even when my heart is...blogging.

New blog.

2008-04-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Good-bye, old blog. My new blog can be found by clicking here.

New CD: My Song Is Love Unknown: The Road Sessions Vol. 1

2007-12-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

As you may have guessed, I've given up on blogging. I just have too much going on to spend the time necessary to make this blog great, and I think no blogging is better than mediocre blogging.

But I did want to let you know about a limited-edition CD that I've just come out with, and what better way (in this scanning-not-reading medium that is the interweb) than a short video.

You can hear more by clicking here, and buy it here. Thanks!

In Florida this weekend.

2007-05-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

I'm coming to Florida for a few concerts this weekend. Details here. See you there!

New site.

2007-05-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

Oh, hi there. I, um, seem to have forgotten to mention something. See, I have a new official site. A very nice one. And it's been up for well over a month. It just slipped my mind that my blog readers might actually want to check it out.

Click here to go to the new

MatthewSmith.us

The Ruin Of The Beast.

2007-05-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Former and future Burlap To Cashmere frontman Steven Delopoulos has a new record due out any day now. Here is an amazing video for one of the songs, done by the geniuses at Portland Studios.

Back from tour.

2007-05-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who came out to see us on this tour. It was a lot of fun. If you took pictures, leave a comment with the link and I'll highlight the best ones. In the meantime, hilarity:

Representin' with my John Davis t-shirt.

The band defaces a tour poster to answer the question, "What would Matthew look like with a mustache?"

John Davis demonstrates what ROCK looks like.

John likes energy drinks.

We went bowling on this tour. Twice. Clint demonstrates his technique.

The Ringing Bell out today.

2007-05-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Be sure to pick up a copy of Derek Webb's new record, The Ringing Bell, today. My favorite tracks are "Name," "A Savior On Capitol Hill," and "This Too Shall Be Made Right." He's also on tour.

Tour begins this week!

2007-04-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who came out to the south Florida tour last weekend. Despite being sick, I enjoyed sharing these hymns with you guys. I'll be coming to the Tampa/St. Pete area next month, dates announced soon.

I'm leaving with the band tomorrow for a week of concerts. (For the curious, the band will be Clint Wells on guitar, Tripp Ethridge on drums, and John Davis on bass.)

See you there!

04/19 Cleveland, TN - Trinity Presbyterian Church
04/20 Hixson, TN - Hixson Presbyterian Church
04/21 Atlanta, GA - Intown Community Church
04/22 Americus, GA - First United Methodist Church
04/23 Augusta, GA - First Presbyterian Church
04/25 Anderson, SC - New Covenant Church
04/26 Durham, NC - Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian

Third and 3/4 place.

2007-03-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who voted for Save Lives In Africa. We ended up taking third and 3/4 place.

Vote to Save Lives In Africa.

2007-03-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I created a Squidoo lens (a web page designed to share info about a topic) called Save Lives In Africa. It was named Lens Of The Day in December, and now it is up for Lens Of The Year! This is a big deal, because:

Squidoo is one of the Top 1000 sites on the internet (currently #795). There are millions of sites on the internet. Think about that for a second.
100% of the proceeds of my lens go to support Blood:Water Mission.

I need your help:

Go to the Lens Of The Year page and vote for Save Lives In Africa by clicking its little "up arrow" triangle. It's a long list, but my lens is in the Top #10!
Squidoo will prompt you to login-- after doing so, return to the Lens Of The Year page to finish voting.
Send out a MySpace bulletin, email your friends and family, shout it from the rooftops to let people know to vote!
The winner will be announced on March 30th.

Thanks!

Andy on "Why I Don't Listen To Christian Music."

2007-02-28T10:46:00.000-08:00

Andy over at The Last Homely House just put up a good post titled "Why I Don't Listen To Christian Music." I've found it interesting (but not surprising) that many fans of my and Indelible Grace's music don't listen to much CCM.

Thoughts?

Jubilee 2007 photos.

2007-02-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

Andrew Rush posted his pictures from Jubilee 2007. It was a blast to play to so many people, even though we got kicked off stage before our set ended due to a miscommunication about time.

Not pictured here: the panicked look on our faces when we started the first song in 4/4 instead of 6/8. We are professionals.

This jacket cost me five bucks.

"'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus"

Yeah, there were a lot of people there.

Taylor Sorensen fills in on lead guitar. I think having him and John Davis in the band technically made us a supergroup.

Bullet points from the past two weeks.

2007-02-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

I don't have time to blog properly right now, as I'm off to Pittsburgh to play at the Jubilee 2007 conference. I have had one of the strangest, most adventure-filled months of my life so far. Here are some of the alternately funny and sobering moments, in no particular order-- and now in bullet point form! In the past two weeks, I:

had two separate people think I was British (one because of the coat I was wearing)
had three or four different people refer to Tennessee as "the midwest"
mugged a thief (more on this later)
toured Apple, Inc. headquarters at night
played a wine party in California's wine country where, strangely, most of the wine seemed to be from Argentina
ate half of the brie available at said wine party
repeatedly defended Yuba City against mockery (my argument: YC has great people and great prunes!)
was told that I sound like Green Day (note: I do not sound like Green Day)
bought a Superdrag record at Amoeba Music
encountered several bizarre incidents of automotive rudeness in San Francisco, including a car honking at me repeatedly for sitting in my parked car because they wanted my spot
got creeped out by the Haight-Ashbury district (mainly because it seemed that every time I glanced around, people were staring at me-- am I paranoid?)
laughed at seeing a McDonald's at the end of Haight (I guess hippies need Big Macs too)
found out that people in the Bay Area think they live in "northern California" (though they clearly live right in the middle of the state)
played a concert in a Jewish temple
experienced the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains
ate at a late-night vegetarian restaurant in Reno
shared hotel premises with Mel Gibson in Guatemala (though I never saw him)
developed an irrational fear of Geoff Moore (I'm not kidding about this) and avoided him at all costs
stood in a very small home with dirt floors where two adults and ten children live
realized that my hotel in Reno didn't have HBO because watching movies cuts down on gamblin' time
experienced how a government agency (the TSA) can practically cripple an organization: the San Jose airport.
had dinner and Belgian ale with a Senior Engineer Scientist who is working on the iPhone.
had a wireless mic die on me in the middle of a concert after I had left a comment on Bob Kauflin's blog earlier that day roundly condemning wireless mics and praising wired mics
stayed in an appropriately leopard print-themed hotel room in Cupertino
forgot to refill my gas tank before returning my rental. An expensive mistake.
had an amazing lunch in Cupertino with some of the best beef I've had in a long time

Thanks to everyone who came out to these concerts, I had a truly amazing time!

Going to Guatemala.

2007-01-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving for Guatemala tomorrow for a retreat with Compassion International, then heading straight to Reno, NV and California when I get back in the country. I hope to update a bit when I return.

Weinermobile.

2007-01-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

I saw the Weinermobile today. It was less than a mile from my house. It turned in front of me and drove a few feet into the Wal-Mart parking lot. I had an appoinment to get to, so I couldn't follow it. I have always wanted to see the Weinermobile. Today, my dreams came true.

I didn't get to take my own picture. But dude, this is what it looked like.

Leading the music at church.

2007-01-23T21:58:00.000-08:00

People sometimes assume that I lead the music at my church often. I actually only do it about twice a year, mainly because I'm frequently on the road, and when I'm home I don't want to do something so similar to what I do when I'm gone.

But I've been home for a couple of months, so I led the music this past Sunday at church. For those of you interested, here's our order of service, including my song selection and thoughts. For those of you not interested in such things, you should probably stop now to avoid being bored stiff. Perhaps go ogle some Macs.

Reflection and PreparationThis is usually a couple of quotes to prepare for worship. This week there was one from The Edge, and one from Jesus. Our pastor chooses these.

Welcome
Call To Worship

Songs Of Praise
-Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
-Grace Greater Than Our Sin

The Nicene Creed
We recently switched from the Apostle's Creed to the Nicene. I dig it. It's longer than the AC, but doesn't have that line about Jesus decending into hell. (Yeah, yeah Calvin, I know what you have to say. I still think it's out of sequence and distracting.)

Song of Praise
-In Christ Alone
This is probably my church's favorite song. We sing it often and we sing it loud. And it gets Presbyterians to raise their hands. I think it will go down in history as the definitive hymn of our generation, and it is certainly just as good as any of the 300 year-old hymns that I love.

Scripture Reading
Corporate Confession
Silent Confession
Assurance Of Pardon
The corporate confession and assurance of pardon is my favorite part of our service. Our pastor writes them, and they all have such an amazing clarity, identifying who I am and the lies I try to tell myself, and contrasting that with who Jesus is. They are to the point and pull no punches, and it is always what I need to draw me out of myself and direct my heart towards Christ.

Song Of Renewal
-How Sweet The Name Of Jesus Sounds
I'm kicking myself for not checking our church database about this one, as it only has five verses. If I had caught it in time, I would have added the other two verses back in. Note to song leaders: when the verses are this good (and this short!), just do all seven. It's weird to me the preconceived "rules" people have, like "don't do all the verses" or "our service needs eight songs." My favorite verse is the last one:

Weak is the effort of my heart
And cold my warmest thought
But when I see Thee as Thou art
I'll praise Thee as I ought

It's a great reminder that it's not the fervency or strength of my faith, but the object of my faith (Jesus), that matters.

Offering
We have instrumental music during the offering. This week it was just the music for "How Sweet The Name."

Greeting

Vision
This is the part of the service where the pastor talks for a couple of minutes about the vision of the church, and takes a few questions. Sometimes he'll take questions after the sermon, which I like even more.

Pastoral Prayer
Sermon

The Lord's Table
-Thy Blood Was Shed For Me
-Come Ye Sinners
-In Christ Alone
Communion is my other favorite part of the service. We have it every week. Real bread. Real wine (as well as juice for the Baptists). We line up and go take it at the front, and an elder tells us something true about Jesus as we take it. By the way, if your church has a weekly "altar call," but not weekly communion, there's a problem. Maybe a topic for another post.

We usually have instrumental music during communion, but this week I wanted to sing songs with words that people could meditate on while they were waiting in line (we've been running into the problem of people starting to chat with each other in line since it takes so long). I had only planned to play "Thy Blood" and "Come Ye Sinners," but had to call an audible and reprise "In Christ Alone" since people had not yet finished. I played "Thy Blood" in a very different way than on the record, slow and tender instead of fast and desperate. I slowed down "Come Ye Sinners" quite a bit as well. I think both hymns are very appropriate communion meditations, to acknowledge that we feed spiritually on Christ and rely on his shed blood for our rightness before God.

Song Of Commitment
-Nothing But The Blood
Not sure why we call the song we sing during this part of the service a "song of commitment." But it does work best when we sing a song about Jesus' commitment to us and our salvation.

Doxology
Announcements
Benediction

Musically, we normally have two female singers, one or two male singers, electric guitar, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, and piano (keyboard actually, but the piano sound on it). When I lead, I like it to be more simple. The room we rent for church is very "live," and it's easy for the band to drown out the congregation. This time I sang and played acoustic guitar, had one female singer, keys, piano, and electric guitar.

