Some of my favorite songs

I grew up on music from a wide range of genres. I listened to everything from 60's to Elvis to Manilow to big hair heavy metal. I was tinkering on a web site and set up a play list. These are by no means all the songs that are my favorites, but just some that I ran across and added within the time I was willing to spend on the topic.

Hard to believe I agree with Kid Rock

Recently, I heard Kid Rock's song "Amen" from the "Rock N Roll Jesus" album on the radio. I was actually pretty surprised at the softer side of Kid Rock, and really liked the song and the sentiments contained therein. I can stomach some of his music from years past, but have not been a fan at all. I did not appreciate his lifestyle or values, the message he portrayed, or the role model he became.

However, just as he expressed in the song, I am no fan of organized religion or the "institutional church" or IC, as it is often referred to by home church groups. I often will attend an IC congregation, since I have friends there and enjoy the fellowship of the Saints. The song actually summed up a lot of how I feel about religion. It also summed up a lot of my feelings on race relations, charity, many in the ministry, and about personal responsibility.

Many people have left organized religion, not to run from the faith but to preserve their own. I am in that category. I have not read the book yet, but I did order a copy of Frank Viola's "Pagan Christianity". I have read several of Viola's writings online and in print form. If the interview I heard on The Drew Marshall Show is any indication, it should be a good read.

Here is the interview. It is worth the 38 minute listen. Or, download the audio for yourself. Right click that last link, and "save as" for the mp3 file.

I know it has been a while since I did topics of politics and the like

Quite honestly, I have been preoccupied with other things in life the past few months. I know that sounds lame, maybe even trite, but it is true none the less. I have been spending more time upon relationships and people than I have upon writing. Even my columns in the newspaper have been a bit more removed from my regular topics concerning local happenings, but I have an idea that this is going to change with my next column. I have also not been doing so much of my internet talk show lately because I have dedicated my time to other things and people recently. I recently blogged about one reason why.

Last night I went with a close friend to see The Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert in Raleigh at The RBC Center. The show was great. The light show and effects alone were worth the price of admission. I am not a huge fan of much of their original music, since they often are concept albums and "rock opera" like. I do, however, thoroughly enjoy their Christmas songs, modern interpretations of classical music, and the like. I really enjoy Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Bach arrangements done with electric guitars and modern drums. I always have.

One development is the anticipated release of their latest CD project, Night Castle. I was doing research online and found that they have been promoting this CD project for a while, but it is way behind schedule because of the group's perfectionism. Follow that link for more. I am looking forward to that CD. Just today, I ordered the CDs I do not have in my collection that they do already have out.

The Christmas story that they narrate is a bit lame in the show and on their CD. Also, as long as you do not get your theology from a concert or a CD, it is tolerable, sort of like the "Left Behind" series or anything from Frank Peretti.

Anyway, I loved the performance. Great music, great pyrotechnics, great laser and light show. The group did preview one song from their upcoming "Night Castle" project. They featured the band's rendition of "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. They had an awesome version of the song. I loved it. I have heard an "O Fortuna" snippet in Sean Hannity's opening theme music on his talk show for years, but TSO's version was great. I downloaded a copy of the song and have been playing it over and over again all day, but obviously not the TSO version, to which I look forward with eager anticipation.