I grew up in your stereotypical non-denominational mega-ish church. I always said, "my mom grew up baptist and my dad grew up catholic so I guess that makes me non-denominational." My dad never formed a close relationship to music as a teen within the context of church but found a majority of his music intake coming from radio either the local jazz station or general secular pop station. My mom played flute in band and occasionally piano at the little Shalimar baptist church she grew up in. My mother had a deep connection to music and has used it in many ways as her prayer. The first song that made an impact in my life was Awesome God by Rich Mullins the 1995 version. That was the first song I consciously remember singing and knowing the words to, because we had the cd in our blue chevy venture. Returning back to the topic, My mom shared the influence of good Christian Music with my father and the cd collection grew. As I got older songs like Dive by Steven Curtis Chapman, One of these Days by FFH, The Promise by Plus One, and Dead Man by Jars of Clay weren't just songs I knew but words that were written on my heart (Plus One pun). I grew increasing grateful for my parents musical influence as I went through tough times and struggled with my own sin nature. It often wasn't scripture that I recalled easily when stressed, but the songs that I had listened to over the course of my entire life. I recall times of intimate prayer where I would be singing the words I knew so well from Holy Spirit by Jesus culture to set my heart humbly before God. The words of those songs (without going into to too much detail) brought me before the feet of Jesus and helped me as a Christian from a very young age move out of being an unknowing child into an intentional Christian man of God.
On the note of repetition, I recall many songs throughout my church production career (often by Chris Tomlin for some reason) which used repetition as a source to draw people into the song and ultimately into God but not nearly as much as in the Catholic Church. I moved to mobile fall of 2018 and over the summer had kind of been separated from most, if not all music from the sheer chaos of that summer. Arriving in Mobile dry of most musical influence and going to a Catholic Church that Sunday did not have my expectation high but I was wrong. I remember being brought to tears that first Sunday at my aunts church because of my rawness to being musically in God's Presence. During that Summer I had an overwhelming amount of time with God in Prayer and Personal Worship, alone with simply my voice and whatever lyrics I could remember. I was amazed by the power in the responsorial hymns and the pure straightforwardness of biblical language.
So often it seems like most worship leaders and even congregation members are so attached to multiple instruments and impressive new music that we forget the power of just voices singing Gods truths back and forth. A song that has remained the powerhouse song of my family that we sing every time we depart each other is the old hymn Trust and Obey by John H. Sammis;
When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
When we do His good will, He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey
Trust and Obey for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus but to trust and Obey
Sorry for the long post here is a singing potato.
I commented on Clabo and Ian's blog.
On the note of repetition, I recall many songs throughout my church production career (often by Chris Tomlin for some reason) which used repetition as a source to draw people into the song and ultimately into God but not nearly as much as in the Catholic Church. I moved to mobile fall of 2018 and over the summer had kind of been separated from most, if not all music from the sheer chaos of that summer. Arriving in Mobile dry of most musical influence and going to a Catholic Church that Sunday did not have my expectation high but I was wrong. I remember being brought to tears that first Sunday at my aunts church because of my rawness to being musically in God's Presence. During that Summer I had an overwhelming amount of time with God in Prayer and Personal Worship, alone with simply my voice and whatever lyrics I could remember. I was amazed by the power in the responsorial hymns and the pure straightforwardness of biblical language.
So often it seems like most worship leaders and even congregation members are so attached to multiple instruments and impressive new music that we forget the power of just voices singing Gods truths back and forth. A song that has remained the powerhouse song of my family that we sing every time we depart each other is the old hymn Trust and Obey by John H. Sammis;
When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
When we do His good will, He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey
Trust and Obey for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus but to trust and Obey
Sorry for the long post here is a singing potato.
I commented on Clabo and Ian's blog.
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