This reminds me of another point. While my church (and many others in Nashville) has an abundance of great musicians, others don't. This is especially true if you live in a rural area. For those churches, I think simplicity in music is a very good idea. Too many churches want to do "contemporary" music, and immediately think that means elaborate instrumentation. Unfortunately, too often the music suffers as a result of inexperienced musicians. Most churches would benefit from having fewer instruments in worship, but played by exceptional players. I would rather have one 60-year-old grandmother who plays piano by ear and listened to The Beatles when she was a teenager than bass, drums, and electric guitar played by young guys who don't play skillfully.

I hope this has been helpful (or at least mildly entertaining!). I'm not an expert by any measure.

God controls everything! With one small exception.

2007-01-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

This video has been making the rounds, but I couldn't help but post it here. A few people have already noted the contrast between this song and "My Lord I Did Not Choose You."

I hope that even those who agree with the theology of this song can see that the logic it uses probably isn't the best way to make a case.

Me? I'm not really interested in the debate, I just love what happens at the :49 mark.

Music: Best of 2006.

2007-01-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

Happy new year, everybody! Sorry I didn't get this post in by the end of 2006, but it'll have to do. Here's my take on the year's music.

Best Records Of The Year

Jars of Clay : Good Monsters
Jars' best record. Oh yes, I said it. Better than their debut (though sentimental attachment to the self-titled will no doubt keep others from agreeing with me). "Work" is a brilliant rock song (and will melt your face when you hear them open with it in concert), "Dead Man (Carry Me)," "Oh My God," "Light Gives Heat"-- any of these could be the best song on the album, but instead all of them are. And the songs I've not mentioned are still better than the best songs on other bands' records. I hope this can get a second promotional wind in 2007, because it deserves it.
The Beatles : Love
Here's the setup: Cirque de Soleil gets permission to do a Las Vegas show based on the music of The Beatles. A soundtrack album is commissioned, put together by George Martin's son. This should have been, at best, a bore. Instead, it's a revelation. Songs are blended together in surprising ways, and the sonically stunning mixes make you realize all over again that The Beatles made perfect music.

Andrew Osenga : The Morning
Former lead singer of The Normals' third solo CD is his best-sounding yet, and there are songs on here that I will love for the rest of my life. The album's only fault is that it doesn't hold together as cohesively as his other two do. But in an age of iPod shuffles, maybe that doesn't matter so much-- this is a must-buy. Oh, and I even get name-checked on the song "House Of Mirrors" (which also happens to be the best song on the record).

Red Hot Chili Peppers : Stadium Arcadium
I know, I know. Their lyrics are offensive. And I'm not talking about some of the suggestive things-- the sheer absurdity of the lyrics are offensive to the ear. Still, I can't get enough of this record, and probably listened to it more than any other 2006 release. And it's a double album, no less. Their harmonies and John Frusciante's guitar playing are sheer musical pleasure.

Griffin House : Homecoming
Singer-songwriter and Best Rock Star You've Never Heard Of. "Live To Be Free" is the best single that will never get played on the radio. I heard that Homecoming is not getting a CD release, so be sure to pick it up on iTunes or eMusic.

Daniel Tashian : The Lovetest
The Bees' lead singer makes the most fun record of the year, and barely bothers to mention it, much less put it out for people to buy it. Download it for free here.

Thom Yorke : The Eraser
I want a new Radiohead album. This'll do quite nicely for now.

Worth Mentioning

Easy Star All-Stars : Radiodread
Reggae version of Radiohead's OK Computer. Sounds like it would be terrible, but is actually captivating, and a reminder that Radiohead are some of the best songwriters out there.

David Mead : Tangerine
Nashville pop virtuoso moves to a more "expansive sound" on this record, but I don't like the songs as much as his previous albums.

Wilco : Kicking Television
Live record from an amazing live band. I saw them at the Ryman this year.

Sandra McCracken : Gravity|Love
Strong collection of songs from one of Nashville's best, though Peter Collins' production is too bland in places for my taste.

Matthew Perryman Jones : Throwing Punches In The Dark
MPJ finally returns after too many years, and I'm so glad he did. "Refuge" is his best song yet, though this record is full of great tunes.

Counting Crows : *New Amsterdam: Live at Heineken Music Hall
A live record that reminded why I love this band.

Johnny Cash : American V: A Hundred Highways
Didn't catch my ear as much as his previous records, or the excellent Unearthed, which I gorged myself on in 2005.

Katy Bowser : All Of My Friends
Quirky? Yes. Americana? Yes, whatever that means. Subversive? Absolutely. Katy comes back with an EP that will disarm you with its charm (including its packaging-- get the CD rather than the digital version) and lightness, but runs deep with truth and beauty.

Leigh Nash : Blue On Blue
Nice pop album from the former Sixpence singer. Good tunes, but of course not as good as Matt Slocum's were. "My Idea Of Heaven" is a wretched song that is the unfortunate first single. If that's all you've heard, give the rest of the record a chance.

The Bees : High Society
Not as good as Starry Gazey Pie, but still amazing. Love these guys.

Red Mountain Church : Help My Unbelief
My friend Clint wrote much of this record and co-produced. Red Mountain's best yet.

Tom Petty : Highway Companion
I had high hopes for this collaboration with Jeff Lynne. Doesn't have the magic or the big songs that I need from Petty. Still good though.

David Bazan : Fewer Moving Parts
Bazan drops the Pedro The Lion name and makes an EP. A little too biting at times, but I look forward to his first solo LP.
Mute Math : Mute Math
Just got this last month. MM are the band that I want to hate (for their uber-hipness and absurd lawsuit), but they are undeniably good and this record delivers.

The Cardigans : Super Extra Gravity
Nothing compared to Long Gone Before Daylight, but "I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer" is one of the best rock songs of the year. "Don't Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds)" is superb as well.

Records I Didn't Hear But Should Have

Bob Dylan : Modern Times
Several of my friends loved this record. I've never been a huge Dylan fan simply because I see him as more focused on lyrics than on melody, and I'm a sucker for melody.

Willie Nelson : Songbird
Ryan Adams produced this record, with The Cardinals as Willie's band. I'll get it soon, but I've heard it didn't turn out as well as it should have.

Beck : The Information
Don't know why I don't have this one yet. Beck live on SNL was one of my favorite musical moments of the year.

Jeff Tweedy : Sunken Treasure
I actually own this but haven't listened or watched yet. For shame.

Biggest Disappointments

U2 : U218 Singles
A single-disc "greatest hits" for your favorite band is bound to disappoint, but this is really terrible. Not only is nothing included from Boy, October, Zooropa, or Pop, but the sequence makes no sense whatsoever. "Window In The Skies" is wonderful though.

Gwen Stefani : The Sweet Escape
She could be great. "Wind It Up" is the worst single of 2006. I bought "Early Winter" and "Wonderful Life" from iTunes, and that's all I'm getting from this train wreck.

Most Anticipated of 2007

Derek Webb - I hope the FreeDerekWebb campaign (that he did for Mockingbird) helped raise his profile enough to make people take notice of this next record, as he is one of the great songwriters (and singers, for that matter) of our time. Expect rock.

U2 - Oh, please get this out by November 2007, guys. Rick Rubin is producing. Supposedly they're taking it to the next level. Here are my expectations: not experimental like I want them to be, but more intricate melodies and harmonies than they've ever had. Can't wait.

Wilco - Love them. Not too thrilled with the song I heard on Conan, but I'm sure I'll warm to it.

Ryan Adams - Rumor has it that after a one-year hiatus from releasing records (ha), Ryan is going to put out three new albums in 2007. Bring it.

Counting Crows - Finally. Hard Candy was like, a century ago. This one is almost done, I hear.

Daniel Lanois - This one is speculation, but I'd love a new (non-instrumental) record from Dirty Dan in 2007.

Fountains Of Wayne - It's called Traffic and Weather, and it should have melodies for miles.

Radiohead - I'm hoping that this one will be their best since OK Computer.

Jeremy Casella - Jeremy is going to gain many new fans with his upcoming record, which will be very different from anything he's ever done.

How about you? What music were you listening to in 2006? What are you looking forward to hearing in 2007?

All I Owe: "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing"

2006-12-26T14:25:00.000-08:00

This is the first in a ten-part series of posts about the songs on my new record, All I Owe, available here and at iTunes.

"Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing"

Before we started recording, I knew that I wanted to bookend the album with the traditional versions of “Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing” and “Nothing But The Blood.” I had been playing “Nothing But The Blood” in concert for several years, so I had a general idea of how I wanted it to sound, but I didn’t know how we should approach “Come Thou Fount.” On the day we tracked it, my thought was to make it as short and simple as possible, almost as a prelude at the beginning of the album.

After the tracking sessions were done, Cason [Cooley, producer] and I were thrilled with how the songs turned out—except for “Come Thou Fount.” The “short and simple” idea hadn’t worked at all, and what we ended up with was painfully boring, and certainly no way to start the record.

Over the next few months we worked on the other songs, and I nervously wondered what we were going to do. Should we scrap “Come Thou Fount” entirely? Re-record it? Did I need to write a different hymn to replace it? If so, where would we get the budget and players to do another session?

Cason decided to try and work with what we had, and spent a few hours chopping up the existing track, moving sections around and extending them. While I liked that idea in theory, the result was kind of a mess and didn’t solve our problem.

A few days later, after we had recorded a vocal on another song, Cason pulled up the “Come Thou Fount” track and tried an idea on piano. The section you now hear in between verses quickly emerged. Cason then suggested we add a second drum kit on top of the existing one (we had done this on Even When My Heart Is Breaking’s “’Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus”). Donnie Boutwell, whose studio we used to track the Even When My Heart Is Breaking record, had emailed my wife to let her know he’d like to give us some studio time as a baby gift (our son was due in October). Conveniently, Donnie is also a drummer, so Cason and I stopped by one day and knocked out the additional drums in a couple of hours.

I love the end result (we call it a “Frankenstein track”), which is so much better than I had originally envisioned and is a fitting start to the record, musically and thematically.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above.

That lyric says so much—it’s honest about who I am and how often I want to run away from God, yet it doesn’t suffer from the delusion (as so many Christian songs do) that it is up to me to fix the problem. It cries out to God to seal my heart, knowing that only he has the power to save me from myself.

Listen to All I Owe for free.

2006-12-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hmm. I seem to have gone a month without blogging. I'll try to get back into the swing of things soon.

In the meantime, here are a few points of interest:

I'm streaming my entire new record for free this month at PureVolume. Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your enemies.
If you are looking for Christmas presents, cash-saving 4-packs of All I Owe are available at the Indelible Grace Store until December 18th.
Into that newfangled digital stuff? All I Owe is now available on iTunes.

Cason and Will on Conan tonight.

2006-11-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

Cason Cooley, who produced my record, and Will Sayles, who played drums on it, are going to be on Late Night With Conan O'Brien tonight playing with Mat Kearney. This is a big dream come true for our little community of musicians, and I'm so excited for them!

Happy birthday to me.

2006-11-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

I turned 28 today. I'm in The Apple Store in Omaha (which, as you may know, is located somewhere in middle America) and am going to leave to drive to Lincoln in a few minutes. If you are around that area, come celebrate my birthday with some hymns!

By the way, these are amazing.

Dangerously underpopulated.

2006-11-04T12:19:00.000-08:00

The midwest tour has been a lot of fun so far, with a very warm reception everywhere I've gone. Apparently, Midwesterners have a good sense of humor, as they laugh at the jokes I tell that get crickets elsewhere. (Every musician wishes he were a comedian, and every comedian wishes he were a musician.)

The big shock of this trip has been seeing the vast expanse of nothingness between cities. In the south and east, there is a small town every couple of miles on the interstate. A few days ago, as I drove from St Joe, MO to Ames, IA, I became terribly afraid that my little rental car would run out of gas and I would die, cold and alone, in the middle of an abandoned cornfield. (Which would be ironic, since gas in Iowa is made out of corn. No joke. The state government subsidizes it.)

A Shell station appeared in the nick of time, rising like a phoenix from the cornfields. I stopped, and as I filled the tank, I noticed that the station was abandoned. It was a self-serve only station. As in, "we are in the middle of nowhere and there are not enough people around to justify manning this gas station."

I'm beginning to think that this country is dangerously underpopulated.

Midwest Tour.

2006-11-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning a short Midwest tour today, playing plenty of songs from the new record in addition to Indelible Grace favorites. If you live in these areas, please spread the word. See you there!

November 1 St. Joseph, MO
November 2 Ames, IA
November 3 Omaha, NE
November 4 Lincoln, NE
November 5 Fremont, NE

Venue and time details here.

T-Shirt.

2006-10-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

Getting my model on.

The t-shirts for the Deluxe orders came in last week from the printer and they look spiffy. I'll have these on tour next month as well, plus one other design, but if you are reading this post before Tuesday, you can still get one of these included with the Deluxe pre-order. See the "Add To Cart" button on the right column of this blog. For more info on what's included in the Deluxe package, click here.

Approach My Grainy Video's Seat.

2006-10-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

Someone posted this grainy video of the band and me playing "Approach My Soul" on YouTube. I should talk less! We are probably cutting this song from the setlist this fall, so if you haven't seen us live in the past five years, this might be your only chance to see it.

If you have any (hopefully better quality) video of me playing live, post it on YouTube and let me know. Also, feel free to bring a video camera to one of the concerts next month.

A new Smith.

2006-10-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

Matthew and Alice proudly announce a new Smith.

Evan Edge Smith

Stats:
-10/07/06
-4:22 am
-7 lbs
-7 hours of labor
-20.5 inches long
-Calling him "Evan"
-Unbelievably awesome

Alice and Evan.

Hello, world.

Kevin Twit, Evan, and me

All I Owe album cover, Deluxe pre-order

2006-09-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the final album cover. The designer, Micah Kandros, did such a great job on different mockups that I had the hardest time deciding which one to go with, but I think this one captures what I'm going for the most with this record. I've updated my MySpace page with the tracks "All I Owe" (which is a new recording, different from the one on Even When My Heart Is Breaking) and "Nothing But The Blood."

I've also added a Deluxe pre-order option (see the upper-right column of this blog), which includes:

-Autographed cover
-Individual numbering (first 300 copies only)
-All I Owe T-Shirt
-Digital Songbook (lead sheets for all the songs)
-Stream the entire album early
-Clean water for one African for one year through Blood:Water Mission

I really wanted to do this Deluxe thing to offer something fun for people, and have been happy to see that most people who have pre-ordered today have gone for the Deluxe option. I hope to have a pic of the t-shirt up before long (I've got a couple of different designs that I need to choose between).

I'm especially excited about being able to provide clean water for one African for one year through Blood:Water Mission with each Deluxe pre-order. I've been wanting to do something to help spread the word about Blood:Water's work, and I hope that this will be a good way to introduce many people to what they do in being the hands and feet of Jesus to the poorest of the poor in our world.

I hope to start blogging soon about the hymns on this new album; I feel so deeply connected to them and their writers (including Charles Wesley, Anne Steele, John Newton) that writing music for the texts feels very much like co-writing. More soon.

FreeDerekWebb.com

2006-08-31T22:22:00.000-07:00

Derek Webb is giving away his latest record, Mockingbird, starting today, for a limited time. These are high-quality 192kbps MP3s of the entire record, not samples.

This is one of my favorite records, and was co-produced by Cason Cooley, who is producing All I Owe. Even if you already own Mockingbird, consider using the site to tell your friends about it.

If you need to hear some of the songs first, go to Derek's MySpace page, then get your download on over at FreeDerekWebb.com.

Jesus Camp.

2006-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

It's easy for me to forget that this is the kind of stuff that happens in so many churches (and church camps) around the country. A religiosity divorced from the real Jesus, a zeal without knowledge, an "us vs. them" mentality that is so different from reality. Sobering and frightening.

Portland Studios shirts.

2006-08-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

My mad genius friends over at Portand Studios launched a line of t-shirts today. Here are my two favorites:

You can buy these and others for a mere $10 each at their store. And you should, because many establishments will not allow you to enter shirtless. (Up next: Portland Studios shoes?)

Body Piercing on worship music.

2006-08-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Worship tunes tend to evince an adolescent theology, one that just can't get over how darn cool it is that Jesus sacrificed himself for the world. "Our God is an awesome God." "Oh Lord, you are glorious." "How can it be/That you, a king, would die for me?" Moreover, it's self-centered in a way that reflect evangelicalism's near-obsession with having a personal relationship with Christ. It's me Jesus died for. I just gotta praise the Lord.

Not for nothing is "Amazing Grace," which marvels at the author's salvation, one of the few traditional hymns to be regularly included in modern worship services. Absent is any hint of community found in hymns such as "The Church Is [sic] One Foundation" -- the Jesus of worship music is a mentor, a buddy, a friend whose message is easily distilled to a single command: praise me. Not "feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner." Simply thank him for his gift to you (and make sure to display copyright information at the bottom of the screen so royalties can be disbursed).

--Andrew Beaujon, from Body Piercing Saved My Life

"How Helpless" and "My Lord I Did Not Choose You" on MySpace.

2006-08-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

I've posted two songs from my new record, "How Helpless" and "My Lord I Did Not Choose You," over on my MySpace page. Feel free to leave me a comment here or on MySpace and let me know what you think. Be kind. I am ever-so-fragile.

You can now pre-order All I Owe on the right column of this blog as well. All pre-orders will come autographed, and the first 500 will be individually numbered.

Thanks for all your support as I've recorded, toured, blogged, and stumbled towards some kind of connection-- with you, these hymns, God, and reality. Here's one more step in that process.

I get by with a little help from my friends.

2006-08-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Cason and I spent most of last week recording some final overdubs for my album, half of which has now gone to mix. I am so thankful for my friends being willing to take the time to come help make this great. I'll let you hear some of it soon.

Sandra McCracken, who is amazing at arranging background vocals as well as singing them.

Cason Cooley, trying to throw his arms around the world.

Andrew Osenga, singing while wearing a guitar for no particular reason.

Jeremy Casella, lending his truly amazing acoustic guitar skills to a track.

Vote for Katy.

2006-08-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

Katy Bowser is in the running to be included on a compilation CD by American Songwriter magazine. If you enjoy her music, please consider voting for her. Under the rules of the contest, each fan is allowed to vote up to ten times per day through August 25th. The voting ad is on the right side of the page, and once you've registered and asked some simple questions, you won't need to answer them again. Go here to vote.

It has come to my attention that at least one artist is cheating by voting for themselves 100 times a day through ten different email accounts, so lets stick it to them and win this one for Katy.

Photo shoot.

2006-08-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, photographer Micah Kandros and I spent the afternoon taking some pics for my record. Mixes of the songs are coming in too. More soon.

Body Piercing Saved My Life review.

2006-08-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

I finished reading Body Piercing Saved My Life a few days ago, and loved it. The book looks at Christian music (specifically Christian rock) from an outsider's perspective, delving into it by attending Christian festivals (both Cornerstones) and events (Calvin College's Festival of Faith and Music), interviewing musicians and industry leaders, and attending Gospel Music week.

The author, Spin and Washington Post writer Andrew Beaujon, is not unbiased (as if there were such a thing), but it's clear that he truly wants to understand not only the music, but the people behind it, rather than settle for caricatures. Whether he's talking to Christian Goths or risking his life in the passenger seat of Tooth & Nail Records founder Brandon Ebel's car, he's always prodding to find out what makes these Christians tick. Near the end of the book, this results in some fairly moving words of advice to other non-Christians on how to understand Christians.

If there is a constant character in the book (other than Beaujon himself), it's David Bazan, who pops up in four separate locations around the country to join the author for conversation, beer, and ill-timed pancakes. I found Bazan fascinating (and sadly, even more of a tragic figure than I expected), though I expect most Christian readers will be confused by his prominence in the book. His honesty and humanity seem to keep Beaujon grounded. The proof of this is that Bazan of course isn't there for Gospel Music Week, which is the only time where Beaujon seems like he is in danger of coming unglued. And the reader doesn't blame him at all for it.

I was pleasantly surprised by how many of my friends and aquaintances make significant appearances (Steve Taylor and Jay Swartzendruber, who I worked with when I interned at the now-defunct Squint Entertainment, John Davis, who is gleefully described as a "freaking monster" on guitar, and David Dark, whose quirky speaking style hilariously flies right past Beaujon). I loved that he didn't focus on the "stars" of Christian music, but sought out the behind-the-scenes folks who are all well-respected and intelligent spokesmen for a complex and diverse subject.

The only serious misstep is a chapter about abortion activism; while it would have been an interesting article, it seems out of place in the context of the book. A chapter about Marc Driscoll also strays a bit from the theme, though it seems like a fairly accurate portrayal.

The author's own faith (or non-faith) plays a curious role; while he reveals more of himself as the book goes on, and at one point gives the reader a very personal look into his history, not once in the book or in the interviews I've read does he discuss his thoughts on the questions central to Christianity, e.g. Was Jesus God? Did he physically rise from the dead? While I didn't expect the book to turn into a personal religous account, it's difficult to see Beaujon engage with so many thoughtful Christians and never seem to engage with Christ himself. Maybe he did though, and considered it too personal and/or self-indulgent to include.

I would very much recommend Body Piercing to anyone who is interested in Christian music, formerly interested in Christian music, or who finds evangelical Christians strange and needs help understanding their subculture.

Square Peggers at Radio Cafe.

2006-08-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Square Peg folks have started a residency at East Nashville's Radio Cafe, and last night I went to show some support. It was Sandra McCracken, Derek Webb, Randall Goodgame, Chris Mason, and Eric Peters. We weren't able to stay for the whole thing, but it was fun. Derek played "I Want A Broken Heart" and "Can't Lose You," and Sandra played "No More Tears" and "Goodbye George," the latter which is on her new album, Gravity | Love.

Pierce Pettis added a C chord to one of Randall's songs.

David Bazan on being a fraud and clinging to Jesus.

2006-08-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

While reading Body Piercing Saved My Life, I've been reminded of a seminar that David Bazan (formerly of Pedro The Lion) gave at Calvin College in 2003. I don't agree with Bazan about everything (do I agree with anyone about everything?), but his comments at this seminar had a profound effect on me when I read them about a year ago. It's the most clear description of the emotional life of a Christian that I've ever read, and how being honest with yourself about what a fraud you are enables you to see, and ultimately worship, Jesus for who He is. Here are his words, from the seminar transcript (fair warning, he uses some appropriately strong language):

I used to think when I was a little kid, I remember reading about Enoch—it was just a lineage, in the midst of the lineage it broke in and told the story of one of the generations of dudes—[who] walked with God so closely that he went to heaven without dying. I was like five or six, and I remember reading that story and thinking to myself—even at five or six years old—that, “Man, that would be so great.” I realized a longing for it to be that way and then, in the same instance, I knew—it’s so weird—but I knew . . . I just kind of gave up and I thought, “Though that would be really cool, I already know that that’s not really possible for me.” At five, I already knew what a fuckup I was. It was already so clear to me.

