The Story: In the Beginning…Let There Be

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Jason

In the beginning…

Every story has a great beginning. The Story of God is no different.

But then again, this story is quite different. This is the ultimate opening scene, the beginning of all things. From the very first words of Scripture, we see the grand scope of this Story: cosmic, universal, with implications for the entire created order.

Postmodernity is incredulous toward these kinds of “meta-narratives”. Our culture tells us that universal truth is nothing but a myth, that truth is like beauty: “It’s all in the eye of the beholder.”

But the Story flies in the face of such concepts, affirming what the world has long wanted to deny. We are presented with a sweeping narrative, one that begins with history itself.

“In the beginning.” It doesn’t get any grander than this.

In the beginning, God…

The first sentence of the story has one subject: God.

The first sentence has one main character: God.

And in all that follows, God remains the subject of more verbs than anyone else. For there can be no more main or primary character than the God of this story, the God who preexists time and space and everything we know.

Notice the Story does not begin with humanity. It doesn’t begin with you or with me. That comes later. In the beginning, there is only God.

God is subject, author, beginning to end, Alpha and Omega and all that comes between.

Creation is the result of this first sentence, a sentence with God as its subject.

In the beginning, God created.

Here we find the Bible’s first verb: create. His Spirit moves over that which is empty and formless and dark (Gen. 1:2) before speaking the most gracious words ever spoken: “Let there be.” When God speaks, creation follows.

And create He does: heavens and earth and light and land and seas and vegetation and trees and sun and moon and stars and fish and birds and wild animals. He creates and names these things, for they belong to Him. Psalm 24 – “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

This world was created by God.

This world was created for God.

We might ask: “What compels God to create?” And the answer is love. God is under no compulsion to create; He doesn’t create to fill some sort of emotional void or some need — as if God is somehow deficient in Himself. God creates solely and purely out of His great love.

Creation is a free, loving act of God.

God says, “Let there be…” and it is so.

This first verb is an artistic verb.

God is an artist.

He’s a painter —- just look at the sky at sunrise or sunset, God’s palette bursting forth with hues of orange and pink and purple and blue and gold. Psalm 19:1 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

And this first verb is an intentional verb.

God is an architect.

Look at the way He has fashioned the world with tremendous order and rhythm. The same pattern emerges throughout: “And there was evening and there was morning, the first day; and there was evening and there was morning, the second day.” Psalm 104:3, 5 – “He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters…He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.”

With great intention, God creates all that we know. And he calls it good.

But as grand as this Story might be, the opening scene of Scripture crystallizes on one crowning achievement, the crescendo to this creative work: Gen. 1:26 – “Let us make man in our own image.”

It is not enough to praise God as the Master Artist, or even the Grand Designer.

For this first verb is in the end a loving verb.

God is a loving Father, creating mankind as His children, borne to bear His image in the world.

This means human life is created with great sacredness.

And so we create…

And we love…

And we bear the image of our Father and Creator.

In the beginning, God said “Let there be.” And it was so.

This is how The Story begins.

And, believe it or not, this is how your story begins.

For years ago, God artistically and intentionally and lovingly spoke you into existence. He created you to bear His image.

But along the way, we’ve all chosen something else, forsaking this image for something much less grand, much less meaningful. The Story is honest about this, as we’ll see next week.

But today, this is a word for those whose lives are “without form and void” (Gen. 1:2). Without God’s Story, your story is hollow, shallow, meaningless even.

In Jesus, God transforms our emptiness and brokenness and redeems it, replacing it with something beautiful and intentional and good.

So today, will you hear His word? Will you hear Him as He speaks His “Let there be” over you?

Posted in Imago Dei, Kingdom Values, Sacred / Secular Divide, Scripture, The Story | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Hall of Fame Debate: Part 2

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Jason

With the national championship game pretty much over, I spent a little time tonight catching up on some other reading. I came across this excellent piece by Jayson Stark over at ESPN. Stark writes about how difficult it was for him to fill out his Hall of Fame ballot this year, since Cooperstown arbitrarily limits voters to 10 names, 10 “yes” votes. With a logjam of PED suspects clogging up the ballot, this makes for quite a quandary for every HoF voter.

