DEVOTIONAL ON PSALM 16:3

 

International Learning Center, Rockville, VA

"As for the saints who are on the earth,

They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."

Psalm 16:3, NKJV

This Psalm starts off with David stating that his trust is in the Lord, and that his goodness is nothing compared to God. But now the focus is on "the saints who are on the earth." Saints - i.e. holy ones - can mean angels, but in the New Testament it refers to the believers, and I believe that's true with a lot of the OT references, including this one.

Being with the godly is my delight. This shows up in my love for fellow believers - that is, the local church. It also is reflected in my love and prayer for Christian musicians. Yes, I like music, but those who use their gifts for God's glory are at a higher notch than the music of the world.

Too often, I see Christians looking for reasons not to delight in other Christians, or even delighting in tearing others down because of "bad doctrine" (translated beliefs different than ones I hold on what I want to make issued). That grieves me. It's enough for the world to hate us. The last thing I want to do is assist the devil in tearing other believers down. True, Christianity is a remnant, but I have a strong hunch the remnant is bigger than we may think it is.

Lord, I want to thank you for other believers: for those I fellowship with regularly in the local church,  for those who minister to my spirit through preaching the Word and through setting it to music. Help me be an encouragement to my brothers and sisters. In Jesus name, Amen.

MY REPORT ON THE 2024 KINGDOM COME FESTIVAL! (AND RELATED THOUGHTS AS WELL)

Meredith Dunkel of Undefeated prepares to sing Star Spangled Banner to start Saturday's program, with host and performer Matt Moore on stage with her to the right.

When Kingdom Come Festival (afterward referred to as KCF) started in 2010, Becky and I had already been Indianapolis residents for almost 15 years. It was another 11 years before we heard about the festival. In '21, I learned about it too late, so I passed. In '22, I debated between that festival and Get To The Point festival, which was smaller and closer. Last year, I went and spent Saturday there, hearing 7 bands (all on the Redemption stage). This year, I mentioned to Becky that I could go again on Saturday and not have to take time off work. She told me: "You enjoy it. Take the day off and go both days!" So I did. (Note - technically, it starts Thursday nights, before being all day on two stages Friday and Saturday.)

And let me point out a fact - yes, I go there for the music, but I also look for an opportunity to volunteer. It didn't work out in '23's KCF, but I had the honor of being part of the welcome team at the Pit Fest last October and both Friday and Saturday this year.

With Lifted Veils

Let me run down the groups I got to hear, and if there's something that really stands out (besides "Great concert!"), I'll point it out. Then, I'll mention other high points, as well as an answer to the question "Is KCF a 'get away from it all' blessing, or is it something that's affecting your life? Also, there is

Autumn Eve

the main stage and the Subculture Stage - I'll put an asterisk if it's the latter. So here's my itinerary:

FRIDAY 11:50 am - WITH LIFTED VEILS.* (Note - if you're volunteering, and during that time a group you want to hear is performing, they let you go, and this was the case here.)

Reclaim The Day, Zahna

FRIDAY  1:30 pm - AUTUMN EVE. (Another concert I wanted to hear during my volunteer time.) Two notes - it's the first time I've seen a guitarist or bass player (the latter in this case) use a bow. Also, I was amused at looking at the main schedule and seeing four performers in a row were Autumn Eve, Mourning Eve, Reclaim the Day, and Samuel Day.

FRIDAY 3:00 pm - RECLAIM THE

Samuel Day

DAY. I love this band - second time I heard them live. I was eating lunch and not where I could see their first song (wish I could have paid attention to it). And I know enough about the groups that when Zahna got on stage and sang "Chokehold" with RTD's Becca Sugg, I was as surprised as I was when I saw the sun set in the west.

Hello Luna

But enjoyed it! 

FRIDAY 3:45 pm - SAMUEL DAY.

FRIDAY 4:20 pm - HELLO LUNA.*

SATURDAY 10:00 am - TRUE REVIVAL. They had a bump - their regular drummer broke his arm two days before the performance! They had a back-up drummer, but it meant I have to wait to hear their new songs!

SATURDAY 10:35 am - BRVVE.* Actually, the difference between BRVVE and With Lifted Veils was who the lead singer was and whether they had an

True Revival

electric guitar in the band, as well as if one member was playing drums or conga. But two things stood out in this set. First, on the second song, I heard what sounded like cooing, looked up, and saw a couple of birds fly to the ceiling and enjoy the concert from the rafters. Second, Dale Vaughn of SubCulture Outreach Community

BRVVE

got up before they finished, preacched, and let a short revival. 

SATURDAY 11:30 am - DIVINE MARTYR. With two stages, how often do I have two bands I really want to see perform at the same time? Believe it or not, not often. This was an exception. However, let me confess that my favorite rock

Divine Martyr

genre is symphonic metal, which is what Divine Martyr is. Also, I found out Glenn Hatmaker, a friend that I used to work with, was coming up particularly to hear DM. If he hadn't, I would have listened to a song by I Am The Pendragon before going to hear Divine Martyr.

