Clif McKinley Dot Com

Yes I am disappointed with Democracy, not the Democracy you are thinking of, but Chinese Democracy the long awaited album from Guns & Roses.

It isn’t a bad album, musically it is interesting and I’m sure that it will grow on me in time, but for as long as it took, as much as it cost, and for as many bodies that were left in its wake, I expected more.  Maybe it is becasue I perfer the memorable riffs of Jungle & Sweet Child or hooks in I Used To Love Her  & Patience, maybe it is becasue maybe it is becasue the Illusions Albums were over the top and orchestral but has get songs, Cival War, November Rain, Don’t Cry.  Democracy didn’t grab me the way the other discs did.  Maybe it is becasue all the intros are so long and drawn out.  I don’t know, I’m just disappointed with Democray.

Maybe it is just me, I admit it, it could just be me, but it seems like Christian Music is experiencing a major drought. Aside from the likes of Switchfoot & Relient K providing the much needed showers of relief, everything else seems weak. Now I am not talking about the Modern Worship segment of CCM, that is alive and kickin! David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Charle Hall, Hillsong’s United, etc are churing out great music. But on the rock side of things, it is still very dry.

Just a few years back the industry was banging. Audio A, Jars, Silage, Supertones, DC Talk, Third Day, Plankeye, Plumb, The Waiting, Big Tent Revival, Newsboys, PFR, and the like work cranking out amazing music and touring like crazy. Now it seems like there isn’t a whole lot going on. Or is it just me?

Maybe more bands are trying to make it in the secular market place, maybe the A&R guys have bad taste, maybe I am just jaded. Or maybe there hasn’t been a really great break out band in a long, long, long time.

Even bands like POD that had breakout albums like Fundamental Elements of South Town & great follow ups like Satellite, just dropped the ball and faded to the background.

Maybe there is just too much amazing music in the secular market place so nothing seems to measure up in sound or quality. Where is a Christian band that rocks like Nickelback or Staind? A band that thrashes like old school Metallica or Anthrax? A band that has hook laden anthems like Blink 182 or Greenday?

Granted there is some pretty amazing Christian Hardcore bands, but that just isn’t satisfy my longing. So I spend my time listen to my old CD hoping for something amazing to come along. But I don’t see anything on the horizon.

I find myself looking forward to upcoming releases from Metallica, Disturbed, Staind, and the like. Will the Great Chinese Democracy see the light of day before the next great Christian Rock act? I hope not, but there are days that I think that is the case. Lord please send the rain.

So ends the rank of this disgruntled CCM fan.

David Cook “Always Be My Baby”

Keane “Everybody’s Changing”

All-American Rejects “It Ends Tonight” & “Move Along”

My Chemical Romance “Helena”

Unwritten Law “Seein Red”

Sixx Am “Life Is Beautiful”

Reliant K “I Need You”

Jars of Clay “Much Afraid” “Frail” “Worlds Apart”

David Crowder “Obsession” “I Need Words”

Jeremy Riddle “Sweetly Broken”

Silage “Yo Tengo”

Staind “Outside”

What is “Pop Culture?”

According Wikipedia, “Popular culture (also known as pop culture) deemed as what is popular within the social context — that of which is most strongly represented by what is perceived to be popularly accepted among society. Otherwise, popular culture is also suggested to be the widespread cultural elements in any given society that are perpetuated through that society’s vernacular language or lingua franca. It comprises the daily interactions, needs and desires and cultural ‘moments’ that make up the everyday lives of the mainstream. It can include any number of practices, including those pertaining to cooking, clothing, consumption, mass media and the many facets of entertainment such as sports and literature. (Compare meme.) Popular culture often contrasts with a more exclusive, even elitist “high culture,”^[1], that is, the culture of ruling social groups.^[2] The earliest use of “popular” in English was during the fifteenth century in law and politics, meaning “low”, “base”, “vulgar”, and “of the common people” ’til the late eighteenth century by which time it began to mean “widespread” and gain in positive connotation. (Williams 1985)

Pop culture finds its expression in the mass circulation of items from areas such as fashion, music, sport and film. The world of pop culture has had a particular influence on art from the early 1960s on, through Pop Art. When modern pop culture began during the early 1950s, it made it harder for adults to participate. Today, most adults, their kids and grandchildren “participate” in pop culture directly or indirectly.”

In short “Pop Culture” is the language of our country, whether we like it or not. Those outside the church & many of those inside the church communicate in the language of pop culture. They see the world through the filter of pop culture. Right or wrong, it is a fact.

If I mention the names Brittney or Paris, most people instantly think of Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton. Again right, wrong, or indifferent, we cannot ignore the fact that the lens that most people view the world through is that of pop culture. TV Guide, People, & Us Weekly are among the most widely read magazines in the country. The average American watches four plus hours of TV a day. The average kid plays two plus hours of video games per day. The average adult spends three hours a day on the internet. Bottom line we are saturated in the popular culture.