(then, a bit later)

There’s this thing that happens where we’re approached by God and we’re drawn to respond. Traditionally, I would be drawn to respond and I would realize what an utter fraud I was, and I’d run the other way because I would realize, not only am I totally unworthy, but I would start out by saying, “I love you, God.” And I would realize what a total lie that was; I didn’t love God. If I did, why had it been three weeks since I had last prayed, or why had I masturbated that day when I really didn’t want to do that, or why couldn’t I stop swearing, or whatever it was that was my particular thing.

Now, because I believe what the gospel says is true, I can accept intellectually, on faith, that whenever I approach God, if I do so by faith, that there’s no issue. I know for a fact that I’m a fraud, I know for a fact that my going to him is self-serving in and of itself. And yet, I believe that because I do so in faith, clinging to Jesus’ righteousness, that he sees me as Christ and he welcomes me with open arms. And so that elicits an emotional response that is extremely satisfying. It satisfies my most basic need as a human being and that is to be loved by the Being that I was imprinted upon from the beginning. So there’s very little conflict in the basis of my understanding of faith, and yet in the outworking of it there’s a lot of conflict because I feel a lot of anger and even--ironically enough--self-righteousness about the way that Christianity goes and has gone. In that case there is some conflict, but in those particular cases there’s nothing that I can really settle on intellectually that is conflicting with it. It’s just a lot of ambiguities both emotionally and intellectually. I’d like to find some things out, but ultimately, if I didn’t know another thing for the rest of my life I think it would be kind of all right because that one thing does work and it is true and I can’t escape it. I don’t even know if I would want to, but I can’t and that’s the thing that’s so beautiful about it.

Here are a few questions I'd like to ask you blog readers. You don't have to answer all of them, but maybe pick out one or two and post a comment. If it's too personal, that's ok, but please do take a minute to at least ask these questions of yourself.

1. Have you ever come to God and felt he'd accept you, forgive you, or at least listen to you because of your sincerity, good motives, or a pure heart? If so, why?

2. Have you ever decided to not approach God, because you knew you were inherently insincere and self-serving? What was the result?

3a. If you are a Christian and go to church, and have had emotional experiences in worship services, what has prompted them?

3b. If you feel yourself to be insincere in telling God you love him, how has that played out emotionally when you sing songs in church where the point of the song seems to be to tell God of your love for him?

4. What other thoughts or longings did Bazan's words prompt within you?

Body piercing.

2006-08-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

I've been recording vocals for my album with Cason this week, which, as always, is both difficult and satisfying. In between vocal takes I've been reading a book called Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside The Phenomenon Of Christian Rock, which I found out about through Shaun Groves. It's by Spin writer Andrew Beaujon, and he writes about his experiences at places like Cornerstone Festival, Tooth & Nail Records' offices, and even the home of David Bazan (Pedro The Lion, Headphones) as he tries to understand the history and current appeal of Christian music. It's fascinating to read someone's thoughts about Christian music who is neither a Christian nor hostile/cynical. I'll try to write more thoughts about it after I'm done. In the meantime, here's a great interview with the author, and here's another interview that's not quite as good, but worth reading if you need to learn more. The book is available here.

Blueberries.

2006-08-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Friday night, while my wife was out of town, I drove across town to Harris Teeter to get some sushi. Grocery store sushi isn't the best, but I didn't have many options. While I was there, I noticed that fresh blueberries were on sale. I grabbed a couple of pints and some sushi and went home, where I watched Part 1 of the Bob Dylan documentary No Direction Home (which was great). I ate almost the entire first pint of blueberries.

Folks, these things are good. They are like candy, except they are a SUPERFOOD. Broccoli is also a superfood. Don't get me wrong, I like broccoli, but I'm just saying, blueberries are a superfood too. And they're in season right now. Dig it.

Listen: Jeremy Casella - 10,000 Angels.

2006-08-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

I know I've mentioned this before, but I just can't recommend Jeremy Casella's 10,000 Angels EP enough. It is simply as perfect as a record can get. Go over to his MySpace and listen to "Grace" and "Love That Will Not Let Me Go" (not to be confused with "O Love That Will Not Let Me Go"), experience a fraction of the beauty of this project, and then please, please go buy it at his site (he's got some good combo specials too). This is the kind of timeless music that I will love for the rest of my life.

Evangelistic worship?

2006-08-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, Shaun Groves posted a link to a discussion on another blog about music in worship. These two questions were asked (among others):

Should we be more sensitive to the lyrics of the worship songs we use when our services are trying to connect with people who are unchurched? Is it possible to worship God while remaining sensitive to people who are not yet Christ-followers?

There is a lot of confusion on this subject. The best resource to answer this question is, not surprisingly, provided by Tim Keller in his paper "Evangelistic Worship" (PDF) (thanks to Steve McCoy for making this easy to find through his Tim Keller Resources page). It's not just about music, but about the entire worship service. Here's an excerpt from the section "Preach Grace":

The one message that both believers and unbelievers need to hear is that salvation and adoption are by grace alone. A worship service that focuses too much and too often on educating Christians in the details of theology will simply bore or confuse the unbelievers present...This does not mean we should not preach the whole counsel of God, but we must major on the "ABC's" of the Christian faith. If the response to this is "then Christians will be bored", it shows a misunderstanding of the gospel. The gospel of free, gracious justification and adoption is not just the way we enter the kingdom, but also the way we grow into the likeness of Christ. Titus 2:11-13 tells us how it is the original, saving message of "grace alone" that consequently leads us to sanctified living: "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 the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the appearing of our great God and savior Jesus Christ." Many Christians are "defeated" and stagnant in their growth because they try to be holy for wrong motives. They say "no" to temptation by telling themselves "God will get me" or "people will find out" or "I'll hate myself in the morning" or "it will hurt my self-esteem" or "it will hurt other people" or "it's against the law--I'll be caught" or "it's against my principles" or "I will look bad." Some or all of these may be true, but Titus tells us they are inadequate. Only the grace of God, the logic of the gospel, will work. Titus says it "teaches" us, it argues with us.

Therefore, the one basic message that both Christians and unbelievers need to hear is the gospel of grace. It can then be applied to both groups, right on the spot and directly. Sermons which are basically moralistic will only be applicable to either Christians OR non-Christians. But Christo-centric preaching, preaching the gospel, both grows believers and challenges non-believers. If the Sunday service and sermon aim primarily at evangelism, it will bore the saints. If they aim primarily at education, they’ll bore and confuse unbelievers. If they aim at praising the God who saves by grace they’ll both instruct insiders and challenge outsiders.

This is one of the reasons why I think churches should sing good hymns. They point to God's grace, which is our only hope to be set free from our self-obsession, our focus on what we do and what we're worth. As long as we define ourselves apart from grace, both Christians and those who aren't Christians will remain isolated from one another, politicizing each other rather than seeking to understand and even love one another. Grace takes the wind out of the sails we've sown for ourselves to make our lives work, and calls us to look to Jesus and the work he's accomplished instead.

If God's free grace given to us in Jesus isn't the focus of a worship service (the singing, the preaching, etc.), then "worship" is merely another worthless religious self-delusion.

There's so much more to be said about this subject-- what are your thoughts?

Lord, take me home to the peaceful valley.

2006-08-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Clint and his wife Liz drove up from Birmingham last night, and we all went to dinner with Cason and his girlfriend (yes ladies, the Handsome Hobbit is taken). Clint has grown a new beard, which doesn't look respectable at all, making it all the more awesome.

We walked from the restaurant to the Ryman Auditorium (former home of the Grand Ole Opry blah blah blah), to see Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. I had an extra ticket (which my wife had to give up to fly instead to Estes Park, Colorado, where she is giving seminars about MySpace, judging semifinals, and taking in beautiful scenery) that someone else was going to use but bailed at the last minute. As we approached the entrance, Cason saw a friend of his and screamed "WILLIAM!" You see, Cason and William have been on the road playing with Matthew Perryman Jones for the past couple of weeks, and they had already had a conversation about the Ryan Adams concert, and how William needed a ticket.

So we entered the hallowed hall, and as Cason got his own tickets from will call, a grateful William turned to me and explained that his name was actually Matt. You see, Cason has the unique ability to tour with someone for days on end, in close, cramped conditions, and still consistently get his name wrong.

The concessions booth had no line (everyone was in the beer line instead), so I briefly considered getting popcorn and a drink. I actually ordered the combo, but when the popcorn was plopped down in front of me, it was in a box shaped liked the Ryman building. I yelped "I take it back! I take it back!" and ran away, terrified.

The concert was good, but the setlist could have been better, and the drunk audience was annoying. The band opened with"Peaceful Valley," which was probably my personal highlight of the night. Most of the songs from Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Nights were excellent. Overall, too many covers, jams and tepid new songs for my taste. Ryan Adams is truly one of the great artists of our time, so I guess I shouldn't complain when I've been able to see him two years in a row. If you've never heard his music, I would recommend Love Is Hell or Cold Roses to begin.

Ooh, my camera's not so good.

Gentrification and the Church.

2006-08-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

I'm a part of a church in East Nashville, an area of town that is going through re-gentrification-- it used to be a wealthy area of town, then became the "bad part of town," and now going through a renewal, including soaring house prices (Some friends that are moving recently put up their house for sale at $329,000. It probably would have gone for less than $100,000 five years ago).

My church is here to care for East Nashville, including its residents who live below the poverty line. Economic diversity in our church is a goal, where the rich and poor worship and serve together side-by-side. However, many of the poor are being pushed out of this part of town because of rising property values. I learned a lot from an article in ByFaith Magazine titled "Gentrification With Justice," which is worth reading if you live in a city and would like to think through some of these issues.

My wife is going to take a course from the Chalmers Center For Economic Development this coming January to learn more. By the way, my wife is wicked smart.

Second Huntsville Sunday.

2006-07-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

Got back last night from our second Sunday at Southwood Presbyterian-- here are the songs that we played in morning worship:

Song Of Praise – Come Ye Sinners

Song of Confession (solo)– Jesus I Come

Songs of Thanks
1) O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
2) On Jordan’s Stormy Banks

Offertory (solo) – None Among*

Song of Preparation –Thou Lovely Source Of True Delight

Song After Sermon – Jesus I Am Resting*

Cason and I had lunch AND dinner at Nothing But Noodles (not as good as Noodles and Company but still very good). The evening concert was in their youth building, which is called The Lodge. Cason played acoustic guitar on some songs, and keyboard on others. Here's the setlist:

And Can It Be
His Love Can Never Fail*
Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder
Come Ye Sinners
All I Owe*
I Asked The Lord
My Lord I Did Not Choose You*
Free Grace
-Q&A-
'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus
Be Thou My Vision

Most of these can be found in the RUF Hymnbook.

Thanks to all the volunteers and others who made these past two Sundays happen-- Southwood was great to us, and I'd love to come back sometime soon.

*Songs from my upcoming record, All I Owe.

"All I Owe" lyrics.

2006-07-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

I've noticed (by way of my blog's StatCounter) that a lot of people find my blog by searching for "All I Owe lyrics" or "Matthew Smith All I Owe," and I also frequently get emails asking for the lyrics and chords for that song.

