Emerging Church Hymns (The Macology)

The Macology (sung to the tune of the Doxology)

Praise Jobs from whom all iPhone Apps Flow

Praise Jobs all Elitists* here Below

Praise Jobs above all Internet Hosts**

Praise Jobs; Bill Gates Can Roast

(In Hell)***

*if you are being charitable you can insert artistes, designers, pastors, cool kids, etc.

if you are being less charitable you can insert consumers, tech slaves, Hipsters (my favorite), faux rebels or Lemmings

** for Google

***sung reverentially, like AMEN

Top 50 albums of the New Millennium (beginning 2000)*

A friend sent me a message asking my Top 25 albums of the new millennium for a radio show he is helping with (to see if I had any weird inclusions- which I do). Spending about 15 minutes looking through my iPod, my Top 200 albums ever (nothing since 2005 included) and my Top Albums for previous few years on this blog, I came up with this cursory list… which I promptly turned into a Top 50.

Of course, it could change tomorrow** and was culled from over 75 albums on my short list. That said, I feel very bad for not including great albums by Johnny Cash, Cobalt Season, Smalltown Poets, Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Death Cab for Cutie, Drive-By Truckers, Switchfoot, Jimmy Eat World, Sam Phillips, Lilly Allen, Damien Rice, M83, Tinariwen, Elbow, The Gaslight Anthem, The Avett Brothers and M Ward (along with 2nd albums by Okkervil River, Over the Rhine, Sufjan Stevens, U2, The Roots and The Hold Steady). Yes, I even had a heard time leaving a Coldplay album off (Rush of Blood). But, I will just list it and re-evaluate tomorrow. Here is the list of the Best of the Millennium- or really, just Rick’s Favorites (without anything from 2009- they haven’t had time to germinate yet):

50. Neko Case- Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

49. Badly Drawn Boy- Have You Fed the Fish Today?

48. Aimee Mann- Lost in Space

47. Jim White- Drill a Hole in That Substrate And Tell Me What You See

46. The Strokes- Is This It?

45. System of a Down- Toxicity

44. Bright Eyes- Lifted

43. The Hold Steady- Boys and Girls in America

42. Elvis Perkins- Ash Wednesday

41. Gogol Bordello- Super Taranta!

40.Devotchka- A Mad & Faithful Retelling

39. The Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

38. Radiohead- Hail to the Thief

37. Blitzen Trapper- Furr

36. Josh Ritter- The Animal Years

35. Sigur Ros- Med sud I eyrum vid spilum endalaust

34. Lupe Fiasco- Food & Liquor

33. Bon Iver- For Emma

32. The Decemberists- Picaresque

31. mewithoutyou- Brother, Sister

30. M.I.A.- Kala

29. Bruce Springsteen- The Rising

28. Cold War Kids- Robbers & Cowards

27. Beck- Sea Change

26. Over the Rhine- Ohio

25. Blackalicious- Blazing Arrow

24. Regina Spektor- Fidelity

23. The Roots- Phrenology

22. Ben Folds- Rockin the Suburbs

21. Sigur Ros- Takk

20. The National- Boxer

19. Jay Z- The Black Album

18. The Divine Comedy- Regeneration

17. Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

16. Okkervil River- The Stage Names

15. Kanye West- The College Dropout

14. U2- All That You Can’t Leave Behind

13. Sufjan Stevens- (Come On Feel the) Illinoise!

12. Frightened Rabbit- Midnight Organ Fight

11. Outkast- Stankonia

10. Arcade Fire- Funeral

9. New Pornographers- Challengers

8. Radiohead- Kid A

7. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins- Rabbit Fur Coat

6. Joseph Arthur- Redemption’s Son

5. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- Howl

4. Radiohead- In Rainbows

3. The Format- Dog Problems

2. Arcade Fire- Neon Bible

1. K’naan- The Dusty Foot Philosopher

Yes, my White Boy, Indie Rock, East Coast Male bias shows through. Oh well (but I know my #1, 3 & 5 are not normal on such lists). I imagine some readers will think I am trying to be needlessly obscure, while others will disparage me for being entirely too mainstream. Which side are you on?

