They wander through theological frameworks, eschatological expectations and process potential for a greater engagement.

Translation: Tripp sings and then they talk about the meaning of the song … along with the week’s news through a theological lens.

I love music. I love singing in church. I sing while I drive. Sometimes I even go out of my way to find music from other cultures to appreciate (thank you NPR).

As a pastor, I have always evaluated the songs that we sing in the service and have even vetoed certain songs for theological reasons, and others for musical reasons. And that was before I spread my wings as a progressive-emergent type or even got my theology degree.

 Being a theologian who loves music can be tricky in the current worship culture. I find myself thinking “can I sing this song with integrity?”

I take worship pretty seriously so I just don’t have the luxury to ‘turn my brain off’ or ‘turn a blind eye’ to the content of the songs that we sing as a congregation.  I can’t do what some of my peers do and say with a shrug “these are simply the songs that we sing and that is just the way it is – don’t get too worked up about it or put too much thought into it.” It’s just not possible with my personality and passions.

Examples of the challenge would be:

• the antiquated masculine only metaphorical language about God. I know they are just pronouns. I know they are just metaphors. I know that its just personification and anthropomorphic projection… but it really gets to me.
• Remnants of the pre-modern conception of a three-tiered universe. Heaven is ‘up’ and hell is ‘down’. etc.  I know what it is, I’m just not cool with continuing to sing it.
• God as only transcendent. Yes – God is beyond us. But God is also within us and all around us. This spacial language problem really gets old. I’m tired of intiving/begging God to come ‘down’, break ‘in’, and show up.

One of the things that has helped me greatly is the discovery of theo-poetics. I was introduced to the idea a while ago but it didn’t come into it’s fullness until I read The Weakness of God by John Caputo. I realized that the way we talk about God is exactly that: a way.  I also love Nancy Murphey’s take on expressive vs. representative language in Beyond Liberalism and Fundamentalism. 

 I have to remind myself: Look, we use expressive language in worship. It’s poetics. Now, take a breath. 

This came to a head that other day in a different way. We are starting a new gathering at our church and I went looking for some new songs. I was not finding much so I went back to a reliable resource from my past. This large church in a different country is famous for its worship choruses. The newest album had some things on there that made me cringe a little bit. So I started looking into their theology – which I had never looked at before because previously I didn’t really look at such things.

I was troubled by three things I found. The first was an odd prosperity gospel framework. I know its always dangerous to put too much stock in quick summaries by critics… but anytime the phrase ‘greed is good‘ shows up, I’m concerned. The second was a formula to be rich/blessed  and a blame on those who weren’t. The third was that the whole thing (including the songs) were wrapped in ‘Spiritual Warfare’ as the main place that reality plays out.

I asked one of my trusted friends (who is way more liberal than I am) if we could sing songs that come from that church at our new gathering with integrity. I was shocked when she said yes. Her reasoning was that we take things and redeem them for our purposes regardless of where they come from.

I am not comfortable with that. I know its ‘just‘ theo-poetics… but I’m not sure I could worship while singing that song.

Thoughts? 

In this conversation with Bo Sanders from Soularize 2011, they talk about ministry, music, and what it means to get below the surface and invite people who are safe into a place of vulnerability and people who are vulnerable into a place of safety.

The music for this episode is from their last album Sneek Peeks at Magic Moments. The new album comes out this Friday!

Connect with Agents of Future on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter. Get their music from bandcamp.

In Your People

For the Love of God

PS.  I use one dirty word at the end.  It is used as a theological affirmation of the depth to which my own human f***ed upedness runs.

Enjoy it Here! (Right Click and ‘Save Link As’ to download)

Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding.
‘Christ is nigh,’ it seems to say;
‘Cast away the works of darkness,
O ye children of the day.’

Wakened by the solemn warning,
let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.

Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heaven;
let us all, with tears of sorrow,
pray that we may be forgiven;

that when next he comes with glory,
and the world is wrapped in fear,
with his mercy he may shield us,
and with words of love draw near.

Honor, glory, love, and blessing
to the Father and the Son,
with the everlasting Spirit,
while eternal ages run.

Audio Here (right click and ‘save link as’ to download mp3)

Advent Song 1 here and Song 2 here

Hopefully this blending of John Pearlberg’s anthem ‘Remembering with Love and Hope’ and the Angelic Choir’s song in Luke’s gospel will encourage you in Advent to receive and bear God’s Gift for all of humanity.

Remembering with Love and Hope (audio here. right click and save as to download)

Glory to God, Glory to God in the Highest
And on earth peace to everyone

Remembering with love and hope, we celebrate the feast
Christ bids us come and dine with him, our host and great high priest
God’s word made known in flesh and blood, a covenant of grace
in manger, cross, and empty tomb, we see God’s loving face

Through all our lives Lord you are near and to the end of time
In bread and cup yourself you give, our life in yours we find….
Love, Love, Love, Love, Love it comes close to you, close to you (x2)

We break the bread and bless the cup, your spirit is out poured
Made one in you, we feast in love until you come o Lord
We trust the pledge of your strong love and pray your kingdom come
when face to face we’ll feast with you in our eternal home

At the end I envisioned a split where the ladies keep singing the Angel’s lines, ‘Glory to God…’ and the fellas follow me in singing the chorus.  When I recorded both parts with me it sounded like it would work, but that much of my voice freaked me out.

The first advent song is here.

Listen Here (to download right click and save as)

View the present through the promise, Christ will come again.
Trust despite the deepening darkness, Christ will come again.
Lift the world above its grieving through your watching and believing
in the hope past hope’s conceiving: Christ will come again.

Come Lord Jesus Come (x3) And Live In Me
Probe the present with the promise, Christ will come again.
Let your daily actions witness, Christ will come again.
Let your loving and your giving and your justice and forgiving
be a sign to all the living: Christ will come again.

Match the present to the promise, Christ will come again.
Make this hope your guiding premise, Christ will come again.
Pattern all your calculating and the world you are creating
to the advent you are waiting: Christ will come again.

If anyone wants all four chords let me know.

Here’s the Song, I have decide to follow Jesus.

btw: I use a dirty word in the song so don’t listen if you don’t want to hear it. I think i use it theologically but now you know it is there.

Peace of War

Check it out, Download it, Share it, and if you want chords\words click here!

Here’s the Mp3: Peace Be Still

Download the words\chords