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QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

I want to say I have an adventurous spirit, but I’m a hobbit-like homebody at heart. Case in point: My wife and I live just 10 miles south of my childhood home in Arlington, Texas.

For all that I don’t love about our weather and traffic, I do love our home here in Arlington, smack dab in the middle of Dallas-Fort Worth. You might be surprised to know that it’s one of the most diverse spots in the country. We can hear it at the grocery store, see it in the YMCA our church meets in and taste it at an abundance of local spots.

Bethany and I are foodies, and if our budget (and metabolism) were limitless, we could spend a week eating dinner at our favorites — spicy basil fried rice from Sunny Thai, tacos and queso from Torchy’s, pepperoni pizza (with ranch) at Joe’s, a heaping plate of roasted veggies and chicken at Andalous, a bowl of ramen from Piranha, and a blue cheese burger at Grease Monkey.

But these days, we pick one or two of those and spend the rest of our evenings sharing dinner together at home. I say “sharing,” and I mean it. Whether it’s our favorite eat-outs, home-cooked meals or an after-dinner drink or dessert (like chocolate chip cookies), one of our greatest joys is to share a meal with others. All our favorite food spots hold many sweet memories with friends over the years — good drinks, deep laughter, shared pains and persevering friendship. But our own kitchen table holds the sweetest.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So, what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?

I’m continuing to discover how the quirky and the out-of-the-way might actually be on the way. I keep seeing good stories in all the things I love most, and every story reveals deep, connected truths.

Running a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with some friends teaches me how incredibly unique we all are, yet united in pursuit of heroic purpose. Exploring Hyrule in “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” reminds me that God hides reminders of redemption in every corner of our broken world. Reading the “Licanius Trilogy” helps me understand how to trust a God who is both above and in control of all time. All these encounters with great storytelling renew my sense of awe about the Great Storyteller.

These simple games, shows and books could just become random escapism, but they actually help me engage with the world. The more I explore the artful design of manmade stories and worlds, the more I see the extravagant design of our Maker’s world in his great Story. To borrow from Brother Lawrence, they help me “practice the presence of God” — to see purpose in the quiet drives, dinner table conversations and late-night chores and step into each with prayerful intention.

As a songwriter, my greatest goal is to draw our attention to these moments. As I say in a song called “Cumulonimbus,” in the mystery of God’s storytelling, “most good things sprout unseen.”

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?

There’s a dark side to loving stories so much. I constantly struggle with wanting to see and understand everything, to skip past the dark turn in Act 2 and jump to the last chapter. As hard as I try to hold on to hope and joy with an iron grip, my own strength is fleeting.

Over the last couple of years, my strength has been tested often. We lost my grandfather last year and, with him, a connection to my mom’s Oklahoma hometown. In the midst of that, there have been plenty of other low moments for me, my family and my church.

As a Christian and especially as a pastor, I always have to come to the end of myself and realize that I’m called to be a herald, not a savior. I can try to help carry burdens for a time, but only God carries hearts and souls. Seeing God’s story around me doesn’t give me the ability to overwrite it, but the temptation is always there.

As a songwriter, these moments often hold the best inspiration for writing. Music has a way of giving value to our laments, strife and emotions. Not only does it add beauty, but it also enables us to relate to and comfort one another.

That desire for control of the narrative is still my kryptonite in many ways, but as I sing about and share it more, I’m learning to trust God with the larger-scale storytelling. I sometimes want to skip over lament and grief for the good times, but “he has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, ESV), and that’s a better thing.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?

Toil is a great word! I love what I do, but it’s hard work.

I spent the last three years working hard on two big projects. The first was my debut record, “The Story’s Still Alive,” a collection of songs that explore how faith perseveres in the midst of darkness, grief and doubt. The second was a concept album called “Good News, Great Joy” that walks through the first Advent of Christ in Luke 1,2. Its songs take their time examining the personal interactions and responses of those who first saw God bring his Messiah to the world. Writing, fundraising, recording, producing and sharing these songs is an immense yet fulfilling task.

