(Jesus) answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
Luke 19:40 (NRSV)
Today, I am grateful that The United Methodist Church allowed me to see God's truth shining from a variety of surprising sources.
Specifically, I have encountered God's Good News from all kinds of music outside of what we normally hear in church.
It was actually at church camp (Egan specifically) that I was exposed to a lot of rock music previously unbeknownst to me. Of course, this was during our free time. I remember waking up our cabin one morning to the beginning of Pink Floyd's "Time". If you've never heard it, a cacophony of clocks go off simultaneously.
Once, I used this tactic on a mission trip where everyone was sleeping on the floor and my wife Sheryl thought it was a fire alarm and didn't see the humor in it after the fact. It did get everybody up quickly though!
At camp, it seemed that the cabin leaders, rather than be the music police, would turn a deaf ear to what we were listening to as long as it wasn't overtly profane. Occasionally, we would find a minister that had similar tastes and were amazed that they could converse with us on some pretty cool stuff.
We actually had a song book at camp that while it contained a lot of Christian hymns and other music, it also contained a lot of secular music from the day. Inside its pages, you will find "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan or "Hey Jude" by The Beatles. These will be found alongside such hymns as "Lord of the Dance" or "Be Thou My Vision".
This was not an endorsement of the lifestyle of rock musicians. It was not saying that every song they wrote was worthwhile or would be sung at camp. United Methodist pastors that mentored me respected my intelligence enough to allow me to acknowledge what has Christian value and what doesn't.
This is very different from the church camp my friend Scott Sharp attended. It was not United Methodist and he said that one day one of the preachers told the youth, "I can tell who's going to heaven and hell just by what they are wearing." Evidently, some had rock t-shirts on.
I still listen to a lot of secular music. I'm fascinated when I find some lyrics that reflect grace and love and goodness. There are many who will never darken the doors of a church that hear this music. Maybe we can have a conversation about it.
For instance, a few years ago, we had our modern worship band play "Home" by Phillip Phillips when it came out. The lyrics include this line:
"The trouble, it might drag you down. If you get lost, you can always be found."
That sounds like Good News to me.
Even the Rolling Stones have a gem or two such as "Shine a Light" where the chorus exhorts:
"May the good Lord shine a light on you
Make every song your favorite tune
May the good Lord shine a light on you
Warm like the evening sun"
The verses are a bit darker, lifting up the lives (and death) of street people. People who need and still somehow manage to find God's grace.
I'm grateful that The United Methodist Church gave me eyes to see and ears to hear.
What songs have you heard in life beyond church that moved your spirit?
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| Does anyone else remember singing out of this book? |
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