Read. Disagree. Discuss. Give me your top 10.

*yes, i know the new millennium really began in 01.

** i had to do this so fast due to time constraints. Take it seriously that this represented a moment in time and was dependent upon my iPod. I realize that Funeral should be ahead of Neon Bible and Kid A over In Rainbows.

Christianity 21 Music, part 2

click here for part 1

Here is a list of playlists I created for the Christianity21 conference. It goes with the post I created last night regarding its music:

1. Crescendo- music that is emotional and builds to a climax. This can be used at any time you want to set such a mood.

Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros, Sit Down By The Fire- The Veils, These Are My Twisted Words- Radiohead, Harry Patch (In Memory of)- Radiohead, The Feeling Begins- Peter Gabriel, Fake Empire- The National, Regeneration- The Divine Comedy, Transliterator- Devotchka, Three- Gregor Samsa, The Line- BRMC, Hollow Talk- Choir of Young Believers, Pale Horses- Moby, Kettering- The Antlers, Rebellion (Lies)- Arcade Fire

2. Ambient- This mix is appropriate at all times, but is pretty even keel. It is especially good during down times or breaks in session. Some would be good for needs during sessions (i.e. prayers).

War in Me- Abe Zydar, Anything of Son Lux Album (At War With Walls and Mazes), Harry Patch (In Memory Of)- Radiohead, Funeral Dirge; Burial Service- listenlisten, Saltwater- Beach House, Hollow Tree- Choir of Young Believers, Three- Gregor Samsa, the Road That Leads To Heaven- Jim White, Sunoight, Heaven- Julianna Barwick, In Church- M83, Mymn- Moby, God Moving Over The Face of the Waters- Moby, Ikuisuuden maailma- Paavoharju, Hope is Gone- Moby, Autumn Music 1- Max Richter, On The Nature of Daylight- Max Richter, Pale Horses- Moby, Gobbledigook- Sigur Ros, Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros, Inni mer syngur vitleysingur- Sigur Ros, Study War- Moby

3. Folksy

Hallowed ground- Will Quinlan, Remember The Beatitudes- Will Quinlan, Glory and The Dream- VOL, On The Water- listenlisten, 1 Samuel 15:23- The Mountain Goats, Curse Your Branches- David Bazan, Gospel Song- BRMC, Begin Again- Cobalt Season, Like Jesus- Cobalt Season, The Crane Wife 3- the Decemberists, Rise Up With Fists!!- Jenny Lewis and the Watson Sisters, Two Headed Boy- Neutral Milk Hotel

4. Future Sounds- forward thinking music, much of which is upbeat.

Stay- Son Lux, Creator- Santogold, Heavy Heart- Ghostland Observatory, Seeing Hands- Dengue Fever, Harmony- Clinic, Two Weeks- Grizzley Bear, Earth Intruders- Bjork, Action/ Reaction- Choir of Young Believers, Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses- Thom York, The Hollow Earth- Thom Yorke, Inni mer syngur vitleysingur- Sigur Ros

5. Gothic- some gospel sounding, but dark and haunting. Sets a good mood.

Brimston Rock- 16 Horsepower, Sinnerman- 16 Horsepower, Nantes- Beirut, Harmony- Clinic, My Soul’s In Mississippi- Otis Taylor, Dig! Lazarus Dig!- Nick Cave

6. Happy and Hopeful- good for post sessions and at breaks when you want to send people out on higher note.

So Far Around The Bend- The National, Wake Up- Arcade Fire, Rebellion (Lies)- Aracde Fire, No Cars Go- Arcade Fire, Always Love- Nada Surf, Doves Circles The Sky- Bodies of Water, Action/ Reaction- Choir of Young Believers, to The Dogs or Whoever- Josh Ritter, In The Beginning- K’naan, You’ve Been Loved- Joseph Arthur, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k, Gobbledigook- Sigur Ros, Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros

7. Incidental- interesting or just plain good songs that can be used at any time but don’t fit a specific place.

Sold! To The Rich man- Welcome Wagon, Jesus- Welcome Wagon, The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts- Sufjan Stevens, Hallelujah- Bono, Pray- Clem Snide, Little Bird- Imogen Heap, Hallelujah- Martin Sexton, Stronger Than Jesus- A Camp, Wrong Prayer, Jaydiohead

8. International- mostly African music, but from all over the place. This is probably good pre-session or after/ during specifically themed sessions.

