Charisma Magazine

Grammy-nominated artist Chris Tomlin has won multiple Dove Awards, and has gold and platinum records to his credit. Time magazine has called him “the most often sung artist anywhere.”

He recently talked about his new album, And If Our God Is for Us, which released today from sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records.

How do you feel about being called “the most often sung artist anywhere”?

I don’t know really what I think about that. That’s pretty crazy to think how these songs made their way to the church where they have and into people’s lives—they have gone way past me. They are way bigger than just a song on the radio or a new album with a song that lasts a year or two. Some of these songs have really found their way into the DNA of the church around the world, and it’s amazing that not only it traveled around the United States, but also all over the world. … I love it because people don’t really attach it to me, I don’t think. It’s just these songs they sing at church, so that’s really powerful to me and extremely humbling.

Operation Christmas Child of Samaritan’s Purse has partnered with the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, set for release on Dec. 10. Operation Narnia encourages Narnia fans to join the effort to show the love of Christ to millions of children around the world with shoebox gifts.

“We’re very excited to participate in the upcoming release of the movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “We want children around the world to know the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of Jesus Christ—and the joy ­­­­­­­­­­­­­and hope that this brings.”

Randy Riddle, Operation Christmas Child’s domestic director USA, says the partnership was a natural fit because of the film concepts and themes. “We believe that any fan of C.S. Lewis and the themes that he’d write about—forgiveness, adventure, redemption—are all things that will resonate with those who enjoy reaching out to children in the name of Jesus Christ through Operation Christmas Child. We just felt like it was a terrific match.”

In a new television documentary, Sarah Palin takes on a new role as tour guide of the nation’s largest state. Sarah Palin’s Alaska, which premieres on TLC on Sunday, offers a glimpse of life in Alaska as seen through the eyes of one of the state’s most recognizable residents. 

The eight-week television event chronicles the former governor’s life in her everyday surroundings and roles as a wife, mother and working mom. Away from the buzz of the political scene, this program captures Palin and her family exploring the beautiful Alaskan terrain, interacting with family and engaging with fellow Alaskans.

The musically superior Annie Moses Band recently visited Charisma offices. Band members Bill and Robin Wolaver and their six children—Annie Wolaver Dupre (lead vocals, violin), Alex (lead vocals, viola), Benjamin (cello), Camille (harp, keyboard, vocals), Gretchen (violin, mandolin, guitar, vocals) and Jeremiah (guitar)—pursue a standard of musical excellence that is unmatched. The three older siblings trained at Julliard, and the family hosts the Fine Arts Summer Academy each year.

Click to watch the Annie Moses Band perform and to learn more about their music ministry.

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Pilgrims & Prodigals, a live DVD and studio CD, is scheduled to release next spring. Click here for more information and to purchase this new project.

Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoko | Zondervan

Not to be read alone, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals was not written alone either. Shane Claiborne, an activist who lives in a “new monastic” community in inner-city Philadelphia; Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, a Baptist minister also in a monastic community; and Enuma Okoko, a woman who was formerly director for Duke Divinity School’s Center for Theological Writing, came together as a team to create this volume.

Seeing liturgy as a tool to bring unity across church divisions, the authors encourage every Christian, from the fiery Pentecostal to the disciplined Benedictine, to use this volume of songs, prayers, ideas and memories meant to be spoken aloud and shared in some kind of community.

The elements of the liturgy are organized so as to minimize page-turning, and the elements of the church calendar are explained for those unfamiliar. The guide also includes prayers for special occasions and a selection of songs ranging from the Doxology to Taize chants and African-American spirituals.

Appealing to the liturgy veteran as well as the novice, Common Prayer encourages active prayer and worship as believers join around the globe to regularly refocus their lives on God.

Click here to purchase this book.