The Christian Music Thread Genre • Page 73

I hope everyone has had a good Christmas and New Year and is staying safe and well.

I've been reflecting on last year's music and have put together my annual 'end of year' list. I always post it here as more artists tend to be from the Christian background than not.

If you can't be bothered to read it (it does seem long this year) I've got John Mark McMillan, A Boy and His Kite, Benjamin James & Common Hymnal in my top 10. I've also popped a track from @Lucas27 in my favourite songs from last year playlist.

What is everyone looking forward to coming out in 2021 from the faith/music intersection?

 

Wonderful list! There's some stuff I haven't heard there that I need to check before I make my own list (Benjamin James, The Lone Bellow, Kate Pruitt).

And thank you so much! I've seen "Good God" on quite a few lists, which has been so encouraging.

 

I’m looking forward to more music from you in 2021!

 

New Five Iron Frenzy album today.

 

I had no idea!

Which brings me to the question I always ask this thread at the beginning of the new year... what upcoming releases are you looking forward to this year?

 

Lyrics on the new FIF album hit hard. Glad to hear Reese really letting loose.

 

I have no idea what's even coming out this year. I think Silent Planet might have something recorded. And hopefully some new '68 stuff is happening.

 

I don't really participate in this thread as much as I should, but I wanted to share this:

Been an absolutely incredible album to sit with and finally see the convergence of faith and protest I think we're called to when it comes to systemic injustice.

 

Nice. Checking it out now.

 

Their live album was one of the only corporate worship albums I could listen to last year.

 

What is everyone's favorite Jars of Clay album? Lots of good choices but I'd have to go with Much Afraid. Haven't listened to anything since Good Monsters tho

 

New project from Dens. I think this style is a good fit for them.

 

I listened to them via my sisters growing up. But I got into them myself when they made “The Long Fall Down to Earth”, which I don’t think is many other people’s favorite record.

 

i can’t wait to hear the rest of these. i loved the album the way it was, but i agree that this style really works for them.

 

It’s up there for me. The self-titled debut is too nostalgic & iconic for me not to be my favorite, but it’s between that one & The Shelter for my second favorite.

 

Who We Are Instead is very underrated, Trouble Is is a top notch song. Probably up there in top 3 with S/T and Good Monsters

 

Their first five albums are a perfect stretch imo

 

SMLXL is pressing Fading West by Switchfoot. Stoked to get my hands on it finally!

 

My best bud is working on a concept record centered around the death of one of our closest friends. He put out a single that I got to write lyrics to. Personal sentiments aside, I think this record is going to be really special and could even see it getting some traction here when it comes out:

 

I really like Good Monster, but yeah, Much Afraid takes the cake.

 

So do any of you still go to church? And if so how is the church handing the pandemic? Before we moved to Florida, our church did outdoor services with distancing and masks. Now that we live in Florida, the church my wife grew up going to pretty much decided not to wear masks right from the beginning. They're all hugging each other and carrying on as if nothing has changed. Because of that, we've only gone once in the five months since the move. Not ideal, but also not worth it to me.

 

In the UK churches weren’t permitted to meet last year during the first wave. However, since August/September we have been able to meet but limited numbers, masks, social distancing and no singing. My church hasn’t met during this recent lockdown, nor have most of the churches near us. Things are still online - depending on the size of the church, some are streaming and some are doing Zooms.

Honestly, I’m not sure what church looks like for me on the other side of this pandemic. I miss the congregational singing, but I have changed significantly in my capacity to spend time in crowds and to interact with people. I know the importance of friendship and community but I’ve actually found that my life hasn’t suffered too much - I love my wife and I am thankful we have each other - I am fortunate. I just have little desire to spend large amounts of time with people I barely know. There’s a handful of friends that I want to talk to or have continued to speak to via Zoom.

I suppose it doesn’t help that I don’t know where I fit in our church. I’m much more comfortable in the liminal spaces and feel I make more of a difference existing there than the ‘faith filled’ / ‘on fire’ days of my youth. I’ve basically existed there for a year so it feels daunting to go back to places where I don’t feel fully accepted or myself.

Oh church!

 

My church has not met in person for a year now. We do church over Zoom on Sunday mornings. Honestly, I attend maybe once or twice a month, which is about half the time we used to attend. It's not the same, but I'm also not willing to attend a different church in person (my parents' church and in-laws churches are both meeting in person with VERY loose adherence to safety). But I do expect that we'll begin attending in person once it's safe to.

The friends of ours that are in our 'quarantine pod/bubble' all attend our church, so we have maintained many of those connections in person, just not in a traditional setting.

 

Mine closed for a few months and then reopened with scarce safety restrictions...haven't been in-person in over a year and have mostly stopped watching the online service they still broadcast.

It's interesting to consider how early on churches/leaders were very concerned about closing and losing lots of their congregation/attendance due to that. A valid concern. But I don't think they considered what staying open, as this weird act of freedom/defiance, would do to peoples' desire to remain connected to a community willing to do that. It feels so short-sighted.

 

My parents and in-law equate church so much with the physical act of being in the building, that they truly don't understand that people can still gather in other ways. They really see it as an religious oppression.