John Adams wrote in 1798 that “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Despite recent attacks on religion, belief in God has been overwhelmingly an agent for good in society.  Tonight, July 20 at 6pm, I encourage you to join Newt Gingrich at the Heritage Foundation for a screening of Nine Days That Changed The World. It is his documentary about Pope John Paul II’s historic nine-day trip to Poland in June of 1979, when he reminded the Polish people that nothing – not even the seemingly all-powerful Communist state – could stand between them and God.  The Pope sparked a revolution of conscience in the Polish people that led to the success of Solidarity’s free-trade union movement, and ultimately the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Clapham Group is proud to be supporting a former Hill colleague of mine, David Brog, to promote his new book In Defense of Faith. His book examines the historical record and demonstrates that far from encouraging hate and aggression, the Judeo-Christian tradition has been the West’s most effective curb upon these dark defects of human nature.

But freedom of religion is under attack, and we are also committed here to protect international religious liberty through our work with Open Doors USA. Open Doors is an international non-profit ministry which supports and strengthens persecuted Christians in over 45 countries worldwide.

As Washington empties for August onto road trips and campaign trails, let us all remember the ardurous journey, paved in faith, that our founders undertook to secure the liberties we enjoy.

Blessings,

Mark Rodgers

David Brog Releases New Book: In Defense of Faith

David Brog, executive director of Christians United for Israel, just released his critically acclaimed new book In Defense of Faith.

In Defense of Faith asserts that the belief in the sanctity and equality of all humans at the core of both Judaism and Christianity-what Brog calls the “Judeo-Christian idea”-has been our most effective tool in the struggle for humanity. The Judeo-Christian idea, Brog argues, has provided the intellectual foundation for human rights. Even more importantly, he maintains, the Judeo-Christian idea has repeatedly inspired the faithful to devote their lives to, and often risk their lives in, the fulfillment of these high ideals.

David Brog will be speaking at churches, Christian colleges, and seminaries across the country this fall.

For more information about David Brog or In Defense of Faith, click here.

- Strengthening civil society

- Developing asset building

- Promoting marriage and fatherhood

Each involved short presentations by subject matter experts and then a period of questions and discussion by the bi-partisan and bi-cameral Congressional staff who were present. The goal was to draw together those interested in these issues from both parties to see if consensus could be reached on common ground approaches to alleviating poverty and promoting opportunity.

The Poverty Forum is composed of a select group of leaders and policy experts representing divergent political perspectives but sharing biblical values surrounding God’s concern for the poor and a commitment to address poverty. The Clapham Group is a co-convener of the Poverty Forum alongside Sojourners.

For more information, visit: www.thepovertyforum.org/

Is it possible for an artist to break?

Following on-the-verge artist Will Gray (Wedgwood Circle Sapere Fund 1.0 Recipient) through the recording and release of his debut album (featuring production by Grammy Award-winning producer, T Bone Burnett), Broke* chronicles the stories of artists and executives searching for ways to thrive in the face of today’s music industry challenges.  Featuring candid interviews with industry insiders and intimate profiles of some of the brightest emerging musical talent in the country, the film digs beneath the clichés and standard storylines to reveal an industry struggling to find a new identity and an artist who’s simply trying to establish one.  Can a new act be “broken”?

Wedgwood Circle artists featured in Broke*:

Adjoa Skinner  (Sapere 1.0 Fund)

Trent and Kristen Dabbs  (Sapere 1.0 Fund/Patron Pool)
The Epochs/Bluebrain  (Sapere 1.0 Fund)
Katie Herzig  (Sapere 1.0 Fund)
Matthew Perryman Jones  (Sapere 1.0 Fund)
Paper Route  (Sapere 1.0 Fund)
Charlie Peacock  (Wedgwood Circle Sector Liaison)
Sam & Ruby  (Sapere 1.0 Fund)
Isaac Slade  (Wedgwood Circle Sector Liaison)

Other Notables:

John Legend  (6-time Grammy Award Winner)

Kelly Clarkson*  (1st American Idol Winner/2-time Grammy Award Winner)
Seth Godin  (NY Times Bestselling Author)
Buddy Miller  (Grammy Nominated Americana Artist)
Pam Tillis  (2-time Grammy Award Winner/3-time CMA Award Winner)
(*scheduled)

Watch the Broke* Trailer

Visit the Broke* Store

Broke* Community

An emerging indie artist from the Northwest, Anna’s musical exploration started as a child when her father introduced her to singing and playing the piano. Throughout her elementary and teenage years, Anna filled up anything – slips, scraps, notebooks, and paper – with lyrics and compositions. Take a look at her work here!

She ventured to develop her first CD in 2003 and produced “God Sees” on an independent, local level. She eventually went on to win two independent music  “Momentum Awards” from Indieheaven.com in Nashville, TN. She has been featured in RELEVANT magazine for her achievements as an indie artist and has been called “the surprise you’ve been waiting for” by Grammy award-winning producer Charlie Peacock.

Come experience Anna. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Show begins at 7:30. Feel free to email Lydia@claphamgroup.com with any questions.

