I Was Only Going To Write 500 Words, Then This Angel Handed Me Some Copper Plates . . .

It occurred to me a while back the Mormons have something on all of us: the ability to not only laugh at themselves, but also in a way that manages to avoid disparaging the touchstones they consider important. Furthermore, I discovered that they have an uncanny knack for generating their own internal creative vortexes. I discovered this fact a few years ago, when I viewed a “friend-recommended” video, titled The RM.

The film’s premise is this. A young Mormon missionary, known indigenously to them as an “elder,” has the perfect job, the perfect girlfriend, and the perfect alignments in life required to keep them. Time comes for him to do his two-year stint. He does. Then, he returns, expecting all the previous situations to be intact. He finds quite the opposite to be true.

From the minute you become aware that his child-addled family forgets to pick him up at the airport with pre-arranged fanfare, I was laughing. Halfway through the thing, I was nearly hysterical—gasping for air. One needn’t understand much about a religious demographic at all to still “get” the cleverly-orchestrated ironies, the well-timed sight gags, and the clever fusion of their doctrinal stands with the situational absurdities that follow. Quite frankly, they are brilliant. They do a fantastic job of transcending every stereotype you’ve ever heard.

Then, I noticed the musical backdrop to which it was set. Acoustic ballads, semi-alternative asides, tight harmonies, direct-and-to the-point lyrics. Their music was well crafted, flawlessly produced, and 100% arc-welded to their fundamental beliefs.

The lesson? They aren’t sitting around waiting for pop culture to start liking them (because despite the fact that they err doctrinally, anything that represents even the faintest whiff of a nuclear family will put Hollywood on the back-ordered, air-sickness-bag manifest). So they’ve created their own. And they aren’t allowing their disenfranchised “backsliders” to do it for them, poisoning the pen before it ever gets to the well. Furthermore, they haven’t sat around, decrying their dearth of Mormon-esque music while waiting for the Osmonds to get back together.

I get a sense sometimes, that a small-but-potent part of our ongoing People Vs. Hymnal tort case stems from a desire for something similar. Our early heritage is rampant with the creative endeavors of others. And somewhere along the way, these pieces were bound with glue and paper, purchased in bulk at an inconceivable price, placed in the pews, and seized upon for decades. But exhaustive, voluminous books can also be somewhat intimidating; they have the air of finality—no one can possibly contribute anything that hasn’t already been considered, right?

Is it not arguable, that anything that arrives “free page,” can be suspect merely because it did not come codified by binding? Or happened to be scrawled on second-rate paper a week before it ever saw the printing press?

The Dead Sea scrolls might have met the same consternation, too, had they been first delivered via a PowerPoint presentation. But my point is this. The apostolic faith carries a disproportionately large talent within its comparatively small demographic. We have singers and players that go unmatched, either across the Trinitarian Tonga Trench or the world in general. But currently, we seem to excel as parrots, rather than perches.

At what point, will the Pentecostal world step out on that creative limb? The one that would make sure that all of our new music—be it praise and worship—or whatever, never ceases to define us, yet makes others curious as to who we are? Or do we sit around, hoping that our Hazelwood catalog is supplemented with the next Tim Spell album, and call it good? Is it his job to write the score our entire experience by himself?

And finally. Just where is it written that a musical big-wig has to write the next Holy Ground? I suspect that someone reading this now has the next Holy-Ghost-laden homerun sitting in their shoebox right now. And just needs the wherewithal to step out and put it off the bat.

Identity Suppression?

Imagine a preacher trying to preach without clearly identifying his message. What would have happened if Peter and the rest of the disciples would have suppressed their true identity, and instead of preaching the hallmarks of the Apostolic faith, resorted to philosophy, non-evasive lectures, and double entendre’ speech? I’m safely assuming the results would not include a called out group of people who “turned the world upside down.” The reason the early church chose such an aggressive stance doctrinally and evangelistically was due to their understanding of Jesus’ teaching and lifestyle of how one should present the gospel without “watering” it down. Jesus was radical in his paradigm busting, e.g., he never had a problem reaching out to the lowest strata of society, yet he did not conform to their social mores (He did not become what they were to reach them). He never attempted to “soft sell,” use deceptive tactics, or “store front” his ministry. He wasn’t arrogant in His delivery, as the religious crowd called him a drunkard and sluggard, yet the people he associated with knew what he was about, and it didn’t take long for his audience to figure it out.

What does all that have to do with music?

Interestingly, this is a style for which some musicians and artists steer clear. They suppress the name Jesus, and all the other tenets of faith, for a strategy that attempts to draw in a larger crowd. So, you might hear their official line as “we are not a Christian group, band, etc., we just have a worldview that happens to be influenced by a Christian worldview.” Hence, the lyrics are positive and can be accepted by a mainstream audience, who will adapt and fit it into their own worldview (and maybe they will get interested and seek to know more with the end result being a life change). At face value this seems okay…after all, positive lyrics are much better than negative, carnal, secular values. However, the real benefactors are the band, group, or artists. With such a strategy they garner both Christian and secular audiences. The secular audience will be accepting as long as the religious envelope is not pushed. To build and maintain a larger audience base, without alienating the Christian segment nor the secular audience, the resulting equation is identity suppression for the sake of acceptance. Don’t really say who you are. Ensconce your worldview into your songs like a puzzle, because ultimately, the results will generate a bigger audience to “you.”

I don’t like such a purposeful musical approach. There is something refreshing to me to hear someone just come right out and respectfully (key word there) take a stand for what they believe, knowing that there will be some who will choose to shun the message and some who will listen. This seems to me to be the tactic of Jesus. He was never interested in a fan base. As a matter of fact, they made him nervous because he knew there were many following only because of the miracles, signs, and wonders. He was not about identity suppression, but identity expression. He was God incarnate in Christ Jesus and he certainly did not soft sell it.

