Its Sunday, and I haven’t posted in a while, which means JP is probably sitting at home fuming over my lack of dedication to the blog. So in an effort to head off an angry phone call, I am going to discuss my favorite website: www.genunleashed.com
They recently posted comments from kids who attended the 2005 Gen Conference. Nothing pleases me more, than reading these comments. I love ‘em. Anyway a couple of them caught my interest, so here are my reactions to the Gen Unleashed comments.
Jordan – Generation Unleashed acts as a Furnace or Catalyst that speedily puts us in a place of surreneder and openess to what the spirit is doing. A catalyst that puts us in an open place to experience the awesome heart of God and forever be changed. – GU 2005
Is Jordan mocking me? I totally think he’s mocking me. This is GU’s way of getting back at this blog… to which I say, "Touche, Gen Church Ministries… …touche."
Gabe – Today, my first day back in school, people were amazed, and kept asking me what I was on. I told them it was the Holy Spirit. – GU 2005
Highschool kids really are that stupid. The kids probably asked Gabe where they could score some "Holy Spirit". I remember getting back from these functions, and people would be like, "Wow you’re so happy. What happened?" And I’d be like, "I just got to spend 5 days away from my family. Five whole days. It was the best… oh, thank you Jesus, …Praise the Lord."
Cassie - I attend Willamette University, an extremely liberal school and have been afraid to say things at times when prompted. Doug’s sharing of the testimony regarding involvement in Measure 36 really convicted and encouraged me. – GU 2005
If you think its difficult to be a Christian in a liberal school, then you should probably be sympathetic to what its like to be gay. You don’t have to support homosexuality, but you should probably still accept them. And if you speak out against homosexuality, but ignore the million other sins your classmates are committing, well, its kind of hypocritical.
Also, I attended Willamette as well, and yes its liberal. But almost all colleges are liberal. You know why, because its full of 19-22 year old kids who are away from home for the first time. I remember my first day at college, and the Resident Advisor was like, "Listen there aren’t a lot of rules here. Basically, please don’t break the law. Please don’t break any of my stuff. And for the love of all that is sacred and holy, "Please, no fornicating in the hallway." I didn’t really understand that rule, until my roomate came home from a party one night with some girl and they started having sex in the bed right next to mine. I promptly kicked them out of the room and sent them to the hallway. I figured, "better the hallway, than right next to my face."
Glenn - I love your band and I think that Jeremy Scott and Donna Lasit are awesome! – GU 2005.
I’m pretty sure Jeremy Scott wrote this one.
Alright, well great… that’s my post for the day… good times… good times…
(Oh and all the stuff about my family and JP. Its all a joke. I love my family. And me and JP aren’t really fighting. Its just funnier when I write it that way.)
Glenn – I love your band and I think that Jeremy Scott and Donna Lasit are awesome! – GU 2005.
What are the chances that this guy is homeschooled, and this was his first time out of the house?
Jeremy Scott!!! Call Michael Mendenhall from back in the day. Yes, even back in the day of Portland Foursquare. 801-390-9526
Lots of catchin up to do. -__-
I hate to break it to you dude, but Jeremy doesn’t read this blog.
He’s an Estes now.
fedup95….
Yeah, I hope to god that it was a homeschooled kid on his maiden voyage into the “outside”. We’ve all been there….ok, maybe not, but I’ve been there….
If he thinks the GenChurch band is awesome, someone needs to buy this kid some listening material. I would be willing to personally donate copies of Abbey Road, Jagged Little Pill, and the new ColdPlay album to get him started, just as a public service.
Do you think that could count as part of my tithe?
Jiminy,
Did you really just mention Jagged Little Pill?
Alanis?
I don’t think that will help your image on this blog.
Poor Glenn first he thinks Jeremy and Donna are awesome than Jiminy gives him Alannis and the new cold play album. He doesn’t stand a chance.
The new cold play is way overrated they just ripped off what U2 has been doing for years.
This has been and always will be a Alannis free zone.
Jesse, its nice of you to take time away from your job as movie critic and share with us your valuable insight into the music business as well… …but actually the new coldplay album is pretty good… …and U2 has been ripping off U2 for years, so someone else might as well get into the act…
Glenn is calling Jeremy Scott awesome and you think pretty good is ok, I think Glenn needs more help than pretty good.
Glenn has probably grown up on Carmen, and Amy Grant so I think the shock of listening to secular music with people who can play their instruments could very well put the kid into a coma. But personally my vote would be for some classic Pink Floyd topped off with a little bit of A Perfect Circle (glenn really needs to listen to “The Pet”)
I actually think Coldplay is a pretty good transition from Christian music to secular music. You can’t just jump from Amy Grant to A Perfect Circle…
…you could maybe go Amy Grant – Evanescence – A Perfect Circle, but then you would have to listen to Evanesence and who wants that…
I’m actually listening to Sufjan Stevens new album “Illinois” right now. He’s a Christian, but his music certainly isn’t Christian music…. so that’s what I would recommend…
Yeah, Sufjan Stevens, that guy’s pretty cool, my best friend loves him…didn’t he have an album about another state too?
