Week 32...

I call this my Paunchy Pigeon. Thanks
Jacob, for the nice work!

I am the Music Programming Director/Worship Leader at Ridge Church, in Matthews, NC. We are in the middle of a series called "When God?" It is all about the questions and doubts that arise when we feel God is being inattentive, uncooperative and/or late. We opened last week's service with a Nickel Creek song called "Doubting Thomas." My guitarist for the morning, Jacob Hare* tried to mess me up** by changing the title to "Doubting Tumnus." The song has nothing to do with Narnia, but it sure is pretty. I asked Jacob if he would play some guitar on it. In true twenty-twelve technological fashion, he recorded his parts at home, then Dropboxed them to me. Then, at the eleventh hour, literally, I asked my friend Nichole Broome, who sang with me last Sunday, to sing some harmony parts into her phone. No joke. I threw those vocals through some processors and mixed it down! It is pretty cool what you can do, nowadays.

Enjoy,

Christopher

PS... If you like it, tell a friend or an enemy. C'mon, do it!

     Recorded August 16-17, 2012. This song goes out to my friend Nicole Godshall, or Nikki G, for that time when we were riding in the car and I skipped a Nickel Creek song when it came on the shuffle. You got really mad at me. I hope this makes up for it! To everyone else, I am sorry for the delayed release. This has been a crazy week for us. It might get even crazier in the next few. 

     "Doubting Thomas" written by Chris Thile. From the record Why Should the Fire Die?

     * Jacob Hare makes some really sweet custom guitar pedals. I have been using one of his overdrive pedals for the past couple of months. I'm stoked about the tone, the look and the price! Up next, I'll be rockin' one of his compressors. Hit him up if you need anything. 

     ** I've had some issues in the past where I have mixed up or replaced lyrics in songs. Here are a couple of examples. Once, I was singing a John Mark McMillan song called "How He Loves." I was supposed to sing the line, "I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory," but alas I sang, "I am unaware of these eclipsions affixed by glory." Yeah, one of those is not even a word. I don't think anyone noticed. Another time, I was doing a Matthew West song called "My Own Little World." The lyric was, "so I rolled down my window and I looked her in the eye." All week during rehearsal I sang, "so I rolled down my window and I poked her in the eye!" Seriously. Couldn't get it out of my head. I am the father of three boys, though. It only makes sense. My favorite was a song I had to learn for a wedding reception. It's a Kenny Chesney song called "Don't Blink." Yeah, I know. It's not my favorite either. Well, in each chorus of the song I was supposed to sing, "Don't blink. Just like that, you're six years old and you take a nap. Then you wake up and you're 25 and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife." Of course, I sang, "Then you wake up and you're 25 and your high school TEACHER becomes your wife." Yeah, It happened... and it was awesome. 

Week 8...

I have a big family. I usually have a little one tugging on my hand or my wife close by. Time away from them is few and far between. You'll hear no complaints from me about that. When I am away, I'm usually too busy with the details of my trip to be homesick. Late last year, I was asked to play a conference at a YMCA camp in King, NC. I was scheduled to play a morning and an evening session. The time in between was the first time in a long while that I had absolutely nothing to do. I got to be quiet and reflect on the many blessings in my life. I walked out into a grassy field set beneath a mountain and just breathed in and out for a bit. Just breathed. I soaked in the scenery and picked up my guitar. 15 minutes later, this song had appeared.

A lot of my songs happen this way. It starts with a melody, then a word or two, and then it's finished. I don't set out to write anything specific. The pieces just come. They are like puzzles that I don't make. I just get to put them together. It is in those moments that I know God is there, speaking to me, loving on me, leading me through. It is a heavenly experience. It fills me up!

This week's offering is a love song. Not in the traditional sense, where one pours himself out to express his desires. It is not about the things I've done to win my dearest one's devotion. It is not about anything that my feeble emotions have to offer.  

This is a song about a love that has overcome my heart. It continues to do so on a daily - no, an hourly basis. I see it when I look at my beautiful wife and children. I feel it when I look at the sunset and the stars. I hear it in the loudest melodies and in the quiet of the night. The love I am talking about is God's love. Now, I'm not trying to get all religious. But when you're in love, you have to talk about it, right? If I've stepped on any toes, feel free to pretend that this post never happened. This song will just be about an earthly love that has won over this hopeless romantic.

I don't think I am special; not in the least. But when I think about how big God is... And all the works of His creation... And the intricacies around and within me... The way He tells me that I'm not just worthless flesh and blood that moves from dust to dust... And the way that He loves me... And the things He's done to free my soul from the bonds of this earth... And that the Creator of all specifically made and fancies me!? Goodness!

Enjoy,

Christopher

     Recorded from 10:30 pm-2 am, February 20-21, 2012. I really should stop procrastinating. That way I could get to sleep earlier. My buddy Chris Lee (Twitter or Tumblr) made a video for Ridge Church's Easter service. Take a look!


Lyrics

Your Ocean

Did you know you are my favorite thing in the world? Did you know that I cannot control my love for you? It's about to overflow like a river drenched by the waters, oh, flowing from your fountain. Caught in the current, causing landslides, coming down your mountain. I reach out for help but all that I can feel is the movement in your motion. You've swept me off my feet and I'm washed away, into your ocean of love. Did you know there's not a single thing that I need? Did you know my heart is filled with love and it's oh so pleased in you. It's about to overflow like a river drenched by the waters, oh, flowing from your fountain. Caught in the current, causing landslides, moving down your mountain. I call out for help but all that I can hear is the song of your devotion. You sang my heart afloat and I sail away, into your ocean of love.