WORSHIP LEADER HIGHLIGHT: Kings Kaleidoscope

You know the drill, everyone.

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Admittedly, this video has been up for a while. I actually think I saw it last year, but never thought to write about it until now. Fail on Gibbs.


Kings Kaleidoscope is a worship band based out of Mars Hill Church, in Seattle (READ: Mark Driscoll).

Now, it shouldn't have come to a surprise to me that Mars Hill's worships teams would try new things, experiment, or bring fresh takes to the stylistic worship table...nonetheless, I'm honestly blown away.

I have been a fan of "Come Thou Fount" for years and years, and I can say that I've heard some amazing renditions (and some not-so-amazing ones). To me, this takes the creative-come-thou-fount-cake.

I love this arrangement for three reasons:

• I am a huge fan of alternative percussion- two drum sets? I've been about it since Bon Iver's self-titled album blew up and I saw them perform holocene live. 

• I love the way that they break up the melody- sure, it's not grandma's version. But how refreshing, right? What a pocket. 

• Look at all those instruments!- When I read in the Psalms that we are to make noise to the Lord with everything in our musical arsenal, I think of this. When the bible says that we had better make noise to the Jesus otherwise the rocks will begin to sing out to fill the worship void, I think of this. Everything that has breath praise the Lord? Indeed. And surely that means unveiling instruments that aren't typically seen on church stages. 

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To me, what's the most important is that they have stood by a song that is rich with the gospel and the hope found in Christ. Well played, guys and gals. 

Adrian

THINGS TO CHECK OUT:

The latest jam by Kings Kaleidoscope. So, so amazing.

Watch, Listen, Read: Brian Campbell

Brian Campbell, "When My Brokenness Was All I Saw"



when my world wrapped up like parchment and left me here
you whispered your affection into my ear
and my destiny you said, as i laid there left for dead
you never quit, you never let me go

you opened up my ribs and played your melody
when my brokenness was all i saw in front of me
you took my robes of shame, and you covered me with grace
you never quit, you never let me go

you wait for me on walls where i sit
and all the things i've tried to forget
patiently you let me unfold, just in time

just in time
the one that was rejected has become my corner stone
i lift you high, i lift you high
and i will enter into the love that never ends

you never let me go.
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Thanks to Josh Link for showing me this song. I couldn't find the lyrics anywhere, so I took the liberty of trying to transcribe it myself. Let me know if I jacked up any of the words. 

There are so many things to love to love about the song, from melody to instrumentation. But I am going to talk about the things I love lyrically.

• There is such creative and new imagery, coupled with direct biblical truth. I love the concept of "the world wrapping up like parchment." Something like "opening up my ribs and playing a melody" is both new and a nod towards God's creation of eve. Then "the one that was rejected has become my cornerstone" is directly from psalm 118.  The song in itself is constructed like a psalm, which is really nice. It moves from anguish to dependency to desperation and then to redemption.
• The song does a great job at not sugar coating. So often worship songs can pretend that difficult times and moments of doubt do not exist for the "real" Christ follower. The only problem with that, historically, is the Bible. Often the ones that God used in the biggest way were the biggest failures and endured the most hardship. Paul, used by God to plant churches and write most of the New Testament- ship wrecked, beaten, imprisoned, bitten by a snake (talk about bad luck). David, psalmist, man after God's own heart- committed adultery, murder, went into hiding and spent many psalms begging for God to finally show up from what he thought was hiding. The beauty of songs that revel in our own brokenness is that they make much of the God that fixes. They make much of grace, and the saving work of the cross that reach down and through the mess to save us. These are the songs that we need to sing about.
• What I love is that the worship song spends more time talking about God than it does about us. Count how many times it says "You" in reference to the Lord. That is an excellent thing. Songs that focus more on God and His work are necessary, especially in a world where it is popular to think about us. Even within the christian community, God is seen more and more as a bringer of good things to ME, and something that gives ME warm fuzzies, and someone who is all about ME. When in actuality, God is about God and His own glorious grace. Why is that amazing? Because it shows that even in broken and hurting people, He is made much of. Especially in broken and hurting people.

I hope that you enjoyed this song as much as I did. 

-Adrian

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THINGS TO CHECK OUT

www.facebook.com/briancampbellmusic

www.myspace.com/bcampbellmusic

Twitter.com/bcampbellmusic

Musician Highlight: Monsters Calling Home

Sometimes you stumble upon musical gems that you don't want to tell anybody about. You want to keep it in your jacket pocket, close to your heart and all to yourself. This is one of those gems. I am going to share it, against my own selfish tendencies. 

Monsters Calling Home, everybody.



Now this song has very obvious spiritual undertones. When I heard it I definitely had to ask the Mumford and Sons question. What is the Mumford and Sons question, you may ask? 

"Wait...could these musicians be Jesus people too?" 

So I decided to dig a little further, all the while tapping my toes to more excellent music. 
This is a statement that the band has released.

We are Monsters Calling Home, a group of young Korean folk living in Los Angeles. Deeply into music and our maker, we hope to put on honest and heartfelt performances wherever we are asked. We dance thrice every night with bright eyes in a city of colour while arcades catch fire. We play loud and soft and sing about folks we know, we want to be, and we imagine in the dark.

Additionally, the band labels their music style: 
"Gangster Oriental Folk. Jesus."


*sigh. 
The moment you find Christians making stunning music is such a refreshing one. 

You know you were having your doubts.


Enjoy! 

Adrian