Livingloud - The Bowmanblog

Elevation - Scotland 2012

Plans are in motion... we're stoked for this event!

Fresh Starts & Second Chances

At Elevate last night we kicked off the new year thinking about fresh starts and second chances.  I think its one of the reasons why many of us love January because it feels like a fresh start.  We love new!  A new year offers unused, unspoilt, unopened time and space. 

God loves new too!  God's all about new!  In Isaiah 43 God says to Isaiah 'I've got something new for you.'  This is good news because as we look back on 20Eleven there have probably been many times when we have thought it would be great to have a fresh start.  Maybe a fresh start in a project or piece of course work, a fresh start on the term or semester, a fresh start on a diet or workout schedule,  a fresh start in a friendship, ...or perhaps a fresh start in your relationship with God.  

We all make mistakes.  Sometimes they are simple mistakes like when we sit a test and don't read the question properly...like  the student who was asked to name an element in a science test and wrote 'I name this element... Arthur'.  But many of the mistakes we make are much more serious and carry with them serious consequences.  We're left with regret.  And those regrets bring anger, grief, shame, embarrassment and resentment.  God doesn't want us to live with regrets.  The good news is since regrets are inevitable for all of us, forgiveness is available for all of us.  

A fresh start, a second chance is energising, a fresh start is invigorating.  A fresh start erases the old and allows God to write a better story in the pages of your life.  

I love Rend Collective's song Second Chance - 'Your cross it's where my hope restarts / A second chance is heavens heart.'  Countless second chances we've been given at the cross.  You and I can have the future of a fresh start.  

 

 

Top Eleven Albums of 20Eleven

There has been a wealth of great music providing the soundtrack to 2011.  Over the holidays I've revisited the albums I've been listening to over the past year and these are the 11 that stood out for one reason or another.  As always I'd love to hear what your stand out albums are.  Perhaps you may even make a new discovery in my Top Eleven Albums of the year that was 20Eleven.  

 

 

 

Thrice - Major/Minor.  This is my album of the year!  A more aggressive sounding record than their previous offering, the excellent 'Beggars'.  Major/Minor rocks hard, evoking a grunge sound.  It is aptly titled being built around major/minor chord progressions with some of the best guitar tones I've heard in a long time.  Dustin Kensrue is a terrific song writer with an ability to convey deep truth.  Rarely has rock music sounded this intelligent and inspiring.  Final track 'Disarmed' is a fine example:

We were sons of insurrection, doomed to face the dark alone. 

'Till vicarious perfection, dearly won, was made our own.

So where's your landslide, where's your victory? 

Tell me now, where's your sting?

Unassailable you waited, the great enemy of man, 

'till your awful jaws were sated, and we were ransomed from your hand.

Now that you have been disarmed, 

We will cross over unharmed.

 

 

The Decemberists - The King Is Dead.  A very welcome surprise from Portland Oregon's The Decemberists.  I have loved their previous folk inspired records.  Their previous release was prog/folk-rock opera 'The Hazards Of Love'.  With the King Is Dead rather than more of the same they strip it back and produce their most accessible record yet.  It reminds me of early R.E.M. (Peter Buck even makes an appearance).  I like The Decemberists take on americana very much.  

 

 

 

 

Over The Rhine - The Long Surrender.  This was the first album I got in 2011, I knew then it was destined to be one of the top albums of the year.  Songwriting duo Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist explore the depths of love human and divine.  I think this is one of the strongest records of their career and Karin's voice is as alwasy simply superb, sultry and soulful.  The stand out track is 'All My Favourite People Are Broken' which had one of my favourite lyrics of the year: 

As for your tender heart, this world's going to rip it wide open / It ain't gonna be pretty, but you're not alone. 

 

 

 

 

Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires.  I have to fess up to the fact that in the past I have unfairly referred to Snow Patrol as Snore Patrol or Snow Play.  They caught my attention with their last album 'A Hundred Million Suns', they impressed me at their live gig in Bangor but they won me over with Fallen Empires!  It is a stunning record, that only gets better with each listen. 

