REPORT ON INDIANA GOSPEL MUSIC FESTIVAL, 25TH ANNIVERSARY (JULY 27, '24)

Me with Divinity Trio.

 Okay, how is it that a music lover like me spends a quarter of a century in Indianapolis being unaware of either the Kingdom Come Festival (KCF) or the Indiana Gospel Music Festival? Well, I managed to go to both this year!

You can say I in a sense attended an IGMF event. In '21, they had a set at my home church (Northside Baptist Church) which featured the Victorious Trio, Devin Cunningham (then IGMF President), and the Divinity Trio, with my friend and fellow church member Eric Shaw emceeing. After the three artists finished their set, Devin led the group in  various songs.

The next year, they were back at having the festival at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall. I didn't get to go then or last year, but this year I made up my mind to go. After all, I've enjoyed hanging out with the rockers at KCF; I definitely should have a turn at IGMF!

The artists this year were Revival Road Quartet, His Grace Trio, The Sinclairs, Victorious Trio, By Faith Quartet, Ginny Pugh Spillman, Witness Quartet, Judith Montgomery, The Riddells, Curtis Pruett, David Melton Family Singers, The Cunninghams (Devin got married between '21 and now), and Divinity Trio.

I can write a blog comparing the two festivals, so I won't deal with that now. But I do want to share some highlights from the IGMF, which happened to be the 25th Anniversary edition:

• There were several great songs. Some of them were written by the artists, some may not have been, but these include "I'm Going There" (Revival Road Quartet), "Broken Ones," Somebody Oughta Testify (both by Victorious Trio), "My King Is Known By His Love" (By Faith Quartet), "Pull Up A Chair," "Called Out" (both by Witness Quartet), "Won't Stay In The Boat Anymore" (the Riddells), "Do You Know Who I Am," "At The Foot Of The Cross" (both by Curtis Pruett), "Walk By Faith," and "There Is A River" (both by Divinity Trio)
• On the Sinclairs final song, they were accompanied by a friend who signed the song while they were singing.
• Most of the songs were accompanied by tracks; there were only two artists that had any live instrumentalists (though both also had tracks.) Divinity Trio had a pianist (so if you were wondering why there were four people with me in my above picture with a trio). Curtis Pruett played piano and guitar. On the same song.
• I forgot to mention the emceeing. This was done by Eric Shaw and Devin Cunningham.
• We had three soloists, two duets, four trios, three quartets, and a sextet do the first thirteen sets. For those who like math, you'd realize that included 37 people. The final set had... 38 people. Yes, that included all the artists that sang plus Eric, with Devin leading them  and the audience in some familiar songs: "Victory In Jesus," "Amazing Grace," and a medley of "Soon and Very Soon" and the chorus of Russ Taff's "We Will Stand." This wasn't the first festival I attended that closed with "We Will Stand" - in December of '88 I attended a benefit which concluded with the involved artists - Steve Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, First Call, Geoff Moore, White Heart, Margaret Becker, Michael Card, Paul Overstreet, and BeBe and CeCe Winan - join Russ Taff on that song, with Petra's John Lawry on the piano. That definitely brought back memories.

As for comparing the two festivals... that's another blog that will be coming shortly. 

BOOK REVIEW - "THREAT DETECTION" (PACIFIC NORTHWEST K-9 UNIT BOOK 5) BY SHARON DUNN

 

Why is a stranger shooting at volcanologist Aubrey Smith, than claiming she has something that belongs to him? What is her sister's picture doing on a collection of five people's photos, and who is killing those five off? Will Aubrey working near Mount St. Helen's be less explosive than having her ex-fiance and K-9 officer Isaac McDane attempt to trying to protect her? (At least his beagle partner is adorable, as you can tell from the cover.)

This is the sixth of eight full novels (plus a pair of novellas) of the Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit series on Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense imprint. As usual, each installment is written by a different author. Also, you don't need to read them in order to enjoy them (I read this book before I read book 2) - they're written so it's easy to catch us with the important parts of the previous books, nor do the newer books spoil the older ones.

This is the sixth Sharon Dunn novel I've read (all Love Inspired Suspense, and five of them part of K-9 series), and this is definitely my favorite by her. I've enjoyed seeing Isaac and Aubrey work through their past, present, and future (I mean, any suspense on whether they'll fall back in love with each other by the end?). The plot has as many twists as the trail going up the legendary volcano, Also, most of Dunn's books I've read so far let you know who the bad guy is about halfway through; this one has a good, riveting mystery.

This has been my favorite series, and this book is part of the reason why. I recommend both this novel and the rest of the set.

DEVOTIONAL ON PSALM 26:6-7

Miller Park Zoo, Bloomington, IL

"I will wash my hands in innocence;

So I will go about Your altar, O LORD,

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,

And tell of all Your wondrous works.

Psalm 26:6-7, New King James Version.

Do you get excited about proclaiming with a voice of thanksgiving? I do. There is something exhilarating to have a heart full of gratitude to God especially, and likewise to others as well. Same thing with telling of God's wondrous works, from the beauty of His creation to His transformational work in our lives.