Click here for more details.

Dear Friends,

I am not musical. But I love music and I recognize its impact on my adolescence.  Boston and The Doobie Brothers in junior high. Genesis and Talking Heads in senior high.  And, of course, U2 in college. Although I worked on Capitol Hill for 16 years, I came to appreciate that culture-not floor speeches and white papers-is this generation’s conduit of conversation. Movies, music, television and graphic novels are the “currency of consequence.”  In a postmodern, post-literate cultural context, narrative forms of communication teach and instruct more than our schools, parents and politicians.  Perhaps combined.  This shouldn’t surprise us-nor is it something new.  Damon of Athens said, “give me the songs of a nation and it matters not who writes its laws!”  I couldn’t agree more. We are blessed at The Clapham Group to work with some truly gifted artists who are committed to promoting the truth through art, and in return we are committed to “investing” in them and the conversations of consequence they uniquely facilitate.

I want to introduce you to our first “ROI” in a band: The Daylights. Give them a click and enjoy.  They have already opened for such acts as OneRepublic and Katy Perry, and we helped them finish their first full-length album. Earlier this week, we took around a new client, Project 7, with whom we are working on a album of emerging artists, the sales of which will go to support several of their seven identified causes. Last year, we had the privilege to work with The Myriad on a concert tour sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States that also promoted the film “Eating Mercifully.”

Music has a unique way of moving the spirit.  Carlos Santana said that John Coltrane’s music “put demons on a leash.” I love that image-restraining evil with the good, true and beautiful.

I experienced a moment like this a few weeks ago at the Blue Bird Café in Nashville with a performance we were involved with by Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band), Chester Thompson (Genesis), Calvin Turner (Marc Brussard) and Charlie Peacock (pianist and producer). The evening ended with a solo performance by Isaac Slade (The Fray). They kept the demons on a leash.

I love music.  It shapes our souls.  King David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Sam 6:14) and later wrote in Psalm 101 “I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music.”  And David wrote the songs of his nation.  I love the fact that U2′s next album is likely to be called “Songs Of Ascent“, another of their “hidden” spiritual allusions, and a reflection of their love for the Psalms. They have written songs for not just a nation, but several generations. And kept demons on a leash.

Email me at markrodgers@claphamgroup.com and let us know what song has moved your soul most. Next week we will send a compilation for your summer travel/listening pleasure. And maybe one of them will move you to dance with all your might.

Blessings,

Mark Rodgers

The following day allowed for time in reflection at Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth’s home, Art House, and discussion about our shared mission through Wedgwood Circle to “to tell true, good and beautiful stories for the common good” with the lives we lead and the culture we create. Wedgwood Circle Members enjoyed dialogue with Graphic Novel Sector Liaisons Jim Krueger and Doug TenNapel, as they presented and gathered ideas for the Sapere Fund 2.0. This fund is creating graphic novels that are in development as we speak.  We also had the opportunity to engage in a thoughtful devotional from Senior Advisor Erwin McManus, break up into investor small groups led by Sector Liaison Dave Carlson, and relax to the acoustic melodies of Sam Ashworth, Joy Williams, Jillian Edwards, Andrew Belle and Mat Kearney.

We are constantly reminded of the importance of community and that was certainly evident during our time in Nashville.  We are incredibly grateful for our “Circle” of friends and eager to see how Wedgwood will continue to grow from here.

CCAI was especially honored by the participation of His Excellency Raymond Joseph, Minister Yves Cristalin, Madame Bernard Pierre, and Senator Mary Landrieu. The day was moderated by Mark Rodgers, Principal at the Clapham Group.

I am also grateful for the incredible people I have met and projects I’ve been able to be a part of during my time at Clapham.  You all are world changers!  During my first few months here during the fall of 2008, I had the privilege of working with Christine Gutleben and the Humane Society of the United States on creating a Sunday School curriculum for their All Creatures Great and Small campaign.  Christine has had a passion for connecting the Christian faith with our eating habits and care for animals since writing her own graduate thesis. From Christine, I learned the value of living out one’s gifts and passions in one’s career and persevering in one’s call to make a difference.

I’ve also had the opportunity to work with Faith & Law as they serve congressional staff by offering a lecture series at the Capitol that explores how the Christian faith interacts with contemporary policy and ethical decisions. One of my favorite parts about working with Faith & Law has been our annual family retreat in Maryland.  Here we were challenged to consider how we think and process the world and how this impacts the decisions we make in our daily lives.

Another project was The Poverty Forum.  Here we brought together politically diverse Christians policy makers with a common focus on decreasing domestic poverty in order to create some bipartisan policy proposals.  This project has been and continues to be proof that we as Christians can come together to make a tangible difference in our world.

Over the past two years, as I have prepared for future work in the church, I have learned a lot about the value of learning how to live out our faith in our vocational setting. I believe that my experience at Clapham has prepared me to be a better pastor, as I will be more in tune to the vocational life of my congregants and the manner by which they are consistently influencing culture.

Stasia Fine