I Am The Pendragon

By the way, my favorite drummer to watch is Mark McKowen.

 SATURDAY 11:20ish am - I AM THE PENDRAGON.* Remember me mention that there was a mini-revival during BRVVE's set? Would you be surprised to know it messed the Sub Culture Stage's schedule? Though I'm not sure I'd call it messed up. Instead of

Undefeated

starting and finishing ten minutes before Divine Martyr started on the main stage, they were approximately ten minutes behind! Thus, I got to bring Glenn to hear their

Tricord

last two songs, for him to be impressed by the voice of lead singer Jerrod Cunningham, and to see Kevin "Moose" Busch get off the platform and wander through the crowd

Me with Jermaine Lajuane Nixon

while playing his bass.

SATURDAY 1:00 pm - UNDEFEATED.   Remember me mentioning that Divine Martyr's Mark McKowen is my favorite drummer to watch? Well, he has competition in Christian Dunkel of Undefeated - his constant smile is contagious. 

I managed to catch a few songs by other artists as well, such as Nate Parrish and Brandon Michael (recommended by my

Me with Jammin Shue

photographer friend Chad Fenner (who worked on the SubCulture Stage. But the one song I heard by Tricord: "Into The Storm."

So what can compete with all the great music? Actually, it's not close. Both days, I felt I was among family. Always 1 Ministry's Chris Bousum, the brothers in True Revival, the guys of Divine Martyr, Jerrod Cunningham and Kevin "Moose" Busch of I Am The Pendragon, New Day Rising's Jammin Shue, and Nicole Drennan

Me, John Harin, Reece Maopolski 

(aka BRVVE) all made me feel I belonged there. Add to that getting to meet Jermaine Lajaune Nixon of Tricord, and it was the closest thing to a reunion. (Since I don't have any kids, I thought of adopting a band or two, except musicians have a penchant for expensive toys.)

One neat thing - they were collecting get well cards for my buddy David Paconi of TheoTerran, who has been dealing with a ruptured appendix and chemo-therapy.

Me, Josiah Brand (Fyrebrand)

However, something hit me late Saturday afternoon. A blog from last year mentioned me thinking of a music chaplaincy (Becky's suggestion, based on me wanting to encourage Christian musicians). I have already made a regular prayer list for musicians I pray for each week. 

So guess what I did? I went back to the merchandise tent and the booths in the SubCulture stage, and asked several musicians how I could pray for them. This allowed me to meet Reece Maopolski and John Haring of Brotality, rapper Damac, and Josiah Brand (aka Fyrebrand).

Now, I just have to count the days to the Pit Fest!

 

INTERVIEW WITH MUSICIAN ALLIE CRUMMY

 

JR: Welcome to the blog, Allie! How did you become a Christian, and what got you interested in music?

AC: Hey! I was raised in a Christian home, and my faith became more and more my own as I got older, especially once I started college. I’m like most musicians I know - I was drawn to music from as young as I can remember!

JR: Your web-site tells us you “studied Music Education at Drake University, where she received a classical, conservatory-like education in vocal music.” What differences are there between those approach to vocals and what is typically done in popular music? Also, do you have any classical composers/singers/songwriters/rappers/Disney characters that have inspired you? 

AC: At Drake, I mostly sang in opera style (that’s not what we called it, but it usually conjures up the right image in peoples’ minds). The main differences between that and how I sing now would be how much vibrato I use and how high I’m singing. Although I don’t sing like that anymore, I do draw on the techniques that I learned at Drake; I’ve found that it is helpful to learn to sing in that classical style as a foundation for breath control, resonance, and vocal flexibility. I often draw on my classical training if I want to tweak how I’m singing something. 

My favorite classical composers are Beethoven and Liszt. I have lots of songwriters that I like, but since we’re talking about classical training, I’ll mention how much I love Chris Thile - both as a solo artist, and as a part of the bands he’s in, especially the Punch Brothers. The Punch Brothers do a masterful job of blending classical ways of thinking about composing and arranging into a modern setting. The best example of this is their album, “Punch” from 2008. 

JR: I got hooked on your music immediately when I first heard “You Won’t Ever Abandon Me.” But that’s not your most recent release – I believe you have two (at least) since. Would you be interested in telling us about those songs? 

AC: Yeah! “You Won’t Ever Abandon Me” was the first song I released from my album, Earthly, which came out in full in September 2023. Then in October 2023, I released the single, “Daylight Saving”, kind of on a whim. I released “Lift Up the Lowly” in November 2023, also kind of on a whim. And last month, I released “Caving In” and “Go Along”, the first two singles from my upcoming album, Henny Penny, which comes out in full on June 28th! Earthly is all about the human side of being a Christian - learning to relate well with other human beings, dealing with anxiety and hardship, and giving voice to our confusions and disappointments. Henny Penny is a concept album based on the folktale of the same name. 

JR: Your web-site also includes blogs, the most recent (at this moment) being “Holy Saturday.” What is “Holy Saturday?” How did it relate to you, and do you think it applies some to the American Church?

