Each year at Easter the choir at First Baptist Church holds a cantata. Each year they blow us away! Each year one or two songs become an anthem, a source of lyrical grace that awakens the soul. This year, by God’s grace, was no different.

My favorite song for the year was “Orphan” by Ronnie Freeman.

The lyrics:

You think so much of me
You take delight in me
You paid the price for me
Then you adopted me

I’m not an orphan anymore, I’m yours
I stand before you now adored, I’m yours
Your cross has set me free
New life belongs to me
I’m not an orphan anymore I’m yours

You took my guilt and shame
Gave me a brand new name
You call me your beloved
I call you Abba father

I’m not an orphan anymore, I’m yours
I stand before you now adored, I’m yours
Your cross has set me free
New life belongs to me
I’m not an orphan anymore, I’m yours

Now I feast at the table of the King
And His love is the banner over me
His love is the banner over me,
the banner over me, the banner over me.

A section of the FBC choir singing "Orphan."

Seeing the saints use their gifts for the glory of God must be one of the great privileges of pastoral ministry.  It happens in a million ways if we have eyes to see it–teaching children the gospel, showing hospitality, being merciful to the hurting, and so on.  Praise God for all the gifts He’s placed in the body of Christ.  Every one is necessary.

So, it’s a joy to recommend a new album release by a saint and friend from FBC, Dalmond Bodden.  It’s called Introspection and it’s his first solo project with his ministry Pauze Entertainment.  Actually, imo, it’s an overdue project.  But Dalmond has been humbly helping and promoting other members of Pauze.  So a lot of us are thrilled to see him finally put it out there for Christ.

The album dropped last Saturday.  We’ve been keeping it on loop for the last couple days.  Here’s the track list:

01=INTRO
02=PLATFORM ft Mason Chisholm aka Tha-Real-Mc
03=MAJESTIC ft Tha-Real-MC
04=DISTINCTION
05=NO CROSS NO HOPE ft Mennen Langlois
06=LULLABY ft Nicole Bodden
07=BE MODEST (poetic break)
08=OUR HOPE IS IN HIM ft Troy Alleyne
09=MY FAITH (Poetic intro to puppet master)
10=PUPPET MASTER ft Alicia Latoya
11=I AM WRETCHED (poetic intro to wretched man)
12=WRETCHED MAN ft Mennen Langlois
13=REASON TO SING ft Tha-Real-MC
14=PERSEVERANCE
15=SHINE ft Tha- Real-Mc and Michael Blackburn
16=PAID FOR ft Michaiah Bryan and Michael Blackburn
17=SPEAKING TO THE MIRROR
18=OUTRO

Great to see so many of the church family support the project.  I think our favorite tracks are “Our Hope Is in Him” and “Wretched Man.”

Grab it on vibedeck.

As I was writing this up, I received a tweet about this video from The Rebuild Initiative on the blessing of hip hop and the church. So much wisdom here! I’m including it in this post because not only was I greatly edified watching it but because Dalmond personifies so much of what these brothers commend. Enjoy!

What do you get when you combine Humble Beast with Lamp Mode Records? The upcoming Beast Mode Tour Oct.-Dec., 2012. This gon’ be hot! Looks like shai linne, Theory Hazit, Json, Stephen the Levite, and Beautiful Eulogy.

Here are some videos from the tour website.

shai linne

Json

Stephen the Levite busting on the scene again

Beautiful Eulogy

Check the city near you. Dates are already set for Cal Baptist. Steph, Jonathan, you guys need to check this out!

Praise to the Lord and props to Lecrae for grabbing rap/hip hop “album of the year” for Rehab: The Overdose at the Dove Awards.

Also, praise to God for Trip, whose new album “The Good Life” hit #17 in sales in its first week on the shelves.

Lecrae joins Trip for the track “I’m Good”.  Enjoy!

I don’t know how many jazz lovers read Pure Church. I hope there are some because, well, what’s not to love about jazz?  I ain’t talkin’ ’bout no Kenny G stuff neither!  I mean jazz!  The good stuff.  Straight ahead.  Standards and improvisation.  Conversation.  Freedom built on structure.  Jazz.

I’m really grateful my man with the lion’s mane turned me on to this cat: Gregory Porter. Move over Cole!  Check out the beauty of both the song and the artistry in this video:

Added fun catching glimpses of Baltimore in this video. I’ve spent enough time on those train station benches waiting for the express back to DC!

Love this song!  A joyful Resurrection Day to all!  He is risen!

HT: DeYoung

I don’t know the group Too Hot to Handel, but I love this piano solo JT just sent to me! Give it a listen and tell me how many tunes you recognize in this melody, and tell me if Mr. Waddles ain’t workin’ those keys!!

HT: Shane

Can’t wait to get this album. And might I make a suggestion? Blair and shai should do a joint project called “The linne Dynasty.” Any buyers?

My man Curtis Allen, a.k.a “Voice,” has teamed up with another Sovereign Gracer named Erin Hill to form a group called Welfare Society.  They have a new album scheduled to drop November 21st called “Be Encouraged, Be Convinced.”

One of the tracks is based on a conversation Curt’ had with a young Christian woman who struggles with same sex attraction.  She asked Curt’ why the church is so hard on people with that struggle. One outcome of that conversation is the track and video “When It Rains”:

Audio:

When It Rains by avoice

Look out for the album when it drops Nov. 21st!

Man, my wife just sent me back 30 years or so!  When I was a boy, Sunday morning was for gospel music.  All the secular R&B stations had a gospel format on Sundays mornings, and Sunday mornings were not Sunday mornings unless I heard “Easy Like Sunday Morning” and “Jesus Is Love” by The Commodores (feat. Lionel Richie).  Y’all know anything about that?

For those who are not afraid to take the time warp, here’s a couple videos:

Now seriously, can you sing praises to God with those outfits on? Surely there’s an Old Testament law somewhere that condemns this! Man, the gospel doesn’t even give this kind of liberty!