Reflection of Something....Why I like Todd Agnew...
DISCLAIMER: Well, this is my first installment of the “Why I like…” series. I plan to periodically give you some background on some of my most favorite things whether that is books, authors, artists, movies, people, or places. In the hopes that you get a better rounded understanding of who I am and hopefully something I say might encourage you to check out these things for yourself. I will strive to discuss the things that are truly enriching and well, frankly, a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy the first installment concerning Todd Agnew. I had always intended to do my first one on Sara Groves since I have a similar entry, but with Todd’s new Christmas Album coming out October 3rd, I thought I might as well give him the promotion he deserves. With each installment I will be posting a video on my MySpace and of course having their music play. If you are reading this from Blogger, I will place a link to my MySpace site in every post.
“Why I like…Todd Agnew?”
By: Melissa Darsey
When I was a teenager the Christian music scene was HUGE where I lived. I basically spent most weekends hopping from one Christian concert to another. It was a rich and positive way of living out my teenage years. I loved Audio Adrenaline, DC Talk, Jennifer Knapp, Rebecca St. James, The Waiting, Caedmon’s Call, Third Day, Steven Curtis Chapman, and the list goes on and on. It’s what I talked about, what I dreamed about, what I breathed. It is one of the biggest things that has shaped my Christian faith and in some ways hindered it.
When the family and I took the great move to Kentucky I began working at Family Christian Store. I stayed on top of every cool hip thing that was going on with Christian music. I always knew what CD’s were coming out and who the next big thing in Christian music was.
When I left Family Christian Store and began working at Barnes and Noble I sort of lost track of what the cool thing was in Christian music. I was also doing a lot of growing up. No longer was I the passionate, eager, crazed obsessed teenager…I was being molded into an adult, and with every new life lesson, arrow, and misfortune I was learning that life had deeper, darker, and more rich flavors to it. I got out of the Christian music scene and dove more into the secular arena. My tastes were changing and I was evolving as a person. I was simply growing up and hopefully my faith was growing up too.
I had fallen in love with Sara Groves and Caedmon’s Call and other more mature writers like Nichole Nordeman that fed the soul more completely. But, for the most part I was simply clueless. I did love Barlow Girl though and when my dear friend Jamie asked if I would like to go to the “In the Name of Love” tour with Starfield, Barlow Girl, and Todd Agnew I jumped at the opportunity. Unlike my rich Christian concert experiences in my teen years, this area of Kentucky I lived in didn’t offer the rich availability of concert experiences. I was just excited to experience a Christian concert again. Starfield were awesome, cute, and down to earth in lyrics and actions. Barlow Girl were the darlings of the show, and never wavered in their faith and purpose as Christian young ladies. However, I was most intrigued to hear Todd Agnew perform. I knew “Grace Like Rain”, but to be frank I didn’t really even know what he looked like or what this man had to offer.
What do you get when you go to a Todd Agnew concert; well you first get a straight forward, honest, heartfelt man, whose passion is completely and totally for the will of his Savior. The package is delivered in ball cap, sometimes glasses, bare feet, guitar or piano in hand. The second thing you get is humbleness and honesty. There is a way about Todd that commands a room. It isn’t anything that he does or says, but you find yourself wanting to quiet down and listen to what he is going to say. The honesty he delivers is no holds bar and sometimes a little painful. My preacher always says, “This message you’re going to need your steal towed boots because I’m going to be stepping on some toes.” That’s pretty much what you need with Todd. He says things that some people only wish they could say. With a sense of humor that makes you laugh but go, “ouch!” at the same time. He is never boastful; it is always a reflection of Christ and a reflection of Christ in us. He speaks to the crowd as well as himself. The third thing you get is a Rockin’ Awesome show. He is an artist…pure and simple. His rich vocals, powerful guitar riffs, and talent on the piano, as well as his amazing band…Brian on Drums, Jonathan on Violin, Rob on Guitar, and Cody on Bass…make the show somewhat unforgettable and sort of make it impossible for you not to raise your hands in worship.
I don’t think Todd Agnew would have had the exact same impact on me if I hadn’t seen him live. While, the music is great, it is his lyrics that drive you to the cross. It is the lyrics in
“This Fragile Breath” that makes you realize how small and insignificant you are in comparison to Christ…the great musician and poet.
“Shepherd” reminds us that we are just dumb poor sheep that have run astray and need God’s grace as the Good Shepherd to bring us home.
“Still Here Waiting” still makes me choke up hearing it.
“Come Ye Sinners”…I love how he sings the phrase “weak and wounded”
“Grace Like Rain” is a given.
“Wait for your Rain”…is a song that also stirs great emotion as we all walk through those parched dry spaces of our own making at times and wait for the rain that only God can supply.
His second album “Reflection of Something” honestly moves beyond the first…
“Something Beautiful”…reminds us that we are nothing at all to even look at, we can’t make ourselves anything to look at, and we can’t pretty ourselves up for God, only He can make us beautiful.