 

 

 

 

 

Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs.  This album provided the soundtrack to my summer.  Eddie has one of the most distinctive voices in rock.  He is also a mighty fine ukulele player, but a whole album of ukulele... seriously?  In lesser hands it might indeed seem like a horrendous prospect, but Eddie delivers a beautiful record.  He even manages to find shades of darkness in the bright litte instrument that you'd never expect.   

 

 

 

 

 

Tom Waits - Bad As Me.  Over the past couple of years I've been exploring Tom's back catalogue and I love his brand of junkyard blues.  On Bad As Me he has his trademark brawlers & bawlers but also some tender ballads, his voice is amazing.  No one does a better exposition on the true condition of the human heart than Tom Waits and he nails it on the song 'Bad As Me' 

 

 

 

 

The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time.  Back in 1993 my friend Phil Thompson introduced me to The Jayhawks 'Holywood Town Hall' album.  A wondrous fusion of rock/folk/country wrapped in the lush harmonies of Mark Olson and Gary Louris.  Their next album 'Tomorrow The Green Grass' eclipsed even that and is a 90's classic.  Then Mark Olson left the group.  The Jayhawks continued to deliver terrific albums.  I saw them in a midnight Olympia gig back in the 90's when I lived in Dublin.  Special as they have been I've missed Mark Olson's voice... but he returned and in 2011 (with the Green Grass era line-up) The Jayhawks are back with an album that sounds like it could have been recorded straight after Holywood Town Hall & Tomorrow The Green Grass.  I'm looking forward to seeing them play Belfast in March.  

 

 

 

Chuck Ragan - Covering Ground.  Back in 2010 I saw the excellent Gaslight Anthem in concert at the Ulster Hall.  Openning up for them that night was Chuck Ragan.  Chuck was lead singer with punk rock band Hot Water Music.  He has a gloriously raspy voice and an ear for an infectious melody.  Punk and folk music share more commonality than you might realise.  Covering Ground is an excellent folk album, but the spit and fire of punk rock is there inbetween the fiddles, harmonicas and acoustic guitars.  

 

 

 

 

 

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light. Its hard to believe that this is the seventh album from the Foo's... And it's their best yet!  It is a hard rockin' affair, probably their heaviest offering.  They took it right back to the roots with this one and recorded it in Dave Grohl's garage on analogue equipment.  It is best listened to at magnificent volume.  

 

 

 

 

 

Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials.   They set the bar high with their debut album Lungs back in 2009.  But they have surpassed it with 'Ceremonials'.  Her voice swoops & soars, a beautiful instrument in its own right!  This is a tighter more cohessive record than 'Lungs' and it sounds epic!  It's also best experienced loud; there are so many layers of music to appreciate from thundering drums to delicate harps.  There are spiritual themes on this record and she can write a sweet lyric: 'I am done with my graceless heart / So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart' (Shake It Out)

 

 

 

 

Moby - Destroyed.  I've loved Moby's music since seeing him perform at the Greenbelt Festival back in the mid 90's.  His origins are in punk rock and he is a talented musician, perhaps it is this that informs his take on electronica and makes it so appealing to me.  Destroyed was another key element in my summer soundtrack.  Moby said this album was written primarily late at night in cities when he was on tour... a soundtrack for empty cities at 2am. Check it out here.  With this in mind it is a beautiful thing to fill your ear buds on a late night walk.  It's by no means an ambient record, there are gorgeous tunes and gospel influenced beats.  But there is no denying it is a superb accompaniment to stillness.  

Top Eleven Movies of 20Eleven

2011 was a good year for film!  It contained some surprises and a few that I know I'll be enjoying for years to come.  I should state that the best of 20Eleven contains movies that were released in the UK during 2011, I realise some of these were released earlier (2010) in the states to qualify for that all important Oscar window.  

