A Hymnal for Ordinary Time

It is Ordinary Time, the part of the church calendar that isn't dominated by a major holiday or season. It's just ordinary, everyday time. At Vintage, we are trying to see if we can find God in the ordinary time, in our work, the the beauty of everyday. Since most of our lives is lived not in the seasonal celebrations but in daily monotony, we would be in trouble if the presence of God couldn't be found in the everyday.

One of the ways we are challenging ourselves to find God in the everyday is to use everyday, ordinary music in our worship gatherings. We are trying to find God on the radio. So, we've given up on church music and worship songs. The Vintage hymnal now includes the likes of

Coldplay
Led Zeppelin
The Who
Tom Petty
Peter Gabriel
The Grateful Dead
The Beatles

In fact, we've started a Spotify playlist called Finding God in Ordinary Music. It is now over 100 songs and 6 hours of music. It's got everyone from U2 to Collective Soul, Johnny Cash to Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley to Meat Loaf. Yes. Meat Loaf.

Have there been songs that have been especially significant to you on your spiritual journey?
Have you been able to connect with God through everyday, ordinary music?
What songs have helped you find God on the radio?

God is all around us. God is everywhere. Here's proof:




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Holy Week: Window in the Skies

The rule has been disproved
The stone it has been moved
The grave is now a groove
All debts are removed

Happy Easter, everybody





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Holy Week: Wake Up Dead Man

God is dead.





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Holy Week: Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

You broke the bonds and you loosed the chains
Carried the cross, took my shame, took the pain
You know I believe it
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for





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Holy Week: Until the End of the World

On Maundy Thursday, Jesus shared a meal with his disciples, washed their feet, and taught them how to love. I'm quite fond of the way U2 tells the story.





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Holy Week: Yahweh

On this day during Holy Week, Jesus was anointed by a woman who lavished her most expensive perfume upon him. Her actions are a reminder that everything we have must be offered to our God.





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Holy Week: One

On Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus spent a lot of time teaching. During these final lessons, he was asked by a man about which is the greatest commandment. His answer - Love. "Love the higher law."





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Holy Week: Out of Control

"I've got big ideas. I'm out of control." On Monday of Holy Week, Jesus flew into a fit of rage and ran the merchants from the temple. Jesus is up to something important this week, and he's willing to appear crazy to see it through.





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Holy Week: When Love Comes to Town

I am going to blog Holy Week this year with U2 videos that capture the destiny, the angst, the hope of what Jesus did for us. I'm a little late getting started, but in honor of Palm Sunday, here is When Love Comes to Town.





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Last Night on Earth

There is nothing better than a surreal and creepy U2 vision of the apocalypse. Enjoy.





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Vantage Point: Judas

In the weeks leading up to Easter, we've been doing a series at Vintage called Vantage Point. We've been looking at the cross through the eyes of five people who were there - Pilate, Mary Magdalene, the thief on the cross, Judas, and Joseph of Arimathea. It has been a fascinating and moving series. Last night, for our Good Friday service, we tried to get inside of Judas' head. To help, I put together this video that we showed at the start of the service. Enjoy ... if that's the right word to use when talking about the betrayal of Jesus.

An Easter Anthem for Holy Week

The shackles are undone
The bullets quit the gun
The heat that’s in the sun
Will keep us when there’s none
The rule has been disproved
The stone it has been moved
The grave is now a groove
All debts are removed

Oh can’t you see what love has done?
What it’s done to me?

Love makes strange enemies
Makes love where love may please
The soul and its striptease
Hate brought to its knees
The sky over our head
We can reach it from our bed
You let me in your heart
And out of my head, head…

Oh can’t you see what love has done?
What it’s done to me?

Oh, Please don’t ever let me out of you

I’ve got no shame, oh no, oh no

Oh can’t you see what love has done?
Oh can’t you see?
Oh can’t you see what love has done?
What it’s doing to me?

I know I hurt you and I made you cry
Did everything but murder you and I
But love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize
To every broken heart
For every heart that cries
Love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize

For Dr. King, Sing!

A Dream Big Enough to Fit the Whole World!