June 14, 2010 by cpiatt.

This video talks about our upcoming book on Faith and Politics, called SPLIT TICKET. The song in the background is one of my spoken word pieces, called “Revolution.”

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April 27, 2010 by cpiatt.

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April 7, 2010 by cpiatt.

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April 4, 2010 by cpiatt.

Jesus is standing in front of the temple in Jerusalem
the massive gleaming brick and stone and gold house of God
and he says destroy this temple
and I’ll rebuild it in three days

the people listening to him said how are you going to do that?
it took 46 years to build this temple!
but he wasn’t talking about that temple
he’s talking about himself
he essentially says, listen
I’m going to be killed
that’s where this is headed
because you don’t confront corrupt systems of power
without paying for it
sometimes with your own blood
and so he’s headed to his execution
if you had witnessed this divine life extinguished on a cross
how would you not be overwhelmed with despair?

is the world ultimately a cold, hard, dead place?

does death have the last word?
is it truly, honestly, actually dark
and so whatever light we do see
whatever good we do stumble upon
are those just blips on the radar?
momentary interruptions in an otherwise meaningless existence?
because if that’s the case then despair is the
only reasonable response

it’s easy to be cynical

but Jesus says destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it
he insists that his execution would not be the end
he’s talking about something new and unexpected
happening after his death
he’s talking about resurrection

resurrection announces that God has not given up on the world
because this world matters
this world that we call home
dirt and blood and sweat and skin and light and water
this world that God is redeeming and restoring and renewing

greed and violence and abuse they are not right
and they cannot last
they belong to death and death does not belong

resurrection says that what we do with our lives matters
in this body
the one that we inhabit right now
every act of compassion matters
every work of art that celebrates the good and the true matters
every fair and honest act of business and trade
every kind word
they all belong and they will all go on in God’s good world
nothing will be forgotten
nothing will be wasted
it all has it’s place

everybody believes something
everybody believes somebody
Jesus invites us to trust resurrection
that every glimmer of good
every hint of hope
every impulse that elevates the soul
is a sign, a taste, a glimpse
of how things actually are
and how things will ultimately be
resurrection affirms this life and the next
as a seamless reality
embraced
graced
and saved by God

there is an unexpected mysterious presence
who meets each of us in our lowest moments
when we have no strength when we have nothing left
and we can’t go on we hear the voice that speaks those
words

destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it

do you believe this?
that’s the question Jesus asked then
and that’s the question he asks now

Jesus’ friends arrive at his tomb and they’re told
he isn’t here
you didn’t see that coming, did you?
he’s isn’t here
there is nothing to fear
and nothing can ever be the same again
we are living in a world in the midst of rescue
with endless unexpected possibilities

they will take my life and I will die Jesus says
but that will not be the end
and when you find yourself assuming that it’s over
when it’s lost, gone, broken and it could never be
put back together again,
when it’s been destroyed and you swear that it could never
be rebuilt

hold on a minute
because in that moment
things will in fact have just begun

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November 11, 2009 by cpiatt.

Some of you know that I recorded a live album of my spoken word with a couple of jazz guys last summer, but today I decided to try my hand at a solo track.

Since the original trio was called “S’aint Trio,” I’m keeping the same idea going and using the moniker “S’aint,” as in “I ain’t no…”

Anyhow, I recorded this at home on my hand-held recorder and using some loops and such I gathered and mixed on my computer. Interested in folks’ feedback, as I’m considering doing some more like this.

http://christianpiatt.podbean.com/

Christian Piatt

Author, MySpace to Sacred Space and Lost: A Search for Meaning

Editor, WTF: Where’s the Faith? Book series

Editor, Pueblo PULP

www.christianpiatt.com

Blog: www.christianpiatt.wordpress.com

Podcast: http://christianpiatt.podbean.com

Posted in emerging church, emergent worship, young adult, theology, culture, church, Blogroll, Podcast, spoken word, faith, Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »

October 18, 2009 by cpiatt.

If you have been following the three-part “WTF Chat” on my podcast with my WTF? (Where’s the Faith?) book co-creator and co-editor Brandon Gilvin, or if you’ve been waiting until all three parts were available at once, the time has come.

Check out http://christianpiatt.podbean.com/ for parts one through three-now available, or as usual, search “Piatt” in iTunes.

I also have a podcast posted about the most dangerous four-letter word in the English language. This is a sermon I offered at Milagro Christian Church in Pueblo Colorado and at Lee’s Summit Christian Church in Missouri, both in August.

http://christianpiatt.podbean.com/

Dig it.

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February 17, 2009 by cpiatt.

I’ve recently released two CDs on CD Baby, iTunes, etc. One is my acoustic singer/songwriter stuff, and the other is a spoken word and jazz improv project, called S’aint Trio. Though you can pull samples from CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon MP3, they’re only 30 seconds long, so I thought I’d post a full track, since some folks may not be used to this kind of stuff.

The piece I selected is called “Hair,” which is a tribute to my ongoing, complex relationship by body hair. It’s definitely my more humorous stuff, so don’t expect the same goofiness on the whole album, but this seems to be the most popular piece when I perform it.

Click here to check it out.

Posted in youth, comedy, humor, jazz, young adult, culture, Podcast, Music, spoken word, Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »

February 13, 2009 by cpiatt.

If you pull up iTunes and search “Piatt,” you can find my podcast and both of my new CDs featured in the top window. Pretty groovy.

The podcast is free, of course, and the CDs…well, they’re worth it in my humble opinion.

Please check it out and share with friends, family and enemies. Gotta get the word out, yo…

Peace,

Christian

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February 5, 2009 by cpiatt.

I’m happy to announce I have to CD projects finally available to the public.

The first recording is a spoken word and Jazz Improvisation project  I completed last summer with some amazing young players. The session is live, and I think there are some moments of great chemistry caught in this recording. The group is called S’aint Trio and the recording, titled “An Improvised Faith,” is named after one of the tracks:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/sainttrio

The second is a collection of solo acoustic pieces I have written over the years, some with multi-tracks, and some just straight-up live. It’s called the “Effect-Free LP” because it’s completely absent of any digital magic, hopefully to let the true spirit of the songs shine through:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/christianpiatt

Hope you enjoy it. If you do, please share the word with other who might as well.

Posted in Audiobook, Music, spoken word, Pulling the Goalie, Podcast, Columns, Lost Book, Blogroll, Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »