We all love music, I'd dare say. We probably all have that one song that truly defines us, too. Music has been around a while and I'm assuming it'll continue to be written, recorded and performed until...well, the end of this world.
I encountered one such instance of music being performed last night. It was the Switchfoot concert at LifeLight in Sioux Falls. I've listenend to Switchfoot's music. I have one of their CDs. It's a good one and they sang some of those familiar songs last night. Songs that I put under the title of "Trevor's Life-Songs" Soundtrack and if you know me, you'll know that there's a song by Casting Crowns which is the title track of my soundtrack :)
As I was at the concert, the lead singer was talking about a song which spoke about the American Dream. Then he talked about politics and presidents. Then he said, "This next song is about the true leader of the nation." And then my thoughts went with it. In the realm of music, there is a war going on. It's not fought with bullets but with beats. There are no armies, just albums. There's rarely peace; just "pausing". The aim of this war: the hearts and minds of everyone but the target audience seems to be youth.
There are 4 battlefronts, at least in my mind:
1) Christian music fighting for Christian hearts and minds
2) Christian music fighting for non-Christian hearts and minds
3) Secular music fighting for Christian hearts and minds
4) Secular music fighting for non-Christian hearts and minds
1) Although I can't say for sure, I'm ASSUMING that all Christian music is safe to listen to and will not lead anyone away from Christ or understanding who He is. There may be some theological differences, and depending on what those differences are, they probably aren't enough to distract away from the point of Christian music: to worship and glorify God. So this battle front is winning, in my opinion.
2) It's on the radio. It's just a turn of the dial away. It's in the music stores ready to be purchased. There are varying styles enticing varying personalities of people. Again, my assumption is that more Christians purchase and listen to Christian music than non-Christians. But I'm not sure what else the Christian artists can do to get the non-Christians to listen to their music. It's not a lost cause but as a Christian, it's hard for me to take on the perspective of a non-Christian.
3) I listen to a lot of secular music. It's mainly country, rap, hip-hop and top-40. Here's my issue with this music: yeah, it doesn't always include lyrics which reflect the Christian life but as Christians, we need to listen with a discerning ear. I think it's okay to hear these songs as long as we understand that what they're singing needs to be put through a filter so it doesn't motivate us to actually change our lifestyle. Granted, there are some songs which are highly uplifting and even mention God or Jesus. But is it truly okay to listen to these songs? The radio is free so it's not like you financially support those non-Christian artists. These artists are truly talented and I feel that they ought to use their spiritual gifts of singing/playing to support themselves. But ought Christians put their dollars towards support non-Christian messages? It's a grey area and I'm not going to say one way or the other but I'm just throwing it out there.
4) There is a very dangerous song out there. It's dangerous for all of us, me included. I love this song because it's catchy and well written and fun to listen to. I hate this song because the messaage is this: one-night-stands are okay. The song is "Lookin' For A Good Time" by Lady Antebellum, a country group. I suggest listening to the song because it's very interesting. I listen to this song with a discerning ear; I know one-night-stands are wrong for several reasons. But what about the non-Christian audience? Do they have a discerning ear? It's possible they do but if they don't, then this song becomes a free-pass to a "good time".
The other issue with #4 is artists that sing/write these songs are very bold to distribue such songs. How comfortable with the lyrics do you have to be to write it, sing it and then send it out into the world and have everyone who hears it know that you "support" what the lyrcs say?! Don't you have to truly believe in what you're singing in order to sing it? And even if you don't agree with it and sing it anyway, you are essentially putting your stamp of approval on the message in that song. And those without a discerning ear recognize this and then they think it's okay to believe what the music says.
We've got a war to fight, people. Personally, I write a lot of music that I want to give to secular artists. My lyrics reflect Biblical principles. They are uplifting and positive. They acurately portray a Christian life which isn't always happy-go-lucky but is a blessing every day we live. I want to overflow the music stores with secular music with a Christian message.
There are a lot of unchurched people who get their "sermons" from the radio.
But who's preaching to them?
Who's preaching to you?
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
On The Journey...
WAVING
I traveled to work this morning, as usual. It wasn't anything special but I was in a particularly great mood! Anyway, as I traversed the roads I've come to know and love I was waving (lifting my pointer finger) to everyone who passed me. It's a Kansas thing, I suppose but I've transplanted it to good ol' Iowa. My hope was and still is that everyone I meet will wave back in some fashion. Most people don't wave back and that's fine. They don't HAVE to. But my reasons for doing it are listed here. Although the people I pass don't know why I wave, I think it would be good for you to read this so you know why I do it.