Time does not allow for me to see all the movies I would like, so there are a few notable releases that I've yet to view, but from what I've seen here are the ones that have made a lasting impression in the year that was 20Eleven.  

 

 

 

 

 

Warrior - my top movie of the year!  This was a heart wrenching and utterly compelling movie.  It evoked for me the story of the prodigal son, and themes of forgiveness, faith and reconcilliation drench this film. Nick Nolte's performance of the recovering alcoholic father is especially powerful... oscar worthy surely!  

I shed tears at this movie... I challenge you to watch it and not do the same.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

True Grit - The Coen Brothers revisit one of the greatest western stories ever told.  They bring an authenticity and realism missing from the classic John Wayne movie.  Jeff 'the Dude' Bridges was terrific in the iconic role of Rooster Cogburn surrounded by a superb supporting cast.  The script and period language was beautiful. A classic!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super 8 - J.J. Abrams can do no wrong!  And along with Spielberg he more than gets it right with this scifi/monster movie.  He was able to capture and evoke childhood feelings.  A movie that deservedly finds its place amongst classics such as:  E.T. / The Goonies / Stand By Me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X-Men First Class - The third X-Men movie was a mess!  I didn't hold out much hope for any future releases.  Wolverine was alright but the thought of another X-men movie didn't excite me at all.  But my good friend Rob Chestnut raved about this one, and when it comes to matters movie and music related Rob is rarely wrong.  And he wasn't!  This movie outclassed all the other X-Men movies.  One of the surprise top movies of 20Eleven.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thor - Another comic book movie finds itself in my top 11.  Director Kenneth Branagh brought a certain gravitas to this story that lifts it above many other comic book/superhero adaptations.  I liked it better than Captain America and all certainly looks good for the arrival of the Avengers in 2012.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PJ 20 - Cameron Crowe presents a unique portrait of the first 20 years of one of rocks greatest bands - Pearl Jam.  He has had close access having been around since the early days of the band (they had roles in his classic Seattle based movie 'Singles').  Using archieve footage, unseen concert footage and interviews he chronicles the story of the band.  Some of it is incredibly moving; the friendship and camaraderie of the band members along with others in the Seattle scene is clearly evident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fighter - One of the first movies I saw in 2011 and one of the best!  Christian Bale won an Oscar for his portrayal of Dicky Eklund the crack addicted older half brother of Mark Wahlberg's Micky Ward.  A story of the fight for hope and redemption.  Brilliant movie.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Limitless - Fantastic concept: a pill that can unlock untapped potential within the human brain... but with unfortunate side effects and consequences.  I loved the editing and camera work in this movie. Bradley Cooper was superb in the lead role.  A fun and original movie. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - I had no expectations for this one, the previous Tim Burton vision for an Apes movie was... okay but far from great and the ending was terrible.  

But 'Rise' impressed me, an origins story that complemented the original classic Planet of the Apes movie very well.  I enjoyed all the little clues and connections with aspects of the original movie.  It looks and feels very much like a set up for a re-make of 'Panet of the Apes' and I hope they do it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Machine Gun Preacher - The trailers give the wrong impression of this movie as a tough guy action movie with a somewhat ridiculous title.  In actual fact it is the true story of Sam Childers, a former drug taking, drug dealing biker who gets out of prison to discover his wife has found God and after much resistance he himself encounters God and his life is turned around.  On a church mission trip to Africa he discovers the plight of hundreds of Sudanese children who are being targetted by the Lords Resistance Army.  He decides to do something about it... that something involves taking up a machine gun and going up against the LRA.  It is a challenging and uncomfortable movie, raising lots of questions:  Is Sam Childers right in his cause?  what would you do when faced with the horrific attrocities carried out on these kids?  