“New Name”…we are a family, we have a Daddy that loves us more than life itself, and He has given us a new name.
“Blood on My Hands”…exactly what it says…we have blood on our hands, the saving power and blood that we should have given was sacrificed so freely by Jesus.
“Isaiah 6”…for me helped me fall in love with reading the book of Isaiah and consequently the book of Jeremiah!
“Mercy in Me”…sometimes we can be so selfish and think we are doing well. What does it truly mean to be a servant of Christ, it means more than prayer, or money, it means time and sacrifice and truly having compassion and helping others.
“Always There”…just a reminder that no matter how far we run God is there with us.
“My Jesus”…one of those toe stomping moments that leaves you sort of out of breath from listening to it.
And now the Christmas album which is basically a musical that is supposed to capture the essence of the Christmas Story:
· Do You See What I See?
1
Do You Hear What I Hear? 4:55
2
No Room/O Little Town of Bethlehem 4:59
3
This Is All I Have to Give 4:48
4
Magnificat 5:00
5
Did You Know? 4:32
6
Sleep Well 4:35
7
He Is Called Jesus 4:40
8
God With Us/We Three Kings 5:16
9
Glory to God/O Come All Ye Faithful 4:57
10
Bethlehem Dawn/Silent Night 4:41
11
In the First Light/Do You Hear What I Hear? 4:51
So, how do I capture for you the reason I like Todd Agnew. I’m not sure that it is just one thing. I feel like he is unlike any artist out there today. His passion and drive and purpose is for the Lord Jesus Christ. His music and message have allowed me a space for real worship. God speaks to me greatly through what he brings to the table. I was blessed to be driving with my Mother this morning to take our dog Butterfinger to the groomer. It was a beautiful day in Kentucky and we took the back roads. I had decided at the last minute to go with her and we were having a grand time with the windows down and the fresh day all about us with the fall leaves just beginning to reveal their true colors and I turned on K-Love and who did I hear on there but Todd Agnew. He was talking about the new album and how for the first time he had seen Joseph for a real man who struggled with being the adoptive father to the Savior of the World and what a struggle that had to be for him inwardly. Once again reminding me that those in the Bible are not super hero characters, but real life people who strive to follow Christ in the best way possible.
I feel like I haven’t done and accurate job at all in expressing my true feelings concerning Todd Agnew, but I hope you will take some time right now to pray for him, for his ministry, and what God is doing in his life. We sometimes put Christian artists on a pedestal only to watch them fall, when what we need to do is lift them up in prayer. We are all human, we are all sinners saved by grace, and we are all called to spread the gospel with truth, honesty, love, and compassion. Thank you Todd for doing just that, may God fill your cup to overflowing so that not only the saucer is wet but the very table and floor.
“Why I like…Todd Agnew?”
By: Melissa Darsey
When I was a teenager the Christian music scene was HUGE where I lived. I basically spent most weekends hopping from one Christian concert to another. It was a rich and positive way of living out my teenage years. I loved Audio Adrenaline, DC Talk, Jennifer Knapp, Rebecca St. James, The Waiting, Caedmon’s Call, Third Day, Steven Curtis Chapman, and the list goes on and on. It’s what I talked about, what I dreamed about, what I breathed. It is one of the biggest things that has shaped my Christian faith and in some ways hindered it.
When the family and I took the great move to Kentucky I began working at Family Christian Store. I stayed on top of every cool hip thing that was going on with Christian music. I always knew what CD’s were coming out and who the next big thing in Christian music was.
When I left Family Christian Store and began working at Barnes and Noble I sort of lost track of what the cool thing was in Christian music. I was also doing a lot of growing up. No longer was I the passionate, eager, crazed obsessed teenager…I was being molded into an adult, and with every new life lesson, arrow, and misfortune I was learning that life had deeper, darker, and more rich flavors to it. I got out of the Christian music scene and dove more into the secular arena. My tastes were changing and I was evolving as a person. I was simply growing up and hopefully my faith was growing up too.
I had fallen in love with Sara Groves and Caedmon’s Call and other more mature writers like Nichole Nordeman that fed the soul more completely. But, for the most part I was simply clueless. I did love Barlow Girl though and when my dear friend Jamie asked if I would like to go to the “In the Name of Love” tour with Starfield, Barlow Girl, and Todd Agnew I jumped at the opportunity. Unlike my rich Christian concert experiences in my teen years, this area of Kentucky I lived in didn’t offer the rich availability of concert experiences. I was just excited to experience a Christian concert again. Starfield were awesome, cute, and down to earth in lyrics and actions. Barlow Girl were the darlings of the show, and never wavered in their faith and purpose as Christian young ladies. However, I was most intrigued to hear Todd Agnew perform. I knew “Grace Like Rain”, but to be frank I didn’t really even know what he looked like or what this man had to offer.
