Monthly Archives: November 2007

Listen in on a new sermon on the subject of worship by Sojourn’s worship arts pastor, Mike Cosper.  Mike is also an elder at Sojourn, a founding member, a multi-instrumentalist songwriter and the record producer for each of our CDs. As you listen to the sermon, think on these questions: Sermon Recap: We’ve been taught in our churches and in the Christian marketing subculture that exists around us to treat music as another product for us to consume – just as we have the rest of our faith.  If something doesn’t meet our preferences, we learn to discard it, join another …« Read Entire Post

Here is a video link to Harold Best’s first session at the Continuous Worship conference hosted by Mars Hill Church of Seattle.  It’s an insightful, heartfelt talk on the subject of worship from the author of Unceasing Worship and Music Through The Eyes of Faith.  For an audio link, visit Mars Hill’s Doxologist website (from our “Helpful Links” section).

 “I went from thinking about adding a lot of instruments and making it a more symphonic kind of record … to thinking that what I do best is guitar, and that there is more to explore with just guitar and vocals.” – Jose Gonzalez to critic Mark Ziemke Singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez, born in Sweden to Argentine parents, created ripples in America in 2005 when his debut album, “Veneer,” landed on many critics’ “Best of” lists. Some of these same critics are saying his follow-up, In Our Nature, is more of a continuation than a sequel. This is largely true in …« Read Entire Post

David Brooks wrote a column for the New York Times called “The Segmented Society,” which dealt with the loss of music as a cross-cultural force that countered fragmentation in society.  In it, he talks about the high school curriculum that Steven Van Zandt (of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band) has come up with to combat the fact that “most young musicians don’t know the roots and traditions of their music.  They don’t have broad vocabularies to draw on ….” We see this in modern churches too, where “worship wars” have often erupted over musical styles, with worship leaders and church members circling the …« Read Entire Post

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and all are focusing on Christ as we enter the Advent season — the period of longing and expectation for the coming Savior and Lord of all. Galatians 4:4-5 But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage.  Just some notes and reminders: if you’re a Myspace …« Read Entire Post

Back in 2003, Sojourn recorded it’s first multi-artist, multi-songwriter album, a Christmas season CD called Songs for the Advent.  Now for the first time, you can listen to every song on this album for free right here on sojournmusic.com or download it for free from our page at Last FM. That’s surprise #1, and the reason for it is surprise #2 … we’ve updated Songs for the Advent, creating a whole new Christmas CD that will be available very soon.  Stay tuned here for details, and until then, enjoy listening to 2003′s Songs for the Advent. In other news, Before …« Read Entire Post

The motto of Sojourn Community Church, of which Sojourn Music is a part, is “In the city, for the city.”  Sojourn is, very intentionally, an inner city church in Louisville, KY.  The worship arts ministry does its part to live out our motto by, among other things, taking our music outside of the church walls and into the city. This Friday evening, November 19, the Sojourn band will play at Light Up Louisville, a downtown event in its 27th year.  Light Up Louisville draws 75,000 people to Jefferson Square Park each year on the day after Thanksgiving to enjoy a parade, …« Read Entire Post

 I first saw Brooks Ritter in the fall of 2005.  Sitting at a table at Sunergos Coffee in Louisville with a friend, my jaw dropped when this young singer-songwriter opened his set.  It’s hard for a music artist to be more than a backdrop for social activity, studying or net surfing at a bustling coffee shop, but that night, the original music of this college student from Bowling Green, Kentucky won out.  The power and tonal clarity of his voice could have carried the room alone, but he also had “it” — the presence of music deep in his bones, what …« Read Entire Post

Before the Throne will soon be available for downloading through many digital distribution companies, including iTunes. Some companies take longer than others to get the accounts set up and the music ready for download — it could take anywhere from a couple weeks to three months for each distributor, so stay tuned here for details. As of today, these digital distributers have received Before the Throne and begun the process: Apple iTunes Rhapsody BuyMusic Napster AudioLunchbox GreatIndieMusic Muze Tradebit PayPlay MusicIsHere Inprodicon Before the Throne is also available to over 2400 independent record stores worldwide, most of which are in …« Read Entire Post

