I am not a Christian writer

Ok so this is a post on Andrew Schwab (lead singer/song writer for Project 86) He does writings and i really thought this was a good one...i wanted to link it but it wouldn't link so i'll post it.


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I AM NOT A CHRISTIAN WRITER - 2007-10-02

Literature should be unconsciously, rather than deliberately and defiantly Christian. –T.S. Eliot.

Perhaps this is a tired issue. But something tells me it’s not. Maybe it’s the discussions I see and hear on a weekly basis, or maybe it’s the emails I read everyday. Regardless of the where and how, the debate in popular Christian culture over the function and spiritual motive of artists is a tepid one. And it is as much a question of the medium as it is the message, the motive as much as the messenger. And what everyone seems to want to know is, “Is _____ a Christian _______?” (insert band name, author name, painter name, etc., and their appropriate medium accordingly).

This question has been posed for ages, and in no way am I qualified to give a complete answer. Nor do I desire to.

“Art Tends to show rather than tell.”

What I take this to mean is this: it is the power of the creative medium, in creativity and ambiguity itself, to ask questions, to evoke thought, rather than just give answers. It is my fervent opinion that the ultimate role of the artist in culture is to provoke a response in the audience, to cause the listener, the viewer, to wrestle with concpets of life, love, regret, salvation, and eternity so that the author himself fades into the background of the work itself, thus leaving the greater question with the mind of said audience.

The most powerfully Christian messages I have ever experienced in songs, poems, and writings, have been the ones that came not from explicitly Christian sources (who inherently present somewhat biased artifacts of worldview in most instances), but sources which to me seemed objective. After all, when I hear an artist otherwise considered “secular” speak of encountering the one and only true God, it is to me the greatest evidence of all that he is at work in all things, not just the limited scope of Christian subculture.

Can a christian musician write only christian songs? Can he not write about everyday life? Can he play characters in songs which might not reflect his own worldview in order to illustrate a greater point? Is there a such thing as a Christian artist? Is there a such thing as a Christian pilot, mortician, or cab driver? Is God not the God of all things, including the trivial, the mundane? Consider not the messenger only, nor only the motive. The artist himself is only one part of the equation. Consider the medium as well as the message. Consider the fact that God speaks through the confused minds of unbelievers if he so chooses, along with believers. After all, he is the God of all things…

“It should be remembered that art created to change minds often actually does more to bolster the spirit of those already in agreement than it does to convert opponents. The antiwar songs of the 1960s put into words the ideas of the young people opposed to American engagement in Vietnam, but had no reported impact on the policy makers inside the Pentagon.” –Steve Turner.

Peace.

AS"

heres his website http://www.andrewschwab.com/writings.php?id=30&writing_cat=1

Project 86

Ok so this is a banner for one of my other favorite bands, Project86. They have a new EP being released tomorrow exclusively on itunes and there website. I've heard a few of the tracks and i really dig it. If your into the post hardcore what ever good music that rocks scene then you should definitely check out P86...

Free To Be

OK so after 6 months or so i have finally done it! I got a JOB! That's right i finally have a job. Its with an organization called Free To Be. They go into schools in the Sonoma County area promoting abstinence. I will be working as the Youth Outreach Coordinator. Basically i will be working with kids teaching how to be peer councilors. Its really awesome and I'll be able to use some of what i learned at masters in this job. I really feel blessed that this opportunity has come up for me. Gods timing is definitely perfect. The Job was perfect for me in that it is working with kids, teaching them something i totally believe in. So pray for me that I'll be able to do my best out there teaching them why they should wait for mariage. I will be able to teach a lot of kids. Pray for me that i will impact these kids in some way and be able to build a relationship with them. If you want to check out the site its at http://www.free-to-be.net/. Thanks for all the prayers out there!

Simpsonize Me

Ok so i know this was around along time ago but i couldn't get it work then, now i got it to work and here are the results of Jason as in the town of Springfield!

Heroes

So about a year ago a brand new show came on the scene. A show simply entitled Heroes. It was about people who found out they had powers. Kind of like X-Men. People living ordinary lives, finding out they could do extrordinary things. Anyways it has become my favorite show and its in its second season... as i write the show is on. This show takes us back to the events immediatly following what happened at the end of season one...anyways i just wanted to let people know this show is awesome and if you haven't watched it you need to! It has action, drama, suspence, awesome characters and an amazing story.

Switchfoot - Rebuild

Ok so Switchfoot is my favorite band and they sent out something in regards to a new song to download called Rebuild. The Song was written for there tour with Relient K and it features Matt from relient K as well as Dustin from Ruth playing Harmonica (ruth is the other band they are touring with) It was orignaly inspire by Habitat for Humanity. A Dollar from each ticket was going towards Habitat, but wit hthe recent fire in S.D. the song now means more to them and they would like to share it. They ask for a donation but say that you can ge it for free because they want people to have. Goto there site or ask me about it and you should check it out. here are the lyrics from there site.

