Interview with Joy Whitlock

After reviewing her album, I had the opportunity to ask Joy some questions about her music.  I was very intrigued by the responses and glad to share them with you.

If you could tour with one Christian musician, who would it be and what song(s) (of yours or theirs) would you like to perform with them?

Hands down…Jennifer Knapp.  I think she would be awesome on Cost of Being Free and Testify.  It would be a joy to sing any of her songs, but if I must choose….The Way I Am.

The song “Testify” seems to reflect glimmers of Jennifer Knapp.  What do you appreciate about her music?

You can really tell by listening to her records that what you see is what you get.  She was the most real writer, in my opinion.  And still is.  She put a voice to some of the things that were unspeakable in my heart.

If you could tour with one non-Christian musician, who would it be and what song(s) (of yours or theirs) would you like to perform with them?

I really like Ben Harper’s music.  A cool song to sing would be Roses From My Friends.

The song “Your Face” is perhaps the most “acoustic” song on the album…would you enjoy doing an “unplugged” album or acoustic concert?

I think an unplugged album could be really cool.  The majority of my shows are acoustic, so it wouldn’t really be anything out of the norm to actually record an acoustic album.

Spiritual Questions:

At the end of “Faith Don’t Fail”, you ask, “You’re faithful aren’t You?”  How do spiritual doubts or questions affect your relationship with God?

A lot of the time doubts and questions hinder me, to be honest.  I would love to give the spiritual answer and say, “Oh they make me so much stronger”, but I can’t.  It is so hard for me to separate emotions from reality sometimes.

After a concert, what do you want people thinking about as they leave the building?

Eternity.

To what extent do you seek to evangelize during your concerts?

I hold nothing back when giving my testimony and sharing the gospel.  I even use the words ’sin’ and ‘hell’!

Music Industry Questions:

Have you ever been asked to change or tone down your lyrics?  If so, why?

Only once has this happened, and it was completely harmless.  In the chorus of Faith Don’t Fail, the line was originally “These memories are like hands around my throat”.  When the record label decided to give this song a shot at radio, someone thought that “hands around my throat” might be misconstrued…too violent or something.  So, I changed the words to “These memories won’t let me go”.

And it worked out really well.  The melody kind of changed with the lyrics and I really liked it.  I was given the option to have the original lyrics on the album, though.  But I liked the new melody so much that I decided to let the change stay.  I don’t think anything was lost by replacing those lyrics.  Although they are more vivid.

What obstacles does a young, Christian, female musician face in the CCM world?

I’m not so young anymore.  When I first started this journey, I was 24.  Now I’m pushing 29.  So, the age thing may be an obstacle.  The obstacle I am quite familiar with is all about radio.  Some new artists just can’t break into that box.  It has been really tough to get one of the songs from the album to pass all the “tests”.  I’m still trying to understand it myself.

Random:

What inspired you to ask a Rabbi to play the shofar on your song, “Day of the Lord”?  Was the Rabbi a believer? If he wasn’t what was his response to your request and your song?  I thought that was a very interesting touch.

Well, the shofar was my idea, but I didn’t know anyone who could actually play the thing.  My producer’s wife knew a Rabbi who just happened to own a couple and could play them, as well.  The Rabbi was not a believer in Jesus.  I have to be honest, it was quite awkward.  He was happy to oblige as far as pitching in on the song.

He came to the studio and we met and chatted about nothing for a few minutes.  And then came the question I was fearing….”so what is this song about?”.  I have a great respect and love for the Jewish people and I did not want to offend this man.  Plus, who was I to engage in theology with a RABBI?!  Just sounded silly to me.  But I proceeded to tell him that it was about the day that Jesus Christ returns…in wrath…to judge a sinful world….as King of Kings.  You could’ve heard a pin drop.  At the end of it all, I think it went well.    He asked to hear the song beforehand, and I watched him as he sat there nodding his head to the beat of the song with his eyes closed.

Truly, I am not sure what he thought.  I know for a fact that he noticed all of the Old Testament terminology that I used.  He had to…the song is full of it.  So, maybe I connected with him in that area.  But I don’t know.  Maybe, just maybe, he will be one of the 144,000.  I really hope so….

Thank you, Joy!

Music Review: God and a Girl

A few months ago, I was asked to review a CD. Doing a music review is something new for me; so I gladly accepted. The album is called “God and a Girl” and the artist is Joy Whitlock.  She is a serious believer who brings considerable forethought into each of the fourteen songs that make up this album.

Throughout the album, Whitlock engages in an eclectic array of musical styles.  In an interview, she was asked about her style and replied, “I would describe my style as a wide variety. ” At times she dabbles in acoustic sounds similar to Nickel Creek and at others, she sounds more like Evanescence.  These sorts of changes can become a distraction for the listener primarily because one doesn’t get a sense of progress throughout the album, but one of experimentation.  As Joy continues to produce, we’ll expect a slightly more homogeneous album.  But any time you pack 14 songs onto a CD, you’d have to expect a bit more variation.

