Simplicity

I really enjoyed the conversational feel and honesty of "Simplicity." It felt like the author was in the living room telling stories peppered with introspection. There were many experiences told in the book to which I could easily relate, some that made me laugh out loud, some that made me angry, some that made my eyes tear up. As a musician myself, it was exciting for me to see various people groups & locales in the world (Huntington Beach, Washington state, Germany, Sweden..) through the eyes of a musician wanting to know God more and not be a fake. Without being preachy, Author Mark Salomon also spiced the book with challenges to Christians that can easily be met with intentional choice (as opposed to just floating along in life). By relaying aspects of his life experiences in rock music, Salomon led me to consider more carefully what following Jesus is about, especially as far as how I relate to other people. The book is a good reminder that Love can go a long way. I'd love to sit & talk with the author... I just loved "Simplicity."

I loved this book. Mark tells it like it is and sheds a lot of light on the issues some people may have with the band. I can seriously relate to a lot of the things he talks about, and he even made me realize things about myself that I never realized before. A must read for any Stavesacre fans and/or people who have issues with what the band or band members stand for.

Simplicity is all about making Christianity a lifestyle not a label and about being authentic. Throughout the book you go through Mark Salomon's life of Christian music. (Mark Salomon is the lead vocalist for a rock band Stavesacre and a former vocalist for The Crucified.) He lives in Huntington Beach California and he spends most of his time touring the country with Stavesacre. The book begins on the tour bus with Mark Salomon. Well that's even if you can call it a tour bus. It was more like a small U-Haul truck. He goes through this moment in his life to show that not all rock stars live glamorous lives and to show how it is hard to be the greatest person in cramp conditions for many months. The book takes you through many experiences in Mark's life, one of which was that people expected him at every show since he was a "Christian rocker" to preach the message of Jesus between songs and to outreach. They almost expected him to be an evangelist or Pastor type figure. He had to constantly explain to people at every show that he was an entertainer who was paid to entertain and not an evangelist. If they wanted to pay for a preacher then they should have done so, but they paid for an entertainer as he stated to many people during his life. One of his stories for example, was when he went to the state of Washington for a "gig" at a local church. He was already having a bad day in the cramped bus/U-Haul when he met a very interesting Pastor who after the show was giving him a hard time about paying him the full price for the show because they didn't have a message about Jesus during their show. Mark and the Pastor argued about the meaning of a Christian entertainer throughout his stay at the church. Mark kept trying to convince the Pastor that he was an entertainer and not a preacher. Even many months after the "gig", the Pastor and his youth group on their way to a mission's trip traveled to Mark's hometown in Huntington Beach. Mark was working at a local coffee shop when the Pastor stopped in just to start the argument up again. Overall, I thought the book was great and if you want to get a new spin on Christian music, you would benefit from reading this book. Or, if you are a Christian, you should read this book so you can learn from Mark how to be an authentic Christian.

Guilty myself of being an elitist in the "Christian Market," I took the first few chapters almost as a personal confrontation, pushing me to analyze some of my ministries and the fruits they ACTUALLY produced. It seemed like the author was attacking me, and I in turn had some negative thoughts about HIS faith, because that's what we do. It took taking a step back and considering what real ministry is, the act of serving, and when I stopped doing what he was pointing out that I was doing, I could actually see the beauty. There is so much truth, and it comes out of so much tough experience, and it helped to confirm a lot of the theories I have also had about the Christian music scene from my own church concert experiences. It was awesome to see someone else publish statements that so closely mirrored my sentiments, and now I am passing around my copy among members of the band I am in so we can discuss it, as though he were our new mentor and it was a job shadow for Christian Rock and what NOT to do. Very valuable insights.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I was a Stavesacre fan prior to reading this book. So, that was the basis of my initial interest. I also saw Mark Salomon at a small spoken-word tour during which he read exerpts from this book. This book will have significant impact on you especially if you are a Christian who struggles with the idea of the "christian market" and that sort of thing. This book is an autobiographical look into the life of a Christian musical artist who is honest about his struggles and shortcomings. Not your average christian book. i highly recommend it.