Well, they say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but they also say that the first impression is the strongest and possibly most important… (battling with the last impression)… so that little rant out of the way… here’s my initial thoughts on the book Un.Orthodox…

The cover art is spectacular… i dig the font and the little touch of grafitti smudging… the three little icons coinciding with the three main sections of the book… it works well… and, being a shoe guy from way back, the Air Force 1’s definitely catch my eye and the graphic offers a nice combination of the three sections as well…

The book itself is a good size, not too thick and intimidating… softcover is nice (i’m not too much of a fan of hardcover books because they don’t travel quite as well)… and the pages all have a nice bit of flare to them with background images and lyrics from the CD mixed in throughout…

all in all it’s a visually appealing book that certainly targets the audience well and fits the market well…

Available at: CBD/Christianbook
and Amazon.com

Related CD/DVD: CBD/Christianbook
and Amazon.com

peace… love… bdg…

Well, it’s been a while and this chapter has a lot to it… i think that David rasies more questions than he answers here, but it could just be me… the point he’s emphasizing does come through just fine, but for me, i’m left running off on tangents that have been briefly touched on, some even inadvertently… anyway…

building off of the back of the previous chapter’s illustration of his trip to the Masters and how the power of presence attracts a crowd, David contrasts that to the lack of attendance at church services across the country… this may sound rather brash, but i think David has answered his own question as he continues to ponder the success of The Masters without the presence of the “masters”… maybe people stopped coming to church because they stopped seeing Jesus there…

We’ve become so complacent in the church - so focused on the venue and the music and the pastor and the comfort and all of what should be ancillary aspects of a service - that maybe we stopped inviting God to His own house… i know that sounds very cynical and jaded, but it’s a possibility, at least in some instances… we’ve gotten so into the presentation that the message may have been lost long ago… and worship becomes a performance and the message becomes background noise or feel-good drivel…

To hear stories of the church abroad, and how the entire nations will come to a halt in order to accommodate a worship gathering, how people will walk for days to attend, and leave forever changed… well, that’s all a testament to the fact that the power hasn’t left God or the message… it’s just that we are so distracted that we miss it a lot of times…

now, i will have to disagree where David mentions that he thinks that if God were to perform healings and other miracles, that people would start showing back up to church… people asked Jesus for the same thing towards the end of His ministry and he replied that if people aren’t convinced by the sign of Jonah (His resurrection), then nothing else would convince them… He even mentioned that in the parable of Lazurus and the rich man…

i think, to be perfectly honest (and a bit blunt) that calling out for miracles is the lazy answer… it’s not on God’s shoulders to spread the Gospel on earth right now, it’s on ours… we’re living miracles - living examples of spiritual healing - and we’re the mouthpiece of God’s power… we’re the ones who are supposed to share the message with our neighbors and with the world… no gimmacks, no tricks, just us and the testimonies we live every day…

but what good it salt once it’s lost its saltiness?

peace… love… bdg…

… check the Sphere for the real hip-hop…

We’ve all come to know and love Sphere of Hip Hop (SphereofHipHop.com) for some of the most thorough coverage and discussion of hip hop music that means something… it’s also, of course, a great place to purchase said music and now, it’s even more…

Building off of the good rap feeling of sphereofhiphopmp3.com, the cats in charge recently launched SphereOfHipHopTV.com… your new one-stop spot for streaming hip hop videos…

Check out the freshness now and again later…

peace… love… bdg…

Fans of the group Boston certainly are aware that long-time lead singer and the voice of Boston, Brad Delp passed away earlier this year… However, Boston is scheduled to perform as part of a concert celebrating the life and career of Delp on August 19… stepping in for some of the lead vocal duties is none other than Michael Sweet of Stryper fame… Sweet is expected to perform 2-3 songs with the group… more details available at LiveNation.com…

the radio waves are preparing to embrace a very powerful song… “Amazing, Because It Is,” the latest single from The Almost (and, in my opinion, one of the best songs of this year) is going for adds next week at Christian CHR and Christian Rock radio… Also going for adds next week is a new single from Steven Curtis Chapman that makes me hope that the album is better than the single…

