News and New Content from Pastor Allen
I’m Pastor Allen, author of the Pastor Allen’s Guides . . .
This homepage is where I will update information about future publications. I’ll also be posting supplemental materials– audio files of teaching sessions, video files, pictures, and posts on things I care about. Please check back often, as I’ll be putting up new material on a regular basis.
See you inside– c’mon, don’t be shy.
Categories: Uncategorized.
This is a song I’ve been working on for several weeks. It is the first song done entirely in the new Basement Kat Studio. It is also the first song on which I have played the drums. Until now, I have been programming drums on a software program– but this song was simple enough that I could play drums myself.
Feels good. Hope you enjoy the song.
[audio:sometimes.mp3]
Categories: Uncategorized.
Here’s a new song I’m very proud of. Did all the music, and loved doing the vocals– especially the harmonies. Hope you like it.
Categories: My Music.
I have posted a new song, which you can listen to by clicking the grey arrow just above this text.
I was going for a kind of brooding intense love song that has a feeling of things sliding off the rails a bit. The singer is trying to keep it together, pleading and making his case for how the two are made for one another.
Categories: My Music.
I became familiar with Juliana of Norwich during my doctoral work. She was a mystic in 14th century England. Her ministry coincided with a time of terrible plague. The message she brought to the people who came to her was simple– God is not punishing us with this plague. God loves us, and Jesus has suffered everything for us so that we can be free to be in God’s love. One of her famous blessings is:
“All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”
I have taken that simple phrase and made it into an ostinato chorus. Over the top I have sung a simple message– no matter where we go, no matter how things are with us, the Love that is God is our home.
As I was finishing the song, I was reminded by my recent studies in Paul’s letter to the Romans of something Paul said that is very similar. Found late in chapter 8 of his letter, Paul insists that nothing can separate us from the love of God. I have merged that idea with John’s famous saying in 1 John, that God is love– so that nothing shall separate us from the love that is God.
All of this is secondary if the song doesn’t work to help you find a moment of peace and perhaps some comfort in knowing that nothing shall separate you from the Love that is God.
Blessings!
(On the technical side of things . . . I play keyboards; programmed the drums using Acid Pro 7.0; played electric and acoustic guitars; and sang the vocals. Brian Horsely played bass on this track, direct into the board.)
Categories: My Music.
Here is the new song– check it out by clicking on the title of it, right below this line.
Categories: My Music.
This is a rough cut of a new song I’ve written and recorded at Basement Kat Studio (my place.) Katie Sizemore did the singing and Brian Horsley played bass.I did the other playing and drum programming. There’ll be a more extensive version later– but this was so good I had to share it now. Hope you enjoy it!
[audio:pleasesayyes.mp3]Categories: My Music.