AC: Holy Saturday is the day between Good Friday and Easter, and it was originally the title for my album Earthly. Also known as “Silent Saturday”, Holy Saturday is a day where we don’t know much about what God was doing. I like to think back to the original Holy Saturday. Jesus had just died but the resurrection had not yet happened. How do you make sense of what you see happening in your life or in the world when it is very different from what you expected? How do you make sense of what is going on when you had expected God to act very differently? These are really important questions, and I believe that God wants us to wrestle with them. 

As for the American Church, there’s a lot of variety so I don’t want to say that everywhere is like this, but the church environment that I was in for many years was not one that encouraged wrestling with your faith. Some questions felt very off-limits, and were often met with cliches or oversimplified truisms that shut down further conversation, and in some cases, straight up bullying! In that environment, people who are trying to grow deeper in their faith are chased away, and ultimately, a more shallow way of thinking is encouraged. The beauty of Holy Saturday is that it is followed by Easter Sunday, and the beauty of Easter Sunday is that it’s something that has already taken place. So it’s good to question and it’s good to wrestle, and we can also have confidence that God’s plans are not fragile; they are not put in jeopardy by our honest questions. 

JR: Thank you for your time. How can we keep up with what you’re doing? Also, do you have any closing comments?

AC: Thanks for reaching out! The best way to keep up with what I’m doing is to join my email list: https://www.alliecrummy.com/email-signup. From there, follow me on the streaming platform of your choice (Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7vOwHOhPxqJHT0TScAkuBB?si=2eWNsoXATxWRV4JJpMzmhA) and on social media (Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliecrummymusic/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alliecrummymusic/, and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/alliecrummymusic). 

DEVOTIONAL ON PSALM 6:2

Lodge, Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, IN

 "Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak.;

O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled."

Psalm 6:2, NKJV

We love Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. But are we as quick to claim verses like John 15:5 where Jesus says, "Without me you can do nothing," or God telling Paul that in weakness is the route to strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)?

Is it possible that for God to use us, we need to see Him as the source of all strength and we have nothing to bring to the table?

Likewise, artists' abilities can become liabilities when we see them as a strength? Maybe God is calling us creatives to focus on his word.

THE 2024 SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION IN INDIANAPOLIS: MY EXPERIENCE AND THOUGHTS

Main floor of Southern Baptist Convention at Indianapolis Convention Center

You may have been aware that the Southern Baptist Convention this year occurred here in Indianapolis. As usual, the first two days (Sunday and Monday) were the Pastor's conference, while the business of the convention took place the final two days (Tuesday and Wednesday).

You also may be aware that Becky and I are members of a Southern Baptist Church - Northside Baptist Church here in Indianapolis. Neither Becky nor I grew up SBC, but since '93, we've been members of 3 Southern Baptist churches for 26 of those 31 years: Stonebrook Baptist Church (Nolensville, Tennessee), Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, and Northside Baptist Church (both in Indy). 

I'll also state that this wasn't the first Convention I attended. In '08, when the convention was also in Indianapolis, I volunteered to help welcome the Women's Missionary Union (WMU) meeting, and was able to go through the wonderful exhibit hall. A year later, Becky and I went to a chaplaincy lunch in Louisville, and, of course, went to the exhibit hall. (We sat in on a live taping of Southern Seminary President Al Mohler's radio program, with his guest Russell Moore.)

Back to the present... uh, recent past. Our church was asked to  provide volunteers for the convention, and planned on sending several for the Tuesday, June 11th session. There were three shifts that day, and Pastor Jared Barham scheduled the volunteers who wanted to stay all day for two, so they could spend the third at the convention meeting and/or the exhibit hall. So I took that day off so I could participate.

Shortly before the conference started, though, the prayer committee was asked to send a couple to be greeters for the prayer room on Sunday evening, so Becky and I went downtown and served there. Interestingly enough, the prayer room was located next to the volunteer headquarters. 

Tuesday, we got in a van at Northside at 6:45am That sounds early - I'm usually awake at that time, but I also picked up my blind friend and fellow church member Brandon Marcum. (Easier than finding and paying for downtown parking spaces.) Brandon and I were free the morning session, and then greeted during the afternoon and evening sessions, helping direct people who had any questions. 

I got to enjoy the worship at the beginning. One of the selections blended the Gettys' song "Come, People of the Risen King" with the classic Wesley hymn "Rejoice, the Lord Is King." During that time, I looked at the schedule, and suggested to Brandon that we start in the exhibit hall and come back for the commissioning of International Mission Board missions. About the time for that segment, we decided to stay in the exhibit hall or go to the auditorium. We both agreed to stay.

There were a lot of great exhibits there. The majority were connected with Southern Baptists - booths for the seminaries and Bible colleges (including other schools that weren't officially SBC), Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the International and North America Mission Boards, Send Relief (which does some disaster relief, but also works with refugees), and smaller booths for various ethnic ministries in the states (e.g. Chinese, Hatian, Messianic Jews). 

