March 2021
WELCOME
Welcome to the fifth edition of The Vigil Project Newsletter! Spring is in the air and so is Lent. What a beautiful juxtaposition of life and death!
We pray that you are experiencing His work in your life and that as we press in to this season of Lent, much fruit will come of it.
There is so much we have to share with you this month and we pray that you are inspired and excited for what is to come!
Without further ado, here we go!
WORKING REMOTELY/ALTERNATIVE WORK SITUATIONS
With much of the world still working remotely, we thought it would be fun to share with you our home office situations and what remote work looks like for us. As a team, we have always worked from separate cities most of the year coming together only during tours, music productions, and team meetings.
There is nothing like being in the same room with each other but we are blessed to have a team that really gels together no matter where we are calling in from.
On Monday we start our week off with what we call our pep rally, catching up on the weekend, praying through the daily readings together, lifting up our intentions, and submitting our work to the Lord. Then we jump right into business talking through big items and delegating the action items to the right member on our team. We schedule any meetings that need to be had the coming week and get to it!
Many of us are juggling kiddos and new schedules, and so we have begun using office hours so that our team can efficiently and effectively work together to keep projects moving amidst all the other factors that come with working at home. Perhaps the biggest change for us has been that others are working from home around us now! It takes time to adjust and each month brings new adventures as our ministry grows and so do our families. So grace is a must!
Greg and Andrea do a wonderful job leading us as a team to prioritize our lives rightly, giving God our hearts, tending to our families, and serving out of that rightly ordered life.
Here are some snippets of everyones thoughts about working from home!
(Andrea in her natural habitat, by the kitchen)
"I’ve been working from home since I was 25 (we won’t mention how many years that is, but it’s a handful ☺️), so the adjustment was pretty minimal for me. My biggest thing with working from home (I’ve learned by failing at this miserably many times), is that I need to get outside and move. So I’ve been taking conference calls that don’t require video or note-taking outside for a walk; that’s been probably my best new habit over Covid! I also just need to say publicly that I’ve been using Zoom for many years and have deep regret at not buying Zoom stock before 2020 graced us with its presence." - Andrea
(photo of John in is home office -->)
The gift of technology and how it's completely changed the game. One of my favorite things is our Monday morning pep rallies. We meet first thing, catch up, share stories, pray as a team and launch our week. The reason working remotely works for us is because we're so much more than co-workers.
(<-- photo of Greg's closest office with standing desk.)
"Quietest spot in the house!
(Note: antique yellow suitcase from the cover of the first Greg&Lizzy album:) Having this quiet spot, as ridiculous as it may appear, has been crucial to my ability to focus and successfully move through my action items. It’s also the best part of the day when I emerge from the closet and the kids yell, “daddy is home!”" - Greg
(Shawn and Sara on the right -->)
"While my office is usually my studio, last week we had a few small complications amidst a Nashville ice storm, but baby and Sara are all fine now! Here we are both working remotely from the hospital for a few days." - Shawn
(photos of Corrie's work / life balance below)
I feel like I’ve been prepping for this work from home life since college so I am somewhat reveling in it! The most challenging part has been how to juggle the kids and having help. My parents have been amazing at helping us and for those times when I have them both, I had to learn to have grace with myself. I felt like two photos were necessary to capture my workspace and the occasional interruption. Can any of you relate?
We know that our team is unique and so is yours! We would love to see your work-from-home set up! If you would like to share on social media, tag us @thevigilproject and use the hashtag #TVPRemoteWork so we can see you!
#TVPRemoteWork
(<--Our team during a Monday pep rally!)
Kai and Will are Vigil twins! They are not related in the slightest but we all get a kick out of how similar they look! Do you see it too?
EXODUS [BEHIND THE SCENES]
This past month, we released our full-length instrumental album, EXODUS, featuring original compositions by Ben Batella and Cathedral. An album like this has a unique story to tell and so we’d love to share with you a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this album. To start us off, here is an excerpt from Ben Batalla on the writing process!
I had never really done this “musical Ignatian meditation” with other musicians before, but after our first take of “Manna”, which was one of the first songs we improvised together, we were shocked with joy and wonder.
“Did that just happen?” It was a surreal and amazing experience to be with other musicians in a room, listening to the Holy Spirit and each other so intentionally for every change in mood, harmony, and character of the music... it was truly moving. And we really felt like we were praying together without using any words! Just music! We ended up recording for about 4 days. Some passages from Exodus came so naturally to all of us, and some required a lot of thought and planning about the progression and flow of the music. But ultimately, we wanted to keep the process as spontaneous and organic as possible to maintain the spirit of Ignatian meditation.