Here are Stark’s 10 players he voted for:

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Mike Piazza
  4. Craig Biggio
  5. Curt Schilling
  6. Sammy Sosa
  7. Jeff Bagwell
  8. Tim Raines
  9. Jack Morris
  10. Dale Murphy

Stark makes no bones about how painful this vote was for him. Can we feel great about the inclusion of each of these players, many of whom have either directly admitted to steroid use or have at the very least have a cloud of suspicion hanging over them? Not hardly. And how can we confidently vote for, say, Sosa, and not also cast a vote for fellow Congressional questionees Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro? It gets complicated, doesn’t it? So what do we make of this mess?

I appreciate Stark’s honesty and you can tell he takes his vote seriously. At first blush, I had a few objections to his vote, particularly with Jack Morris and Dale Murphy. I know everyone bandies about the “ace” term with regard to Morris, and he owns an impressive resume, including those All-Star starts and his vintage performance against Smoltz in ’91. But no matter how you cut it, the dude has a lifetime ERA of nearly 4.00. That’s less than excellent, no matter the era. To me, he’s one of those borderline guys that will probably get in and when he does, it’ll be fine. Heck, if Bert Blyleven is a Hall of Famer, then so is Jack Morris. Most of his peers will attest to the fact that they never wanted to face him. But the National League would’ve said the same thing about Tim Lincecum prior to 2012, too, so the anecdotal stuff doesn’t quite hold for me.

But Stark makes a great point about Dale Murphy. He points to his dominant stretch, roughly an eight-year stretch in the early-to-mid 80s, and the fact that he was a two-time MVP. But he says that the character and integrity argument that is so often used against Bonds and Clemens and the rest should also be weighed positively in favor of a stand up guy like Murphy. And he’s right. I’ve contended for a long time that Murphy probably belongs in the Hall of Good, But Not Great. But after reading Stark’s piece — and realizing this is Dale’s final year of eligibility — I’m more inclined than ever to say he’s deserving of this vote. I doubt he’ll get in — in fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if nobody is elected this cycle — but for the first time, I’ve heard a compelling argument for his inclusion. Here’s hoping the nice guy finishes strong.

As for the others on the ballot, I think Biggio has the best chance of election. In my mind, there’s no doubt he’s Hall-worthy. If he’d played his career in the glare of New York, we’d be speaking of him in the same Jeter-esque tone probably. More hits than any 2B not named Collins or Lajoie. More doubles than any RH hitter ever. Moved around the diamond and became a Gold Glove infielder. He’s a lock to get in and soon.

I’d love it if he and Bagwell could go in together. Simply put, Bags is one of the most dangerous hitters to ever man the 1B position. His numbers are staggering. The PED cloud is strong, but then again, what are we to do? Do we make a judgment on what we think he’s guilty of doing, without concrete evidence? Same with Piazza, the best-hitting catcher of all time. We have to make a judgment here and we’re working with the information available to us.

Which brings us to Bonds and Clemens. If the Hall is the benchmark for greatness, it’s going to be impossible to keep these guys out. Hall voters are notoriously stingy in doling out the “first ballot” moniker and I think there’s no chance these two make it in this year. But once again, how can we judge an entire era with incomplete information? Bonds was HoF worthy prior to his PED use and the same was probably true of Clemens. Statistically, these two rank as arguably the greatest at their respective positions. But how much weight do we ascribe to “character”? How much weight can we ascribe? I mean, have you looked at the Hall of Fame recently? Not exactly chock full of Sunday school teachers.

In the end, the BBWAA voters are all doing what Stark is so transparently describing here: attempting to parse out judgments based on statistical greatness, empirically verifiable, but checked against off-field allegations and a hazy cloud of uncertainty. More power to them.

If I had a ballot, here’s who I’d vote for:

  1. Biggio
  2. Murphy
  3. Tim Raines — should’ve been garnering more votes all along
  4. Bagwell
  5. Piazza
  6. Bonds
  7. Clemens

I’d give serious consideration to Fred McGriff and Edgar Martinez, too. As of right now, I couldn’t see myself voting for Sosa, even with all the homers. But then again, there’s an argument to be made (as Stark does so well).

I guess we’ll all find out on Wednesday.

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Jude

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Jason

Reading for Friday, Dec 28: Jude

Jude writes to combat specific false teachers who are corrupting the Christian faith. By the time of this writing, the Christian faith has been “fixed”, established by apostolic authority and delivered to the saints (v3), which is way Jude writes that the beloved are to contend for the faith.