A large space was occupied by Lifeway Ministries, which is the publishing arm of the Southern Baptists, including Sunday School and Vacation Bible School material as well as non-fiction books. I'm not complaining - they also had free coffee! More importantly, Brandon was able to talk with G. Duane McCrary, Jr., Manager of Adult Ongoing Bible Studies about ways to make resources  more accessible for the blind.

Schools weren't the only ones that had booths not directly connected to the SCB. Child Evangelism also had a booth, promoting their internet ministry to children. There also was a booth for Musical Evangelist Bruce Sechrest. One interesting booth was by a ministry called Faith Assistant, which had a sign reading, "Try our Christian Artificial Intelligence." How's that for stirring the pot? I heard a podcast where a Christian group used AI for a video, and came to the conclusion that like all technology, it can be used for God's glory but we must be careful. On the other hand, another has come to the conclusion there is nothing redeemable about it (Becky agrees). I don't know enough to weigh in, except to remember there was a Canaanite city named Ai.

While I would have enjoyed the morning session and seeing missionaries commissioned, I was blessed by my time in the exhibit hall. However, I didn't get to see any of the controversy that the latter sessions dealt with. 

Three years ago, I was following the contested election for SBC President, which had four candidates. There were more this year, but I didn't really consider any of the candidates. I did have the honor of being in a FB group with out-going President Bart Barber.

I'll admit I'm looking forward to the next conference I can attend.

DEVOTIONAL ON PSALM 5:3

Baptistry at Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis

 "My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; 

In the morning I direct it to You and will look up."

Psalm 5:3, NKJV

First, I will pray to God: I will communicate with Him. Too many don't take that step. To many, it's a duty, not a privilege, looking at it as a person who submits a shopping list to the store app, and then waiting to see if we receive what we ask, but not personal interaction.

Second, It's important to start in the morning as well. True, any time we pray is important. There are verses that include the evening (Psalm 92:2 for example). But I want God to be directing me from the beginning of the day. I want to ask God to lead me on His path before I start out and be dependent on Him. And I want to start following as soon as I get energy, rather than wait till bed time.

DEVOTIONAL ON PSALM 2: 11-12

Oriental Lamp Show, Chattanooga Zoo

"Serve the Lord with fear

And rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son lest He be angry 

And you perish in the way 

When His wrath is kindled but a little. 

Blessed are those who put their trust in Him."

Psalm 2:11-12, NKJV

We are in a society where many have no fear, no respect for God, a heart that like Satan exalts him/herself above God. There are also those that are complacent, thinking God will do neither good nor bad, but has just let the world go on its own (Zephaniah 1:12). This is the philosophy called Deism, and is reflected by the hit "From A Distance." Some believe God is involved, but see Him more as a doting grandfather than a disciplining father.

Unfortunately, some in the church lack a fear of God as well. In part, this is because our trust is not in God but various other things: politics, our church programs, "perfect doctrine," our own good works, and so on. 

What's the answer? Knowing that God loves us, but that He expects obedience. Realizing that we are here to serve Him, not that He's here to serve us.

Lord, give us a love tempered with the fear of You. We put our trusy completely, and long for the day when Jesus rules over the Earth.

 

DEVOTIONAL ON PSALM 1:2

At River Bluff Park, Ashland City, TN

"But His delight is in the Law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night."

Psalm 1:2, NKJV

Maybe I don't pray this daily (I do review several verses including this one on a monthly basis), but I desire first to delight in God's Word and second to have my mind saturated with it day and night.

Too often artists in particular and everybody else in general tends to practice what the Psalmist says is the opposite of being blest: walking in the paths of the ungodly, standing in the way of sinners, and sitting in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1). This influences their worldview and behavior.

Many who know me know I love hanging around with musicians, but in particular, it's musicians who live out Psalm 1:1-3. It may be hymnists who are trying to teach and exhort believers. It may be worship leaders encouraging the congregation to focus on God. It may be rappers and metal bands who are trying to reach a generation that has separated itself from the church to bring them back to their Creator. 

Lord,grant us hearts that rejoice in Your Word, and a desire for it to be on our minds day and night. Give us discernment and wisdom to avoid ungodly influences, and surround ourselves with those devoted to Your Word as we are.

GUEST BLOG: "PRAYING WITH 'ONE MIND, ONE VOICE'" BY BECKY REYNOLDS

Today, I'm sharing an article that Becky wrote for the monthly newsletter at Northside Baptist Church concerning the Southern Baptist Convention here in Indianapolis. The theme for the Convention is "One Mind, One Voice." Becky was asked to write this as a member of the Prayer Team.

Praying with “One Mind, One Voice”

By Becky Reynolds, Prayer Team Member

Local Crossroads Association churches, and the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana wait with excitement as the Southern Baptist Convention returns to Indianapolis this month. Do you know the year and city that Baptist churches first met together to fellowship and cooperate as “Great Commission Baptists?” The city was Augusta, Georgia, and the year was 1845. How encouraging to see the Holy Spirit continue to lead individuals and churches to fellowship and cooperate in the Gospel of Jesus Christ 179 years later!

