Thrice’s Dustin Kensrue To Focus On “Shaking Things Up In Worship Music Culture”
With Thrice having played their final show, vocalist/guitarist Dustin Kensrue has opened up regarding his future plans, which include a move to Bellevue, WA to lead worship at the Mars Hill Church. To that end he has posted a lengthy update via Marshill.com. You can read an excerpt from it below:
“For the past few years, I have felt a growing burden and calling to invest more and more of my time and efforts towards worship music. This seemed strange at first, since I don’t actually listen to any worship music and have never been very much of fan of most the music sung in churches.
But God slowly began to show me that he had specifically gifted and uniquely trained me to enter into this fray and fight to make a difference. Despite apparently having told my wife at one point that I would never be a worship leader, a year or so again, I felt called to start leading worship at my home church and soon began to.
When Mars Hill was going to plant in Orange County with my good friend and former Thrice manager Nick Bogardus as the lead pastor, I knew that I was supposed to sign on and serve there.
Over the last few years God, continued to give me a bigger and bigger vision of what I eventually I’m called to do, and given me the audacious goal of shaking things up in worship music culture and the church at large.
I have a passion to see more songs that are 1) more cross/Christ-centered, and also 2) engage the culture directly, rather than endlessly recycling the Christian subculture. Despite my fears at failing and my doubts in my abilities, I am firmly convinced that this is God’s calling on my life…”
COMMENTS
While I commend him for having the balls to abandon his meal ticket, this dude is complete off his rocker. I just don’t understand people that get this insanely obsessed with religion and let it dictate their every action. Learn to think for yourself, sir. There is more to life than living by some “code” written thousands of years ago.
besides…….all the best bands are affiliated with Satan……..
Yeah, like the Jonas Brothers.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ^
Have fun seeing Bob Saget!
Leaders at mega churches seem to have some pretty sweet meal tickets. Meal tickets that show up to where they, and their family, already are.
Whilst you’re my favorite jerk burger on thePRP, this would have to be once of the most relative comments I’ve read in a while!
This being especially so regarding the current situation among so many bands who have members flip out and think they have to drop everything and start dedicating a life to god. I won’t rain on their parade and say “just give up” but what you said about there being more to life than blah blah blah is so fuckin’ dead on. Refspect, Sir!
While he is off his rocker, a stellar songwriter like dustin is what the churches need: someone to redefine what the church stands for. Its become way too muddled.
word, worship music sucks in terms of song writing! its time we had some cats like dustin writing some music that christ deems acceptable!
Always been a huge fan of his writing. By far one of my favorites. Can’t really get on board with all of the themes, but he does an excellent job of putting them to music. I’ve always thought praise and worship is too easy to write. The subject matter is predetermined, and there is little exceptance in the community for deviation or delivery of the message. Maybe he can change that for the betterment of the culture. That being said, I probably still won’t listen to it.
At the risk of extreme flaming, i will begin by saying I am a Christian and have attended many a church service. Modern day worship music sucks the devil’s dick. I used to show up late to service just so I wouldn’t have to listen to it. Maybe he feels he can actually write some decent music for the field and make a connection with the youth. Personally, I’d like to hear service open up with a little living Sacrifice, but that’s just me.
What type of Christian are you? Moderate, fundamental?
I will end my questioning here (until I get a reply).
Haha, not too sure. Never liked labels, I’ve always just referred to myself as non-denominational. I’ve actually been really trying to relearn Christianity. I grew up in the bible belt and just took everything I was taught at face value, but I’ve really been looking at things in a different perspective. This is most likely due to my recent experimentation with hallucinogenics.
New found respect for you after that last sentence haha.
Fair enough. I agree with Wurst, that last statement earns you some respect.
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of god and that the only way into heaven is to accept him as your lord and savior? Secondly, will all those that don’t do the aforementioned burn in hell for eternity?
P.S – “Christian” is a label.
Unless you’ve been experimenting with bath salts.
I believe that Jesus is the son of God, yes. After that I have some doubts. It’s hard for me to accept two things. 1 – that God would send a Muslim born child to hell if he’s blown up by a car bomb before he ever lives long enough to hear the word Jesus. 2 – that God would make anyone he claims to his children burn in Hell forever for screwing up. If my son ever did something really bad, like kill someone I would want him to pay the price, but NEVER would I send one of my kids to an eternity of burning in fire. That’s not love, I don’t care what any preacher says. I think a lot of things in the bible are misunderstood. Starting from the fruit and going forward.
