Nate's Top Ten of the last Ten Years: Music Edition

It's that time of year again, where everybody likes to compile their top ten list. These lists usually comprise items that have affected the writer in on way or another. People like lists. They like to see if what they think should be number 1, is what somebody else agrees with as well. I think more than that, people like to argue when there is no agreement.

This year I am going to write a list of the top "whatever" for the last nine years. some people consider this the end of the decade, while other more technical people believe we have another year left. However you cut it, here's my list.

Nate's Top Ten Album Picks of the Decade

10. Thousand Foot Krutch-Art of Breaking
In Christian music, it is hard to find good rock and roll. Most of it is contrived and frankly, crappy. Most bands try to use too many stale cliches that need to be laid to rest. Enter Thousand Foot Krutch. These gentleman from Toronto Canada started out as a rap-core band back in the late 90's. With the release of their second album, "Phenomenon", they left the Limp Bizkit stuff behind and just became full blown metal. On TFK's third album, "The Art of Breaking", all of the pieces seemed to have come together with a smooth production of readily accessible songs.




9. Delirious? - Glo
Americans were first introduced to this British worship band in the mid 90's. They have recorded worship standards such as I Could Sing of Your Love Forever and Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble. This album, is full of smooth songs that sing of God's love in a fresh way. Disregarding all the comparisons to U2 (although that's not a bad band to be compared with), Delirious has been on the forefront of creative and inspiring worship music for over a decade. They have decided to call it quits and will perform their final concert in Britain. They will be missed.


8. Michael W. Smith-Freedom
Those of us who have been around the Christian music scene for a while, have been screaming for Smitty to do a complete instrumental album. He finally listened to his fans and did just that. This album, albeit a little simplistic, is one of the best instrumental albums done by a Christian artist. It is not contrived, and it isn't full of all the obligatory hymns etc. I have been a big fan of this album since it came out a few years back.


7. TobyMac-Welcome to Diverse City
The Christian music industry was saddened when they heard the news of DC Talk's demise. They knew that the cash register would be a lot more quiet without this trio producing albums. All three of members went on to pursue solo careers. Toby Mac has been the only one to do it with much success. With "Welcome..." he captures a perfect blend of hip-hop, rock, and coolness. Although his wrinkles may be starting to show, there is no doubt that Toby is still the king of coolness in the Christian Music Scene.

6. Daughtry
The first of my non-christian albums on the list comes from an American idle runner up. Chris Daughtry was asked by the band Fuel if he wanted to be their lead singer. He turned them down and created his own group. With first class production, and original songs written by Chris, this album is first rate. It is accessible to young and old with hooks that stick with you after the album stops. It is, in my opinion, the best album made by any AI contestant to date.


5. City on a Hill
I was working at a Christian bookstore when this album was released. I was excited to hear that it was being produced by Deri Daugherty (the Choir) and was looking forward to a top rate album. I became even more stoked when I heard that it would feature people like Mac Powell, Leigh Nash, Dan Haseltine, and the Newsboys. I bought it on the first day of release and stuck it in my cd player on the way home from work. When I heard God of Wonders, I was blown away and knew it would become an instant classic. Beyond that first track, the rest of the album is amazing, filled with soul searching tracks that go beyond simplistic worship.

4. Switchfoot-Beautiful Letdown
Um not much to say hear except simply brilliant. If you don't have it, get it.

3. U2-How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
U2 managed to mix great music, great lyrics, and great songs about faith. This album is amazing. Plus, I get to see these guys in Seattle in June!!!!!!!
!

2. Jars of Clay-Long Fall Back to Earth
Jars has never been one to shy away from controversial topics. And on this album, they continue with the themes that were developed on Good Monsters. If you get a little disappointed with the drivel that is played on most Contemporary Christian music stations, then don't shy away from Jars of Clay. They have been making great music for 15 years, and they are only getting better.







1. Jars of Clay-Good Monsters
I know I have created the ultimate sin and put two albums by the same group next to each other on the list. But they deserve it. These albums are not easy listening, but they are well worth it. If your faith goes beyond just going to church and bible study. If you find yourself struggling with social justice, and how Jesus loves people, and whether or not God cares about any of this stuff, then do yourself a favor and buy these two albums. They will make you think. They are in a word....outstanding.