Ultimately, we hope that this album will not only encourage you to pray in a way that may be new to you, through musical meditation to help you use your whole imagination and experience the real drama of this story, but that each piece will allow you to enter more deeply into your story of God’s persistence and his saving love as he frees you from your bondage, whether it is sin, suffering, or any burdens that are preventing you from remembering your own goodness and your own worth. We hope to reclaim the awe and wonder of the miracles that God performed for his people, and that God sees our affliction and never rests in hearing our cries for him. And we hope that this music will renew you and nourish you for your journey to the promised land, to freedom and eternal union with Christ, our savior. Thank you and I’m praying for you!
To listen to the Exodus album, click here.
To listen to the musical Lectio Divina podcast, click here.
[TVP] HAPPENINGS
Year of the Eucharist and St. Joseph NOLA…
We continue to collaborate with the Archdiocese of New Orleans for the Year of the Eucharist. Here is a beautiful article that was featured in the Clarion Herald that highlights the collaboration and the mission of this project. Continue reading here...
First ever TVP Podcast/Lenten Email Journey…
Have you joined the first ever podcast/lenten email journey?! The response has been amazing and there is still time to join. Subscribe to the podcast here and sign up for the emails here. Together, let’s journey through the desert this Lenten season with the Israelites.
Shawn/Sara baby on the way…
Baby Pax is due to arrive very soon and we invite you to pray for the whole Williams family. The past several weeks have had a few small complications amidst a Nashville ice storm, but baby and Sara are all fine now! Let’s cover them in prayer and pray in a special way for Kai as he becomes a big brother.
Exclusive new music preview - “Alabaster”...
Part of our work with the Archdiocese of New Orleans includes providing new, Eucharistic centered songs for the year. We are so excited about the music that is coming out of the process that we want to share with you an exclusive peek at one of the singles, Alabaster. This song, featuring Andrea Thomas, is about the “alabaster jar” of the human heart and giving it first and always to Jesus. Enjoy!
JOHN FINCH: MARRIED MAN
People always say that their wedding day is the greatest day of their lives. And after celebrating our wedding day, Molly and I couldn't agree more.
February 5, 2021 will go down as my favorite day ever. I keep coming back to the realization that there was so much peace that day.
I remember waking up that morning, making some coffee and sitting down to read a letter Molly had written for me. And all I could really do is think about her that day. I couldn't wait to see her and share that moment together. I couldn't believe how radiant and beautiful she was. Her dress was like nothing I've ever seen before but more importantly I was so happy to see how much joy she had and the biggest smile on her face.
Our Wedding Mass was insanely gorgeous and we felt so loved by all of our family and friends who were there to celebrate with us and the start of our new life together.
Being Molly's husband is truly the greatest honor and privilege of my life and I am so grateful for God's timing and provision to have orchestrated our relationship in many ways from the very beginning. No joke, our team has been counting down the days until our first Vigil wedding. Greg moved on the dance floor in ways I didn't know was possible for a human to move.
The night was a blast. Best day ever. #MeetTheFinches
— FEATURED PLAYLIST—
LENT // The Vigil Project
Lord take us deeper into the mystery of this season with the beauty of these songs. Click here to listen now.
— FEATURED ARTIST —
HIS OWN
This month, we are so excited to introduce you to our beautiful friends from His Own.
His Own was formed by three friends who wanted to combine their love for Jesus, passion for music and desire to proclaim the joy of the feminine heart. In a world where women are exploited, misused, and misguided, Kara, Maria, and Christine desire that their music and ministry will inspire women to come before the Lord as they are, to encounter His unique love for them, and to be reminded of the eternal measure of their feminine dignity and worth.
Their latest album "O My Soul Awake" also inspired a retreat of the same name where they talk about woman as daughter, bride, and mother.
If you have not listened to their music or explored their ministry, we highly encourage you to do so, especially if you are looking for a way to serve the women of your parish. These ladies are so ready to be with you!
WHAT SAY YOU?
Answer the question and we’ll share the answers in our next newsletter! You’ll also be entered into our random drawing for a prize:)
ON THE ROAD
We are back on the road!
If this year has taught us one thing, it is that we were made for community. There is a beauty in the vulnerability of gathering and praying with and for each other—and we have missed being able to share in that with your communities.
Last Friday, almost exactly one year since the canceling of our Lent 2020 tour, John, Andrea, and Corrie had the privilege to travel to an amazing community in Lake Ridge, VA and pray with them in-person. Click below to watch their recap video from the event:
We are now officially accepting bookings for live events, and many parishes across the country are working passionately and responsibly to bring their communities back to Church. We invite you to learn more about the programs and resources we offer to parishes.
To inquire about booking, please email andrea@thevigilproject.com or fill out a form here. We cannot wait to pray with you once again!
BECOME A PATRON
We are on a mission to restore our heritage of beauty through music, and we need your help! Be part of the mission by doing what the Church has been doing for centuries - patronizing the arts.