Sure you can argue that millions of people in this country have no use for pop culture and could care less and that is true, but the bulk of the country does care and they are the ones we are trying to connect with and reach.

So my question is can we as the church afford to ignore Pop Culture or must we understand it and learn to communicate through it?

All you creepers (you know who you are) now is the time to enter the dialog.

WOW, what a read!

I loved this book, it was a very honest account of Brian “Head” Welch’s journey of faith.  He shaded very candidly about his difficult childhood, his drug addiction, and what a bad husband & father he was.  He was on top of the world as a rockstar but his private life was in shambles.  He was try to clean up his act on his own and do well for a little while, but like all of us he would fall back into old patterns.  Over and over the pattern repeated itself.  Finally his wife left and he was left as a meth-head, single dad, rockstar.  Forced to bring his daughter on the road with band he came to the conclusion that this was no life for his daughter.  His whole life he had wrestled with depression and it got worse and worse which only forced him deeper into his addiction.  He literally spend every day high for two years straight.  A friend invited him to church and had an encounter with God.

What I like most about this book was that Brian shared very honestly about his struggles even after giving his heart to the Lord.  He talk openly about learning to forgive and let go of long held bitterness.  Through his radical conversion his daughter, parents, and many of his friends ended up giving their lives to Christ.

The Head confesses that the journey has not been easy and that God has already allowed him to go through some deep valleys but it has been worth it all.  Any music fan will enjoy this book for behind the sense look at Korn and their rise to fame.

Two thumbs up!

Anyone that knows me at all know I am a music lover, and I like my music on the heavy side. I’m a guitar player, loud and crunchy is GOOD! So back in 05′ when the news broke that Brian Welch aka “Head” quit Korn it was a surprise, but the shocking part was that he had given his life to Jesus Christ. WOW that was awesome. Here is a guy that is on top of the music world, swimming in millions of dollars, adored all over the world by millions of devoted fans and he walked away. I have always loved his music when this all happen I read every article I could find, now I am reading the story straight from Head himself.

I can say I am excited that American Idol finally picked a worthy winner!!!!

I picked David Cook early on as one of my favorites, Carly was my other pick.  When she got the boot I figured David wouldn’t be far behind.  It would be Daughtry all over again.  But Cook kept getting the votes and in the end he beat the cute kid by 12 million of them.  Very cool!!!  I loved his song selection all along and his versions of Hello & Always Be My Baby are amazing.  David Cook will have an amazing career and I am super happy for him.  You can find tunes by his old band Axium floating around the net.  The best man won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My birthday was back in March and I told my wife that I just wanted a book for my Birthday. So we went out to dinner and walked around the mall and when we came upon the book store we went into see if they had the book I was looking for. Now Ange thought that I was looking for some “Christian” literature, something on church growth, leadership, worship, or the latest from Max Lucado, so imagine her surpise when I picked up “SLASH.”

Maybe it is because he is an amazing guitar player, maybe it is because Guns was such a killer band, or maybe it is just because I love to read about iconic figures, but yeah it was a great read. I love to see the journey of life for some of these guys. I read the Marlyn Manson bio a few years back and still have to Read “The Dirt” and “Save Me From Myself.” When you look behind the curtain and see the person, no glitz, no glam, just raw life it is pretty amazing. Slash shares very candidly about his personal struggles with drugs and alcohol, about the inner turmoil of Guns & Roses and just his personal journey. I really enjoyed it, you can tell the guy loves music and it was cool to see how he progressed as a player and the determination he had to succeed on his own terms.

So for music fans and Biography fans I’d give it a thumbs up. Mind you this one is not for children.

There are a few churches out there that I wish I could attend.  They have amazing pastors, amazing creative teams, and amazing volunteers that get it done week in and week out.  Buckhead got it done again, the opening for the Illusions series was killer.  Los posted the video on his blog and here is the link.   They really take seriously the vision of connecting with the unchurched.  Siliva in church, NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have decided to start opining my idea journal and start posting message series ideas/outlines/etc for people to use and develop. I am not Perry Noble, Craig Groeshel, or Andy Stanely, but my stuff isn’t half bad. So if you can use it, it is yours.

Here is a series ideas for you:

LOVE SONGS-3 parts series great for the February/Valentines Day season

1-”I Will Always Love You” (Whitney) Key Though: the unconditional love of God, no matter what He loves us, when we are good or bad or even ugly, He Will Always Love You

2-”All I Want Is You” (U2) Key Thought: we are the object of God’s affection, Jesus was willing to pay any price and overcome any barrier, even lay down His life because All He Wants Is You.

3-”More Than Words” (Extreme) Key Though: Jesus has shown His love for us, we need to do more that say we love Him, we need to live our live in such a way that it shows that we love Him, let our love be More Than Words

Why not take the songs that people already know and love and redeem/redefine them so the next time they here that song, and you know that they will, they think about it differently. I am big on using Pop Culture, taking songs, shows, movies, etc that people are already familiar with and using it to point them to Christ. God Bless