"All I Owe" was first recorded on my EP Even When My Heart Is Breaking (available in the right column of this blog, up near the top), and a new recording of it will be on my album (curiously titled All I Owe), releasing this October. I plan on making the chord charts/lead sheets available closer to the release of the album. Sign up on my email list or become my friend on MySpace if you'd like to be kept updated.

I could also use your help-- I'd love to hear stories of how you've used this song in worship, what it has meant to you personally, etc. I may use a few of your stories and comments as I begin spreading the word about the new album. Just leave a comment on this post, and include your first name, city, and state. Thanks to all of you who have already let me know how this song has encouraged you. If you haven't heard it yet, the EP version is streaming on my MySpace page.

All I Owe
Words by Robert Murray McCheyne and Matthew Smith
Music by Matthew Smith
© 2002 detuned radio music (ASCAP)

When this passing world is done,
When has sunk yon glaring sun,
When we stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o'er life's finished story,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know,
Not till then, how much I owe.

All I owe you paid for me
From all I owe I’ve been set free
And all I owe proves your great mercy to me

When I stand before your throne,
Dressed in beauty not my own,
When I see you as you are
Love you with unsinning heart,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know,
Not till then, how much I owe.

All I owe you paid for me
From all I owe I’ve been set free
And all I owe proves your great mercy to me

Chosen not for good in me,
Wakened up from wrath to flee,
Hidden in the Savior's side,
By the Spirit sanctified,
Teach me, Lord, on earth to show,
By my love, how much I owe.

All I owe you paid for me
From all I owe I’ve been set free
And all I owe proves your great mercy to me

"What The Darks Do."

2006-07-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night my wife and I went to the SYNC @ Nettwerk to see Sarah (Masen) Dark, her husband David Dark, and their daughter Dorothy Day Dark, well, do what the Darks do. The Darks are the proverbial friends-of-friends that I've never really gotten to know, but admire quite a bit.

Before things got underway, we were all handed what can only be described as "skulls on a stick"-- paper cutouts of drawn skulls, taped to a wand-like white stick. I was never quite clear as to their purpose, except that Sarah kept saying something to the effect of "this evening is about death." Attendees whose paper skull had a star on the back were periodically invited to come up and read a word and its definition. The definitions weren't from dictionaries, but were instead written by poets and authors. My skull had a star on the back, but I did not reveal this fact. Probably has something to do with middle-school trauma.

Dorothy Day (seven years old) began the evening proper with a reading of her poetry. Now, I suppose I am not much of a judge of poetry, but I liked it very much. Not in a "isn't it cute that a seven-year-old is writing poetry" kind of way, but in a "wow, that would be good even if a 22-year-old wrote it" kind of way. This was both highly enjoyable and slightly scary, as if she could be a superchild who would use her powerful mind to make me levitate about the room at any moment, my arms and legs flailing about, helpless.

Next was David, writer of such books as Everyday Apocalypse and The Gospel According To America (the latter which I own, have attempted to read twice, and failed to finish for now). He read short portions of fiction and invited us to come up to him afterwards if any of them sounded like they would be a good novel. They were intriguing, but I would have preferred to hear an entire short story or one of his non-fiction pieces. He has a very unusual voice and I love hearing him read.

Sarah was last, singing first with some friends of hers, then alone with her guitar. She played all new songs, including a few (surprise!) about death. I enjoyed them, but was getting tired. Her voice and playing make me sleepy (always have), but in those last conscious moments, I think "this is wonderful."

There are a couple of younger Darks, not old enough to get on a stage with microphones...I wonder what they will Do when they are older?

Snap snap flash flash.

2006-07-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

I'm looking to buy a new digital camera. I've read lots of reviews, but am having a hard time finding the ideal one. I'm looking for something that has at least a 4x optical zoom, works well in low-light, resists blurriness, and is small enough to fit in my pocket. Are there any that you've used personally that you'd recommend? If so, please do leave me a comment.

Two Beams Of Heaven albums?

2006-07-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

Purgatorio points us to an artist whose album title is the same as the latest Indelible Grace record. Nice. (Thanks to Matt Ward and Kevin Twit for directing me to this.)

I wonder if that amp is loud enough for Athena to hear inside Nashville's Parthenon.

U2's new record leaked by a handheld recorder.

2006-07-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note here to say I just found out that about ~~nine~~ eighteen minutes of bootlegged U2 that have been leaked on the internet...by someone who taped them on a handheld recorder. The band have been in the studio working on their next album, and this sounds like it's the early fruit of their labor. The songs are very melodic, and already feature some great solos from The Edge. I can't wait! Clips page.

"All my life I've been waiting for a moment of you"

"Go-And-Make" vs. "Follow Me."

2006-07-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

Kevin Twit sent me a link to a powerful Christianity Today interview with Rt. Rev. Dr. David Zac Niringiye, assistant bishop of Kampala in the Church of Uganda. In it, he addresses how American Christians, who are at the center of power, often get the church's call wrong. I agree.

What could equip us to be more countercultural, living in a nation that is very much at the center of power?

We need to begin to read the Bible differently. Americans have been preoccupied with the end of the Gospel of Matthew, the Great Commission: "Go and make." I call them go-and-make missionaries. These are the go-and-fix-it people. The go-and-make people are those who act like it's all in our power, and all we have to do is "finish the task." They love that passage! But when read from the center of power, that passage simply reinforces the illusion that it's about us, that we are in charge.

I would like to suggest a new favorite passage, the Great Invitation. It's what we find if we read from the beginning of the Gospels rather than the end. Jesus says, "Come, follow me. I will make you fishers of men." Not "Go and make," but "I will make you." It's all about Jesus. And do you know the last words of Jesus to Peter, in John 21? "Follow me." The last words of Simon Peter's encounter are the same as the first words.

I am a go-and-fix-it person, and part of my coming alive to the Gospel in college was realizing I need Jesus to make me, not me make something -- anything -- for myself.

If you have a heart for Africa (or need one), it's worth reading the rest of the interview.

Sunday morning in Huntsville, AL.

2006-07-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I rose at five o' clock (breakfast: hard-boiled egg, cup of Honey Nut Cheerios, Black Cherry Almond Clif Bar) and drove down with Cason to Huntsville, AL, where we led worship at Southwood Presbyterian. Here are the songs we played:

Song Of Praise – Thy Mercy

Songs of Thanks-
Jesus, What A Friend For Sinners
Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder
Be Thou My Vision

Offering Song (solo) – All I Owe

Song of Preparation – ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

Song After Sermon – I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say

Free sheet music for all of these (except "All I Owe") is available at the RUF Hymnbook Online.

Afterwards we ate ribs (yum) at the home of some old friends before heading back to Nashville. We're going back this coming Sunday to lead worship again, as well as play a concert that night. If you live nearby, we hope to see you there. Info here.

Donald Miller on love as a commodity.

2006-07-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Don understands that, when approached from behind by a rabid, murderous, Cujo-esque dog, it's best to not panic, but smile.

From an interview with Donald Miller at the Leadership Blog:

You've said that the church "uses love as a commodity." What do you mean?

Miller: We sometimes take a Darwinian approach with love—if we are against somebody's ideas, we starve them out. If we disagree with somebody's political ideas, or sexual identity, we just don't "pay" them. We refuse to "condone the behavior" by offering any love.

This approach has created a Christian culture that is completely unaware what the greater culture thinks of us. We don't interact with people who don't validate our ideas. There is nothing revolutionary here. This mindset is hardly a breath of fresh air to a world that uses the exact same kinds of techniques.

What's the alternative?

Miller: The opposite is biblical love, which loves even enemies, loves unconditionally, and loves liberally. Loving selectively is worldly; giving it freely is miraculous.

(then, later in the interview)

Imago [Miller's church] makes me feel parented and not alone. I spoke at Imago right after the election, and a woman, a homosexual, was sitting on the front row with a giant sign that said, among other things, that she hopes our children die, that the legacy of hate will end.

At the end of the service, her sign was laid down in front of the communion table, and she was being held by me, and many others, sobbing as she had never heard truth being presented in love. She had not known the difference between a parental communication of truth and a judgmental, hate-filled communication of truth.

I use love as a commodity all the time. Oh Lord, please change me.

Reciprocity is reciprolicious.

2006-07-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to expand the reach of this little blog, and need your help. If you have a blog, please consider adding a link to mine on yours. Once you do, leave me a comment here with a link to your blog, and I'll add it to the column on the right. I've already added a few of you. Reciprocity is mmm mmm good.

Thrice the Tim Keller.

2006-07-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Steve McCoy's Reformissionary blog points us to three talks by Tim Keller at the recent Reform & Resurge Conference:

Being The Church In Our Culture [audio] [video]
Preaching The Gospel [audio] [video]
Doing Justice [audio] [video]

I like how this pic (falsely) implies that Keller just got finished shredding on that guitar.

Note that these are talks, rather than sermons-- if you're interested in more Keller resources, Steve has a gold mine here.

U2's The Edge on community.

2006-07-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

"There is that community sense that I would associate with the Christian ideal of looking after your neighbor. But it isn't always pretty; in fact it's often very rough. Like do you care enough about someone to risk confronting them with the truth, if it is going to hurt them? That's love in action, real commitment to one another, real community, and it has nothing to do with being nice to everyone at all times. So in some ways rather than being a once a week concept, it's sort of the way we try and live here. And the challenge is to try to move it out further, so there's not just your immediate small community but it's asking, can you get it to be bigger and bigger?" -- The Edge

(from @U2)

This quote is powerful and true. (You might want to read it more than once.)

Do you have real community in your life? Do you want it? Or would it cost you too much?

May God give us all the courage to live in community.

Oh, how I love the rock.

2006-07-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Friday night I went to The Basement to hear my friends Jordan (who did the artwork for Sandra McCracken's The Builder And The Architect) and LT (Laura Taylor, from the Indelible Grace CDs), play in their band, which is called "Dawson Wells, Some Hot Chicks, And Bob." This is perhaps the worst band name I've ever heard, and I wish they would change it to something less ridiculous. It was fun to watch them though, especially LT, who is the drummer. I've long heard of her renewed passion for drumming, and it was good to see her in action. I especially enjoyed their cover of Tom Petty's "Honey Bee."

Following them was Butterfly Boucher, who is my favorite female artist. I hate to say that though, because it sounds sexist. Her first record, Flutterby, is one of the best albums of the past few years, period. I supposed "highly melodic pop-rock" would be a good description of her sound, but you should just hear for yourself. Her backup band was basically a supergroup. Daniel Tashian (from Nashville's The Bees) and singer-songwriter extraordinaire David Mead were both on electric guitar and BGVs, and Marc Pisapia was on drums. Butterfly played bass, which was indescribably good. I am a huge fan of both The Bees and David Mead, so standing just a few feet from this band was completely surreal. Butterfly played six new songs and three from her first record, and said that while her new one is basically finished, there's no release date planned. This drives me crazy.

Butterfly (which is her real name, by the way) writes songs that are both delicate and fiercely passionate (the pictures below are proof of both), with lyrics that capture feelings or experiences that are common to everyone, yet are so unique. If you ever get the chance to see her live, don't miss out. In the meantime, you must get this to make it through the summer.

"Love...don't point, don't scare it..."

That's David Mead on the right. This pic weighs in at an astonishing 7,583 RUs.

More dance party madness.

2006-07-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Have a great weekend.

Matthew mystery solved.