Whitlock has quite a bit of lyrical ability. Nearly all her songs seem to emphasize the struggle between flesh and faith.  But she is not mired in self-pity and remorse.  One of my concerns about Christian artists who complain about their sin a lot is that they need to focus equally on God’s grace; Joy certainly does that too.

“Don’t Look Down” is a good example of Whitlock’s best strength: deeply personal lyrics that are universal enough to be meaningful for unbeliever and, when seen through the Biblical verse she gives as its inspiration, Hebrews 12:1-3, it becomes even more understandable and meaningful for the believer:

“Tragedy is half the fight
Are you willing to lose your life
Come on let it bleed
There’s nothing you can hide from me.”

These lyrics are related to the passage:

“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin” (Heb 12:3-4).

As you can tell, the lyrics are much less concrete than the passage upon which they are based; but ever since Jars of Clay, many Christian artists have been highly successful with this multi-layered approach to song-writing.  Show everyone something that can make them think; and give Christians something they can really chew on for a while.

At times, it’s quite clear how much she’s been influenced by Jennifer Knapp.  In many ways, this album is an homage to Knapp: she speaks freely about her struggles, engages Scripture in her lyrics, and stays musically grounded in folksy acoustic guitar rhythmic patterns.  Whitlock has said she wants to play with Knapp one day, even.

As a fan of Knapp, I’m glad another artist has such a high view of her; but I hope Whitlock will continue to branch out in her influences: the eclecticism of this album shows she is still finding herself musically. As strong as this album is with 14 tracks, I believe a more closely refined and tightly linked 9-10 tracks could have packed even more punch.  Right now her musical identity needs to catch up with her lyrical intensity. The more exposure she has to the roots of rock, the more  she will distinguish herself as an original. Her next album will undoubtedly demonstrate a heightened sense of herself, her relationship with God, and her musical prowess.

“Holding on to Me” and “Beautiful” are my favorites.  “Holding,” is especially compelling because her guest bass/drummer combo, Tony Lucido and Ben Phillips, heighten the rhythmic intensity beyond the rest of the songs.  “Beautiful” is one of those songs that can get you tapping your foot, bobbing your head, and trying to learn the lyrics more quickly so you can sing along with it in your car.  Yes, it is sugary sweet…but in such a serious album, this a welcome departure from the norm.

I am encouraged Whitlock has entered the CCM scene.  She is a breath of fresh air for those of us who love to hear thought-provoking, spiritual songs of worship.

I’ll leave you with a great excerpt from one of her blogs.  This kind of truth mixed with sincere devotion is what makes her a Christian musician worth paying attention to:

Christians are being fed a false hope. A hope that says Christ came to make life easier, to fulfill all our dreams, to give us a good life here on earth. A hope that says if we just turn our lives over to Christ, He will give us our best life now. But upon reading the Bible, one quickly discovers that misleading hope is found nowhere amongst the pages of Scripture. In fact, speaking of “this life now”, look at what 1 Cor. 15:19 says, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men”. Would you like to know what God says our hope is? This verse says it so clearly. There can be absolutely no dispute! Check it out…Titus 2:11-14. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed HOPE-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.”

I’d love it if in her next album, she takes this “God exists to fulfill all your dreams” deception to task.

We shall see.

Applied

Since I am currently a teacher, I just received a nice, healthy break  during the holiday season.  I am extremely grateful for that opportunity to recharge my batteries, go on a 2nd honeymoon, and see lots of friends. I feel I have some real momentum going into the rest of the year now.

But perhaps the most significant thing I did, next to the honeymoon, was apply to seminary.

Even before I thought about teaching High School, I had been thinking about being a Bible teacher. Yet, it’s not quite as simple to become a good Bible teacher as a school teacher.

For one, there is a spiritual qualification necessary to becoming a Bible teacher.  I didn’t feel (and I know this sounds subjective) qualified spiritually, right out of college, to become a Bible teacher.  There were elements to my own life that were too inexperienced and uncertain, as much as I knew I loved teaching the Bible.  A good teacher-preacher has to be very spiritually secure in order to be consistently used by God on a weekly basis to preach and teach the Word.

Two, I didn’t want to be unmarried going into seminary.  It is hard enough being a man who is young in a place of spiritual authority in a church; I didn’t want to have to do it all alone.  Thank Providence I found such a wonderful woman who encourages me and helps me each day!

Three, I needed to know Biblical languages.  For me, this is a daunting undertaking.  I do not memorize things well.  Even when I played piano, which I love, my teacher told me I was always the last one to memorize the pieces I was learning before a recital.  Thankfully, I will have some time this summer in-between the time I finish teaching High School and (Lord willing) begin Seminary during which I will (a) still be receiving a paycheck and (b) will be able to spend a lot of time teaching myself some beginning languages.

