The Land that Inspired Narnia

I am in the land that inspired Narnia: Rostrevor, Northern Ireland, UK. It is a picturesque place with vines growing over every surface of some of the houses, a quiet stream with a stone bridge running through the middle, and I can almost imagine a Faun with an umbrella coming up to ask me in…

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Comedian

Some songs are so good it is almost irreverent to interpret the lyrics. Steve Taylor says that he worked twenty years on one of the songs on his Goliath album. There was not a week went by when he was not rolling this one around in his mind and coming up with better ways to say…

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Finish Line

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to…

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Rich Mullins and Steve Taylor

(Click on this image for a larger view.) I just became aware of one of the great moments in music history. On May 1st, 1986, two music legends became entangled in the delicate business of admiration for one another and self-promotion. In 1986, Rich Mullins was an upstart singer-songwriter with a solo career. Amy Grant…

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Unmerited Grace

The last ten minutes of a Steve Taylor interview on the Cultivated podcast  from April 15, 2017, describes the tension felt by Steve Taylor and a great many other artists. Interviewer: “I want to talk about the impulse to be an artist, the impulse to make these things and send them out into the world.…

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Follow-Up To Itching Ears

Yesterday I included the lyrics to a song that addressed the concept of itching ears, as described in 2 Timothy 3:4. This idea of people being told what they want to hear and being attracted to churches by fine words is not limited to churches that have been converted to discos. Those of us who…

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Why Are My Ears Itchy?

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. – 2 Timothy 4:3 This Disco (Used To Be A Cute Cathedral) (Words and Music by…

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Steve Taylor and the Perfect Foil

For those of you who loved Steve Taylor in the 80’s, he’s back; and back in style. The creator of such music as “Meltdown (At Madame Tussaud’s)” (1984), “On The Fritz” (1985), “Lifeboat” (1985), and “This Disco (Used To Be A Cute Cathedral)” (1985) has released a new album. He used a Kickstarter campaign to…

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Leadership

In an interview, Steve Taylor was asked about the lyrics of his song “I Manipulate*.” He responded, I came across a quote by author Florence Bulle that echoes my sentiments exactly: ‘How thankful I am for the many spiritual teachers and Christian friends who have counseled, rebuked, encouraged, exhorted, and deepened my understanding of God…

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