1. It's Kansas tradition. People are constantly waving in Kansas. Not everybody, but several folks. Maybe it's the small town that makes it easier to identify who you're actually waving at and therefore makes you more willing to do so. So, I've grown up with it and it's become a habit, which leads me to the next reason.
2. It's a habit. It's a good thing to keep in mind as I'm driving in my car. I've done it for so long, I hardly think about it; it's instinct. Plus how much effort could it take to literally "lift a finger"? Little to none!!
3. It's selfless. Granted, it takes little to no effort but for that split second I'm thinking more of another person than I'm thinking of myself. I think that's a good thing plus it's easy to do so why not try it? Sure, it's not in Scripture: "Thou shalt be selfless and wave at people." but it definitely is a small way to put selflessness into practice.
Just think if we all practiced a selfless habit which let others know we were thinking about them, even if we don't know them!!
Also on the way back from work I noticed two motorcycles pass each other. I've seen riders stick their hands out and down towards the road to signal to each other. I guess it's just a motorcycle-riding-thing...who knows! But this particular time only one rider waved. I felt bad for the rider who waved and got nothing in return...
SINGING
It was such a blessing this morning. I was stopped at the light trying to listen to the words of the Christian song on the radio. I had heard the song previously but never listened to the words. A car pulled along side me and I glanced at the driver. She was singing to herself and I couldn't help but notice that her mouth appeared to be singing the same lyrics as I was hearing in the song. Then I realized they WERE the same lyrics! Same station! And while that might have been cool if we were in the middle of nowhere, I loved it because she knew the words! The song might have been meaningful to me but how much MORE was it meaningful to her! And that's really what worshipping God is all about, right? We might know the words to songs and love them dearly (whether for the tune or the lyrics) but in the end, it's not about us! It's not even about the people next to us or around the world! It's about glorifying God with what we sing and why we sing it! I'm going to LifeLight this weekend. It's my first time there since I was a wee-little-freshman! At camp this summer it was Christian music all the time! I played drums for morning chapels and listened to songs while the kids came into the chapel! It grew on me and I realized that listening to Christian music was not only fun but it helped me through the day! So now I'm lovin' it and listenin' to it ALL the time! And while I'm thankful it motivates me, I'm even more glad that it glorifies God! I can't wait to see thousands of people (a total number of people MORE than attended Obama's speech last night!) worshipping the TRUE leader of this nation! It's gonna be amazing! See you there!
I traveled to work this morning, as usual. It wasn't anything special but I was in a particularly great mood! Anyway, as I traversed the roads I've come to know and love I was waving (lifting my pointer finger) to everyone who passed me. It's a Kansas thing, I suppose but I've transplanted it to good ol' Iowa. My hope was and still is that everyone I meet will wave back in some fashion. Most people don't wave back and that's fine. They don't HAVE to. But my reasons for doing it are listed here. Although the people I pass don't know why I wave, I think it would be good for you to read this so you know why I do it.
1. It's Kansas tradition. People are constantly waving in Kansas. Not everybody, but several folks. Maybe it's the small town that makes it easier to identify who you're actually waving at and therefore makes you more willing to do so. So, I've grown up with it and it's become a habit, which leads me to the next reason.
2. It's a habit. It's a good thing to keep in mind as I'm driving in my car. I've done it for so long, I hardly think about it; it's instinct. Plus how much effort could it take to literally "lift a finger"? Little to none!!
3. It's selfless. Granted, it takes little to no effort but for that split second I'm thinking more of another person than I'm thinking of myself. I think that's a good thing plus it's easy to do so why not try it? Sure, it's not in Scripture: "Thou shalt be selfless and wave at people." but it definitely is a small way to put selflessness into practice.
Just think if we all practiced a selfless habit which let others know we were thinking about them, even if we don't know them!!
Also on the way back from work I noticed two motorcycles pass each other. I've seen riders stick their hands out and down towards the road to signal to each other. I guess it's just a motorcycle-riding-thing...who knows! But this particular time only one rider waved. I felt bad for the rider who waved and got nothing in return...
