Below is the story of where the lyrics came from. There have been ups and downs for all of us this year and Jon penned it well! Take a read.

Love you all.

– ATA

Over the past few weeks, my family has entered into a season of tension. In fact, all of our astro-families have been experiencing stress lately, from family issues to new jobs, to those internal struggles rooted in deep things that you hoped were best forgotten. It is this last type of struggle where the enemy best loves to get a foothold. Small disagreements and minuscule fears fester in the dark places of our soul, growing larger until they begin to creep in and taint every relationship, every belief, every moment of our lives…

Our daughter, Maria, came to us 5 years ago, when she was 3 years old. From birth, she was taken from her birth family, spending nearly a month in the hospital, and then moved through multiple foster homes. The families in these homes all loved, and continue to love her, in fact, most of these families have now become a part of ours. However, for reasons ranging from sickness to family changes, this little girl was moved from loving home to loving home, until the fear of loss became so intertwined with the love of others that each and every moment of joy is tinged with a shadow of abandonment.

I didn’t realize how profoundly this affected Maria until we recently had some neurological testing done. As the doctor began to explain the results of the tests, she stated, “Your daughter’s brain chemistry is very unique”. She went on to explain that due to severe trauma and loss early in life, my little girl lives in a state of constant fear. In fact, our daughter’s brain is constantly sending messages, in an attempt to understand each situation and mitigate loss, so much so that the electrical impulses are likely causing seizures. Sadly, the only treatment and hope for relief is therapy, which is currently impossible for my daughter, cognitively.

That evening, after tucking her in bed, I sat under my little girl’s loft concerned and broken. How many times had I chastised her for not responding in the way I expected, as her brain tried too hard to comply? And, how many times had that chastisement fed that growing fear that my frustration might be the thing that ripped her away from her new home. I wept, asking God for forgiveness, but then began to intercede for my daughter.

Due to her limited understanding of what has happened to her, I don’t know long it will be before she can really make the connections that can lead to forgiveness and healing in her mind, heart, and soul. However, I do believe that our God can help heal the places where words and understanding don’t exist yet. In Brian Johnson’s recent book, “When God Becomes Real”, he refers to this process as “deep healing”. It begins when we worship our God for who he is, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in, and in that act of worship, God begins to reveal the hurts that we’ve hidden so deep that we’ve forgotten. Maybe this is what David means when he pens the words, “Search me God and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts!”

When God reveals these hurts, then we can do the work of seeking and giving forgiveness, as we’ve been forgiven, bringing our cycles of pain to an end. Not easy work, by any measure. Work requiring us to grow in trust and humility, as well as an understanding of how our loving Father views us.

As I sat in the dark, thanking God for my little girl and asking that he would reveal himself and his love to her through our family, I began to praise God for his steadfastness to us. A new song began to well up inside of me as I found myself singing;

When you meet us here,
We lay down our failures,
Lay down our fears.

With holy tears,
We confess,
And turn back to your love!

I began to cry, suddenly aware of places where I have been holding hurt and fear so close that I couldn’t even see them anymore. God showed me where I had been blaming him for feelings of loss and inadequacy, as well as opened my eyes to anger I’ve been needlessly harboring against friends.

So, I’m beginning a new leg of my journey home along with my daughter. One that I believe will lighten the load of fear and shame that I carry due to my pride. Like my daughter’s journey, it will be difficult, it will require time, tears, and the breaking of my heart, but I trust that it will also bring me closer to the one who heals and holds that heart together. I’m under no illusion that this particular season of struggle will end as I praise and seek forgiveness. In fact, the enemy will no doubt double his assault. But, as I rid the liar of his ammunition, I don’t need to fear any attack. The truth is no matter the outcome of the battle, I know how this war ends, and I’ll trust where the victor leads me.

-Jon (aka “El Tigre”) (aka Beanie)

The post Deep Healing – Song Story of Father’s Voice appeared first on All The Astronauts.

