Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." -- Matthew 5:13-16 NIV
In 1993, Bob Briner (1938-1999), a successful sports businessman, released his first book titled Roaring Lambs: A Gentle Plan to Radically Change Your World. In the book he talks about the need for Christians to strive for excellence in both their professional and personal lives in order to "earn the right" with the lost to point them toward Jesus Christ. Briner emphasized the necessity for Christians to reenter the culture-shaping fields that we have abandoned so that we can affect our culture in a positive way. He was an influential man who believed in serving others.
Based on Briner's book, the Roaring Lambs album was conceived and directed by Dave Palmer and produced by Steve Taylor. All songs on the album are new releases by some of the finest artists who are Christians--Steve Taylor, Bill Mallonee and Vigilantes of Love, PFR, Jars of Clay, Deliriou5?, Burlap to Cashmere, Over the Rhine, and Sixpence None the Richer. Listeners will also find collaborations by Ashley Cleveland and Michael Tait, Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith, Ginny Owens and Brent Bourgeois, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Charlie Peacock along with appearances by other roaring lambs such as John Mark Painter and Emmylou Harris. There are no weak tracks on this album. What you won't find here are the names of God or Jesus included in most songs, but the references are definitely there.
One of my favorite songs on the album is Steve Taylor's "Shortstop." The music rocks, the lyrics are fun yet grounded in truth, and the production is outstanding.
Shortstop, standing in the lurch
Bridging faith and field research
High-wire balance, every move is inspired
Hedge your bets and handicaps
Shortstop's here to mind the gaps
Lord, who will rise up when that number's retired?
Paul wrote, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV
Another excerpt comes from the rock gospel tune "Salt and Light" performed by Cleveland and Tait, which reminds Christians that a characteristic of being salt and light in the world is to always speak the truth in love:
Judgment seat, judgment seat
It makes a good recliner, that judgment seat
Truth in love, truth in love
It's a powerful thing to speak truth in love
Here I am, I will go
Feet and hands, body and soul
You make an ordinary girl shine bright
In a world that needs salt and light.
Jesus said, "...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:27-28 NIV
In conclusion, I believe this album will attract listeners of all ages in both the Christian and secular markets. And may we all follow Jesus' example of service as the late roaring lamb Bob Briner did by asking those we come in contact with, "How can I serve you?"
5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Rebel Base 2001Reviewed by Josh HurstBob Briner's monumental 1993 book Roaring Lambs inspired and motivated a lot of people, and it still is today. Briner really shook the Christian community up with his views on being salt and light in mainstream culture. The multi-artist compilation CD Roaring Lambs is out to do the same thing. Does it succeed in upholding Briner's views? Half of the time. Half of the songs on this album really…ReAL Magazine 2000Reviewed by Kevin D. Hendricks"Despite all the fancy buildings, sophisticated programs, and highly visible presence, it is my contention that the church is almost a non-entity when it comes to shaping the culture. In the arts, entertainment, media, education and other culture-shaping venues of our country, the church has abdicated its role as salt and light." (Bob Briner, from Roaring Lambs) Yes. A pull-quote like that should…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Jeffrey OverstreetRoaring Lambs: a festival in honor of a man who inspired excellence THE MAN: BOB BRINER Bob Briner, author of the book Roaring Lambs, encouraged believers to be "salt and light" in their culture through excellence. He exhorted us to do all things to the best of our ability for God's glory. For preachers, preach well. For storytellers, tell stories well. For athletes, play your heart out. And…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Mike L. EhretIf ever a various artists project (and there are loads of them these days) screamed "significant" and "momentous" with every sinew of its marketing tendons, Roaring Lambs, is that project. Let's look at the project's pedigree: It's based on a book that is a touchstone to the contemporary Christian, Bob Briner's Roaring Lambs. Briner died of cancer in 1999, at a too early age (61). It was…