These projects are the major focus of my work as a songwriter, but they’re also tightly linked to my work as a worship pastor. The vast majority of the songs aren’t “worship music” for congregational singing, but they’re all inextricably linked to life with my congregation. I’m passionate about being rooted in the spiritual community of a local church, and my music is a reflection of that.

We’ve sung through the story of “Good News, Great Joy” every Christmas Eve for the past seven years. Songs like “The Story’s Still Alive” and “Cumulonimbus” were written for specific people, and others like “Resurrection Song” and “More Than the View” came out of specific sermons. For me, this healthy church community makes for deep roots that support stronger branches, which produce better fruit in songwriting.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

Great question! I’ve already mentioned the power of seeing God’s story in the world and the importance of my local church community. Those two things are always colliding in spectacular ways.

A few years ago, our church was preaching through the book of Exodus. That book feels all too familiar to a kid raised in the church. Baby Moses on the Nile? Check. Ten plagues, Red Sea? Yep. Ten Commandments? Already know ’em. But the beauty of preaching through the whole book is that you have to wrestle with the parts we usually skip over, the stories I wasn’t taught. One Sunday, God’s words to Israel in Exodus 33 stopped me in my tracks: “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you” (vv. 3, ESV).

What? God was actually refusing to move forward with Israel into the Promised Land. Moses has this incredible response: “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15, ESV). Suddenly, I started to see parts of my own story where I’d been chasing empty success and recognition. I talked with some friends who realized that even though it might feel painfully lonely to persevere where they are or frustrating to refuse that promotion or position, if God was in it, there wasn’t a better place to be. A song, “More Than the View,” was borne out of that combination of Scripture and life stories:

To be honest, I feel broken
I’ve been searching, I’ve been hoping
So if you’re moving, will you stop and show me where?
... If you’re still here, then please don’t leave me
‘Cause I want to be with you more than the view

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So spill it, which spiritual practice is workin’ best for you right now?

Honestly, I can think of nothing more powerful or formative than what I mentioned above. The regular gathering around the Word with my spiritual family — those I know in Christ and who know me — continues to shape me day by day.

In the New Testament, the most striking metaphors always revolve around the church. She’s a mighty temple, a holy priesthood and a loving family. She’s a herd of sheep, a sky of stars and a shining light. And there are so many others!

These images push back against darker narratives around us. We’re living in a world made for individuals, where commercialized spiritualism reigns. It shouldn’t surprise us when we feel great shame for personal doubt, grief and discouragement. But in a world made for real community, its Maker reigns, and he shepherds the hurting and broken through the ministry of his gathered people.

I don’t tour extensively, but I do love to travel and play shows. The thing I most enjoy about it is connecting with believers from other churches in other places. I get to see what God is doing in a small town in Iowa, the Cincinnati suburbs, and another Texas church right down the street. Hearing how my music is encouraging believers in their own communities is one of my greatest joys. It’s the reason I keep on writing, recording and playing shows.

At our church, we always close out our liturgy with this benediction: “You are sent out to be the church in the world.” That’s what fuels me in this work, being with the church and being sent out as the church.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are three resources that have impacted you?

Oh, only three? There are just too many to name. How about three categories?

They’re household names for Christian artists for a reason, but C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were major influencers in my life. Early on, their stories set in Middle Earth and Narnia formed my ways of thinking about story, art and fiction. If you’re looking for a deep cut, check out L.B. Graham’s Binding of the Blade series. It’s certainly Inklings-inspired, but his storytelling taught me how art can reflect the aching faith of those longing for the new creation in the face of real sin, tragedy and heartbreak.

I’m continually amazed by the power of a good video game. Maybe this is a typical thing for a Millennial to say, but good video games are absolutely an art form — and a powerful one at that! They teach us that stories are not things to be absentmindedly viewed or selfishly dominated but genuinely engaged with, like a dance in which a leader invites us to take part. Marc Brown has a wonderful YouTube channel called Game Maker’s Tool Kit full of video essays that unpack the how and why behind this unusual art.

