Today's episode features and interview with Doug Chu on multicultural worship, the Asian-American experience, and a segment I like to call "I wish white churches would..." Doug was kind enough to play along. Doug is a musician and worship leader based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is a volunteer worship team leader at Madison Square Church's Ford campus. An American-born Chinese, Doug was raised in Singapore. As a worship leader, his interests include multicultural worship for congregations seeking racial reconciliation and the intersection of charismatic and liturgical worship.
Ted Yoder is a recording artist, composer, and hammered dulcimer player. He's released five albums, has another one on the way, and regularly tours the country playing concerts. Ted Gained much acclaimed when his cover version of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" became a Facebook Livestream sensation. I sat down with Ted after his concert at the Gebhard Woods Dulcimer Festival in Morris, Illinois. The beginning of the episode features a brief interview with Peggy Peryam, one of the organizers of the festival and herself a musician, teacher, and dulcimer player. You can find Ted's music and tour dates at: www.tedyoder.com and you can find info about the dulcimer festival at: http://www.gebharddulcimer.org/
Episode 47 features an interview with Dr. Lester Ruth on the history of contemporary worship in the Church. The research professor Christian worship at Duke Divinity School, Dr. Ruth co-authored his new book Lovin' on Jesus: A Concise History of Contemporary Worship with Dr. Swee Hong Lim, assistant professor of Sacred Music at Emmanuel College in Toronto. Our interview covers numerous topics related to contemporary worship, including differences how "Mainline" and "Pentecostal" churches do contemporary worship, some of the little known figures in the early contemporary movement, and whether or not we have made music into a sacrament in contemporary worship. You can find Dr. Ruth's personal page here: https://divinity.duke.edu/faculty/lester-ruth
Quinton Thomas is a Peoria, Illinois based artist. His work is a convergence of numerous influences all at once, creating a blossoming artistic vision all his own. Our conversation covers his upcoming show at the gallery Ear in the Envelope, various possible interpretations of his work, and our thoughts on the new TV show Dear White People. You can find images of his work on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Quinton2017/ and on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/Qthomas1990/