While it’s common for individual works to occasionally sell for less than they are worth, consider:

• In January, a late 14th-century Florentine painting of Jesus on the cross estimated between $80,000 and $120,000 sold at Sotheby’s for $86,500.
• An Italian Crucifixion from the same period, estimated between $100,000 and $150,000, sold for $110,500 at the same auction.
• The previous December, Sotheby’s London sold a mid-16th century Netherlandish Crucifixion sculpture estimated at $31,500 to $47,000 for about $27,500.

Even images of Crucifixions by established masters can be purchased on the cheap, said Joaneath Spicer, curator of Renaissance and baroque art at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Spicer hasn’t purchased Crucifixions for the museum in some time.

In part, she said, Christian art has become the victim of its own success.

Property from a Flemish Private Collection, Netherlandish, Limburg, Mid-16th Century. Corpus Christi, polychromed wood and metal. Photo courtesy Sotheby’s London

“If I want more Crucifixion bronzes, there are some in storage that are quite nice,” she said.

But there are other cultural factors that may be contributing to the declining sales prices. One of them may be changing worship styles that rely more on words and music and less on visual images. A bigger one may be an unwillingness to openly and publicly display one’s religious commitments.

“The de-emphasis on art as part of the devotional experience within the Catholic Church surely has had some impact on this,” said Spicer.

Catholics are also less likely to display religious art in their homes, said Eike Schmidt, curator of decorative arts and sculpture at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

“Wealthy Catholics nowadays, in general, do not seem to be particularly ambitious to crown their art collections with an outstanding crucifix or a painted Crucifixion,” said Schmidt, a former Sotheby’s London department head. “House-altars have become a rarity.”

The interiors depicted in architectural magazines and furniture sales catalogs today tend to be devoid of any religious iconography, “with the odd exception of mass-produced Buddha heads, which I suspect have very little to do with Buddhist theology and practice,” Schmidt added.

James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large at “America” magazine, agrees that Catholics are less likely to adorn their homes with Sacred Hearts or crucifixes.

“People are less comfortable with displaying their piety on their walls for fear of offending people because we live in a less religious culture all around,” he said.

At a time when prosperity teachings are especially popular, people don’t relate as much to Christian concepts of sin and suffering.

And for non-Christians, the image of the suffering Jesus can be particularly troubling.

“If you’re not religious, the image of a person nailed to a cross is probably very uncomfortable,” Martin says. “It’d be like getting an image of a man strapped to an electric chair.”

With a rising Asian market for art, it’s not surprising many buyers are turning their backs on Christian imagery.

“I have seen museum visitors from India and China to be surprised and appalled by the depiction of a man who dies from torture, and moreover to be told that this is the central image and at the theological core of a world religion,” said Schmidt, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts curator.

Despite their lack of comfort with religious art, collectors are looking for direct images that strike an emotional chord. For many collectors, that means contemporary art, such as works by Andy Warhol, but that kind of directness is displayed in works by the Old Masters, many of which are religious, as well.

“The Old Masters field in general — while some of the prices have hit astronomical levels, which is terrific — is undervalued,” said Margi Schwartz, senior vice president and head of the European sculpture and tapestry department at Sotheby’s.

“It’s a supply and demand issue,” she added. “And as we feel that squeeze, I think there will be more and more collectors realizing that they’d better get in there, because there are not a lot of opportunities to find things. This art is not being made any more.”

Revealing Jesus  was produced by four-time Grammy winner Israel Houghton, orchestrated by Dr. Henry Panion III (Stevie Wonder, Carrie Underwood, Chaka Khan) and features special guest appearances by  Michael W. Smith, Kari Jobe and Houghton.

If you’ve been awaiting the return of Zschech like I have, you probably want to know if the album lives up to the hype.

It does.

If you haven’t purchased the album, here are 3(+1) reasons you should go out and get Revealing Jesus now.

Besides Zschech, this album features incredibly talented artists such as Michael Smith, Israel Houghton and Kari Jobe . No denying it, they bring so many great elements to this album including excellent instrumentation and vocals.

Darlene is a true worship leader, as she brings to listeners an incredible worship experience that connects them to God. She manages to be Spirit-filled on each song AND not miss a note or key.

This album is an album to which every person can relate. It’s not for young people or old people.  The message, the music and the vibe are for everyone.

Ultimately this is an album birthed with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, people will be healed, hearts will be mended and passion will stir because of this album.

