Musical Adventures

Black & White Stare- Very serious process

A year ago today, I got the opportunity, thanks to LeeAnn Swanson (mom) and her generous birthday gift, to have 8 hours of recording at Cedar Creek Recording in Austin.

This was the studio my uncle Jimmy was partner in, and where (as I understand) he recorded most or all of his albums.

To really make it memorable, I played my grandma (Mema's) Alvarez acoustic that she used to strum her 3-chord songs on at the Gospel Barn.

The Alvarez

I had limited time, and a major sinus infection (taking Alka Seltzer dissolvable tablets to temporarily offset some stuffiness- these are great by the way for quick release).

My main goal was to get my newest song at the time "Street Corner Salvation" down with an acoustic/vocal track, and some lead fills (which Jesse LaFave kindly played on his resonator guitar).

My best friend Tyler got to come hang out that day, and as a tribute to a song we had written together in college, I recorded it as well. That is "Open Your Eyes" and it's the only one I did as a piano recording.

My crowd favorite "Fade Away" and two Jimmy LaFave cover tunes "Vanished" and "The Open Space" rounded out my time.

I knew with wife and baby, living in Oklahoma now, this might be my one chance to record, not only at this famous spot for family music, but at all in terms of finances.

Though a quick day, I mostly accomplished what I wanted. I added a few minor things to them from home when I returned to Ada, but the majority of the tunes that day were done with pro equipment in a pro setting.

I would love to do this more often, or even do a full album with a backing band in a studio, but who knows when that will be financial possible.

This seems to be my musical predicament. Though I play weekly leading worship at ECU Wesley, and any other chance I get, gigs and recording time are few and far between. The gig at the Grandview in Ada for the PAWS Animal shelter event was great, and has received some good attention on Facebook this week.

Mic check 1, 2

I'm most comfortable on a stage, singing, in front of people- playfully bantering between songs (as Jimmy used to do), and just enjoying my time. I'll continue seeking more opportunities, and hopefully someday I can find the means to do more pro recording. In the meantime, I've not done too bad with GarageBand and some ingenuity over the years (Apple EarPods make a quick microphone if you add effects to it after).

Keep a look out on the Chris Byers Band page for FaceBook as I hope to post a bit more. I'd love to do a weekly video of me just playing some songs I know- so I'll try to work on that. Juggling work and toddler make it tricky sometimes to find the time.

Thanks for reading, I need to start writing here more as well. I'll have a post based on a message I'm giving at the Wesley on Nov 26th most likely, so stay tuned.

Smile- must have been a good take!

God Bless!
CB

Mixed Fabrics, Bacon, and Prostitutes

One big argument people like to toss at Christians is how we don't follow all of the laws of the Bible, but only promote/adhere to some. Usually it's something like,

"You say it's bad to visit prostitutes, but you wear mixed fabrics and eat bacon. So, you don't even follow all of the laws in your Bible."

Allow me to share some insight, and break down this simple, and really groundless accusation. For professional scoffers, this won't help much as they've likely hardened themselves against anything Biblical anyway. But, for those curious as to why the accusation of us not following an Old Testament ceremonial law, but still following a moral law is a shallow at best, let me say just a bit.

Biblically speaking, the Old Covenant (Testament) is just as important to Christians as the New Testament. It reveals Christ in its pages, even before he officially comes on the scene. It also shows that if left to our own devices and laws, we can never be fully "good" by the standard of the law. The one who comes along and lives a sin free life on behalf of us, so that we may have forgiveness for our inability to uphold God's law, is Christ (God in flesh, fully God and fully man - Philippians 2:5-11).

Therefore, when we place our trust in the finished work of Christ, and believe his sacrifice has paid for our sin, we are forgiven, made new in Him, and given a clean slate, which remains clean as Christ's forgiveness is for sins past, present, and future.

Now, with all of that being said, a Christian should still strive to obey God's commands. We may fail at times, and Christ's forgiveness picks us up and admonishes us to go forth and sin no more, but we are not to completely ignore God's moral standard.

Old Testament Israel was a nation set apart by God, and given specific instructions because of that, so that God could dwell with them. A Holy and Just God (yes he's loving too as revealed more in the New Testament), cannot be in the presence of sin. So, to provide a means for His chosen people to still fellowship with Him, Israel was given 3 types of law to obey. The Ten Commandments are mentioned frequently, but in reality there were hundreds of laws in these categories given to Israel in Moses' time.

Since they would be a nation apart from other nations, they needed Civil Laws. That is, they needed laws that would let them function as a society. What to do if someone stole an ox, or how much someone owed for damaged property. Those types of things.

In addition they were given Ceremonial Law. The primary purpose of these laws was to allow them to draw close to God, and to have their sins forgiven, primarily seen by animal sacrifices. Ceremonial laws also included some the favorites for non-Christians to pick at, like not wearing mixed fabrics, or dietary restrictions.

Finally, God gave His standard of morality, and specifically addressed moral living for someone of God- The Moral Law

When Christ comes on the scene, He consistently acknowledges the moral statutes of God, and even elaborates on them, letting us know that standard does not change, and is absolute. Matthew 5 and Jesus's Sermon on the Mount contain most of His statements regarding moral laws and their continued applicability. Here are a couple of the more well known ones:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
(Matthew 5:21-24).

Christ is the fulfillment of everything the ceremonial laws stood for, which means the ceremonial laws for being clean and unclean were fulfilled, and no longer applicable after Christ. So, if I want to wear a cotton polyester mixed shirt while eating bacon, Christ is cool with it (and let's be honest, Jesus approving of bacon makes you like Him just a bit more doesn't it?)

"Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17)

 "And he said to them, 'Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?' Thus he declared all foods clean" (Mark 7:18-19).

Also, because the Gospel was to go out to the Jews first, and to the ends of the earth (non-Jews as well), the Civil laws for living in a Theocratic society like what Israel had originally needed, also went out the window. (Though there was some practical wisdom still found in some of these laws, Christians are not bound to them in the same way as Old Testament Israel).

Much of the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament also goes to great lengths to show that Christ is the fulfillment of the past ceremonial and civil laws, and that Christians are no longer bound by them.

But, Christ (and the Apostles later in their epistles) tells us we are bound by moral law. We still cannot go out to a prostitute, or engage in other sexually immoral behavior. We still cannot gossip, spread lies, steal, or murder. These are God's unchanging moral standard to which all are held accountable.

So, the scoffer should learn to clarify the types of laws they are accusing us of breaking. And, the Christian should continue to abide by God's commands, and strive not to give ammo to non-Christians by engaging in questionable moral activity, even if one's motives are seemingly pure.


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John Piper has a nice article that elaborates a bit more, so check out:
How Christ Fulfilled and Ended the Old Testament Regime

Here are a couple of scriptures he points out to help clarify the issue (These are John Piper's bullet points copied over for easier reading, not my own words):

• Christ fulfilled all that animal blood sacrifices were pointing towards: Hebrews 9:12
• The Priesthood that stood between worshiper and God has ceased: Hebrews 7:23-24
•  The physical temple has ceased to be the geographic center of worship. Now, Christ himself is the center of worship. John 4:21,23; Matthew 18:20
• The food laws that set Israel apart from the nations have been fulfilled and ended in Christ. Mark 7:18–19
• The people of God are no longer a unified political body or an ethnic group or a nation-state, but are exiles and sojourners among all ethnic groups and all states. Romans 13:1; John 18:36 

Must...try...writing...something...

What to say, what to say? It's been hard sitting down to write for quite some time now. Some of it has to do with this mostly being a spiritual blog, while I have been going through a spiritual dry season for over a year. Some of it's lack of motivation, or just lack of any new insight worth sharing.

It's a case of unwanted writer's block. I want to sit down and write, but I have trouble eliminating other distractions long enough to sit and do it. I'd love to write a novel, or a Christian non-fiction book (which I have actually started and never finished), but it's just an investment of time that gets eaten up by reality TV, and other obligations.

Try as I might, I can't seem to fight the apathy towards accomplishing what I want to do. Some of it may be the depression (and a newly discovered case of severe anxiety), but I don't want to blame that for everything, as it's also my fault for not pushing myself.

I've had a month away from work to get better, adjust to new medicines, and what I had hoped would be time used to accomplish some things. As it stands, I've done little other than binge watch TV in my free time. I suppose that's alright in the sense that it made me feel happy/satisfied for a period of time, and in that way helped me focus on something besides my anxiety/depression. The new medicines seem to have kicked in well now, and I'm sure I'll be ready for work next week when I go back. Or, I hope I will.

It's hard to say how I'll react in any situation before I get into that situation. The anxiety that Hannah's ER visit in April brought me, has been a thorn in my side for months now. It's only recently (with help of the meds) begun to dissipate in a way that I can functionally interact with Hannah without being worried every second she's going to have another seizure, or choke on something. If that's all I gain from a month away from work, it's worth it, as interacting with her is as pleasure, and the anxiety was keeping me from enjoying the moment with her.

We've done some swimming lessons, gone on a few walks, been to the park (before it got so hot outside), and stuck to our normal routine, but I've felt less worried and more present for each of these things, than I did prior to taking new medicine, and taking some leave from work. It helps to be able to have full focus directed at battling the anxiety, instead of spending time working and worrying, which was a bad combination.

It had got to the point I couldn't sit at my desk and work without worrying if something was wrong with Hannah in the next room. I watched her nanny cam feed constantly, and worried if she so much as coughed or moved weird. This was what the worst of the anxiety was doing to me, and it was the first time in my life I've experienced that.

Depression was my battle, even as recently as my previous blog post. The anxiety is a new beast, that thankfully is being fought off well pharmaceutically.

Though, in my heart, I wish I was fighting it off spiritually as well. I've reached a block where even sitting for 30 minutes and reading the Bible is a chore. In 2012/2013 you couldn't tear me away from reading and studying the Word, so it's an odd change of events. Thankfully, Juliet has found her stride spiritually, and I am able to glean bits and pieces from her new found spiritual focus. But, she's still completing Bible plans while I'm watching the latest episode of "Below Deck," so there is room for growth.

Part of me is tempted to release a bit of what I've written for my book idea, to get feedback, and some constructive critique to help motivate me to get back in pursuit. But, in the past when I've tried this, people have not bothered to read it. Maybe if I post it here (and pray no one steals it), I'll get more solid feedback. That sounds more and more like a good idea.


The general concept is "A Dangerous Faith" and discusses things that Christians could fall into like hypocrisy, backsliding, or fighting with other Christians. Each chapter (Or pamphlet as they may turn out), is the "Danger of ____". My most complete work so far is the "Danger of Hypocrisy", so I may post it for viewing soon. I think that, more than anything would help motivate me.

So, stay tuned I suppose, for an excerpt or two from my writings that are separate from the blog.

Appreciate the readership, check out past blog posts for a more insightful version of myself back when I was writing almost daily, and really churning out the spiritual insight.

-Chris