Every day when I come home from work Charlie Is so extremely excited to see me. She comes up to me as I’m removing my shoes and setting things down and begs for my attention Like she just can not stand another second of not being in my arms. What an awesome feeling, to have someone reaching up for you, as if their life depended on you picking them up and loving on them. This often makes me think of the way I worship and the way I see many others worshiping God. I don’t often think about the why behind raising my hands in worship. I think that sometimes it is situational and depends on what we are singing and saying. Sometimes it is a posture of surrender. Other times it is a posture of receiving or waiting for response from God. But I think, most times, for me it is a posture that says “here I am Papa. I love you so much and everything I am doing is for you. I’m reaching out to you because I love you with my whole heart and without your Love for me, I would be nothing. My life is dependent on your love.”

It’s the most amazing feeling when Charlie reaches up for me with that expectant look in her eyes, knowing that I will pick her up and love on her. That is just the relationship between an earthly father and his daughter. I imagine, or I hope that when I reach up for my Papa in worship, that it is so pleasing to him. And ultimately that’s what we aim for in worship isn’t it? That we please him in our praise and worship to him for the sacrifices he has made for us. For all that he has given us, and for being the creator of our very being.

In the picture of Charlie on my wife’s shoulders at an ATA worship night, she has her arms up in the air and is screaming “DADA!” I know, at this time of her life she is just excited to see her dad and adopted uncles play loud music and dance around. I look forward to the day, though, that I see her outwardly worshiping Her Heavenly Papa. My hope for her is that she always knows she is a princess. Not Daddy’s princess. Not because she will someday meet her prince that will sweep her off her feet. Not because she feels like she needs to have the aesthetic of a princess. But because she is the princess, the daughter, of the king of kings. I hope that she will always know his love for her and that someday she will raise her hands up to him.

– Yeti

The post “DADA” appeared first on All The Astronauts.

Racking leaves.
Pruning shrubs.
Trimming Trees.

I have 2 favorite trees in our yard.

1. The twisted River Birch in our backyard.
2. This little ornamental Japanese Maple right in front of our living room window.

Each one is unique to our street. One provides shade. The other gets really pretty and varies between these nice shades of red throughout the year.

As I was walking the yard I noticed that there was a section of the maple that had no buds or leaves on it until the very top of it. Upon further inspection, it was pretty clear that the branch forking off the main trunk was mostly dead yet.

It wasn’t dead yet.
But, it wasn’t going to get better

(That was for all you Monty Python fans.)

I digress.

So, being the gifted tree surgeon that I am, I grabbed my dullish hatchet and gave it a good hard whack.

Then I grabbed a saw. I miter saw, but at least it had teeth.

Here’s what I saw.
Clearly, the core was dead.
Brittle.
Easy to break.

The outside was still getting some nourishment but deeper you go, the closer to the trunk, the dead core got worse. If I didn’t cut it off, the possibility that the whole tree would die grew.

I’ve been thinking a lot about that tree lately.

There’s a really strong connection to worship for me here.

You can’t make the inside better by working on the outside.

See, I think worship comes from the inside. There are brain parts to it. There are heart parts to it. It’s not about how well you sing or clap, what you look like, how you dress or the status quo. For me, worship is about connecting with our stories and God’s story and hoping that my future chapters will be better than the previous ones…

… in spite of me.
… Because God did something bigger.
… For us.

That’s what Easter is all about.

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One Saturday just before Christmas of 2016, Jon and I wrote a song via text message for our Christmas services at Crosspoint. It was one of those times where inspiration hit like a ton of bricks. Jon texted me something, I stopped making dinner, and about 25 minutes later we had about 90% our “Christmas” song. We finished it that next afternoon and debuted it to our church tribe a few weeks later.

As we continued to hone it in, we realized that by changing a few phrases it because a much bigger song than one you one sing at Christmas. So, we retooled a few things and now we have an “Easter” song.

It’s not a pretty picture of the resurrection. It’s an attempt to look at the raw weight of what Jesus did on that tree for us. Recognizing his death for our sins and how that one crazy act can change everything.

But he was pierced for our rebellion;
he was crushed for our sins;
He was beaten so we could be whole,
and with his wounds we are healed.
– Isaiah 53:5, ESV & NLT mashup

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It’s now the early hours of Dark/Good Friday and I’m writing this feeling some of that weight of what today brings. I’ve been sitting in The Venue at Crosspoint thinking about how God uses such a broken, diverse group of people and I’m in awe. I recorded a rough/raw version of the song we wrote. It’s not professional quality by any means, and it’s my first “hey, I’m playing a song on the acoustic for the YouTubes” video. But, it’s what we’ll be singing out lungs out to a lot this weekend. Feel free to join us as we do.