U2 and Coldplay are two of my favorite bands. Yes, Coldplay has been influenced by U2, but there sounds are separate, and Coldplay’s latest album (X&Y) is amazing! I listened to it solid for like a month. It’s part of my current top three albums along with the Garden State soundtrack and Dave’s solo album “Some Devil”.
And I have to agree with the other guys on this one…keep this an Alannis-free zone.
Dudes,
An Alanis-free zone? Really, Jesse… Perish the thought! And RP, I’m all but certain I was pegged as an Alanis fan a long time ago…but I have to say that I’m identifying more with her re-invented acoustic remix sound (yes, as marketed by Starbucks…even the corporate monster gets it right once in awhile) these days.
I’m curious…do we not like Alanis because she’s angry, or do we just not like her sound? I’m willing to negotiate, but my alternative is probably going to make everyone even more upset…dare I ask how we feel about the Indigo Girls? The poor homeschoolers need to know that there is such a thing as women being musically in charge and good at it.
NB: I may be a tad dogmatic on this point, but only because I was recently on a plane and told my seat-mate that I was a conductor. She told me that was a man’s job. I didn’t respond to that comment, but it seems I have myself a dominant paradigm to subvert…. And, what better place to start than the homeschoolers, right? Back to the scene of the crime, as it were.
And yes, ColdPlay sounds a lot like U2…but, this is the way of the musical world, and it’s been this way a long, long time. Even Bach borrowed. Shoot, Handel used to steal from himself all the time. Influenced material is an inevitability.
Yes, by all means, we should include Dave! Good suggestion, Jeremy.
So Jesse, since your opinions seems oh-so-pronounced, what’s your 3-album antidote for Mr. Jeremy-Scott-and-Donna-Lasit-are-awesome? I’m quite curious to see your recommendations.
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I don’t know that there is any help for our friend Glenn, but 3 albums that I need on a day to day basis and this is hard
1. Luis Armstrong-any collection of hits that has the song black and blue
(sometimes it makes me want to cry)
2. Beatles- The White Album
(music as we now know it can be traced back to this album)
3. Pixies- Do little
(it just feels right)
honorable mention
The Dubliners- Sprit of the Irish
(something about Irish folk/drinking songs make me smile)
Jiminy- If you like angry women artists than you need go pick up Martha Wainwirghts – bmfa, it’s only an lp but it is fantastic.
For a little more reading on the subject of music, here is a rant I recently wrote that made the “best of” section on craigslist.
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/about/best/wdc/80462789.html
Jesse,
Nice recommendations….I’m impressed.
Jiminy,
Please don’t encourage him. He already thinks he’s the perfect combination of Roger Ebert and Rolling Stone Magazine.
So are you saying your brother is a fat guy with a droopy face and a mullet?
What??!?!?
At least he got the fat part right.
Cat,
I just said I was impressed with his recommendations. I still disagree wildly with his criticisms.
Set your mind at ease….I promise I haven’t gone as soft as Alanis….
I just feel like it’s not altogether sporting for me to smack people around about their musical tastes, given that:
a) I was a K-12 (aka lifer) homeschooler
b) 50% of the time in my piano lessons growing up was spent on learning to play what I now affectionately call “Jesus is my boyfriend” music
c) My current employment makes it advantageous for me to continue playing and singing in that genre (in the biz, we call it being a “ho for the Lord”…using subpar music for the sake of paying one’s bills), and at some level, I kinda enjoy it….it’s a completely guilty pleasure, and a free ticket to a lot of pats on the back.
Plus, it’s kinda fun to pretend I’m Tori Amos while I’m playing Christian contemp.
d) I just completed an advanced degree in choral music, which somehow simultaneously disqualifies me from having any credibility as a pop music fan and makes me probably the world’s biggest dork.
Just a little true confession before anyone gets worked up about any praise or criticism that comes from my keystrokes…..
Catalyst, as a correction, Sufjan Stevens isn’t a Christian, he’s Episcopalian.
Anonymous,
Please tell me you’re joking about the differentiation between Christians and Episcopalians, or I might be forced to vomit on your shoes.
Incidentally, the Episcopalians have the best church music out there, IMHO….thanks to their Anglican ties. If you’ve never been to an Episcopalian Vespers service or an Easter Vigil, you’re totally missing out.
Tuesday night, at the bible study, we lift our hands, and pray over your body, but nothing ever happens…
sufjan is amazing.
Yeah, that’s a good song. Its an interesting look at why God allows people to die…
I saw him play in Montreal around election time this past year. It was funny because in Montreal, there really is a general sense of hostility towards Americans, especially from the educated/indie crowd and especially during this time because of the war,etc. Sufjan and his band walked out on stage wearing American Flags as capes with hats that said USA. Pretty much the best thing ever.
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