Baroni Bloggin’

Riding in from Detroit airport to the hotel yesterday, the driver had the radio tuned to a big talk station. The talk show featured a one minute “interview” with a phone-in (corporate sponsor) guest.

The announcer, in a professional voice “asked” the interviewee questions that he was obviously reading from a script. The lady answered the questions without missing a beat in a pleasant, if unimpassioned, voice. It sounded like she had a script as well. Information was communicated, the minute came to an end, and I have already forgotten what they talked about. Very slick, professional, and virtually meaningless.

What is my point?

I am glad you asked.

It reminded me of a lot that goes on in the church, in our lives, in my life. We adhere to the script in our sincere desire to be good, and though it’s commendable to want to, as some say, “live right”, we, in our unperceived inauthenticity, reduce the gospel to a boring radio commercial instead of the abundant life Jesus gives.

I read a book called “Beyond Liberation- the Gospel in the Civil Rights Movement.” The author wonderfully describes Jesus as a “Jazz Preacher.”  Like a courageous, intuitive jazz musician, He had no sheet music, no script- He spoke and lived from the heart. No pretense, no careful calculations, no opinion polls-of course, neither was He reckless and uncaring.) He spoke from Who He was… and is.

On the contrary, He knew that we were still hiding, like Adam, behind the bush of “should be”. We didn’t know yet that He gives us the power to discover who God really is, and who He frees us to be. At the sound of His scat-singing solo, we emerge, tentatively at first, from the hiding place of “ought to”  into the glorious land of “I am”! 

Because He is “I Am”, we are! (Drink some more coffee and read that again.)    

Guess what? God not only loves you, He likes you! It’s not just His job, it’s an adventure- and the same can be true for us.

A friend of mine recently sent me a quote from Christ Community Church Pastor Scotty Smith: “Many remember the lyrics of the gospel but have forgotten the melody.”

Here’s to the courage to be ourselves, to quit hiding, to live some jazz gospel from the heart!

Shoo-be-doo-be wah wah,

David B

P.S. I needed to write this much more than you needed to read it!

Audio Podcast 02 - Faith Victory Church, Winterville, NC

During the services at Faith Victory Church, the Lord blessed us with a very timely, moving “song of the Lord.” I’m sharing a portion of it HERE. I hope it will encourage and bless you!

Faith Victory Church, Winterville, NC

On Sunday, February 12 I was privileged to minister at Faith Victory Church in Winterville, NC. I shared my testimony as well as ministered in music. This first podcast is the testimony I shared that morning and can be accessed HERE. Or, click on the Podcast Page (at right) for instructions on accessing the podcast via iTunes or another Podcast Player.

The Lord graced us with His presence in a real way that morning and I plan to upload more excerpts or the music I shared there. Be blessed!

Hi there! This blog is a great way for me to share some of my heart with you on an ongoing basis, and feedback from you is encouraging to me and to other bloggers as well. Occasionally, I will place an announcement that I feel could benefit some of you (like this one) on the blog. I know these guys, this is the real deal.

Thanks,
David B.

CHRISTIAN GUITAR & BASS CONFERENCES with PHIL KEAGGY CONCERTS

I am still in Tampa working at Rain Music Studios on a new CD. This CD will feature songs that are mostly new, mostly praise and worship, though that genre doesn’t really capture the essence of what this music is, and is becoming. I love the creative process, and working with a excellent musician and writer who loves God and loves music and has complementary giftings is a real joy.

I always think that the project I am working on now is the best yet, but I really mean it this time too! There are reasons beyond the normal excitement of recording new songs that impress me with this unusual sense of anticipation.  Here are two:

1. Spiritual Impetus

This recording is a joint venture between a missions ministry called EME (Enabling Mission Endeavors based in Athens, Greece) and myself and Nick Coetzee and our new production company, The Songpainters.  (Nick is the guy I mentioned in the first paragraph.)

The goal of this recording is at least two-fold:

A. To present powerful, fresh, new songs of worship and mission to people everywhere. Most of these songs are very singable, catchy, and I believe will carry a powerful message about living in the Love of God, and sharing that love and life to folks around His world.

Gail Stathis and Brian van Deventer and the staff of EME have a heart for “the least of these” including refugees, the poor, children that without their help and love would have little hope for the future. They also desire to empower businesspeople to bring the Kingdom of God into the marketplace.

B. To generate funds through sales of this music that will help fund EME… (and be a blessing to us as well.) By the way, for more info on the ministry of EME, go to their web-site listed on the “friends” page of this web-site.