The songs on Before the Throne each communicate a certain aspect of Sojourn’s corporate worship liturgy. This liturgy includes what we call a “prayer for illumination,” during which we communicate our desire to hear God’s Word and to understand it. It would be hard to imagine a song that could communicate this better than “We Are Listening,” by Jeremy Quillo. Now, Jeremy tells the story behind “We Are Listening:” “We Are Listening” is one of the few songs I have been “commissioned” to write; that is, where I was given a specific topic and a specific time frame. When Mike …« Read Entire Post

Watch the Sojourn worship band’s performance on this past Saturday’s “Takin’ It To The Streets” TV series (the series airs weekly in the Louisville market on WBKI TV, Louisville’s The CW affiliate). You’ll hear Before the Throne songs “In The Shadow of the Glorious Cross“ and “My Maker and My King,” as well as several other songs, interspersed with vignettes featuring Sojourn’s teaching pastor Daniel Montgomery, filmed in The 930′s first floor art gallery. This particular incarnation of Sojourn’s worship team consisted of: Brooks Ritter: Vocals, rhythm guitar Dave Moisan: Vocals, keyboard Rebecca Dennison: Vocals Mike Cosper (Worship Arts Pastor): …« Read Entire Post

     CLICK HERE for an Andrew Adler article that will be of interest to some readers, published in the November 11, 2007 edition of the Louisville Courier Journal.  From the opening paragraph:      “What does it mean to be culturally authentic? How do we honor the composers, choreographers and myriad creators of centuries gone by? Is it possible to reconcile the challenges of the past with the realities of the present — and indeed, how much should we care?”      It’s interesting to think about this from the standpoint of worship leading.  What would cultural authenticity mean, particularly when playing …« Read Entire Post

If you live in the Louisville TV viewing area, tune into Louisville’s The CW affiliate (WBKI) this Saturday night, Nov. 10 at 9:30 pm to see the Sojourn worship band featured as part of the premier episode of the new “Takin’ It To The Streets” TV show.      This show provides footage from “Takin’ It To The Streets” concerts filmed at popular locations around Louisville.  The “Takin’ It” concept, which we have written about in the past on this site, takes bands from various churches and places them in settings outside of church buildings, such as Hard Rock Cafe and Six Flags …« Read Entire Post

From The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer:      “Let us remember that when we talk of the rending of the veil we are speaking in a figure, and the thought of it is poetical, almost pleasant, but in actuality there is nothing pleasant about it.  In human experience that veil is made of living spiritual tissue; it is composed of the sentient, quivering stuff of which our whole beings consist, and to touch it is to touch us where we feel pain.  To tear it away is to injure us, to hurt us and make us bleed.  To say …« Read Entire Post

     Courtesy of Drake Hatfield’s drakeaudio.com, here are a couple of mp3s recorded during the October 14th, 7 pm worship gathering at Sojourn’s community center, The 930. First up is the gospel classic, “I’ll Fly Away.” Next, the timeless hymn “On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand.”

Saturday, January 19 at 3 pm, get ready for the debut of Sojourn’s new Songwriting Seminar series, a bi-monthly series of events that will feature instruction from a rotating cast of visiting songwriters in The 930 Listening Room, part of Sojourn’s community center, The 930 (located at 930 Mary Street, Louisville, KY 40204, part of Louisville’s historic Germantown neighborhood, just minutes from I-65).      If you are a songwriter, you desire to be, or you have an interest as a listener, critic, singer or musician, please join us Saturday, January 19 – and keep checking here for more details as the date …« Read Entire Post

     Now through the end of 2007, buy “Before the Throne“ for $10 total, including U.S. domestic shipping (international orders, only $2 additional shipping).      Earlier CDs are on sale too, for $5 plus shipping!  And stay tuned in the weeks to come for a new offer and exciting news regarding our Christmas-season CD, “Songs for the Advent.”