Rebuild.
Watching the world with my highway eyes
watching the world from the windows that I've known
these mobile homes

Loneliness was a friend of mine
But with you that's through and I feel home
away from home
away from home
away from home

oh we're the regeneration
oh with time to kill
oh we're the regeneration
oh rebuild, rebuild

you lit a fire in the pouring rain
but there's so many noisy voices
oh! I get so cold.

the city lights and the midnight train
I hate to say it but I get caught letting go
of the things I know

do not conform to this
do not conform

oh we're the regeneration
oh with time to kill
oh we're the regeneration
oh rebuild, rebuild

every life comes with a broken heart
dying here to be made whole
we are the lost souls with a second star
tfollowing the builder home
there's a temple I've found in the strangest par
twhere the stones are built of souls
where the builder himself has promised, "love
I'm never going to let you go. Go!"

oh we're the regeneration
oh with time to killoh we're the regeneration
oh rebuild, rebuild

Rebuild.

Halo 3

Ok so this post is for all those who play a little game called Halo. Its a game that came out for the original Xbox and has evolved with its 3rd game. Halo 3 on the Xbox 360. I loved the first halo...the second one was ok...never got to into it for some reason…maybe it was because I didn’t have Ken Evans to make me play instead of going to chapel…(its true I ditched chapel to play halo with him…) The latest Halo I was very excited about. Now I was lucky to have an awesome father in law who got me my Xbox 360 which enabled me to get Halo 3. So anyways I pre-ordered it in May and it didn’t get here until about a week later, so I rented it to play it (yeah my wife found a copy!) So I started to play…didn’t get to play the story mode because at that time my friend Tim Fulton was down from Seattle so we played against each other a lot. And Andrew came over as well to play. And I didn’t have my live account up yet. Eventually I got to play the story mode and let me say…the story is awesome. I started it on Heroic because that the way the game was meant to be played…or so they say. Anyways awesome story. Now I got a live account and started playing online. So this is what truly makes the game. The story has enough to keep you playing. If you’re a freak like me there are a lot of achievements to get through the story mode, but online is where its at. It reminds me of good old college days with Ken setting up the movie room and Xboxes in at least 3 rooms…I think there was 4 but we had 3 linked. So anyways a fund game where you play and meet people all around the world. I have a friend in Japan that I play with. I have friends from coast to coast…so anyways its kind of lame but it’s a game that I love!

May Dog

Ok so one of the first things we did when we moved up here was get a dog. We adopted this puppy from the pound. We walked by her and she wasn't anything special. She was kind of quite and just laying there. We actually missed her the first time but walking back I looked at her. She looked kind of sad just laying there. We wanted to checked her out so we asked if we could see her out of her kenal. She was out and she just became alive. She wasn't crazy just happy. She was smelling everything and just having a blast. We had to put her back. When she was back she put her little nose under the gate just wanting to touch us...we had to take her home at that point. Now we wonder what life was like before her. She is out lil baby...out lil Mayby! She is 100% love! She is our May. Our MayDog. When we are sad she makes us happy and comforts us. She love to cuddle and loves to be where we are. Let me say that getting a pound puppy is the greatest thing...well for us it is...i'm sure adopt children is better but if your not ready for that dogs are where its at!

Napa Valley

So I live in NorCal now. I still have a SoCal heart though. You can take the boy out of SoCal...well you can guess the rest. anyways we live up in the Sonoma Valley. You may know the area because its know for the wineries and vineyards. Living here we are also very close to Napa. Napa is another region that is know for famous wineries and vineyards. Before moving here i had been to Napa...never...no reason to go. But now that we live here we have been there at least 4 or 5 times. This last weekend we just went there to visit some friends and hang out. let me just say that right now the area is beautiful. The vineyards are all colors still. Some patches of red and yellow mixed in with the greens...If you have a chance to come up here i really suggest that you do. There’s a lot of cool little restaurants and shopping areas around Napa as well. Along the main road there’s is a lot of cool wineries as well. If you like wine this is definitely the place to go. Lots of cool little wineries with great wines. So if you in the neighborhood look me up and we can hang out in Napa.

Operation Christmas Child

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC.asp?MPGID=1 Heres the web site for this but just to let you know this is a program to give presents to children all around the world. There may other ones like this but its one tha me and Alison are involved in. What you do is take a shoe box (or a container that size) and fill it with presents for a child. I know this isn't much but it'll make some kid happy and give them a chance to experiance christmas like kids here in the states. So if your looking for something to get involved in this is something i think i can recomend.

Saturday Mornings

Ok so my new Saturday morning routine, is walking to Starbucks with my wife and dog. We love waking up a little later than normal and just taking a nice walk and getting something yummy to eat and drink. It’s a nice time to talk as well. The week can be crazy so this is a nice little treat. To just walk and not worry about anything. To just enjoy the things and the morning God has given us. It also kind of fun to have something to look forward to every Saturday. So I just wanted to share that with everyone and even suggest to people to do something fun, have time with the ones you love. Just set aside something to look forward to. Anyways I’m done. Peaces out.

Hello

Ok So here i am again...for the first time. I'll try to post stuff and i'll try say something intresting...so i'll try but no promises.