main cow pic

05.08.12

A New Liturgy No 3 has arrived

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 9:57 am

No 3

Friends, I can’t possibly tell you how excited I am about New Liturgy No 3: “Lord Have Mercy”.

This is the darkest, most honest, most raw liturgy yet…like a 25 minute Ash Wednesday service inviting us into the deep streams. Confession. Repentance. Absolution. All held together by Grace.  I don’t claim to be the least bit objective (ha!), but if you really press me, this is my favorite of the three.

As with each New Liturgy, you can download
“Lord Have Mercy” at anewliturgy.com for $5.

It is also included in the Digital Mega Bundle.
(check out below for more details)

Your interest and support mean the world to all of us who are pouring ourselves into A New Liturgy .  Thanks so much!  Sincerely.  May it help you create holy space wherever you find yourself…

A New Liturgy Digital Mega Bundle

Filed under: A New Liturgy,God's movement,music,worship — 9:57 am

Today we are also releasing the New Liturgy Digital Mega Bundle, which is everything we’ve created so far. Over 100 minutes of audio, 45 minutes of video, and all the lyrics and charts.  Download it all for $15 at aNewLiturgy.com.  Here’s the story…

The Bundle includes…

(1) All Three New Liturgies – “No 1: God is Love”, “No 2: Blessed to be a Blessing”, and the brand new “No 3: Lord Have Mercy”.  (To see the heart behind No 3, watch This Video.)

(2) “A New Liturgy LIVE at Axis” video – A couple months ago, we joined up with the Axis community of Willow Creek for a night of worship, music, and prayer for the world.  They are a fantastic community of Christ-followers who are joining God in serving and redeeming the world, and they poured themselves into co-creating “Blessed to Be a Blessing”.  This 30 minute video captures some of the powerful spirit of the night.  (Watch a few minutes of it at the end of the video above).

(3) The “Making of New Liturgy No 3″ video – During the recording process, my mega-talented brother Eric brought his camera to a number of sessions.  This 12 minute video has interviews with the musicians, footage of the recording process, and gives a glimpse into the journey of making “Lord Have Mercy”.

(4) A New Liturgy Remix EP (vol 1) and (vol 2) – A friend and I have taken a few songs from Liturgy No 1 and No 2, and have remixed and re-imagined them.  Some our more electronic and groove oriented, some are driving rock, and one is named “The-All-We-Are-Saying-is-Give-Peace-a-Chance-Sing-a-long” version.  You can learn more about it HERE.

(5) All the lyrics and charts – If it would be helpful to you and your community, we’re including the lyrics and chord charts to the first three Liturgies.  (John Arndt even graciously let us include the brilliant string arrangements he wrote for No 3.)  Feel free to use them in any way and in any kind of gathering.

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We hope this is a gift to you…that some or all of this material might help you create holy space wherever you find yourself.  God is everywhere, of course, but sometimes it’s helpful to have a moveable sanctuary…

Honored to be on the journey with you!
Aaron

05.01.12

Recording No 3

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 9:00 am

To celebrate that A New Liturgy No 3: Lord Have Mercy is available on May 8th – one week from today! – here is a glimpse behind the scenes.  The night I recorded piano, my brother stopped by with his camera to capture some of the session.  Here’s the heart of why this liturgy moves me…

04.27.12

Free Remix EP (vol 1)

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 8:56 pm

Tomorrow (Saturday the 28th), we’re giving away a free 3 song Remix EP to everyone on The New Liturgy mailing list.  If you’re already subscribed, no need to do anything…you’ll get an email tomorrow.  But if you’re not, sign up right away!

A little more about the EP…

I hope you enjoy!

04.16.12

A few things inspiring me right now…

Filed under: A New Liturgy,books,creativity,music — 9:39 am

Life feels really full right now.  And although some of it is intense and difficult, some of it is really exciting.  Here are a number of things that are inspiring me right now…

(1) Fun.  I can’t stop listening to the new album “Some Nights” by Fun.  I’ve been a fan of the lead singer for a while now (he used to front The Format), but he’s taken things to an entirely new level of ridiculous melody, drama, and…well…fun.  Freddie Mercury would be so proud.