I would love to know what you think! Leave your comments here if you would!!!! Love you all

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Is Your Store "Christmas Friendly"?

I love this time of year. The lights, decorations, cookies, music, trees, and oh yes, the presents!!! I also love this time of year because it gives time to be with our families, share great memories, and be reminded of the birth of a baby boy that would become the savior of the world through his death on the cross.

In the past I have found myself getting upset at some of the political correctness that has surrounded the Christmas season in recent years, but I have mellowed out and most of that stuff doesn't bother me much anymore. I don't mind most of the holidays that happen around this time either, except for maybe Kwanzaa..would somebody please explain that one to me! In fact, I don't even get my underwear in a bunch when somebody wishes me "happy holidays" as opposed to "merry Christmas".

But recently I have found something that I was quite offended by. It wasn't a "holiday tree" or a "solstice festival". No, this time I found offense in a little website ran by our good friends at Focus on the Family . These self-proclaimed defenders of American evangelical Christianity has seen fit to create a website entitled "Stand For Christmas".

On the home page of this self-righteous website you can read reviews of various retailers and what they are doing to respect Christmas. If they are doing things like playing Christmas music all the time or wishing people "Merry Christmas", they receive a "friendly rating". If, on the other hand, their music selection is not 100% seasonal fare. Or they say things like "Happy Holidays" they will receive the dreaded "Offensive" rating. But, if they just don't care one way or the other, they are considered "Negligent". This website should be branded offensive.

You can also purchase various Christmas oriented and high quality products such as:

• 101 Ways to Have a Christian Christmas


• A button that reads "It's OK-Wish Me a Merry Christmas" for a mere $1.50 a piece


• Many various products from Rick Warren, just in case you didn't know the purpose of Christmas


• And, just in case you didn't know, Christmas is in need of redeeming. You can buy a FOTF radio broadcast to find out how you can redeem the holiday here

If we really wanted to take a stand for Christmas, wouldn't the best thing be to love all of these people who are working in these stores? Perhaps show them a little love with a smile and a thank you? I have worked in retail many years, and Christmas is not being drowned out be the retailers, its being suffocated by all the people that give into the commercialization and patronize these stores. All the while treating the person behind the counter as a lower class citizen. Perhaps Focus on the Family should start a website where retailers can post ratings of the consumers.

Merry Fricken Winter!

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Movie Preview: Toys, Dragons, and Jeff Bridges

Here's a look at some movies that are coming up that I think might be worth seeing. There are a couple that I didn't add here do to slowing down the loading of the page.

Some of the movies I didn't include here are:

Alice In Wonderland
Johnny Depp plays the mad hatter. I don't think its anything like the book, but it looks good.

Nightmare on Elm Street
A remake of the original. It could be good. But then again it's made by Michael Bay, so it could be stupid and over the top.

Clash of the Titans
Now of course this one was pretty good when it first came out. The special effects were not all that great. But I think that was part of its charm. This one of course looks like it has mind blowing special effects. It could be cheesy on that point alone. Isn't it sad that great special effects can potentially ruin a movie these days?

Prince of Persia
Starring Orlando Bloom. Of course this will attract a whole audience just because of him. The plot seems to go something like there is a dagger that controls the "sands of time" and bad guys want to get a hold of to change history. Their only hope is to take it high into the mountains to be hidden away forever. Will they succeed? Hmmmmmmm


Here are a few previews that I thought were worth posting. My favorite is probably Tron. Enjoy.



This of course is the third movie. They never get old. Pixar Rules!




Coming in a close second, is Dreamworks. And this one looks to be as good. In fact, I think it may have a bit more heart than some of the others.




I thought this movie was cool when I was a kid. I remember it being a big deal because of the computer graphics that were used to make it. Well this one of course will have a lot better graphics. But, Jeff Bridges is in it again...as a bad guy?





I am a sucker for animation. I have always wanted to do voice overs. This one looks good too.

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Regret or Hope: How Do You Live Your Life?

Alright, now this is not going to be one of those long drawn out blog posts. In fact, it's just a simple question. But I would love to have everyones feedback on it.

I have seen people who have dreams and aspirations and yet they are never realized. Life marches and on and suddenly they find themselves at the end, never doing what they thought they wanted to do. But, the amazing thing is, they never lose that zest for life. They never let the regrets of not doing what they most desire take center stage. They don't cling to what could have been, they focus on the here and now. If you were to look into there eyes, you would see a spark that cannot be dimmed.