This year’s theme, “One Mind, One Voice” connects us to Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 15. Romans theme of God’s righteousness by faith in Christ, Paul affirms, is lived out in love for one another.

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves… For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:1,4-6,13. (ESV) 

Paul gives us instruction in these verses on the importance of living out the gospel with “one another.” He states the means to do this in verse 1, that we please others, and not ourselves. He gives the source of power to please others in verse 13, that by being filled (continuous action) with the Holy Spirit, God will do more in our lives and community than could ever happen apart from cooperation. He answers the question, does living in Christian community make a difference for the gospel? What does serving together produce? Verse 6, our “one voice” glorifies the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And verse 13 - Together our glorious God of hope will fill each of us with his joy and peace.

Father God, you call us as individuals, each coming to trust Jesus and follow him in a personal way. Yet we are not called to live our faith and obedience alone. Believers in closed and restricted places often have no choice but to believe alone; we pray for them to enjoy and benefit from fellowship with others. We, however, have the remarkable privilege to serve one another and partner together for the gospel! Thank you for each Southern Baptist Convention church, pastor, leader, and member. By your Holy Spirit revive each of us to please others and not ourselves. Thank you for giving us endurance and encouragement to do this in real ways. May the result be your glory, and our joy and peace. We do your will by faith in you, worked out in love. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

BOOK REVIEW - "31 SPIRITUAL LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY DOG" BY RAYLENE KING

Are you in the market for a devotional that will challenge and inspire you, and be fun and entertaining at the same time? This book is one you'll enjoy.

This is a collection written by a pastor's wife and is focused on their interactions with their dachshund Cosmo. Behind each story, there's a spiritual lesson: sometimes, we take the role of Raylene and Dennis as they try to adjust to and train a lively little dog, and sometimes in the role of Cosmo, comparing his interactions with his human masters with our relationship to our Divine and heavenly Master.

Each 1-3 page devotional starts with a Cosmo story, and moves to the practical application in our lives, reinforced with a few Scripture references and concluding with a prayer. After each devotional, there's a one page "Paws for reflection," autographed with Cosmo's pawprints.

I'm putting this book on my devotional rotation list, so I can benefit from it again.

By the way, Dennis and Raylene are among Becky's and my closest friends, and we were very familiar with Cosmo and his successor Duncan. Dennis also is brother of Claude King, who is a discipleship specialist.

A VIEW AT TWO FULL WEEKS OF MINISTRY FOR BECKY AND I!

Northside Baptist Church. The sign is announcing a block party that day (June 5, '24) promoting Vacation Bible School from July 15-19.

Ready to get tired out? I'd like to share what Becky and I have done/plan on doing from May 31st to June 16th. (This, of course, is in addition to my job and our normal responsibilities.)

May 31 - Becky goes to Wesleyan University in Marion, IN, and serves at Christian Youth In Action (CYIA), training teenagers to share the gospel at 5 Day Clubs with Child Evangelism Fellowship.

June 2 - I serve at church working the cameras in the media room.

June 4 - My interview with Jerrod Cunningham of I Am The Pendragon and XIII Minutes, posted a week ago. Yes, I'm in a phase of struggling to keep up with blogs on my set days that when I post it, I count that as an accomplishment. 

June 5 - I take part of a block-party at our home church, Northside Baptist, to promote Vacation Bible School in the middle of July. This is during the Crossover ministry, where in preparation for the annual Southern Baptist Convention, churches come to local churches in the city hosting the convention and help in the outreach. People came out of town and did the behind the scenes work while the church members were free to talk to any visitors. 

June 7 - Becky comes home from CYIA.

June 8 - We visit a couple of friends to celebrate the birthday of one of them.

June 9 - We go to a graduation celebration of the daughter of friends/former fellow church members we've known for years (two of three of the graduate's older brothers weren't born when we met our friends). Also, we served as greeters in the Prayer room for the Southern Baptist Conventions Pastor meeting and national convention.

June 10 - Writing this blog, which will be posted electronically at 6am the next morning. I was originally planning on writing this on the 8th so it could be up on the 9th, but yes, I missed another blog!

June 11 - When this has posted, I'm on my way to the Southern Baptist Church where I'll be spending the day being a greeter (taking a day off work for this purpose). My alarm is set earlier than normal, and I won't get home till after the time I normally call it a day. 

June 13 - Posting a book review of "31 Spiritual Lesson I've Learned From My Dog" by Raylene King. The authors and their rambunctious little dog are personal friends of mine. 

June 14 - Taking another day off work. I'll be driving up to Greentown, IN, to the Kingdom Come Festival, put on by Always 1 Ministries. Yes, I'm going to hear some good music, but I'm also going to be doing some volunteer work, and have the goal of encouraging and praying with several of my musician friends. 

June 15 - It's Saturday, so I won't be taking the day off, but I'll be returning to the Kingdom Come Festival.

