The new worship album, Keith & Kristyn Getty: Modern & Traditional Hymns - Live at The Gospel Coalition is out today. Go get it!
Gettys Live At The Gospel Coalition
in Conferences, Music
These Touchdowns Are Making Me Thirsty
If you like your sports news with a Seinfeldian flavor, here you go. My favorite part starts 3:30 in with the Bears/Bengals recap.
Getting Books of the Bible Strait
in Humor
Oh my. I think some evil parents were behind this! :)
The Gray Havens | Live Stream Concert
in Music
Live stream The Gray Havens 1 hour Kickstarter Kick-Off show tonight at 7pm (central). I'll remind you via Twitter & other social media later on as well. You can still get their Where Eyes Don't Go EP for FREE. And check out their new Kickstarter campaign and video describing what's in the works for The Gray Havens.
Giveaway: Restoration Project
I'm currently preaching a series of sermons using great, old hymns as the illustration for my exposition of a passage of Scripture. So when I see something like Restoration Project's Kickstarter campaign, I want to help. From their campaign...
We're a songwriting and recording collective dedicated to writing new hymns and restoring old, taking old hymn texts and poems and writing new music and melodies for them.
With your help, we can create our next, very special album series together! Remember: Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing funding platform (we need to reach our goal).
The "Firm Foundation" series will be a two-album collection of Sunday School hymns with new arrangements and lyrics. Our fresh approach to these songs will give them greater theological depth and clarity and a modern musical feel. Great care is also being taken to preserve most of the original melodies.
I've been listening to their other albums and I really dig them. This is a project worth supporting. In order to help them get the word out on this Kickstarter campaign, I'm giving away 5 sets of their two albums for download: Restoration Project and Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope. Even if you don't want the albums, please consider sharing the link that their project might get fully supported.
And please, consider giving. Become a backer.
Here's how you can win these two albums...
1. Post to Twitter, Facebook, etc this without the arrows --> Restoration Project is remaking hymns. Get their 2 albums FREE. RT & comment here to enter: http://bit.ly/resproj <--
2. Comment below so I know you did step one. And for fun share your favorite Sunday School hymn.
I'll use random.org to choose five winners at the end of the week. May the odds be ever in your favor!
New Music Tuesday 9.3.13
in Music
One of the best New Music Tuesday's in quite a while. Three albums I'd like my readers to check out.
Okkervil River: The Silver Gymnasium | One of my favorite lyric-centered bands playing.
Neko Case: The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You | One of my favorite voices and songwriters going. Her other albums are on sale too! Check out Fox Confessor Brings the Flood & Middle Cyclone ($5.99 each).
Volcano Choir: Repave | Creative. Imaginative.
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I should mention, though many have had it for a couple of weeks, that Derek Webb's new album, I Was Wrong, I'm Sorry & I Love You is officially out today and available at Amazon. I've been enjoying it.
Jesus On Every Page by David Murray
in Books, My Reviews, Scripture
As a pastor I spend most of my money on books I want to read and reference. But I'm always on the lookout for solid books that are geared for those without a theological education. It's too rare to find a book that can be of significant value for both, like Jesus On Every Page (book website). This is a helpful resource.
Dr. David Murray is a growing voice in evangelicalism, and I'm glad to see it. You can read him at Head Heart Hand blog. More...
Dr. David Murray, president of HeadHeartHand, is the Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He live in Grand Rapids with his wife, Shona, and four children.
You might also know Dr. Murray from his books How Sermons Work and Christians Get Depressed Too or the Connected Kingdom podcast along with Tim Challies.
At just about 200 pages (plus study questions, and the very helpful Scripture and Subject indexes) Dr. Murray gives us an accessible and simple book on seeing Jesus in the pages of the Old Testament. I very much enjoyed the first four chapters where Murray explains how he went from someone who saw the Old Testament as a bit of an embarrassment who used the New Testament to bring contrast and relief to discovering Jesus everywhere in the OT. He talks about finding direction to read the OT this way from Jesus, Peter, Paul and John in the New Testament. I think there are many in our churches who need to take this journey with Dr. Murray.
As a pastor who preaches from the Old Testament somewhat regularly, I recognized myself in David's journey as well. In some ways I still struggle. I feel a lot better about preaching from the New Testament than the Old. I need this reminder too. David quotes a gem from Gleason Archer, a wonderful and eye-opening statement:
How can Christian pastors hope to feed their flock on a well-balanced spiritual diet if they completely neglect the 39 books of Holy Scripture on which Jesus and all the New Testament authors received their own spiritual nourishment?
