Monday
Oct102005
I run to the arms of another song...
Monday, October 10, 2005 at 10:08PM
Well, I've had a nice day today. I got a lot of work done on Jake Randall's mixes. I'm a terribly slow mixer. I wish I was faster. I get really psycho about some of the details, which is why I don't ever plan on mixing one of my own records. I'd have to be institutionalized before the album would be released.
Randall Goodgame and I had a great lunch at Calypso Cafe. I had a chicken pasta soup there last week that blew my mind, but unfortunately, they didn't have it today. Lunch was still good, though, and Randy and I had a great time catching up and talking about our families, our church, and some ideas for the future. We came back to my place and he played me a few new songs he was working on. I'd like to tell you that not everything he writes is brilliant. I'd be lying, though. They were great, as they always are.
I've also spent a bit of time on the phone with Mark Lockett, from the Normals and my best friend since jr. high. He's making the inevitable leap to ProTools this week, and I'm helping him out with that. Fun to chat daily again.
Church was great yesterday. We have a new pastor, named Tom Darnell, who I guess kind of mentored our main pastor, Randy. As some of you know, I made a fool out of myself on this here blog a few months ago, and said some things about churches in general, and ours (Midtown Fellowship) specifically, that were very unkind, unloving, and pretty untrue. I really had to humble myself with them and apologize and seek some help from the people I had hurt about some of my issues regarding the Church. They've been awesome to me, and that experience, along with our neighborhood group, Alison's young mothers group, and the fellowship we already have with people there, have led us to decide to make this place our Church home. I realized there were a lot of things going on there, in the communities, the preaching, the music, etc... that I had written off before I had even given them a chance. More on my weird issues with this later, but we really feel like the Lord led us through all sorts of things before He let us know where He wanted us, and now we know we're where we should be and we're really happy to be there.
All that to get back to... "Church was great yesterday." I think it was Tom's first time preaching at his new church, and we were really thankful afterwards that he is joining our community. He's older than the rest of the church staff, the only one with a good amount of gray hair, and I love that. He really spoke with a wisdom and depth that you get from years walking with the Lord. He was talking about how we are God's people, and explaining what the covenant means and how it has been fulfilled. All good stuff I needed to hear again.
I won't lie, I had just driven through the night, packed and unpacked two trucks worth of gear and only slept about three hours, so I was a little in-and-out through the whole thing, but one thing he said really stuck out to me. He was talking about how we are made, and that we worship because we were made to. If we don't worship God, we'll worship something else in His place, and that thing will never satisfy. This really struck me, because it's something I know I do. For me, it's usually sex or money or music or gear or trying to be cool or being bitter because somebody else thinks they're cool... it just goes on. And none of it satisfies. It never has, so I don't know why I keep looking for it too.
"I run to the arms of another song, another story by a man who's dead and gone, but when will I run to the arms of God?" Can you believe I wrote that four years ago, and I feel like I just heard it for the first time yesterday? So you can pray for me, that God would move in my heart to help me focus my worship, (and by that I don't mean church music, what an awful thing we have done to this word, but I mean my thoughts and my desires and my perspectives), that I would learn to focus these things on Him and what He has said and done, and is saying and doing, instead of on things He has created for us to enjoy Him with.
As always, thanks for reading, for caring about my family and me, and for supporting my music. The pre-orders keep coming in a few at a time, and they're really adding up to get this next record on its way. Thanks so much and have a great night.
Randall Goodgame and I had a great lunch at Calypso Cafe. I had a chicken pasta soup there last week that blew my mind, but unfortunately, they didn't have it today. Lunch was still good, though, and Randy and I had a great time catching up and talking about our families, our church, and some ideas for the future. We came back to my place and he played me a few new songs he was working on. I'd like to tell you that not everything he writes is brilliant. I'd be lying, though. They were great, as they always are.
I've also spent a bit of time on the phone with Mark Lockett, from the Normals and my best friend since jr. high. He's making the inevitable leap to ProTools this week, and I'm helping him out with that. Fun to chat daily again.
