New Releases

We've got some very exciting new releases that come out today. Here they are.

"Hello My Name Is: Greatest Hits" from Matthew West

 

"Victorious" from Skillet

 

"No Shame" from Tenth Avenue North

Advent: A Week of Joy

This third week of Advent is all about joy! Now there exists some varying traditions in the color of this candle. Traditionally, pink or rose is used; however, some churches use a purple candle here, and the Sunday before Christmas they would use the rose candle. The first two weeks of advent tend to be more subdued, while this candle reminds us that Christmas is a time for rejoicing and cheer. This candle sometimes is referred to as the shepherd candle. The shepherds were the first to be told about the birth of Christ from angels who told them to rejoice. Now, I know that many people teach that shepherds were the lowest of society, which is true; but the greatest, previous, king of Israel was a shepherd boy... interesting.
The song for this week is by Tenth Avenue North of "Deck the Halls." Now in my mind, Tenth Avenue North is not a band known for their silliness; however, their rendition of "Deck the Halls" embraces the idea of simple joy at Christmas. That and this video just makes me giggle. (Warning: For those who take things literally and seriously, be warned this video is neither of those things.)

Make Your Move Concert - A Review

Last night, Sunshine Community Church rocked out the Make Your Move Tour with Travis Moore, Tenth Avenue North, and Third Day.
      Travis Moore is new to the stage, but not new to music as a songwriter for many well-know songs. He rocked out with his great guitar playing and his catchy lyrics. Any drawbacks, I would have to say was with his last song, "Jesus Rode the Subway," that I had some issues with the lyrics. Now this is a purely bias reason as I am someone who uses public transportation and it annoys me when assumptions are made to the types of people who use public transportation. However, the meaning was clear that God loves everyone even those who others turn away from.

1.       Tenth Avenue North gave an expected awesome performance. They rocked out with their worshipful songs, playing the songs form their new album The Light Meets the Dark as well as "By Your Side" and "Love is Here." The audience was treated to a new song, "You Don't Owe Me Anything." It was another meaniful song  of theirs that points to a God who cares inspite of us sinners. Many times last night, they were called men of God by others and I would have to agree. Any drawbacks was the sense of rushed between songs, but maybe this is because I have recently enjoyed their new project release, Tenth Avenue North Live: Inside and Inbetween. The DVD provides music videos, concert videos, and anointed song parables.

      Third Day came out with a bang as they rocked this concert in their 20 or so year as a band. Band members like bass player, Mac Powell and his heartfelt devotional talk, would come out on stage and speak to the audience. This interaction presented a sense of community between the vocalists and the listeners. This sense was even stronger when the band played among the seats in the center aisle. All night Third Day had been playing songs from their two newest albums and favorite songs of the past. So when they opened it up to request a funny thing happened that made the concert perfect. In one of the songs, Mac Powell had forgotten song of the words to the song. It reaffirmed that some songs are not dependent on the artist but are timeless in the hearts of the listeners. The audience was treated with a sneak peek to a new movie "8 Days in Utopia" where "Born Again" will be heard. This movie will be good, so look forward to seeing it in theaters this summer. Any drawbacks would be the time spent in the middle of the aisle where not everyone could see, but I guess if one is going to put that much effort into moving locations to make it worth while as they did.

       It was a great night that had incited an enchore performance of Third Day coming back out for two more songs. YAY!