Provocative. I'm encouraged to dig in and help my people dig in to the OT. Here's the outline of the main section of the book. Murray gives us 10 ways we can find Jesus in the Old Testament:
- Christ's Planet (Jesus in Creation)
- Christ's People (Jesus in OT Characters)
- Christ's Presence (Jesus in OT Appearances)
- Christ's Precepts (Jesus in OT Law)
- Christ's Past (Jesus in OT History)
- Christ's Prophets
- Christ's Pictures (Jesus in OT Types)
- Christ's Promises (Jesus in OT Covenants)
- Christ's Proverbs
- Christ's Poets
Throughout these chapters you find an abundance of insights, lists, points, word pictures, etc. He covers the OT broadly, but in more detail than you might think. You don't make your way through these chapters thinking that Dr. Murray is a top-notch scholar, though he obviously is. You read realizing Dr. Murray is speaking of the King and Savior he knows deeply and devotionally. And reading Jesus On Every Page should be a devotional experience for the reader.
Tim Challies explains this book well by writing that David Murray "focuses less on the stories and more on the story; less on the heroes and more on the Hero." If you want an introduction to each book of the Old Testament, a theology of the Old Testament, or something else, you need to look elsewhere for other excellent books. The real strengths of this book are its big picture view of the Old Testament and the accessibility of this book for all Christians and not just scholars or pastors.
Another way to look at Jesus On Every Page is as an introduction to Christology. It's not quite marketed that way, but it works. It works well. It's will serve as an introduction to Jesus in a way many haven't seen. Good on Dr. Murray for offering it to us.
I recommend Jesus On Every Page. The cover alone made me want the book! And the content was just what I hoped it would be. How many of our people will have so much of Scripture "unlocked" beyond the moralistic OT teaching they've heard or the assumptions they have of the OT through this book? Get your copy, and give some away. It's a resource I'm glad to keep on my shelf for future reference and to encourage my church to pick up. Here's where you can get yours: Amazon | Kindle | WTS.
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I'm also offering a free copy of Jesus On Every Page to my readers. Simple.
1. Tweet or share on Facebook --> Check out the new book from David Murray, Jesus On Every Page http://bit.ly/Xeverypg <-- and then...
2. Comment below (be sure to input your real name and email so I can notify a winner) with your favorite OT book and why (keep it short). I'll use random.org to choose a winner from the comments below after the weekend.
Back To School Fool
in Family, Photography
My brother, Scott McCoy, took a "Back To School" photo that has gotten some buzz and was actually interviewed by CNN. It's not my sense of humor, but it's exactly what I would expect from Scott. And it's a well-executed. CNN/HLN is supposed to run it soon, maybe on a morning show. Pretty cool.
Okkervil River | Stream The Silver Gymnasium
in Music
New album from Okkervil River, The Silver Gymnasium (Amazon, out 9/3), is streaming free right now. This is one of my favorite bands working. Some of the best songwriting around from frontman Will Sheff. I'm halfway through the stream right now and it's really good so far.
Get a taste of the new album from Sheff's open mic night. Or just listen here to open track, "It Was My Season"...
Giveaway: Stephen Miller Book & Album
Heyo! It's a super-happy Music Monday here at Reformissionary because I have stuff to give away to some of my readers.
Stephen Miller (Twitter) is worship leader at The Journey church in St. Louis, where Darrin Patrick is pastor. He has written a new book, Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars (Kindle) and put out a new worship album, All Hail The King. The album includes new worship songs as well as reworked Hymns like "Crown Him With Many Crowns." I've been listening to the album and enjoying it a lot. His new albums and previous album, Hymns, is on regular rotation in my house.
I have 5 of the Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars eBooks (epub, mobi, or PDF) to give away today that each include a free download of the album.
Here's how you enter to win a FREE eBook that includes a free download of the album...
1. Tweet (or post to Facebook if you aren't on Twitter, or do both!) without the quote marks: " Get Stephen Miller's new worship album & book FREE. RT & comment at Reformissionary to enter: http://bit.ly/14xLgfb "
2. Comment below (so I can confirm you did step 1) with your real name and real email (kept private) and FOR FUN in your comment let me know a neglected old hymn that you love and wish would get consideration from Stephen or someone else for a future worship album.
*I'll use random.org to pick the 5 winners tonight, and I'll announce the winners on the blog & send out emails. May the odds be ever in your favor!
Affleck Plays Hard-To-Get
One colorful word, but this hidden camera footage of execs trying to convince Ben Affleck to be the new Batman has now surfaced and is remarkable...
