Maritime Independent Christian Music Scene (MICMS, for short)
***This article was originally published in More Radio Magazine <www.moreradio.ca>***
When I was asked to write a little something about the Maritime independent Christian music scene, the first thought that came to mind was "How many adjectives is one noun allowed?" Needless to say, this is a very specific "scene". I doubt my qualification to write on the subject, since I'm by no means one of the directors but merely an actor upon the stage, yet I'll do my best to shed some light on the limelightless world which is the Maritime independent Christian music scene.
For starters, let's strip away one unnecessary word: independent. As far as I know (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong), there are few Christian artists from the Maritimes signed in any capacity, and those that have been picked up are hooked to independent labels. So, sainara superfluous syllables!
Maritime Christian music scene
Who among us hasn't had an either internal or external debate on the term "Christian music"? You know, the one where you wonder whether or not music has a soul and can be saved? Well, that's not what this article's about, so for the time being, we'll stand by it. As for the sea-shanty-ish connotation of "Maritime", it might be a little misleading. There are definitely some artists holding down some East Coast flare (Stephanie Mainville, as a prime example ), but in general, the sound isn't very regional. Also, "scene" makes me feel like I should be sporting an afro and lapels straight from the 70s, like an extra from the original Shaft movie, so I'm gonna drop that too, Daddy-O. Though it may be a little semantic, I'm a sucker for clarity...
Christian music from the Maritimes
There! Now that that's out of the way, what can I say about Christian music from the Maritimes that would be either enlightening or interesting? To be enlightening or interesting is quite contrary to my nature, but I"ll give it a shot.
Though we inhabit a small area geographically speaking, said music varies greatly within our home provinces, from church worship teams that go the extra mile to metal bands and even the occasional rapper. I hesitate to mention many artists from the area, since I know I'll omit more than I include, but it's not as though this is an acceptance speech, so I'll take the risk. The band I'm in (The Silent ) has been kickin' around these shores in one capacity or another for 4 years now, and prior to that, I was with a worship team/family known as Present Reality, so I've been blessed to meet and play with many of my fellow Atlantics. The poster children for local Christian music has to be our very own The Lapointes (www.lapointes.com), who consistently do great live shows and do very well at the ECMAs. Prior to their recent split, Three Season Ant were a force to be reckoned with, touring heavily across North America and releasing 2 solid pop rock albums in the last few years. Folkish music is enjoying a revival of late, and Halifax native Thom Knowles is delivering some light but heavy material for fans of the genre to enjoy. Worship music seems to be the Maritime specialty these days, and bands like Life Support (www.lifesupportmusic.com) and Kelly Jay Band (kellyjay.ca) are helping to lead people from near and far to a closer relationship with their Saviour. Moncton based worship rockers Somers (www.jeffsomersband.com) are not only charting well across the country, but they also manage to lead a monthly worship service for young adults called The Spot (www.worshipperiod.com). In addition, they're quite charming fellows, but my relationship with them is such that my opinion may be slightly biased...it may be, but it's not.
I've also been very impressed lately with our contemporaries The Contact (www.myspace.com/thecontact). They've just released their second full-length titled Canvas Tears, and it is exactly what I needed to hear: a band without fear. It's an ambitious project that borrows from all their influences and never implies that we need dumbed down. I applaud them.
Out here, we have the highest unemployment rates in the country. We're the butt of various jokes. If someone says they like your jacket, you feel compelled to tell them that you got a "good deal" on it. Christian or not, sometimes people feel like they need to apologize for being from the East Coast, but that's rubbish. Good things come in small provinces.
For the longest time, Christian radio was a foreign concept around here. Now, there are several stations across the region trying to spread the noise to the furthest reaches. As always, though, a prophet isn't welcome in his hometown. Ok, that's a bit of a stretch. Most of Christian musicians from the Maritimes aren't really prophets, but the concept holds true: until you get outta here, they don't seem to want you here. I fall victim to it, as well. I'm much more likely to pay attention to a local band if I know that they've just returned from Toronto or New York. The trouble with this mentality is that it chokes a lot of musicians before they can bloom.
I don't wanna sound like an artsy communist or anything, because there's also a flipside theory prominent in the Maritimes which says that if we all hold hands and walk the sunny road together, we can create an atmosphere where everyone can make it. I simply do not think that's true. There's probably some middle ground between survival of the fittest and the greenhouse effect which I subconsciously subscribe to, but I've rambled enough.
All in all, if you've written off music from our area, then write it back on. And if you haven't taken the time to write at all, get your pen and paper ready.
Change The World (World = People = Jesus)
***This article was originally published online at www.pickafightcampaign.com***
5 days a week, at 8 in the morning, Jackie shows up at 340 Dominion Street and cooks lunch for 50-100 people who might not even know her name. On any given day, she can have as many as 14 or as few as 4 volunteers to help make soup, prepare lunch, set up the tables, serve lunch, tear down the tables, wash the dishes, and gather enough sanity to return the following day. This madness happens at the Ray of Hope soup kitchen, housed in the basement of St Augustine's Church, right here in our very own Moncton, New Brunswick. I've had her food, by the way. It's quite good. I'd recommend the shepherd's pie. I have never asked Jackie what she believes about eternal security or if she's spoken in tongues, but I believe that Jackie is like Jesus.