2006-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

So, the mysterious "Matthew S." read my blog and sent me a message through MySpace the other day, letting me know that he is indeed not me. I won't reveal his last name here, but it is, thankfully, not Smith. Just wanted to let you know, as I'm sure that many of you, like me, suspected that this event would unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe!

Curmudgeons dig Indelible Grace.

2006-07-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

Famed curmudgeon Chuck Colson gave a shout-out to Indelible Grace yesterday on his Breakpoint radio show, in a piece called "A Curmudgeon I Shall Be." You can download the MP3 here. Thanks Chuck!

My two favorite curmudgeons.

Weekend with the band.

2006-07-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I played my first concerts with the band (this time: Cason, Tripp, Clint) since February, and had such a good time. First was Conyers, GA, just outside of Atlanta. Lots of folks came out to see us, and I had several good conversations afterwards.

The next day we drove down to Panama City Beach, FL to play at a retreat center for a bunch of Campus Outreach college students. This was perhaps the craziest concert I've ever played. The energy, both from the audience and from the band, was through the roof, and we kept feeding off of each other. It was a blast. Afterwards, they cleared the chairs and had a dance party (???), where this happened:

Later that night, we went out to the beach and talked until 2:30 in the morning. I love these guys so much.

The next morning we got up and drove almost seven hours to Decatur, AL, where we played at Decatur Presbyterian. DPC is the only church where I've played at three times, and it's always fun to go back somewhere you've played before.

We seemed to be playing better than ever, and were just getting going, when the weekend was suddenly over. Time for me to go book some more band dates...

Welcome.

2006-07-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

If this is your first time at my blog (if you're on the Indelible Grace mailing list, you probably just got an email about it), here are a few tips of things you can do:

Please bookmark this page-- or if your browser has a symbol in the lower-right corner that looks like this or this , click on it and subscribe to my blog. It's free.

Download a free MP3 sampler of my EP, Even When My Heart Is Breaking.

Read some past highlights:

Scroll around for yourself, there's some fun stuff here. (Look at the post just beneath this one for a video clip of us recording my new album.)

Enjoy, and feel free to leave a Comment!

Video Preview: "Thy Blood Was Shed For Me"

2006-07-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Cason and I have been working on my solo record for the past couple of months, and I've wanted to somehow post a preview of what it sounds like. Today we recorded electric guitars with Paul Moak on several songs, and I videotaped a bit of it.

Here's Paul adding some guitar to a hymn I wrote music for called "Thy Blood Was Shed For Me." The video itself isn't very interesting (it's choppy because it's dark in the studio, so I had my camera in low-light mode), but hopefully you'll like the music. Post a comment and let me know what you think.

The album will be called All I Owe.

Fourth fun.

2006-07-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

I played a concert last night a little north of here in Goodlettsville, TN for Faith Presbyterian's 4th of July celebration. Hot dogs, pie eating contests and hymns were on the menu. I had a lot of fun, despite the heat. Afterwards, my wife and I drove back to East Nashville and caught the end of the fireworks display and hung out with some friends. Good times.

Old post, new record.

2006-07-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

So...I meant to post these pictures a couple of months ago. Three days after I got back from my trip to Ecuador, I hit the ground running. A full day of booking on that Monday gave way to two days of tracking for my new solo record on Tuesday and Wednesday. I was sick (making my guide vocals both pitiful and painful to hear), but despite my Dayquil-enduced haze, it was an exciting time. The band was Jeff Irwin (bass), Paul Moak (acoustic guitar), and Will Sayles (drums). We tracked six songs in two days at Paul's studio, The Smoak Stack, here in Nashville. Cason Cooley, who produced Even When My Heart Is Breaking and Derek Webb's Mockingbird, is again taking the helm on this project. More soon.

Irwin.

Sayles.

Moak.

Good new music.

2006-07-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

Two new records out this week that you should know about:

Katy Bowser's first record in five years (!!!) is a 6-song EP called All Of My Friends. Many of you know Katy best for "O The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus" on Indelible Grace. This EP marks a new direction for her, taking a turn to the folky, bluegrass side of things. Her husband Kenny Hutson (formerly of Vigilantes Of Love) provides many stringed, acoustic instruments here, and he is pretty much the best Nashville has to offer. Go listen for yourself on her MySpace page. Oddly, my two favorite songs from the EP ("Come On Or Go On" and "The Weight Of The World") aren't previewable there. All that means though, is if you like the three songs that she has up there, you should go ahead and order the EP, knowing that the best is yet to be heard.

This CD comes in a paper bag. No foolin'. You can pack your lunch in it if you want to.

The second record is Red Mountain Music's Help My Unbelief. My Birmingham brethren are the only people who love hymns as much as I do, and they show it by releasing their fourth record in three years (!!!). I haven't actually heard it yet, but I'm sure I will this coming weekend, as RMM co-producer Clint Wells joins me to play some guitar in the Indelible Grace band. Hear it on their MySpace page here, and buy it here.

I am a big fan of triple-exclamation points in parentheses.

MySpace meets real life.

2006-06-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, one of my MySpace Friends (Trey) sent me an email with an idea. He knew that I played house concerts, and he wondered if I could play at his wedding. After a few emails back and forth, and approval from his future father-in-law, I booked my plane ticket and rental car to southeast Texas.

Trey and I conspired together and concocted a harebrained scheme: I would simply hide from the bride until the near the end of the wedding, where I would emerge to play her favorite song. A plan so perfect it could not fail!

And actually, it didn't fail. I came out of hiding at the appropriate moment, and sang Sandra McCracken's "Thy Mercy." The bride must not have liked it though-- she cried and held Trey while I played.

Afterwards, I played some hymns at their reception, and got to see the newly married couple interact with all the joy and excitement that comes with such a beautiful day. I was an outsider looking in, glimpsing their love for one another.

During the traditional Father-Daughter dance, I looked over to a nearby table and saw a framed picture of the bride:I recognized the picture, because I see it every time I log in to my MySpace account. She's in my "Top 8." At that moment, it hit me that, in the vast expanses of the interweb, everyone has a story, and I was able to be a part of two Friends' stories for one day. We share a love for these hymns, a common soundtrack that momentarily brought us together to celebrate.

That's one of the things I love about playing concerts (whether they be solo, with the band, or house concerts): it's a time to celebrate the Gospel together with people who I might have only a fleeting connection with otherwise.

I probably can't play at your wedding (!), but if you're interested in info on having me come share these hymns with you and your community, you can find it over at my site.

Matthew is a common name.

2006-06-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

I was listening in iTunes to some roughs from the solo record I've been working on (I promise I'll write about it soon), and my EP showed up in the "MiniStore" window at the bottom. On a whim, I clicked on it, which took me to my EP page on iTunes. Lo and behold, someone had written a new review, and a very kind one at that:

Theologically sound, and beautiful (5 out of 5 stars)

This 5-song EP is sincere, pure, Godly, and encouraging. Not one song is a let down, and each one gives you a closer look at Jesus and his amazing righteousness, death, and resurrection.

I was happy to read that this person enjoyed my EP, but then I noticed his name-- "Matthew S."

It's hard out here for a Matthew Smith. Matthew and Smith are both very common names. I keep getting Friend Requests from Matthew Smiths on MySpace. I had to get MatthewSmith.us because .com, .net. org, were all taken. And despite all this, I still get called "Matt," and, inexplicably, "Michael," all the time.

But that is neither here nor there. My point is, fellow interwebians, that I did not write this glowing review of my own record, no matter how it might seem. So, if your name is something other than "Matthew S.," "M. Smith," or some other suspiciously similar name, and you enjoy my little debut EP, please avail yourself of the iTunes review system and help a brother out.

Night of rock.

2006-06-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to The Mercy Lounge for Andrew Osenga's CD release show, with opener Matthew Perryman Jones. I wish I had written down a setlist, but Matthew played mostly songs from his new album Throwing Punches In The Dark (including my favorite, "Refuge"), and Andrew showcased his new album, plus Photographs songs "Kara" and "Kankakee." Both guys shared a band, and much rock was had for sure. Andrew even pulled out "Black Dress," an old tune from his days with The Normals. Andrew forgot a bunch of lyrics on several songs, which led to a hilarious episode of him asking a clearly exasperated Cason for lyrics so he could begin a song. This is, of course, one of the reasons why I always have a music stand with lyrics when I play. A music stand is not very rock and roll though. Unless you pick it up and smash it on stage, which is a little questionable, because at that point it's probably obvious that you want to smash something and be all rock and roll, but can't afford to destroy a guitar.

All that to say, it was great to see my friends playing music together, and celebrate the release of The Morning. Read more about Andrew at this interview with Relevant Magazine.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but these dark, blurry shots are probably just worth a few syllables.

Jones with band, including Andrew on lead guitar.

Andrew + Paul Eckberg.

After Andrew's show, I headed over to The Basement (probably my favorite rock venue in Nashville) to hear Taylor Sorensen and The Trigger Code, who, inexplicably, seem to have changed their name to TS & The Trigger Code. Guys, guys. Just change your name to The Trigger Code and be done with it. This "TS" stuff is absurd.

The band blazed through a short and ferocious set of new songs ("The Defender," "I Am Just Like Cain," "Bulletproof," etc.) from the album they've been recording this past month. The band has such a dynamic stage presence and fervor that they are always fun to see in action. (Trigger Code bass player Jeff Irwin is playing bass on the solo album I'm working on right now.)

Taylor rocking so much that my shutter speed can't keep up.

If you cut these guys, they would bleed rock. Then they would punch you in the face, because it's not cool to cut people.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but I prefer to measure in Rock Units (RU).

This picture is worth 1,249 RUs.

Andrew Osenga > Neil Young?

2006-06-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

Battle of the Serious Hat-Wearing Songwriters. Read my airtight argument on Andrew's blog.

Solo tour pics.

2006-06-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the Hunt Valley, MD concert last weekend. Thanks to everyone who made it out to the tour this past month.

Photos by Dan Gerding. Thanks to Brody for sending them.

Imagination and Heroic Obedience.

2006-06-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

I was listening to (Indelible Grace founder) Kevin Twit's podcast and was struck by the following comment, which describes something I've experienced for the past few years but could not find words for until now:

"God really wants our imagination more engaged [in worship]. I had a professor at seminary, Dan Doriani, [who said] one of the problems with legalism is that it really gives no room for the imagination to soar. It just says 'ok, what God wants me to do is this, this, and this, and it's all spelled out for me.' But in reality, what God calls you to is heroic obedience.

He doesn't just give you a list of things to do and say 'Check these things off.' He says 'Live for [My] glory in every aspect of life' and that's going to cause you to think, and pray, and cry out and say 'Lord, help!'

The hymns help engage our imagination and begin to teach us how to use the imagination in the Christian life."

--Kevin Twit, from his Summer Conference Worship talks
Click here to subscribe for free (iTunes required, iPod not required)

Brewing up a house concert.

2006-06-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, about 25 people packed into a top-floor apartment's cozy living room for a house concert here in Philadelphia. I was in a rare mood, telling stories about Isaac Watts and the hymnwriters lonely-hearts club, interacting with questions during the Q&A time, and even taking a request ("Jesus I My Cross Have Taken"). Brownies and ice cream were served, as well as the host's delicious home-brewed beer.

Thanks to Jason and Nicole for being wonderful hosts, and for everyone who came and made it such a fun time.

