Song of the Week: “Anymore of This,” Mindy Smith and Matthew Perryman Jones
Just released earlier this week on the season finale of “Switched at Birth,” Mindy Smith and MPJ’s single (available here) is a dynamic combination of forces. Mindy Smith’s “voice carves melodies so sharp and fine you can almost see them” (New York Times). Her music evokes distinct images while MPJ’s work excels at lending emotional … Continue reading
Song of the Week: “Capsized,” Matthew Perryman Jones
It was just a matter of time before MPJ showed up again here! In honor of his release of “Capsized” on the Nashville Indie Spotlight album and as a tip of the hat to his 2012 album Land of the Living–the best of the year in my books–here is MPJ again for your listening pleasure. … Continue reading
Poem: Das Wort
A few years ago, not too long after Christmas, I visited Flensburg, Germany. Like many European cities, a centuries-old church stood at the city’s center. (This one in particular, St. Nikolai Kirke, had withstood a fire.) There was an open-air market that morning just outside the church walls. My companions and I had to make … Continue reading
Song of the Week: “End of Exile,” Evan Wickham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbrN3vl3M2I&feature=player_detailpage If you’re like me and crave both lyrical/theological depth in Christmas songs but also need something new, this song of the week is for you. Evan Wickham’s “End of Exile” is a breath of Christmas freshness with all the depth of traditional Christmas carols–since it’s a little-known Christmas hymn–and a fresh, stylistic take. The … Continue reading
Sharing some Pi: “Life of Pi” and Plagiarism
Plagiarism. There – instant distaste and condemnation rises up. Any further explanation is fluff; any nuance is fraud. What more do you need to know? Say the word and a writer’s work instantly loses every ounce of value. Plagiarism. Plagiarists. You know – like Helen Keller and Martin Luther King, Jr. and William Shakespeare. People … Continue reading
A Season of Waiting
Before Christmastime becomes Christmas Day, there’s the waiting. Excited children wait, restless and hyped up on sugar. Students and harried adults wait until all the busyness is over. But there’s so much more waiting wrapped up in Christmas. Waiting that spans thousands of years. In this Advent season, I’m reminded how much waiting there is … Continue reading
Song of the Week: “Spotlight,” LEAGUES
Here’s a hot-off-the-presses video released earlier this week, along with the news that their first, full-length album will be released this January. You may or may not know their names, but they’ve all been around music long enough that you may recognize their previous, independent projects. LEAGUES is fronted by Thad Cockrell, singer-songwriter who’s collaborated … Continue reading
Song of the Week: “White Man,” The Michael Gungor Band
Gungor kicked off my week with a Monday night concert. In light of the next day being Election Day, they veered from their set list to play this tune they sing at their Denver church of “hippies and mountain people.” The song is a quirky blend of whimsy, social critique, solid theology, and worship. Break … Continue reading
Song of the Week: “Esmerelda,” Ben Howard
For the inaugural song of the week, it seemed only fitting to choose this hot-off-the-presses Ben Howard track with the equally mesmerizing and disorienting video. The song has a haunting other-worldliness about it. It took me a few listens to grad a hold on the song, but it’s definitely rewarded the effort. Enjoy!
Poem: “The Faithful One”
I wrote this poem years ago. To be honest, I don’t remember what occasioned it or when I wrote it. I found it in a file on my computer a few months ago. It’s about fighting against that promised attribute of the Christian life: struggle. ~ ~ ~ I want that peace pastoral, … Continue reading
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Jolene Michelle
Quarter-Life Quandaries 