A conversation with Over the Rhine

[Escuchame]

http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/int...rhine-0505.html

I love her.

[Tom]

great interview! loved it. K & L rock! they are so down to earth and 'real.'  

[enemy anemone]

great interview!

[murlough23]

I think some men are going to cringe at this, but typically it is the female in the relationship that notices it more. At least, we notice it first and probably communicate about it more frequently because we're communicators. It's part of our makeup. I have no problems with stereotypes as long as they're accurate (laughs). That one's dead on! I was probably the one initially to say, "Something's wrong."

Alright, I'll admit it, I cringed. But you know what, she's right. Usually, anyway.

God, I love Karin. (I mean that in the "She has some profound things to say and makes great music, too" sense, not the "SHE IS SO HOT!!!1111" sense, though I had previously observed that as well.)

[Escuchame]

I think she's beautiful.

[enemy anemone]

Alright, I'll admit it, I cringed. But you know what, she's right. Usually, anyway.

I kinda cringed too, and I'm not a guy.  [_[  

[murlough23]

I kinda cringed too, and I'm not a guy.  [_[

I'm generally OK with statements that women usually do something or men are usually like such-and-such, as long as some care is taken to acknowledge that it's a common pattern but not a hard-and-fast rule that they're always that way. We do have common differences and we can learn from thenm, and what Karin said about women generally being more observant and relational definitely rings true with me. (I may be more relational than most of my male peers, but I recognize that this is a rarity.)

I do feel, however, that every man and woman will differ from the common traits of manhood and womanhood in a few ways... some more noticeably than others, though culture may have a lot to do with it.

Anyway, it delighted me to see the question asked of whether Karin considered an album like Drunkard's Prayer to be something that had ministry value. It flies in the face of those who insist that more personal and specific songwriting dilutes the power of music to minister to people, and that it's somehow selfish to be more personal/artistic. You have to go with what you know, and part of what Over the Rhine knows is how God has worked through their marriage. That's their personal testimony, and one that I appreciate a great deal as a guy who is about to get married.

[danny316]

Christianity Today gives Over the Rhine that kind of coverage? Cool!

Am I the only one worried that people might try to turn them into "heroes of traditional marriage"? I'm a bit worried that the Christian subculture might try to sabotage these guys on us because of the whole marriage thing. That'd be irritating, even if people can be inspired by their experiences and learn from their mistakes.  

[Escuchame]

But they are heroes of traditional marriage, whatever that means.

Mark Moring, editor for the music and movie channels over at CT, is actually interviewing them for a big story that'll appear in Marriage Partnership, a CTI subsidiary that covers this type of stuff.

[BecauseEdwardISEdward]

But they are heroes of traditional marriage, whatever that means.
 

Hee. I think when some hear "hero of traditional marraige," they think what the culture warriors are defining it as "against gay marraige." I hope they don't try to make OTR into some heros in that sense.

OTOH, when I read their story awhile back I thought they were a wonderful example of how to deal with marital problems right. So, while I don't see them on the 700 Club anytime soon, they've got a great story that needs to be heard from their perspective.

[dgp11776]

That was a great interview.  They seem like really cool folk.

[murlough23]

Am I the only one worried that people might try to turn them into "heroes of traditional marriage"? I'm a bit worried that the Christian subculture might try to sabotage these guys on us because of the whole marriage thing. That'd be irritating, even if people can be inspired by their experiences and learn from their mistakes.

The CCM subculture does stuff like this quite often, but generally with more popular artists who are less risky to put on a pedestal in front of a simple-minded audience. To do that with OtR would only put them under greater scrutiny, which would lead to controversy - after, no one who ever used a four-star-word in a song can ever be a role model. (Well, except for Bono, who everyone loves now.) I don't really see it happening. OtR's political leanings also appear to be more left, so as far as their exposure in mainstream CCM publications goes, it'll probably stick to limited topical matters.