Language of Faith

The Language of Faith

What an interesting “conversation” has been going on in Letters on the subject of hymns and modern songs/choruses. I’ve spent a lot of time in those “old time” songs as well as songs written WAY before them and way after. I still have no concrete opinions. So I printed all NINE pages of Letters, grabbed a highlighter, pencil, cup of tea, and a pair of ugly socks (I think better with those) to try to figure out why we so vehemently argue our points on this subject. Several statements stood out to me and on the basis of those I offer the following:

“Old Landmarks” issue. Duet. 19:14 In this OT passage removing a landmark was far more than moving a stone. It was changing a property line and in effect cheating some family out of the inheritance of land that God had given them. This could bring a special judgment from God. Okay, so it doesn’t say a thing about music, but I can see the analogy. And I believe that’s all it is. Taking or eliminating something meaningful, whether property or a song, can bring hurt and offense. I disagree with the statement in letters that referring to songs as landmarks is “nothing short of ridiculous.” Someone wrote: “We need to examine our motives for not singing hymns.” Is it because of the musical style? Is it because we don’t value their message? Is it because we don’t value our older generation? Is it because we are unaware of our heritage? I think it could be a little of all of these. Last fall we had a Heritage Service at New Life Center that focused on telling the story of our movement and so much of the music was from the songbook. From the platform I watched for the response I expected from the Keenagers (what we affectionately call the older folks) but was still shocked. Their faces lit up like light bulbs. It was like rain on the desert. And my heart broke. (Oh and by the way, they didn’t have to “get their nose out of a book” to elicit this response.) I think the percentage of letters speaking about the desire for these songs should speak to us. Someone’s landmark has been moved.

Now before you think I’m some narrow-minded radical let me make my point on the other side. I disagree that new music is not anointed. Someone asked how many of the old songs were written by Pentecostal authors. In our current songbook, they are in the minority. Thus to say that today’s songs are not anointed because they weren’t written by Pentecostals makes no sense. Frankly, I could listen to Bach’s St. Matthews Passion (1729) and feel God just as much as I could singing I See A Crimson Stream – shocking! I actually have done just that! Realize that much of what makes up our songbook was written by folks from all those denominations that melted together to make our movement.

I think a lot of the argument from the hymn-lover side comes from the content. People communicate differently today. Someone said “our [current] music has resulted from the life of upheaval.” It’s more introspective and personal. For the most part, we don’t have to worry about our next meal or where we’ll get many basic necessities of life. Our only hope, sadly, is not heaven. Thus many folks don’t relate to hymns, but instead identify with songs that focus on relationship – the so-called vertical songs, a subject that I think is so over-argued.

I’ve exceeded my space limit. I agree with the reader who asked to see scripture that proves one style is more “anointed” than another. Include choruses that are singable (that’s a whole ‘nother story), songs that allow us to communicate directly and intimately with God. But don’t get so comfortable with who you are that you don’t sing the songs that tell our story. Dean Martin, quoted in Beginning Well by Gordon Smith, said “The language of faith is not learned through discourse so much as through the ordinary life of a congregation, particularly the common act of worship.” (Look at any Baptist Hymnal and you’ll see their heritage – songs written from 1700’s to the present.) Those “old songs” tell our story – they are our language.

Bottom line: Balance.

When Going Through the Hellish Trials...Grab Ya Some Marshmellows For Roasting

Ho la friends, neighbors, countrymen, city slickers, and all you other cats. This a picture of me and the first day of Pre-K for my littlest guy Zion. It did not go so well. He wouldn't go inside the building until I picked him up and carried him and then he clung to my leg and cried pitifully. This is my job, comforting the sad 4 year olds who just aren't ready to leave the comfort cartoons and Xbox - juicee and cookies on demand. Tough life.

So the title is a little shocking, but it rings true. Our city is hosting General Conference this year and I don't know if that fact coupled with the time of year , but we are enduring horrendous attacks. Pastors and their families suffering with illnesses and injuries, personal, physical, emotional, and financial. God is at work throughout but pray for your brothers and sisters in the Tampa Bay region that God would send relief soon. Many do not realize but our area hosts several Wicca covens, and in fact one has it's headquarters here. Scientology headquarters is in Clearwater, the skin trade is prevalent here, and the Gulf Coast slave trade used to end in our waters where much voodoo was practiced and has lingered throughout the West Coast of Florida. A great miracle of souls saved and renewed is going to happen. We are making our way through it with much faith, prayer, fasting and good 'ole sense of humor (thus the marshmallow comment). Please Pray.

In the midst of this our church is quite involved in the music of the conference. I've given up the hope of cool conference attire as I will either be robed or in black. I was thinking over the repertoire (sorry, can't tell you which songs we are singing) but it's quite an interesting cross section. I don't know what it is that brings out the desire for majestic songs. The accoustics? The large crowd and venue? The slight chance there MAY or MAY NOT BE flags and banners? Expect a turn or two of pomp with a splash of circumstance (and not of the cap and gown variety). Then there are the most popular songs that probably all the Bible Schools have worn out that we'll try re-interpret. New, original material (YES!!!) as well the oldies but the goodies are planned. Some people dusted off the hymnals and bringing some of the beautiful songs of old to the forefront. Florida Mass choir, a 200 person voice choir is singing Friday night under the direction of Melanie Elms. Our church has some type of musical involvement every day, which adds excitement to our hearts but stress to our brains. I'm constantly listening to some practice CD and one of my kids said the other day, "Can we listen to a CD that doesn't have permanent marker writing?" Precosious I know. They get it from their Dad.

So enjoy your weekend of rest, relaxation, fishing, shopping, noshing and shmoozing. *Sigh* I have to go to choir practice.