What do you get when you go to a Todd Agnew concert; well you first get a straight forward, honest, heartfelt man, whose passion is completely and totally for the will of his Savior. The package is delivered in ball cap, sometimes glasses, bare feet, guitar or piano in hand. The second thing you get is humbleness and honesty. There is a way about Todd that commands a room. It isn’t anything that he does or says, but you find yourself wanting to quiet down and listen to what he is going to say. The honesty he delivers is no holds bar and sometimes a little painful. My preacher always says, “This message you’re going to need your steal towed boots because I’m going to be stepping on some toes.” That’s pretty much what you need with Todd. He says things that some people only wish they could say. With a sense of humor that makes you laugh but go, “ouch!” at the same time. He is never boastful; it is always a reflection of Christ and a reflection of Christ in us. He speaks to the crowd as well as himself. The third thing you get is a Rockin’ Awesome show. He is an artist…pure and simple. His rich vocals, powerful guitar riffs, and talent on the piano, as well as his amazing band…Brian on Drums, Jonathan on Violin, Rob on Guitar, and Cody on Bass…make the show somewhat unforgettable and sort of make it impossible for you not to raise your hands in worship.
I don’t think Todd Agnew would have had the exact same impact on me if I hadn’t seen him live. While, the music is great, it is his lyrics that drive you to the cross. It is the lyrics in
“This Fragile Breath” that makes you realize how small and insignificant you are in comparison to Christ…the great musician and poet.
“Shepherd” reminds us that we are just dumb poor sheep that have run astray and need God’s grace as the Good Shepherd to bring us home.
“Still Here Waiting” still makes me choke up hearing it.
“Come Ye Sinners”…I love how he sings the phrase “weak and wounded”
“Grace Like Rain” is a given.
“Wait for your Rain”…is a song that also stirs great emotion as we all walk through those parched dry spaces of our own making at times and wait for the rain that only God can supply.
His second album “Reflection of Something” honestly moves beyond the first…
“Something Beautiful”…reminds us that we are nothing at all to even look at, we can’t make ourselves anything to look at, and we can’t pretty ourselves up for God, only He can make us beautiful.
“New Name”…we are a family, we have a Daddy that loves us more than life itself, and He has given us a new name.
“Blood on My Hands”…exactly what it says…we have blood on our hands, the saving power and blood that we should have given was sacrificed so freely by Jesus.
“Isaiah 6”…for me helped me fall in love with reading the book of Isaiah and consequently the book of Jeremiah!
“Mercy in Me”…sometimes we can be so selfish and think we are doing well. What does it truly mean to be a servant of Christ, it means more than prayer, or money, it means time and sacrifice and truly having compassion and helping others.
“Always There”…just a reminder that no matter how far we run God is there with us.
“My Jesus”…one of those toe stomping moments that leaves you sort of out of breath from listening to it.
And now the Christmas album which is basically a musical that is supposed to capture the essence of the Christmas Story:
· Do You See What I See?
1
Do You Hear What I Hear? 4:55
2
No Room/O Little Town of Bethlehem 4:59
3
This Is All I Have to Give 4:48
4
Magnificat 5:00
5
Did You Know? 4:32
6
Sleep Well 4:35
7
He Is Called Jesus 4:40
8
God With Us/We Three Kings 5:16
9
Glory to God/O Come All Ye Faithful 4:57
10
Bethlehem Dawn/Silent Night 4:41
11
In the First Light/Do You Hear What I Hear? 4:51
So, how do I capture for you the reason I like Todd Agnew. I’m not sure that it is just one thing. I feel like he is unlike any artist out there today. His passion and drive and purpose is for the Lord Jesus Christ. His music and message have allowed me a space for real worship. God speaks to me greatly through what he brings to the table. I was blessed to be driving with my Mother this morning to take our dog Butterfinger to the groomer. It was a beautiful day in Kentucky and we took the back roads. I had decided at the last minute to go with her and we were having a grand time with the windows down and the fresh day all about us with the fall leaves just beginning to reveal their true colors and I turned on K-Love and who did I hear on there but Todd Agnew. He was talking about the new album and how for the first time he had seen Joseph for a real man who struggled with being the adoptive father to the Savior of the World and what a struggle that had to be for him inwardly. Once again reminding me that those in the Bible are not super hero characters, but real life people who strive to follow Christ in the best way possible.
I feel like I haven’t done and accurate job at all in expressing my true feelings concerning Todd Agnew, but I hope you will take some time right now to pray for him, for his ministry, and what God is doing in his life. We sometimes put Christian artists on a pedestal only to watch them fall, when what we need to do is lift them up in prayer. We are all human, we are all sinners saved by grace, and we are all called to spread the gospel with truth, honesty, love, and compassion. Thank you Todd for doing just that, may God fill your cup to overflowing so that not only the saucer is wet but the very table and floor.
Comments
Just wondering do you have a myspace too. If you do mine is www.myspace.com/simplydawnmarie. Gonna go look at Todd's myspace now! Have a great day. Sometime I do need to get back to work, but I'm just still so excited to see you!