 

 

 

 

 

Attack The Block - I loved this hip, funny scifi comedy.  A teen gang in London defend their apartment block from savage aliens.  I liked how the writers present the teen gang (often vilified as 'hoody gangs' in UK media) as the heroes.  And it has the brilliant line from one of the teens when under attack from the savage aliens: 'I should have stayed home and played FIFA'!  

The Best of 20Eleven - TV

I don't get a lot of time to watch TV so I'll generally watch most things online or on dvd.  When it comes to my best of the year some of these shows are making a return from last years list, which in my book only goes to show their enduring quality.  

So here we have my favourite shows of 20Eleven: 

 

 

 

 

Sons of Anarchy.  My favourite TV show of the year and I've devoured the first three seasons on blu-ray.  A superb cast and an extremely well written script with great plotlines.  Set in a motorcycle gang, it plays like a modern take on Hamlet.  Some of season 3 was set and filmed in Belfast, and while some of it did come across as a bit 'oirish' they generally did a good job with it.  Very addictive viewing. 

 

 

 

Game of Thrones.  A superb cast and very high production values set this show apart.  It is based on a series of books (they are in my must read stack) and from what I can gather it is a very faithful adaptation.  Being an HBO series from time to time it does push the limits in terms of content and unnecessarily so because the story itself is so compelling.  

It is filmed in Belfast and some of it was shot on location here in Saintfield and the surrounding area.  It was fun trying to spot locations when watching it.  

 

 

The Walking Dead.  Zombie movies/shows are great because they provide such a terrific vehicle for exploring human beings at their best and their worst.  And that is what Frank Darabont does brilliantly with this show.  He consistently shows that human beings can be much scarier than the zombies they are trying to evade.  The mid season finale was genuinely shocking and fantastic!  Sadly Frank Darabont is no longer directing The Walking Dead so it remains to be seen how the show fairs in the future as he was integral to its high quality.   I've read the comic books on which the series is based and they have barely scratched the surface in terms of storylines so I'm interested to see what they do next.  

 

 

Fringe. Another show returning to my best of the year list and rightly so.  It continues to be thrilling, intelligent scifi.  It's as good as the X-Files and that is high praise from me indeed.  

 

 

 

 

 

Supernatural.  I wasn't sure how and even if Supernatural should continue after the long running story arch wrapped up at the end of season 6, but I've enjoyed it.  It's the pop cultural references and chemistry between the winchester brothers that makes this show so entertaining.  

 

 

 

 

Portlandia.  The funniest thing I've seen on TV in a long time.  A ridiculous sketch based comedy show set and themed around my favourite USA city - Portland.  It is named after a sculpture of the same name in downtown Portland.  The series openned with this hilarious exchange: 

FRED ARMISEN (as “Jason”):  Do you remember the 90s?
CARRIE BROWNSTEIN (as “Melanie”):  Yeah?
FRED:  You know how people were talking about getting piercings and getting tribal tattoos?
CARRIE:  Yeah?
F:  And people were singing about saving the planet and forming bands?
C:  Yeah?
F:  There’s a place where that idea still exists as a reality.  And I’ve been there. 
C:  Where is it?
F:  Portland.
C:  Oregon?
F:  Yeah.

The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland! 
The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland!
The tattoo ink never runs dry!

 

Star Wars - The Clone Wars.  I love this annimated series, it is stunning to look at and the storylines are consistently better than the prequel movies were.  

 

 

 

The Best of 20Eleven - Books

These are my favourite books from the year that was 20Eleven.  I always have a stack of books on the go at any one time.  An ever increasing stack on my coffee table.  This year certainly saw its fair share of thought provoking and sometimes controversial publications, a lot of ink has been spilled and for the most part its been good ...though in a couple of cases there was a lot of empty space between the lines?!  But in the end... ink wins!  

But this list comprises of the books that have lingered longest, my favourites of the year.  Not all were necessarily published this year.  

