[Fire And Grace - David Johndrow] Music, Miles, Soaking Worship and Friendship

[David-FireAndGrace]

I have been a musician all of my adult life - well, the fact that I am either adult, or a musician are both questionable statements.Check with my wife for details.

August 24th, 1978, my best friend Dennis and I went to Guitars Unlimited in downtown New Haven to buy our first guitars. (That's us together this past summer.) We didn't know a thing about music except that we LOVED it. He was a folkie, and I was rocker; nothings changed. There we stood talking to Rick Castaldi (I ended sitting in with him in my first gig a year later.) I bought an electric, and Dennis bought an acoustic. History in the making for both of us...

Yesterday was a neat day for me. Not only did I celebrate 30 years of sobriety (which Dennis was a part of), but I also bought a new guitar - a Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty. My favorite guitarist was Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin who was well known for his late 1950's Gibson Les Pauls. I once owned a number of these coveted axes.

It was very exciting day on both accounts.

As a Christian, I have been playing worship since 1983. I grew up in the era of backwards masking and the evils of rock music. For me rock music was an idol that had to go. In college I studied both classical and jazz guitar. I forsook all of it for Christian, Gospel and praise and worship music. I listened to Phil Keaggy, Dion, Keith Green and the Resurrection Band. I even played a bunch of wimpy campfire tunes at home group.

It wasn't particularly me.

A few years later, I decided that I wasn't going to get mugged by a rock tune as I mindlessly listened to the radio station. I was much more discerning, however. I was even DJ at a local classic rock station on Cape Cod.

Music was my life, and now Jesus is.

In the past few months, as I have pressed in about various ministry aspirations, I have also added a new genre my music. A few years ago, Harp and Bowl; a blend of praise, proclamation or the Word, worship and prayer was very popular. It seems to have evolved into something known as soaking worship - music to sit in God's presence. Most of it is gentle instrumentals - a few have lyrics. Our church has a prayer room with music playing 24/7 (House of David). As I sat there a few times, I felt a wonderful anointing on the music, felt an intimacy with God, and well, it made me want to pray.

I have to admit, as much as I like blasting my Les Paul through a Marshall 1/2 stack, I really like this music. Here are a few cuts that I enjoy. Sit back and relax - and let your spirit pray.






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Posted By David-FireAndGrace to Fire And Grace - David Johndrow at 10/27/2010 06:00:00 AM