buy it to support his work) and it's great. "Precious Puritans" in particular has gripped me and caused me to ask questions about myself, my preaching, my reading, my idolizing, and the list could go on. I've pointed before to Joe Thorn's two posts about "Precious Puritans." They are a nice introduction to Propaganda and some of the issues raised in the song, and includes song audio and the full lyrics.
Some negative responses have started to crop up to the song, and I felt compelled to post some of my thoughts and some response to the thoughts of others.
Owen Strachan (Assistant Professor of Christian Theology and Church History at Boyce College, also teaches at my alma mater The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) has posted his critique of the song here (or here). Tony Reinke adds a significant comment in agreement to Owen's post. I'll reference some content there in my thoughts here.
Will "Precious Puritans" Stop People From Reading The Puritans?
Owen questions whether the song is dangerous and will lead some people to stop reading the Puritans. He said in the comments, "Critique should not equal demolition." He also says, "If your critique of a Christian who sinned is harsh and uncareful, you’re not living up to the scriptural ideal." I think what Owen does is what he accuses Prop of doing. Owen criticizes Prop without a certain level of care in that he misses the whole point of the song that Prop is doing demolition to all of us and pointing to the God who still uses us in amazing ways. Prop used an artful way to do it (I explain more below) and I assume he was very careful and probably took weeks or months working through this song with friends, producers, etc...knowing exactly what he was saying, how he was saying it, and why. I think he got it right.
In the context of the song, the Puritans are not the point. They are one group, who is very beloved among many in my tribe, including me, which makes them an excellent vehicle for an artist to use to illustrate a larger point. And to miss the forest for the trees is either to misunderstand the artist or to be exactly the person the artist hopes to speak to, one who makes the Puritans too precious. Again, Prop isn't doing "demolition" of the Puritans, but of us all. And that means we are all unquotable, yet all quotable because of Christ.
So does the song tell us not to read the Puritans, even accidentally? Not at all! In fact, it should help those who have made too much of the Puritans to read them better, and quote them more wisely. Though the history of the Puritans isn't new to me concerning slavery, this song has made me think of how to quote them better to those with skin unlike mine, with a history and heritage unlike mine. Why wouldn't we want that?
If you come away from "Precious Puritans" with an "I'm never reading them!" view, you missed the whole point by thinking you are better than them. That point is rejected in the song. And when people miss the point, it's better to teach them about art, to show them what Propaganda is doing, and to point to the lines that make his point clear rather than tell Prop he did it wrong. He didn't. My attempt at explaining the art is below.
Does Propaganda Strongly Qualify "Precious Puritans" On Joe Thorn's Blog?
Owen has said a couple times that Propaganda strongly qualifies his song on Joe Thorn's blog. That is to say Owen thinks he is trying to soften his point because he was too harsh in the song. I don't know why else Owen could mean by saying he strongly qualifies on the blog, as if we don't read the blog we can't understand Prop isn't anti-Puritans. But on Joe's blog Prop was answering questions, showing his approach to how and why he made the song. I heard the song at least a dozen times before I read Prop's answers on the blog and he told me nothing new concerning the song. I saw (and felt!) the "bait and switch" in the song. It's obvious the Puritans are secondary to his point in the song. I recognized that he was speaking to fact that I can romanticize the past and my heroes. All points Prop made at the blog, and all apparent in the song. Prop isn't qualifying his own words, but helping those who don't have ears to hear. He isn't softening the message of the song. Let me illustrate.
When my family goes to the monthly art exhibit at the Starline Gallery, I will stand in front of a piece of art with the kids and explain what I see. Often they don't and can't see what I see. They are learning to see. And if I have built up an eye for something and have insight as to what the artist is doing, I'll share it with them so they will see it too. In doing that, I'm not making the art more gentle, but helping my children to see it truly. That's all Prop did, and to classify it as a strong qualification is to say the artist even admits he was too strong. Prop's strength was intentional, needed, and useful in delivering his message (as I show in the next section). Owen has this wrong.
How Do We See "Precious Puritans" As Art?
Propaganda uses the angry poet approach to the Puritans to make the historical points (which are true) and to offer up conundrums that are legit (how can we quote slave owners at my church with African Americans in attendance?). The music, the lyrics, all the way to the "step away" line are angry, escalating, poignant, and exactly how some have spoken about the Puritans. My kids (public schoolers) have resonated with the song because that's how their teachers speak about the Puritans in school!
But the POINT of the song is made clear at the end. It's not sorta clear, it's clear as a bell: "God really does use crooked sticks to make straight lines," and the crooked sticks include the Puritans, Propaganda, you, and me. So let's not idolize [as Prop tweeted today: "I'm just sayin don't treat folks like they're inerrant"], which would be to make them too precious. They are deeply flawed at best, and so am I.
Prop uses the angry, condemning street poet to illustrate his whole point which is not angry, but humbling and grace-filled. And it all hinges on two words: "step away." Follow the song/lyrics and you will see that the anger turns to reflection and self-realization of how awful we all are, and it starts at the point he says "step away." The realities of the flaws of some of the Puritans is put on display, but instead of continuing to rail against them Prop says "step away," which I assume means step back and take a bigger view. [As I edit what I wrote Wednesday to post today, I noticed Prop said on Twitter this morning: "Step away just means look at the big picture."] Step away doesn't mean step away from reading or benefiting from or quoting the Puritans. The context of the song is what makes his point. Look at the lines just before and after (emphasis mine)...
