Media
PHOTOS
If it is true that a “picture is worth a thousand words”, then hundreds of thousands of picture words are waiting for you in the galleries located at rufmexico.smugmug.com. This link will open a new window at smugmug where you can browse through pictures of people, events, and places from our ministry here in Mexico City. Check out the feature galleries at the top of the page, or browse through the galleries by category.
VIDEO
Every few weeks, we’ll post another video as the “featured video” on the home page and place old videos on this page. Currently, these videos are culled from YouTube. Soon, however, many will be more concretely connected with the ministry here (i.e. they will be videos that we have taken with the Flip Mino HD Camcorder which is stuck in the US right now).
AUDIO
It is possible that Peter will post sermons or messages in Spanish from time to time in this space. If your Spanish is at a decent receptive level, you could listen here! (Most links to audio will be in Spanish and can be found on the RUF @ UNAM Spanish site).
RUF MUSIC PROJECT
RUF believes that worship is formative and thus it really matters what we sing. We want to be theologically reflective in all we do and singing is no exception to this. We also want to be pastoral in the songs we choose because we believe that the songs we sing are one of the most important ways we model what the normal Christian life feels like. We believe this is vital both for Christians and for those seeking to understand what Christianity is all about. If you are interested in reading more, we highly recommend Kevin Twit’s article, Why We Still Need Hymns in a Postmodern World (offsite).
In the early days of RUF we sang various scripture songs, psalms, and hymns but in the mid 1980s some of the students began to experiment with setting old hymn texts to new music and this movement has continued to spread. While we don’t sing hymns exclusively in RUF, we have found through years of ministering to college students that there is a real hunger to connect with something real and solid, something that is ancient, yet full of passion. It helps us to be connected to a church that is bigger than this generation and singing the hymns of the church in the musical language of our students has helped us do this. We always want the songs we sing to reinforce the core values of RUF – that students would come to better grasp justification, sanctification, and the role of scripture. We strive to sing songs that reinforce the message of the gospel, songs that speak honestly about the depth of our sin and struggles, as well as speaking truthfully about the hope that Christ brings.
The first CDs of RUF music began to be produced in the late 1990s. The RUF group at Auburn produced several well-received projects and went on record CDs of “RUF-type” music through Red Mountain Church in Alabama. The RUF group at Belmont University in Nashville TN, under the leadership of campus minister Kevin Twit, has produced a series of CDs under the name “Indelible Grace” which have had an impact on churches all over the US. In 2001, through a grant from The Calvin Institute of Worship we were able to produce the “RUF Hymnbook” an online resource for those looking for sheet music and simple recordings to help them incorporate RUF versions of hymns into their worship.
In Mexico, one of Kevin Twit’s former students, intern Jared Weatherholtz, has developed a CUR Cancionero (RUF Songbook), in which we seek to incorporate the best theologically and musically rich songs available in Spanish, with an emphasis on bringing these strong old hymns back into circulation with new arrangements and music. Jared is currently in the process of securing permissions for the CUR Cancionero, recording a CD for distribution, and producing an accessible way for Spanish speakers around the world to benefit from the work, much like the samples and lead sheets currently available through the online RUF Hymnbook. As the project develops, you may see some trial media from the CUR Cancionero here.