Church was great yesterday. We have a new pastor, named Tom Darnell, who I guess kind of mentored our main pastor, Randy. As some of you know, I made a fool out of myself on this here blog a few months ago, and said some things about churches in general, and ours (Midtown Fellowship) specifically, that were very unkind, unloving, and pretty untrue. I really had to humble myself with them and apologize and seek some help from the people I had hurt about some of my issues regarding the Church. They've been awesome to me, and that experience, along with our neighborhood group, Alison's young mothers group, and the fellowship we already have with people there, have led us to decide to make this place our Church home. I realized there were a lot of things going on there, in the communities, the preaching, the music, etc... that I had written off before I had even given them a chance. More on my weird issues with this later, but we really feel like the Lord led us through all sorts of things before He let us know where He wanted us, and now we know we're where we should be and we're really happy to be there.
All that to get back to... "Church was great yesterday." I think it was Tom's first time preaching at his new church, and we were really thankful afterwards that he is joining our community. He's older than the rest of the church staff, the only one with a good amount of gray hair, and I love that. He really spoke with a wisdom and depth that you get from years walking with the Lord. He was talking about how we are God's people, and explaining what the covenant means and how it has been fulfilled. All good stuff I needed to hear again.
I won't lie, I had just driven through the night, packed and unpacked two trucks worth of gear and only slept about three hours, so I was a little in-and-out through the whole thing, but one thing he said really stuck out to me. He was talking about how we are made, and that we worship because we were made to. If we don't worship God, we'll worship something else in His place, and that thing will never satisfy. This really struck me, because it's something I know I do. For me, it's usually sex or money or music or gear or trying to be cool or being bitter because somebody else thinks they're cool... it just goes on. And none of it satisfies. It never has, so I don't know why I keep looking for it too.
"I run to the arms of another song, another story by a man who's dead and gone, but when will I run to the arms of God?" Can you believe I wrote that four years ago, and I feel like I just heard it for the first time yesterday? So you can pray for me, that God would move in my heart to help me focus my worship, (and by that I don't mean church music, what an awful thing we have done to this word, but I mean my thoughts and my desires and my perspectives), that I would learn to focus these things on Him and what He has said and done, and is saying and doing, instead of on things He has created for us to enjoy Him with.
As always, thanks for reading, for caring about my family and me, and for supporting my music. The pre-orders keep coming in a few at a time, and they're really adding up to get this next record on its way. Thanks so much and have a great night.
Reader Comments (5)
that song has always spoken to me as well. everytime i hear it actually.
Small worldism strikes again! Tom Darnell was assistant pastor of Trinity Pres. in Charlottesville when Karyn and I were there. He's very special to us because he taught the membership class we were in and met with us about our issues with baptism. We will never forget his gentle, pastoral approach, that held firm to his views but made us feel he respected ours as well.
I know he went through some difficult times there, but "all things worked together for good" and he had a fruitful ministry at a church in Williamsburg, VA (where another good friend of ours and Caedmons/Andy fan, Any Hoffman attends). How wonderful to hear from you about his next minsitry.
And another C'ville church we were in once did a joint men's retreat with Tom's Williamsburg church...with Randy Anglin as our speaker!
that is a great song, one of my favorites on the album. derek's bgvs are awesome, too.
Hi Andy. Thanks for your post. I was encouraged to read it, I'm thankful that God loves us and that He alone can satisfy.
Andrew - the more I read stuff from you and AP the more I think we are in may ways in very similar places in our spiritual journey. I'd say more in explanation but don't have the time right now. Maybe later...
But in the meantime, when I read your post, and then tried to deal with the emotions it aroused in me, I remembered this post from the Boar's Head Tavern blog:
http://www.boarsheadtavern.com/archives/2005/06/03/01029347.html
Have a great day, and know that you are loved, every minute of every day, no matter what it is you're doing!