Last night, I had the privilege to spend two powerful hours listening to a group of tremendous singer/songwriters share Truth through song. Square Peg Alliance is a group of friends who have come together to support each other through their music. They write together, travel together, play shows together, do life together. They are, in essence, the epitome of a community. The entire SPA consists of 13 artists; I was able to see 8 of them (Ben Shive, Andrew Peterson, Randall Goodgame, Jeremy Casella, Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Eric Peters, Andrew Osenga) In the words of my dear friend Harry, who also attended the concert, “That was the best 2 hours I had spent in awhile.” 

What was so powerful about this concert is that it was a glimpse into my own heart. For years now, I have wanted to initiate this type of community among artists. In fact, that was part of the reason I began this blog. Not necessarily to use it as a tool for community (though I believe the blogosphere is a unique community in and of itself), but rather to discuss and walk through the ramifications of being an artist with a huge heart for the  church within the artist community. When I say church, I’m sure many of you instantly picture the institution or the building, and rightfully so. This is the image that we, on the whole, have allowed ourselves to grow complacent with. Growing up in the church, I cannot tell you the number of times I heard the words, “The church is not the building, it’s the people.” Unfortunately, when those words are so rarely lived out, they begin to lose their significance. 

* * I should note here that during the latter years of my growing up,  I was more than blessed to be a part of church whose highest priority is missions. Second Baptist Church, Springfield has affirmed in me a deep calling to serve the Lord in capacities beyond the plaster and pews. And I am eternally grateful for the people within that church who have selflessly dedicated their lives to furthering the  Kingdom, and pushing others to do the same. 

When I speak of the church within a community of people-in this context, artists-I am referring to those who are living out the gospel through the gifts they have been given. I am a songwriter, a musician, a lead-worshipper, an artist. I firmly believe that God has gifted me with these things to fill a place in the Kingdom no one else can. And I believe that my place is significant.  In her book, “The Kiss of Heaven,” Darlene Zschech speaks about dreams and the Dream-Giver. She says (and I’m paraphrasing), that God places dreams within our hearts and He longs for us to follow them. Sadly, many of us walk away from our dreams because we’re too scared, too unprepared, not ready, _____ fill in the blank…And when we fail to pursue our dreams, we fail to pursue our God, our Dream-Giver. 

So what of my dreams? What of this deep yearning within me? What of my place in the Kingdom?

Today, I pray I will be one who is restless for the lost and reckless for the Lord. I pray that God will stir  creativity and vision within me. I pray I will not cower at the opportunity to initiate true community among both friends and strangers, but rather, that I would boldly take on the summons to stand as one who presents Truth with passion and creativity. And I encourage you to do the same. 

As a side note: Please take some time to check into the artists mentioned above. I promise they are all well worth it.

I’m sitting at home (in Springfield), the tv on, my sister in her bedroom, our kitten asleep next to me. It’s such a different world here. So different from St. Louis. And not in a bad way, just different. Sometimes I feel like I live in alternate realities–two separate worlds that occasionally merge. I love it though. The Lord has blessed me with a great family, who supports me and encourages me, despite my continual commute. And He has given me tremendous friends and a wonderful boyfriend who hold me accountable, keep me honest, and push me to pursue my dreams.  

I came across a compelling blog post today by Shaun Groves. It is immensely convicting for artists and industry members alike. He speaks to the fact that we have  created an industry of  artists who are failing to initiate and maintain relationships with those who are not artists. He says, “If the music industry dies it won’t be because everything changed.  It will be because artists didn’t. (Read the rest of the article here. )

Hm. A profound thought. What am I doing to initiate these relationships outside of my art? How do I demonstrate Christ’s impact on my life in more than just song? More than words? How do I show my family? My friends? Complete strangers? And in turn, how am I letting them affect my music? Am I wiling to change in order to better serve my world?

What have I been up to? Let’s see…I orchestrated a surprise party, lead worship, played my last SpiritWing concert for the the year, recorded a few extra scratch tracks, got my purse stolen out of my car, went to Bible Study, filed a police report, went to an Acts 29 church planting conference, ran a super-expensive switcher for graduation…and that was all by Tuesday!! Needless to say, I’ve been a horrible blogger. I’ll admit that. However, I hope to have a little bit more time now that the school year is over and such, so look out for new blogs– I promise I’ll get better! In the meantime, I hope you’re week has been far less stressful than mine! Wait in HIm today–let Him be your joy!

I bought my first pair of TOMS shoes this past weekend! TOMS is a company that is committed to providing shoes to children who have none. Their campaign is called One for One–for every pair of shoes you purchase, they donate a pair of shoes to child in need.  You can read more about their story here. And you can get your own pair of TOMS here. 

These are just some thoughts I’ve been wrestling with lately, mostly on account of my Emerging Trends in Worship class taught by Brad Andrews. I feel like God is just really working a lot of things out in me concerning the church and my role in it. I definitely don’t have all the answers, but would love to hear your thoughts. Here are some of the most recent thoughts rolling around in my head…

-How much time would Jesus spend in an office planning a weekend worship gathering

-Do you think that God created the Church as a community of believers who care for each other and are devoted to Him with the intentions of it later becoming an entertaining, hour-long service?

-Jesus’ biggest request was not that the Church would elect the right president or tell people they’re sinning, but that they would be ONE.

