Gungor, Ghosts Upon the Earth Tour...

CMS Productions & Christian Faith Center present

Thursday, March 15, 2012
7:30pm
Christian Faith Center
33645 20th Ave South
Federal Way, WA 98003

VIP Tickets - $25 (includes a 30 minute Q&A with Michael Gungor before the show, plus early access to the venue... this is not a meet & greet).
General Admission - $15
(+ $2 service charge p/ ticket)

> BUY TICKETS

He's Coming...

Are you preparing?...

Are you waiting expectantly?... 

We should be... It's Advent.

He came 2000 years ago... He's coming again!

While we know when we celebrate the coming of our Savior as the infant King, we do not know when Jesus Christ will return again as the Savior of all who call him such.

There is so much to do as we prepare for this season of Christmas... we purchase gifts for our loved ones, we bake cookies and treats, we watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol" and "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown," we listen to and sing Christmas carols, we don our homes with lights and trees and nativity scenes, we send cards to friends and family to let them know we haven't fallen off the edge of the planet, we go to church and help out with service projects and giving trees for folks in our community... These are ALL wonderful things and important parts of the Christmas season. Doing these things help us get into the Christmas spirit, for sure.

More importantly, as believers, we all know that our focus ought to be on Christ during this time of preparation... remembering how the promise of a Savior was to come as a child, a human, born where the animals take shelter... Born to save us. We ought to take this time before Christmas to prepare our hearts for the coming of the King... not just as the infant 2000 years ago, but as the triumphant, victorious King of kings... Who will come to reclaim His creation and all of those who believe.

If you're anything like me, you might not find yourself fully prepared at any given moment for the return of Jesus Christ. We don't know when it will be, but we should be prepared nonetheless. It's much easier to prepare for a few days at the end of the calendar year than it is for a time that will come when we least expect it... all the more reason to be prepared, eh?

If nothing else, Christmas is a great time to be reminded that we need to be prepared and watchful at all times...  join me in December 2011 as well as all of 2012 to prepare... and wait expectantly!

Matt

Christian Musician Summit Northwest 2011 - Thoughts

It's amazing how quickly November 10, 11 & 12, 2011 flew by... As with any large event, so much time and preparation goes into the conference, and then when the time comes for it to happen, it seems to fly by in the blink of an eye.

I do my best prior to every event that we produce to be well prepared, to have my ducks in a row, to make sure all the T's have been crossed and I's have been dotted. But it never fails... something happens to throw a wrench into the cogs of the wheel. There's always something... and there's always chaos at the top of any event... meeting the needs of all the registrants, exhibitors, artists and clinicians... dealing with production issues, dealing with transportation issues, dealing with lodging issues... it's all a part of the game... but regardless - at the end of the day - when all is said and done... God is glorified... and God is moving... and God is reigning...

This is a just a reminder for me to keep my eyes trained above. In the midst of chaos, I'm reminded to raise my head and lift my eyes, and give thanks to God who allows this craziness in my life so that I might give glory to Him. He is my sustainer, my provider, my reason...

So, even when needs are not met, equipment fails, flights are delayed... God is still God. It's all for Him, and He is glorified.

My hope and prayer is that our little celebration is pleasing to Him. My hope and prayer is that our desire to equip and provide resources to the modern Levites is pleasing to Him. My hope and prayer is that folks who attend are blessed.

Much love to everyone who joined us at CMS Northwest 2011.

Matt

Let Everything That Has Breath...

The other day, I was sitting out on my back deck with my wife, grilling some chicken... enjoying a clear, chilly October afternoon in the Northwest. We sat quietly, listening to the wind in the trees, the crows squawking, birds chirping, dogs barking, kids playing, cars on the road beyond the woods behind our home, a siren, the sizzle of the chicken on the grill, the clinking of the ice in our glasses, my wife's beautiful voice as she spoke to me... and it struck me that everything is music. Everything creates noise at a certain pitch, and in a certain rhythm, at a certain volume... Don't believe me?

Well... What is music?

Here's the Wikipedia entry... Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Common elements of music are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture.

Think about it... just because we don't recognize the sound as 'musical' doesn't mean that all the stuff around us is not creating music. We may not recognize the notes, or the rhythm as music, but that's because we simply don't know the key or time signature, or the instrumentation. But if you were to analyze the sounds, I'm sure you could notate it.

So, maybe the noise we hear in our backyards doesn't qualify as "art," but then again, maybe it does... God certainly plays a part in the orchestration of the earth's noise. God created it all... He created rhythm and time, He created voice boxes and wind and breath, He created the frequencies and timbres, He also created rest and silence... He created us in His image... the Creator God created creative children... and whether we are musical or not, music runs through the veins of every culture.

Music is simply one of the most powerful ways that we've been given to express ourselves and our emotions. It's no wonder that we utilize this outlet, this tool, this gift to give praise to our Creator God!

Join in on the sound...

Matt

A New Look...

We are excited to share our new website with you...  ChristianMusician.com is phase 1... phase 2 will include our conference pages. You will now be able to find all things CMS Productions in one clean and sleek design that is easy to navigate. A huge THANKS goes out to Well Water Design. Does your church, band or small business need a new web design at an affordable price? I highly recommend Rob at Well Water... you can't go wrong.

On our homepage, you will find links to each primary category... 'Conferences/Live Events' - 'Magazines' - and 'Gear/Resources'...Under 'Conferences/Live Events' you will find details about each of our Christian Musician Summit events... locations, line-ups, schedule, workshops, registration, exhibitors, etc.  Under 'Magazines' you'll find info on Christian Musician Magazine and Worship Musician! Magazine... as well as viewable issues.  With 'Gear/Resources' you will have access to our store, where you can find deals on special gear (cool stuff we think musicians like us will enjoy) as well as our Conference in a Box video training series.  You'll also be able to keep up with us in our blog and twitter feeds.

It's been many years since we've upgraded our online presence, and we hope you like it!

Matt