I became a Christian when I was 18. Yes, just as the delights of Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll were imminent , God rocks up and turns my life upside down. Four years on, I present to you a collection of thoughts from a Christian now struggling with her first year at Uni. Some may find it insightful, others just amusing! Laugh on my friends.
With the impending release of the new film in the Narnia series; Prince Caspian, Christian band Switchfoot have been asked to appear on the features sound track. Frontman John Foreman said of the track.
“I wanted to capture the longing that is embedded in much of Lewis’ writing- so I tried to think back to what these stories meant to me when I was six years old and write from that perspective. The song that came out is called “This is Home.” It’s been quite a journey: a San Diego song with strings cut at Abbey Road in London complete with a video shot in Hollywood.”
This is not the first time Switchfoot have featured on the soundtrack for a blockbuster film. In 2004 they released their track Meant To Live on the Spiderman 2 movie.
Perhaps I was a bit heavy handed with saying that there are no successful Christian artists, Switchfoot seem to have made a fairly reputable name for themselves, and their music actually isn’t all that bad. Perhaps the key is that they are not ridiculously over evangalistic. I take my hat off to them anyway!
Tomorrow marks the end of my scholastic year, but before I head out to join the throng of inebriated students for the celebrations I still have a little more work to do. Finishing well, is a hard task to master, when the end of the road is within site its just so easy to sit back and let them finish wash over you. A previous placed I worked in had a high annual turn over of staff and I saw many employees come and go during even my short time there. One of the most important observations I made there was the importance of finishing well. Time after time I saw people leaving the place tired and uninspired because in their head they had left the building the day they handed in their resignation. The following months were merely an irritating interim period, where they half heartedly carried out their work, lacking motivation and enthusiasm for a job that would soon no longer be their responsibility.
It’s such a shame to see people who once loved their work, so despondent. At this time of year I find myself feeling much the same, the end is near , the goal is insight but there is still that short distance to go. This time round though, I’m taking some inspiration from some good fashioned Christian Worship music. I kid you not, my iTunes actually boasts a brand new playlist titled ‘Motivational’ in which I am only collecting Christian music. As I near my 5 o’clock deadline tomorrow, we’ll see if I’m feeling quite as motivated!
In one of my previous posts Were ART Thou? I was fairly dismissive of Christian Artists as a whole. What I failed to mention was the brilliant job Christian worship leaders/writers are doing all over the world. Though their music is not necessarily reaching the masses, what they offer to Christians struggling with how to praise God is invaluable. While I would rarely listen to this type of music for recreational purposes, when it comes to worship I could sing emotional ballads for the rest of my days, there is something about the sincerity in the words that totally excuses the mush. This of course is probably not the case for most non-Christians, and they can of course be excused for cringing our sentimentality.
Last year I was recommended the Worship Central podcast presented by popular worship leaders Tim Hughes & Al Gordon, instead of your usual sickeningly Christian tripe, I found amusing banter from two down to earth guys with natural rapport. It was such a refreshing change to hear something that while it was openly Christian didn’t succumb to emotional tactics to engage the audience.
Worship Central is a new school of worship to train and equip worship leaders, musicians and worshippers. Led by Tim Hughes, worshipcentral is based at Holy Trinity Brompton and run in partnership with Soul Survivor.They run worship conferences, worship pastor retreats with a vision to see people encounter God, be equipped as worshippers and see churches empowered to worship in spirit and truth.
To compliment their witty monthly podcast the site offers blogs from both Tim and Al recording various events and projects they’re running. The site is a genuinely good resource for aspiring worshipers and worship leaders, with free guitar chords and acoustic demo’s of new songs. If you haven’t listened to a Christian Podcast before, let this be the first, trust me there is far worse out there.
Being a Christian in todays society is just too hard, isn’t it? Why bother with something that might actually take a little effort from you, even if the reward is greater than you could ever imagine. If you can’t have it right here right now, is it really worth the sacrifice?
