A Sacred Storm: When God Speaks Through Radical Disruption

Christopher Michael Jones shares the parallel wisdom learned from the worlds of hip hop and church: the good news of "Can't stop, won't stop" preached by hip hop in the ashes of Reagan-era turbulence, and the good news of God's faithfulness to teach resilience in the wake of radical disruption. "I was pulled back to a time when black youth and young adults like Biggie and I expressed our creative genius through a cultural movement that arose out of the ashes of poverty: hip hop. To us, hip hop was the church. The MC was the preacher. The DJ was the worship host. The B-Boys, breakdancers, and pop-lockers were the liturgical dancers. The journalists and graffiti artists were the scribes. The concert arena was a sanctuary. The bodies who danced to rhythmic anthems of classics like "La Di Da Di," "Oh, My God!, " "I Know You Got Soul," and "Fight the Power" were its members."

About the Author :
Christopher Michael Jones is an educator, practical theologian, grassroots organizer, and formerly a multi-platinum record producer known as Chris Large.

Review :
"There are certain stories that seem so unbelievable, that they seemingly defy logic and possibility, that can only be explained through the miraculous power of God. Such is the story of my friend and brother, Dr. Christopher Michael Jones. In his new book, "A Sacred Storm", Dr. Jones shares the improbable journey from acclaimed Hip Hop producer who has worked with some of the industries icons and legends to the call of God upon his life that radically shifted him to now be a pastor of a prominent church in NJ. Dr. Jones skillfully weaves the various biblical narratives that center 'sacred' disruptions and his life, which provide the reader with revelatory insights and providential principles to simply "trust the process". I highly recommend "A Sacred Storm" to anyone who is trying to discern divine disruptions and are open to allowing the "sails" of personal destiny and purpose to be positively impacted by the "contrary winds" of a divinely directed life." - Dr. Charles E. Goodman, Jr., Tabernacle Baptist Church, Augusta, GA "There will come a time in our lives when all that we know to be true about our paths, our knowledge, our senses of self, our understanding of the world around us, and the part that we may or may not decide to play in the liberatory remaking of the shared communities we inhabit, will be shifted by Spirit; which might move in our lives as if it is a gust of wind or a passing breeze. Jones's A Sacred Storm is a gorgeous and insightful peek into the workings of the Spirit in his life--an expressive sociocultural and theological remix of the normative notions of the proverbial 'storms' that tend to be understood as deterrents. Jones offers a reframe, however. Storms, whether in the realm of the personal, social, political, communal or institutional, can also be that which orders all things to move in the direction of the divine. And it is one that buzzes with memory and wisdom. It is a book that we need now and in the days to come." - Darnell L. Moore, No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black & Free in America "What The Rev. Dr. Christopher Michael Jones has written for us is powerfully lyrical as he weaves a metaphor of wind and storm into a melody of story and insight through the territory of his personal story and call into the preaching profession, the biblical narratives, and the history of homiletics. His ability to deftly weave these pieces together will draw you in and his questions will push you to examine the way preaching can be disruptive and life changing. It will leave you wanting to find your footing and voice in the winds of change. I highly recommend this book for clergy and lay people alike." - Rev. Valerie Bridgeman, Ph.D., Dean & Vice President of Academic Affairs, Associate Professor, Methodist Theological School in Ohio "While many books examine the deep connections between religious experience and the phenomenon of hip-hop, it is incredibly rare to have these issues engaged by someone with an elegant and expansive theological perspective and the experience of playing an influential role in the development of hip-hop. This is the uniqueness provided by Dr. Christopher Michael Jones. The result is an extensive work that plumbs the depths of both the Christian experience and the hip-hop culture to offer extraordinary insights that will be meaningful to anyone seeking to better understand the rich capacity of this musical genre and its artists to articulate deeply religious concerns. After reading this work, one is left with a more complete understanding of how God has continued to speak to God's creation through the voices of those who may live outside the walls of the church and yet illuminate the fundamental hope of the gospel story." - Dr. David Latimore, Director, Betsey Stockton Center for Black Church Studies, Princeton Theological Seminary