Music Mondays

"We wore the colors of our favorite little let down"

Those lyrics from this week's selection have always grabbed me. 

They seem especially relevant as we enter the opening weeks of football season. Now, I'm pretty sure "Tyrant Kings" is more about what's really important in life than football fandom. Based on one video, they explain that it's how we strive for our dreams at the expense of family and friendships (see the 5:00-7:00 min interlude of this video). 

But that lyric perfectly captures sports fandom, doesn't it?

Only one team will win the championship. Every season we wear the jerseys and hats and face-paint with the colors of teams that mostly let us down (Alabama football being the exception). 

Maybe the connection between this song and football season only makes sense to me. But it's a good enough excuse to post a video of the song this week. I have a feeling it will be a song that grows and grows on you because it sure did with me.

Music Mondays

Someone from my church showed me this week's video. I think I'd heard the song once or twice - but it was only at the stage in my head where I liked the song but hadn't really paid too close attention to it.

Turns out, the video grabs your attention and doesn't give it back. Ms. Daigle has an uniquely powerful voice and delivers this beautiful song with conviction. And "conviction" is the word that I'm left with from this single. 

So many of us need to remember what God says about us. So many need to forget the lies we believe about ourselves.

Music Mondays - Paul and The Lego Movie

I'm pretty sure I scared some of our congregation members yesterday when I sang this week's Music Monday selection in a high falsetto voice. If I didn't scare them, I certainly make them laugh at me. If you want to hear for yourself, you can listen here (the illustration comes about the 10 minute mark). 

Here's the real version in case you're not familiar and would like nothing more than to get a song stuck in your head:

An explanation may be warranted if you haven't listened to my sermon. Romans 8:28 often gets used sugarcoat bad things and mask real pain. It gets pasted on many different versions of sympathy cards.  And often, when we aren't sure what to say or do when tragedies strike, we quote it to cover for the questions and confusion. 

Paul was not advocating some sort of "Pollyanna" theology. That approach buys into the false idea that "everything is awesome." The song in The Lego Movie proves to be pure satire and a harbinger of the coming conflict. Romans 8:28 is not telling us to blindly consider only the positives in life. Sometimes everything is not awesome. 

The "good" Paul has in mind is something more significant. 8:29 defines it as "to be conformed to the image of his Son". All things aren't good and won't necessarily work out nicely. But for the believer, they will work out to make us more like Jesus. And that is something worth singing about.

Music Monday - "Who the Son Sets Free..."

Can you remember hearing a song on the radio and thinking, "I need to look that up later" - only to totally forget it when you get home?

That happened to me with this song, only of course I remembered it thankfully. Yesterday it played on Christian radio on the way home from church. I think I've heard it before, but it really struck a chord in my heart for whatever reason. 

Only, when I tried in my head to come back to it today, nothing. Couldn't even remember the chorus. 
Eventually I figured it was Hillsong and I started scouring YouTube and whatdoyouknow, it turned up. 

If you are still interested in reading more and will indulge my idiosyncrasies, this song does provoke some stereotypical criticisms in my mind. 
It reminds one of U2, it seems to end the same as many other Hillsong singles, and it is very individual-centric. 
But it's musical composition and lyrical faithfulness to God's Word keeps pulling me back in. John 8, 14, 1 Peter 2. 

Yes modern worship can be too much about "me". But the impact on the Gospel upon our identity is a clear emphasis of the New Testament. Let's praise God for what he's done for us!

Music Mondays

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.

Music Mondays

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.

Music Mondays - Manufacturing Controversy

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?