In this video Jude Simpson presents a satirical poem about the cost of following Jesus
Is it just me or are most “Christians Artists” incapable of producing anything more than sentimental drivel. It’s not that I don’t admire them for trying to incorporate their faith in their work, but I’m fed up of Christians always being represented with inferior work. If people really feel that God has gifted them with artistic ability, why are they wasting it on mediocre attempts to glorify him, by reproducing the same stuff over and over again. There are plenty of non-Christian artists who manage to create new innovative work that stands the test of time, so what is stopping us Christians?
It seems I am not the only one holds this view. On Mark Berry’s blog Way Out West, I found a quote from Lou Carlozo, Music Editor for the Chicago Tribune on the same subject.
It’s an outrage to me that so much “Christian” art is in fact artistically inferior crap. Why? First and foremost, I don’t think my Savior, the love of my life, would want His holy name spackled onto something so ham-fisted as most “Christian” music. Talk about violating the commandment of taking the Lord’s name in vain! Jesus as the marketing equivalent of Adidas. A brand name.
UNTIL CHRISTIAN MUSIC STRESSES ART OVER AGENDA, IT CAN NEVER BE ANYTHING BUT SECOND RATE. As a music editor at the Chicago Tribune, I have a responsibility to turn my readers on to the best art out there. And as a Christian, I have an obligation to tell the truth at all costs, as I see it. If it’s bad, awkward, mawkish art that Nashville keeps shipping to me like so many day-glo W.W.J.D. bracelets, what choice do I have? I would rather be the voice of one crying out in the wilderness than win the approval of any cabal that is convinced–for all the wrong reasons–that the majority of “Christian” music serves a noble purpose.
Admittedly this quote is fairly harsh, but sadly there is a lot of truth in what he says. In Britain where Christianity gets a far harsher press than America, Christian artists have really got their work cut out for them, but if they really want to show the power of Christ in there work they should surely be aiming far higher than even human capability, not settling for something that quite frankly does not do God justice.
If you happen to be a Christian musician or artist, please do not be disheartened by all this. Instead be encouraged and challenged to get out there and make some flippin mind blowing, awe inspiring, God glorifying ART!
Inspired by a fellow blogger’s attempt to deny himself of music for 3 weeks, I decided it was time I considered what effect my CD collection was having on my life. Despite the obvious time I waste perusing the virtual aisles of play.com, this is not my primary concern, it is the content of the drivel I listen to that worries me.
Do not fret music lovers I’m not about wield my big Christian axe down on all bar Matt Redman. Though I have had friends who in moments of ’spiritual cleansing’ have destroyed their entire music collection (usually later regretted), this is not what I am suggesting, mainly because of the deep selfish pride I take in seeing my neatly arranged shiny plastic cases climbing my bedroom wall. Neither am I saying that Christian music is the only thing worth listening to, however it doesn’t take a genius to realise that at some points in your life Radiohead are only ever going to depress you no matter how musically talented they may be.
Take for example my friend ‘Dave’, Dave has been the worry of all his friends and family over the past few months, as he’s struggled to find his meaning and purpose at uni and in life. Though my big evangelist siren screams the obvious solution, I know now is not the time tell him to ‘get religion’, instead I enquire what his most played albums are at the moment. It comes as no suprise when he admits that Bright Eyes have been a constant on his Ipod. With lyrics like…
I listened to a lecture of nonsense till dawn
By a plagiary poet with dark glasses on
He said, How did you ever dream up that song,
The one where the baby dies?
I said, I’ll tell you a secret, which one’s your good ear?
See people are made up of water and fear
…from the track Cartoon Blues, you I imagine Dave’s soul retreating into the depths of depression as he hums along and I ask myself whether he would be feeling quite so low had his choice of company been some cheerful pop artist.
As survey my own itunes library I recall some of my darkest days when I was consumed with the melancholy words of Damien Rice though at the time my foolish teenage brain believed we were grieving together, the truth is his beautiful tales of pain were merely chaining me to mine, prolonging my own misery. In fact it soon divulges that a great deal of my music is fairly soul wrenching and is little wonder I become easily disheartened with life.
Time for a change I reckon. From now on, (ah this sounds like many a broken resolution) I shall make an effort to fill my plays lists with only the enriching, the encouraging and the motivating. Starting with this old corker from The Source ft. Candi Staton.