[Josh]

The CCM subculture does stuff like this quite often, but generally with more popular artists who are less risky to put on a pedestal in front of a simple-minded audience. To do that with OtR would only put them under greater scrutiny, which would lead to controversy - after, no one who ever used a four-star-word in a song can ever be a role model. (Well, except for Bono, who everyone loves now.) I don't really see it happening. OtR's political leanings also appear to be more left, so as far as their exposure in mainstream CCM publications goes, it'll probably stick to limited topical matters.

Yeah, OtR played at a Kerry rally, totally killing any chances they'd have of being spokespersons for CCM Land.

[murlough23]

Yeah, OtR played at a Kerry rally, totally killing any chances they'd have of being spokespersons for CCM Land.

Just to clarify, I don't think it's a bad thing that they supported Kerry. I'm delighted to see that there actually is a little more political balance in the Christian community than I thought (the Christian right is just so loud-mouthed that they basically drown out or intimidate the Christian left), even if I myself did not vote for Kerry.

NP: "Plenty of Paper", Eisley

[Josh]

Just to clarify, I don't think it's a bad thing that they supported Kerry. I'm delighted to see that there actually is a little more political balance in the Christian community than I thought (the Christian right is just so loud-mouthed that they basically drown out or intimidate the Christian left), even if I myself did not vote for Kerry.

NP: "Plenty of Paper", Eisley

No, I don't think it's a bad thing either, though, like you, I don't find myself agreeing with their candidate.

[bloop]

I don't see myself agreeing much with either major political party anytime soon.

[enemy anemone]

I was poking around the Orchard (OtR messageboard) and saw some interesting comments on the article here.

[Tom]

Bloop said: "I don't see myself agreeing much with either major political party anytime soon."

i could not possibly agree with you more.

[murlough23]

I was poking around the Orchard (OtR messageboard) and saw some interesting comments on the article here.

I can't believe some people are so indignant that Karin would associate herself with evangelical Christians or use some of their buzzwords/catch phrases. As much as I don't like it when Christians who are so desperately trying to reach the outside world speak in a lgnaueg that world can't understand, this is an instance of Christians talking to Christians in a publication made for Christians. When you're around different people, you do make some effort to use words that will make sense to them (unless you're Bono and you like being enigmatic, I guess). That doesn't mean that Karin is some head-in-the-clouds Holy Roller. The words she used, things like "ministry" which she was really just echoing back to the interviewer, have much broader possible meanings than what a lot of people (Christians included) understand them to me, and given OtR's penchant for unabashedly pointing out Jesus and religious concepts operating in unexpected places, I'm surprised that their fans would give them so little leeway on this one.

[StaceyG]

I can't believe some people are so indignant that Karin would associate herself with evangelical Christians or use some of their buzzwords/catch phrases. As much as I don't like it when Christians who are so desperately trying to reach the outside world speak in a lgnaueg that world can't understand, this is an instance of Christians talking to Christians in a publication made for Christians. When you're around different people, you do make some effort to use words that will make sense to them (unless you're Bono and you like being enigmatic, I guess). That doesn't mean that Karin is some head-in-the-clouds Holy Roller. The words she used, things like "ministry" which she was really just echoing back to the interviewer, have much broader possible meanings than what a lot of people (Christians included) understand them to me, and given OtR's penchant for unabashedly pointing out Jesus and religious concepts operating in unexpected places, I'm surprised that their fans would give them so little leeway on this one.

I have this overwhelming urge to scream AMEN.  :  )

Seriously, though...sometimes I think in an effort to be relevant in our culture...people go to the extreme of alienating Christians.  Murlough, I wholeheartedly agree with your post!!!  Sometime I think our peers can be rather self righteous.  Ironic?

 

[danny316]

Yeah, OtR played at a Kerry rally, totally killing any chances they'd have of being spokespersons for CCM Land.

There's a difference between CCM land and the Christian subculture at large.