This may have been the long way 'round to make a point, but I have difficulty with "as the crow flies" reasoning. Living a fully socially responsible life is complicated. It encompasses how we spend our money and time, how we vote, how we pray. We can no longer afford to ignore what our personal and governmental spending habits do to third-world countries. Teenagers should still take trips to the inner-city. We need to pray for funds and guidance and people to relieve the bonfire that is AIDS in Africa. How can we ignore the Cambodian slave trade any more? Being the "kingdom come" can seem overwhelming, and I've got miles of narrow road to travel. But all of these complications and speculations boil down to the simplest of statements: To love Jesus, to change the world, we need to serve people. No one is exempt from this. This starts at home. This starts now.
Hello, My Name Is -Love-
***This article was originally published in Inspired Magazine <www.inspired-magazine.com>***
Why do you know who Michael Jordan is? Is it because he has a degree in cultural geography? Is it because he's a Tar Heel and a father of two strapping young men? Probably not. Some would argue that you know who Michael Jordan is because he was the most successfully marketed product of the 80's and 90's, culminating with an almost unforgivable role in 1996's "Space Jam", but these commercial opportunities were effects of a cause, not the cause itself. You know who Michael Jordan is because he is one of the best professional basketball players the world has ever known. This talent afforded him a place in our consciousness and our wallets.
As followers of Jesus, should we be known as people who don't frequent drinking parties? Should we be recognized as the people who don't swear when they stub their toes? Are we to be labeled as Christians because we laugh at only the right jokes, have only the right friends, or get to sleep early enough on Saturday to ensure an alert Sunday morning? Is this our definition? If I said that I thought the answer was "No", would you scream "Heresy"?
"If I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love,
I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol.
And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing."
I Corinthians 13:1-2
If I were to say that we must become drunks and we should develop mouths that our mothers would never kiss, then I'd expect and deserve at least the verbal slap of "Blasphemy", if not the physical; it's important to not rely on the crutches of this world to limp through our daily lives, and we are to be examples of a better way. The danger here, though, is to over-identify ourselves with the minor rather than the major. If we study the commands of Christ, there's no question that we can see His desire for us to be virtuous. But what does He define as the foundation of that virtue?
Jesus seemed more concerned with what people did than what they didn't (Mark 10:21, Matthew 25:40), and Paul, as noted above, advised us of the importance of motivation in our actions (the old man screaming "Repent!" on the sidewalk could be in better shape than a woman starving herself to feed the poor, if the one motivation is genuine love and the other is pride). The greatest command is to love God completely and to care for people as though they were us, but the Bible goes one step further and says that we should consider others to be more important than ourselves. How can selfish people like us ever accomplish this? It borders on the impossible.
Philippians 4:13
Many of us are a part of a North American generation where social consciousness and environmental awareness are the new righteousness. At times, this makes me cringe. I fear we may go too far to the right in order to break free from the traditions of the left. But most of the time, I feel a sense of hope for us. This could be the beginning of a very good thing.
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John 13:34-35
Our nametags should read "Love". But how will we claim that name? Will we buy another pair of shoes, or will we save money for a building project in Kenya? Will we go to another movie, or will we spend the night at a pregnancy resource center with scared teens? Will we wear an iPod and a scowl throughout our morning bus ride, or will we take the moment to greet the passengers that we know could use it? Will we run the water the whole time while brushing our teeth, or will we cut that slight convenience to help preserve what might be important to our children. Al Gore and Bob Geldof have their reasons for doing it. So do we.
This is a time to bury theory and exhume action.
This is a statement written on a mirror.
This is a time to practice what we ought to preach.
Musicians are usually recognized if their talent merits it. Scholarships are handed out to the bright and driven. People tend to earn their reputations; we are named where we excel. Now, the Church must excel in doing good. Let's allow our celibate sobriety to be known as the effect and not the cause. Let's mow our neighbor's lawn. Let's spend a Tuesday at a local soup kitchen. Let's do it for Love! That might sound like a cheesy lyric from a 40+ R&B song, but Love isn't that mushy, watered down idea paraded on MTV these days.
"God is Love."
I John 4:8
When defining the word and it's worth, you can interchange "Love" for "God". With this in mind, you should get a list of adjectives like:
Strong
Holy
Perfect
Immense
Worthy
Love is worthy...costly...valuable. Love isn't cheap, whereas "talk" often is. We've been taught since Sunday School (those of us privileged enough to have sung "Pharaoh Pharaoh" in our youth) that we are to spread the good news of Christ to the world, and the most obvious way of doing this is by speaking the truth. But talk is cheap, and words that aren't valued rarely find their way into people's hearts. Before the world can accept this message, that have to hear it. Before the world hears this message, they have to find it worth listening to. We can't earn salvation, but we can earn respect.
Most things we do on a day to day basis are so temporary. Work 'til 5. School 'til June. An episode of Seinfeld is 22 minutes long, once you cut out the commercials. Things done for Love will last forever.
A day is coming when the Bride of Christ will be known not only as a political power or a great moral force. A day is almost here when She'll be known as "Love". It's hard to market and boring to blog about, but it's a fame that will last forever, because it's His fame and not ours. God wore that name tag long before we were around, and on the day that we tie this mystical knot, He will share not only His life but His name. Long after the world forgets how many NBA championships Mr. Jordan claimed, Love will be on everyone's lips. Our goal should be to encourage each other to tap into that eternity today.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm getting ready to change my name.