So, my question to you is, how do they do this? How is one able to live years and even decades with unfulfilled dreams and expectations, and yet never fall into the rut of self pity and regret? How does one take each day as if it was their last? To quote a country song how does one "Live like you were dying"?

I look forward to your responses.

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Stories From the Past: The Frog

Okay, so I was thinking about this rather unfortunate incident the other day. I figured I would write about it. It's supposed to be therapeutic right?

When I was 9 years old, my landlord's kids brought home a bunch of frogs from the lake that they had camped at during the weekend. I really don't know why they brought them home. They had no plans of keeping them. Their parents were quite mean and wouldn't dream of such a thing. As far as I know, most of them went over to the river and were let go. But a few days later, while I was playing in the yard, I happened to see something jump in the grass. I ran over to where I thought I had seen movement. Much to my amazement, there was a frog in the grass in the middle of the city.

I took the frog in the house and asked my mother if it was okay if I keep it. She was a little hesitant, but didn't say no too often when it came to me and animals. I could tell many stories of all the different animals I brought home over the years.

I grabbed an old margarine container, found a rock, filled the container with a little water, and wallah! I had my very own frog home. Now an animal isn't a pet until you come up with a creative name for it. So I thought long and hard and finally came up with one that fit...Frogger. I was very original, I know.

Well Frogger and I got along splendidly for a few months. I would make sure he was fed and had fresh water. I even took him out of his "house" once in a while so he could have some "exercise". It was on one these occasions, that the unspeakable happened.

You see I decided to let Frogger out for a bit to stretch his legs. I placed him on the arm of the chair and began to dance around. To this day, I can't remember if there was music on or if it was all in my head. But regardless, it was a tragedy ready to happen. As I was dancing around, I did a little spin and lost my balance. I stuck my arm out as I came down to catch myself...right on the arm of the chair. With fear and anguish filling my heart, I lifted up my hand to reveal my buddy Frogger-with his insides hanging on the outside of his mouth. I was mortified! I was devastated! I had just killed my little amphibian buddy!

I ran to my mother and told her what happened, tears filling my eyes. She took me in her arms and gave me a big hug. Normally this wasn't her typical reaction, but this time she knew I was sorry enough. We found a little shoe box, wrapped him some toilet paper and buried behind the bushes that were in front of our house. My poor little Frogger. I sure do miss that little frog, and I am sorry for his untimely demise.

RIP Frogger

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Have You Ever Felt Like This at Church?

This video is the bomb. Mr. Bean captures what it feels like to walk into a church and not know what to expect. I felt like this a few times when I was working at night. There were plenty of times when my wife had to nudge me because I was snoring.

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Can You Have Church When You Don't Go to Church?

Between 2002 and 2004 I attended Vineyard Leadership Institute. It was an intensive 2 year program designed to give people a firm foundation in the word of God as well equip them for ministry in the local body. Although the class actually originated from the Columbus Vineyard, we would watch the teachings at Boise Vineyard. Our facilitator was Chad Estes, the associate pastor of VCF Boise. During the course of the two years I attended the school, I went through many hardships personally and professionally. I can honestly say that if it wasn't for his encouragement and support, I would not have graduated.

Almost two years ago, for reasons unknown to me, Chad left the pastorate that he had been part of for years. Since then he has been on a journey to rediscover who he is in Jesus. Recently the Recycle Your Faith interviewed Chad to get his thoughts on Church since he left his. The video is below. Please check out Chad's blog as well. He is a good friend and has great insight.

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How to Worship in a Modern Church

Okay, I was checking out Jason Boyett's blogpost on his annoyances with "worship". If you have never checked out his website, I strongly encourage you to do so. He has some great stuff on there.
Anywho, He had a video posted that explains the correct way to "worship" in a church service. If you have ever been to a modern church service (especially one with a pentecostal slant), you will find this video extremely informative....and extremely funny. Enjoy!

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Has Church Gone to the Dogs?

So I have had discussions in the past on whether or not our little fuzzy friends have souls. This church decides to at least entertain the thought. This article was written by Gillian Flaccus of the Associated Press. Let me know your thoughts on whether pets have souls or whether or not we should have church service for doggies.


