Review: Leeland: Sound of Melodies

This is the debut album by Leeland, a band of five from Texas. The lyrics are well-developed and surely in a Christian mode, without being preach-y. The band has a nice sound. Rock-and-roll, without too much punch. The band has been gaining accolades all year for this album; lots of buzz in music-land about Leeland. The music sounds great on CD, but can be performed at church by the in-house praise team just as easily. Leeland has made charts available, in addition to the album itself. It's hard to say if the gush is going to be worth it; it will take more than one album to make a case. But this group is absolutely worth a listen, and worth keeping an eye on. The best bands in any genre take the sounds they are exposed to and which they hear in their heads and meld those into something unique which pushes in a new direction. Could this be a first nudge from Leeland? ++++

Review: Big Daddy Weave: Every Time I Breathe

Big Daddy Weave has a powerful message to share, and they do it overtly and enthusiastically. This, their fourth album, is a balanced mix of praise and worship songs, hymns and original material. The band definitely sees the album as an outreach, not just a musical product. And their efforts are not mere musicianship, but ministry. "It's not the greatness of our songs, but it is the greatness of the God behind the songs." Admirable sentiments, backed up by a nice full sound. The music is generally middle-of-the-road rock, not as raucous as previous albums, but no less joy-filled and heart-felt. +++

Review: Jessie Daniels: Jessie Daniels

Jessie's self-titled first major release has a really nice, richly orchestrated, sound. Her lyrics have nice depth for someone so young (19 years old). Sure, there are some cliches, but in many places some really meaningful and helpful sentiments. Jessie has worked in print media advertising and has had some early experience on Broadway and with MTV and the Lifetime cable network. So she brings a little bit of life to bear on her song-writing. She made the move to Nashville in 2005. She is the first "faith-based" artist on the roster of Midas Records. There is nothing explicitly religious in her lyrics: no God-talk. But deep, faithful sentiments. For those who want to know more, there is a statement in the lyric sheet, before each song, in which Jessie offers some explanation of the poetry. That's a nice touch. The sound is definitely rock-and-roll, not too pop-py and not too hard. ++++

Blessing and Open House

The Barker family had a short liturgy this afternoon to bless their new home. That was followed with an open house for the whole church family and neighbors. It was tremendous! For the liturgy we walked around the whole house and shared readings and a prayer for various rooms. Bob Ratchford and Kevin Frederick did a fine job leading us in the liturgy and around the home. Once the formalities were out of the way, food and drink flowed for the church family to help celebrate! There was a huge crowd for the open house. It was wonderful to see so many new church friends. So many folks here had been curious about Barker's Folly, we thought it would just be easiest to invite everyone over to see for themselves! Special thanks go to Charlotte S. and Ellen F. who helped with final preparations, and who helped keep food and drink moving; also Alice S. who worked the punch bowl later in the afternoon. And thanks to all the choir singers who brought tons of food! It was a wonderful spread. We are blessed with a wonderfully caring church family, who have outdone themselves in kindness today. One highlight must be mentioned: the impromptu concert by a spontaneously formed youth choir (on their way to youth conference at Montreat) was a truly moving experience. I'm not sure when I have heard a more "stirring" rendition of "Jesus Loves Me!"

Visuals for Pentecost

Black Mountain Presbyterian is blessed with a very talented and committed arts team. They have created some very evocative installations for worship in the past. This year for Pentecost we were challenged with designing for two worship spaces: our sanctuary and our fellowship hall (where FirstLight takes place). Here are some photos of elements in both worship spaces. The visual installation in the sanctuary was incredible. Our arts team drew inspiration from another installation they had seen, and adapted it for our use. The effect was stunning (I didn't tell them the shape reminded me of a bell; it might have just been my imagination!).