Music

What a Friend: Songs in the Night

2018-01-17T22:28:19+00:00By Joel|Breathe, Christian Music, Music, Songs in the Night|

So, we were joking: Songs in the Night is actually more like Songs...after the kids go to bed. The original Songs in the Night that I named this musical series after was an all night worship and prayer vigil that I led in my early twenties. And at this time in our lives we don't quite have the stamina for that, but we manage to scurry to the basement for these recordings. For our worship time this month we decided to sing my friend Bruce Goode's song "What a Friend" from our Called as Friends album. You can purchase the song here: itunes. You can also check out that album's website at: www.joelbidderman.com/calledasfriends This song has been [...]

Songs in the Night: I Need Thee Every Hour

2018-01-17T22:38:03+00:00By Joel|Music, prayer, Songs in the Night|

I said,“Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search... I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. -Psalm 77:6&11-12 "Songs in the Night" is a name/phrase that I've used over the years for worship in the night hours. The very first prayer/worship vigil that I ever led was called by that name, and it kind of stuck. I've been thinking about that again after leading worship at the Alliance of Renewal Churches' midwest gathering. We led a time of soaking worship in the Word, [...]

Home

2018-01-17T23:48:11+00:00By Joel|Music, nature, Nomad Chronicles, prayer, trust|

"The Kingdom of God is where we belong. It is home, and whether we realize it or not, I think we are all of us homesick for it." - Frederick Buechner This morning I'm sitting on the porch, with coffee, and thinking about home. Which is a little ironic since I'm in my house. But house doesn't equal home. And the worlds that we carry around with us are so much more than the green and blue rock we live on. Frederick Buechner said it this way, “You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, [...]

Telling Truths and other things that linger

2018-01-17T23:59:20+00:00By Joel|Morning and Night, Music|

So, haunting my short-term memories has been the second song in my Morning and Night series. Telling Truths is based on the book, Telling the Truth: the Gospel as tragedy, comedy, and fairy tale. This was actually the first Buechner book that I picked up years ago. It's a short book with pretty simple themes - which hold great depth. I read through the book in one sitting while visiting my parents (where I found the book). Then, I sat and pondered what I just experienced. Then I opened the book back up and savored ever word. Buechner does such a masterful job at not only conveying truths, but in drawing you into landscapes and conversations, and familiar [...]