For info on how to host a house concert, head over to my site.

Solo tourin'.

2006-06-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here in my friend Bob Kauflin's guest bedroom, which he has graciously allowed me to use while he is on vacation and I am on a three-day empty gap during my tour. I've been touring more and more, and am looking ahead to 2007 with excitement and slight trepidation, as more opportunities open up to play band, solo, and house concerts.

It has been an exciting month, including:

my first Northwest concerts ever
a weekend of sun, sand, and shrimp in beautiful Charleston, SC (leading worship at the Proximity Conference with Cason)
and now an extended trip through Virginia and Maryland (with a swing up to Philadelphia for a house concert on Thursday)

Highlights from the tour so far:

having brunch with old-school Indelible Grace contributor Brian Moss in Seattle
catching up with my former pastor, Scotty Smith, in Charleston
Exploring Charleston (Motto: "We're the clean New Orleans!"), including eating amazing barbequed shrimp and grits at 82 Queen
hearing The Morning over the PA before my Danville, VA concert (a reminder that God is in the process of setting all things right)
being surprised by my parents, who drove up to see the Danville concert
passing by Jerry Falwell's personal airport and wondering what the cosmic implications of that must be
the surreal experience of playing "All I Owe" (with a cellist, no less) in front of the fuselage from Oceanic Flight 815 at Fairfax Community
Recording a vocal today for a song called "I Come Running To You" for a new project based on The Valley Of Vision by Bob's Sovereign Grace Music [Update: They aren't going to use my vocal on the final record. Zuh?]

Tomorrow I hope to do some writing for my new record, as well as catch up on responding to emails. If you live in the greater Baltimore or Richmond areas, please come out to the concerts this weekend and be sure to say hi!

Tastes like burning.

2006-06-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

I am lying down, trying desperately to recover from some hot wings I ordered from a place near where I'm staying here in Maryland. I innocently ordered some "original hot" and some "atomic."

I am a fool.

I'll try to recover and then blog about what I've been up to lately.

IG site redux.

2006-05-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't visited lately, we've revamped the Indelible Grace Music site and tweaked it to be even more helpful. Check it out.

Compassion in Ecuador.

2006-05-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my wife Alice and I had the opportunity to go on a trip to Ecuador with Compassion International. If you've been to one of my concerts in the past couple of years, you've heard me talk about the work Compassion is doing. They are a child advocacy ministry which works to release children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults. To see with my own eyes how this happens was a joy and made me even more thankful for the opportunity to invite people to join in this work.

Ecuadorian children go to school for a half-day, so one way Compassion has been able to care for them is to set up supplemental education through churches for the other half of the day several days a week. This not only helps them in their education, but provides a safe place for them to just be kids. There was a palpable sense of care when we visited these places, that the adults truly cared about these kids. Some of you will know what I'm talking about when I say that you can just tell when a child knows they are loved and cared for, and these kids just glowed with it. Even in watching their interactions with each other, there was a sense of childhood playfulness rather than the cruelty kids can often show towards one another. It was beautiful.

These guys are best friends and obviously cooler than me.

The kids loved Alice. Probably because she is awesome.

One, two, three, four: Alice about to throw down on some unsuspecting kid in a thumb war.

It was so refreshing to see how well thought-out and intentional Compassion is in everything they do. From meeting with families, to writing letters to sponsors, to buying the children special Christmas and birthday gifts, with there were systems in place to make sure that time and resources weren't wasted, so that that time and those resources could go to further care for the kids.

My friend Katy (kah-tee)

We were able to visit some homes of families who had one or more children sponsored through Compassion. Their living conditions were very poor, with some houses smaller than a dorm room. It was difficult to realize that some families with several kids might not be able to have more than one of them sponsored, because having a kid's sister or brother sponsored might mean that another family wouldn't be able to have any of their children involved with Compassion. But even having one child sponsored means that a family has a better chance for the future, since that child receives a better education and opportunities.

A family we visited in their home. The boy (on the right) is sponsored through Compassion.

One neighborhood we visited was basically a series of shacks on a steep mountainside, the floors of homes fighting the angle and not quite winning. There we visited mothers and children enrolled in Compassion's Child Survival Program. Several years ago, Compassion realized that many children coming into the main program were underdeveloped, and that by six years old they were already at too great of a disadvantage. They began the CSP in order to teach mothers (even before their babies are born, when possible), how to care for their children and give them the proper nutrition and basic health care. One of the mothers we visited is still a teenager, and without access to the rest of her family, had no idea how often to feed her baby, what to do when he was crying, etc. She shared with us how grateful she is for the Compassion worker who comes once a week to teach her these things, play with her little boy, and share the hope of Jesus with her.

The outskirts of a neighborhood cared for by Compassion's Child Survival Program

Michael, a child in the Child Survival Program

On the other end of the spectrum from the CSP, Compassion has also developed a Leadership Development Program which selects the most gifted kids when they graduate from the main Compassion program and gives them opportunities for higher education. These are people who are studying to become doctors, teachers, government officials, etc. We had dinner with several of them one night, and it was amazing to see that these young men and women, who probably would have grown up to sell Pepsi in plastic cups on the street (a very common profession) had they not been sponsored through Compassion, were talking about their dreams of changing their communities and country for the better. It was striking to see that all of them understood deeply that they had received so much, and were eager to give back-- not out of obligation, but out of gratitude. They spoke of Jesus and sharing his love as they cared for their communities. Words fail to adequately describe the positive domino effect Compassion is having in Ecuador and in other countries.

I hope that I've been able to give you a glimpse into some of what Compassion is doing, and why their work is so vital. Prayerfully consider sponsoring a child-- it is such a simple way to begin caring for the poor, who are close to the heart of Christ. More info can be found here.

Me and the beautiful Erica.

The Tugulinago brothers, who played on Caedmon's Call's Share The Well record.

This is my favorite fruit in the world. I don't know its name, but I call it boogerfruit. This pic has nothing to do with Compassion, but I had to include it.

One thousand.

2006-05-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yippie kai yay, I've hit 1k.

The Making of The Morning

2006-05-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

My friend Andrew Osenga is coming out with his new record, The Morning, this Tuesday. It is well worth getting, and not just because he mentions me by name in one song ("House Of Mirrors"). Find info on how to order it from him here and enjoy the "making of" video below.

Back and busy.

2006-05-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a week since I returned from Ecuador. It was a beautiful trip, and I'll share some pictures and more here soon. (Soonish.)

A few hours after I arrived home, a virus hit me and I've been sluggish ever since. (I'm pretty sure it was an American virus that I had been carrying in my system, rather than an Ecuadorian one.)

This past Tuesday and Wednesday, Cason Cooley and I began tracking my new solo record. I am so excited about it that I can barely contain myself. More on this later, including pics.

Today, I checked in on the always thought-provoking, never-safe blog by Brian T Murphy. Though he has no problem writing paragraphs upon paragraphs of interesting stuff, this wordless post, with a title to put it all in context, took me aback.

After you go there, please consider going here and then here.

Touring recap.

2006-04-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

I usually tour in blocks of time, but over the past month I've played several concerts here and there, sort of spread out. At the beginning of the month I played at a men's retreat in North Carolina. I don't think I've ever played at a men's retreat before, but if they are all like this, I'd be glad to play one again. It was a time of guys being able to be honest about themselves, and receive God's sustaining mercy and grace. The speaker was Al Andrews, who is a Christian counselor who has a ministry to artists called Porter's Call here in middle Tennessee. I've always wanted to meet him, and I finally got the opportunity.

My dad was at the retreat as well, and we had a chance to go fishing, which we probably haven't done together in a decade or so. I caught a fish and some kind of lizard. I decided that I like fishing, but really like fishing with my dad.

Sample conversation at the breakfast table at the retreat:

Dad: "It's probably been ten years since I last had Froot Loops."
Me: "It's probably been two weeks since I last had Froot Loops."

The next night, I played in Charlotte to a small but appreciative crowd at a Methodist church. I talked way too much about how I love Charles Wesley's hymns (which I tend to do whenever I play at a UMC), and had a blast.

Later that week, I played a co-headlining concert with my friend Josh Bales in Chattanooga. It was an unusual concert, and I felt like a never really found my footing; plus, it was more Josh's crowd. But I had so much fun beforehand and afterwards with Josh (who bought me some ribs at my favorite Chattanooga restaurant, Sticky Fingers) talking about theology, liturgy, politics, family, and more.

The next morning I played the chapel at Bryan College in Dayton, TN. Chapels can be kind of hit or miss, as you never know how a crowd is going to react when they're required to be there, but the students were so supportive and encouraging in their comments to me afterwards. I spoke at a worship class over lunch and had a delicious baked sweet potato. If you ever have to eat at the Bryan cafeteria, go for the sweet potato. Trust me. Students' questions were thoughtful and I enjoyed the discussion, though it was unnerving to have people taking notes on things I was saying. At the end of the day, I am really just some kid with a guitar, not a studied academian.

The following week took me to the hollers of eastern Kentucky, not too far from where my wife used to live. I got lost on the way there. A note of advice: don't get lost in eastern Kentucky. Cell phones don't work out there.

I played at Oneida (pronounced Oh-NEED-uh) Baptist Institute, and got a chance to hang out with fellow bloggers (of which I am, by far, the least bloggerific) Mike Spencer and Steve McCoy. Very thoughtful guys, and photogenic to boot:

Bloggers Unite: Michael Spencer (iMonk), me, and Steve McCoy (Reformissionary)
(from Steve's Flickr photostream)

Me in Oneida (photo by Steve)

The next day I drove up to Lexington and played for some folks at UK. Here's one blogger's take on it. On all these solo concerts I've been trying out some new songs (well, old/new hymns; you understand.), which has made me more and more excited about recording them. Cason Cooley and I are going into the studio early next month with an amazing band (more on them later) to begin work on my first full-length solo album. I'll give you more details in a future post, but suffice it to say that I am more thrilled about this project than anything else I've ever done musically.

My wife and I are leaving in a couple of hours to go on a vision trip with Compassion International to Ecuador. I work with Compassion, representing their ministry at concerts, and this will be an opportunity for me to see up close how they go about meeting kid's needs. I don't know if I'll be able to blog while I'm there, but I'll eventually check back in here with pictures and stories. Please pray for our health and safety, and that God will use our time there to show us His heart for the poor and for children.

Watch: Mary J. Blige & U2 - "One"

2006-04-18T00:17:00.000-07:00

What if the greatest soul singer of our time fronted the greatest rock band of our time? And what if they sang one of the most enduring songs of the past fifteen years?

Buy (iTunes)

He is risen.

2006-04-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been a special time of enjoying the risen, incarnate Christ. Conversations with friends (both those who believe and those who don't), and times of worship (corporate and private), have made me more thankful than ever that Jesus actually rose from the dead, with a real, physical body.

The hope of the resurrection hums through me like an electrical current, promising that one day, our redemption will be made complete-- in these bodies that like His, God has made and called good.

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
--Charles Wesley, "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today"

500 Friends

2006-04-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

I hit the 500 friend mark on MySpace...silly, I know, but a small interweb milestone for me.

Listen: Judd & Maggie - "Perfectly"

2006-03-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

"We both know you're the only one who can make me rest perfectly."

Download (free)
Buy
On tour now with Derek Webb through April 9th.

