Announcement: Download EP

We released our first CD not too long ago and it was great getting the team to push themselves with arrangements. It was brilliant see the results of people's hard work and while it was fantastic having an end product seeing how the project developed the musicians was priceless.

 We've were recently approached by a guy on the music team who has access to a music studio, who said we could record a few songs if we wanted. We jumped at the chance and so on Saturday 3rd March we will be heading over to oxford to record a few songs we haven't yet recorded.

Last time we layered each section with each part being recorded individually but due to it being recorded on one day we are recording everything pretty at the same time, which will create a slightly different feel. We've used synths in a way we haven't before and so that has added a new texture to our sound.  The guys and girls who will be recording have been hard at work practising over the past few week and we're excited by how the songs have taken shape.

The songs will be:
1.O For A Thousand Tongues
2.Victorious
3. if we have enough time a version of sorts of "Your Child" (tbc)

We won't be producing a CD this time, instead we'll post it up on http://readingfamilychurch1.bandcamp.com/

 Looking forward to sharing what we've done with you all

How not to say the same old thing...

I recently posted about almost finishing a song called "Victorious"... I was pretty pleased with my efforts and forwarded it onto some trusted colleagues at the church to see their thoughts.

One of the responses was that I was potentially saying nothing particularly ground-breaking nor thought provoking with what i had written.

A stinging response for any songwriter but as i dwelt on this, I knew that I could attempt better.

It's a battle to find "fresh" ways of saying things, but one worth preserving for...

Here are a few songs that are doing just what i'm aiming to do:


"and in that moment you opened up the heavens, to the broken, the beggar, and the thief, lifted out of the wreckage, i found hope in the aftermath"


"his love is fierce, his love is strong, it is furious"


"we raise our white flag, we surrender all to you, all for You, we raise our white flag: the war is over, love has come, Your love has won"

"No more School for you..."

Apparently New York City's Schools have tried to take steps towards banning churches from meeting in schools. 

Tim Keller responded with this:

I am grieved that New York City is planning to take the unwise step of removing 68 churches from the spaces that they rent in public schools. It is my conviction that those churches housed in schools are invaluable assets to the neighborhoods that they serve. Churches have long been seen as positive additions to communities. Family stability, resources for those in need, and compassion for the marginalized are all positive influences that neighborhood churches provide. There are many with first-hand experience who will claim that the presence of churches in a neighborhood can lead to a drop in crime.

The great diversity of our city means that we will never all agree completely on anything. And we cherish our city’s reputation for tolerance of differing opinions and beliefs. Therefore, we should all mourn if disagreement with certain beliefs of the church is allowed to unduly influence the formation of just policy and practice.

I disagree with the opinion written by Judge Pierre Leval that: “A worship service is an act of organized religion that consecrates the place in which it is performed, making it a church.” This is an erroneous theological judgment; I know of no Christian church or denomination that believes that merely holding a service in a building somehow “consecrates” it, setting it apart from all common or profane use. To base a legal opinion on such a superstitious view is surely invalid. Conversely, I concur with Judge John Walker’s dissenting opinion that this ban constitutes viewpoint discrimination and raises no legitimate Establishment Clause concerns.

A disproportionate number of churches that are affected by this prohibition are not wealthy, established communities of faith. They are ones who possess the fewest resources and many work with the poor. Redeemer has many ties with those churches and their pastors, and our church community invests time and resources to assist them to be good neighbors in their communities.

Let them be those good neighbors. I am hopeful that the leaders of New York City and the legislators of New York State will see the value of a society that encourages all spheres of culture—the church, government, education, business, etc—to work together for human flourishing.

Dr. Timothy Keller
Senior Pastor
Redeemer Presbyterian Church

--

Interestingly if Reading council took the same decision, then we would be in an interesting situation...

Create a Spark #4

Big thanks to Joe Smith for sending me this link... This guy is a teenager and yet he's able to do that... Immensely creative and so fantastic! Gotta get me one of those

Victorious

So songwriting continues in earnest this year. I had one song that needed finishing and with the help of my trusty friend Pete Coggan, potentially cracked what had proved to be a hard nut...

The song is now called "Victorious"

Lyrics are:

--
Verse 1:

You came to a world far from you
You carried our sin
You paid our great cost
You died so death's hold would be lost
Creator was slain
To beckon us home

PreC:
In the grave your body lay
Creation waited for the third day
From the grave you rose again
Bursting out on the third day

Chorus:
Victorious, victorious
Victorious You are
Your kingdom come, Your will be done
Forever, forever

Verse 2:
No longer condemned for/by our sin
Your spirit now dwells
In those you've redeemed
Now all that we boast of is Christ
Of him crucified
To give us new life

PreC 2:
Now we see an empty grave
It's been empty since that third day
Now we're chosen, found in Christ
For you rose up on the third day
--

Just trying to figure out if there's a catchy little tag that could be added and if the chorus melody lifts enough when you're singing "Victorious You are" & "Forever, Forever"

Hopefully will be finished with it in the next few days, ready for a bit of a spin on a Sunday.

I'm excited, hope all who hear it will like it!