This is Sam's 8th grade graduation speech!

Sam's Graduation Speech

This is one of my favorite groups of people to sing with. Every Friday morning a group gathers at the Vine House in Modesto to pray and grow together and gain encouragement from scripture. We join them about once a month before going down to the 9th Street Café. I always bring my guitar along and lead a few songs.

The people of the Vine House are set free and are being set free. It is a wonderful group of people to lead in singing because, I don't really have to lead them. All I do is begin playing and they are off to the races. Even if they don't know the song! Engaged, seeking, prayerful and devoted...it's a beautiful group. 

I recorded this in my pocket so you can mostly hear me. But the people of the Vine House are in there too. It a place to belong. A place to be loved unconditionally. A place where people are healed. All of these things are true for me when I go there. I'm grateful for the chance to be connected with this place.

Lord I Need You (by Matt Maher)

This is my Sister, Christianne, and I singing one of my songs. My sister breathes harmony and I love singing with her. She's got such a beautiful and unique voice. I'm glad to say I've been singing with her my whole life and look forward to more in the years (and ages) to come.

This track is downloadable so feel free!

Pillar Of Fire - Demo with Christianne Buehler

I've always loved the simplicity of scripture in song. As a teenager, I discovered the beauty of John Michael Talbot's music. Simple, pure and both ancient and new. I wrote this song years ago, inspired by those early scripture songs of the Jesus movement. This was my first attempt at setting a tune to a passage.

My Dad talked about once seeing John Michael Talbot in concert. He told me of a simple, humble man coming out with a guitar and starting to sing. He said you could almost hear evil running in horror from the room.

And that is what the Kingdom of God is like. Strength and power is not with the strong. This is an upside down kingdom where strength comes through weakness. Where the still, small voice is the one we need to hear.

More and more, I have the desire to leave the great things of this world to the great ones of this world. The call comes to still and quiet ourselves. That's the place from which truly great things can happen.

Pslam 131

This psalm has been interpreted so many times into beautiful music. Just adding my take here. Some of the phrasing was inspired by the Roman Catholic daily mass lectionary.

Psalm 23

This song was inspired by Paul's message to the people of Lystra in Acts 14. They saw the wonderful things the Christians could do and began to call them gods. In The Message translation, Paul, to convince them otherwise,  says, "...He (God) made a good creation, poured down rain and gave bumper crops. When your bellies were full and your hearts happy, there was evidence of good beyond your doing.”

In JRR Tolkien's "The Silmarillion", he talks about water and how people still get quiet around water as it still carries with it traces of the song of creation. That rings true to me.

Enjoy this song! It's a part of my album Rushing Waters. The whole collection of songs is teasing out different ways we can hear the voice of God.  Available for a free download at http://thewhitlers.com

Evidence Of Good

Thanksgiving

Boomswee

A quick little heart cry of a song I wrote this morning after reading about Moses walking into the mists of God on the mountain. He was there for 6 days before he heard anything. Then God called him further in and he was there for quite a while. What did he hear in that cloud? What did he see?

Oh, and my new uke was near so I wrote the song with it. Thought I'd keep it for this quick recording. Enjoy.

Forty Days And Nights

This is a cover of Larry Norman's 1972 song. Well, actually, it's a cover of Steve Camp's late 80's cover of Larry's song.

This has come to mind quite a bit during this strange season. I resonate with some of the questions and most of the heart cry in this song. And I must admit, I can't offer more than Larry does in the way of a solution.

Cover of The Great American Novel

Demos and Covers, 2016

Cover of Andrew Peterson's While Shepherds Watched

This song is based in Psalm 149. I read that line, "He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation" and it really struck me. I thought of all the people suffering around the world right now, all the afflicted ones. The ones on their way. The ones hoping for a new day. The ones without a place. There is so much to make one lose hope but if you look in the right places, there is much to bring hope as well.

Also, the line in the psalm "Let them praise His name with dancing" struck me and made me think about one day, in the Kingdom, the dancing and the music will be of such beautiful variety. And, I am not left out! I can come to the table and celebration too with my own expression. And so can you.

Demos and Covers, 2017

He Will Beautify

Switched up!

Stella Johny Appleseed

A sermon I gave to our congregation on 4/30/19

The Road To Emmaus - Chris

Mele Kaliki What The?!

Jimmy and Ezra covering the Harry Connick Jr. song

I Pray On Christmas

The newly formed "Old Country Band" premieres with an old favorite.

This Land is Your Land

Every time I travel with my friend, Dave, I write a song about how much I miss my wife.  This time I was in Quebec, the mostly french speaking province of Canada.

Chris Whitler

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