So music is awesome, right? I think we all know that. Excluding Jesus its gotta be at least top 5 best blessings God has given the world. But there's a lot of dodgy music out there. And I'm sad to say, a lot of that dodgy music is Christian music!
Now, I know that us Christians can be PARTICULARLY picky about Christian music, especially Christian musicians. A lot of it is 'pop' music, or pretty manufactured. It's missing a depth, a certain mood that really punctures our hearts and turns simple words into life-giving mantras. Maybe it's just an Indie ideal, but I like my music to have depth, lyrics that MEAN something, and music that imprints those words on my mind for the next 5 minutes, 2 hours, or week. And I think there are too little Christian artists out there creating this kind of music. You might wanna let me know about the good ones.
Cue Jon Foreman. Who? I hear you say. That guy from Australian Idol that does all the music? I'm pretty sure that's JoHn Foreman, haha! No, this Jon Foreman is the lead singer from Switchfoot. He's gone all solo side project on his Switchfoot bandmates, and released four EPs: Summer, Spring, Autumn and Winter.
There's something different about this guy from all the other Christian artists out there, I can hear it in the music. There's a depth to his music that I've never encountered. The lyrics are so obviously inspired by the bible, almost word for word in some songs. There's always a danger in doing this, I can think of a few church songs that have tried this and failed. (Try fitting 10 syllabus in one line of music. Doesn't make for a musically uplifting experience.) But JF does it so well, and I think that it works because the music supporting it is real. Polyrhythms, unconventional instrument use, passionate and breathy vocal tones all combine to make music that, for me, is the right temperature to warm and penetrate my heart.
It's hard to put it into words. The right music can alert me to the truths of Scripture in a way that just reading them could never do. JF's music takes the truths of God and writes them in my heart. Listening 'White as Snow' with my bible open at Psalm 51, it is as though the words on the page are alive. 'Equally Skilled' gives life to Micah 7. I want 'Your Love is Strong' (a new take on the Lord's Prayer and Matthew 6:25-34) as my wedding processional :).
I am so thankful that there are Christians out there putting their all into making music that MEANS something. If music ministry is a Word ministry, surely meditating on God's words and engraving them into our hearts with music is a worthwhile thing to do. God does the work: 'I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.' Jeremiah 31:33.