IJM GPG

(2) IJM GPG.  My band and I got to be a part of International Justice Mission’s Global prayer Gathering in DC this weekend.  It was one of the most compelling gatherings of Jesus followers I’ve ever seen.  These people are the REAL DEAL – giving their lives to fighting for justice on behalf of the most forgotten people on earth.  They literally are in the business of freeing slaves, mostly young female sex slaves.  The stories were heartbreaking and beautiful and made me want to be a better person.  No hype…just prayer, stories, more prayer, and the Eucharist.

the boys

(3) Being a dad of two boys.  These two kids bring more joy to my life than I could have ever imagined.  Whatever the word “delight” means…they embody it.

(4) The Bible Made Impossible.  This book is blowing my mind.  Author Christian Smith’s premise is that Biblicism (a very common literal approach to the Bible, common to Fundamentalist and most Evangelical Christians) is actually impossible to practice according to its own claims.  But instead of arguing for a classic Liberal alternative, he appeals to a more beautiful third way that maintains a very high view of the divinely inspired scriptures without asking the bible to be something it was never meant to be.  (A full review is coming as soon as I finish it.)  Please read this book.

(5) Paul and his string quartet.  My friend Paul is one of the best musicians (cellist) I know, so when he offered to pull together a string quartet for “New Liturgy No 3: Lord Have Mercy“, I imagined it’d be great.  But I didn’t realize they’d be THIS great.  Here’s a little taste during the recording session…

(6) Awake.  I’m torn about this new show on NBC.  I really enjoy watching it, but can’t decide if it’s (1) A brilliant new show that’s finding it’s way into new territory, or (2) A one trick premise that can’t sustain itself beyond one season.  Is anyone else watching this show?

What about you?  What is inspiring you these days?  Recommendations?

04.12.12

Three big announcements about A New Liturgy

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 1:58 pm

Drum roll, please…

Three exciting announcements:

(1) A New Liturgy No 3: “Lord Have Mercy” will be available on Tuesday, May 8th.  Today is the final recording session (with an incredible string quartet), and then we dive into pulling it all together.
“Lord Have Mercy” is different from the first two in a number of ways, and I absolutely can’t wait for you to experience it.  More details coming soon.

(2) To celebrate, we’re giving away a 3 song EP called “A Renewed Liturgy” in two weeks.
A friend and I have taken three songs from Liturgy 1 and 2, and have reimagined, re-tracked, or re-mixed them.  One is “The Alberta Remix”, one is “The Toms and Trombone Treatment”, and one is “The All-We-Are-Saying-is-Give-Peace-a-Chance-Sing-a-long Version”.  The free download will be available only through A New Liturgy Newsletter.  ”What is the New Liturgy Newsletter?”  Well, I’m glad you asked…

(3) A New Liturgy Newsletter.  Can I humbly invite you to join our new mailing list?   You will receive occasional updates, behind-the-scenes pictures/videos/stories, and of course, the free “A Renewed Liturgy” EP.  (A free download link will be sent out to everyone on the list in the next two weeks).  This Newsletter will be the primary way to stay up to date with all things A New Liturgy, but I’ll keep them brief and occasional.  If you’re interested, please sign up below…

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Sign up for the Newsletter here.

Thanks so much for your interest and support of A New Liturgy!  Sincerely.  May these ‘moveable sanctuaries’ help you create sacred space wherever you find yourself.

Peace,
Aaron

03.09.12

A New Liturgy No 3 update

Filed under: A New Liturgy,music — 11:31 am

Hey everyone!

