WORSHIP AND COUNTRY MUSIC

So I think I'll start a cowboy church. OK, no, I'm lying. But I've had a thought brewing, and I forgot it for a while, but flipping through the radio stations yesterday brought it back to mind- I've learned more about God and my own faith from listening to country music that from listening to Christian music. (AHHHHH, INTERVENTION! Get this guy some Casting Crowns, STAT!) No seriously, hear me out on this.

I'm not saying that there is something inherently doctrinally-sound in every country song (see Kenny Chesney's "Everybody Wants to go to Heaven"), but it all boils down to this- country music cuts the crap. Seriously. And I don't consider myself a die-hard country music fan- I enjoy all kinds of music, and I love leading the praise band at our church. but it just seems like a GOOD country song gets to the heart of the matter, says it plainly, and tugs at the heart strings just enough to not make you feel manipulated. I look at so much of Christian music, even worship music, and it seems like it all just recycles the same old cliches over and over, and I feel like we get so caught up in getting the next worship "hit", working it into Sunday service, that we fail to truly understand the meaning. Do we even know the meaning? Is there a clear meaning?

Bottom line, as cynical as it sounds, listen to "I Saw God Today", "Watching You", "I Thought I was Tough", and you get more per-song wisdom on how to view life, how to love your wife well, and our responsibility to be an example to our children, than ten of your average "Jesus is my boyfriend" worship songs. Don't get me wrong, i am SOLD OUT to worshipping God- but I guess my observation is really how sad it is that I can get more spiritual "meat" listening to country radio than by popping in the latest worship CD. Man, I've gotta stop being a hypocirt and start writing some worship tunes, and put my money where my mouth is. We've got to raise the bar on our COMMUNICATION OF LOVE TO GOD, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Yippee Ki-yay, sweet baby Jesus!

DETOX MONDAY

After a weekend on the road, I am back in the office, back on the program. A 3-day weekend filled with restaurant fare has left me feeling bloated and blah. My first two meals of the day have consisted of grapefruit, bananas, and water......slowly my will to live is returning.