http://craigcurry.com/index.php/blog/ en craig@craigcurry.com Copyright 2010 2010-06-13T22:21:24+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/book_review_a_praying_life_by_paul_e._miller/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/book_review_a_praying_life_by_paul_e._miller/#When:21:21:24Z I received Paul E. Miller’s A Praying Life last month as a birthday present, and to be honest, my first reaction was almost a groan. Inwardly I sighed and thought, “Does the world need another book on prayer? Here we go: more fluffy prose from the Christian book industry.” I couldn’t have been more wrong. Since this book was from one of my closest friends, I decided to give it a chance, and started reading a chapter each morning as an addition to my daily scripture reading and prayer time. Shortly, I’m going to be reading it a second time, taking notes and pulling quotes I find particularly insightful. Reviews 2010-06-13T21:21:24+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/new_piano_book_of_classical-style_hymn_arrangements_releases/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/new_piano_book_of_classical-style_hymn_arrangements_releases/#When:00:30:41Z April 12, 2010 – WICHITA Composer and arranger Craig Curry has announced the release of Creative Hymn Variations, a new sheet music collection of classical-style hymn arrangements for piano, published by Alfred Music Publishing, one of the largest sheet music publishers in the world. Composing/Arranging, News Releases, Site News 2010-04-13T00:30:41+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/e-book_review_the_choir_in_modern_worship_by_vernon_sanders/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/e-book_review_the_choir_in_modern_worship_by_vernon_sanders/#When:12:45:59Z Vern Sanders, publisher of Creator Magazine, knows a thing or two about choirs. A former Associate Professor/Director of Choral Activities (University of Regina, Canada), he also served 16 years as Director of Music Ministry at Trinity Presbyterian Church in San Carlos, California. Much of Sanders’ extensive choral experience and expertise finds its way into his e-book, The Choir in Modern Worship. Sanders gives his diagnosis and prognosis on the health of the church choir and offers many tips to help negotiate the shifting musical landscape. Reviews 2010-04-05T12:45:59+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/what_worship_leaders_can_learn_from_american_idol/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/what_worship_leaders_can_learn_from_american_idol/#When:11:26:15Z On American Idol, the singers work tirelessly to sound and look their best. Each week vocal coaches work with the contestants to find the song key that best suits their voices. Pick a key that’s too high for a singer, and they might sound strained or flat when they get to those high notes in a song. Pick a key that’s too low, and they could end up “bottoming out” on the low notes or the song won’t carry the same “punch.” Worship 2010-03-29T11:26:15+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/book_review_counterfeit_gods_by_timothy_j._keller/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/book_review_counterfeit_gods_by_timothy_j._keller/#When:20:05:06Z For years, I’ve appreciated the preaching of Tim Keller, senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, frequently listening to his sermons via a paid subscription from the church website. If you listen to Keller for very long you’ll notice a recurring theme in his preaching: idolatry, the making a good thing into an ultimate thing, or as Keller sometimes calls it, “your functional god.” Reviews 2010-03-25T20:05:06+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/another_nouwen_prayer/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/another_nouwen_prayer/#When:22:59:24Z (Show Me the Way, p. 110 - 111) Quotes 2010-03-21T22:59:24+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/the_secular_false_self/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/the_secular_false_self/#When:22:54:38Z (Show Me the Way, p. 102 - 103) “Secularity is a way of being dependent on the responses of our milieu. The secular or false self is the self that is fabricated, as Thomas Merton says, by social compulsions. “Compulsive” is indeed the best adjective for the false self. It points to the need for ongoing and increasing affirmation. Who am I? I am the one who is like, praised, admired, disliked, hated, or despised….The compulsion manifests itself in the lurking fear of failing and the steady urge to prevent this by gathering more of the same—more work, more money, more friends. Quotes 2010-03-18T22:54:38+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/prayer_heals/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/prayer_heals/#When:22:44:56Z (Show Me the Way, p. 108) Quotes 2010-03-16T22:44:56+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/remembering_j._paul_williams/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/remembering_j._paul_williams/#When:15:05:05Z My friend and co-writer, J. Paul Williams went to be with the Lord on February 17, 2010. I spoke with him the day before he died. Paul, and all of us, had been surprised by his diagnosis of leukemia at the end of 2009. While I knew his illness was serious, I didn’t realize at the time that it would our last time to speak this side of heaven. Composing/Arranging, The Stuff of Life 2010-03-14T15:05:05+00:00 http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/human_vs._gods_glory/ http://craigcurry.com/blog/blog_article/human_vs._gods_glory/#When:22:39:16Z (Show Me the Way, p. 116) “Human glory is always connected with some form of competition. Human glory is the result of being considered better, faster, more beautiful, more powerful, or more successful than others. Glory conferred by people is glory that results from being favorably compared to other people. The better our scores on the scoreboard of life, the more glory we receive. This glory comes with upward mobility. The higher we climb on the ladder of success, the more glory we collect. But this same glory also creates our darkness. Human glory, based on competition, leads to rivalry; rivalry carries within it the beginning of violence; and violence is the way to death. Thus human glory proves to be vain glory, false glory, mortal glory. Quotes 2010-03-13T22:39:16+00:00