I did a phone interview with Third Day guitarist and co-founder Mark Lee today. I try to keep the interview to 15 or 20 minutes if possible, and anyone who has heard me preach knows that's a real chore for me. But it seems to be a particular chore when it comes to conversations with particular artist -- not for them, mind you, but for me. I think it has to do with feeling a kindred spirit at times.

I particularly enjoy talking with Mark and even requested the interview with him when the tour promoter contacted me about the "Wherever You Are" tour coming to Knoxville.

My first interview with a Third Day band member was Mac Powell in 1998, for the "Conspiracy No. 5" tour. It was my first exposure to their music. It was a killer interview for me, leaving me intrigued by an artist who seemed to be the real deal. I took in the concert with my daughter, Elizabeth, at Farragut High School auditorium in Knoxville.

They rocked.

I told my then 13-year-old daughter, "Man, that band's really got something."

The next time I saw them was at an outdoor concert at the World's Fair Park in Knoxville ... and the band again wowed the crowd. I think it was the same summer.

In March 2000, I interviewed bassist Tai Anderson for the "Time" tour. During the interview, I noted how there was nearly always a song on their albums that took on a worshipful tone in their concert. He surprised me by saying, "We just finished a worship record about three weeks ago." It was "Offerings."

My next interview was following the release of "Offerings," and it was again Mac Powell. And I was again convinced these guys were the genuine article when it comes to trying to live out a life of grace and faith. He shared with me some thoughts from a book he was reading, "Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist," by John Piper.

During interviews, I used to ask artists if they were familiar with Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest," a devotional I was given by a brother in Christ around 1991. I think the first artist I asked that of was Toby McKeehan in 1994:

"I think more than anything else I really probably try my best to put others in front of myself," he said, noting that Jesus Christ had a platform. "He spoke and people listened, but he was always humble."

It was a time when DC Talk was just getting rolling, having released "Free At Last," and not nearly the CCM megamachine that it later became, pretty much paving the way for many in the industry.

Granted, the question was not so easily answered in later years. I remember one interview where a husband and wife were on different lines and a baby was crying in the background. I should have known better, but found myself asking the question toward the end of the interview ... and there was dead silence. I can just imagine what mom thought ...

Getting back to Mark Lee.

I first interviewed him for the "Come Together" tour in Spring 2002 and, like Mac, he shared about a book he was reading, "Wild At Heart,’ by John Eldridge. So, I reciprocated and brought him a copy of G.K. Chesterton's "Orthodoxy" during the meet and greet time.

I enjoyed talking with him so much that I decided to interview him again for the "Wired" tour. This time, I talked with him about Henri Nouwen's "Reaching Out" and what Nouwen called "solitude of heart." It was one of those great moments where an interview becomes less of a journalistic endeavor and more of a Christian conversation.

I liked it.

Mark and I didn't get to converse much today. It was sort of a discussion on the run. That's OK, 'cause there will likely be another time.

But I still found out what he was reading: "Christ the Lord Out of Egypt," by Anne Rice.

And we talked about Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz," which we have both read.

Still more of a Christian conversation than an interview.

And I like that.

Grace and peace ...