A string of interesting and confusing statements follow, beginning with Jude’s declaration that Jesus was active in the liberation of Israel from Egypt (v5). Grace and judgment combine here in the actions of Jesus as He simultaneously rescues His people but destroys those who do not believe. But we’re given a fascinating way of interpreting Scripture: it seems that Jude is reinforcing a Christo-centric reading of the OT, which is to say that the Story of God is ultimately the Story of Jesus.

Rather than wavering in their faith, Jude exhorts his audience to stand fast. “Build yourselves up in our most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life,” (v20-21). Here we find an early Trinitarian confession. It seems that the earliest believers were already declaring the mystery of God’s relational nature: Father, Son, Spirit, three in one.

And finally, Jude concludes with a beautiful doxology, a fitting end to our study this year:

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

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2 Timothy 4

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Jason

Reading for Thursday, Dec 27: 2 Timothy 4

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing,” (v6-8).

Here we find Paul’s “farewell address”, his final words to his young apprentice. We should hear these as proud words — not prideful words, but reflections from a servant whose time has come, a look in the rearview mirror and an anticipation of the road ahead. Paul is supremely confident of two things:
1. His time on earth is quickly coming to an end, but…
2. His time with Jesus is only just beginning.

For Paul, as for us, life has been hard. It is no accident he calls it a “fight”, a “race” of endurance. But this fight has been engaged with faithfulness, and as the end draws nigh, Paul can look ahead to the glorious future as a time of reward and blessing. What else can he mean as he speaks of Christ’s “appearing”? At the end, faith will become sight and just the very thought of it is wholly exhilarating.

As I write tonight, I reflect on the life of one of our dear church members, a good man who passed away yesterday. I think about my father-in-law stricken with ALS, a horrible disease wherein the body turns on itself as muscle functionality slowly dissipates. I think of my parents who have been gone from my life for so long that, at times, I can barely remember the sound of their voices. I think about so many people in my life who, like Paul, have raced well and lived by faith, equally confident that God will, in the end, do just as He has promised.

This is a good place for us to end our study this year.

May we someday be able to say that we have run the good race, that we have fought the good fight. May we, too, long for the glorious appearing of the One to whom we have given our whole selves.

And, in the end, may He come quickly.

Posted in Eschatology, Faith, God, Kingdom Values, Project 3:45, Scripture, Theology | Tagged | 1 Comment

2 Timothy 3

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Jason

Reading for Wednesday, Dec 26: 2 Timothy 3

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work,” (v16-17).

Paul has much to say about the Word of God here in this brief epistle. He writes of the enduring power of the Word in 2:9. Even though Paul himself is bound in chains, he boldly declares, “But the word of God is not bound!” Human effort cannot keep God’s Word from being spoken here on earth. Even the forces of darkness are incapable of thwarting God’s Kingdom as it forcibly advances through this sort of proclamation. In 2:15, Paul reminds us that the word of God is the “word of truth”, intended to be handled with great care and reverence. And now, in 3:16, we find one of the great declarations of God’s Word — it is breathed out from God Himself.

An interesting connection is found here as we study the languages of Scripture. In both Hebrew and Greek, the words for breath (“pneuma” in Greek; “ruach” in Hebrew) each carry the additional meaning of “wind” and “spirit”. We think of creation, formed as God’s Spirit moves over the waters of the deep, speaking everything into existence. We think of Adam, a lifeless lump of clay until God breathes into His nostrils. We think of the episode in John 20 where Jesus breathes His Holy Spirit out upon His disciples. And we think of Acts 2 as the Spirit appears with the sound of rushing wind to confer power upon the apostles on the Day of Pentecost. In each case, the Biblical languages are fluid and we see a deep connection between the Spirit of God and the breath / wind of God.

And now, we come to Paul’s landmark statement in 2 Timothy 3:16. When we read God’s Word, we open ourselves up to the same life-giving Spirit. We find this breath coming into us, animating us, reorienting our way of thinking. We find new worlds of divine possibility unfolding before our very eyes, new creation prompted by God’s powerful Word.

The great tragedy is that we rarely pause to think about the power God’s Word promises to us.

