This movie gets at the heart of Christ and Christian practice from where I sit. This is challenging to say the least.

Buddy Miller is someone I first became familiar with via Emmylou Harris and Pattie Griffin. He has made some fine music himself and along with his talented wife Julie Miller. I came across this beautiful new song (so new it has yet to be named) and had to pass it along. (That Phil Madeira is one talented organ player!)

Help us find “home!”

ht Rustin

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of a very little known band called the Seventy Sevens. Since many moons ago (circa 1982) I have followed the career of these bad luck or no luck paupers of the back beat. The recordings of Roe and Co. have been the soundtrack of a large portion of my life. Their honest and gritty lyrics and their way of pairing it to great hooks and often raw but still beautiful music for some reason connects with me.

So, the 77’s are rumored to be putting out their first new recording (working title - Jesus Hits Like an Atomic Bomb / rumored actual title - Holy Ghost Building) in some 6 years. A collection of old blues tunes given the royal 77’s treatment (think a Stones/Zep take on Run to the City of Refuge or Workin’ on a Building). I don’t know when it will ultimately “hit the street” (or website store) - but hopefully mid to late summer. There is even some talk of the power trio version of the band (Roe, Harmon and Spencer) making a little road trip round the country playing churches, clubs and maybe even a back yard or two.

Well, I couldn’t be happier! It is so refreshing to find beautiful and authentic music made out of sheer love for the art. I think that is what I find when Roe croons, and Harmon grooves and Spencer keeps time. They long gave up “the dream” and now the music is a result of their friendship, their connection and maybe even to quiet and satisfy their small, but rabid and devoted fan base.

Well, Mike Roe, lead singer and guitarist of the 77’s, has been working on mixing and readying the new sevens recording… and also has played a few solo dates this past week. I stumbled across this gem of a performance on you tube and felt COMPELLED to share it (do it for love!!). [stick with me here as I name drop and reference and well hang in and see if you can understand the next sentence ] It is Mike Roe in John J. Thompson’s (of True Tunes fame and the keeper of the Gallery stage at Cornerstone for many years) kitchen/dining room in Nashville helped out by Matt Slocum on Cello (Sixpence None The Richer); Phil Madeira on guitar (B-3 legend playing with everyone from Keaggy to Emmylou Harris and Buddy Miller); Jimmy Abegg on guitar (painter, photograher, solo artist and member of the old Exit label band Vector) and Steve Hindalong on percussion (Member of the Choir and producer of the famed City on a Hill recordings; writer of God of Wonders). So without further ado… here is Mike and company turning up some beauty in the suburbs of Nash-vegas… doing his take on the Velvet Underground’s, “Pale Blue Eyes“:

Some of the things I have stumbled across or enjoyed over the past couple of days (or weeks):

A New Find!

a website a friend pointed me to called Godspace, it is the website of author Christine Sine;

from blogs on ministry

I have also been enjoying the blog by a fellow youth worker, Dan Mayes check out this post (I found it thought-provoking).

Bob Robinson has done two very intriguing posts on a new approach for sharing our faith and revealing God’s Kingdom - quality stuff!! Part One. Part Two.

Chris Folmsbee has written a unique take on how we represent Jesus, check out his post - Stealing or Revealing the Identity of Jesus;

Steve Argue asks the tough questions - and this post gets at the heart of; an important discussion that maybe you can work through in your youth ministry environment.

this is just cool stuff

will it be a trend? Life Church enter’s the world of Second Life… check it out.

Jim Hancock continues to “turn up” cool videos… this one is pretty amazing…

helpful

compare on those books you wanna buy - compare here

I PLEAD, MORE OF THIS, PLEASE!!

WONDERFUL.