Love Truth Blog

I remember back in the 80s the very shock and awe of Boy George. One can imagine the conversation between two dudes going like this way: Dude 1, “Hey, check out this chick!” Dude 2, “Um, that ‘she’ is a ‘he.’ ” Dude 2: “Whoa….?!” Pushing the envelope from what is the norm to the extreme is part and parcel of the popular music scene for decades. This pushing of the envelope more often than none dissipates into normalcy, so what is extreme at one time simply is adopted into the mainstream so there will always be some heckler saying, “Yeah, been there done that.” Alice Cooper, Adam Ant, Boy George, Prince, Madonna, Brittney Spears, Lady Ga Ga, Miley Cyrus, etc., all in some way have pushed the envelope in their own way; yet, even now some may be considered a novelty, the stuff someone might say, “Wow, I remember listening to that as a kid…” Another downside to the whole pushing the envelope idea is some attractive ideas floating around in the music scene can never be sustained over...

I was 14 years old (was I ever that young? Oh, so long ago!), but it was then I got into Ozzy’s Blizzard of Oz . What an audio journey to hear Randy Rhodes on that Les Paul and Flying V stream out one arpeggio after another a light speed. If there was an electric guitar in the early nineteenth century that would be Paganini’s signature sound. Only a few years earlier Edward Van Halen left 70s rockers shell shocked with his whole “brown sound” and two hand tapping technique. The craziness of the music I listened to as a lad. The thing is this: Rhodes and Van Halen never invented their techniques out of nothing, they simply capitalized on the way they innovatively used them into their own creative stream of conscious. I was a 6 year old tyke when Richie Blackmore streamed arpeggios on “Highway Star,” years before Rhodes. Still, Blackmore other guitarist would have melded the classical style into their own music. Guitarists were doing two hand taps before Van Halen. Elvis was not even ...

Just looked at my I-Tunes library and discovered there’s about 39.96 gigs of music, which is roughly 15 days worth of listening pleasure, give or take a hours worth of downloaded music videos and a Simpson’s Tree House of Terror episode. But, with all that ear candy, I thought to offer some reflections on what I have learned from popular music through the years. Something that I have mentioned to some friends is the curse of the second and third hit. Having a hit song is more than something that is popular at the moment, but it has lasting power to transcend time, so that once it is out there people of various generations can easily recognize it. “Hound Dog” is nearly a half-century old, the tune is stamped upon the collective consciousness of generations of people, and it has lasting power in that the song sounds just as fresh today as it did back in the 1950s. Imagine the few iconic musicians pulling off five or more hit songs, it is a rare club. Think of the Elvis, Michael Jack...

A colleague of brought to my attention this new hit “Born this Way” telling me of its haunting lyrics. I sort of shrugged it to the back of my mind. I can’t say I listen to much top 40 music, but I noticed it was the number 1 download on iTunes, so I just thought to check this one out, found a free preview on YouTube and had a listen. It had all the components of what I would have expected from a 21st century pop artist—very techno but loud with provocative lyrics. There’s of course all the pop music critic clichés about the song—the whole “been there done that,” “There’s nothing new under the sun,” or “Sounds like Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself.’ ”. But I think Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, a.k.a. Lady Gaga, produced something that is really in tune with the pulse of modern spirituality. Lady Gaga has experienced the pain of lost love, even battles against her own personal demons, but she has her own spirituality, and speaks of God watching over her. She has even sought out N...

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being…. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-3, 14). In these few lines, the Gospel writer pronounces the person of Jesus Christ to be both fully divine and fully human and the co-eternal Creator of the universe. The theologically rich language of the fourth Gospel offers truth that can revolutionize lives and offer solutions to the world’s most pressing issues. John understands Jesus to be the Divine Word who incarnated Himself and lived among men. The biblical writer does not believe the material universe is an illusion, so that one must acquire mind over matter psychic techniques to come to realize the pri...

Many of us look at things going on in the world and see a lot of things getting out of hand. But tis the season to know that things do not have to be that way. Things can be different. Charles Wesley’s “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” is a wonderful Advent hymn, which reminds us that a better world is possible. It  goes… Come, thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in thee: Israel’s Strength and Consolation, Hope of all the saints thou art; Dear Desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart. Born, thy people to deliver; Born a child, and yet a King! Born to reign in us for ever, Now thy precious kingdom bring: By thine own eternal Spirit, Rule in all our hearts alone; By thine all-suficient merit, Raise us to thy glorious throne. The message of the Old Testament can be summed up in the world “promise,” whereas the New Testament word is “fulfillment,” both point to Jesus Christ. Wha...