June 16 - Father's Day. This will be the 5th Father's day after my dad went home to be with the Lord (Becky's passed in '98), so no plans to be with him, and the children we don't have haven't planned anything. (Maybe I should adopt some of the bands at the festival mentioned above?) But I will be at church in the media room again, and I plan on following my friend Nick Laurino's suggestion of wearing a Hawaiian shirt on Father's Day. Finally, I'm planning on posting a blog about a slight change in the day-to-day of this blog.

Yep, I'll be ready for a nap after all that. How about you?

 

A MONTH OF SELFLESSNESS? THAT'S A MONTH I'D GLADLY CELEBRATE!

Courtesy of David Pataconi

I had a friend who had the idea of creating a Christian calendar. It included changing the names of the days of the week and the months, reflecting, if I remember correctly, Christian virtues with at least the days. 

The biggest flaw was his months, in my opinion, is that it completely departed from our Gregorian calendar. Why is that a flaw? Because it separates those who use this calendar from the rest of the world and makes it harder to communicate. 

The Jews have an answer. They number their years the same, except instead of using B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (The year of the Lord), they refer to those designations as B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and C.E. (The Common Era.) They have created an effective alternative that works in the real world.

Those who read my blog know that I have an alternative to Halloween that either coincidentally or providentially  (take your pick; you can guess which one I picked) happens to be the same day of the year as Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the Wittenberg door (otherwise known as Reformation Day).

In our culture, the focus has moved from days to months. We have Black History Month (February). We have Women's History Month (March). I don't know if they expanded Earth Day to the entire month of April, but it wouldn't surprise me. And many know what some designate the month of June as.

Well, my musician friend David Pataconi, member of the band TheoTerran as well as a solo artist, has proposed a wonderful alternative. He has designated June as "Selflessness" month. I think that's an excellent alternative.

The best thing is that it's not confrontational. Rather, it is how I choose to see that month. If someone want to encourage me to celebrate their month, sorry, but I've got other plans. 

When I was a member of an Assembly of God church in the mid-80's, I noticed that the denominational magazine had a designation for each week. For example, one week was to recognize their version of the Scouts. I've thought for years of doing the same, especially in this blog. Maybe I should just simplify and make it a month. 

And celebrating June as the month of Selflessness a great start.. 

INTERVIEW WITH JERROD CUNNINGHAM, LEAD VOCALIST OF I AM THE PENDRAGON AND XIII MINUTES.

Yours truly with Jerrod Cunningham (IATP make-up, no mask) at Kingdom Come Festival, 6-17-23

One of my current favorite bands is I Am The Pendragon. I got to know their lead singer Jerrod Cunningham.

JR: Welcome to the blog! How did you come to know Christ, and what got you interested in music?

JC: I actually come from what most people would call a dysfunctional home life growing up. We struggled a lot with poverty, homelessness and few times and drug/alcohol issues with abusive step-dads over the years. In the midst of all of it, my mom was very intentional about getting all of us boys plugged into a local church gathering. From a very young age, I latched onto the word of God and when the Bible tells us that we are the children of God, that He is our Heavenly Father, as a boy growing up without knowing my earthly father, I took that at face value. Of course, that didn’t mean that my walk with God through the years was always a straight path and there have been many layers of healing, repentance and growth, but Christ has been the constant in my life when everything else was a storm of change and dysfunction.

Music was always being played in our home. My mom used to be one of those people who would record 15-20 seconds of her favorite worship or praise song at the beginning of her voicemail recorder and on the regular trips to my grandmas, we would be listening and singing along to music for the entire ride. My mom always listened to gospel and praise CD’s, which didn’t appeal strongly to me, but I didn’t know what else was out there. When I was very young, I was introduced to rock music through movies. The main ones were “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey” where they play KISS’s “God Gave Rock’n’Roll to You” at the very end and the soundtrack to Young Guns 2 which was done by Jon Bon Jovi. “Blaze of Glory” was my first “favorite song.” I didn’t find out about Christian rock music until middle school when I was introduced to bands like Project 86, P.O.D., Zao and many others. From that point forward, I was hooked.

JR: You're in not one but two different bands! Could you tell us the story behind I Am The Pendragon and XIII Minutes, including the origin for the band names? I have no idea what a Pendragon is, but am I correct to think it's a little more permanent than a Pencildragon?

XIII Minutes, l-r: Jamie Kucinski (drums), Preston Bell (bass, BGVs), Jerrod Cunningham (lead vocals), and Thomas Wheat (guitars, BGVs)

JC: I’ll start with my most recent venture, XIII Minutes. Since I wasn’t around when the band originally formed, I wasn’t a part of naming it, so I can keep that explanation short and sweet! A couple of the founding members had also spent time working as physical trainers. There is a statistic that a person can maintain a baseline of health if they would be able to commit to 90 minutes of physical exercise a week. Well, divided by 7 that breaks down to about 13 minutes a day. They took that stat and applied it to our spiritual lives; what would it look like for people to commit to 13 minutes of spiritual disciplines every day? Rather than diving head first into a 3 hour prayer and Bible reading plan that you are probably not going to be able to stick with, just focus on spending 13 minutes with God everyday and see what He does with that.

