the blog of Jerry Bolton
Archive for December, 2009
Top Albums 2009
22 years ago
Without much ado, here are my best beloved musical albums of the year 2009. In descending order, building up to an apex of musical happiness.
10. Emery – “In Shallow Seas We Sail”
Although this record doesn’t really jump forward on Emery’s generally uncomplicated lyrical themes, it is a wonderful example of a band returning to their roots while incorporating everything they’ve learned in the meantime. Even though this won’t win awards, it’s a gutsy rocker with just the right amount of tenderness to make it all come together. Definitely a great record to throw on.
9. Fee – “Hope Rising”
I first heard of Fee this past spring after we began singing one of their (then unreleased) songs “Glory to God Forever” at Harvest York Region. By the time “Hope Rising” came out in the fall, I was stoked to hear it. The more I listened to it, the more stoked I became. My only critique is that it comes off a little overdone (particularly the production), but otherwise this is an anthemic, thoughtful, and lyrically excellent collection of original worship songs. As a plus, they work great when sung by a big crowd of people.
8. Maylene & the Sons of Disaster – “III”
Maylene is just all kinds of fun. Take former Underoath vocalist Dallas Taylor, mix his insane gutteral vocals with a whole truckload of southern twang and smash-you-in-the-eye guitars, and you have Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. This year’s “III” continues their pattern of putting out stuff that just ‘southern rocks your world’.
7. Tedashii – “Identity Crisis”
With the Cross Movement focusing on solo projects primarily now, it’s been interesting to see successors to the Holy Hip Hop legacy rise up in their wake. Other than those on their own Cross Movement Records, cats like Lecrae, Shai Lynne, and Tedashii have really impressed me with deep, theologically informed yet immediately accessible lyrics. “Identity Crisis” isn’t the best example of this new wave of HHH (that goes to Lecrae’s 2008 disc “Rebel”), but it’s this year’s finest.
6. Project 86 – “Picket Fence Cartel”
Hard to believe this year brought Project 86 all the way to album number seven. “Picket Fence Cartel” wins points for bringing back a lot of the heavy that was missing on 2007′s “Rival Factions”. It also wins points for some great apocalyptic and devotional lyrics. Songs like “The Black Brigade” mean that this one will see repeated plays for quite some time.
5. Oh, Sleeper – “Son of the Morning”
Metal record predominantly ‘voiced’ by Satan but made by Christians. Nine tracks on this record are written from the perspective of the Devil himself, with the final track being from that of the risen and living one – Jesus Christ. Conceptually this pushes the envelope (if that idiom even means anything anymore), but trust me when I say that it’s full of Bible and theology, full of great moments, and full of excellence. Closing track “The Finisher” is a blistering, potent reminder of the all-consuming power of the Almighty One.
4. Matthew Good – “Vancouver”
Ah, Matty Good. He’s kinda the odd one out on this list, and not just because he’s Canadian. “Vancouver” does a lot of what 2007′s “Hospital Music” did, only better. The only thing it’s really missing is a blow-your-face-off rocker like “I’m A Window” was for that record.
3. Deepspace5 – “5print Mixtape”
What happens when an unknown but skilled producer has a whole whack of beats NOT used for Jay Z’s “The Blueprint 3″? He, Alex Goose, puts it out for free online as “The Blueprint Outtakes”. What happens when rap supercrew Deepspace5 gets ahold of those beats? Magic. This mixtape is freely available at Deepspace5 dot Com.
2. David Crowder Band – “Church Music”
After the letdown that was 2007′s “Remedy”, it was great to hear the return of the sprawling, almost experimental David Crowder Band ala 2005′s “A Collision”. Unlike that watershed record, though, there’s no bluegrass or Americana to be found on “Church Music”, just delicious electronics, top-of-your-lungs stuck-in-your-head choruses and a whole lot of heart and soul.
1. Thrice – “Beggars”
It’s no secret that I’m an avid, blathering, emphatic fan of Dustin Kensrue and his band Thrice. Between Dustin’s biblically-conscious, thoughtful, high-grade, genuinely epic lyrics and the band’s brand of toe-tapping groove-infested rock… it’s all win. “Beggars” is my Album of the Year with a vengeance. It’s also, in this fan’s opinion, Thrice’s best offering yet.
God Is Enough
0Currently listening to: “The Best It’s Gonna Get” by Celldweller
Chapter two of Wish Upon A Blackstar just dropped. It’s uhh… Celldweller at its best, basically.
This is just a quick post to share this: [video].