And may we see the grace of a God laid low in a grave
Can save us.

-PJ

The post THE BROKEN TREE // EASTER 2017 appeared first on All The Astronauts.

It’s 11:51PM on Wednesday night and I’m just getting ready to head home after our final full run through rehearsal for Friday night’s Light The Night (of Worship) concert.

And, I’ll tell you what… I’m exhausted.

Here’s the deal… for some of you, this may be over spiritualizing some things. Sorry, not sorry.

See, I believe that there are things God asks us to do.
When he does, we have 2 choices.

1. Do it.
2. Don’t.

It’s kind of that simple. But, sometimes the simple pieces are the hardest.

It was 14 months ago that I felt this internal nudging that has culminated in the release of the ATA Light The Night record. There has been blood, sweat, tears, emotions, fights, arguments, frustrations, throwing my hands up in the air and wanting to quit, actually quitting, feeling guilty for quitting, restarting, more blood, more sweat, more tears… you get the idea.

But, if I’m honest, the last 10 days have been the hardest so far. Distractions have been popping up left and right trying to pull my focus from what this whole thing is really about.

See, I also believe that there is an intelligent darkness actively working against each of us who calls on the name of Jesus. And, that sucks. Usually, it doesn’t come after us in big things, but distractions that pull our focus. That’s where I am right now. That’s why I’m exhausted.

In the last 10 days, personally I’ve had $1250 of equipment fail that had to be replaced before this weekend. One of the speakers at Crosspoint crapped out mid week last week and had to be repaired this week. Just tonight, 3/4 of the way through rehearsal a speaker in my amp, that seemed to be in perfect working order, just decided it was done and stopped working. And, I may need a root canal.

I mean… come on.
“Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

Luckily, replacement pieces are accessible (I even had a spare speaker available), but it’s more money going out for something that wasn’t planned for… which, to me, is another distraction.

This past Sunday night over plates of tacos, the band discussed the fact that we’re trying to do something with a kingdom goal is going to cause that intelligent darkness to come after us.

Well, it is.

And, it’s not going to win.

This whole album project has been showered in prayer. It’s the biggest thing I’ve been asking people for when they ask what we need. Truly, I think it’s the most important part of this whole journey. So, now, more than yesterday, we need it.

My friend Jared, who consequently will be slinging lattes at the show on Friday night with the Brickhouse Mobile Espresso bar (and I’m so excited) used to be a missionary in Spain. Before he and his wife were kicked out of the country (for reals), there was a worship song that the people sang in the church they attended there. The translation (as I remember him telling me) was “my true act of worship is my obedience.”

Wow. That’s exactly the point that we’re in as a band.
This isn’t about getting rich or famous.
It’s not about being the next great worship song writer.
It’s not about selling a bunch of CDs.
It’s about being obedient to what God has called us to do, especially in the midst of the fight and the struggle and the distractions.

So, screw the darkness. It won’t win.
We’re going to burn it out as we light the night tomorrow night.

Yes, I’m anxious.
Yes, I’m a little frustrated.
No, I don’t want more bad stuff to happen.
But, I’m doing my best to keep focusing on being obedient first as my true act of worship.

So, pray with me today and tomorrow that something happens in a big way on Friday night. That the darkness gets it’s tail kicked. That we don’t back down. That we have grace and strength, peace and power, focus and humility to get out of the way and let God lead and that above all else, hope is seen on Friday night in this time of stories and songs.

Now it’s 12:27am on Thursday morning and the sun will rise today like it did yesterday. And, our hope can be firmly planted in a Rescuer who destroys the darkness.

We’ll see you tomorrow night.

– PJ (and the rest of ATA)

The post The Day Before appeared first on All The Astronauts.

Here’s the deal:

We want to give back at our CD release show on January 27, so we’re partnering with Dove Harbor to collect household items and distribution through the women’s & children’s shelter in Anderson.