Notable songs include

• In Jesus Name
• I am Yours
• Magnificent 1
• Yours Forever
• Victor’s Crown
• Your Presence is Heaven
• My Jesus I Love Thee

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Anger. Depression. Loneliness. Guilt. These are emotions that powerfully affect our lives. We find them hopelessly undesirable—but God wants to use them for good. In his book Runaway Emotions: Why You Feel the Way You Do and What God Wants You to Do About it, seasoned pastor Jeff Schreve writes about the power of negative human emotions and God’s desire to use those feelings for joyous, abundant living.

Schreve’s book is divided into chapters focused on the eight most common negative emotions. He talks readers through the process of identifying and understanding the source of each. With Bible-based insight, readers learn how to trust God’s plan in using each emotion for spiritual growth.

“Unfortunately, as fallen human beings, living in a fallen world, we aren’t given the privilege to pick and choose which emotions we will experience in our lives,” writes Schreve. “We appreciate and value all the joy, love, laughter, peace, and wonder we can wrap our arms around. But then… we also have to deal with the dark side of the emotional spectrum.”

“Even those emotions—the darker and more difficult ones—are important. In fact, they reveal a great deal about who we are and where we are in life,” he continues.

Schreve is well-acquainted with the negative emotions of life. He is the founder of From His Heart Ministries, an organization that exists to lead hurting people and those who feel hopeless into a genuine love relationship with Jesus Christ. Runaway Emotions is a straightforward and comprehensive handbook for those who feel hurting and hopeless—and for all people struggling to cope with the tough emotions of a broken world.

Schreve’s message is warm and real: the Bible makes sense of our confusion, and in the truth of the Holy Spirit we find freedom and peace in the midst of crisis.

Runaway Emotions will be available July 2 and is published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

About the author:
Jeff Schreve passionately communicates God’s Word to connect people with Jesus Christ and His love and plan for their lives. He is pastor of First Baptist Texarkana and founder of From His Heart Ministries, a national and international radio and television ministry. Schreve holds a bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas (Austin) and a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Debbie, have three daughters, one son-in-law, and one granddaughter.

THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH RELEASES NEW EP

METAMORPHOSIZ II THE END REMIXES VOL. 2 JULY 2

Available Exclusively At Digital Retail, EP Features Tracks By

Robbie Bronnimann, Andy Hunter, Solomon Olds, Rui Da Silva,Joshua Silverberg

TFK Top 10 For 8 Weeks And Counting on Billboard’s Hot AC/CHR Chart with

“So Far Gone”

Modern rock favorite THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH will release its second remix EP,Metamorphosiz II The End Remixes Vol. 2, as an exlusive to digital retailers, including iTunes®, Amazon.com and others, on July 2.  The EP features six songs from the independently released, five-star acclaimed and No. 1 selling Billboard Hard Rock album, The End Is Where We Begin, by noted remix talentRobbie Bronnimann, Andy Hunter, Solomon Olds, Rui Da Silva and Joshua Silverberg.

The new EP follows the success of Metamorphosiz: The End Remixes, Vol. 1, which released Dec. 4, 2012 and not only spent time at No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Albums chart in its first week out, but futher sparked ESPN2 to load up “War Of Change,” “We Are” and “Let the Sparks Fly” remix tracks for placements on its show “First Take.”  New ESPN placements for “Vol. 2” are being considered now, including for NASCAR coverage.

Bronnimann (Nicki Minaj, Chicane), Hunter (The Matrix: Reloaded, The Italian Job, ABC’s Alias) and Olds(Family Force 5, Newsboys), all featured on the first EP, return with brand new remixes.  Bronnimann tacklesSiriusXM’s Octane Big ’Uns Countdown Top 10 single “Fly On The Wall” and hit radio single “Be Somebody. ” Hunter and Olds ‘trip out’ “Down” and “The End Is Where We Begin,” respectfully.  New to the mix arePortuguese musical innovator Silva (“Touch Me”) who takes on the militant “Courtesy Call,” and producer/songwriter Silverberg (Edison Glass, Abandon) with an unsullied take on “So Far Gone.”