For the last couple months, we’ve been hard at work on A New Liturgy No 3: Lord Have Mercy.  I won’t tell you too much and ruin the surprise, but this may be the most raw, sparse, dark, and hopefully spacious New Liturgy yet.  It’s a 25 minute journey that honestly wades into the depth of our sin, helping us admit our need and cry out “Lord, have mercy!”  Even the process of recording it has been moving to me, and I can’t wait to see how God uses it to create that sacred, uncomfortable, beautiful space where Redemption is near and Holy Possibility is thick in the air.

Next week is a big recording week, and then I hope to finish by the end of the month…and make it (and a few other surprises) available in mid April.

MANY THANKS to everyone who has been interested and supportive of this project.  It’s been deeply moving to hear how you’ve connected to God through the first two Liturgies, and I can’t wait to see how this continues to morph and unfold.  Thanks for being a part of the journey.  Blessings to you all!

tracking piano

the chapel

01.30.12

The final stop on the Blog Tour

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 9:32 am

Imago

[01.30.12] Mark Novelli.  Mark is the owner of Imago media, which partners with churches, conferences, and organizations to “dream of new ways to integrate community, mission, story, image, experience, and interactivity into the way you gather.”

I’ve known and served with Mark for years, but this summer I got to partner with him and his team for a “youth conference” like I’ve never seen.  These guys are pushing the edge of what’s possible in interactive, collaborative learning…and I left really inspired and stretched.

Imago is not simply trying to make the old thing a little more hip, but they are asking the core questions and exploring new ways of answering them.  Many thanks to Mark for finishing up this blog tour!

01.27.12

Blog Tour Day 10

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 9:47 am

Today we head to Granger, Indiana to hear a more personal experience with A New Liturgy…

Jason and I sitting on Mt of Beatitudes near the Sea of Galilee, Israel

[01.27.12] Jason Miller.  Jason is a worship leader (leading from piano, which as everyone knows, is God’s preferred instrument), the Pastor of Arts and Teaching at Granger Church (where he leads a fantastic group of artists AND does much of the teaching), an insatiable learner (currently working on his graduate degree in Theology at the University of Notre Dame), and a passionate connoisseur of fine cigars.  Basically, Jason can do anything.
But I think what I respect about him the most is his humility and drive to keep learning and growing.  Being around him always makes me want to be a better person.

In his post today, Jason shares a bit of his personal experience with A New Liturgy.  I really admire his honesty, and am deeply moved by the story…probably because I can relate to those dark moments so well.

What about you?  Have you ever been in a season like Jason describes?  (I sure have…a number of times.)  What did God do to help pull you out?

01.25.12

The Blog Tour brings us to Dubai

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 7:31 am

Stephen Proctor

Today we travel all the way to Dubai, UAE…

[01.25.12] Stephen Proctor.  For the last ten years, Stephen has been working to recapture and breathe new life into the visual side of worship.  He believes:  “As curators of visual worship we have a responsibility to recognize the powerful impact imagery can have on a worshiping congregation, steward that awareness well, and provide an avenue for people to worship God with their eyes.”  And not only has he done this in many contexts all over the globe, he is curating a fascinating conversation about all things worship at his blog: worshipVJ.com.  If you are involved with worship in your church – especially the visual side of things -
I highly recommend joining this conversation.

What I love about Stephen’s approach is that he begins from a deep, thoughtful, and theological place.  Instead of simply asking “How can I make this look cool?” or “How can I blow people’s minds (and blind them a little bit!)”, he approaches everything as a worship pastor.  I really admire the experiences he creates and the great questions he invites us to wrestle with, and I’m honored he’s a part of this Blog Tour.

01.22.12

Blog Tour Stop 8…with my mother-in-law!

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 7:03 pm

I just did a google search for “mother-in-law jokes”, and 6,670,000 results came up.

The problem is…I’m extremely lucky to have one of the coolest mother-in-laws on the planet.  Not only does she get to do amazing things (like the time she casually said, “…Yeah, when I was in Bono’s kitchen and Edge walked in…” and then told a story), but she is one of the bravest, deepest, and smartest people I know.