SINGING
It was such a blessing this morning. I was stopped at the light trying to listen to the words of the Christian song on the radio. I had heard the song previously but never listened to the words. A car pulled along side me and I glanced at the driver. She was singing to herself and I couldn't help but notice that her mouth appeared to be singing the same lyrics as I was hearing in the song. Then I realized they WERE the same lyrics! Same station! And while that might have been cool if we were in the middle of nowhere, I loved it because she knew the words! The song might have been meaningful to me but how much MORE was it meaningful to her! And that's really what worshipping God is all about, right? We might know the words to songs and love them dearly (whether for the tune or the lyrics) but in the end, it's not about us! It's not even about the people next to us or around the world! It's about glorifying God with what we sing and why we sing it! I'm going to LifeLight this weekend. It's my first time there since I was a wee-little-freshman! At camp this summer it was Christian music all the time! I played drums for morning chapels and listened to songs while the kids came into the chapel! It grew on me and I realized that listening to Christian music was not only fun but it helped me through the day! So now I'm lovin' it and listenin' to it ALL the time! And while I'm thankful it motivates me, I'm even more glad that it glorifies God! I can't wait to see thousands of people (a total number of people MORE than attended Obama's speech last night!) worshipping the TRUE leader of this nation! It's gonna be amazing! See you there!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Self-fulfilling Prophecy
If I write a blog stating that this year will be one of transition, odds are I'll think it's a prayer and then if it's a prayer God is sure to answer it in some fashion. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I've never liked transitions, unless of course they're easy and/or selfish ones. I'd prefer the easy ones. I'd prefer the ones where everything is laid out and recognizable. There have been times where hard decisions during transition times are easier to make because of the signs being shown.
Such as when I was failing my science classes at Dordt, I began to question God's call on my life to do clinical laboratory science. I began to understand that He wanted me to do ministry but I wasn't sure. I kept looking for signs. I begged and pleaded and prayed to Him that He might reveal His Will. It finally came down to that one day when I went to the registrar to ask about how to change majors and how my classes would work out. The registrar's secretary and I had been talking for a while and she finally just asked me, "Do you want to change your major?" It hit me then that I did want to change to ministry and I've never looked back.
Also during transition points you are torn between tradition and the comfortability that comes with it and the future and uncertainty that comes with it. They are both positive things. I could stay around Sioux Center and work for Hope Haven all my life. I could try to get a job at Dordt doing spiritual guidance and counseling. Those would be the easy choices. The hard choices involve moving and getting a place of my own and getting a real job that I may or may not be great at.
One way I've legitimately justified waiting around to make the transition is this: spiritual strength. I know the story of salvation and I can put Scripture into good words for sermons and messages. But I don't truly KNOW Scripture. I met some amazing people this summer who have memorized parts of Scripture for various reasons. But here's the thing: no matter why they memorized it, they can still apply those memorized verses to numerous situations during their days. It's an amazing thing to not only look to Scripture when you have a sermon in mind but it's more amazing to know Scripture and let it lead your day and actions.
I think that's the transition that needs to happen: take my faith seriously by having outwardly actions. For 5 years at Dordt I studied the Bible for all my classes and I absorbed it. That was truly a good thing because what I believed was detailed on a daily basis. But on a daily basis, did I feed myself by reading Scripture just for the sake of reading it? Did I meditate on it for my own life rather than for journals? Did I learn to LOVE reading the Bible? Did my prayer journal get filled twice a day? No. I truly believe that before I do any sort of full-time ministry I ought to come to that level of spirituality.
Pray that I might reach that level in God's timing and with His blessing.
Such as when I was failing my science classes at Dordt, I began to question God's call on my life to do clinical laboratory science. I began to understand that He wanted me to do ministry but I wasn't sure. I kept looking for signs. I begged and pleaded and prayed to Him that He might reveal His Will. It finally came down to that one day when I went to the registrar to ask about how to change majors and how my classes would work out. The registrar's secretary and I had been talking for a while and she finally just asked me, "Do you want to change your major?" It hit me then that I did want to change to ministry and I've never looked back.
Also during transition points you are torn between tradition and the comfortability that comes with it and the future and uncertainty that comes with it. They are both positive things. I could stay around Sioux Center and work for Hope Haven all my life. I could try to get a job at Dordt doing spiritual guidance and counseling. Those would be the easy choices. The hard choices involve moving and getting a place of my own and getting a real job that I may or may not be great at.
One way I've legitimately justified waiting around to make the transition is this: spiritual strength. I know the story of salvation and I can put Scripture into good words for sermons and messages. But I don't truly KNOW Scripture. I met some amazing people this summer who have memorized parts of Scripture for various reasons. But here's the thing: no matter why they memorized it, they can still apply those memorized verses to numerous situations during their days. It's an amazing thing to not only look to Scripture when you have a sermon in mind but it's more amazing to know Scripture and let it lead your day and actions.
I think that's the transition that needs to happen: take my faith seriously by having outwardly actions. For 5 years at Dordt I studied the Bible for all my classes and I absorbed it. That was truly a good thing because what I believed was detailed on a daily basis. But on a daily basis, did I feed myself by reading Scripture just for the sake of reading it? Did I meditate on it for my own life rather than for journals? Did I learn to LOVE reading the Bible? Did my prayer journal get filled twice a day? No. I truly believe that before I do any sort of full-time ministry I ought to come to that level of spirituality.
Pray that I might reach that level in God's timing and with His blessing.
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