DVD is ready.....almost!

We should have our new DVD ready for our Ninevah trip next weekend. It will be the first time we will have had it out for people to get and we are excited about it. We will have it in the store shortly. Just thought you might want to know.

Music: The Handmaiden of Theology

Back during the middle ages there where a couple of sayings that have really struck a chord (musical pun intended) with me. The first is this one: "Theology is the queen of the sciences and music is her handmaiden". The second is "Theology is the queen of the sciences and philosophy is her handmaiden". Music I believe can be a shared handmaiden. Music is a means of expression, not the end of expression. Music expresses how we feel or think. It is nothing apart from the passion that drives it. You may say, "what about jazz music? Some of it doesn't even have words!" Though it may lack words, it does not lack passion. And it is driven by something...some passion. So what drives the music that I write? Who does this "handmaiden" serve? I try to write music that is theologically informed. It is my desire for music to be the handmaiden of theology. I want the words I put together and the music that we play to serve as an avenue for biblical and systematic theologies. The term "theology" comes from two greek words. "Theos" means "God". And "logos" means "word" or "study". Hence, "Theology". So theology means a "word of God" or "studying God". It really bothers me when I hear people, pastors in particular, say that we don't need theology. Do you really believe that we do not need to know more about God? That is what I want my music to do, give you words of God. I want it to give you things to worship him about. Things praise him about. I want my music to stir you to love him. You can't love what you do not know. Philosophy has gotten my attention as of late. It is really interesting to me to see why people think the way they do. Where have the cliches and thoughts that fill our society come from? You may not know it, but most of them have come from philosophers. There are big name philosophers like Kant, Hume, Aristotle, Marx and so forth. But there are other philosophers that have taken music as a handmaiden. Bob Dylan and John Denver are two good examples. Their philosophies about life and how we live it permeated their music. I want this to be true of mine. I don't necessarily agree with all of their assessments but they realized one of the greatest avenues for thought-provoking discussion--Music. With all of this said, my style of writing is changing slightly. The content will be the same, The Gospel. But it will be more finely tuned. I am trying to write about how the Gospel affects how we live, think, and act. From the reality of our sins to how we view education and social issues. The gospel is offensive and beautiful at the same time. It won't let us stay the way we are and it will constantly be reminding us that we don't have everything figured out. So here is the first line of a new song and it speaks my fears and hopes for each concert "I've come to talk about your heart, I've come to talk about our sin, Knowing that if I do, You may not invite me again" God bless you, Josh

Back in the Habit

It has been a long time since we guys have gotten together to practice and play because we have taken most of the summer off. But our fall schedule is beginning to thicken and I have gotten two calls for bookings this week. We will be getting together to practice some new stuff and old stuff (if we can remember how they go). Just a little update. Things are picking back up again for the fall. Later.

Hoodwinked!

Bert has threatened to take away my summer job if I don't give up this battle. Since Bert is the camp director at Cedarmore, where I'll be working this summer, I'd be wise to listen to his friendly warnings before things get too serious. So, here it is Bert: I surrender. I had a pretty good run for a few weeks with just a few minor problems. I'm quite proud of myself! Thanks for keeping up with my escapades for this long and I hope this means that the rest of the band will start to blog again. See ya around.

I've Escaped

I've escaped from Josh's clutches! It wasn't very easy, in fact is was quite difficult. I had to wait until he was asleep, pick a few locks, call in a few favors, learn a second language over the past two days, and change my middle name, but it worked. I'm free! I'm back at the home base now waiting for the rest of JMB to attack- I'm ready for them. If anyone still wants to offer their assistance, I'd be more than happy to take it. We could use man-power, money, ammunition, and a few good cooks. If you're interested just give me a call at 1-800- HELPDPH... Oh yeah, I changed my middle name to Patrick.

Captured!

I've been captured by the enemy! Josh Martin has got me locked up in his Spurgeon room at his house- I've been here for the past few days. I still have some troops back at the base so JMB can't just waltz in... yet. I got away just a few moments to write this post but it's got to be short or else Josh will realize I'm gone. If I can stick around just long enough to gain some key information on their attack, this kidnapping will be worth it. I'll just play the waiting game and soon... Oh man! He's back and coming downstairs- don't forget me!