As we have been reading these texts this year, we have saturated our minds and hearts with inspiration — not mere human words, beautiful though they may be…but holy words, words breathed out by the same God who spoke our world into existence and breathed life into Adam and created a new covenant people to declare His goodness and glory even today.

This is the power of the Word of God.
Amen.

Posted in Blessings, God, Project 3:45, Scripture | Tagged | Leave a comment

2 Timothy 2

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Jason

Reading for Tuesday, Dec 25: 2 Timothy 2

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus…” (v1)

In our broken world, we often assume grace to be a posture of weakness. The one who forgives easily is derided as naive, a fool, easily duped by those who are more streetwise. But the gospel of Jesus inverts this notion. We find here a strength — first of all, granted to us by the One who is capable of forgiving us for our many transgressions. It is by His grace that we are empowered to truly live, to seek to embody goodness in the world through the liberating power of His mercy. But also, we become conduits of this same merciful power in the world, releasing others of the burden of their wrongdoing toward us. In so doing, we deploy the resources of heaven to bring life to those enslaved by reciprocal thinking. We find our strength in our identity as a forgiven people and in turn we “pay it forward” by passing on this same blessing to others.

Like Timothy, we need these reminders, that we are at our strongest when we are forgiven and forgiving. May this Word bear much fruit in our lives.

Posted in Gospel, Jesus, Kingdom Values, Project 3:45, Scripture | Tagged | 2 Comments

2 Timothy 1

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Monday, Dec 24: 2 Timothy 1

The letters to Timothy and Titus are known as the Pastoral Letters of Paul, designated as such because rather than being written to specific churches (as with “Galatians” or the letters to the “Corinthians”), these letters are written to specific church leaders.

In this letter, Paul writes to Timothy, his “beloved child” (v2). Paul encourages Timothy to continue to unlock the treasure chest of blessing in his life: “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control,” (v6-7). There is gift and there is grace; but there is also a responsibility to steward these gifts, to fan into flame the gift of God. God has uniquely gifted us with talents and attributes, but we are responsible for wielding these gifts in service to the Kingdom.

Paul’s tone is triumphant, even as he nears the end of his life. But here we find the depth of Paul’s faith, for his boasting has never been in his own works, but rather in the tremendous power of God to work redemption through broken vessels. It is by the power of God that Paul is able to stand up under suffering (v8). This God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” (v9). In all of this, Paul reminds us to not be ashamed (v8). We have to remember that in Paul’s day, Christianity was not yet “respectable”. Jesus had died a criminal’s death on the cross, an enemy of the state. But Paul sees a future day of vindication for the people of God, a day that causes him to say, “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me,” (v12).

Until that Day comes, we have “the Holy Spirit who dwells within us” to “guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” May we not be ashamed.

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Best Albums of 2012

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Jason

Time for my annual list of the best albums of 2012. Unlike my book list, I limit myself solely to music released in the last 12 months. Thanks to the advent of Spotify, it’s never been easier to listen to good (free) music. And by watching the deals at the Amazon MP3 store and eMusic, I was able to score some really good deals. No illegal downloading here; all albums are purchased legally. But thanks to Spotify, you don’t even have to own any of these in order to enjoy them. Now, on to the list!

There was some really great music that was put out this year. Many of my selections tend toward the folk rock / country genre and 2012 will go down as a high water mark for the banjo / acoustic guitar / mandolin sound.