So it is my prayer that God will open a door for me to serve him in this way.  Ultimately, I don’t know if I would just stay in Washington and teach or perhaps God may send me to another country; but if he does either, I would be prepared to do his work after I complete my education. For those of you who are interested, I have applied only to Northwest Baptist Seminary (at this point).  Please pray for me if you think about it.  I know it is a a rigorous task to earn a Master of Divinity.  I hope to do so in three years.

Recently Speaking

Teaching has dominated my life in the past few months. Apart from the work-load, the psychological demands of the job are far beyond anything I expected. Monitoring student morale, motivation, ability, concentration and maintaining positive (yet authoritative) relationships is almost as impossible as it sounds.

But I was married on December 6.

Natalie spent the week with her sister and closest friends preparing the church and multi-purpose room. She did such an amazing job. Not only was everything done carefully and precisely, they were done elegantly. I had very little to do with anything except the music; but I could not find a single thing that I didn’t love.

Natalie was the most elegant thing, though. I lost it a bit at a couple points, but she held it in until all was said and done. It was such a huge blessing to be able to stand at the front (under the chuppah) and listen to our pastor’s words, say our vows, and know that she had a completely God-focused mentality in everything she was doing.

Natalie and I enjoyed being able to spend this time with our closest family and friends.  So many people were overjoyed for us, I was reminded that this marriage isn’t just about us, it’s about all the people who care about us who have prayed about this moment for years.

~

As of Saturday, it will have been 2 weeks.  I’ve always heard the first year is the hardest.  But frankly, this has been much easier than living on my own.  I credit Natalie for this reality.  She is much more of a support than I ever knew I would have.  Marriage probably gets hard when people stop being selfless.

Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor”.  It’s not easy to do this.  It will be one of my biggest goals in the next few years to devlop in myself a pattern of obedience to this command.  Natalie is an amazing example of that kind of love.  Being with her and seeing how she responds to things makes certain biblical attitudes much clearer to me.

High and Low

You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

-Bob Dylan

There seems to be a problem in Christianity.  We know people want to lift God up.  We know people want to see Jesus.  We even know that people constantly recognize “It’s not about us”, it’s about Him.

But let’s make it about us, for a second.

What is our theology of man in contemporary Christian lyrics?  Of course the most wonderful thing is saying how great our God is.  But it’s not bad to at least discuss who we are as we praise God for who he is and what he has done for us, isn’t it?

I don’t think so.  But I think the problem is whenever the topic shifts from “him” to “us”, we find that we want to lift ourselves up with God as well.  We want him to be raised high and we want us to be raised high.

Now, in an eschatologizl (the modernized form of eschatological) sense, we are “called out”, sanctified, and we will be glorified with him.  We will rule on this earth.  We will be “high” on the totem pole through our inheritence of Christ’s perfect righteousness.

But we’re not quite there yet.

Even when we are, he will be much higher.  And we will lower ourselves in his presence.  The highest people in John’s heavenly vision, the 24 elders, “will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne.”  Now, if the highest people in heaven are falling down, throwing their crowns away and worshiping him, how much do we have to lower ourselves right now?

Is it enough to the point of willingness to say he devoted his sacred head for such a worm as I? Willing to say he saved a wretch like me? 

Interestingly, there is even an entry in Wikipedia for something called “Worm Theology“.  It’s a “system of belief in Christian culture that a feeling and expression of low self worth means God is more likely to show mercy and compassion.”

Well, not quite. In fact, I would say that “more likely” is unnecessary. In fact, we read in the Psalms that God only shows mercy and compassion to those who have a low view of themselves.

For though the LORD is exalted,
Yet He regards the lowly,
But the haughty He knows from afar.

Psalm 138:6

Change

I do not often talk about politics here.  But I can if I want to.

John McCain is not someone I’m planning on voting for.  Since Washington will undoubtedly vote Democrat, I would (currently) rather spend my (futile) vote on someone I really think would govern as a (consistent, principled) conservative.

However, Barack Obama is beyond anything I would ever dream of voting for.  Throughout the debates, I tired of his statements that would start like, “Yes, we would definitely have to look at (fill in the debate controversy du jour) and make some tough decisions.”  Over and over I only heard extremely qualified yet broad generalisations meant to sound precise and thoughtful.

Stuff like this really bugs me: “Now, it is true, though, that I believe that we should have direct talks — not just with our friends, but also with our enemies — to deliver a tough, direct message to Iran that, if you don’t change your behavior, then there will be dire consequences.”  Are you serious?

That’s from the 2nd debate.

Get this: Obama makes himself specific by using adjectives (descriptions).  A good leader rarely needs adjectives because he or she uses verbs and nouns (actions and information).