Sabali- Amadou & Mariam, La Robe A Parasol- 16 Horsepower, Bouba- Dady Mimbo, Baji Larabat- Lo’ Jo, Mokote- Madeka, Wouyouma- Positive Black Soul, the Lagos Communiqué- Thievery Corporation, Clar Achel- Tinariwen, Molalatladi- BLK JKS, Seeing Hands- Dengue Fever, In The Beginning- K’naan, What’s Hardcore?- K’naan, Tongues of Kali- Martyn Bennett

9. Moody- Sets a good flavor for some settings, especially when the lights go low and darkness sets in.

Wayfaring Stranger- 16 Horsepower, Sit Down By The Fire- The Veils, These Are My Twisted Words- Radiohead, Funeral Dirge: Burial Service- listenlisten, Bear- The Antlers, Thirteen- The Antlers, Next Summer- Choir of Young Believers, Static On The Radio- Jim White

10. Post Speaker (Exit)- Good right after a speaker, unless you want a somber mood or right after the session ends. Some end on a bang. Some don’t. I recommend picking the right song for post-session and then making the rest random.

Sabali- Amadou & Mariam, Sunrise- Yeasayer, The Wanderer- U2, Glory and the Dream- VOL, Pray- Clem Snide, Bless this Mess- David Bazan, Wake Up –Arcade Fire, Salvation- BRMC, We Are Co-Existors- Bodies of Water, Action/ Reaction- Choir of Young Believers, Strictly Game- Harlem Shakes, God’s Gonna Cut You Down- Johnny Cash, the Man Comes Around- Johnny Cash, Always Love- Nada Surf, Gobbledigook- Sigur Ros

11. Pre Session- You can use songs from Post Speaker also. But these can set a good energy in the room, some higher then moving quieter.

Wait For Summer- Yeasayer, Cler Achel- Tinariwen, Selmonaire Rock- The Selmonaires, L.E.S. Artistes- Santogold, Weight Of the World- BRMC, Supreme People- Blackalicious, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k, Study War- Moby, Fake Empire- The National, Beaton’s Delight- Ashley MacIsaac, First In Flight- Blackalicious, Brought To You By…- Speech, Sympathy for Jesus- The Khrusty Brothers, Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros

12. Somber/ Downtempo- At times during sessions or afterwards, this may be appropriate

I and Love and You- The Avett Brothers, Watchman- listenlisten, Ezekiel 7 and the Eternal Efficacy of Grace- The Mountain Goats, Her Eyes Are Underneath The Ground- Antony & The Johnsons, Skinny Love- Bon Iver, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter, Charlie Darwin- the Low Anthem, Christ Saves- Lsu, Gospel- The National, Help Me Out Here- Cobalt Season

13. Spiritual- All over the map: some hymns, some Christian, most from other sources. The lyrics can be pro-Jesus or just spiritual in nature. You never know, but these would be good at any time.