I have a lot of respect for Matt Chandler, and have benefited greatly from his preaching as well as other resources that The Village Church puts out online. Along with many others, I was shocked when he was hit by a pretty brutal seizure during American Thanksgiving and diagnosed with a brain tumor. In this video, Matt explains what happened, but also what it means.
I entrust it to you with rejoicing. What an encouragement to hear where Matt’s heart is focused, with his life on the line.
As We Received, So We Walk
02 years ago
by Jerry
in Bible Study
Currently listening to: “In Exile” by Thrice
They actually just released the video for this song recently on their myspace and, although it’s not as epic as (say) the videos for “Image of the Invisible” or “Digital Sea”… it has a great black-and-white, earthy, early-2000′s Thrice feel to it. Think of a cross between the videos for “Deadbolt” and “Come All You Weary”. Video aside, this is one of Thrice’s best songs from one of Thrice’s best albums. Love it.
Here’s something that caught me today:
Colossians 2:6-7 ESV
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
The word “as” seems absolutely key here. Another way of reading this sentence is “Walk in Christ Jesus the Lord AS you received him”. So – for those of us who have received Christ… the question becomes: how did we receive him?
We received Christ as a gift, through repentance and belief in the gospel.
1) As a Gift:
Titus 3:4-7 ESV
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
John 3:3 ESV
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Just as we had no involvement in our physical birth, so we have none in our spiritual birth – other than that, once born, we begin to breathe and live. Salvation is ultimately a gift, something given to those who believe by God himself – something we cannot and have not earned by doing anything. It’s a gracious blessing – something entirely unmerited and unsolicited.
Similarly, just as our salvation is God’s doing, the life we live from that time on is God’s doing also. Whatever “good” (God-honouring, God-exalting) things we do, we can understand that they are gifts also – things our natural self is entirely incapable of.
Philippians 2:12 ESV
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
We are to work out, live out, breathe out, speak out our salvation… actively, voluntarily, volitionally… because we understand that as we do so, it is God at work in us making it happen. So then, living as He desires us to is not something we do, but rather something He does in us, for His good pleasure and enjoyment. This is a great comfort and a great challenge to consider!
2) Through Repentance and Belief in the Gospel:
When Jesus spoke to people and told them to do things, he often reduced the ‘action requirements’ down to basics. Some balk at this, thinking that favour with God must be more difficult to acquire. In a sense, those who balk are correct – it is more difficult than they could possibly imagine. Impossible, actually.
Truth is, the life-changing heart-rending repentance and belief that Jesus speaks of is utterly impossible for human beings to accomplish. Impossible apart from being regenerated (aka “reborn”, “born again”) and given a new heart and a new life – complete with new desires and an unceasing pattern of… you guessed it, repentance and belief.
Matthew 4:17 ESV
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
When God takes hold of sinners as his own, gifting to them new life, they in turn… turn to Him. Repentance is not merely what happened when you “received Christ Jesus the Lord”, but rather it becomes the new pattern and the hallmark of your life from that moment on – a pattern of growth into the likeness of Jesus Christ that scripture calls our sanctification. What is repentance? Simply, it’s turning away from your sin and towards God. Mentally, it’s the process of developing a Christlike hatred toward sin (while cultivating an increasing love for God). Where once we were enemies to God, we increasingly become enemies to sin (particularly our own).
Mark 1:14-15 ESV
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Similarly, belief is not just something that happens at the beginning of a person’s walk with God, but rather it becomes the new pattern of your life. Where once you lived in rebellion and unbelief, now you persevere in the faith, believing in the God of the Bible and in His glorious Gospel – the message that in Jesus Christ, God entered human history as a man, lived a perfect and sinless life, died a sacrificial, substitutional, atoning death on the cross, defeated death, and lives forever as King and Lord and God.
Let’s revisit our starting point:
Colossians 2:6-7 ESV
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Do you remember the time in your life when you came to repentance and belief? Experientially, it may not have been a climactic moment of awakening but instead a process. Regardless, do you remember those times? Do you remember the feeling of “scales falling from your eyes”, of understanding and believing what before had seemed foolish and detestable? Do you remember realizing the enormity of your sin, and rejoicing in the grace of God expressed in the atoning sacrifice of his son for you? Do you remember the bliss and the mourning of being brought to repentance?
Do you remember?
Friend, just as you received Christ Jesus our Lord… walk that way. Put your roots in him. Build up and establish yourself in the faith, just as Scripture teaches it – and never forget to abound in thanksgiving for what God has done.
Luke 9:23-24 ESV
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.