"LOS ANGELES — When the Rev. Tom Eggebeen took over as interim pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church three years ago, he looked around and knew it needed a jump start.
Most of his worshippers, though devoted, were in their 60s, attendance had bottomed out and the once-vibrant church was fading as a community touchstone in its bustling neighborhood.

So Eggebeen came up with a hair-raising idea: He would turn God's house into a doghouse by offering a 30-minute service complete with individual doggie beds, canine prayers and an offering of dog treats. He hopes it will reinvigorate the church's connection with the community, provide solace to elderly members and, possibly, attract new worshippers who are as crazy about God as they are about their four-legged friends.
Before the first Canines at Covenant service last Sunday, Eggebeen said many Christians love their pets as much as human family members and grieve just as deeply when they suffer — but churches have been slow to recognize that love as the work of God.

"The Bible says of God only two things in terms of an 'is': That God is light and God is love. And wherever there's love, there's God in some fashion," said Eggebeen, himself a dog lover. "And when we love a dog and a dog loves us, that's a part of God and God is a part of that. So we honor that."
The weekly dog service at Covenant Presbyterian is part of a growing trend among churches nationwide to address the spirituality of pets and the deeply felt bonds that owners form with their animals.

Traditionally, conventional Christians believe that only humans have redeemable souls, said Laura Hobgood-Oster, a religion professor at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

But a growing number of congregations from Massachusetts to Texas to California are challenging that assertion with regular pet blessings and, increasingly, pet-centric services, said Hobgood-Oster, who studies the role of animals in Christian tradition.
She recently did a survey that found more than 500 blessings for animals at churches nationwide and has heard of a half-dozen congregations holding worship services like Eggebeen's, including one in a Boston suburb called Woof 'n Worship.

"It's the changing family structure, where pets are really central and religious communities are starting to recognize that people need various kinds of rituals that include their pets," she said. "More and more people in mainline Christianity are considering them to have some kind of soul."

The pooches who showed up at Covenant Presbyterian on Sunday didn't seem very interested in dogma.

Animals big and small, from pit bulls to miniature Dachshunds to bichon frises, piled into the church's chapel to worship in an area specially outfitted for canine comfort with doggie beds, water bowls and a pile of irresistible biscuits in an offering bowl. There were a lot of humans too — about 30 — and three-quarters of them were new faces.

The service started amid a riot of tail-sniffing, barking, whining and playful roughhousing.

But as Eggebeen stepped to the front and the piano struck up the hymn "GoD and DoG," one by one the pooches lay down, chins on paws, and listened. Eggebeen took prayer requests for Mr. Boobie (healing of the knees) and Hunter (had a stroke) and then called out the names of beloved pets past and present (Quiche, Tiger, Timmy, Baby Angel and Spunky) before launching into the Lord's Prayer.
At the offering, ushers stepped over tangled leashes and yawning canines to collect donations and hand out doggie treats shaped like miniature bones in a rainbow of colors.

Donna Lee Merz, a Presbyterian pastor at another Southern California church, stopped in with Gracie, her 14-month-old long-haired miniature Dachshund. The puppy with ears soft as silk was overcome by the other dogs and wriggled across the floor on her belly, quivering with excitement. She finally calmed down when Merz held her in her lap.

"She knew it was a safe place and a good place to be, a place to be loved," Merz said, gently petting Gracie after the service. "I'll be back."

Emma Sczesniak came to Covenant for the first time, lured by the promise that she could worship with her black Lab, Midnight, and her wire-haired Dachshund-terrier mix, Marley.

Marley sat on her lap during the service, while Midnight checked out the other big dogs and sat patiently waiting for his biscuit. Sczesniak said the dog-friendly service came at the perfect time for her: she's been thinking about getting back to church, but wasn't sure how or where to go.
"I don't have any kids, so my pets have always been my children, so it does mean a lot," she said of the dog-inclusive service. "I haven't been to church in a long time and this may push me into it. I'm getting older and I've been thinking about those things again."

But Midnight, Marley, Gracie and the other pups probably had something more important on their minds as Eggebeen intoned his benediction and the service drew to a close: Just where could they find more of those delicious treats?
For Eggebeen, the night was a spiritual success — and the rest is out of his hands.
"It's important for a church like us just to do good things. The results, we'll just have to see," he said. "Ultimately, that belongs to God." "

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