I am sitting in a new chair, at a new table, in a new house, on a new street, in an old town. My wife and I have finally settled in to our new surroundings in Nashville, TN. School has started, work is demanding, the cars still need to be registered, we still have boxes everywhere, and the music scene is amazing. We could not have asked for God to put us in a better place.
Recently two of my favorite song writers each put out a new album. It’s always a little nerve racking when a favorite artist does something new. What if it’s not good? What if they jump the shark and do something totally out of left field? What if this singer that I have spent years building a relationship with, in my mind, isn’t who I thought they were? What if? All of these questions, and more, flooded my mind as I awaited record release day. Well it turns out both of these trusted writers pulled through. They both have reinvented themselves in ways I never would have imagined, and it’s excellent. New sounds, new instrumentation, new topics to write about and all of it wonderful and musically therapeutic to my ears. I got a new set of headphones and have been in my own little bubble for the past week just studying the sounds they use, the way they structure their songs, and the lyrics they use to create images in listeners’ heads.
What does this have to do with Renegade?
Today the Nashville chapter of Renegade has its first rehearsal. Later tonight some new friends, and some old ones, will be dragging instruments into my living room for an informal jam/worship session. It’s bare bones, it’s dirty, it’s unpolished, it’s unstructured, it's raw and it’s a pure and new start. I’m excited to connect with new musicians and worshipers for a night that promises to only get better as time goes on. I am encouraged and inspired by my favorite song writers’ new work. Coming into a new ensemble gives plenty of opportunity to experiment with new sounds and structures and styles of worshiping the Father. And what’s even more exciting is that the Master Artist’s hands are all over this. So no matter what skills and proficiencies we bring to the table, the final mix is going to be engineered by God. What’s better than that?
This new rag-tag bunch of Nashville musicians are preparing for the future of Renegade. In November we will be participating in the FAITH N FOCUS conference at the Virginia Military Institute. It will be three intense days with the Keydets worshiping and learning what God has planned for the VMI campus. Renegade also has plans to visit Ft. Bragg, Ft. Campbell, and Ft. Belvoir in the following months. We cannot wait to bring worship events to these military communities. To connect with them before the throne and experience Gods wonder together
As we get the ball rolling tonight here in Nashville I ask that you help us carry this momentum. Please continue to pray for this ministry. Please continue to pray for military communities all over the globe. I get the feeling many of them will be facing new trials and battlefields very soon, and they will always need our support. Please continue to support Renegade so that we have the means necessary to reach into these communities. Please remember that new things are coming, and new things are good. “His mercies are new every morning.” I can’t wait to see what else He can do. Pray for pure hearts and clean hands.
I look forward to worshiping with you soon.