Well today seems to not be a great day for bands I loved in 2012. First there’s the news (not a surprise, since they’ve been on hiatus for a few years at this point) that Joy Williams and John Paul White, formerly of The Civil Wars, have officially parted ways. From the statement on their website:

Joy Williams comments, “I am saddened and disappointed by the ending of this duo, to say the very least. JP is a tremendous musician, and I will always be grateful for the music we were able to create together… I’m so thankful and my heart is full. Looking ahead, I’m excited to share the music that I am writing and recording in the midst of this difficult transition. I’ve loved being back in the studio, and have missed performing live. I look forward to seeing you soon.” John Paul adds, “I would like to express sincere thanks to all who were a part of the arc of The Civil Wars—from the beginning, to the end, and all points in between. My deep appreciation goes out to all who supported, disseminated, and enjoyed the music. Whatever shape or form the next chapter takes, thanks for being a large part of this one.”

The only thing that makes this bittersweet (as opposed to just bitter) is that they have a version of “You Are My Sunshine” available for download that was previously unreleased for download in the US.

As if that weren’t enough, it seems that Gungor has been making some waves of their own for their shifting theology. World magazine reported on it a few days ago, but the gist of it is that Michael Gungor no longer believes in certain portions of Scripture, among them a literal Adam and Noah (which he compares to Santa Claus) and God being our Father and not our mother. Rather than commenting too much on it myself, I’ll just link to two articles that treat the issue more fully: the first one here and the second one here.

Both of these stories leave me wishing the outcomes had been different, albeit for different reasons. And who knows? Maybe this isn’t the final word for one or both of the bands. But it seems to be just another reminder that nothing here is permanent and of the importance of enjoying where God has us for now while expecting change in the future.