  1. Babel, Mumford & Sons.
    Most critics seem to have graded Babel out right around a B+ effort, expecting more of a departure from the freshman-album wonder, Sigh No More. But Marcus Mumford and his fellow bandmates have opted instead for the if-it-ain’t-broke philosophy, or so the criticism goes. But in my opinion, Babel is a natural extension of the musicianship and lyricism we were first introduced to on the Mumford debut. And, taken on its own terms, it’s a fine album.What separates Babel from Sigh No More is its much darker tone. For starters, there’s the album title, an allusion to that ancient biblical tale of pride, confusion, and displacement. By reaching into biblical pre-history, Mumford & Sons have found a pliable metaphor to provide the lyrical gravity found on these 12 tracks. The world is a messed up place, Babel preaches, and the reflection that follows is honest, personal and poignant. On the title track: “I know my weakness / Know my voice.” There’s an acknowledgement that we contribute to the problem of the world, that we, in fact, ARE the problem, consigned to crawl on our bellies in twilight (Broken Crown). Whispers In The Dark is even more forthright: “A brush with the Devil / Can clear your mind.”But such existential meandering is commonplace, especially in the alt / folk milieu. What I love about Mumford & Sons is that they make absolutely no apologies for brandishing a particular spiritual hope in spite of such brokenness and doubt. At the risk of being over-earnest, Babel is an unabashed recognition of deep faith. I’m a cad / But I’m not a fraud / I’d set out to serve the Lord.”, from Whispers in the Dark;  “This ain’t no sham / I am what I am” they sing on album closer Not With Haste. From start to finish, Babel is a heart-on-the-sleeve affair.Loneliness and brokenness emerge as primary themes on this record, but they never have the last word. Threads of hope are deeply woven through these tracks, even (or especially) in the darker songs. Days of darkness are blown away by the breaking dawn of a new sun in I Will Wait. The galvanizing force of loss recreates our desire to truly live in the present (Whispers In The Dark). One of my favorite tracks is Holland Road, which gives voice to the Prodigal moment so ingrained with Christian hope: So I hit my low / But little did I know / That would not be the end / From the Holland Road / Well I rose and I rose. And the refrain that lasts: But I’ll still believe / though there’s cracks you’ll see / When I’m on my knees I’ll still believe / And when I’ve hit the ground / neither lost nor found / If you’ll believe in me I’ll still believe. This is faith from the ground up, the heartfelt plea for another to see something in you that you cannot see in yourself. To believe in someone is to call them into a better version of themselves. Therein lies the power of hope.

    My favorite track is Below My Feet, a rich treasure-trove confessional. Twice in the opening stanzas Mumford sings the refrain: “Well, I was lost”. The cold blood of death courses through his veins, and his waking hours are spent tearfully. But this is the only sinner’s prayer to escape Mumford’s lips: “Keep the earth below my feet / From my sweat, my blood runs weak / Let me learn from where I have been / Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn.” We pray to keep moving forward, to keep the earth below rather than above our feet, before our days of toil end and we return to the soil from whence we sprang. This is the human condition of lost-ness. By the time we reach the second stanza, our lost-ness is rightly termed as past tense and the name of Jesus is invoked: “When I was told my Jesus all was well / So all must be well.” Taken out of context, this is pithy, bumper sticker theology. But firmly entrenched near the end of the album playlist, particularly as a rejoinder to Broken Crown, the lyric brims with deep faith, an impulse to choose belief over all evidence to the contrary. To declare so boldly when brokenness so wholly engulfs is either the most faithful or the most foolish way to live. I can relate to that level of honesty.

    To focus solely on the lyrical depth of this album is to ignore the instrumental craftsmanship Mumford & Sons have honed to perfection in the five years they’ve been together. The critics who pan this album derisively refer to it as Sigh No More 2.0, claiming too much of a good thing is a bad thing. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no such thing as too much foot stompin’ banjo and guitar pickin’. Moreover, Babel is just beautiful, even in its darker moments. The sonic scale has been expanded as the band, much like that ancient monolith of inspiration, continues to reach for the stars.

    Keep reaching, fellas.

    Download This: Below My Feet, I Will Wait, Whispers In The Dark, Holland Road, Lover of the Light.

  2. Blunderbuss, Jack White. White’s first solo LP is a genre-bending oeuvre of sheer brilliance. Classic rock guitar riffs, shimmering cymbals, pedal steel, strings, even a church organ….they all show up here, played masterfully by a host of backing players. But the real scene-stealer here is the piano work. Most of these songs are melodically carried by the keys, not the guitars — and who saw that coming? Just listen to Missing Pieces and you’ll see what I mean.This album is solid from top to bottom. I’m not a big fan of Sixteen Saltines, but otherwise, the whole thing is very strong. Heartbreak is the prevailing theme; see Love Interruption and Take Me With You When You Go as Exhibits A and B. And although we might wish him better luck with the ladies in the future, the muse of heartbreak has produced one of 2012’s finest albums. Download This: Missing Pieces, Love Interruption, Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy, Weep Themselves to Sleep.
  3. Heaven, The Walkmen.“I was the Duke of Earl / But it couldn’t last / I was the Pony Express / But I ran out of gas”. So begins Heaven, the latest album from indie-rockers The Walkmen. This is self-conscious rock music, made by a band that has moved from post-punk angst into something resembling middle adulthood. The results are textured, vibrant, and simply gorgeous. Note the harmonies on We Can’t Be Beat, a rumination on shattered dreams and loneliness tethered by the line “We’ll never leave”. The Walkmen seem to be making music for people who have lived long enough to recognize the significance of resiliency and commitment.Such is the inspiration for Song For Leigh, sung from father to daughter: “And I sing myself sick / Sing myself sick about you.” What father hasn’t shared such feelings of pride? And how many of us have also possessed such self-awareness in the moment, knowing we’re becoming that Dad as we incessantly talk to others about our kids, yet we do it anyway? Call it stage of life, but I can relate to that.

