Mystic Chapel
When things overwhelm me I drive up the mountain toward Crater Lake and the Rogue River Gorge.
The last eleven miles of the journey are a cathedral in nature, a strip of road cut though a tunnel of majestic fir trees.
My soundtrack for this drive last week was the new release from the Martyrs Project called “Mystic Chapel”.
It was a fitting accompaniment in sound to the visual representation of the glory of God in nature.
Our friend Duane Arnold (who wrote and composed the music and lyrics with Michael Glen Bell) had sent me a copy to review.
The liner notes say that the music on this album was inspired by the Easter liturgies of St. John Chrysostom.
That explains why it sounds a bit like Tom Stipe meets John Michael Talbot or The Jesus Movement meets Eastern Orthodoxy and they learn to sing together.
The album tells the story of a person who is weary and for whom real faith has become a vapor…and the journey back to faith.
It’s a beautiful, coherent, journey in word and sound that evokes both worship and deeper meditation on the truths presented.
The lyrics and music are impeccably written and performed…they carry you though the album without distracting one from the experience of listening.
I highly recommend buying the physical CD as the poetry inside the liner notes is worth the cost of the album.
So much of Christian music today is shallow and sallow lyrically, theologically, and musically.
We have here a remedy to all those ills and I commend it to your listening and enjoyment…even if you can’t take the same journey I did.
There’s one journey common to us all…and this is a fitting soundtrack to it.
Thank you, Duane for allowing me to hear this and expose it my readers…it is a gift.
There is an excellent review of the album on the Ancient-Future Faith network as well.
You might like a sort-of mentor, sort-of since it was involuntary on his part, and the first for me who isn’t a “teacher,” at least not officially and he’s not the son of a pastor so there’s that problem. Yet from my earliest years struggling and overcoming sin, his music was and remains the most comforting. Also, he knows WELL the fiascoes spoken of here (and more), yet he continues to serve and even break new ground-he’s reached out to and mentored several well-known secular singers who hit rock bottom and now believers.
Anyway, for pure worship, rare honesty, and now that I met him at the last CCSPC I attended and I was able to share some struggles to which he confirmed his love in person, I highly recommend Chris Lizotte.
I’ll warn you, it’s not always entertaining, but of all the music I’ve listened, he stays more out of the way (God’s glory) than most for me. Also, I was introduced to his music via story my CC’s worship leader (20 years ago) told me which engendered Chris to me. A bunch of the well-knowns were meeting to plan an event. Apparently there was some arguing, jockeying, etc. during which Chris sat silently. When finally asked for his opinion, he simply replied he didn’t care and they could tell when when/where to go.
Please at least try his song (You Tube): Shadow Of Your Love.
Thanks for the musical recommendation Michael. It is hard to find good quality “Christian” music today as it seems the the radio and family friendly fare is most prevalent. The real gems are hard to find. Minnesota born and bred Sara Groves is refreshing musically and lyrically, but you will never hear her on the radio here in ATL because they are too busy playing the more safe stuff.
I really miss Rich Mullins!
i mentioned the other day that some years back i’d written a romance novel for my granddaughters (probably an embarrassingly bad book, but i still like it)…
i began by quoting Song of Solomon 8:4 and Proverbs 30:18-19
and ended with Rich Mullins’ 🙂
“I said I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man
I believe it, I believe I believe it, I believe I believe it, I believe it I believe it, I believe it I believe it, I believe it I believe it”
From “Creed”…
The liner notes say that the music on this album was inspired by the Easter liturgies of St. John Chrysostom.<<<
This same Liturgy happens every Sunday morning at an Orthodox Church near you.
🙂
(The Pascha (Easter) Liturgy is a more elaborate version of the Sunday Liturgy.)
[Without musical instruments, of course.]
Must check it out, thanks Michael!
It’s a great piece of music! I love this album.
It is excellent…and now that Duane is a familiar name to many more here, I thought we’d run this again.
Xenia, Michael…
Thank you!
“I said I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man”
the Phoenix Preacher and those who visit here over the years has affirmed this over and over… for me, at least…
and thanks for reminding me with this repeat how blest i’ve been the past few years to live in a “cathedral in nature”
I’ll check it out…currently enjoying a live worship CD from Bethel in Redding called “You Make Me Brave.” music for the soul…