March tour pics

2006-03-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

A couple of shots from our concert in Cincinnati last week:

Setlist from the last two runs:

Come Ye Sinners
And Can It Be
O Come And Mourn
His Love Can Never Fail
Approach My Soul
Thou Lovely Source Of True Delight
All I Owe
Jesus I Come
I Asked The Lord
Free Grace
Arise My Soul Arise
On Jordan's Stormy Banks
Nothing But The Blood

I had so much fun on both of these runs. I'm pretty bummed that I didn't book any more band concerts for the next few months; while I enjoy playing solo, the van is always filled with laughter, music, and discussion, and I count my time with these guys as some of the best moments of my life.

Indelible Grace founder Kevin Twit joined us at the Southern Seminary concert, sitting in on guitar on His Love Can Never Fail, Approach, Arise, On Jordan's, and Nothing But The Blood. He was at the seminary to give lectures on hymns for some of Chip Stam's classes. I love watching him in his element, whether with music or speaking. He gets so much joy out of using his gifts. You can hear for yourself using these links:

Exploring the 'Why' behind the Modern Hymn Movement Part 1 (MP3) -- Lecture Notes (pdf)
Exploring the 'Why' behind the Modern Hymn Movement Part 2 (MP3)
Engaging the Emerging Church with Hymns (MP3) -- Lecture Notes (pdf)

For more lectures, visit Southern's Institute Of Christian Worship lecture page.

Listen: Don Miller on the RELEVANT Podcast

2006-03-13T12:37:00.000-08:00

I recently listened to Don Miller's interview on the RELEVANT podcast and it gave me a lot to think about. I don't agree with everything he has to say, and that is one of the great things about him. He isn't afraid to speak his convictions, and he doesn't shave off the edges in order to appeal to everyone. Pay close attention to the constant nervous laughter by the interviewers.

Part 1 begins a the 10:57 mark.
Part 2 begins at the 32:22 mark.

My favorite quotable moment from the interview:

"Jesus comes down, he draws a circle around himself, and says 'Everybody outside this circle is broken, it's obvious-- look at all of you, you're equal, you're one hundred percent equal. Your only hope is to marry me-- and if you marry me, you'll have my righteousness.'"
Download here (free, iTunes link

February tour pics

2006-03-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the last run. If you live in Kentucky or Cincinnati, come out and see us this week.

In Avon, OH

Tripp and Clint with a Detroit Rock City attitude

Irwin as Jerry Lee Lewis

In Southfield, MI

Square Peg Alliance concert

2006-03-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

Several of my friends formed a sort of singer/songwriter collective called the Square Peg Alliance, and they had their first event this past Wednesday, a release concert for Eric Peters' new CD. Each Square Pegger (?) played one song, and Eric played a bunch.

I took pictures of everyone, and set up a nifty Flickr account to show them, but was thwarted by an unuseful iPhoto plugin that caused me to accidentally max out my uploads for the month. Sigh. Here are three pics:

Matthew Perryman Jones

Sandra McCracken
(who looks like she's playing a rock song, but is actually playing "Springtime Indiana")

Jeremy Casella

Andrew Osenga played a new song, "House of Mirrors," which mentions me by name. That is awesome.

Here's a list of Square Peg Alliance members. Do yourself a favor and check out some music from some very talented folks:

Katy Bowser
Jeremy Casella
Billy Cerveny
Randall Goodgame
Andy Gullahorn
Matthew Perryman Jones
Chris Mason
Sandra McCracken
Andrew Osenga
Eric Peters
Andrew Peterson
Jill Phillips
Derek Webb

(In case you were wondering, I am not a part of the SPA. Though I consider myself a singer/songwriter, I believe that the Peggers were creeped out by my insistence on constantly collaborating with dead people. Understandable.)

Even When My Heart Is Blogging.

2006-03-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, that was what I originally wanted to call my blog. (It's a pun-- the name of my EP is Even When My Heart Is Breaking.) I thought it was hilarious (like many a fool before me, I am often enamored with my own jokes), but worried that people might take it seriously, thus thinking I take myself too seriously. Which I do.

So I settled on "Matthew's Blog," a hideously boring name. It says a lot about how insecure I am when I choose something boring over something where I could potentially be embarrassed/misunderstood.

Any suggestions on what I could change it to?

Listen: Tyler James - "Stay Humble"

2006-02-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

“My comfort and my glory are shaken when I see that my life’s not a story about me.”

Stream
Download (free)
Buy

Who's in the band?

2006-02-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

When I go play concerts with a full band (we call ourselves “Matthew Smith & Indelible Grace,” and we do so with a completely straight face, unless you tickle us), it is a revolving cast of friends who fill in the different instrument duties (bass, drums, electric guitar).

The question I often get asked by concert promoters is “Who’s in the band this time?” Now, this may be completely in my head, but I get the distinct impression that under their breaths, as they wait for my answer, they are whispering “Please say Derek Webb/Sandra McCracken/R.C. Sproul/Bono no whammies no whammies no whammies.” Of course, I am always sad to disappoint them when I tell them three names that they have almost surely never heard of.

So, in case you are wondering, the late February dates will be Tripp Ethridge on drums, Jeff Irwin on bass, and Clint Wells on electric guitar. On the March dates, Cason Cooley will replace Clint. Clint will shake his fist angrily for having to sit out for a keyboard player playing guitar. I love you Clint. (Be sure to check out Clint’s work on the Red Mountain Music records).

Tripp

Interests: photography, asking questions, surgery

Cason

Interests: zoos, massages, Emergen-C, asthma

Clint

Interests: cynicism, answering Tripp’s questions, inappropriate swearing, a surprisingly extensive knowledge of the Bible

Irwin

Interests: pescatarianism, good restaurant service, being reasonable

Me

Interests: freaking out, bad posture, prunes

Please come out to see us, enjoy these hymns, and do say hi afterwards. We are often painfully awkward, but do appreciate it.

Thailand pictures.

2006-02-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

We are back from Thailand. Cason is running a fever and I am still a bit sick as well. We had a great time there, and had many adventures.

Phuket Town

This is what America is exporting to the world.

Restaurant in Phuket Town. Cason got the green curry.

I got the pattai. And looked unusually handsome.

Me on a Valentine's Day dinner "cruise." Not so fun without my wife.

Firedancers overtook our boat. The smell of gasoline was overwhelming. The guy on the far right acted bored and barely did anything. We were all afraid they would accidentally set us on fire.

Cason and I befriended this little elephant. We didn't name him, but I think we would have named him Pepe. You can imagine what the trainer thinks of us from the look on his face.

This was as awesome as it looks.

Not pictured: playing music twice a day while sick. It wasn't all elephants and firedancers, people!

Thursday night we played a concert. It is always a little awkward when you've been leading worship for a week to suddenly play a concert of the same hymns, so I put together a setlist of songs we hadn't used up to that point. I generally play a similar setlist at every concert, so this was kind of a gamble, but I really enjoyed it:

Jesus Everlasting King
O Come And Mourn With Me A While
Love Constraining To Obedience
Approach My Soul
Lo He Comes
I Asked The Lord
My Lord I Did Not Choose You
Free Grace
Arise My Soul Arise
All I Owe
Jesus I My Cross Have Taken

We loved our time in Thailand, and I am further encouraged and convinced that these hymns are tremendously powerful, beautiful reflections of the Gospel. I was also stirred up to see the Spirit moving across the world through the work of these missionaries. I could consider them heroes for what they do, but they mainly just made me think that Jesus is real and active and worth believing in, which I think is better than thinking missionary work is cool or admirable.

Read: Shlog

2006-02-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

I can't help but mention that I have been on the edge of my proverbial seat reading each new entry on Shaun Groves' blog for the past few days. Shlog (as he calls it), is one of my favorite blogs, and a couple of weeks ago he stopped updating it (this would not be unusual for mine, but he is actually good at frequently updating his).

His recent Two Weeks Ago Today posts have been chilling. He's turned off Comments, which makes it all the more strange and dramatic. Start reading with this post, and go from there. I wonder how it will turn out, even if it will turn out, per se.

Safe in Phuket.

2006-02-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting earlier. We had a lot of fun the first day, and then I got a little virus that took me out for a while. I'm feeling a bit better, but am not out of the woods yet, so please do pray.

It has been great to get to know the missionaries and learn of what God is doing all over the world. There are some truly amazing stories, and it's a strange and wonderful experience to lead these folks in worship. Many of the lyrics have new meanings in this context. Last night, as I croaked through "His Love Can Never Fail" with a very sore throat, I was taken aback by what we were singing. It is one thing to sing these in "normal" circumstances, but when you know that there are people in the room who are venturing into parts of the world where Christians have never been before, where there is a real, physicial threat, it is quite different.

I do not ask to see the way my feet will have to tread
but only that my soul may feed upon the Living Bread.
Tis better far that I should walk by faith close to His side.
I may not know the way I go but, oh, I know my guide.

His love can never fail. His love can never fail.
My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.

And if my feet would go astray they cannot for I know
that Jesus guides my falt’ring steps as joyfully I go.
And though I might not see his face, my faith is strong and clear
that in each hour of sore distress my Savior will be near.

I will not fear, tho’ darkness come abroad o’er all the land,
If I may only feel the touch of His own loving hand.
And tho’ I tremble when I think how weak I am and frail,
my soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.

Pictures and more to come...

Layover in Taipei, Taiwan

2006-02-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

Cason and I are sitting in a cafe in the Taipei airport, waiting for our flight to Phuket, Thailand. We just had our second breakfast of the day: noodle dishes (mine was beef), and are enjoying some grapefruit juice. Earlier, I talked to my parents and wife on iChat audio. Good times.

Thailand

2006-02-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Cason Cooley and I are leaving this afternoon to go to Thailand to lead worship for a missionary conference. Please pray for our safe travel, health, and that God will be glorified through this trip, as well as for my wife as she holds down the fort here. I'll try to blog some while I'm there and post some pictures of our adventures.

Winter mix

2006-02-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

I made a winter mix CD for my wife this week, mostly of songs I've bought through iTunes. Here they are, in case you are interested in what's been going through my ears.

1. Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc (Single Edit)"
2. The Rolling Stones - "Let Me Down Slow"
3. The Arcade Fire - "Wake Up"
4. Sufjan Stevens - "What Goes On" (Beatles cover)
5. Mary J. Blige + U2 - "One"
6. Rosanne and Johnny Cash - "September When It Comes"
7. Alicia Keys + Bono - "Don't Give Up (Africa)" (Peter Gabriel cover)
8. Josh Ritter - "Blame It On The Tetons" (Modest Mouse cover)
9. The Arcade Fire - "Cold Wind"
10. Gillian Welch - "Black Star" (Radiohead cover)
11. Melissa Etheridge - "Refugee" (Tom Petty cover)
12. Paul McCartney + U2 - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
13. Damien Rice + Lisa Hannigan - "Unplayed Piano (Chris Lord-Alge Mix)"
14. The Rolling Stones - "Streets Of Love"

Wow, it's half covers (if you count "One" and "Sgt. Pepper's"). With all the new songs that are being written everyday, it's interesting that new takes on familiar songs are still so gripping.

What have you been listening to?

Real Ultimate Power gone amok

2006-01-30T17:51:00.000-08:00

Oh dear. A classic internet joke in two particularly hilarious incarnations:

Presbyterian

and (my favorite)

Derek Webb

(In case you're not familiar with it, here's the original that started it all.)

Don't worry, this blog won't devolve further.

Maybe.