Lastly, I’ve been greatly influenced by instrumental music. In the modern age, some of the best composing happens for the big screen. Hanz Zimmer, John Williams, Howard Shore, Alexandre Desplat and John Powell have all written incredible musical scores that span the breadth of human emotion and experience. From a very young age, their scores instilled a deep appreciation for harmony and melody. Even as a songwriter, I can thank them for making me an instrumentalist at heart.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it’s done for you.

I haven’t always been a big podcast listener, but that’s changed over the last couple of years. One in particular I’ve enjoyed is “Preacher’s Talk” hosted by a few leaders of the Charles Simeon Trust. It has helped me grow as a worship pastor and infrequent preacher at my home church. But it’s also greatly helped my songwriting.

Rather than offering content with surface-level understanding, the hosts see the Bible rightly as a library of texts with particular writers, contexts and audiences. The Spirit has moved and still moves through those particular realities to convey real truth. I wrote a song on Psalm 56 recently (you can hear it on my Patreon!) and these tools really helped me understand the psalm better, not as a disconnected prayer, but as a signpost from a pivotal moment in David’s life.

I shared it with someone recently, and they remarked, “Wow! I’m amazed how you modernized the text!” I had to confess that I really didn’t! I just dove into the original context and told the story that was already there.

I’m grateful for the insight I get from that podcast, and I highly recommend it to preachers, Christians, and songwriters alike.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

The songs I’m writing these days haven’t come as easily or quickly, but they feel richer, deeper and even more honest than before. I hope to fundraise and record a full record down the road, but for the moment, I’m particularly excited to share one song very soon.

In wrestling through the valleys and hard seasons of the last few years, I’ve realized a surprising truth. It’s easy to think that times of trouble require perseverance while times of plenty require gratitude, but I’m learning it’s actually a bit of the opposite. Gratitude isn’t just for the harvest; it’s for the drought, too.

For the longest time, I had an iPhone note that simply said, “God, I want to be grateful.” Over time, I started adding ways I wanted to be grateful. I often found myself venting about the things I wanted but didn’t have — a house and a yard, a year without a hospital visit, an easier time parenting, more time on the calendar and so on.

One day while preparing for a Sunday service, I remembered how Jesus began his Last Supper. Scripture tells us that on the night he was betrayed, he broke bread and gave thanks. These lyrics captured the thought:

God I wanna be grateful
I wanna look into the mystery of that table
Where before broken bread, spilled wine, pain, and betrayal
You still were able
To be grateful

Thanks to my generous patrons on Patreon, I’ll release “Grateful” a week before Good Friday, on March 31. I hope this song will help you find life-giving gratitude in the story God has placed you in, no matter the season.

The Bible is full of commands to “be grateful” and “give thanks to the Lord.” And even the world recognizes the benefits of this attitude! Medical research shows that expressing gratitude can bring plenty of mental and physical benefits, including improving your mood, your sleep and even your immune system.

God cares about our mental and physical health. But there’s another reason he commands us to be grateful — to know him better and experience him more. Paul said: “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12-13, ESV).

It’s easier to feel grateful when times are good. But thanking God in the middle of a trial? That can open our hearts to a new level of depth in our relationship with him.

Graham Jones is a Texan singer-songwriter who traces the story of the gospel with thoughtful lyrics and rich melodies. Inspired by six-string storytellers like Jon Foreman, John Mayer and Andrew Peterson, his music is honest, joyful and contagious with longing. He serves as the worship pastor of The Fields Church and works as a musician for Texas Winds Musical Outreach and Baylor Hospitals. He enjoys movie scores, fantasy novels, games (video, board, and D&D) and most of all, chocolate chip cookies. Graham lives in Arlington, Texas, with his wife, Bethany, their son, Luke, and their golden retriever, Daisy.

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