Caney OPC will host a concert by 2009 Independent Christian Acoustic Artist of the Year Nathan Clark George at 7 PM Thursday, May 21, as part of his "Pull Up A Chair" tour. Nathan loves the Reformed faith, is down to earth and a great guitarist, so I'm sure you will enjoy hearing him in concert. Admission is free but we encourage you to support Nathan's ministry by contributing to the offering at the end of the concert, and I have a hunch you'll want to buy one of his CDs.

Bring a friend and enjoy an evening of great music! Better yet, bring a family member. The concert's theme will be "Celebrating Church & Family." Why? Because so many here in Caney believe the church & family are great things, but don't attend a church, and have a broken family. We're going to celebrate the fact that God provides a way out, and a better way, through Jesus Christ! "He sets the lonely in families" (Ps. 68:6), and by His grace husbands and wives, parents and "children are a blessing from the Lord." (Ps. 127:3) How does this happen? By asking Christ to save you from your sins, and joining His church to worship Him for saving you. In the church Christ leads you by His Word and Spirit to serve Him in all of your life, including your family--bringing reconciliation with God and with your fellow man. What incredible things to celebrate!

Nathan Clark George's songs interweave family life, scripture, and some of the greatest hymns of the church, in a folk-pop acoustic guitar style reminiscent of James Taylor and Phil Keaggy. Nathan was awarded Acoustic Artist of the Year at the 2009 Momentum Awards hosted by Indieheaven. His new CD, Pull Up a Chair, was also named 2009 Album of the Year. You can listen to some of his songs for free on his "Free Stuff" page, MySpace, YouTube, in his music player, and you can preview & purchase them through his website. Take a look at his calendar to see where his tour takes him next and let your friends know it's a concert they won't want to miss!

If you'd like a poster to post at your church, feel free to print this 11x17 or this 8.5x11 one.

Here's a little more info about Nathan taken from his website:

Although living in an RV with his wife and their five kids can be a bit noisy, Nathan Clark George has somehow managed to quietly make a name for himself in the music world. Known for his thoughtful lyrics, acoustic prowess and ability to apply music directly to scripture verses, Nathan has been honored multiple times by his peers and fans alike. He was nominated twice by the prestigious Independent Music Awards in the Singer/Songwriter category for previous projects and named Acoustic Artist of the Year two years in a row by Indie Heaven. His unique talent caught the attention of Franklin Springs Family Media earlier this year and they approached Nathan about doing a documentary on his very unorthodox lifestyle. The result is a new 14-song CD and concert/documentary DVD both entitled Pull Up A Chair.

"We've been traveling in our motor home for nearly four years now," says Nathan. "So it became even more cramped when the documentary guys joined us for a week." The result is an intimate look at a very unconventional lifestyle that Nathan says has given his family some best - and worst - moments.

"One of our best moments was at the Grand Canyon," Nathan recalls. "As we watched the fog rising up out of the canyon, I just began to realize what special opportunities we have had on the road together as a family." And the worst? "Oh, definitely when the sewer tank exploded all over me only a couple of hours before I had a concert. My Birkenstocks were filled with things we don’t really want to talk about."

The things Nathan does want to talk about usually end up in the form of a song. He admits to being a haphazard writer ("most of these songs were written before we began living in the RV"), but he also manages to find quiet moments on the road--even with five kids in tow.

"What If I Were in the Garden" is one of three new studio songs on the Pull Up a Chair CD and the project's first radio single. It's a simple question Nathan posed to himself about his own potential to fail the Lord as the disciples did. The CD's title cut reflects on Christ's willingness to weep with us. "We too often cocoon ourselves," says Nathan, "and don't realize that we are supposed to weep with those who weep and laugh with those who laugh. We need to engage people on that very personal level."

Nathan says his most difficult musical undertakings are writing music for scripture. Pull Up a Chair features Psalm 111 and Psalm 24 set to music. "I treat that process with great fear and reverence," he says. "The lyrics are written by God, after all. The challenge is to make it flow in a natural way. A lot of work goes into the phrasing aspect."

One song on the CD, "Little Trees," is a reflection on Psalm 1 rather than a verbatim rendering. "This was really the first time I wrote an expression of a Psalm. I wrote it from a father's perspective about raising sons, and it's probably my favorite song on the project. When we started out living in the motor home, I worried that I would be damaging my kids. But honestly, it has given them such a wide view of the world and we've been able to do some amazing things together."

From coffee houses to churches to arts councils and every venue in between, Nathan Clark George keeps his repertoire flexible, but his style consistent. "People in coffee houses appreciate the scripture songs as much as anything else," he says. "I'm just a musician who is willing to go anywhere and sing for anybody. I really don't follow the Christian music scene so I don't know where, or if, I fit in. I just try to be cognizant of where God wants me and try to stay within that framework. Even if it means another year in the RV."