Gungor – Beautiful things
“Beautiful Things” is the title of the Cd from the once named Michael Gungor Band. Now called simply Gungor. I got an email that read
“Hi There,
Enclosed you will find the newest musical stylings of Gungor for your consideration.
Comprised of Michael Gungor, his wife Lisa, as well as friends Brad Waller and Josh Harvey , the Denver-based ensemble formerly known as The Michael Gungor Band is anything but a stereotypical worship band as they give listeners Beautiful Things on their Feb. 16, 2010 release on Brash Music..
It is fascinating to see what has gotten Gungor to this point of introspection. He has been leading worship since he was 12 years old, if you count an audience of 2- and 3-year olds. From there he graduated to children’s church, then youth group, then adults. Gungor studied jazz in college, then connected with teen ministry Acquire the Fire and a position at Resurrection Life Church in Michigan.
This bigger story of God shows up on Beautiful Things in songs born of an honest journey of faith and a struggle with what should result from worship.
As Gungor’s idea of God changed, so did his idea of church, so he and his wife moved to Denver and eventually founded a community of believers called Bloom. The connection between worship and social justice became concrete in Denver, and the outcome is evident on Beautiful Things. The group of six also headed to Africa in late September to further there involvement with the Mocha Club.
Ironically, most of the music is not directly about caring for the poor and ministering to widows and orphans. Instead, much of the album addresses the spiritual journey and the understanding of God that happens when we do these acts.”
And below this was a link to listen to the CD that will be available on 02.16.10 so as I write this I am listening to what seems like a very different take on worship music than what I am used to. Led my Michael Gungor (Wiki Link) this band incorporates the idea that worship music needs not be traditional or contemporary but it should be interactive. When asked about the CD he responded:
“The story of God has gotten bigger to me,” relates Gungor, who is perhaps best known for co-writing distinguished songs like “Friend of God” and the Dove Award-winning “Say So.” “We had become ‘professional’ Christians. We got to the point where we needed to figure out how to be the church in a more honest way for us.”
Expect a Review from Jtindie.com soon. in the meantime you can pick up the single Beautiful Things – Single
