Live at CICERO'S (videos)

Here's a couple vids from my show last week at Cicero's in STL...enjoy!

DOUBT BRINGS HOPE


WAR ON WAR


Peace,
Ross

Prep For Next Week's Tour...

Sorry for neglecting the blog these last few days, but I've been in major prep-mode for the upcoming tour with Sleeping at Last and Jars of Clay.  But mostly I'm trying to squeeze in as much time as possible with my girlies!

Next week, keep up with the blog for LOTS AND LOTS of tour stories, pics, and video!

Peace,
Ross

This time, next week...

 This time, next week, I'll be en route to Chicago to rehearse for a day before we pack up the 15 passenger van and head out East!  I'm completely stoked for this tour...I've been a huge Sleeping at Last fan for quite some time, and Jars of Clay was the first album I ever purchased with my own money, back in 7th grade!

If you're out East, I hope you'll plan to come on out to a show - it's gonna be quite epic!

Tickets Oct 04 Virginia Beach, VA @ Sandler Center - with Jars of Clay & Mariah McManus

Tickets Oct 05 Millville, NJ @ Levoy Theatre - with Jars of Clay & Mariah McManus 

Tickets Oct 06 Oneonta, NY @ SUNY Oneonta State College - with Jars of Clay & Mariah McManus

Tickets Oct 07 Morristown, NJ @ Mayo Performing Arts - with Jars of Clay & Mariah McManus 

Tickets Oct 09 Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere - with Jars of Clay & Mariah McManus

Tickets Oct 10 Bethlehem, PA @ Musikfest Cafe - with Jars of Clay & Mariah McManus 

Tickets Oct 11 Foxborough, MA @ Showcase Live - with Jars of Clay & Mariah McManus 

Tickets Oct 12 Houghton, NY @ Houghton College - with Jars of Clay & Mariah McManus 

Tickets Oct 13 Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar - with Jars of Clay & Mariah McManus

Peace,
Ross

Brian McLaren {on Islamophobia}

This is a brilliant conversation between Brian McLaren and Tony Jones, that looks toward the root of Islamophobia, the uprisings throughout the Arab world, and how we must move forward.  Please take a few minutes and watch it!



Peace,
Ross

LIVE at CICERO'S (9/22)

This coming Saturday night (9/22), I'll be playing LIVE AT CICERO'S (in the Delmar Loop)!  This will be my last show before the big tour with Jars of Clay and Sleeping at Last, so I hope you'll come out for a very interactive show!  I've got 2 new songs I'll be playing for the very first time, live in concert; plus i'll be joined by Harry Hinrichs and Dear Genre!

The setlist is looking something like this:

Doubt Brings Hope

War on War

Words Do Things

The River Child

Blinded My Eyes

{surprise cover}

*Veil

*To The River

...you don't want to miss it!

Peace,
Ross

St. Louis Balloon Glow

On Friday night, the fam rode our bikes over to Forest Park for the 40th Annual Balloon Glow.  It was quite amazing!  There were 50+ hot air balloons and 75,000 people gathering in a field to watch the spectacle.  If you've never experienced it, plan on it for next year!

Peace,
Ross

Quiet Spaces

 Last night, I got home from rehearsal with a melody and some lyrics in my head.  I immediately wrote down the words and headed down to the studio to capture the music.   A couple hours later, I think I'm on to a pretty promising piece.  Here's the lyrics - enjoy!

Quiet Spaces

(c)2012 Ross Christopher

There's a sound for the quiet spaces

A sound for the broken places

A sound that is stillness

It shakes the ground

There it is

Way off in the distance

It's growing stronger

The beat's getting faster

There's a sound for the quiet spaces

A sound for the broken places

A sound that is stillness

It shakes the ground

 There it is

It's unexpected

It's reconnected

Like lines between the words

There's a sound for the quiet spaces

A sound for the broken places

A sound that is stillness

It shakes the ground

Peace,
Ross

You Can Love God Only As Much As You Love ____________.

**I'm RE-POSTING this today, because I believe it needs to be said.  In light of demonizing politics and demonizing prayers (gun control, the election, the fiscal cliff, and yesterday's inauguration), its timely - for ME and for you.  I first need to admit that I did not come up with this thought.

You can love God only as
much as you love ______________.

(fill in the blank w/ terrorists, antagonists to your faith, your boss, George W. Bush, President Obama, or Mark Driscoll; whoever you cannot stand, and wished ill)
 *I can thank Katie Schultz for that nugget of inspiration.

Nor can I claim this statement as my own:
"I believe in the Trinity, so I believe God exists as a community of ecstatic love: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God names not merely a thing but a relation. God is a relational God bound together by love. Before God is anything else, God is love. It’s not that first God exists and then God decides to love. It is love which constitutes God’s very existence. Moreover, God’s love is not self contained, but it extends to all creation. God’s mission is to love creation. That’s straight up missional theology...If we want to know God (and if we want to be able to say something substantive about God), we have to participate in the mission of God. Without engaging in mission we can possess knowledge about God, but we can never truly know God. To know God is to participate in God’s mission."
*That was written by Tim Suttle, and it sums up a lot of background text.

In Matthew 5 & 25, we read that how we love our enemies and the least of these, is also how we love God.

Consider that the next time you post a nasty (or backhanded) Twitter or Facebook comment regarding your disdain for the President (or potential candidate), political party affiliation, or laws passed.  Because how you love, determines how you love...

Peace,
Ross 

What to do with my Sunday nights now that Breaking Bad is no more...

Last night I found myself with nothing to do now that Breaking Bad is over for 2012.  I'll be honest, I was quite sad to have a void of raw-badness in my week!  But I did find this very cool Breaking Bad video.  Check it out!

Breaking Bad - Illustrated from Martin Woutisseth on Vimeo.

And by the way, if you've never gotten on the Breaking Bad-wagon, YOU NEED TO!!!

Peace,
Ross

What You're Voting For, When You Vote

In just a few weeks we'll be voting - for a president and for congress.  But have you ever stopped to really consider what you're voting for, when you vote?  Here's what I believe you are ACTUALLY voting for when you pull the lever in November...

1. an orator
2. speech writers
3. character (or a perception of character)
4. someone that can choose his/her closest allies (cabinet, advisers, staff, etc.)
5. corporations that funded the campaign

Peace,
Ross

Labor Day (RECAP)

Labor Day weekend was excellent!  We traveled to Kansas City for a wedding and some quality family & friend time.  Here's a few pics & videos from the weekend.  Enjoy!

Peace,
Ross