Yesterday I wrote about Keith Green, his humility, and his willingness to admit his sin. As the decades passed, new singers arose. But, they arose out of a context in which the Jesus People had basically disappeared, and the Charismatic Movement had become a more accepted part of the various churches. The music became much more polished, the sets more professional, the venues larger. It sometimes became difficult to tell the difference between a Christian group singing acceptable Christian songs and a country and western artist singing a Gospel song, as one of the songs he/she did. Yes, I quite fully intend the criticism implied.
The prophetic element found in the Keith Green and Larry Norman style of singers faded into stylized worship songs. I can still remember the shock and controversy when Amy Grant began to do some “crossover” songs. If the early Jesus People singers used the music style they had known as pre-Christian teenagers (rock, etc.) to sing out their calls to repentance, calls to change, calls to worship, etc., the later singers used “established” music patterns to craft emotionally pleasing songs for their Christian audience. There were and are, of course, exceptions.
But, now and again, a sense that more was needed or something was missing arises. The song above is a song of repentance that reminds me of that early Keith Green. What makes it interesting is that liturgy makes an entrance. The song above has strong echoes of the Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison, found at the beginning of the ancient Western liturgy, complete with “festal” versicles. The song was recorded by Michael W. Smith, a singer and pastor who knows all about repentance. In his very early life, he struggled with drugs and alcohol, despite his being a Christian. But, as he recommitted to God, he devoted himself to serving him in song and in church. Most people do not realize that this award winning singer also was senior pastor of a church for a while and still continues as a member of that church.
But, from personal experience, he knew the need for God’s forgiveness, as did Keith Green. And, like Keith Green, part of what makes him a powerful singer is precisely that inner realization of his sins and of God’s grace. As the Desert Fathers point out, that is a combination that leads to humility, and to an openness for God to work through one.
And, so, as the West says, “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.”
“The music became much more polished, the sets more professional, the venues larger…..”
sounds like that “death by success” we see again & again in history. In the Amercian Dream we trust.
Lord forgive us, we don’t know what we do. peace.