Lynne Hybels

At her core, Lynne Hybels is a voice for the voiceless.

Before Bono made it cool to care about AIDS, Lynne was knee deep in this cause.  She couldn’t stand the thought of millions of people dying of a preventable disease, and couldn’t believe the church was so silent about it.  And then she discovered the incredible tragedy and injustice going on in The Congo – and threw herself into serving the people there.  In the last few years, Lynne has been captured and heartbroken and moved to act on behalf of the people being trampled by the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Personally, her passion for the Middle East has ignited something in me that I can’t shake, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the grass roots tribe of peace-makers she is pulling together.  If we had a rallying cry, it would be her words:  “I am pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, pro-
Peace, and pro-Jesus.”  (You can read more of her approach to the Middle East HERE.)

All this to say… The “Blessed to Be a Blessing” Liturgy was created for people like Lynne.  People who are not content to let our faith remain a private playground of self-preservation…but instead choose to join God in what He’s doing to bless and redeem and heal the entire world.  This may involve traveling to other countries and meeting with presidents, or it may involve traveling across the street to bless that difficult neighbor, but we all have been invited into this work of Redemption.

What if you, before reading another word, stop and pray:  “God, how can I join You in healing this world?  Here I am, send me.”

I’m really thrilled and excited that Lynne would join this blog tour.  Definitely take some time to explore her blog and learn more about her passion for the voiceless.  Here is her post…

[01.23.12] Lynne Hybels.

 

 

01.20.12

Finishing up Week Two of the Blog Tour

Filed under: A New Liturgy,books — 10:15 am

King Jesus Gospel

[01.20.12] Scot McKnight.  In a culture of increasing polarization, especially in Christian circles, Scot McKnight is doing something incredibly rare:  inviting thoughtful conversation across all kinds of theological lines.  He is one of the smartest New Testament teachers around, and yet is willing to learn from other people – even if they’re from “the other side of the theological tracks”.  And he invites us into this humble learning process together on his blog.  If you don’t read his blog, I highly suggest it.

And if I don’t sound like a big enough Scot McKnight fan yet, he wrote one of my favorite books of 2011:  “The King Jesus Gospel”.  (You can read my review HERE.)

Today’s Blog Tour head’s over to Scot’s blog, with a great post written by Kelly Dolan.  Along with being one of my favorite people on earth, Kelly is a ridiculously gifted creator, storyteller, actor, thinker, and maker-of-all-kinds-of-things.  He is currently pouring his energy into writing and developing multiple film and television projects.  Many thanks to Kelly for such a beautifully-written piece about A New Liturgy, and to Scot for being excited to host it.

01.19.12

Day Six of the Blog Tour

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 3:29 pm

Brad with a few kids in Ecuador

[01.19.12] Brad Lomenick.  Today the Tour takes us to Atlanta, Georgia…to the blog and thoughts and journey of Brad Lomenick.  I’ve always respected him from a distance (as the leader of the Catalyst movement), but last year I got to travel with him and Compassion to Ecuador…only to discover that Brad is one of the most gracious, real, fun guys around.  In fact, I’m pretty sure that if you look up “the real deal” on Wikipedia, his picture comes up.
Brad finds a way to add value to every conversation, tweet, conference, and room he finds himself in, and I’m thrilled a part of this tour.

01.16.12

Day Five of the New Liturgy Blog Tour

Filed under: A New Liturgy,creativity — 11:52 am

We begin week two of the Blog Tour with a great post from…

[01.16.12] Blaine Hogan.  If you ask me to name the most creative person I know, Blaine just might top the list.  He is one of the most purely inventive, artistically generative people I’ve met.  And being around him has pushed me deeper and farther and further than I would have gone myself.

And if you are a creative person (or aspiring to be more so), I highly recommend Blaine’s recent book:  Untitled: Thoughts on the Creative Process.  It’s full of inspiring vision and “But what should I do tomorrow?” practices…all of which have come out of Blaine’s own creative journey.  So great!

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