You need to read this book (10/9/09)

Christless Christianity by Michael Horton

This is by far the best book I’ve read this year. Horton argues that the American church has been slowly moving away from the gospel of Jesus as the center of our life and preaching to softer, gentler forms of legalism (moralism, personal comfort, self-help, self-improvement, and individualistic religion). We need to stop preaching “Do better, try harder” and start preaching Jesus.

“When we try to fit God into our life movie, the plot is all wrong – and not just wrong but trivial. When we are pulled out of our own drama and cast as characters in his unfolding plot, we become part of the greatest story ever told. It is through God’s Word of judgment (law) and salvation (gospel) that we are transferred from our own pointless scripts and into the grand narrative that revolves around Jesus Christ” (Christless Chrisitianity, 94).

A few things to be excited about.

1. Jesus is alive.
2. Tim Keller’s new book, Counterfeit Gods (of which you can download the intro here)
3. Tim Keller’s new blog.
4. Michael Horton’s new book, The Gospel-Driven Life.
5. The Avett Brothers’ new album, I and Love and You.
6. A free Sojourn demo of “O For A Thousand Tongues”.

Wilco (rocks)

I realize that for a lot of people, my endorsement of Wilco’s cleverly titled new album, Wilco (the album) doesn’t hold a ton of water. There are very few bands/artists that I hold in as high esteem as Wilco. Jeff Tweedy is a consistently excellent songwriter and every incarnation of the band has put out some incredible music.

While throughout the years, they have had a constantly evolving cast (Jeff Tweedy and John Stirratt are the only original members), Wilco is currently running on it’s longest-lasting lineup and the results have been glorious. While Sky Blue Sky was a great album in it’s own right, it largely felt like Wilco hit the refresh button – it was basically a live album recorded in the studio. Wilco (the album) on the other hand, is a self-consciously studio-driven venture. One of the best parts of the album is that the band sounds like they had a blast making it.

Sonically, there are traces to be found from every stage of their history and this is one of the reasons why Wilco (the album)’s title is so appropriate – it is the best statement of Wilco (the band)’s complex identity ever recorded on tape. It also reminds us that even throughout the sonic deconstruction of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born, at his core Tweedy has always been a writer of great pop songs.

From the first chords of ‘Wilco (the song)’ to Nels Cline’s jazzy noodling on the close to ‘Everlasting Everything’, Wilco (the band) has once again proven to be one of the most exciting bands in the world and Wilco (the album) is the latest installment of their near-perfect catalogue. It is also some of the finest music you’ll hear this year. Or next.

My week in music.

This week has been pretty action packed.  For those of you who didn’t know, my birthday was last Friday and my wonderful girlfriend’s birthday was on Monday.  As a gift, my parents got me tickets to see my musical hero, and on Tuesday night Katelyn and I rocked out at the United Center for almost three hours to the tunes of my good friend, Bruce Springsteen. It was my second time seeing him and he and the E Street Band never disappoint.

I have also been really enjoying Animal Collective’s 2007 masterpiece, Strawberry Jam and Steve Earle’s new album, Townes.  The latter is a tribute to Earle’s good friend Townes Van Zandt, who was one of the best songwriters in America’s history.

Francis Schaeffer, art, and Animal Collective.

I am giving a presentation on Monday for my Christianity and Culture class on how Christian are to relate to popular music.  While reading Francis Schaeffer’s classic Art & The Bible, I came accross this killer quote:

“For a Christian, redeemed by the work of Christ and living within the norms of Scripture and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the Lordship of Christ should include an interest in the arts.  A Christian should use these arts to the glory of God, not just as tracts, mind you, but as things of beauty to the praise of God.  An art work can be a doxology in itself.”

One album that I have really been enjoying lately is Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective.  I bought a few months ago during spring break because it was on sale for $7.99 on iTunes and I had wanted to listen to it for a while.  I was a little nervous because it is very different from the kinds of music that I usually listen to, but I really, really like it.  They are one of the most innovative, strange bands out there, but I would highly reccommend it.  If you give it time, this album gets better with every listen and every beat, layer, synth, and strange, oddball noise points me to our innovative, glorious Creator.

Here is the video for their song “My Girls”:

The album cover:

C.J. Mahaney on worldliness

“Resisting worldliness is absolutely vital, but not ultimately most significant.  Jesus Christ is most important.  We must fight worldliness because it dulls our affections for Christ and distracts our attention from Christ.  Worldliness is so serious because Christ is so glorious… Meditate on the cross.  Consider the wonders of the Savior who died for sinners and rose victorious over sin and death.  Dwell where the cries of Calvary are louder than the clamor of the world.”

- C.J. Mahaney

Buy Worldliness

Bob Dylan – Together Through Life

Hey folks.  I have had a really, really busy few weeks and haven’t had a ton of time to post updates.  If you want to hear from me more often, you can follow me on Twitter.  Don’t expect much on my blog over the next few weeks because I’ve got papers to write, presentations to give, and Greek to translate.

Bob Dylan – Together Through Life

This is great stuff.  While a lot of people considered his previous three albums (Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft, and Modern Times) to be a trilogy, after this release it makes much more sense to consider Love and Theft, Modern Times, and Together Through Life to be Dylan’s true modern trilogy.  While Time Out of Mind is an great album, his recent three have had continuity in their production/instrumentation and have dealt with similar subjects.  Together Through Life has the loosest feel of the three and, as the title and cover suggest, zooms in to explore snapshots of modern American life.

The new album by The Decemberists is worth the Hazards.

I would highly reccommend picking up The Hazards of Love from The Decemberists.  Featuring friends such as Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) on vocals, The Decemberists take us through a story from beginning to end, highlighting the (extreme) hazards of love.  It takes work to listen to, but the work pays off.

Two other things:

I have overlooked Animal Collective for years, but Merriweather Post Pavilion is incredible.

I’M SEEING THE HOLD STEADY TONIGHT!

The Hold Steady’s Boys and Girls in America is only $1.99 on AmazonMp3!!!!!!!!

I love The Hold Steady.  I love this album.  It is one of the best albums of the decade (if not all time) and you should go buy it.  Why, you ask?  Well, because today it is only $1.99 on AmazonMP3!!!!  Craig Finn is one of the best songwriters out there, so you should give them a chance.  By the way, for those of you who go to Calvin, you should go see them at the Festival of Faith and Music.

Check out The War on Drugs

No, not the government campaign or the Barenaked Ladies song.  They’re a really cool new band and I’ve been digging their album, Wagonwheel Blues.  Great stuff.  I’m excited to see them at the Festival of Faith and Music.  Here’s a video: