prayerbookproject

the new cd at www.byfor.org

The new website is up and running! Sweet Sacrifice, the new CD, is available for download at www.byfor.org.

The project features the work of Michael Card, Kurt Dyrhsen, Molly McCue, and yours truly. I wrote five songs for the project including a co-write with Michael Card. Here are some direct links to my songs, but I strongly encourage you to check out the whole record. And why not...it's free. For more info on what the ByFor project is all about read this previous post.

The Father's Love Is Deep And Wide
Here In Between
All That Was Lost (co-written with Michael Card)
Only His Wounds
Remember

hymn for holy saturday

Here In Between (listen)

Here in between the death and life
Of broken God and risen Christ
We watch and wait, we kneel and pray
For hope to breathe at break of day
The temple torn by sacrifice
How can this be the way?

The Son of God nailed to a tree
This is not how we thought it'd be
Your condemnation makes no sense
An act of hate and violence
We broke the bread and spilled the wine
How can this be the way?

Within this day of Sabbath rest-
A gift to those whom you have blessed-
Your peace transforms our hearts content
In this already and not yet
In stillness beats the drum of life
How can this be the way?

Your never-ending sovereignty
Still flickers with eternity
It brightens fading eventide
The gospel hums of mercy wide
Oh Lord of Life, open Your eyes
You are the only way.

by Brian Moss
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License

on the radio

As a part of the ByFor project we were invited to be on Michael Card's radio show In The Studio. The show originally aired on March 1st and is now available online. I was actually working with cellist, John Catchings, as the show was being recorded so I didn't have an opportunity to talk on the show. My song "Here In Between" is a part of the show as well as the song "All That Was Lost" which I wrote with Michael Card. The ByFor segment takes place during the second half of the show.

Listen to the show HERE.

ByFor concerts

The concerts have been going great so far. See some of the pictures HERE. (Thanks to Dave Roberts for the photos.)

the ByFor concerts

Today is the first in a week that includes five concerts with Michael Card. I'm excited to work Molly and Kurt (who I've blogged about before) and to see the ByFor recording project get translated into an ecclesiastical setting. I will try to stay current with pictures and will post them here throughout the week. Thanks to all who have supported me in this project. I really feel like we're on the edge of something here.

To be honest, it is still a little bit scary. Even though I have worked in and for a church for almost eight years, the idea of aligning myself in such a complete way with a church is still a difficult prospect. Mostly because you wonder what you'll have to give up in the process. What will I be asked to sacrifice? This is the one thing that I think keeps most people away from Christianity. In this season of sacrifice I am being asked again by the One who sacrificed the most. Well, I'm in danger of going to hyperbolic so I'll take my leave here and see you soon...

Peace

why church matters

Why Church Matters...this is the theme of John Knox Presbyterian Church's annual spiritual renewal conference. This year we welcome Jonathan Wilson and Michael Card to be a part of what is happening here. For more info on the conference go HERE. It will be held between March 29th and February 2nd and is open to the public. I hope to see you there!

final mixes and luther

The final mixes are in for the by/for project. The record, which is now going by the name "Sweet Sacrifice", is coming together and I am exceedingly excited to hear the songs as they one-by-one come slowly into my computer. Everything I have heard so far has sounded great and I am looking forward to letting you hear them.

While reading through the works of Luther this afternoon I came across the following words. The by/for project is attempting to live some of this out so I thought I would include it here. (Please forgive the exclusive language.)

"A Christian lives not in himself, but in Christ and in his neighbor. Otherwise, he is not a Christian. He lives in Christ through faith, in his neighbor through love. By faith he is caught up beyond himself into God. By love he descends beneath himself into his neighbor...Make your gifts freely and for no consideration, so that others may profit by them and fare well because of you and your goodness. In this way you shall be truly good and Christian...Your faith is sufficient for you, through which God has given you all things."

- from "The Freedom of a Christian Man" by Martin Luther (from pages 24-25 of The Protestant Reformation, ed. by Hillerbrand)

May you be encouraged to live in Christ and in community, and to "make your gifts freely and for no consideration, so that others may profit by them and fare well because of you."

Prayerbook #1 (new songs inspired by the psalms)

Here are all of the songs from Prayerbook #1 for download.

Joy Will Come To You from Psalm 1
Kiss The Son from Psalm 2
Arise, O Lord from Psalm 3
I Will Lie Down from Psalm 4
In The Morning from Psalm 5
Heal Me from Psalm 6
I Hide Myself In You from Psalm 7
Glory On Display from Psalm 8
I Worship You from Psalm 9
You Are The Only Hope from Psalm 10
To See Your Face from Psalm 11
I Will Rise Up from Psalm 12
How Long? from Psalm 13
Not Even One from Psalm 14
Only Believe from Psalm 15

january 15, 1929 - april 4, 1968

"I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

red letters

My wife, Stephanie, and I had dinner this last Wednesday night with Tom Davis at the home of Dano and Jennifer Jukanovich. Tom is the president of Children's Hope Chest and graciously gave me a copy (which, truth be told, was an extra copy that Jennifer had) of his new book, Red Letters: living a faith that bleeds. You can see a promo for the book HERE.

Tom is doing incredible work around the globe and I am always so deeply encouraged when I get to spend some time with him. His passion is infectious. From the first chapter...

In some crazy way, Jesus is the poor. When we find the "least of these," we find him. If this doesn't turn your theology upside down, I don't know what will.

transforming culture

If you are...

a) a pastor
b) an artist
c) interested in the arts
d) all of the above

...you need to check out the Transforming Culture conference that will be held in Austin, TX on April 1-3, 2008. The blurb is as follows...

Co-sponsored by CIVA, this is a groundbreaking conference specifically for pastors seeking ways to engage the arts and understand their place within their congregations and worship. This symposium brings together pastors, church leaders and artists to discuss the Church's relation to the arts and to artists. If you are interested in exploring the ways in which we can encourage a more theologically informed, biblically grounded, liturgically sensitive, artistically alive and missionally shrewd vision for the Church and the arts, then we welcome you to join us for a stimulating and refreshing two-day conversation April 1-3, 2008. Speakers include Eugene Peterson, Jeremy Begbie, Barbara Nicolosi, Andy Crouch, David Taylor, and John Witvliet. Consider sending this link to any pastors you know around North America.

...blurb over. I believe this is going to be an important event; not just for the future of the church, but for the future of the arts as well. I will be there along with many friends and invite you to be a part of what is going to happen there.