Merge Worship

I thought it would be fun to share a few albums that might not be on your radar but should be on your iPod. At another time, I might do some categorized recommendations, but for now I'll share some albums that stay in my rotation. So, with that said, here's four newer albums and one classic gem.

1. Jonny Lang-Turn Around

This is a gospel album from an accomplished blues guitarist. Jonny Lang has a great, soulful voice. Dude can also kill a guitar. Favorite tracks are "Don't Stop for Anything", "One Person at a Time", "Thankful" (featuring Michael McDonald) and "Turn Around". Do yourself a favor and check this beast of a record out. Good from beginning to end.



2. Marc Broussard-Keep Coming Back

If you're not familiar with Marc Broussard, all of his stuff is worth picking up, but this latest album is chock full of 70s soulful goodness. Think Bill Withers/Tower of Power kind of vibe. Favorite tracks are "Hard Knocks", "Come in From the Cold" (live) and "Man for Life". Definitely a great throwback album with great musicianship and production.



3. Fellowship Church-Closer to the Start

This is not your Daddy's church worship project. It feels more like a good pop album that happens to be worship and outreach focused. It's also not your average church album's production. Everything is crisp and clean on this record. Favorite tracks are "God So Loved", "Shores of Mystery", "Til You Throw it Away" and "New Creation". Pick this one up if you're a little tired of "normal" worship music and use as inspiration to shake your own worship times up a bit.


4. Brooke Fraser-Albertine

To say I love this album would be an understatement in the arena of saying I merely love Coke. This is easily my favorite album I've purchased in the last 2 years. Brooke is a great writer and her voice is like fresh air. Favorite tracks are "C.S. Lewis Song", "Shadowfeet" and "Albertine". There really isn't a track on the CD I don't like. When the bridge of the "C.S. Lewis Song" hits and she sings "we are not long here..." it hits me like a ton of bricks every time. You can also hear Brooke singing on some Hillsongs United records. She wrote their song, "Hosanna" among others.

5. Cannonball Adderly-Somethin' Else

This is the best jazz record most people have never heard of. It's right on par with Miles Davis' Classic "Kind of Blue". Cannonball is a tour de force on sax and the rest of the band is smoking hot. Favorite tracks are ALL OF THEM! This record has my favorite version of "Autumn Leaves" ever recorded. The sax solo to kick off the improvisations on "One for Daddy-O" still slays me even though I can sing along with the entire solo note for note. If you're jazz collection is missing this iconic project pick it up now. You won't regret it.

What are the albums that get continual love in your iTunes?

This is a part of the Tribes Group Blogging Project based on Seth Godin’s book “Tribes”.


“Leadership happens out of the corner of your eye, in a place where you weren’t watching”.

It’s so true that the genesis of great leadership often goes unnoticed. One of the great challenges of leadership, in my opinion, is seeing that potential and developing it in others. To embrace their hope and help them pursue their dreams.

Seth says that everyone knows the “leadership tricks” but it’s really about creating an experience for your tribe. If that’s the case, and I believe for the most part it its, then leadership is about helping people connect. Helping them “care” about your cause. If your “cause” is getting people clean water like in the case of charitywater.org then make them feel the thirst of others and see clearly how they can make a viable change. If your cause is making people better bloggers then do what John Saddington (yes he gets 2 separate links. he's the guy who started this tribe up.:-) does and constantly give people tools to do more and go farther.

One thing I’m noticing more and more about leadership is that it really cares about others. It reminds me of when the love chapter of the Bible says “love is not self-seeking”. The leaders I truly admire are like Tasmin Little. (mentioned on p.123) She cares more about getting classical music heard and appreciated then she does about the profit she’s losing from giving her CD away. Seth did the same thing by asking people to give away their audio copy of his book at the end. Or guys like Shawn Wood and Anne Jackson who used their influence in the last year to get people to buy shoes, sponsor children and provide clean drinking water for people in need. By caring more about the message than the bottom line, these people inspired me to find out more about their cause and to spread the word.

I wonder. How many people could we affect if they could see that we care more about their connection than our reputation? If they understood that your chief concern as a leader was seeing their dreams soar? I loved Seth’s last line about hope. “Without it, there is no future to work for.”

Where would we be as leaders if we oozed commitment and hope? Better yet, where would our “tribes” be? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

So this is my 100th post. It feels like I've done a lot more but the numbers don't lie. It's odd that this would happen today. I'm going to go ahead and say that this will be one of my most vulnerable posts I've written.

It's been one heck of a week. (my more liberal brothers and sisters can feel free to substitute an alternate work for heck) I went on Monday to visit my Mom in the hospital. She's been battling cancer (I refuse to capitalize that word) for right at 2 years now. It's been an amazing journey of learning to see God's hand in the little things in life.

Then today I got the call that a long time, close friend is dealing with another type of cancer. He's angry. Trusting. But angry. And I can't blame him. Ed's not much older than me. I cried for him and his family after I got the news. Just closed the door to my office and cried. I'm crying now. Life is so precious. I'm beginning to understand more about why King David described life as a "vapor".

To be honest, it's a bit overwhelming at times. Knowing that this life is temporary and it will be over often before we want it to be. This season of my life is not easy. I've thought about how old my kids might be when it's my time to go. Wondered about why I haven't done more things of significance and wondered if I ever truly would.

You see, I want to live a life that matters. But days like today make it difficult to find that pulse. When you see the world of those you love flipped on it's ear it's a jarring thing. (not nearly as jarring as what they are going through to be sure) The perspective I'm gaining is that I HAVE TO GET BUSY DOING WHAT I'M CREATED TO DO.

Maybe you're like me and can't find that thing. Maybe there's a persistent deficiency that haunts you. For me it's lack of discipline and self worth. I get hung up on my shortcomings and rarely celebrate my longcomings. (i just made that word up. my creative moment of the day) But you know what...in the end I want my life to count and I know you do to. What can we do to get busy living? How can I harness the impact of this season and the weight of today into forward momentum? If anyone has the answers, please let me know. Because I'm trying to find them and the view's a little hazy through my tears.