Almost exactly one year ago now, I sent my audition track over to Jamie and the guys to try out for the position of lead vocalist. I had known the band since 2017/2018 and played a couple of shows with them. I loved their music and had seen some of the successes and challenges they had faced. When Jamie told me that the vocalist they were relaunching with realized he needed to step down just as they had started their comeback, I decided a 5 1/2 hour drive wasn’t so bad and asked him if he would allow me to audition. My goal with XIII Minutes is not to mimic anyone that has been in this role before me, but to honor what they have done and help forge a new chapter for the future of the band.

I Am The Pendragon (IATP), l-4: Darryl Cunningham (no relation, guitar), Jerrod Cunningham (lead vocals, guitar), Kevin "Moose" Busch (bass), and David Martin (drums).

IATP is the project that I started way back in 2010. I ripped the name out of a C.S. Lewis novel called “That Hideous Strength.” The line in the book is the culmination of a test of riddles that narrow those who can answer to the final one only being known by one single person; the Pendragon whose name is Ransom. I read the line and thought to myself, “Man, that would be a great band name!” Then, almost as quickly as I had that thought, my mind began auto populating with an entirely separate and unrelated sci-fi, end of the world narrative story that made me feel like if I didn’t start writing it down that instant I was going to explode. Out of those scribbles was birthed the concept band known as I Am The Pendragon. The title of Pendragon in literature goes back to Uther and Arthur Pendragon, the ancient and somewhat mythological high kings of England. Yes, that King Arthur. It was their surname, and then it became more of title of leadership in the Lewis story. In my mythos, it’s a title of leadership in the forgotten tongue of dying world. At first it is understood to be about one man, but as more is revealed in time, they find that the true fulfillment is far more expansive than anyone could have thought.

JR: What's your latest projects, and is there anything on the horizon? Such as, new album, new book, etc.?

JC: I am currently working on writing the first book in the IATP story. It is something that I initially planned to do as a graphic novel, taking on the writing and the art, myself. I even have the first few pages fully drawn up from back in 2012 or so. The problem with doing a graphic novel is time, though. I would not be okay with producing rushed artwork just to get the story out there and there was always something in the way. I finally decided to set that plan aside (for now) and right out the story in novel form, first. This is a considerable undertaking in itself, but at least sticking with one artistic discipline rather than trying to handle multiples at a time is allowing me to focus on the story and at least get that out into the world soon.

Musically, both bands have new music coming out very soon. IATP has the long awaited “Revisionist History” EP that is currently in pre-launch. Revisionist History was conceived when we signed onto Rottweiler Records back in 2022. Rather than launching into pt. 3 of the IATP anthology with a much wider audience base who had never heard of us, we decided to choose a selection of a few of our favorite songs from the past 2 albums, re-record them professionally and use those as our introduction. We’ve had at least a few setbacks between recording and release, 2022 to now 2024, but we are finally ready to get these songs out there!

I have already been able to get into the studio and record 2 singles with XIII Minutes. Both of them are songs that we have been hitting the road with this year, “Cult Leader” and “Stay.” One thing that I am very grateful for is that even though both bands fall into the various “Rock/Metal/Alternative” groupings, there is a huge difference in the sonic output. That means that you will definitely NOT be hearing two bands with the same vocalist that sound more or less the same but, instead, two different rock bands with their own sounds and their own feel but just happen to share the same singer. You can be a fan of one and not care for the other and that would be totally understandable because they are very different, but I do hope that rock music fans of all types will be able to appreciate both.

JR: With two bands and a book, not to mention church and family, how do you keep your priorities from having a chaotic resemblance to reality? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) What suggestions would you give to those struggling with keeping up their Bible reading and prayer and other responsibilities?

JC: First off, I love Chaotic Resemblance! I’ll get to share the stage with them here in just over a week at Renewed Fest in Columbus, KS with XIII Minutes before IATP joins all of us at KCF the following weekend! 

As far as keeping priorities and responsibilities, spiritual and secular, in line, I might have a slightly skewed perspective from most that I’ve heard. Typically, I hear people talking about balance, like life is a tight rope act and the goal is the keep things even so that you don’t fall to one side or the other. I do not believe in balance. Balance is a myth. The Bible tells us to seek first - as of upmost importance - the Kingdom of Heaven and that everything else will be added to us. Focusing on balance distracts us from what I believe our true aim should be, prioritization. 

At the top of my hierarchy of priorities is my relationship with and obedience to God. There is nothing that carries that weight in my life. My secondary priority is my marriage and then my role as a father. If I am not ministering well in these areas, then I have no business teaching the Word to anyone else. After family comes Kingdom work; starting with co-pastoring a Church gathering that meets in our home and the home of my co-pastor, then my musical endeavors, then my job. Those all can fluctuate in which area needs attention now. 

