And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for
My strength is made perfect in weakness..."
2 Corinthians 12:9a
Lance Christopher Says That He Knows What It Is Like To Be Weak...
"Battling cancer over the last few years really broke me down.
It marks you...
You can get bitter or you can let your heart be trained by it.
In my case, it also forced me come face to face with some disturbing truths like...
I wasn't tough or strong.
And contrary to what I once believed, I never really had been...
Intense physical pain, endured for long periods of time, ruthlessly made this clear to me.
For someone who had served in the army and was raised by a career military man (at one point, my father, my brother, both of my brothers-in-law and I were ALL on active duty at the same time), this was an especially bitter pill to swallow!
However, this self discovery opened up an even greater truth...
My Savior is tough and strong and always has been.
I mean, he endured torture and then death on a cross because He loved folks that hated Him!
But more than this, because He has suffered, the Scripture says He has compassion on me and gives me His strength when I admit my weakness and by faith rest in Him.
Well, after fighting sickness for awhile, the "admitting my weakness" part was pretty easy.
It was the "by faith resting in Him" that was a moment by moment battle.
Sometimes, it still is...
But it is a battle I did not (and do not) have to fight by myself.
Actually, I am sure that had I been left to fight it by myself, I would have lost.
I think I began to grasp how utterly dependent I am (and was) on the Lord, and His humbling care poured out through others.
The body of Christ, my business partners, the Nashville songwriting community, doctors and nurses... God moved on so many people to stand with my wife and children, and I... It blew us away!
I don’t know how many times I have broken down in tears when considering the selfless love that God sheltered us with through the beautiful folks around us.
There is NOTHING like genuine Christian community.
You know, there are times when I can literally feel the power of the prayers going up on my behalf!
When the healing finally does fully manifest in my body, in this life, I believe that it will have been the result of God’s love...
A love manifested in the prayers of those who selflessly carried me in their hearts."
CANCER, MUSIC AND JOY!
Lance shared how the cancer battles have impacted his music and ministry, "They have really forced me to dig deep, and to my surprise, what I found there in that deep place was joy... pure, radiant, and full of hope.
Of course, I had to get past the shock, grief, self pity... You know, all the junk that trouble brings to the surface... But I found that once I chose to offer up to God a sacrifice of praise... Not just an offering, but a sacrifice...
And let me tell you when you got no hair, you are so weak you can hardly move, you were just throwing up, and every cell in your body hurts... It is a sacrifice to praise!
Well, what I found out was when I started singing to God, even as pitiful as that singing was, God took notice!
I could feel His Presence and His love in ways that are almost impossible to express!
It was like He would touch me with a joy that was deeper and truer than the trouble.
Obviously, not every day is "Joy Unspeakable", but when I feel really down, I try to be honest with God and I talk to Him just like I would if I was a kid hurting and talking to his dad.
In the Bible, David held nothing back in the Psalms... He got real with God... As a matter of fact, his level of realness used to make me uncomfortable!
Here you have this emotional, artistic soldier and political figure just spilling everything, all his junk and fears and love to God...
And he did it in songs that were meant to be sung by the choir!!!
The guy bared his deepest soul in the public square!
That truth alone shook me and challenged me to go places in my music that I hadn't been before..
It gave me the courage to REALLY offer that sacrifice of praise from the broken place...
David almost always ended with that sacrifice of praise!
His example and the examples of the others God used to pen the the Bible gives us a God breathed, brass tacks model for how to get through suffering.
Well, to sum it up, I just have to say that I found joy where I least expected to find it!"
GROWING UP
Lance's father, Earl, was career navy and he was raised in a lot of different places, finally settling in Hawaii. When asked about this and his musical influences, he had this to say, "I was a bona fide 'navy brat'. I lived on military bases all over. We really did move a lot, but music was a constant.
My mama sang all the time. She loved singing along to Richard Roberts, Evie, the worship from Rock Church in Virginia. I remember how she used to wake us up in the morning to her 'Good Morning' song. All of us kids would drag out of bed to her sweet voice and mischievous smile. My grandma and great grandma on her side were known for the hymns.
On my father's side, it was mountain music. He loved to sing the old songs from his child hood when he was driving down the highway. He sang in a rich, expressive baritone and the lyrics to those songs would have the whole family laughing.
Although my dad is a huge bluegrass fan, he also had his eight tracks by folks like the Beach Boys, ABBA, Jim Croce, Johnny Horton and Neil Diamond. When he would get home from being out at sea, he always brought back a couple of new music tapes. He would unload his big sea bag and I would quietly make off with his tapes. I guess somehow it made me feel connected to him. I remember sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor listening to his music choices over and over.
I started playing guitar as a teenager in Hawaii. And from the time I knew my first three chords, I was writing songs.
When I was 18, I had an encounter with God that forever changed my life. Since that time it has been one amazing journey with a whole lot of living... I guess that is where the best songs come from!"
THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, AND RUSSIA
With outreach and ministry to the U.S. and abroad, God has used him to touch both the highways and byways with His love.
His recent tour to Japan was a special blessing, and he has even traveled to Russia playing and ministering to large crowds in Kazan, in the Muslim Autonomous Region of Tartarstan.
While there he received a special invitation to share with the inmates of the main prison in Kazan.
Lance said, "That has to rank as one of the most interesting experiences of my life. It was especially humbling to see some of the muslim inmates turn to Jesus. The people were wonderful and we had a precious time that is forever etched in my memory!"
RE-CONSTRUCTION
With the release of Lance's sophmore album, "RE-CONSTRUCTION", in late summer of 2006, Lance recorded songs that are intimate, personal expressions of faith in the midst of life's storms.
His ability to weave lyrical stories that pull the listener into the drama of God's surprises breathed life into the whole project.
Lance said, "On this very unique, acoustic collection of songs, I had the privilege of working with...
Ernie Petrangelo, my incredible producer!
Danny Parks, one of the most versatile and talented acoustic players on the planet!
Scat Springs, my vocal hero... period!
Dave Brooks, a world class vocal talent!
Jim Pace, a brilliant drummer and percussionist and a beautiful person!
Paul Arntz, one of the freshest and most creative bass players I've ever worked with!
Tammi Rogers, simply the BEST violin/fiddle player I have ever heard."
IT IS ABOUT DISCOVERY
Lance continues, "You know, this album is really what I discovered about God in the hard places. The candid, emotional nature of the psalms inspired me to say just how I felt. The song, 'I Believe You Do', for me is my psalm of discovery."
RE-CONSTRUCTION?
When asked why he named the album "RE-CONSTRUCTION", he laughed, "Well, it was my co-writer and business partner, Dennis VanHove's idea to call it 're-construction'.
We had been talking about how personal some of these songs are and how it is like God is re-constructing my life and ministry into something a little different than it was before.
He just stopped and said that that was what I should name the next album. I wrote it down on the big dry-erase board by my desk and it wouldn't leave me alone.
I think it says best what God is doing in the here and now of who I am!"
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Strong faith in Christ, love for people and "blue collar" values permeate Lance's art and life.
With his anointed presentation and genuine songwriting ability, he expresses ministry that is authentic and relevant.
Lance Christopher is a compelling new voice...
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