Ok, I’m done. Good night!

Getting back here for a minute

It might have seemed to some that I decided to give up on this blog.  I haven’t.

I usually write posts out of an overflow of ideas from my own study; usually my study of Scripture.  But I haven’t had the “overflow” experience lately.  In fact, I’ve felt woefully under-prepared for the last 2 months.

I’ve begun my first year of teaching.  It would be difficult to convey how exactly I felt before my first day.  I probably thought I was pretty ready to go. I think it’s safe to say that virtually no teachers are fully ready for their first real day of teaching.  I thought I was the exception…I was mistaken.

I can say that, thus far, God has sustained me.  I would appreciate it if you prayed for me, if you have time.  Also, pray for my students.  Some of them have personal problems that are unimaginable for 14 year-olds, in my opinion.  Some of them are woefully inadequate for the educational expectation placed upon them.   And some of them are just very lazy and unmotivated.

Thank you.

I would also add that my mom, dad, and especially my fiancee Natalie have all been unbelievably encouraging and helpful.

The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.

Psalm 34:10

Summer Plans

Technically, this should go in the “The Latest” page of this blog.  It will, but only after I post it here.  I do this because few would actually re-check “The Latest” since I update it with such irregularity.

But for those of my friends who are curious about what’s going on in my life, I thought I’d write a few words.

A long time ago, when I only blogged on myspace, I shared that the one thing I needed was a secretary.  I’m horrible with paperwork.  I hate forms, applications, and various data I need to sign my name in compliance with.  This summer I had to find a job.  And becoming a teacher means doing a lot of what I’m worst at: doing paperwork.

Thankfully, Natalie eagerly helped me out.  I imagine that if she hadn’t been there with me in the last 3-4 weeks, I might’ve completed 3-5 successful applications to various school districts.  With her helping, I probably filled out and/or sent out about 15-20 total.  Her focus and diligence was incredibly inspirational to me.  She also collated, sorted, and edited like a pro, to make sure everything was just right.

So I got a job!  I’m going to become a teacher at Kentlake High School in the fall.  I had no expectation to be working in Kent over any other place in western Washington; but my education prepared me perfectly to work with that school.  I am so thankful to God for putting me in this position.  It was uncertain whether I’d even be able to work in Washington as an English teacher.  This is a huge blessing.

In other events, I’ve had a blast playing softball on the men’s church softball team.  Additionally, I’ve coached the co-ed singles team.  Both have been fun.  Three games a week is a blast.  I will miss it when it’s over.

Futher, Natalie and I have had some great times walking, eating, bicycling, reading, and a bit of canoing when my boat is inflatable (once so far).

I’ve also been able to get a good amount of hours working at Gap.

Did I mention I’ve earned my Teaching Credential?  It’s good to reach that goal.

I hope that God will use me the rest of this summer.  I don’t approach a season with the intention of planning things to have fun.  I want to be used.  I hope God uses me more before the summer ends.

Is this all we have?

The Gospel of A/C

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-4

The “Messiah” Tablet

Apparently, a new stone has just appeared that comes from the Dead Sea area. While I have done nothing more than read an article about it, it sounded very interesting. It seems this stone relates to the Jewish concept of Messiah. Interestingly, it has been dated to the first century B.C. You can read more about it in a one page article here, a two page article here, or a three page article here.

Here are some noteworthy excerpts from the long article:

A three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew that scholars believe dates from the decades just before the birth of Jesus is causing a quiet stir in biblical and archaeological circles, especially because it may speak of a messiah who will rise from the dead after three days…

The tablet, probably found near the Dead Sea in Jordan according to some scholars who have studied it, is a rare example of a stone with ink writings from that era — in essence, a Dead Sea Scroll on stone.

It is written, not engraved, across two neat columns, similar to columns in a Torah. But the stone is broken, and some of the text is faded, meaning that much of what it says is open to debate.

Much of the text, a vision of the apocalypse transmitted by the angel Gabriel, draws on the Old Testament, especially the prophets Daniel, Zechariah and Haggai.

It is interesting to read some of the commentary these scholars are making about the text. But I thought this one was noteworthy to the point of humor.

“His mission is that he has to be put to death by the Romans to suffer so his blood will be the sign for redemption to come,” Knohl said. “This is the sign of the son of Joseph. This is the conscious view of Jesus himself. This gives the Last Supper an absolutely different meaning. To shed blood is not for the sins of people but to bring redemption to Israel.”

From whence cometh that dichotomy?

I thought we (conservative Christians) were the ones who create unnecessary binaries of either/or and not both/and! I guess we’re not the only ones.

How exactly is redemption supposed to occur without the shedding of blood for the sins of the people?

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14, NASB)

O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities. (Psalm 130:7-9, NASB)