This week's selection is a gem from my youth that I'd totally forgotten about. Thanks to the Good Christian Fun podcast, who reviewed the entire album, my lost love for this prophetic rock song was rekindled. "Lost the Plot" is a nuanced and confrontational song that builds up to a rich, convicting crescendo. I'm posting the lyrical video so it's easier to follow the flow of the song's message.
And if you'll allow me to a moment of self-promotion, it also fits the sermon series we're working through this summer. "Missing the Point" highlights popular verses many church-goers have misunderstood and misquoted. And especially with yesterday's verse, Jeremiah 29:11, I fear we've lost the plot.
We're going with a bit of a change-up this time around. I just returned from the Brethren National Conference and it was a good time of fellowship, training, worship, and networking. One of the newer advancements that our denomination is pursuing is a celebration of our collective artistic gifts. We're calling it Story & Song. Artwork was displayed in our large gathering room and new songs were taught and sung. More will come of this no doubt, but I was surprised at the excellent quality of what was produced. I probably shouldn't have been. It's great to see artists honoring God with their gifts.
Well, it's been a few weeks and I can't even get around to posting on a Monday. But I did want to move this little series along. Of all the controversial songs in CCM's history, "Cartoons" by Chris Rice may be one of the most interesting.
It was criticized for being anti-worship, misusing the Lord's name, and being borderline obscene (it references Beavis and Butthead!). It was also a chart-topper and one of Rice's most popular songs in a career that contained a lot of radio hits. Ultimately, I think it proves that many Christians don't get satire and can't laugh at themselves very easily. Too many of us take things like this too seriously. Rice's music resume reflects an incredibly profound heart for God and uniquely humble appraoch to worship. Why go crazy over a hidden track of a song he wrote for a youth group event? I could conjure up more thoughts and arguments in his defense, but this article does it for me: https://www.crosswalk.com/culture/music/chris-rice-and-the-great-cartoons-controversy-1383756.html. Meanwhile, let's allow ourselves a little fun, ok?