Here’s the list of items we’re collecting:

• Trash bags
• Dish soap
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Batteries
• Vacuum
• Carpet cleaner
• Shower curtains
• Clorox wipes
• Pine Sol
• Light bulbs
• Mouth wash
• Sanitary pads
• Bleach
• Fabric softener

We’re also helping combat the sex trade industry in Berlin (the center of the sex trade in Europe) through our partners at Pink Door Berlin 10% of any merchandise sales will be given directly to combat this increasing epidemic.

Join us for a FREE night of worship and help change the world with us through Dove Harbor & Pink Door Berlin.

The post Give Back With Us appeared first on All The Astronauts.

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It’s time. You probably thought I took your money and skipped town… but I assure that has not been the case. We’ve been hard at work nailing down some awesomeness that we’re really excited to finally get the prerelease into the hands of the campaign contributors!

If you gofundmed the ATA recording project, you should have recieved an email on Friday last week containing a link to the download.

That link (that one that was emailed) will get you to a downloadable zip file of the entire Light The Night prerelease. Don’t freak out if you’re not sure what to do with it, it’s easy.

Step 1: Click on the link. It will send you to Dropbox.
Step 2: Click the download button.
Step 3: Your internet machine should start downloading the zip file right away.
Step 4: Find that daggon file. (I can never seem to track down where things go so I changed a few settings to always download to my desktop… if you want me to show you how to do that, you better be using a Mac because I’m Windows-illiterate).
Step 5: Once you find it, right click and “extract” or “unzip” whatever verb your machine uses to tell you it’s going to let you into the folder.
Step 6: Drag the files into your music player of choice. I hear there are other players besides iTunes, but I’m not sure what those are or how they work, so good luck! You now have the record forever.
Step 7: Rock your face off! Seriously, mine melted nearly instantly when I heard how all this came out (good news is that Producer Dave really knows what he’s doing and made us all not suck).

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All jokes aside, we really hope you enjoy this and that it brings some kind of new understanding you your faith journey. My biggest prayer all the way through this process is that God would use it to start conversations. And, it’s done that! And, I don’t think it’s done yet. All of US Astronauts have been feeling this weight of what we’re doing here. We don’t know what that means and we’re not trying to force anything, but we’re really pumped about this!

And none of it could have happened without each and every one of you. I’ve been nothing but humbled through this whole thing. So, again, thanks. It means the world to me (and us).

There’s a bit of a sequence that this email starts so, here’s the deal:

You now have access to download this file for 2 weeks. Friday, December 2nd it goes away.  But, I know that all of you will have it downloaded before breakfast… because that’s how we do (I would not recommend putting this on while you run because you will trip over  your jaw dropping to the floor at some of Robby’s guitar solos… just saying).

After December 2, we’ll remove the file from Dropbox and shortly after that we’ll be getting things set up for online purchase through iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, etc. (yes, it will be on Spotify as well).

The official album drop (that’s street talk for when it will be available) will also be staggered over the next 8 weeks or so.

1. There will be a digital single available in December.
2. Then the digital “drop” will be in January (likely the first week of the year so that people can use their iTunes gift cards they got for Christmas).
3. Then the CD release will likely be at the end of January upon a CD release party we’ll be hosting in Fishers, IN (we’re still working out all the details, but we’ll keep you in the loop).
4. Thank you notes, posters, CDs & reward packages will all ship out after the first of the year once we get everything back from production.

Last, but not least, we need your help again. This one should be fun, though. We’ve been using the #hashtag #lightthenightiscoming on all of our social media posts over the last few months and we’d like you to jump on board.

Just take a selfie (videos are best) of you listening to the album and post it on your social platforms. Tag @alltheastronauts and #lightthenightiscoming when you do and that’s it! This helps us spread the word and build the hype going into the new year.

That’s it! Enjoy your sonic experience!

– PJ (and Jon, Robby, Van & Luke)
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CHORUS:

“In the wake of
This collision
I find myself inside of your love.
In the wake of
this decision
I find what I am truly made of.”

It seems like it’s been a theme of these songs that I’m prone to anxiety. How frequently I feel like my faith wavers is staggering to me. It’s on that same plane as Peter losing his focus. Not feeling like he deserves grace. Firmly placing his/my value in what he’s/I’ve done… not what he/I experienced through Christ’s redemption.

