Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Blessed Be Your Name, So Weep No More

Yay! More Pettit music! :)

I am becoming more increasingly convinced that Grooveshark is an unsung means of grace. Despite the wonderful 50%-off sale about to begin at Heart Publications, the publishing arm of the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Association, I must give into the instant gratification piece and look up as many of their songs as possible on Grooveshark...especially since they are not all on iTunes, and SacredAudio.com (basically the independent Baptist version of iTunes) has been undergoing maintenance for, like, three years.

First, though, a personal anecdote. Two weeks ago I had the privilege of visiting Colchester Bible Baptist Church, about an hour away from my home, for the final night of the Galkin meetings out there. Will and Christy Galkin got their start with the Pettits in about 1997, when Christy was still Christy Roland and Northland International University (where Will did his undergraduate work) was still Northland Baptist Bible College...and much more conservative and separatist. By 2003 Will and Christy were on their own, schlepping their five kids and a young family (who would in 2010 leave to start this ministry) and still later a bunch of crazy, musically-gifted college grads around the country, ministering in preaching and music to fundamental churches.

I don't remember where I first read it, but one of their mission statements is "to preach the gospel to both the saved and the lost." I think that is so precious because so many believers forget the primacy and importance of the gospel after they are converted. The Galkins (and the Pettits to some extent) are not ashamed about reinforcing and rehearsing the grand glories of the gospel to even those who have been saved by those truths for years. I find this refreshing if for no other reasons than (a) many fundamental Baptists are not known for such proclamation; and (b) often, the ones doing it most prominently often risk truncating the gospel by making it absolutely everything, or solely a means to personal transformation (as one of the Reformation 21 guys bluntly said, "The gospel wasn't given so you can stop screaming at your kids"), along with all sorts of other, often related, errors. So I am excited and thankful that Will, Christy, and the dear young people with whom they travel get this, avoid the excesses, and lift it high.

Anyway, I got to meet some of the team members, including Christy, and the music was unearthily beautiful. (It was so beautiful that  had to invent a new word to communicate it!) The gospel message Will gave at the end was stellar. I loved every minute and was so grateful to meet people who have had such a glorious and transforming impact on my life.

Having said that, here are two Pettit Team songs I have pulled from the Grooveshark vault. These are from their 2002 album (which is also their first-ever, I think) Weep No More. The team members at the time were: Will and Christy Galkin, Kevin Inafuku (BA, Church Music, Bob Jones University, 2000 -- now minister of music at Harvest Baptist Ministries in Guam), Beth Ann Fetterolf (BA, Elementary Education, Bob Jones University, 2000 -- now married to Pastor Steve Johns of Kennerly Road Baptist Church in Irmo, SC), Jonathan Albright (BA, Church Music, Bob Jones University, 2001 -- later went on staff at Brookside Baptist Church in Wisconsin, now ministering with the Galkins at Gospel Grace Church in Salt Lake), Rob Chisolm (BA, Bible, Bob Jones University, 2001), and Katie Matzko (BA, Music Education, Bob Jones University, 2001).

"Weep No More" was actually sung at the Colchester meetings, and I had not heard it before that point. (Christy and Sarah Roe did an amazing duet. I fell in love with the song at that point.) I realized after doing some Google scraping and skulldrudgery that the reason I had never heard it before was because Steve Pettit had written it! It was almost entirely unknown outside of fundamental music circles.

I initially thought "Blessed Be Your Name" was the Matt Redman song of the same name, but about ten seconds into it I realized it was entirely different. I think Dr. Pettit wrote this one too because I also can't find any lyrics or other song information online.

Maybe if I pick up Weep No More at the Heart Pub sale, the J-cards will solve the mystery...?

I do have to say that I was particularly stirred by "Blessed Be Your Name." There is something very communal and majestic -- heavenly -- about the harmony of all the voices, and the beautiful instrumentation. It speaks to my heart that this is how things are supposed to be, and a reminder that the world as it is now is nothing like it is supposed to be, but it will be when the Lord returns. In that regard, the music is much more than just Biblical truth set to lovely conservative music, but an inherent reminder of what God has always intended and what will one day be. I like to think hymn sings in Heaven will be not unlike this. :) It's funny...I used to not like conservative music like this...until I found the Pettits. :)

Blessed, blessed Thanksgiving to all of you. I thank God for the great promises we have of freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness because our God and Savior is indeed reigning, alive and well. We do not have to weep anymore over our sins or the aches of this life because if we know Jesus we are careening inevitably and sovereignly towards a future where all tears will be wiped away, God will make it more than worth it, and we will be in unending intimate, sin-free communion with the One whose name is blessed above all things and who makes our hearts to sing. And we will also be enveloped and restored in love to all the dear ones from this life whom we knew, sometimes failed and misunderstood, who with sinless minds and hearts will engage in brotherly community to the glory of God, no longer struggling with putting Him first or devaluing His gifts, forever and ever...and it will only get sweeter and richer and fuller, every day.

What a great hope we have...and what a gift to be thankful for!

"Weep No More" from Weep No More by the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team (Christy Galkin and Terry Pettit on vocals)

Weep No More by Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team on Grooveshark

"Blessed Be Your Name" from Weep No More (Pettit Team on vocals)

Blessed Be Your Name by Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team on Grooveshark

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

I'm baaack...

Hey everyone!

So...do you know how perfectly awful it is to be without a laptop for basically a whole month? My last post was on October 4, and my laptop died about a week later. Since then, I have used my iPhone for nearly everything (I wish it were a person so I could use all sorts of loving platitudes, hug it, take selfies with it...all out of gratitude and to embody the bonding we've experienced over the last month), with a little bit of my mother's laptop thrown in.

I ordered a lovely new HP laptop, smaller than my old one, with Windows 8, on Saturday and it arrived today! So now I can blog again!

Except not today.

I have book editing to do, letters to write, possible shopping...but I won't be gone long. I promise!

“May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another" (Genesis 31:49, NKJV).