Artist Spotlight: Casting Crowns
CASTING CROWNS will be in concert in Dayton on April 1st! Visit their website for more information!
STAR: Where did the song 'Until The Whole World Hears' come from?
MARK HALL: It was the email signature of a good friend and Mark's mentor in student ministry, Roger Glidewell. The song is based off the story of John the Baptist. "He was the voice crying out in the wilderness, eating grasshoppers, and speaking into the world about their sin. Speaking out in the wilderness is never popular but in the body of Christ, we've got to do it in love."
STAR: Mark, you were quoted recently as saying, "All of life is worship. If we're not careful, we won't praise worship and instead we'll worship praise." What does that mean?
MARK: 'S beautiful.
STAR: Where do your songs come from?
MARK: One of the neat things about worship (and one of the really cool things about God) is that here is a moment that is supposed to be all about Him. We're singing to Him, we're lifting our hands to Him, and at the same time as we're doing this thing just for Him, He's just pouring out love on all of us. But if we're not careful, worship will become more of the 'experience' than what it was really for. You hear people say, "I just didn't get anything out of worship today." that's a dangerous thing to say because it was never for us to start with - it was all for Him. If we're not careful, it can turn into an experience-based type of walk... "I want to go experience worship, I want to see God do this great thing"... instead of just 'I want to love on Jesus.' To me, worship is praying without asking for anything. So really, I've got to be able to know that I'm doing this and loving on Him - JUST to love on Him."
STAR: If we can ask something so personal, what do you find yourself praying about a lot lately?
MARK: Probably my most popular prayer right now is just, "Father, I want to honor you with my day. Is there anything in my life right now that's coming between me and you and our fellowship? I want to honor you with everything I do. And just give me the wisdom for the day. Help it not to be about myself today."
FACT: Casting Crowns considers themselves a 'part-time' band. The seven band members work in student ministry in the Atlanta area, and Mark Hall is a full-time youth pastor and Eagles Landing Church. They make their band schedule work around their weekly commitment working with and mentoring teenagers. Mark shares, "my job as a youth pastor is more important to me than success as a band. When I wake up in the morning, I'm going to play with my kids. I doubt they'll care much about these... these things" (referring to his Dove awards for Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year, and Group of the Year). "These things aren't going to mean a hill of beans in five years, but how good a dad I am will."
ONE COOL THING: Because Casting Crowns is passionate about student ministry, they now have a new piece to their website - their RESOURCES page. Go there to find youth group devotionals, bible studies, teaching resources and more from the band!
Special Thanks to belief.net, Mark Hall and the Casting Crowns band. Interview excerpts taken from belief.net and Casting Crowns press releases/website.