Wayfaring Stranger- 16 Horsepower, Sold! To The Rich Man- Welcome Wagon, Redemption Song- Speech, Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)- Monsters of Folk, Ezekiel 7 and the Eternal Efficacy of Grace- The Mountain Goats, Hard To Be- David Bazan, Fifty One- Aaron Strumpel, Beautiful Scandalous Night- The Choir, Jesusland- Ben Folds, Orphans of God- Buddy and Julie Miller, Salvation- BRMC, The Great Inversion- Cobalt Season, Thank You- Glen Phillips, God’s Gonna Cut You Down- Johnny Cash, You Are Free- Joseph Arthur, I Am- Joseph Arthur, Sympathy for Jesus- The Khrusty Brothers, You Are The Light- Lone Justice, Christ Saves- Lsu, Come To Jesus- Mindy Smith, Jesus- Page France, Lord’s Prayer- Preson, Jesus Garden of My Rest- Robbie Seay Band, Amazing Grace- Ani DiFranco, All My Tears- Emmylou Harris

14. Transitions- Good between things when you want music, whether a speaker is coming up, something is not set up, etc.

All The Good Naysayers, Speak up!- Sufjan Stevens, the Lagos Communiqué- Thievery Corporation, Tell Me- taken By Trees, Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)- Monsters of Folk, Hard To Be- David Bazan, Walking Out of Stride- Badly Drawn Boy, Hollow Talk- Choir of Young Believers, You Love me- Devotchka, Three- Gregor Samsa, Sunlight, Heaven- Julianna Barwick, Charlie Darwin- The Low Anthem, Vladimer’s Blues- Max Richter, Fake Empire- The National, E Minor- Other Lives, Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros

15. Trippy- Some unusual songs, good for insertion at random times.

Dog Days- Matthew Dear, Bloodbook on the Halfshell- Danielson, The Crystal Cat- Dan Deacon, Sleepyhead- Passion Pit, Zoomba- Starlight Mints, Two Weeks- Grizzley Bear, When the Man Comes- listenlisten, One Twenty One- Aaron Strumpel, Fifty One- Aaron Strumpel, Stronger than Jesus- A Camp, The Hollow Earth- Thom Yorke, Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses- Thom Yorke, The Equaliser- Clinic, Blue Flower/ Blue Flame- Destroyer, Pale Horse- Moby

16. Upbeat- You never know when you need to bring the energy of the room up a notch. None of these are too hard or obnoxious

Sleepyhead- Passion Pit, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k, Time To Pretend- MGMT, Fleece On The Brain- Matthew Dear, Beaton’s Delight- Ashley MacIsaac, Tongues of Kali- Martyn Bennett, Start Wearing Purple- Gogol Bordello, Heavy Heart- Ghostland Observatory, Wake Up- Arcade Fire, At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To be)- fun.

I also left full albums by Son Lux, Cobalt Season, The Mountain Goats, mewithoutyou, Aaron Strumpel, M83 and a few others for inclusion at any deemed appropriate times.

Music for Christianity21, part 1

While I was watching a Tri-suck-fa of sports yesterday with a heat index of 105 degrees in Tampa, many friends (and a few foes) were gathering in Minneapolis for the Christianity21 conference organized by my friends Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt. From all indications it was a successful event and I wish I could have been there, not just for the low temperatures.

Not wanting a conference of innovative speakers, artists and thinkers to be hostage to the sounds of Coldplay, John Mayer and Derek Webb or other uninspiring same-old sounds, I asked if I could create some play lists that would do the event justice. While I was not there, from all indications, the music was a positive element (even if I have reports of Coldplay during the setup- not on my watch). People from the event have asked that I share the play lists. So, if you were there, here is some info on the music and how I came to pick it.

I made play lists that could used at any time during the event, with titles original titles like pre-session, downtempo, transitions, etc. I will share the songs picked for those in the next couple of blogs (so I don't make one blog to long on anyone's reader. The other thing I did was send a list of songs on my play lists that would work with specific sessions.

Not sure of the subject or talking points of each session, I looked at the titles and tried to come up with songs that might create a specific mood or have lyrics that works with the topic. I hope it worked out that way. I know that I gave more suggestions that there was time for, but I wanted to give freedom to the deejay to pick songs that fit the mood better than others songs.

