This is the first in a series on Roaring Lambs. First we find out
who coined the phrase and who instituted the ideas behind Roaring
Lambs through the book by Bob Briner. Next week we will take a look
at the CD which is a tribute to Bob Briner.

ROARING LAMBS - BOB BRINER (2000)
by Josh Shepherd
The rally cry is silent. The imperative has dissipated. The church--
or most of it--has retreated from the culture; it's time for the
lambs to roar. So compels the late Bob Briner in the newly updated
edition of Roaring Lambs. These sheep, he explains, are brave,
assertive believers willing to permeate all of life's interaction and
expression with a measure of salt and light. Four of the volume's
nine chapters deal with the application of faith to life, and getting
past the reactionary, headstrong (and ultimately indefensible) stance
of Christians. The remaining five sections take to task the lack of
initiative in culture-shaping arenas: television, film, literature,
the visual arts, and the Christian academe. Without dispute, godless
and objectionable fare dominates the box office and Nielsen ratings--
yet what is the church's answer? Picketing particularly offensive
shows; by 'scorekeeping,' providing all who care with the number of
times the 'f' word was said in an R-rated flick; denouncing all TV as
unacceptable and evil. "The world rolls it's eyes, snickers, and
moves on." Briner notes that if all this demonstrative energy were
poured into just one affirming, professionally-produced movie, it
would be far more impacting. Contentions are levelled with this
solution-based articulation, always teeming with questions for
readers to consider. Why, with interest in spirituality surging,
don't prose-writing pastors and the giants of Christian publishing
present the truth in that format? How is it that virtually no
Christian painter is featured in art galleries--aren't we the ones
who know the Great Creator? When will Christian higher education stop
meaning second-class institutions? None of this will occur overnight,
and to win a hearing, believers must be competent and above reproach
in their professional tasks, visionary in their artistic technique,
and non-threatening when they breach the subject of eternal matters.
To be sure, 'roaring lambs' have penetrated the mainstream for
centuries, and Briner doesn't leave praises unsung for C.S. Lewis in
literature, Chick-Fil-A in the corporate world, and Dave Dravecky in
sports. Odd considering the much-touted Roaring Lambs CD, the
author's biggest shortcoming is not bringing to bear upon music--At
the Crossroads by Charlie Peacock surveyed the CCM realm thoroughly,
and is an excellent companion to this book. Though he was lost to
cancer in 1999, the well founded, clearly presented driftings of Bob
Briner live on, sparking passion for the bigger world of ideas.

For more on Roaring Lambs, please visit:
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/roaringlambs


AVAILABLE YESTERDAY (on cMusicWeb.com and at your local store)

MY PASSION - SAMMY WARD
The second artist on Bill Gaither and Toby McKeehan's 40 Records
label promises to bring pop/worship of a new kind.

SHAKE OFF THE DUST - VINEYARD
A progressive worship recording from Winnipeg featuring David Ruis
and many other Vineyad musicians. This one is the PICK OF THE WEEK.

TWO YEARS TO NEVER - GHOTI HOOK
A great new punk-rock disc from one of the best in the business, and
this one is produced by the engineer for Blink 182 and Green Day.

WAYNE WATSON (self-titled)
Hasn't he done a self-titled album before? Well, like everybody else
that's been a longtime pop/inspirational artist, Wayne is trying to
re-establish himself as the best in Christian music.


AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER (on Christian MusicWeb)

POP: http://cMusicWeb.com/pop
Hymns: A Place of Worship - 4HIM [7/25]
Live for You - Rachel Lampa [8/1]
Jake (self-titled) [8/15]
ZOEgirl (self-titled) [8/15]

Click on the album titles on the genre page to order them and recieve
them on the release date.


CHRISTIAN HIT RADIO CHARTS FOR THIS WEEK
> More pop is shooting up and MWS is
> stuck at #8 with his retro sound.
1. Written on My Heart - PlusOne
2. Live For You - Rachel Lampa
3. My Refuge - SONICFLOOd
4. Someday - LaRue
5. I Do Believe - Steven Curtis Chapman
6. God is Watching Over You - Phil Joel
7. Don't Look at Me - Stacie Orrico
8. I Still Have the Dream - Micheal W. Smith
9. Good Life - Audio Adrenaline
10. Shackles (Praise You) - Mary Mary

SOURCE: CCM Update (http://www.ccmupdate.com/)


cMUSICWEB UPDATES
• Added lots of new picks and features
• FEATURE PAGE: Glo, the upcoming album from delirious?:
http://cMusicWeb.com/glo
• Relient K: http://cMusicWeb.com/rock/relientk
• 5 O'clock People: http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/5oclock
• Roaring Lambs: http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/roaringlambs
• Roaring Lambs Book: http://cMusicWeb.com/books/roaringlambs
• The Indwelling Book: http://cMusicWeb.com/books/indwelling


Well, we're happy to have all these updates up on the web, we hope to
have more frequent updates! If you want us to update something or to
see something more that's cool on the site, please tell us about it!
Thanks for reading this week, and make sure to read next week about
the Roaring Lambs CD!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb