Our friends at Page CXVI have released Volume II of their Hymns Project today. Along with this release, they are giving away Volume I for the next 7 days.

One thing I love about what they are doing is that, with each download, they provide the chord charts and a creative commons non-commercial license for worship leaders to play the music in their churches.

More about Hymns II:

The Hymns project began with the idea of multiple records of powerful hymns. After Hymns I released we decided to ask those who downloaded the record to send us their favorite hymns. Two days later we had over 800 hymns to sift through. Some of them we knew and loved already and others we discovered for the first time.

One new one was "Abide With Me; Fast Falls the Eventide." Henry Lyte wrote this vulnerable hymn as he was dying of tuberculosis; three w…

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Three weeks ago I had the privilege to hang out with pro skater Brian Sumner to do some filming for DWYL. I gave him a few copies of A Sweet and Bitter Providence. He gave a copy to a fellow skater and musician, Josh Harmony.

Amazingly, Josh recorded a song inspired by what he read. I thought it was beautiful and he was generous to share the song with us. The song is called "Mara Naomi."

The lyrics are below. Josh has an EP available in iTunes if you are interested in more of his music.

Mara Naomi - listen to audio (right click for download options)

ive thought about you and the way you must have felt.
the bitterness of the hand that you were dealt.
how you're a long ways from your Bethlehem.
and you long for the touch of your husband
Elimelech, you'll never forget.

later on your two sons had taken…

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It is easy to dehumanize those who are different than us, especially those who are different in ways that make us feel uncomfortable. Our artist friends at Revolutionary Media of Portland, OR have made a provocative book to remind us about the personhood of the homeless.

It's called Dear World, and they are offering it as a free download from now until April 11th as part of a greater call to action.

What is Dear World?

Full of stories, examples, thoughts, inspirations, and challenges of how the body of Christ can begin to live as Jesus lived, and reach out to those in our very own communities, Dear World contains excerpts of letters written by the street community to the world. Readers will meet Miranda—a former meth addict who has found healing and restoration. They will meet Jeremiah, a young man who, like many Americans, misjudged the econom…

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Desiring God produced the music video for LeCrae's new song, "Far Away," over the weekend. It is now available for purchase, along with the mp3, for only $4.99.

If you want to buy just the mp3, it is available in iTunes for $.99. It is ranked 46 in Hip Hop as of now. Let's try to move it into the top 10!

Buy either of these now and all proceeds will go to Haiti relief.

For those who can't make it to Hip Hop for Haiti tonight, we will be streaming the concert live online. Join the crowd in Minneapolis by watching online and by giving to Churches Helping Churches.

You can also join the crowd on Twitter using the #HH4H hashtag.

Chart-topping hip hop artist LeCrae recorded a new single to benefit relief efforts in Haiti. He'll be performing this song live for the first time at Hip Hop for Haiti in downtown Minneapolis tomorrow night.

Come join us! We will be filming the music video during this live performance. You will also be able to purchase an advance copy of the song with 100% of the proceeds going directly to Haiti relief efforts.

I went with the Churches Helping Churches media team to Haiti last week to identify the needs of the churches and help raise money to meet their needs. The things I saw, the things I filmed, and the people I met are still with me. I am haunted by the horror I saw, and yet the palpable hope of homeless and hungry Christians amazed me.

If you live in or near Minnesota, I want to personally invite you to a concert Desiring God is sponsoring called Hip Hop for Haiti on Friday, February 5, 2010. Order your tickets online. 100% of all the money will go directly to churches in Haiti through Churches Helping Churches.

Desiring God is seeking a full-time, on-site Media Creative with a strong desire to spread a passion for the supremacy of God. Qualified candidates will agree to DG’s Affirmation of Faith, embrace the vision of John Piper’s book Desiring God, and possess skills necessary to perform the duties of the position.

These duties include providing creative direction and technical expertise for the video, audio, and design needs of Desiring God as they pertain to the design and development of the ministry’s teaching, narrative, and promotional resources.  Please send resume, cover letter, and film reel (online or DVD) to jobs@desiringGod.org or Desiring God c/o Lukas Naugle 2601 E. Franklin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55406. No phone calls, please.

God has used Don’t Waste Your Life to change the course of many lives since 2003. In the Spring of 2006, I had a chance to interview Chad Johnson about how it was impacting him. Little did he know that God would call him to leave his successful position at Tooth & Nail Records and start a non-profit music label called Come & Live! this year.

Come & Live! is an expression of the major themes of Don’t Waste Your Life (radical generosity, risk taking love, making others glad in God, missions, living simply for the sake of giving, etc). The basic idea is that the label is like a missions agency, the musicians are like missionaries, and you do not have to pay for the music. I am encouraged by how God calls men and women in different industries and cultures to find ways to make others glad in God within their context.

You can download for free without…

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"Seeking creative-types who want to reach out to a culturally diverse and post-denominational world."

I read this advertisement today from a seminary. I asked myself, "If I was a seminary recruiter what kind of man would I be looking to train to teach and lead the church of the future?"

Does the church need self-labeled creative-types in leadership? What is a creative-type?

Do they have a mac? Do they have messy hair? Do they not tuck their shirt in? Do they create something? Are they the ones who appreciate all kinds of art? Are they entrepreneurial? Do they have a reputation for bucking the establishment?

If we were to look to God's Word about this, especially 1 Timothy 3:1-8 and 2 Timothy 2:2, we would find descriptors like:

• above reproach
• husband of one wife
• sober-minded
• self-controlled
• respectable
• hospitable
• a…

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