My family loves the beach. Last summer we introduced my kids to the beach. It was awesome. It was one of those memories that I will always cherish. That moment of awe as we walked up to water followed by numerous moments of sheer joy as they both began to jump around in the water in their clothes. We hadn’t changed yet, but it didn’t matter. They were just this side of heaven. And, for me, looking at the vastness and strength of the water, the sun setting and squeals of joy in front of me, again I found myself being struck with the awe that the God who created all of this knows my name. Forgives me and accepts me. Just as I am.

It was awesome.

See when awe and excitement hit amidst a recognition of redemption, it hits it’s like a wave hitting the shore.

I love the morning on the beach when it’s clear. The footprints are all washed away. But as the day goes on, it gets cluttered and kicked around.

But, every few minutes.
A wave hits.
And, it’s clear again.

Those moments of awe and excitement, of acceptance and grace, of clarity don’t just happen on the beach, or in the mountains, or wherever we find comfort. They happen all the time around us. We just have to be aware.

“Like the rivers chase the sea
You are running after me
To show me I can truly live.
Like the waves that crash
You rush to where I’m at
And I lose myself upon your shore”

That’s my prayer for all of us.

That we would learn to see the chase.
That we could experience a clear shore.
That we could all learn to truly live.

That’s the place this song comes from.

– PJ
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CHORUS:
So, shine your love
Let grace cover us
Like a sunrise
Gleaming on the dew
Your peace is finally
Breaking through
In the light of the morning
We will sing
To you

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I started having panic attacks in 2011. I like to tell everyone that it’s because I was the “proud” owner of a minivan before I turned 30. Actually, it was because I had all this pent up baggage about trying to live a perfect life. (Take a look at the video I posted. We shot it and used it Crosspoint in 2012.) After lots of counseling, deeper study, and recognizing the fact that I’m not supposed to be perfect, I started song writing in late 2011.

I had been doing some study in 2 Samuel and found this passage talking about a ruling king. It says that he:

“is like the light of morning at sunrise,
like a morning without clouds,
like the gleaming of the sun
on new grass after rain.’” – 2 Sam. 23:3-4

Reading that hit me like a ton of bricks that I had been letting fear and pride rule my life. Not the graceful, peace giving God of the universe.

So, I grabbed my journal (shameless plug: I love Moleskins) and scribbled the words that would become the chorus of this song. It’s a declaration song of hope… for something new… for breaking through issues and moving into the light of new understanding.

A few months later, we introduced the song at Crosspoint and it’s been somewhat of a staple for us ever since.

There you go.

That’s the song story of “Light of the Morning.”
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CHORUS:

“Lay down your burden
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer, come home
You’re not too far
Lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are.”

In my mind, truer words have never been sung to show what the church should actually be.

There’s this picture in Acts 2 of a group of people that are trying to live the way that Jesus taught them. They shared. They helped each other. Socioeconomic barriers disappeared. And people that walked away from their gathering knew that the Lord was with them.

A few times over my career as a “pastor” (I use quotes, because “pastor” is a weighted word in my book. I’m just a dude. Trying to be obedient to what God wants of my life and living that and sharing that with others the best way I know how… usually with some choice words and over beers), I’ve been called to the carpet by someone who doesn’t understand what we’re trying to do at Crosspoint. Or in the fact that I use choice words. Or that I drink. Or that my beard is too long. Or that I have tattoos. Or that I play electric guitar in church (yeah, that one is for real). Or… you name it… anyone can find a reason to not like something about someone or something if they look hard enough.

Honestly, when those things happen, it takes me awhile to process through them. And, I’m an extravert. I’m an open book. I wear my heart on my sleeve. If I’m angry, you’ll know. If I’m happy, you’ll know. It’s the old Irish soul in me, I think.

Sometimes those people are bringing legitimate concerns. But, more often than not, they’re just grinding an axe on something. Most of the time, these people have this picture of what church “should be.”

Usually… usually… I can walk away from those encounters laughing them off because I can see that they’re not getting the reason that we do what we do at Crosspoint.

We’re a community of people that are OK with not having it all together. We don’t expect perfection, we don’t even expect “your Sunday best.” We want to meet people where they are.

