Hi! I actually dont have a list of materials. We literally used rain gutters from Home Depot, with end caps. I cut them to size with a hand saw, and mounted them on the wall. Thats it! Good luck.

Any time youre in Delaware, my friend!

Thanks, Olga!

Thanks, Anna!

Thanks, Sean!

Not sure how much you know about my journey, but having been the pastor of a new church plant that was totally volunteer-led, Im a big fan of this. However, I struggle to build a functional model of church when Im talking exclusively about small home-groups. I think Im too much of a preacher to let go of a large-group teaching model, but thats probably just my baggage. Im also a big fan of liturgy. Im drawn to the depth and richness of words, readings, prayers, and songs that have been used in the Church for centuries. Lately Ive been wondering if there was a way to create a home liturgy that was simple enough for my kids but would tap in to some of that rich history and tradition. Im convinced that the real substance of church is what takes place in small groups, walking together and working together to bring Gods kingdom into the world. BUT, Im not ready to give up on large(r) scale worship and teaching, either. I think this is why I cant seem to be satisfied with anything I find.

Sorry if I seemed off-putting in my other comment. I think I mentioned to you, Bo that (I think) Ive turned the corner from deconstruction to construction and am in the process of re-assembling an Ecclesiology that works. Any conversation that moves toward that goal would be more than welcome. Somewhat conveniently (sic.) I have moved across the country twice in the past two years, and therefore havent been in one place long enough to settle in to a community that fosters this kind of discussion, much less explores the possibility of putting it into practice. All of that to say that I am willing to hear what ideas you and Brad have discussed regarding what the church could and should look like. I recently heard Alan Hirsch speak and was drawn to his idea that our Christology informs our Missiology, which informs our Ecclesiology. So, in essence, figuring out how to do church requires going all the way back to our fundamental concepts about who Jesus is and what he is after in our lives. Very compelling stuff.

Hi Jo, Im not sure what the weight limit would be, but it would depend largely on the hardware you use to anchor it to the wall. If you were able to put some strong bolts into the studs behind your wall it might hold a lot. We used something called Hercules Hooks in the drywall and they held quite a lot of books. Hope that helps. Good luck!

Yes, it is absolutely fascinating! John Dewey has some useful insight in "Art as Experience," which suggests that art is primarily the experience of the recipient. Of course, he would also suggest that the creation of the work of art plays a part in that experience, which in my mind would exclude the playful color-splashing of a 4-year-old. The discussion takes a different tack when you start talking about the performing arts, and specifically of interest to me, music. And for the record, I think we avoid this kind of discussion all too often in our undergraduate programs!

Glad you found this idea helpful, Caroline!

Great! I checked out your list and posted a comment over there.

We have the same tradition, George! This year we bought Michael Bublés EP, Let it Snow. Its been good so far.

Thats great to hear, Sean! I think its a fabulous concept, and Im getting more excited to jump in.

She and Jack would get along GREAT at snacktime! And I miss H•E•B!

Very good questions, Tom. We could have a lively debate about art vs. entertainment!! I tend to agree with your inference that we need to be very careful when we draw those lines. Something that begins as entertainment often ends up being deemed art. Look at my question in response to Alexs post, though. There is a great deal of music being marketed to schools because it is easy to play and kids recognize the tune from a pop song. I think it is important that we as musicians develop the ability to balance art education with entertainment value.

Good thoughts, Alex. I would encourage you (all) to think about the affect of commercialization on the music world. New choral music today is written primarily for church or school use. Band music probably just for school use. If it wont sell on JWPepper, theres no market. This may lead to a saturation of the market with easy, school pieces, and a severe lack of serious artistic new work for band or choir. Thoughts?

Nice job. I would be interested in your thoughts on the tone of the Swedish Radio Chorus compared to the tone of St. Olaf. Ive not heard the St. Olaf recording.

I agree completely. Levine takes some liberties with the entire work that are, simply put, too much. Kathleen Battle is great, but the subtleties of Brahms composition are often lost in the overly-romanticized interpretation by Levine. Nice job.

Very good review. I havent listened to this recording, but you have made some very good observations.

Glad to help! We loved these shelves!

Just to avoid any further confusion, this post was meant to be sarcastic. I assumed it was self-explanatory, but it has been brought to my attention that some people might actually say something like this and mean it. I didn't.

I'm saying that if you pump enough nickels in, you're sure to win a couple hundred bucks eventually, right?

Not on this trip, Barry. We usually do have a good mix of classical, though. Bach, Vivaldi, Grieg, and Debussy are some of their favorites.

Vivian, we used these for 4 years, and they were fantastic! The books face out and are on the kids level, making them attractive and accessible. Now that the kids are older (5 and 7), they can manage regular shelves so we didnt put them up in our new house.