Here is what I shared:

Recommended Songs for specific Subjects:

Songs of Confusion or Questions: The Wanderer- U2, Jesusland- Ben Folds, There/There- Radiohead, Black Mirror- Arcade Fire, Neon Bible- Arcade Fire, Intervention- Arcade Fire, Apocalyptic Friend- Eef Barzelay, Laughing With- Regina Spektor

Songs of Female Empowerment and Strength- Gold Guns Girls- Metric, Here is a Heart- Jenny Owen Youngs, I Can't Please You- Sam Phillips, Rise Up With Fists!!- Jenny Lewis, The Charging Sky- Jenny Lewis, Shelter- Lone Justice, The Ground Beneath Her Feet- U2

Songs of Doubt- Hard to Be- David Bazan, Bless This Mess- David Bazan, Curse Your Branches- David Bazan, Sympathy For Jesus- Khrusty Brothers, Static on the Radio- Jim White, Give Me Strength- Over The Rhine, Gimme Some Truth- Sam Phillips, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter, songs by Jenny Lewis, Dear God- Monsters of Folk

Songs of Simplicity/ Childlikeness- Where The Wild Things Are (soundtrack)- Karen O, Chariot- Page France, Jesus- Page France

Songs with a lyrical Edge- Apocalyptic Friend- Eef Barzelay, Sympathy for Jesus- Khrusty Brothers, Pray- Clem Snide, Wrong Prayer- Jaydiohead, Wanderlust King- Gogol Bordello, Stronger Than Jesus- A Camp

Songs of Hope- Always Love- Nada Surf, Doomsday- Elvis Perkins, No Cars Go- Arcade Fire, Man of Metropolis- Sufjan Stevens, We Are Co-Existors- Bodies of Water

Songs of Faith- Sold! To the Rich Man- Welcome Wagon, Jesus Saves- Lsu, Allah Allah Allah- mewithoutyou, Sympathy for Jesus- Khrusty Brothers

Songs for Africa- anything by K’naan (either album), anything my Amadou and Mariam, anything by Tinariwen

Songs of Compassion- Windowsill- Arcade Fire, Crumbs from Your Table- U2, Apocalyptic Friend- Eef Barzelay, Laughing With- Regina Spektor, Always Love by Nada Surf

Songs of Sensuality- The Twist-Frightened Rabbit, Fast Blood- Frightened Rabbit, Ground beneath Her Feet- U2

Go Out With a Boom- Pray- Jaydiohead, Wake Up- Arcade Fire, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k, Gogol Bordello songs, Gold Guns Girls- Metric, We Are Co-Existors- Bodies of Water

Go Out Somberly- Hope is Gone- Moby, My Body is a Cage- Arcade Fire, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter

Go Out into the FUTURE- Heavy Heart- Ghostland Observatory, No Cars Go- Arcade Fire, Wake Up- Arcade Fire, Daylight- Matt & Kim, Doomsday- Elvis Perkins, anything by Sigur Ros, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k

Songs of Contemplation or Prayer- All My Tears- Emmylou Harris, Jesus Saves- Lsu, hymn- Moby, Three- Gregor Samsa, Amazing Grace- Ani Difranco, Lord’s Prayer- Preson

Cool Hymns- Amazing Grace- Ani Difranco, 40-U2, Beautiful Scandalous Night- The Choir, Garden of My Rest- Robbie Seay

Songs of Confession- (antichrist) television blues- Arcade Fire, Weight of the World- BRMC, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter, Laughing With- Regina Spektor, Hard to Be- David Bazan, Bless This Mess- David Bazan, Curse Your Branches- David Bazan, Sympathy For Jesus- Khrusty Brothers, Static on the Radio- Jim White, Furr- Blitzen Trapper, Intervention- Arcade Fire

Songs of Wisdom/ Thought (smart Songs)- Fake Empire- The National, Glory and the Dream- Bill Mallonee/VOL, Two Headed Boy- Neutral Milk Hotel, Rise up With Fists!!- Jenny Lewis, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter, Intervention- Arcade Fire, Apocalyptic Friend- Eef barzelay, Furr- Blitzen Trapper, Modern Guilt- Beck