Mark Schultz made it across the country…. on a bike… in two months… well, the Mark Across America biking tour has come to an end and in just two months, Mark travelled about 3500 miles on bike and raised over $250,000 for The James Fund… more information, another chance to donate and video footage is available at MarkAcrossAmerica.org…

that should hold you for a bit…

peace… love… bdg…

yeah, i know, i’m not even done with the other book yet… but truth be known, i’m already pretty deep into this book by Tommy Kyllenon (a.k.a. Urban D) and i’m not going to wait much longer before begining the commentary on it…

the first order of business is to give you the details…

Available at: CBD/Christianbook
and Amazon.com

Related CD/DVD: CBD/Christianbook
and Amazon.com

peace… love… bdg…

…in stores everywhere…

While previously the book was only available at Family Christian, FamilyChristian.com, and GloryRevealed.com, the book we’ve been discussing here for the last few months is now available at retail outlets everywhere…

For example, CBD/ChristianBook.com and Amazon.com…

peace… love… bdg…

i’ve been to a golf tournament, and it wasn’t quite the experience that David describes here… granted, i wasn’t at the Masters, and i don’t think that Tiger Woods wasn’t in attendance… i believe it was the 1997 Canon Greater Hartford Open, which is now called the Traveller’s Championship, and Stewart Cink - a rookie - managed to beat out the popular David Duval to win… there were some powerful moments, for sure, but nothing quite as captivating as what has been described here…

I do get what David is talking about though… i once had a dream about Elvis and Jesus and, well, i suppose that’s a different story altogether… anyway, Jesus did draw a crowd… everywhere he went… people pressed him from all sides… much like they do to all the celebrities of today, but the difference is the result…

When people walked away from a physical encounter with Jesus… from being in His presence… they were completely changed… they walked away knowing that they’d experienced a power like none this earth could produce… when you walk away from meeting a celebrity, the buzz wears off, but after meeting Jesus… man, you’re never the same again…

peace… love… bdg…

You’re probably aware that just next week, MxPx is releasing their 10th full album… Secret Weapon will be out on Tooth and Nail Records on the 17th in both a standard and a deluxe (CD & DVD) version…

Until Tuesday though, you can check out a few cool online features to keep you enthused… First up, there’s a nice acoustic session (3 song performance) from MxPx over at PureVolume that features 2 songs from the new album and one oldie…

also, if you’re into the MySpace thing, you can listen to the whole album now, as it’s streaming in it’s entirety from the MxPx MySpace page…

MxPx also just recently won an online vote to record for AOL Sessions Under Cover, too… so that’s something to look forward to, as well…

peace… love… bdg…

Just dawned on me the other day how great this album actually is… i stumbled across an interview with Tim and decided to listen to the album while i read it… ended up listening over and over again… it’s that good… i may even have to write up something formal soon…

anyway, the best part of the album (from a consumer standpoint) is that it’s free… completely free… and it’s still free… just visit illtripp.com and follow the instructions…

There’s also an option to buy a higher quality download from Sphere of Hip Hop for five bucks… (also recommended)

peace… love… bdg…

Well, i’ve got a bit of a sore throat, so i can’t say too much today…

Anyway, this chapter talks about the exclusive claims of Christ… specifically that you cannot be redeemed without going through Jesus… this is the key element of Christianity… and yet it’s such a controversial statement in a world that tries to avoid confrontation and remain “politically correct”…

now, speaking of exclusivity… i used to be the worst… if there was an exclusive version of something available - a limited edition or special version - whatever it was, i was drawn to it like a moth to a flame… i’m still that way to some extent when it comes to new soda flavors and such, but it’s pretty much gotten so far out of control that it doesn’t even make sense to try… kind of like how it’s near impossible to find “regular strength” medicine nowadays, it’s hard to find non-exclusive editions of music, movies, etc…

everyone wants to feel special and important, like they’re getting an inside deal… like they’re a VIP and they’ve managed to attain some level of status that surpasses that of those around them… and marketers know this and have made strong inroads to that end… however, while it’s hip and trendy to make exclusive claims about a product, it’s treated as blasphemy to make exclusive claims about salvation…

it doesn’t really add up… if you believe in a product wholeheartedly, you can say anything you want about it, but when you believe in Jesus wholeheartedly and repeat what He says in the Bible, it’s offensive and taboo… really though, the point is that no one else could’ve successfully bridged the gap between sin and redemption… and that in itself is pretty glorious…

peace… love… bdg…