Day 9

Today has been an invigorating day- I feel like I could take on the world right now. I don't even think I'm going to need those extra troops that I previously blogged about, which is a pretty good thing. You see, my auxiliary troops have umm, how should I say this... left my side. It seems that while the situation was nice and safe, they were willing to lay down their lives but as soon as the real threat of war set in, they ran. Perhaps I should have listened to my good friend Mr. Machiavelli and used only native soldiers. Oh well.

Day 8

I'm surrounded- I'm not sure how much longer I can hold these guys off. Andrew and Kelly have both already infiltrated my seemingly impenetrable barricade and now Josh and Bert are both threatening to strike. I thought I could handle their attack, but now I'm not quite sure. I guess I can rest in the fact that if I go down, I'll go down in a blaze of glory. I haven't given up, I'm just preparing myself for the worst- defeat by the rest of JMB. So, on that note, I'll leave you now with some words of wisdome from The Band: "All good things must end. Like three heroes in a story, let's go out like we came in- in a blaze of glory." Until tomorrow...

Days 6 and 7

Sorry about no update from yesterday's battles. It was a pretty busy day. Josh called to give me some pretty lengthy threats- I expect his initial attack any minute now. Am I worried? Not a bit. To quote the great Stonewall Jackson once said, "Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave." I've been pretty busy trying to balance this war with my finals; but, I just finished my one test for the day and I should be free to gaurd my blog. Keep checking for updates.

Day 5

I can't believe this! I was told that we would have a truce for Sunday's since everyone should be spending time at church and with their families. But, it seems that the drummer has decided to pop in his head and do some posting around here. Things are getting pretty serious- my fortress has already been penetrated by Andrew and Kelly so the only two left are Josh and Bert. I have a feeling that Josh will try to post any day now. I haven't seen or heard from Bert so far throughout the war... maybe he's planning an air attack...? I'm not sure how much longer I can hold 'em back guys. This war may be coming to an end and I may not be victorious. Remember me.

The Drummer Checks In

Well, well, well. I don't post here for a while, and it seems Derek's trying to take over the place. Not so fast! As he mentioned earlier - yes, I have my own blog, and I've been fairly busy with my full-time and part-time jobs lately. So, I'll give my best attempt to update our faithful fans with what I've been doing. For JMB, I've worked on the first mix of our live DVD (and CD?) recording. After gathering some input from the band, I'm now moving into the editing stage and mix #2. Since I operate a recording business on the side, I've yet to be able to do this due to other concerts and projects I've been working on (sorry guys!). I should be able to start mix #2 this week. My job as a graphic artist is keeping me busy, as well. It's our busy time of the year, and I've taken on more responsibility lately. The good thing is, it makes the day go by fast. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to meet the keyboard player from MercyMe, Jim Bryson. I do work for a lady that went to high school with him, and she was able to introduce him to me before their concert at Rupp Arena. Not only did I get to meet him, but he also took my roommate and me on stage to check out his setup. While on stage, I also checked out the drums (of course). Jim's a super nice guy. Hopefully, I'll get the meet the rest of the guys the next time they come close. So... there you go. That's what's been going on with the drummer. How 'bout the rest of the band (besides Kelly, who already posted). Down with the revolution! - Andrew

Day 4

I just got word of an ambush that is supposed to happen some time later tonight. If the rest of JMB thinks they can out-smart me, well... they're wrong. We just received another truckload of ammunition and rations that should last us a few more weeks. Did you hear that guys? Weeks! Do you feel like giving up yet? I'll tell ya, if you can't stand the heat... get out of my kitchen. I got a nice casserole in the oven- a casserole of extreme pain and humiliation. I also got some nice sides simmering on the stove- tasty defeat and some delicious, buttered anguish.

Day 3

Today has gone rather swimmingly. You may have noticed that ol' Josh got in to comment on a previous post but I'm not threatened at all. It's not like he broke my barrier, he merely threw in a comment, almost like making a phone call into the blog, or sending a letter. His comment is not his presence and I will not be defeated. I'm still keeping a close eye on this blog and no one has tried to get by me today... still scared I suppose. However, the moment they do try to enter, I have an entire army to help me. Some fellow bloggers out there have discovered my little situation over here and have promised their support in my time of need. These are some serious bloggers and I'm glad to have them on my side. Viva la revolucion!