 

The Pastor by Eugene Peterson.  Book of the year ...and I'm still reading it!  It will be a companion for a long time to come.  At the turn of the year we look back, reflect, contemplate on the year that has been, hopefully there will have been lessons learned that leave us a little wiser for the year yet to come.    I've found this book to be somewhat like that, it is a contemplative journey.   In his memoir Peterson looks back and reflects on his life journey as a Pastor and in doing so enables us to notice what is happening in our own lives and look ahead applying the wisdom he has shared. I love learning from the generals!  

 

 

 

 

A kingdom Called Desire by Rick McKinley.  I'm proud to know Rick as a good friend, I've seen his passion for Jesus and his commitment to see the church be an authentic expression of Christs kingdom in this world.  This book is honest, vulnerable and a call for us to really desire Jesus and what it will look like in our lives, the church and the world when we do.  

The final three chapters: Kingdom Identity / Kingdom Vocation / What Time Is It?  are the best thing I've read this year and the most thrilling description of what the church should be that I've read in a long time.  

 

 

 

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Loyd-Jones.  Yes it's a kids book... but its not just for kids!  One of my greatest joys this year has been to read this every night with my girls.  To explore the Story of God with them and see how every story in the Bible whispers the name of Jesus.  I've loved seeing them piece together the clues, discovering how Jesus lies at the centre of God's story and their story too.  

 

 

 

King's Cross by Tim Keller.  A superb book from Keller and in it he takes us through Mark's Gosepl giving us a vivid portrait of Jesus.  I particularly loved his thoughts on the Trinity and what he referred to as the Trinitarian dance.  Widely regarded as a C.S. Lewis for th 21st Century he writes with both the skeptic and faithful in mind.   

 

 

 

 

 

Behold The Lamb Of God by Russ Ramsey.  Every Christmas my Advent soundtrack includes Andrew Peterson's 'Behold the Lamb of God'.  What Peterson has done with guitars and melody, Ramsey has done with pen and ink.  It's a beautiful advent narrative in which he opens your eyes to aspects of the Christmas story that you may have never noticed before.  And he sets it in the context of the whole story of God (just as Peterson's record does).  He has written in such a way that each chapter can be read as a devotional beginning 1st December and ending Christmas Day.  Every year I try to enter into the story and see it from the perspective of the characters, this year I focused on the shepherds and Ramsey shed light on the signficance of these nameless men in the Christmas story that I had totally missed before.  I look forward to reading this for many advents to come.  

 

 

 

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King.  Stephen King is my favourite author.  I'm in the middle of his lastest book 11.22.63. at the moment, but this collection of short stories grabbed me earlier in the year.  The theme throughout is retribution, and without too much of a supernatural element he focuses on the darkness and nastiness human beings are capable of.  Gripping stories brilliantly told.  

I also read his classic 'The Stand' this year, can't believe I hadn't done so before.  

 

 

 

 

 

Pearl Jam - Twenty.  Pearl Jam are one of my favouite bands and 2011 saw them celebrate 20 years. This book is a perfect companion piece to the Cameron Crowe movie of the same name.  It is a comphrensive compendium of interviews,recording highlights, archieve material, photos and remembrances by band members.  It is beautifully produced and it is big... a coffee table book that doesn't sacrifice substance for style.  

Playlist - The Best of 20Eleven

It’s time for the annual round up of the best sights, sounds and words of the year.  I always start with my best of the year playlist:  ‘The Best of 20Eleven’ collects 20 of my favourite  songs (plus a few bonus tracks) from the past year.

The first 11 tracks are representative of my top 11 albums of 20Eleven (that post will follow in the next few days).  There are some terrific tunes here, well worth investigating if you’re looking for some new tunes for the new year.  As always I’m keen to hear what has made your best of the year playlist.  

 

1.  The Weight of Love - Snow Patrol (Album - Fallen Empires)

2.  These Days - Foo Fighters (Album - Wasting Light) 

3.  Listen Through Me - Thrice (Album - Major/Minor)

4.  Can’t Keep - Eddie Vedder (Album - Ukulele Songs)  

5.  Calamity Song - The Decemberists (Album - The King is Dead)

6.  Meet You in the Middle - Chuck Ragan (Album - Covering Ground)

7.  Blackeyed Susan - The Jayhawks (Album - Mockingbird Time)

8.  Bad As Me - Tom Waits (Album - Bad As Me)

9.  All My Favourite People - Over The Rhine (Album - The Long Surrender)

10.  The Right Thing - Moby (Album - Destroyed)

11.  No Light, No Light - Florence + The Machine (Album - Ceremonials)

12.  Act on Impulse - We Were Promised Jetpacks (Album - In The Pit Of The Stomach)

13.  Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes (Album - Helplessness Blues)

14.  Brother Moon - Gungor (Album - Ghosts Upon The Earth)

15.  Us Against The World - Coldplay (Album - Mylo Xyloto)

16.  Give Up The Ghost - Radiohead (Album - The King of Limbs)

17.  Behold The Hurricane - The Horrible Crowes (Album - Elsie)

18.  Kindness - Ryan Adams (Album - Ashes & Fire)

19.  Mad As The Mist And Snow - The Waterboys (Album - An Appointment With Mr Yeats)

20.  Burying Davy - The Decemberists (Album - Long Live The King EP)

Bonus Tracks

You Press The Button, We Do The Rest - Duke Special (Album - Under The Dark Cloth)

Love Is Eternal Sacred Light - Paul Simon (Album - So Beautiful or So What)

 

 

Early On Christmas Morn...

Early on the first Christmas morn the sky erupted in praise.  The whirling host of heaven; warriors armed with light and song had arrived to announce the birth of God's rescuer.  That shouldn't surprise us, everything had been leading to this moment, every story in the Bible whispered the name of Jesus, it was all pointing to this moment... when God came near.  But, it is who the angels annouce it to that is really surprising... shepherds.  

I've been reading Russ Ramsey's advent narrative 'Behold The Lamb Of God' on my advent journey this year.  Ramsey writes of the shepherds 'The shepherds life was ironic.  Their job was to care for the animals that would be sacrificed to atone for the sins of the people.  Yet because of their handling of these dirty creatures, they themselves were unclean and thus prevented from keeping the ceremonial law.  And because they were ceremonially unclean, they were often regarded as untrustworthy, irreligious and poor in reputation'.  

They looked after many of the lambs that were appointed to die on the alter of the Lord for the sins of the very people who looked down on the shepherds.  These guys were on the outside looking in yet the fact that God chose to annouce his gift to them is highly significant.  It screams their significance... and yours... and mine.  

Ramsey writes:  'Could it be that from the perspective of heaven, the poor shepherds outside Bethlehem were no more or less poor than the rest of the world sleeping under it's watch?  Could it be that the poor of the earth were in fact all the people of the earth- poor in spirit, mourning and meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness?  Could it be that the Saviours coming was for them as much as it was for anyone, and for anyone as much as it was for them?  

Furthermore the location of his birth was drenched in significance.  Born in the same manner as a lamb.  Symbolism not lost on shepherds.  When they saw him in that manger as Ramsey writes: 'they not only saw that he had come, but they also got a hint as to why.  He came to be the perfect lamb, the ultimate, lasting sacrifice'.

This Christmas morn may you grasp something of your significance in the eyes of God.  But greater still may you marvel at the significance of his humble beginnings and may you like the shepherds... bow in worship.  Unto you the Saviour has been born.  

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas

Wishing you all a very happy & peaceful Christmas!

 

Stand By Me

Christmas still changes the world!  We do have a better story to tell and we have the immense privilege of joining God where he is at work in the world.  Stand By Me are changing lives.  It has been a joy to see our students capture this vision and that our youth ministry could in a small way be a part of the story God is writing.  This video is a beautiful reminder of the difference it all makes.