Of course, it's hard to do if there isn't thanksgiving in your heart to start. Likewise, we don't often proclaim God's wondrous works because we're looking for other things and/or are not recognizing His works when we see them.

Another reason we're not thankful and proclaiming God's works is dealt with in the first six verses of Psalm 26. Maybe we're not trusting in the Lord. Perhaps we're not asking Him to test our hearts. It could be that we're comfortable (or at best not uncomfortable) with the ungodly. And then, we may not be confessing our sins and seeking inner purity.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather be proclaiming with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all of God's wondrous works.

Lord, thank you for all Your wonderful works. Grant us a heart that seeks things to be thankful, and a spirit overflowing that we want to share what you've done in our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.
 

BOOK REVIEW - "CHRIST, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS: PAUL'S THEOLOGY OF JUSTIFICATION" BY MARK A. SEIFRID

 

This is a great book looking at Paul's teaching on Christ, and of Him being our righteousness. It starts off giving an overview of Paul's life in Acts before moving to justification by faith, first through Romans, then looking at Paul's other letters, and finally analyzing how the other NT authors dealt with the subject.

One thought really moved me: That God not only justifies the ungodly, but that He ONLY justifies the ungodly. None of us can justify ourselves.

Another reviewer was disappointed that Seifrid didn't deal much with the New Perspectives of Paul (NPP). I also picked up that he focused more on the letters that all considered were by Paul and less space on those some don't believe were written by Paul (Ephesians, Colossians, the Pastoral Epistles, and Philemon). Unlike the above mentioned reviewer, I had no problem with those issues not being dealt with: The focus was what Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote in his letters about Christ being our righteousness.

I thoroughly enjoy the New Studies in Biblical Theology series that this book is a part of. It also is uplifting to read about justification. I recommend both this book and the series.

BOOK REVIEW - "RHATALOO" (A TAKAMO UNIVERSE NOVEL, MUTO CHRONICLES) BY KERRY NIETZ

Why and how is spaceship run by human size rats (aka rhats or mutos) landing in Napolean era France looking for cheese (and wine)? Can the Granum's executive officer Cedric explain a messed up mission satisfactorily to muto bureaucrats without him and his captain's tails getting docked? Can mutos survive in a world run by "umans?" 

"Rhataloo" is technically a prequel to the Muto Chronicles ("Rhats!," "Rhats Too!," and "Rhats Free!"). I am not sure how
"Rhataloo" compares timeline wise with either the later Chronicles or how the Takamo Universe relates to ours (in other words, are rhats travelling space before our 1800's, or is this a parallel universe where their Napolean showed up centuries after ours), but author Kerry Nietz has created an enjoyable series. (What would you expect from the author of 
"Amish Vampires in Space?")

The story has a lot of plot twists and entertaining moments, jumping from the current debriefing with the powerful bean-counters and Sedric's recollection of what had happened previously. The characters are creative and fun as well.

I'm looking forward to reading the next Rhats installment, and for that matter anything else by Kerry Nietz.

 

DEVOTIONAL ON PSALM 20:2

CEF International Headquarters, Warrenton, MO

"May He send you help from the sanctuary

And strengthen you from Zion."

Psalm 20:2, NKJV

What are my three favorite Psalms? Would you count me an infidel if the 23rd Psalm isn't that high? Believe it or not, it's 6th place? The top three consist of, in order, Psalms 84, 67, and 20. (For the curious, 4th and 5th, respectively, are 27 and 119.)

Today, I'm focusing on Psalm 20. Why do I place it so high? Is it verse 7, which says "Some trust in chariots and some in horses," and some paraphrase, "Some trust in Cadillacs and some in Porshes?" No, it's the first five verses.

Alex Darnall, worship leader at Northside Baptist Church in Indianapolis, was doing a devotional series on the Psalms and commented on the 20th that it's in context of the King addressing his army. I didn't think of that, and it sounds good. But I looked at it as a great Psalm to pray for others, particularly the first 5 verses.

When I looked at this Psalm a couple of days ago, I felt I needed the prayer from verse 2 for me personally.

PRAYER: Lord, I need Your help; please send me help from Your Sanctuary in heaven. I need Your strength; please strengthen me from Zion. And Lord, please let me know of any brothers and sisters in You that need encouragement and need me to pray this Psalm for them.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "SCENT OF TRUTH" (PACIFIC NORTHWEST K-9 UNIT BOOK 2) BY VALERIE HANSEN

 

 Who is killing tourists at the state park, and why is park ranger Brook Stevens' DNA showing up at the crime scene? Is K-9 officer Colt Maxwell and his bloodhound partner Sampson able to sniff out who's framing the ranger? Or is he falling in love with a cold-blooded killer?

"Scent of Truth" by Valerie Hansen is the second installment of the Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit series from Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense imprint. Does this mean that you need to read the books in order to appreciate them? No. I have read parts 1, 3, 4, and 5 before reading this one, and I was able to enjoy this story without having it spoiled by the later stories, and it gives enough information you don't feel out of touch for missing the first story.

One reviewer gave up after the second chapter. At that point I felt the same way, thinking Stevens protested her innocence too much. However, I kept on, and was treated to an excellent story with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.

I recommend this story, and this series.