Valley Songs, Arizona Dranes & Sister Rosetta Tharpe

I've stuck my hand up to do music at church every couple of months. I've never been a fan of most church music. Most hymns 1600 - 1900 I’ve found hard to connect with and pretty much all modern worship 1970 - now feels sappy at best and bland at worst. It's like I'm being asked to choose between classical music and middle of the road adult contemporary rock. For someone brought up a diet of classic and alternate rock (see list below**). It's not much of a choice.

As I started looking for songs it struck me that churches tend skip the era between 1900 and 1970. This period saw the birth of rock and roll born out of African American Spirituals and Church Gospel music. Surely Xn music’s most influential and finest hour in the last two hundred years. Two of it's greatest proponents are Arizona Dranes and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I introduced Arizona Dranes' song "It's All Right Now" recently (I had to write my own verses because her lyrics were too difficult to decipher, damn 1920s recording technology). Sister Rosetta Tharpe is equally amazing (influenced by Arizona Dranes). As you can see from the three clips below she could challenge Angus Young (ACDC) or Toni Iommi (Black Sabbath) to an Gibson SG Guitar duel any day.

And here is some Arizona Dranes, Unfortunately no one has uploaded "It's All Right Now" to Youtube yet

Regular readers will know a while ago I asked if anyone had any “Valley Song” suggestions. This is my current "Valley Songs” hymnal

• 40 – U2*
• Ain’t no Grave - as sung by Fret Not
• Amazing Grace (sung to house of the rising sun) - as sung by Blind Boys of Alabama
• Back to the Cross- Traditional
• Be Thou My Vision - The Hymn
• By the Rivers of Babylon – Sinead Occonor*
• Come Lord Jesus – Author Unknown ( I grew up thinking this was a song every church knew but I think it may have been unique to my little Anglican church in Sydney)
• Do Lord - as sung by Johnny Cash
• Down by the Riverside - as sung by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
• Down to the River to Pray - as sung by Alison Krauss
• Everything – Tim Hughes
• Everywhere I go - as sung by Fret Not
• Face Of The Humbled Poor – Paul Gioia
• God of Justice – Tim Hughes
• Gods Love is Good – Dave Andrews
• Gospel Ship - Traditional
• Hallelujah I'm Ready - Traditional
• Have Mercy – Paul Gioia
• Hey Hey you say – Dave Andrews
• I am a Pilgrim - as sung by Johnny Cash
• I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole - Blind Willie Johnson
• I Saw the Light - as sung by Fret Not
• I Shall not be moved - as sung by Johnny Cash
• I Still Pray – Kasey Chambers / Paul Kelly
• I Want Jesus to Walk with Me - Traditional
• I will be your Friend - Guy Davis*
• I’ll Fly Away - as sung by Fret Not
• I’m bound for the promised land - as sung by Johnny Cash
• In My Time of Dying / Jesus Gonna make up my dying bed - Blind Willie Johnson
• It's All Right Now - Arizona Dranes
• Jesus And Me – Paul Gioia
• Jesus On The Mainline - Traditional
• Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning - Blind Willie Johnson
• Let Justice Roll – Dave Andrews
• Long May He Reign – Paul Gioia
• Long Way From Home – Glenn Kaiser*
• My Hope is built on nothing less (melody by Nicki Chiswell)
• No Turning Back - Traditional
• Nobody's Fault But Mine - Blind Willie Johnson
• Oh Happy Day - Traditional
• One Day – Dave Andrews
• Our Great God - Some modernish worship singer type people
• People Get Ready – Curtis Mayfield*
• Picture of Jesus – Ben Harper*
• Prince of Peace – Paul Gioia
• Ps 99 – Glenn Kaiser*
• River of Life - Traditional
• Shower Of Grace – Paul Gioia
• Some Great Day – Paul Gioia
• Still Small Voice – Paul Gioia
• Swing Low Sweet Chariot- as sung by Johnny Cash
• The Way of Chris – Dave Andrews
• This little light of mine - Traditional
• This Train - as sung by Glenn Kaiser
• Toublesome Waters – as sung by Johnny Cash
• Were you there when they Crucified my Lord – as sung by Johnny Cash
• What a Friend we have in Jesus (sung to melody of the rose)
• When the Tears Fall – Tim Hughes
• Why Do You Love Me? – Paul Gioia
• You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond - Blind Willie Johnson
• You Got To Move - Traditional

A lot of the traditional songs you can find versions on Youtube as you can for Tim Hughes' songs and Johnny Cash's songs, Dave Andrews gives his songs away (music and MP3s) and Paul Gioia has some song samples on his website.