So a moderate it is. Do you consider what influence your family, friends, surroundings and place of birth has had on your indoctrination?
You state that you believe Jesus is the son of god – have you studied any of the ancient pagan religions/gods. I suggest you research the similarities of pagan gods such as horus, osiris etc as many stories from these pagan gods (that were presented before Jesus) share very similar stories (virgin birth, resurrection, sacrifice, etc).
I used to be a Christian,so I am very aware of at least a part of how you feel/think. My advice would be do the research for yourself. Don’t accept what is told to you and always question authority. Any claim of infallibilty should automatically be questioned; especially a claim of infallibility that came about before any major scientific breakthrough ever occured. The god(s) that have been created by man (thousands throughout history) are just as we would expect ancient and barbaric men to have made them; ritualistic, blood-hungry, narcissistic, all knowing, all powerful, etc.
Gods and religion were created out of ignorance to answer questions that were unanswerable at the time.
I’ll shut up, for now.
I plan on it. I don’t deny that I was born and raised in a Christian family in the south and that it would be awesomely coincidental for me to have been born and raised under the influence of the only true religion. I’ve always been open minded about Christianity and how the bible is interpreted, but about the time I turned 30 I got even more open minded about the possibilities of religion as I knew it being completely misunderstood by all walks of life. Two things I know for certain – the wold, the human body, the imagination, the mind and everything we view around us is way too awesome to have not been designed by a being a million times more intelligent and powerful than we could ever be – and there is an afterlife. I don’t know if it’s Heaven or hanging with L Ron Hubbard and playing horseshoes with Xenu, but I don’t believe the energy that is our minds/spirits will ever cease to exist.
All that being said, your advice is sound, thanks.
Sorry bud, but “I don’t know, therefore god” is not a valid argument. It is the classic god-of-the-gaps argument. And you don’t know anything that you mentioned for sure, you have faith, but you truly have no idea. The only things we can “know for sure” are facts and tangible evidence.
Science has a very good idea of how we got here (another thing you should look into). More and more information is coming in each and everyday because there are so many amazing scientists working to find evidence for how exactly we got here. Sadly, the more we learn, the less likely it is that any “intelligent” design took place.
Youtube the video “science saved my soul” by philhellenes.
Silly Farts!, spirit moves through all things.
Considering this shit keeps coming up around here, some of you might be interested in this. It’s one of my old profs from my community college days embarrassing a creationist in a debate about intelligent design.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdjYUGfWm88
Reality isn’t a Disney movie, Dark.
I feel filthy after reading this post. **Goes and listens to Ghost**
Ghost sucks.
“… and Dustin Kensrue just landed a triple-axle without so much as breaking a sweat. That shark just doesn’t know what went over it.”
I want to get down on my knees and start pleasing Jesus
I want to feel his salvation all over my face.
Whenever I see Jesus up on that cross, I can’t help but think that he looks kinda hot
ha ha ha!!!!! Even though the part about him not breaking a sweat is wrong, he breaks a sweat putting his shirt on.
The body of Christ, sleek swimmer’s body, all muscled up and toned.
The body of Christ, Oh, Lord Almighty, I wish I could call it my own.
I wonder if Dustin has ever heard Gaza – He Is Never Coming Back? Also, does anybody know where a copy of Gaza – Tebow can be found?
“But God slowly began to show me that he had specifically gifted and uniquely trained me”
“Over the last few years God, continued to give me a bigger and bigger vision of what I eventually I’m called to do, and given me the audacious goal of shaking things up in worship music culture and the church at large.”
“I am firmly convinced that this is God’s calling on my life…”
Mars Hill is an extremely misogynist and sexist megachurch that loves throwing around their rich white male privilege to the point where it’s downright appalling. I’ve gone to a couple of their services at the request of a couple friends, and it’s more like a really rich Christian-based cult than any kind of legitimate church. Disappointed to see Kensrue make this decision.
By definition, all organized religions are cults. Not only is Christianity a cult, but a cult based on human sacrifice.
Praise the blood of Jesus!
this is false by the way. this dude has no idea about this team and the pressures of leading:(
I find it hilarious how people call out christians and there spirituality. its a personal belief system to help the human mind navigate through the throes of existence at a somewhat peaceful notion. I have mad respect for dustin in a sense of he is giving the spirituality concept a strong run for him and his family. for me i am a ” follower of christs example” i love people even when it is difficult to do and i do my damnedest help the poor and lame……..point is people make decisions in life that help them live, lay off. geeze there is some rude dudes here!
Shut up.
Fucking nerd.
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