As a pastor, I am responsible for my end of discipling those who have chosen to come under us. That is a high responsibility. If they have an emergency situation, I make time for them by clearing away other, less pressing responsibilities. People are more important than productivity. Sometimes, I am away on band trips, which is why having a plurality of leadership is important. Everything does not rise or fall on me. Thankfully, my job is ministry as well, although a very different kind. I have the opportunity to teach people how to build healthy and God-honoring relationships in all areas of their lives. Part of that is through our online channels, @askwholehearted, and part of that is live speaking in schools. Obviously, in a public school environment, I am not able to share the Gospel with students, but I am able to give them biblically influenced principles which are backed up by scientific and psychological data that has been deemed valuable enough by the districts that we work with to continue bringing me in. Music is another opportunity to reach people with truth through art. 

Again, it’s about priorities, not about balance. God has to be first and foremost, every day in every decision. If He is truly at the head, I cannot be obedient to Him without loving, serving and leading my family well. If my family is falling to the wayside because of “ministry,” then the ministry is not a pleasing sacrifice to Him anyways. After my wife, then our kids, comes every other ministry. Our music has reached people who would have never come to a Church gathering, our relationship program has opened doors for millions of viewers to see how applicable scripture is to our everyday lives that my bands will never play in front of and the Church gathering is where the great commission of making disciples is walked out on an individual basis. They are all different, but all play their part. As long as I am walking in obedience to God and keeping the first things first, it’s weird, but it seems like everything else is added.

JR: I believe Christian musicians are on the front line of spiritual warfare, especially those who have an evangelistic focus, and those attacks are not just from the world but also from the church. Do you agree? Why or why not? And what sources do you have for encouragement?

JC: Yesish… haha! I do agree that bands who are intentionally evangelistic are on the front lines, but I also think that every follower of Christ is on the front lines, we just don’t always recognize it. The truth is that we live in the midst of an unseen war, with spiritual entities who are influencing and manipulating the world around us. I don’t see anywhere in scripture where we are told that some of us will be engaged in warfare and some of us will not, but instead we are all told to put on our armor and engage in the battle. If you are not actively working to advance the God’s Kingdom, then you are passively working against it. (Matt. 13:30) We are all called to go into the world, preach the Gospel and make disciples. We were all given the same mission. We have different ways of living that out, but none of us is exempt from the Great Commission. 

As far as attacks from outside and inside the camp, I have had plenty of both. We have had secular bands that refused to share the stage with a Christian band. We have had professing believers openly challenge our faith because we play rock music and wear dark clothing. The thing is, we battle not against flesh and blood. For the well meaning believers who don’t understand or agree with what we do, I try to graciously walk through scripture with them and explain why it is that we do what we do. 

In fact, a few years back we (IATP) played a show with Chaotic Resemblance and had a sister go onto the webpage of the church that was hosting asking how they could allow these evil bands to play in their building. A battle had already erupted in the comments section between this lady and our defenders with even another artist who had walked away from the faith coming to my defense and cursing this lady out before I even knew what was happening. I thanked him for his… colorful support but asked that he give grace to this woman, and then I started to respond, explaining our name, our clothing, our music and giving biblical foundations for our ministry approach. In the end, she said that she would not attend our event but that she would pray that God would use us, even if it was in ways that she didn’t understand. A gentle answer turns away wrath. 

We should be ready at any moment to give a reason for why we believe and live the way that we do. The trick is to choose not to take offense. Again, it goes back to obedience. If I am truly doing what God has called me to do, then the opinions of man on either side of the fence have no bearing on me. On the other hand, if I am walking in error, it is a grace to be rebuked and returned to the path. If I choose to believe that that is the intention of the believers who challenge us, then I can enter the conversation with gratitude rather than offense. I have seen this approach disarm attackers time and time again, which allows us to have a back and forth discussion rather than a comments section argument. Even if we end up disagreeing about one aspect or another, we can usually come to a place where we recognize that we both serve the same King and can be content to allow Him to lead us respectively into truth. For the ones who continue with baseless accusations and refuse to deal with scripture when it is presented, then their issue is not with me and God will judge between us. 

In the end, my wish is not primarily that other Christians wouldn’t attack us so much, because most don’t publicly do that. I do wish that Christians were more supportive of one another, in general. I see Christians paying tons of money to go to concerts of artists who openly rebel against our Creator but are willing to take that in as “entertainment.” Now, I’m not saying that all Christians should listen to our music and like it, but there are many very talented Christian artists in every genre who are struggling to get by as they seek to use their gifts to advance the Kingdom while Christians are willingly giving more money to someone who is tearing down the Kingdom we are called to build. If that causes anyone to feel conviction, you can assuage your guilt by giving to IATP’s fundraiser campaign at https://gofund.me/08cf9072 haha. Just kidding… but if you want to give, that would be lovely!

JR: Thank you for your time. How can we keep up with your ministries? And do you have any concluding thoughts?

JC: You can keep up with the music for IATP on social media at @iatpendragon or on our website, www.iatpendragon.com. For XIII Minutes, you can find all of our connection points on Link Tree.  If you are interested in the relationship ed program, you can check us out on social media at @askwholehearted, instagram at @jerrodaskwholehearted or at our website, askwholehearted.com.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share! I am looking forward to seeing you again this year at KCF!