*denotes songs with church copyright issues, that is they don't appear on the CCLI database.

**My Rock Diet List: Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Beastie Boys, Beatles, Bjork, Black Keys, Jeff Buckley, Nick Cave, John Coltrane, The Dirty Three, The Donnas, Bob Dylan, Ben Folds Five, Aretha Franklin, PJ Harvey, Jimi Hendrix, Hole, Blind Willie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Jeff Lang, Led Zeppelin, Morphine, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Placebo, The Police, Public Enemy, Queen, Radiohead, Rage Agaiunst The Machine, The Rolling Stones, Elliot Smith, Sonic Youth, Tom Waits, Chris Whitley, The Who.

Oh no he’s said too much, he hasn’t said enough

The ABC is loosing it’s Religion Report. The Religion Report is one of the few podcasts that I download every single week and it is consistently high quality and covers material I don’t see or hear any where else. It’s host Stephen Crittenden has always been fabulous. Some of the ABC’s religious segments can get a bit sentimental and schmaltzy but never the religion report. To quote Stephen Crittenden himself. “That such a decision has been taken in an era when religion vies with economics as a determinant of everything that's going on in the world almost beggars belief.” Come on ABC get your act together! For better or worse religion plays a big part in our world and the small half hour that the Religion Report takes up serves this role so well. For being outspoken Stephen Crittenden was stood down I almost laughed out loud when the following weeks show was half and hour dedicated too… Blasphemy

Click here to read and see the media watch story

If you're not happy about this why not email the ABC Board board@your.abc.net.au copied to the ABC Advisory Council abcac@your.abc.net.au

Critical Child Rearing Mistake No. 10 - The Bible

I like St Francis and I like the Bible but it felt a bit strange to see my daughter explaining the scriptures to the chickens.

Best Place to Live

According to a Bankwest Survey after growing up in the best place to live in Australia I am now living in the 481st best place to live. With only 590 places to choose from that's quiet a fall. I am slowly growing attached to where I live, but it's been hard to get attached. Getting to know the neighbours has been tricky, our lives and interests are often so different. I’ll soon be doing some garden retic for one neighbor and a Resume for another. Small steps. Most places I’ve lived in it's taken me 5 to 7 years before I’ve felt comfortable there and I suspect it may take longer here as my work stops me from being around at normal social hours. I'll be missing another BBQ this Saturday for example. There is always the temptation to climb the suburban ladder and move somewhere "nicer" or more affluent but when I ask myself where would someone like Mother Teresa or Shane Claiborne live the answer would be here and not somewhere "nicer".

Juno - Grunge Joy

Being a parent of very young children means that I haven't been to the movies for a couple of years. So I’ve been looking forward to seeing Juno for a while and it didn't disappoint.

I couldn't help but feel that this was a grunge film as it captured the spirit of the early 90's better than any other film I can think of. Juno is always in jeans and a flannelette shirt, there's a short rendition of Hole's doll parts, a discussion about the fabulous covers record "wish I was a carpenter" and many other references to both early 90s grunge and the late 70's punk that was such an influence on grunge. Perhaps even more grunge was the storyline a messy pro life polemic that would be sure to irritate pro life and pro choice baby boomers a like.

I very very rarely cry in films, I can remember letting out a small cheer in titanic when Leonardo Di Caprio's character died while those around me sobbed, but Juno made me cry. I think it was the present Bleeker got in the mail and the final note Jennifer Garner's character got, that got me going. Both points of revelation manifesting in acts of love.

Some critics have said the dialogue was too witty for a 16 year old. I found that aspect of Juno believable, it didn't bother me as much a Juno's great and very mature taste in music and no obvious way of discovering it. None the less without it this wouldn’t be the wonderful celebration of the grunge aesthetic that it is.

Hands down best movie I've seen for a long time..

Poll Results

Thanks to everyone who voted in the "Should I become a Pastor / Minister" poll. With 13 votes that's probably every reader voting twice. Here are the fairly evenly spread results...