The full Metamorphosiz II The End Remixes Vol. 2 track and remix artist list follows:

1) “Fly On The Wall (The Robbie Bronnimann Mix)” – Robbie Bronnimann
2) “The End Is Where We Begin (Solomon Olds Remix)” – Solomon Olds

3) “Courtesy Call (Rui Da Silva Remix)” – Rui Da Silva
4) “Down (Andy Hunter Remix)” – Andy Hunter
5) “Be Somebody (The Robbie Bronnimann Mix)” – Robbie Bronnimann

6) “So Far Gone (Joshua Silverberg Remix)” – Joshua Silverberg

As the band prepares to releases the new remix EP, TFK is also hitting the festival circuit this summer following its “War Of Change” winter/spring tour that was named one of Pollstar’s Top 50 tours this year.  While on tour, the band is performing fan favorites and hits from The End Is Where We Begin, including the top 40 Active Rock tracks “Let The Sparks Fly” and “War of Change.”  The latter song not only hit No. 1 on SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Octane Big ‘Uns Countdown and is the No. 1 most-played this week on KADR FM (Des Moines), but also has become the band’s first-ever independent music video.  The video has recently been picked up by ClubCom Hard Rock (500 health clubs in the U.S., as well as locations in England, Australia and Japan), Promo Only Video Pool Express Video (Walt Disney World, MTV, Harrah’s Casinos, Hard Rock Cafes, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Universal Studios, more), California Music Channel, TVU’s The Most Wanted, JCTV, Video Hits and many more. “War of Change” further became TFK’s 13^th No. 1 song overall at Christian radio. 

TFK’s current single, “So Far Gone,” busted into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot AC Christian chart for the first time April 15 at No. 9 and remains a Top 10 hit today, a full 8 weeks later.

“This is a very intimate song. It’s a love song, and my way of saying, ‘I can’t get enough of you,’” says TFK frontman Trevor McNevan. “It’s a worship song to me.  There’s not a day in my life when I don’t need God more and want to get closer.”

Receiving over 1,900, 5-star average customer reviews on iTunes® alone for The End Is Where We Begin, TFK has found that sometimes the best way to move forward is to go back to the basics, taking all of the raw energy and emotion of the past and channeling it into the present.   For those who’ve been following the Ontario, Canada-bred players since their formation in 1997, it’s been a continuously escalating highlight reel that includes best-selling albums, top Active Rock hits (“War Of Change,” “Let The Sparks Fly,” “Fire It Up” and “Move”), tours like last summer’s Third Annual Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival, plus a slew of soundtrack slots. In fact, the group has literally infiltrated every facet of pop culture, from ongoing ESPN appearances, to various NASCAR, MLB, NHL, WWE, NCAA and NFL airings (including the 2010 Super Bowl andTennessee Titans’ 2012-13“kickoff” song), along with the “GI Joe” movie trailer, WGN-TV’s “Smallville” and EA Sports’ NHL 2010 and 2013 video games.

All the latest tour dates and additional band information can be found atwww.thousandfootkrutch.com, http://twitter.com/officialtfk and www.facebook.com/thousandfootkrutch, where the band has over 670,000 fans.

The New A-list: Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder, which comes out on July 29, shares Bible-based strategies, practical advice, and the author’s own experiences, to help readers discover how to successfully adopt a lifestyle of purity.

This podcast was so long that we had to split it into two parts, as you can see. I won’t delay the process any longer with a long introduction because you’ll get that anyways simply by listening to the podcast. 

Part 1: For the professional basketball lovers. We discuss whether the Heat or the Spurs will win the big ring. AJ also discusses the possibilities of Lebron returning to Cleveland. #YeahRight LOL

Part 2: We talk Kanye’s new album “Yeezus”, tithing and we review “HCB Freestyle” by KB of Reach Records for the “Step Your Bars Up” segment.

Listen here!

Music Featured

Break 1:

Big Fil – “We Go Hard”

Pastor AD3 ft Swoop – “The Way You Do It”

Break 2:

Still Trill Christians – “Gladiators”

Applejaxx – “Jesus High”

Break 3:

KB – “HCB Freestyle”

GRAMMY AWARD WINNER ASHLEY CLEVELAND RELEASES FIRST BOOK,

LITTLE BLACK SHEEP, A MEMOIR FROM DAVID C COOK SEPT. 2013

Cleveland Tells Her Story Of A Devastated Childhood, Addiction As A Young Adult

 And The Life-Changing Discovery That Beauty Shines Through Brokenness

Multiple GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter Ashley Cleveland shares herpersonal story of pain, music and beauty that shines through brokenness in her first self-penned book, Little Black Sheep, A Memoir releasing in September from David C Cook.  A true story of life on stage and on the streets from the back rooms of Nashville to the churches and clubs of the San Francisco Bay area, Little Black Sheep invites readers to see how their own deepest pain might just be a place of hope.

