thank you: delirious?

So worship-rock pioneers delirious? announced this week that they'll be calling it quits at the end of 2009. This comes 5 months after their drummer Stew Smith announced his departure to spend more time with his family & local business. Though I haven't really been into delirious? the past few years, their announcement this week has brought back a flood of great memories and musical moments.

I first heard of the band back in my youth group days. Before service one night, their video Sanctify was playing. Our youth pastor ended up getting their double-disc worship release Cutting Edge soonafter. I began falling in love with the album and bought it and their next release King of Fools in 1998. It was during this time that I got my first guitar. I got all the chord sheets to Cutting Edge, and so I basically learned to play guitar as I worshiped in my room playing the songs from Cutting Edge.

I was working for a Christian bookstore in FL when their live album Live & In The Can came out in 1998. Perhaps no other worship album has had such an effect on me. The band's ability to improvise musically and take the worship music "wherever it goes" really struck me. No doubt this spontaneity made room for my future love for "jam music" like Dave Matthews Band & Phish. I remember blasting Obsession from this album on my speakers and just being completely absorbed by the music.

In Spring 1999 their album Mezzamorphis came out. To this day, this album remains my favorite delirious? album, and one of my top 5 favorite albums ever. This was delirious? at their peak. It was musically progressive, lyrically solid, and an impressive thematic album. I never shuffle through this one. The songs are ordered perfectly (on the UK version - the US Sparrow release screwed up the order): the beginning of the album focuses on the "now and not yet" aspect of God's Kingdom; the middle focuses on the struggles we face as believers, while the final third of the album crescendos in songs of praise climaxing in the powerful song Blindfold.

While my family & I moved to AZ in 1999, I read the band's biography Purepop. The band has a fantastic story. It was neat seeing how God worked in their lives and brought them together. From 2000-2002 the band released three mediocre albums. Glo and Touch certainly have their high points, but were disappointing. It was around this time that I feel the band really started struggling with their identity. It's like they had to draw distinct lines between their worship albums & rock albums targeted towards mainstream listeners.

After another great live album (Access:D), the band released World Service in 2003. The band seemed to be getting more comfortable with who they were, and the result was commendable. Though perhaps their tightest album musically, I agree strongly with Steve Stockman that delirious? had succumbed to the cliche worship lyrics of the time. Whereas Martin's lyrics in the past really set a new standard in worship songwriting, the band had ceased to forge new ground lyrically. Nonetheless, World Service remains a great album.

I finally got to see them live in Phoenix November 26, 2004. It was a great experience as Sarah & I were in the 2nd row in an extremely small venue. By shouting Stew's nickname "Smee" several times I was able to establish eye contact and cheer him on. I wish I could have gotten the opportunity to meet him and tell him his drumming has been a great influence.

Since then, like I said, I haven't been into them much. I was really disappointed with 2005's The Mission Bell. They lost me the moment I heard Tobymac rap on "Solid Rock," which would otherwise be a good song. I haven't even purchased or heard their last album Kingdom of Comfort.

I wish the band and their families well. Even though they are calling it quits, my hope is that they continue to release live albums and shows for download or something. They've got a plethora of great live music to pick from. I know I'd love a copy of the show I went to in 2004.

So thank you delirious! Thanks for your hearts for God, your special place in worship music, for Mezzamorphis, for the ? in your name, and the great memories over the years. I'll miss you guys.

Loving our enemies

"...there it [is] in the Sermon on the Mount, very clear: 'Love your enemies. Return good for evil.' Either accept what Christ said, as unpassable and silly as it may seem, or deny him completely."

-Father George Zabelka, as quoted in Jesus for President