• Great idea! You'd be perfect: 3 votes (23%)
• Yer maybe, I suppose it's not a bad idea: 2 votes (15%)
• Aren't you supposed to get a call from God? Is your phone off the hook? 1 vote (7%)
• Is that a good idea? Surely heretics aren't allowed. 4 votes (30%)
• No way! What a waste of time. 3 votes (23%)

I guess I'll have to look at starting up my own heretical brand of Xy. Sounds like a lot of effort.

Living as a Practical Atheist

I'm wondering if I'm living life as a practical atheist and whether that's not such a bad thing. My world view is Xn of sorts (given there are a variety of Xn world views) but I wonder if I live like an atheist. The other day I briefly saw a woman crying in her car, as she drove off I prayed for her but I felt like I wanted offer her much more.

It got me thinking that in many ways I’m a practical atheist. I don’t believe that God will intervene deux ex machina style to every prayer that I shoot off and miraculously solve all the problems. It is our job to that, us as people transformed by God.

The Emperor Has No Clothes

Stock prices have fallen, house prices will fall and a recession looms. When a U.S republican government steps in to the market place you know we are living in strange times. The free market no long reigns supreme (well at least not for a little while). Our emperor has no clothes.

The Perfect Private Joke

This morning I arrived at work having listened a Kevin Smith podcast. If you’re familiar with Kevin Smith’s films you’ll know his brand of humor is not the kind of thing that I could share with any of my good Xn colleges. This reminded me of a friend who told me what I considered the perfect private joke. One day at high school he told me he would never marry a charismatic woman, when I asked “why?” he said, “could you imagine having sex with her?” After giving him a somewhat confused look he did some sexual motions whilst yelling "praise the lord" and "thank you Jesus". “It'd be too off putting”, he explained. I thought his joke was hilarious but sadly realised I wouldn't be able to share it with anyone. All the non Xns I knew wouldn't get it and the Xns I knew wouldn't think it was appropriate. Now 20 years later I’m sharing it with the world… You probably had to be there though.

The Gospels - Historical Record or Mythology?

It often seems that when people talk about the gospels, exemplified by Cameron Reilly’s recent interviews with Robert Price and Ben Witherington III, there are only two conclusions we're given to chose from. 1. That they are a historical record of Jesus life or 2. That they are mythology and fantasy like the stories of Zeus. This I think is an unsatisfactory and false dichotomy.

The gospels are neither history nor mythology but theology* and theology can come from both fiction (Jesus parables are an example) and non fiction (like a historical record).

Reading the gospels we read the authors theological ideas about the nature of Jesus, God and life. Understanding this, I think this needs to be the first step. Once we've understood the theology we can then go back and ask does the gospels need to be historical for my theology to hold? Or, can they be just loosely based on events if at all?

History is a matter of probabilities. For example, for the historian faced with the question did Jesus rise from the dead they would have to say no (I assume) because it’s something that has never happened before or since and there are no eye witness accounts, particularly from people who do not have a stake in the claim being true.

I believe that the gospel writers were neither eye witnesses or people who didn't care what actually happened. They were writers of theology. Once we understand the theology of the gospels we can then ask does this need to be historically true or could it just be mythology.

For this reason I have enjoyed reading both John Spong and Tom Wright. Two theologians who take history and scholarship seriously and two people with very different (perhaps even diametrically opposed) theologies. In Spong's theological understanding of the gospel the resurrection experience need not be a literal resurrection, Tom Wright on the other hand argues that it does.

I don’t think that historicity of the gospels can be talked about outside of the theology of the gospels. If you do the elephant in the room will be asking “So why do the gospel writers write what they do?”

I think the reason that most Xns don’t talk about the historicity of the gospels is because they are try to understand the theology and what it means to be human. Extreme liberal Xns may just assume that it is all mythology and extreme fundamentalist Xns may just assume that it is all exact historical record.

Personally I think the reality is far more complex. There is enough contradiction in the order of gospel events and other details to show it is not just a historical record and for me I cannot understand how Xy developed as it did if it was purely mythology.

So what do I think? Well I’m closer to Tom Wright than John Spong but my ideas are always subject to change and I prefer to spend more time trying to understand the theology of the gospels.

*all though depending on your definition theology & mythology may be very close I’ve chosen not to use mythology as it carries to many negative connotations for many Xns, people assume that mythology is only based on fiction and theology as description of what is happening in the gospels is something most people can agree on.