“Gradually and reluctantly with a great deal of hemming, hawing and complaining, I surrendered to telling my tale,” shares Cleveland.  “This is the story of the groundwork that paved the way to my faith.  It is not an easy story to tell.”

Sharing her deeply engaging story with an original, authentic voice that is equal parts humor and pathos, Cleveland was born into a Knoxville, TN family fraught with conflict, yet poised to keep up its seamless appearances despite alcoholism, homosexuality, divorce, displacement and a slavish devotion to performance.  She took the rough road of rebellion into her own addiction and self-destruction.  If there was trouble, near or far, she found it.  In the midst of the chaos she discovered music, something she had a natural gift for and the one thing that engendered a positive response from others.  She continued on, precariously attempting to balance a desire for a career as a recording artist with a growing and consuming addiction, increasingly catastrophic behavior and an absence of any foundation or understanding of a merciful, loving God.

Interrupted by an unplanned, unmarried and unwanted pregnancy that ultimately becomes the starting point of faith and a life of substance and value, Cleveland encounters the transforming power of the Living God who is abundantly forgiving, tenderhearted and relentlessly faithful to her.  Little by little, her life is ultimately rebuilt, taking all the devastation in her wake and using it as a platform of experience to bring hope and courage to others.  Along the way she finds sobriety, a long, devoted marriage and family, as well as success in her musical career.

“I have emerged from my own isolation to find that I love belonging to the body of Christ, to the program of AA, to the human community,” writes Cleveland in her book. “I have been invited in from the margins, not as a guest artist, but as a family member.” 

Now that little black sheep, she ain’t nothin’ but trouble
She’s not worth much and she’ll cost you double
Shepherd says he knows but he won’t sleep
He’s gonna go out and find
That little black sheep

(From the song “Little Black Sheep” by Ashley Cleveland)

About Ashley Cleveland:

Since her debut on Atlantic Records in 1991, Ashley Cleveland has recorded eight critically acclaimed albums. She was the first woman to be nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Rock Gospel Album category and the only woman to ever win the award three times (Lesson of Love, 1995; You Are There, 1998; Before The Daylight’s Shot, 2007). Receiving her fourth GRAMMY nomination in 2010 for Best Traditional Gospel Album for God Don’t Never Change, a collection of spirituals, Cleveland also has two Dove Awards for her contributions to Songs From The Loft (1993) and The Jesus Record (1998). Three of her albums have been on Billboard’s year-end best list (Big Town, Bus Named Desire, Men And Angels Say) and she has been nominated twice for a Nashville Music Award (Lesson Of Love, God Don’t Never Change), winning for Lesson Of Love.  She was named Female Vocalist of the year in 2007 byChristianityToday.net and, in addition to her own recordings, has contributed background vocals on over 300 records over the course of her career. Having performed with John Hiatt, Steve Winwood, Joe Cocker, Emmylou Harris, Etta James, Patty Smyth, and Amy Grant, among many others, she has also appeared on Austin City Limits, Late Night with David Letterman and Saturday Night Live.

Cleveland is also a writer and essayist who has contributed to books, including The Dance of Heavenand The Art of Being. She lives in Nashville with her husband Kenny Greenberg (one of America’s great session guitarists) and has three children, Rebecca, Henry and Lily.  For more information, including her latest tour dates, go to www.AshleyCleveland.com.

About David C Cook:

David C Cook is a leading nonprofit resource provider serving the global Church with life-transforming, Christ-centered materials. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with offices in Illinois, Canada and the United Kingdom, David C Cook’s resources are published in over 150 languages and distributed in more than 160 countries. Originally founded in 1875 as a curriculum publisher, today David C Cook publishes numerous bestselling fiction and non-fiction books from a variety of award-winning authors. It is also a leading provider of worship music through its Integrity Music label, which produces over one-third of the top 100 praise and worship songs sung around the world. Additional information can be found at www.davidccook.com.

Family Force 5 announces the June 18 release of “Reanimated,” a 12-track electronic album. This will be a digital release with physical copies available on the band’s online store as well as at summer festivals. The album will be a perfect addition to any Family Force 5 collection, as it features three new songs and nine remixes of FF5 songs from releases “III” and “III.V” in addition to classic throwback tunes from “Business Up Front/Party In The Back.”