2. The Songs

Fresh, powerful, relevant and catchy!

Nick and I draw from a wide variety of musical styles- he was born in South Africa and plays a mean Djembe, among many other instruments. Nick has also lived in the UK and Australia and is now based with his lovely family in Tampa.

With his gift for sounds and “hook-y” melodies, and my passion for great lyrics made accessible, along with my Mississippi blues, jazz, rock and gospel roots… well, let’s just say that we make a great team! (I want to preserve a semblance of humility but I am telling you, this music rocks!)

We are having serious fun with a seriously fun, meaningful project. Keep watching this site for a release date… and pray with us for massive, godly success for God’s glory and the good of us all.

Thanks so much and Godspeed and Godrest to you all!

In Him,

David Baroni

Just had a great weekend ministering in North Carolina, flew south last night.

I am writing from sunny Tampa Florida at Rain Music Studio with my friend Nick Coetzee.  We are recording a new project in partnership with EME ministries based in Athens, Greece (check out their web-site on the “Friends”).

I feel the prayers of my friends Gail and Brian and the grace of God on this recording.

These songs will emphasize worship and missions and include several brand new songs including one called “For the Children.”

Stay tuned and pray for us if you are so inclined.

Post a comment on the blog!

Thanks in advance for telling folks about our new web-site!

blessings,

David B

I am reading the book “Walk On” about the spiritual journey of the members of U2. Though I am only into the early chapters, it is inspiring and

fascinating. I am also in a dialogue with my new son-in-law (who is from the U.K. and living here in Tennessee now) about the whole American church culture thing.

I remember watching Bono on C-Span (channel surfing and “accidentally” found it, trust me!) talking about the Aids crisis in Africa and what people can do about it. He was very succinct, intelligent, passionate and REAL. He talked about engaging politicians on both sides of the aisle and actually doing something to alleviate the disease, not just throwing money or well-intentioned words at the problem.

I see a parallel between U2 and where we are as those passionate about God and the worship life of the church.

As a songwriter, I firmly believe in the supernatural power of HolySpirit inspired words and music. Indeed we “live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” God’s people gathered in praise and worship to our Father and King is a vital part of the life of His Church.

But we can’t stop there…

The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus was sharply criticized and misunderstood by the religious establishment for socializing with those in the society who didn’t go along with the religious programs of that day, who didn’t speak “Christianese” so to speak. He said he came not to call the righteous (as they considered themselves), but sinners to repentance. He brings a new life, a new way of thinking, a fearless yet wise way to relate to his world and his people (The earth is the Lord’s and they that dwell therein. Psalm 24)

Not long ago, we celebrated the staggering love and humility of God…

a helpless baby born to an unmarried teenager in a stinky barn surrounded by livestock and within earshot of commoners-“low-class” sheep herders.

Sometimes we, the people of God, can be seduced into majoring on the minors. Light belongs in the darkness.  Now that the Word has been made flesh, let’s not be guilty of trying to make the flesh back into words again… as Bob Bennett so astutely warned himself and us not to… “mistake the very song I sing for the doing of the thing.”

I thank God for the gospel through the lives and music of U2. Just like all of us, imperfect and fallible, but they sure seem to get it… and give it!

May His incarnation be ongoing - not just in our songs and words, but in our everyday, ordinary, astoundingly precious lives.

God Bless You!

Emmanuel has come!

David Baroni

This space is set apart to share some of my thoughts with you, my cyber friends, on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

It’s a new year, a new day in the Spirit of God, a new season for the Baroni family and ministry, I have new songs overflowing in my heart! Can you discern that one of the operative words here is “new”?

One of my favorite verses in the New (there’s that word again) Testament is Matthew 13:52:
And He (Jesus) said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household who brings forth out his household, treasures both old and new.” (NAS)

This scripture is loaded!

I won’t take this time and place to go into all of it, suffice it for now to say that a key word for me lately, besides the word “new” is the word “balance”. Along with the exciting new things of the kingdom, there are the old tried and true treasures of God that we would be wise to hold onto as we embrace the new.

I love making new friends, but when I am really in need of a listening ear and an understanding heart, there is nothing like calling a tried and true old friend.

I love new songs (and there will be many on this web-site)! There are those times, however, that I have to sit down at the piano and sing “It Is Well With My Soul”.

So here’s to new beginnings and old friends, a new web-site and the continuance of old friendships. A new start down an old path.
Stay tuned!

Love in Him,
David Baroni