In my last post, I mentioned that I had been talking to and interviewing with a few different churches. One of those churches was First Baptist Maryville in Maryville, IL. I was absolutely shocked and devastated to learn of the tragedy that occurred early this past Sunday morning. Three days out, it’s still a little surreal. If you haven’t heard the story, you can read more about it here. And please, please be praying for the Maryville congregation, the Winters’ family, as well as the assailant and his family in this immensely difficult situation.

I have been a miserable blogger. I admit it. However, I am now officially on Spring Break, and am ready to catch y’all up on everything that’s been going on. So, without further ado…

Story::Song::Life launched 2 weeks ago and definitely exceeded our expectations. We spent all day moving chairs, rearranging furniture, setting up a cafe, displaying art, sound checking, praying, etc..It was a long day, but it was so good. And there is absolutely no way we could have done it without all of our friends and family who contributed to the event in countless ways. Thanks to…

• Patti Endejan for making a  bajillion cookies
• my roommates for running errands and helping to set everything up
• Bry for bringing your artwork and Kyle for helping to set it up (not to mention the loads of chairs you moved)
• David Ayres for running sound
• Charlie Eaton for taking pictures
• Ross for filming the evening
• Brigette for vaccuuming every single ounce of seating in theDoxa
• All the Jessicas (Petit, Perkins, Rodell) for running the table, standing at the door, printing off convo cards, etc…
• Everyone else who helped out in any way..we seriously could not have done it without you guys. We are so grateful for your support of our ministry, and for demonstrating that support and encouragement that night through your willingness to serve. 

Here are some pictures from the evening:

The second installment of Story:Song:Life should be heading your way in the very near future. We’re always looking for new writers, artists, venues, etc.. So, if you fit any of those categories, we definitely want to hear from you! Our goal is to get as many people involved in this ministry as possible, regardless of what capacity. I believe that we have such a unique opportunity as artists to build relationships and bring people together that may have never met otherwise. We’ll be posting more pictures and such as they come in. You can check them out at the Story:Song:Life blog. Also, if you’re interested in getting involved in any way, send us an e-mail at storysonglife@gmail.com. We’re excited to see where God continues to lead in this ministry!

In other news…

I’m back in the studio! It’s been almost two years since I last released something, and I’m way excited to walk through this process again. God has been so faithful, always providing opportunities and opening doors for the recording process to transpire. I just finished laying down all of my scratch tracks and am going to start working on some pre-production stuff this weekend (on my long drive to chicago…more on that later). I can’t wait to really start working on these songs. I’m so excited to just take time and be creative, not to mention being able to work alongside some incredibly gifted people. Be praying for me and everyone involved..I’ll be sure to keep you updated in this process! 

Aside from recording, I’ve also been in the process of finding a new job. After finishing my job as a worship intern at Grace Church last semester, I began really praying about where I was supposed to serve next. I’ve been talking with a few churches and have not fully committed to any of them; however, I will be leading out at Fellowship at Weldon Springs for at least a little while. I love the people out at Fellowship and am excited to be able to serve alongside them, if even for just a season. I’m continuing to pray about where to fully commit to, but I believe that God will bring great clarity into this situation in His time. I’m excited to take that next step with Him!

At this point I must confess something- it is currently 7:16 pm. I started this entry at 9-ish this morning. I’m apparently a rrreeeaaalllyyy slow typer. Ha. Actually, I was sitting on the second first-round MBU ministry group auditions today. (Did you catch all that?) I’m excited to see how these groups take shape. We’ve seen a lot of potential in these students coupled with true hearts for service. It’s been really cool to hear their stories and to see their authentic desire for genuine worship. 

Alright, I suppose that’s enough for today. Oh wait, one more thing! I’m going to Chicago tomorrow! I’ve never been to Chicago before and am super excited!! Stay tuned for pictures! (On my new super sweet camera, nonetheless…) Have a wonderful week!

So..the past three weeks have been pretty stinkin’ crazy! They’ve been really really good (minus the papers and midterms and such), but oh, so busy! I am so excited to tell you about all of the craziness -and I promise I will very soon- but right now, I’m just going to ask you all to pray for all of the upcoming things: story:song:life part b, new jobs, recording sessions, etc…

God is so faithful, and I can’t wait to tell you of His faithfulness! Until then…I pray have a fabulous Monday!!

“When the righteous see God in action they’ll laugh, they’ll sing, they’ll laugh and sing for joy.”  Psalm 68:3 (The Message)

It was Mrs. White in the study with the revolver. That’s all I have to say.

Oh, and I’m sitting in on the MBU ministry Group Auditions right now. One down, plenty more to go. It’s going to be a long (but good) day.

Well friends, tis the day before Valentine’s Day. Ask me how I’m celebrating? By “CLUE: the musical” for my Media Production class! Yes, romantic indeed. I will actually be spending Valentine’s Day in Kearney, MO with SpiritWing. It’s been a while since we’ve been on a long trip, so it should be fun. I’m praying God will use us on and off the stage.

Tonight, however, I am an undercover detective. I will let you know whodunit as soon as I have solved the mystery myself. I pray I will be able to answer this pressing question and put many of your minds at ease with my discoveries.

Have a lovely evening, and happy early Valentine’s Day!