Ep 67: Singer-songwriter John Van Deusen

Singer-songwriter and musician released his latest album Every Power Wide Awake late last year, and it's slowly been building buzz with people on the look out for great independent music as well as with church worship leaders. Here's the brief review of the album that I left on Van Deusen's Bandcamp page: 

This album might be a masterpiece. I rarely say such things.

This is worthy of many listens.

So yes, take a listen to his album and then listen to our interview. We go in-depth about his career in the music industry (he previously fronted the band The Lonely Forest for over a decade) and the stories behind the songs on the new album. John also graciously allowed me to use excerpts from tracks on the album, which can be streamed through the Bandcamp app.

Other links:

John's website: http://johnvandeusen.com/

John's record label: http://www.monopathrecords.com/

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Related Podcast Episodes:

Ep 64: Brian Roberts of Ha Ha Tonka

Ep 38: Musician Jared Grabb

Ep 43: Jimmy Bridgeman of Rock Solid Studio

Ep 55: Singer-songwriter Nathan Peterson
Ep 59: Jeremy Casella's New Album and Kickstarter Campaign
Ep 56: Andrew Osenga
Episode 52: Fernando Ortega's The Crucifixion of Jesus
Episode 50: Stu G on the Beatitudes Project

BONUS Ep: Family Worship Tips with Pastor Dan Leman

As a bonus to our previous episode with Pastor Dan Leman on worship in the church, Dan returns briefly this time to offer insight and practical steps for how to worship, pray, and read Scripture together as a family.


You can stream the episode above, subscribe to the podcast on itunes or
Check out the podcast page to subscribe on Stitcher, Google Play, Tunein, and PocketCasts.

Check below for related podcast episodes and articles on worship.

Change of plans...Happy Lent!

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone. Remember your baptism and remember you are but dust...and also that God is making all things new...

I had one more article on liturgy and worship I wanted to get out before Ash Wednesday. But it's not going to happen. It was too much to get my head around in the amount of time I had left. And I don't want to put up a half-baked article on something all-encompassing as an article that attempts to give resources and ideas on practicing the liturgy.

And so...the article I had planned will not get put up until after Lent.

I've decided to really pull back this year during the Lenten season. I'm pausing my Facebook account (they call it deactivating! but that sounds extreme) and I won't be blogging or podcasting either. I will be writing and interviewing behind the scenes as I have time to do so but nothing will be put up on PostConsumer Reports. I will be doing lots of reading during Lent and preparing for an ordination exam, where, if I pass, I could become an Anglican deacon (or a deacon in the Anglican church) some time this summer.

So, if you are looking for more liturgy blog articles...I would actually encourage you to simply go to church. Worship, pray, read Scripture, be in community. Draw back during Lent. Devote time to building relationships. Pour into others, serving them physically and spiritually. Draw close to God and turn away from sin.

I will leave you with a few Lenten reflections I wrote a couple of years ago:
A Pessimistic Lenten Reflection (part 1): Living in Denial

A Pessimistic Lenten Reflection (part 2): Giving the Gift

Related Articles:
Speaking the Truth in Love
Plunge into the glorious mystery: a sermon for Trinity Sunday
Taking a pilgrimage to the wounds of Christ with doubting Thomas
Reflections on the Death of Moses
Come to his marvelous light: a sermon for the Epiphany
We have a problem with authority: A sermon for Christ the King Sunday

An Arcade Fire Advent Devotional

Journey through Advent with Arcade Fire!

It's become something of a tradition for people to walk through the season of Advent (the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas day) by reading an "Advent devotional", that is, a set of readings meditating on the themes of Advent: waiting, preparing, hoping, obeying, the coming of Christ as a child, the second coming of Christ, light, darkness, and the salvation of the Lord.

A couple of years ago I put together my own Advent series of readings of sorts based around a rather unconventional subject: the rock band Arcade Fire. It was more of a serious effort than you might think at first glance. There are three main articles (an ANTI-Advent reflection and then a two part Advent reflection) and then two other articles consisting of lists of Arcade Fire songs dwelling on the themes of Advent (as I perceive them). These Advent focused articles were the culmination of a long series on the songs of Arcade Fire. For a list of those articles please check the end of this article.

It might sound strange to take the work of a "secular" rock band as a jumping off point to think about the coming of Christ, but I assure you Arcade Fire has given us a lot to think about in their work. If you can take something from these articles and if they can help you to journey through Advent or to learn a little of what Advent is about then they will have accomplished the task I set out to do.

Here now are the articles:
"I need the darkness someone please cut the lights!": A Very Special Arcade Fire ANTI-Advent Reflection

"We used to wait": A Very Special Arcade Fire Advent Reflection (Part 1)

"Sleeping is giving in": A Very Special Arcade Fire Advent Reflection (Part 2)

An Index: Arcade Fire Songs For Advent (on the themes of waiting, preparing, arriving, and the light

An Index: Arcade Fire Songs Mentioning Light, Darkness, Mirrors, and Reflections
Continual Themes and Subjects in the Work of Arcade Fire

A Pessimistic Lenten Reflection (part 2): Giving The Gift

The Temptation In The Wilderness by Briton Riviere

In the Church calendar the season of Lent extends 40 day from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday, the day of Christ's resurrection. Lent is a season of drawing back and simplifying, of penitence and repentance, of learning to walk the way of Jesus, the road that leads to the cross, of learning to give up what we cannot keep in order to gain what we cannot lose.

People often "give something up for Lent", but really Lent is about getting rid of the things that detract and distract us from God. So the call goes much deeper than merely not doing some petty thing we know does not do us any lasting good. Instead, the call is to consider what in our life causes us not to see and hear God. So we "giving something up" not to punish ourselves—though in the short term we may be doing that—but to take on a posture where can begin to draw near to God.

As a way of helping others get to that place, I now offer part 2 of a Pessimistic Lenten Reflection:

Giving the Gift...

A Pessimistic Lenten Reflection (part 1): Living in Denial

In the Church calendar the season of Lent extends 40 days from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday, the day of Christ's resurrection. Lent is a season of drawing back and simplifying, of penitence and repentance, of learning to walk the way of Jesus, the road that leads to the cross, of learning to give up what we cannot keep in order to gain what we cannot lose.

People often "give something up for Lent", but really Lent is about getting rid of the things that detract and distract us from God. So the call goes much deeper than merely not doing some petty thing we know does not do us any lasting good anyway. Instead, the call is to consider what in our life causes us not to see and hear God. So we "give something up" not to punish ourselves—though in the short term it seems we may be doing that—but to take on a posture where can begin to draw near to God.

As a way of helping others get to that place, I now offer part 1 of a Pessimistic Lenten Reflection:

Living in Denial...
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