This is the way that I saw Jesus live. He hung out with tax collectors and prostitutes. The sick and the dying. The lepers and the lame. The blind and the broken. And, he didn’t make them perfect to be with him. He went to where they were and spent his time there.

These are the kinds of people that I see get used in the story of God all over the place.

Adam loved his wife more than he chose to love God and created sin.
Abraham didn’t trust in God’s plan and slept with his wife’s servant to produce a child… later to father one with his wife.
David had a man murdered because he was having an affair with his wife.
Paul, the person who is believed to have written more of the New Testament than anyone else was the modern day equivalent of religious terrorist before he met God.
And the list goes on… and on… and on…

The Bible is littered with broken people that God use to do his work. And it all starts with them being open enough to admit they need to lay down their burdens and shame.

When I heard this song about 18 months ago, it was one of those ones that I just knew was going to have an impact. What a glorious picture of the church being the church.

Broken people.
Coming together.
As they are.
Seeking healing and acceptance.
And actually finding it.

Those are the kinds of people that are trying to not let their pasts define them.
That’s the kind of people I want the church to be.
That’s the kind of person I want to be.

So, this song of calling and restoration became one of the anthems at Crosspoint.
It became an anthem in my life.
It’s one of the anthems of All The Astronauts.
Won’t you join in it with us?

Thanks to Ben, Matt & David for writing this. I may never get to tell you this in person (and I’m a big fan and don’t know how I would anyway) but hopefully someone else has told you: you’re changing people with music! Thanks for calling us all to better living!
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CHORUS:

“Let every blood washed one
Sing redemption’s song
Bowing low before Your Son
Let every blood washed one
Praise the Holy One
Hallelujah, He has won”

I hate church politics. I don’t understand denominational “arguments” over things like membership, music or preaching style, or any of the other trivial things we as people tend to argue about.

I like the Cubs. You might like the Cardinals. That doesn’t make us mortal enemies. It means we both like baseball, right?

So, a couple years ago, I walked out of cross-denominational meeting with a bunch of pastors and an “discussion” about membership being required for people to serve at church came up (specifically musicians). I was one of the few that laughed the whole thing off because of the view that I stick to on the issue.

See the church movement that I grew up in held this thought that the church should “extend our hand in fellowship to every blood-washed one”, rather than align themselves with a particular movement. I read this as, “I love Jesus. You love Jesus. Let’s work together.”

I never really understood why this even needed to be said. Remember, I just like baseball. But, I realize I’m different. And, I even took it a step further and said “why not invite people that don’t love Jesus into what we’re doing and maybe it’ll help them see church/Jesus/God a little differently? There’s no such thing as a Christian drum beat, right? Or a Chrisitan chord progression?”(Well, OK… “G, C2, D, C2” might actually be a Christian chord progression.) So, I’ve always invited people along to play that don’t always believe the same things that I do. It’s how I roll. Maybe it’s wrong. But, I hope I’m showing them something different about church and church people.

I’ve seen the ways that music can be unifying to a group of people. One of the most “religious” experiences that I’ve ever had was standing at the United Center in Chicago as thousands sang the heart of Psalm 40 through the conduit of the U2 song “Forty.” The band let the stage and the crowd just kept singing, proclaiming this prayer of David. I stood in awe thinking “some of you have no idea what you’re even singing.” It was a prayer. A petition. And, only God knows if someone was changed by it.

I’ve also seen how music (like sports) can be a hinderance to unity. We bicker and fight over the style of music that “is true worship” or “is fitting for use in church.” I’ve been a part of the those fights. They were stupid and I was wrong. Whether we “like the music” or now, we should be able to look past all that and look at the heart of it. Who is it to? What is it for?

So, as I reflected on all of this I found 2 scriptures that informed the writing of this song: 1 Corinthians 6:11 that says (I’m paraphrasing here): Everyone sins. But you can be washed clean by the sacrifice that Christ made for you and you’ll be made good and legitimate again in his sight.

That’s how I want to live.

So, this song is a call to unity.
A call to action.
A call to togetherness with each other…
And with Heaven.

Because when we all come together, we all win.

– PJ
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