Day 2

Today is going better than yesterday, so far no one has broken through the gate. I've decided to leave my post at the gate and instead hide in a nearby trench that I've prepared for the occasion. Hopefully my absense will lure in my opponents and I will be ready with a sneak attack as they approach. On a slightly happier note, this is one comfortable trench. I've got some nice pillows and blankets down here, as well as a generator and a tv. Hey, it's going to be a long day, I need someway to pass the time. If I can just stay alert I should be able to fight off any attacks they may have. My only hope for winning this war is if they attempt to enter one at a time- if they band together, there's no way I can fight them all off. As of right now, it doesn't seem as if they are conspiring against me. I'll keep you updated. Stay the course.

Drats

It seems that Kelly noticed I was away at church and snuck in to do some posting. I'll have to be more careful from now on. I guess his "cruise" was just a decoy to lead me into a false sense of security. Tomorrow, I will be victorious. It's ok a lose a small battle (or in this case a short battle) but when all is said and done, this war (and blog) will be mine.

What yonder lurks?

Well it had actually been a while since I had even looked on here. I happened upon D's challenge to the other band members and since I'm not on a cruise at this moment (as much as I would love to be) I thought I would give a little fight here. As a thirty-one year old married mailman/musician...not much goes on in my day to day life. I had a conversation with Josh the other day about his new blog and he suggested that I should start one of my own. Trust me......there's not much to know. I will admit....I am probably the most boring member of The Josh Martin Band. However if I were to start a blog this is pretty much how it would go: Got out of bed this morning.....Thank you Lord! Went to work at the Post Office today......Thank you Lord? Spent most of the day trying to out run dogs...... Delivered some mail in the process...... Went home from work......Thank you Lord!!!! Kissed the wife.......Thank you Lord!!!!!!! Decided to eat cereal instead of a real meal again..... Spent some time reading the Word.......THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!!!! Hit the couch for Deal or No Deal or whatever reality show is on...... Fell Asleep on the couch not too long after sitting down...Thank you Lord! Hit the bed........Thank you Lord!!!!! and........... .......... .......... REPEAT Wow......as I look at that....it is pretty depressing....maybe I should challenge myself to shake it up a little. But not tonight.....there is a good show coming on and I need to get off of here and find the couch. God Bless!!!!!! Kelly

Day 1

Whew, that was a close call. For a second I thought that my opponents had somehow locked me out of the blog... I was just putting in the wrong username- no biggie. Day 1 has gone rather smoothly, as I suspected. I've set up camp near the gate since that's the most vulnerable section- the high walls and barbed wire make it pretty impossible to get in anywhere else. So far, no one has opposed me but I expected that to change as the word gets out and my opponents realize what I've done with their blog. The way I see it, I only have to worry about a few of them and the rest will fall right into place. Doug is already out of the way since he's not a contributor to this blog so that means I've got Josh, Andrew, Kelly, and Bert still on my radar. Andrew has his own blog, so he may not put up much of a fight at first. He's also been pretty busy with work so that should keep him fairly distracted. Kelly, it seems, is always on a cruise- no big stuggle there. Josh just started a new blog, a new job a few months ago, and he's usually busy with church matters. He's a big guy, but I think I can take him when the time comes. But that still leaves Bert. Bert's the sneaky one (I'm sure you all remember our little KGBme incident last year). If anyone is going to give me problems, it's Bert. I'll have to be on my toes for this one. Over and out.

New World Order

Alright, this is now my blog. If the rest of the band is just going to abandon it then I'm going to take over. What exactly does this mean? Who knows? But, I'm declaring war on the other contributors to this blog. If they want to keep a part of it for themselves then they're going to have to fight me for it. It's a New World Order baby, and I'm not giving up without a fight. Sounds a little excessive? Maybe so, but you gotta fight for what you believe in.

Viva la revolucion!

Still Breathing

Hey guys, it's been a little quiet on here since the DVD and I'm here to reassure you that we're still alive. The DVD process is going well and we're trying to work out all of the audio issues. I think JMB is going to try and get together within the next few weeks to finish it up and take a look at the video and perhaps record some extra footage (maybe some interviews?). On another note- where is everyone? I've had the last 3 posts on this blog, and this isn't even my primary blog. Has the rest of the band abandoned the blog? Come on guys! Blog!

Thanks

I wanted to take this time to say thanks to all of you who came to our concert on Saturday- it was such a fun night. As I type this I'm listening to the first mix of the audio recording and I can already tell that this project is going to turn out great. Keep your eyes on the website for a release date and come see us at our upcoming gigs. I can't wait to see you there!