    There’s also heartfelt desperation, as in the title track, a shimmering, unrelenting panoply of guitar and drum. “Don’t leave me / You’re my best friend / All of my life / You’ve always been.” As the gilded age draws to an end, our thoughts inevitably turn toward promise and hope, the image of something beyond. But in the present, we count ourselves blessed to share the moment with another.

    Heaven is a richly ambient record, a vintage-sounding and nearly perfect meditation on life, regret, pain, and the love we find as we muddle along. Download This: Heaven, Line By Line, We Can’t Be Beat, Heartbreaker, Song For Leigh.

  4. The Carpenter, The Avett Brothers.This album has been a bit polarizing for long time fans who want more front porch boot stomp and less adult contemporary polish. But this effort is very solid, if not spectacular. Upon first listen, I’ll admit, I was a bit underwhelmed, but The Carpenter simply gets better with each listen. (It’s also a testimony to the quality albums that were released this year that I could only rank this at #4.) Live and Die is the most immediately engaging up-tempo number, but it’s the quieter tunes that endure three months after the album release date. Winter In My Heart is a hauntingly beautiful ode to love grown cold; the title track reflects on the relational investments great and small that make us a work in progress; Through My Prayers is one of Seth’s finest recordings to date; and A Father’s First Spring hardly needs explanation — the title says it all.My favorite track, though, is February Seven, a beautiful melody sung by Scott and accompanied by acoustic guitar and swelling strings. The song is the perfect slice of life for a band rounding into mid-life form, trading what they know for how they feel. “I’m rested and I’m ready to begin,” they sing over and over with the conviction of men who believe the best is yet to come. Count me in. Download This: February Seven, Live and Die, Winter In My Heart.
  5. The Lumineers, The Lumineers.Top to bottom, this album is imminently listenable. Unlike a few of my top album selections, there’s simply not a bad song in the batch. That said, there’s also not really a great one, either. Sure, there’s the ubiquitous Ho Hey, a heartwarming little ditty with the most singable chorus of the year. The aptly-titled Slow It Down is more reflective; and Classy Girls leaves you wanting more. Overall, a very good — but not quite great — album. But this is one band to definitely keep your eye on. Download This: Ho Hey (if you haven’t already), Slow It Down, Classy Girls.
  6. My Head Is An Animal, Of Monsters and Men.This Icelandic indie band has drawn comparisons to Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons; if you know anything about my musical tastes, you know that’s a good thing. Their debut LP is chock full of grand aural landscapes, rich harmonies, and evocative lyricism. One of my favorite debuts of the year. Download This: Little Talks, King and Lionheart, Mountain Sound.
  7. Boys and Girls, Alabama Shakes.I love these guys for several reasons. One, they’re local; their home base, Athens, AL, is just down the highway. Moreover, their mix of Southern rock infused with soul brims with a vintage sound, making it yet another member of 2012’s strong freshman class. Lead singer Brittany Howard is an absolute powerhouse; she especially shines on Hold On, Be Mine and Heartbreaker your Download This tracks from this stellar debut.
  8. Bloom, Beach House.The aural landscapes created here are lush and sprawling, so much so that it’s easy to get lost listening. But there’s more here than just chamber-pop background music. Victoria Legrand’s voice balances with the layers of shimmering guitars to create a pleasing pop-tinged atmosphere. Comparisons to Arcade Fire and Grizzly Bear are appropriate. Download This: On The Sea, Myth, The Hours.
  9. Women and Work, Lucero.This Memphis-based band make brawny, working class guitar rock mixed with horns, piano / organ, and pedal steel. This is a sound honed to perfection after years on the road and in the studio. On Women & Work, they’ve never sounded better. Download this: On My Way Downtown, It May Be Too Late, Go Easy.
  10. Nothing Here Seems Strange, Buxton.This Houston-based band caught my eye with their unique blend of alt / folk / country. Lyrically, the first half of the album is stark and even sparse in places, creating a reflective atmosphere that permeates nearly every song. But the boys begin to flex at around the midway point, finishing out the album with a strong dose of energy and electric guitar. Download This: Lynchburg Ferry, Boy of Nine, Riverbed.
  11. The Lion’s Roar, First Aid Kit.Acoustic balladry and soaring harmonies are the hallmark of First Aid Kit, the Swedish sister-duo that crashed the Americana / folk party with a vengeance in 2012. Emmylou became an instant favorite the first time I heard it; give it a listen and you’ll see why. While you’re at it, you’d be hard pressed to find a more pleasant sounding song than Blue, a 60s era throwback folk rock song if you’ve ever heard one. Download This: Emmylou, Blue.
  12. Away From The World, Dave Matthews Band.New Dave sounds a lot like vintage 90s Dave. And that’s a great thing. I’m not a DMB junkie, but I’ve always appreciated them. On this latest LP, they sound better than they have in a decade. Download This: Mercy, Belly Belly Nice.
  13. A Wasteland Companion, M Ward.I was a little disappointed with this album, especially since 2009’s Hold Time was one of my favorites that year. But there are a few memorable moments here, mainly The First Time I Ran Away and Crawl After You.
  14. Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen.Rolling Stone hailed this as the album of the year. Ehh, not quite. Personally, I thought The Boss sounded like an angry old man on this record. On Wrecking Ball, his angst is channeled into an arena-ready anthem of collective endurance; on his more preachy moments (particularly We Take Care Of Our Own and Death To My Hometown), the same sentiment falls flat. Download This: Wrecking Ball, Land of Hopes and Dreams.
  15. Give Us Rest,David Crowder Band. DMB gives us quite the swan song: a 34-song opus filled with banjo, rock opera, minor chords, and ruminations on endings and the uniquely Christian hope for resurrection life to come. I still say A Collision is the best CCM album of all time. So long, boys. We’ll miss you. Download This: Oh My God, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