The hymn "It is Well" by Horatio G. Spafford is truly sweet poetry... Images of a soul immersed in the tears of life in a cursed creation finding refuge in the God who saves... When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like the sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well with my soul.’ Tho’ Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious tho’t!— My sin, not in part, but the whole, Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll, The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend, ‘Even so,’ it is well with my soul. It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul.

The other day on my drive to work, I put in an old Rebecca St. James CD, and a song that I began running in my head was “God.” The song really captures in poetry the glory and grandeur of an infinite God who condescends to fellowship with His creation. St. James sings, He made the night He made the day Spread the earth upon the water Make the heavens and the rain Look at the sky, see its design The very same creator is the one who gave us life What is man that He’s mindful of us? We’re merely clay in his hands What am I that He loves me so much He would die All that I can say is… It’s God, truly God Can you see, can you hear, can you touch, can you feel It’s God, truly God I can’t explain any other way cuz it’s God Inside us all there is a void All mankind is searching for the one who fills the soul In Him there’s hope in Him there’s life The world cries for a savior that’s right before their eyes What is man that He takes us in as His children to be His own An...

This morning it was my turn to play some electric guitar, so I packed up the ole Tele and headed down to church to for 8am rehearsal. (Which was more like 7am because the whole “spring forward” thing…) But today was something special, since our worship team leader Chuck decided to put together a Rich Mullins set. I have to admit the music of Rich Mullins has always been something special to me, and tunes like “Sometimes by Step,” “Creed,” “I See You,” and “Awesome God,” are just a few wonderful expressions of divine worship. “Sing Your Praise to the Lord,” popularized by Amy Grant, which is certainly one of those exception to the rule of "10 years later ½ as good” tunes that really presents something of preeminent quality from the world of Contemporary Christian music. (I think the whole “Bach Fugue #2 in C minor” intro was for piano players in my younger years practically the equivalent the signature licks a guitarist’s learns like “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Purple Haze,” “Smo...

Sunday, we sang Be Thou My Vision, which is just one of those rich hymns of the past, and a wonderful meditation on Christ's kingdom ethics. It is food for the soul: Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best thought by day or by night Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light Be thou my wisdom and Thou my true word I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord Thou my great Father, I , Thy true son Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one Riches I heed not nor man's emptly praise Thou mine inheritance now and always Thou and thou only first in my heart High King of heaven my treasure Thou are High King of heaven my victory won May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun Heart of my own heart whatever befall Still be my vision O Ruler of all Here is also a great rendition by Jars of Clay: Be Thou My Vision

Jeff wins 5th Grammy... I must say, Jeff brings out the best in a Fender Stratocaster, and the Live at Ronnie Scott's DVD captures this guitar giant in one of his best performances ever. For me, "Rollin' And Tumblin" with Imogene Heap is the evening's climax! This is a must buy for any guitar player.

Tis wonderful lyrics from an old saint... All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer gleam! O praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Thou rushing wind that art so strong, Ye clouds that sail in heav’n along, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice, Ye lights of evening find a voice! O praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! And all ye men of tender heart, Forgiving others, take your part, O sing ye! Alleluia! Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, Praise God and on Him cast your care! O praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Let all things their Creator bless, And worship Him in humbleness, O praise Him! Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, And praise the Spirit, Three in One! O praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creat...

I think Bono captured—eerily foreshadowed—the spirit of the first decade of the 21st century singing… The heart is a bloom, shoots up through the stony ground But there’s no room, no space to rent in this town You’re out of luck and the reason that you had to care The traffic is stuck and you’re not moving anywhere You thought you’d found a friend to take you out of this place Someone you can lend a hand in return for grace It’s a beautiful day the sky falls And you feel like it’s a beautiful day It’s a beautiful day Don’t let it get away Melancholic yet still always finding something beautiful in the moment—It’s a beautiful day…don’t let it get away.” And this decade certainly, at least from where I am sitting, had a hefty dose of this paradox. We had crashes…9/11, Enron, Shuttle Columbia, Katrina, wars in Afghanistan & Iraq (at least for America), and the Wall Street crash. Yet, it all this, people in general still yearn change for the better. CD recordings are going the way of t...