Biography
Meaning behind the name:
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
Romans 12:3
In a world centered around the best-dressed, who's who, world's most- and top-ranked; Christ called his followers to be humble. From the beginning, God designed us with talents: the desire to use them, to share them and be heard. Turn on the television for a few minutes and you will catch a glimpse of a celebrity show or a popular band performing. Shows full of all the glory, glitz, and glamour the world can muster. With an inherent desire to play music comes an inherent desire to be seen and heard; to say something worth hearing and hope someone listens. But while God has given the talent, He has also called us to give it away. Christ tells us to remain humble ("And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." -Matthew 23:12), and seek only his face. What words are worth speaking that have not been said? What song is worth singing without His voice?
As followers of Christ, Standing Small was given that vision, but also convicted of the seriousness of the call to humility. To refrain from pride and self-service in all things. As musicians this is a daily struggle. You spend anywhere from three to fifteen (or more) hours per drive in a van together, load and unload a trailer (sometimes straight onto the stage), play the show, leave, try to pick a place to eat, and go home hoping to make ends meet. As four young men, pride is a central theme. Not only with each other, but also with the glory that can come of being a musician in this world. Jesus says in Matthew 6 to beware of those those who seek the glory of this world , even in His name; "Truly I tell you, they have received their reward."
So we chose to call ourselves Standing Small. A simple phrase, not flashy or eloquent, but a daily reminder: when written on a flyer or announced from a stage or spoken in prayer it is a constant reminder to us of who and what we do this for. A reminder that we truly are small before a great God, and that His Glory, not ours, is that which we seek. There is no other cause worth preaching, no other song worth singing, but that of Christ and him crucified.
Band Biography
"Oh they say that there is no condemnation / for those who love God /
but oh, brother there is some other thing / between you and I.."
If one had to describe the Apostle Paul in a single word, it could be
argued that the word would be "honest". Whether Paul was admonishing
those who had fallen astray, encouraging the faithful, or sharing from
his own faults, Paul was always honest. He spoke from the heart of a
man who had been full of pride and self-righteousness, then broken and
fearful, and subsequently rescued - but still susceptible to his past
failures. If you were able to search the heart of Standing Small, they
would hope you would find this same honesty. Open and sometimes brutal
- their music speaks from that same self-aware brokenness, shame, and
hopefulness.
"Oh what I'm called to be / cannot be found in me / and the love I had
has been lost at sea…"
Having toured nearly non-stop for three years and nearing the
completion of their second full-length record (with two EPs in
between), Standing Small is growing more and more aware of their
calling - to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in whatever form set
before them As three, sometimes-four, sometimes-five young men, they
strive to be less about music and more about the song they hear in the
Word; less about rock'n'roll and more about Grace; and less about
popularity and more about the hope that when people listen, whether
they like them or not, those who hear would be encouraged to seek out
and know the heart of Jesus Christ.
"As I drown in all the things that define my heart / there's a love
that exhales all I'm not."
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