JOHN MARK MCMILLAN / A WORSHIP RECORD FOR ATHEISTS

A Worship Album for Atheists

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S.01 EPISODE 9

John Mark talks enneagram, songwriting, his latest record, Peopled with Dreams, and shares about a vulnerable joy he has discovered as he enters his 40’s. “Gratitude is the practice of seeing the world correctly” and John Mark shares how He rediscovered Jesus in the last several years and in so doing rediscovered his faith. He referred to this new record as a “walk back into faith” and it applies to himself but also is an invitation, for all who listen, to rediscover faith.

Regarding the new record, John Mark said, “I am building bridges between my friends who are atheists, my friends who are fundamentalists, my friends who consider themselves progressive or any end of the spectrum. Because gratitude is the one place we all come together.”

“You can’t be in gratitude and have a long term poor disposition towards the people who bear the image of the thing you are having this gratitude for.”

A Few references made on the podcast
Songwriter, Worship Leader, Producer (Peopled With Dreams) / Jacob Early
Producer / Elijah Mosely
The Enneagram, A Christian Perspective by Richard Rhor

For more on John Mark McMillan
www.johnmarkmcmillan.com

Podcast intro and outro music by Wilde Assembly

www.johnmarkmcmillan.com

In light of the reality so many of us are facing with the measures to address coronavirus, A Family Story is giving my Sovereign Love teaching series–through May–to you for $10. That’s 90% off.

In uncertain times, I want to encourage you to live sure in peace and joy. You are His beloved son or daughter and it’s my heart that you experience lower anxiety and increased confidence, security, and connection in every area of your life.

SOVEREIGN LOVE is a six-session teaching series based on my book, God Is (Not) In Control.

God’s sovereign love is available to you right now. His love is the tangible peace and hope that will empower you to live secure in every area of life. It’s my desire to guide you into a refreshing encounter with our Father’s love and goodness.

The first episode is free,  PREVIEW HERE

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Becoming Like You: Heaven’s Crush EP

I was out for a run and I was asking Father God if we would be alright.

After two years, I was hearing God again; I was becoming sure in a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute floodgate of His good presence. Sweeter still, in the last month, He was only saying one thing.

“I love you, Jason.”

We were several months behind on our mortgage, our fridge was nearly empty, our pantry was a ghost town. The bill collectors and the lawyers wanted their pound of flesh.

“I love you, Jason.”

But the question I’d asked Him seemed fair, “Will we be alright?”

I got home as dusk settled. There was just enough time to mow the small unruly patch of grass in our front yard. And there were still fumes in the mower.

I settled into the seemingly mundane routine, but my heart never left fellowship with my good Father.

“I love you, Jason”.

I stood on the front porch in the last light of day with one thought. It was heaven-sent, it was revelatory, it was bigger, and greater, and more powerful than any other thought I’d ever had.

“It’s measureless! His love is measureless!”

At that moment, everything in my life changed.

We would be alright.

… Laughing I went in to kiss Karen and hug the kids. Karen kissed me lightly but then she and the kids ran from me while informing me that I needed a shower.

In the shower, I sang, “I’m becoming like you, I’m becoming like you. Let Your love be all I know, till Your glory becomes my own”.  I leaped from the shower, wrapped myself in a towel, ran into our bedroom, riffled through papers on Karen’s nightstand, found a pencil, then back to the bathroom dripping on the linoleum, I wrote…

Many of you have heard me lead this song in worship over the last years. Many have asked when I would record it.

This song is one of the four that will be on the EP titled Heaven’s Crush. This song is an invitation into transformative Love. There is life on this song and album!

My heart is to release this album with my new book, Prone To Love, which releases Feb 18.

We have 9 days left to raise the funding to get this album mixed. If you feel led, please give. If you can’t give, please consider sharing on Facebook and Twitter. Go to the link below for more information on the album, to give, and share.

Heaven’s Crush EP – Indiegogo Funding Campaign

Thanks to everyone who has been with us on the journey and to those who have given! I am truly blessed!

– Jason

Where Once I Feared To Walk

I recently was asked about the origin of this song and The Song Writing Process.

Where Once I Feared to Walk is the last song on the Surrendered & Untamed album and was actually written with that in mind – which is a miracle if you knew my writing process. Another small miracle was how easy this song came. Most times I fight hard for the lyrics, often witting a small novel before I’ve found the right words. But this one just seemed to flow…

We lived in a little house halfway up the 4th fairway on a country golf course 20 miles north of Jackson MS. One night Carver – a good friend – came over to hang out. One of the things I loved to do when it wasn’t 95 degrees with 95% humidity, was to walk the golf course. The best time was dusk.

Carver and I headed out that night, both of us eager to talk and also smoke the Cohibas my brother had smuggled in through Hatti. Though I’m not a huge cigar guy, there is something special about smoking a Cuban with a friend. That night’s walk was like so many other walks with friends, we laughed, talked and dreamed of a future even grander than the present. We reminisced about God’s goodness. Especially in light of past disappointments and failures.

Days later, as I scrambled for pen and paper, I recalled that night. But this time, it wasn’t Carver but Jesus who walked beside me, dreaming of a future.

The lyrics for the first half of the song came from the memory of the walk.

The second half and the last line, “Here’s to bigger dreams,” came from a conversation with my dad where he quoted C.S. Lewis, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

I wrote half of the S&U album on piano. This was one of those songs. In earlier albums, I had always written from an acoustic guitar. I wanted to try something different with the S&U album. I wanted the melody to drive the songs instead of rhythm. I can’t really play the piano – at least not with both hands at the same time – but I feel like it worked.

And that’s how the song came about, Jesus and I walking in the night dreaming about a future even better than the present and reminiscing about His past goodness. And though I was smoking a Cohiba, In my mind’s eye, Jesus seemed more like a pipe kinda guy. It might have had something to do with CS Lewis.

Where Once I Feared To Walk

We went walking out in the field 
Yeah, late tonight 
Could see our breath each dream exhaled 
Beneath the half moon light 

This is Life you said to me 
This declared round your pipe 
This is where it all works out 
In dreaming we’re alive 

I have dreamed and still believe 
I have risked and I have lost 
But looking down I see my feet 
Where once I feared to walk 

So we go walking out in this field 
To claim our destiny 
And if by chance it seems we’ve failed 
Then here’s to bigger dreams.