So, folks, there you have it. My complete list for 2012. I’d love to read your thoughts on your favorite music from the past year.

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2 Thessalonians 3

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Friday, Dec. 21: 2 Thess. 3

As Paul closes this brief letter, he asks the Thessalonian brothers and sisters to pray for him (v1) and the work that he and Timothy and Silas have undertaken. Believers move as lambs in a world of wolves and Paul asks for this fellow Christians to pray for deliverance from the clutches of wickedness. Yet again, we see this played out in our own times. One week ago, we were all shocked by the senseless tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. Though we still struggle to understand these kinds of horrific nightmares, we need no further proof that our world is a hard place. “For not all have faith,” (v2).

As for the faithful, we have no excuse for idleness. Paul understands accountability to be a core tenet of the Christian experience. Here he warns to “keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness” (v6). He extends this teaching even more in v10: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” Although the NT church is marked by radical generosity, especially toward the “least of these”, we should also encourage accountability, responsibility, and a strong work ethic. Paul holds up his own example among the Thessalonians, one who labored along with the church, not exacting from them the demands of apostleship. Paul seems to have little time for laziness: “Do not grow weary in doing good,” (v13).

Paul concludes with a blessing: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (v16)

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2 Thessalonians 2

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Thursday, Dec 20: 2 Thess. 2

Biblical interpreters have long struggled to identify the “man of lawlessness” Paul describes in this chapter. And many will seek contemporary application of this prophetic passage. If you’re interested in all the different views on this subject, I invite you to follow a more technical commentary. But we can say that Paul is writing to correct mistaken end-times expectations. I can’t help but note the irony that I’m writing this on Dec. 21, 2012 — the date the ancient Mayans predicted the world would come to an end. It seems some things never change.

But the real reason for Paul’s writing is found in 2:13 and following. Paul wants the Thessalonians (and present readers, too) to be reminded of their eternal position: “…God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,” (v13). We should not be tossed to and fro by the latest wind of cultural hysteria. Instead, Paul sees the Christian hope as a grounding hope, the basis for our standing firm and holding fast (v15).

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” (v16-17)

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