Don’t pedestal these people, your precious puritans partners purchased people.
Why would you quote them?
Step away.
Think of the congregation that quotes you. Are you inerrant?
Trust me I know the feeling.
It’s the same feeling I get when people quote me.
Like, if you only knew!
I get it. But I don’t get it.
It's anger --> step away --> "think" --> "Are you inerrant?" --> "I get it. But I don't get it." That's the beautiful progression from an artist who knows how to provoke us so that we are open to a larger truth about ourselves (and everyone else!).
Have You Missed The Point?
If you've missed the point of "Precious Puritans," maybe it's because they are too precious to you. Something is wrong when we are more concerned about the Puritans not being read because someone says true things about them than in understanding a cultural perspective in which the Puritans, when quoted, are hard to stomach because of their sin. Propaganda gave us a new set of eyes, and for that I'm thankful.
But AGAIN, it's a bait and switch! It's art! And he tells you to "step away" and look at the bigger picture. You might have missed that because you have reacted defensively, but it's there and it's clear. He tempers what someone might think is too strong and makes it strong against all of us! If you miss that, you miss it all.
If you've missed the point of "Precious Puritans" because you need a hand understanding it as art, it's ok. I've missed the point of a lot of art in my life. Understanding good art isn't easy. I've benefited from artists and art patrons who have opened my eyes to see art. A lot of the time I still miss it, but I'm learning.
Start the song again. Allow Prop to play the role of angry poet, to move you to tears as you consider the history of a group of brilliant people who have blessed you so much, to move you to frustration when you realize there are people still repulsed by this part of history, as we should be. And feel his anger and say with him, "How come the things the Holy Spirit showed them in the valley of vision didn’t compel them to knock on they neighbors door and say, 'You can’t own people!'?" And in the middle of that mood and that moment, let him tell you to "step away" and look at the bigger picture. You can't have that anger at the Puritans and not have it at yourself. You aren't any better. For God to use any of us, these crooked sticks, is amazing.
And don't miss the music. Feel the pace. Identify the sounds. And then feel each of them in their place. Remarkable. A real work of art. A real work of truth. Let it change you.
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10.10.12 Update: Check out Thomas Kidd's post, "Slavery, Historical Heroes, and "Precious Puritans." Thomas is an historian at Baylor and is currently writing a bio of George Whitefield.
It might be the best song I've heard this year: "Precious Puritans" by Propaganda. Joe Thorn has done a great service through his two posts on the song, the history behind it, and how Propaganda brought it all together to make a very important point
Post 1: Interview with historian (and my friend) Richard Bailey on the content "Precious Puritans," especially on the Puritans and slavery that is at the heart of the song.
Post 2: Play the song, read the lyrics, read thoughts from Propaganda.
You should buy this album or grab it free. The whole album is, well, Excellent. And don't miss the music and sounds of "Precious Puritans." The classical cello sounds, slave ships and ocean sounds, amazing.
STREAMING FREE
BURNING UP MY iPOD
I've recently been gifted something wonderful: the Bose Companion 3, Series II desktop speaker system for my home office.
I've been using a great set of speakers from Logitech for a couple years now, but after hooking up both systems and testing them out side-by-side, there is no comparison. I'm more surprised by that than I thought I would be. You should check them out.
$3.99
$4.99
Here are the releases I recommend you check out this week...
More new releases listed at Metacritic.
STREAMING FREE
BURNING UP MY iPOD
VIDEO
Many Bob Dylan albums are $5 at Amazon. Here are some faves, as well as a link to the list to check out more.
From George Whitefield's A Collection of Hymns for Social Worship...
A Hymn to the Holy Ghost
(Extracted from the Ordination-Office.)
COME HOLY GHOST, our Souls inspire,
And lighten with Celestial Fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost the sev’nfold Gifts impart.
Thy blessed Unction from above
Is Comfort, Life, and Fire of Love,
Enable with perpetual Light
The Dullness of our blinded Sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled Face,
With the Abundance of thy Grace.
Keep far our Foes, give Peace at Home!
Where thou art Guide no Ill can come.
Teach us to know the FATHER, SON,
And thee, of both to be, but One;
That through the Ages all along
This, this may be our endless Song;Praise GOD, from whom all Blessings flow,
Praise Him all Creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host,
Praise FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST.
The Vespers have a new official music video for "Lawdy," off one of my family's favorite albums of year: The Fourth Wall.
I lot of music stuff on the blog this week. Can't help it. It's all too good. Two more music posts today. First, The Avett Brothers play Kimmel with two new songs from The Carpenter (released today). Love getting quality live recordings from the Kimmel stage. First, "Live & Die," then "Febraury Seven."
Some fantastic bands have new albums out today. I've already picked up the first two. Here are some I think you should think about checking out & picking up...
One of the great discoveries from my time just prior to and during Soma School was the Story of God, or Story-Formed Way, that Soma teaches. It was, for me, life-changing. It's something we are working through at Doxa starting in a few weeks.
Set to themes and teachings in the Story-Formed Way, Soma has offered for some time now The Story Volume 1 at "name your price" rates, meaning donation or free. I'm excited to share with my readers that The Story Volume 2 is now out, and is also for donation or free! I've just started listening to it and I'm already loving this album and the way it triggers in me a love for God's Story.
I embedded it below so you can listen to it here and click to download and/or share it. Would love to see many others embed this on their blogs so this gospel-saturated Story can be in the hands of many others.
Stream the new Band of Horses album, Mirage Rock, for free. You can buy it September 18th.