Suburban Boredom Generates Dramatic Excitement
...the pop-culture view that the suburbs are the place where the American Dream goes to die has an amusing flip side: That culture owes a huge amount of its inspirational vitality to hating the very place where many of its artists grew up and its audience lives. As both these movies and so many other novels, films, TV shows, music and plays over the years have proved, there’s nothing like suburban boredom to generate dramatic excitement.
From "How the Boredom of Suburbia Paves the Way to Creativity"
Cheap Kindle Books 8.23.13
- Wisdom & Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art by Abraham Kuyper (FREE)
- The Gospel-Driven Life by Michael Horton ($3.49)
- Paul's Letter to the Romans - Pillar Commentary by Colin Kruse ($2.99)
- Surprised By Hope by NT Wright ($1.99)
- Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Greg Kokul ($1.99)
- If God Is Good Why Do We Hurt? by Randy Alcorn ($1.99)
5 Minutes in Church History
Always looking for good podcasts. The new podcast 5 Minutes in Church History from Stephen Nichols has my attention two episodes in. From the website,
Dr. Nichols is research professor of Christianity and culture at Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, Pa., where he has taught since 1997. He is also a visiting professor at Reformation Bible College and a lecturer in church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
[...]
As Ligonier Ministries’ newest teaching fellow, Dr. Nichols brings his expertise to our new podcast, 5 Minutes in Church History.
Dr. Nichols has also authored many books including For Us And For Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church and The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallot Changed the World.
As the title of the podcast makes clear, these are short history bursts, very much lessons from church history and not merely "here's 5 minutes of historical facts." I dig that. And I think my readers will too. Check out and subscribe to 5 Minutes in Church History.
Music Monday 8.19.13
in Music
- Neko Case: The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight | Been enjoying this one today
- Volcano Choir: Repave | Justin Vernon and other human beings making music. From NPR First Listen, "If Vernon never releases another record under the name Bon Iver — and he's publicly suggested that that might be the case — more albums like Repave would render the issue largely irrelevant. It's that good."
- The Avett Brothers: Carolina Jubilee | One of their earliest albums. If you found them through their last 2-3 albums, I strongly encourage you to dig into their earlier stuff which I like a lot.
- Neko Case | Blacklisted & Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
- Buke & Gase: General Dome
- Woodkid: The Golden Age
- Kurt Vile: Wakin'on a Pretty Daze | One of my favorite albums this year.
- Chris Thile: Bach Sonatas & Partitas Volume 1
- Derek Webb: I Was Wrong, I'm Sorry & I Love You
The Future of Robin Thicke
in Humor
Say what you want...this is the future of Robin Thicke. I've foreseen it. I don't care how popular his current song is. This is inescapable.
"I've been working on my deltoids"
First Day of School 2013 -- Alt Pics
in Family, Photography
Two of my favorite alternative pics for the first day of school...
First Day of School 2013
in Family, Photography
2013 - Danny (10 - 5th, last year of elementary) | Elijah (12 - 7th, 2nd year of middle school) | Jack (14 - Freshman) | Sarah (16 - Junior)
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
Leaving A Church In The Wrong Way
in Church
Perhaps this is a water under the bridge. Too little too late. I became one of those stories about a pastor pouring into someone, only for them to stab them in the back… and I was the back-stabber.
You should read the rest of this. For all who have left a church in a bad way, and all those who may in the future, this should cause you to rethink or repent.
Lots-o-Links 8.13.13
in Books, Parenting, Photography
How to Teach Your Children Mind-Mapping
Do you have children? Would you like to give them more fun in studying? Do you want to help them in ace-ing their tests at school? If so, you should definitely continue reading, as there are amazing things your child can learn from you! After reading this article, you will be a personal mind-mapping coach for your child.
A Call To Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral Or a Future | Mark Driscoll's next book
This isn’t the time to wait or debate. Hell is hot, and forever is a long time. Lost people need to be reached, churches need to be planted, and nations need to be evangelized. Let’s have some amazing, Jesus-empowered stories to tell our grandkids.
What To Teach Your Kids About Photography
You worked at it. If you guide them right your kids will work at it, too. And one day they might even take a killer, life-altering photo and thank you for it.
A Prayer for Loving Well in the Face of Suffering
Help me—grant me grace to go with you into the sufferings of friends and family; sit longer in the groans and birth pangs of my own heart (Rm. 8:23); and engage more fully in the injustices and brokenness of my community. This is who you are and this is what you’re doing; for your name is Redeemer.