Songs of Justice- Rages of Babylon- Joseph Arthur, Guns are Drawn- The Roots, Windowsill- Arcade Fire, Crumbs From Your Table- U2, Fake Empire- The National, If You Tolerate This (then your children will be next)- Manic Street Preachers, Study War- Moby, Just War- Sparklehorse, Eye of the Needle- Divine Comedy

click here for part 2

less successful the "Gospel and..." television shows

I just saw online that Chris Seay, who I used to work with, is writing a new book on how the Gospel interacts with something in popular culture. Taking a cue from the "What Would Jesus Tell (name a famous person- real or fiction from pop culture)" sermon series popularized by Willow Creek Church and numerous seeker churches world-wide or the ubiquitous "God and the Movies" pretty much every church preaches during the dreary summer days to gather attention, Chris has added to his repertoire the ABC series LOST (in the past he has written critically acclaimed books about The Sopranos, The Matrix films and Enron).

When I was preaching regularly I, too, would pick artifacts of popular culture for sermons based on the interactions between that subject and the Bible (or Gospel, in Christian vernacular). Some of my favorites were the television shows The X Files and Millennium, the films Jerry Maguire, Magnolia or Dead Man Walking and musicians like Ben Folds, Pearl Jam and Lauren Hill. Needless to say, besides The X-Files I did not have Chris' propensity to pick up on cultural phenomena, usually picking things regulated to a niche very quickly (or at least a select audience).

My love of the grays and the margins usually leads me to popular culture that does not translate as well to mass audiences (any reader of this blog knows that). Sure, a series on the Gospel According to Coldplay would draw a slightly larger audience than the Gospel According to Frightened Rabbit (okay, no one would be interested in the treatment of Frightened Rabbit), but I don't like Coldplay. And who cares about Jesus and the television show Chuck, one of the better shows on television (but with no cultural resonance for some reason) or Dexter.

Now here is where I am going with this... Chris has picked some things that translate well to his idea (The Sopranos work like a warped Davidic kingdom and the Matrix threw every religious idea in history at us). But, there are many things out there that are probably left outside of the "Gospel and..." treatment (many of which have been preached less successfully in churches). I have seen pastors try to use modern classics like the Scooby Do movies, The Fast and The Furious, GI Joe, Transformers 2 and Night at the Museum 2, stretching the film (sometimes they haven't even seen it) and Gospel to a breaking point.

There are many films that just don't fit, especially some of the stuff I like. And the television shows I love would either not translate to a "Gospel and..." book or 3 people would buy it. Here are my favorites shows. Imagine a book entitled:

The Gospel and Dexter (exploring Dexter's relationship to Deuteronomic and Levitical law)

The Gospel and Chuck (Chuck saving the world as metaphor for evangelism)

The Gospel and 30 Rock (Liz as Moses leading her people to the promised land, Jack as Yahweh, Tracy as Aaron and Kenneth as the 10 Commandments)

The Gospel and The Wire (a 2000 page exploration of conflict between the differing branches within the Davidic Kingdom at the time of Solomon, with McNulty and Omar as competing Jesus figures... or something like that)

The Gospel and Pushing Daisies (about how even God cannot resurrect an under appreciated quirky series on broadcast television that is too smart for its own good)

Sure some shows would be easy, The Gospel and the Office (trivial, but sells well), The Gospel and My Name is Earl (written by an 8th grader) and The Gospel and The Simpsons (D'oh).

Some other less-than-classics could include The Gospel and Mad Men (just wait, it is coming), The Gospel and Weeds (hmmmm, what is this one about?), The Gospel and CSI (We dodged that bullet) and The Gospel and Grey's Anatomy. I am sure someone has written the Gospel and American Idol or Survivor.

So, share with me either 1) the worst "Gospel and..." thing you have ever seen/ heard/ read or (God forbid) done

and

2) The darkest or worst idea for such a book or series (no "Gospel according to Saw" types- too easy), or that thing that would stretch The Gospel or bible beyond imagination to fit. Justify it if possible.

by the way, I would buy a book called The Gospel According to District 9!