Site about Brandon Heath's songs

The Change Toward Relevance

Contemporary Christian music continues to shape how the church is viewed in the eyes of the world. The songs of churches seem to focus on the relationship between humanity and God, while others sing of the praise and the worship of God. On any given day, the Christian radio stations will play titles such as I Will Lift My Eyes, Made to Love, Made to Worship, and many songs that focus on the spiritual relationship (between) and praise from the singer to God. Bebo Norman is a contemporary Christian artist whose song demonstrates this kind love and devotion to God. Nothing is wrong with songs that focus only on the worship and praise of God, but they seem to be lacking. Brandon Heath, on the other hand is a Christian artist who wants not only to praise God, but also deal with the real issues of life in his song. Christian music needs not only to praise God, but also be relevant to the society (in which we live).

Even though contemporary Christian music ,which for the purposes of this paper will be coffee shop style music (but is not limited to coffee shop/acoustic, pop, rock, and even rap) has grown steadily and is over a billion dollar industry, the debate over the theological soundness of most contemporary songs continues. Contemporary music critics such as Dan Lucarini believe that “…contemporary (Christian) music is one of the most divisive elements of churches today, because of the lax theology” (141). A few authors will even determine how theologically sound a song is by how many times the words God or Jesus are listed within a song, (Jacobs 105). Perhaps critics such as Jacobs and Lucarini find it more important to be theologically sound (or at least their version of being theologically sound) than the need to be relevant, and deal with everyday issues of the world. The concept of traditional thought is also an issue within churches. Lucarini for example, “…urges churches to follow biblical principles that teach us to avoid diligently any personal preference or style that could be associated with evil” (141). If people really avoid personal preference then there would not be any music sung in churches. Most music is sung because people like it, or it is relevant to them; however, the focus should not be on oneself, but rather on God.

With this being said, the aforementioned critics believe that Hymns such as, When We All Get to Heaven are a more appropriate way to express Christian ideals:

When We All Get to Heaven

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus;
sing his mercy and his grace.
In the mansions bright and blessed
he'll prepare for us a place.
(Refrain)

While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
clouds will overspread the sky;
but when traveling days are over,
not a shadow, not a sigh.
(Refrain)

Let us then be true and faithful,
trusting, serving every day;
just one glimpse of him in glory
will the toils of life repay.
(Refrain)

Onward to the prize before us!
Soon his beauty we'll behold;
soon the pearly gates will open;
we shall tread the streets of gold.
(Refrain)

Refrain:
When we all get to heaven,
what a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
we'll sing and shout the victory! (Hewitt)

The emphasis is focused on the idea that praising and worshiping God will result in the reward of eternal life in Heaven as opposed to serving Him while here on earth. This is not bad in itself, but it fails to address life’s issues. God’s mercy and grace are wonderful ways to “get the prize before us,” however; they are merely empty words to many who are too busy dealing with the world as it is. There is more to life, more to serving Christ, than just the reward of salvation and the enjoyment of heaven. What about the journey and work of life? It is as if hymns such as this tell you about God, songs such as Bebo Norman’s Holy is Your Name seek to praise and worship God, and songs such as Brandon Heath’s Give Me Your Eyes, convey living out faith in all facets of everyday life.

Jacobs, a defender of Hymns states, “It’s almost impossible to have Christian music that does not make reference either to the person or work of Jesus. Sadly there is much in this genre of Christian music that attempts to do just that,” (106). What is wrong with Christian artists attracting non-Christians? Jacobs continues on, “When a song is too generic it runs the risk of being used not only by non-evangelicals, but by non-Christians as well…contemporary Christian music concerts have the look and feel of secular concerts (without the haze of Marijuana)” (Jacobs 98). When did the world become about “us” and “them”? Is not the point of Christian music not to reach others? If a style of Christian music is attractive to believers and non-believers alike, what is wrong with that? The point is that if this ‘secular sounding music’ is attractive to anyone, then all Christians should be glad. It is an opportunity for those who do not yet know about Christ to become familiar with Him in a way they relate.

Trying to present the Gospel, or modernize music in new ways is not a new idea. In fact, according to Mark Allan Powell, the music now termed “contemporary Christian” has been around for decades. He argues in “Contemporary Christian Music: A New Research Area in American Religious Studies” that it has been around for so long, that it is possible to see a change of themes over the years (131). “Worship (music), like all aspects of human culture, has constantly developing and innovating as far back as we can see” (Crouch). The trend is to continue to be more applicable to society.

If something is relevant enough to attract people from outside the Church, or outside the Christian religion, one might see it as a positive evangelical tool rather than something “bad”. Is there something inherently bad or evil about any concert, especially a Christian concert? Having hundreds of people come together for hearing positive and uplifting music is something that most people would consider a positive sign for the future of Christianity. In the mid 1700s Handel’s Messiah was not tolerated well by the churches of the time, yet it was attended by both churched and non-churched people. As a result, both sides stated that they were “…transported to visionary regions previously unimagined and shaken by religious convictions rarely felt in church itself” (Brown 45). Just like Handel’s Messiah, Contemporary Christian music’s (or any music for that point) main concern is “to apprehend and spread a message to whomever will listen” (McElrath 179). Is it not the point of Christian music to be able to transcend barriers?

This similar thought of transcending barriers brings about the more important debate which is the content and context of contemporary “Christian” music. To do that, one might want to start with the definition of Christian music as, “…music that we recognize as coming from Christ, music in which we perceive something of Christ, or, even, music through which we sense that we are actually receiving something from Christ” (Powell 129). Using this definition, Christian music could be different to each person. One style of contemporary Christian music is one which focuses on the praise and worship of God out of joyfulness for creating the world. Holy Is Your Name, by Bebo Norman, is a contemporary Christian song that is centered on complete adoration of God, but seemingly does not deal with the struggles that people face each day. This style is referred to by Frank Burch Brown as, “happy praise,” which is, “…the sense that praise is the alpha and omega of worship…” (226).

Now I praise You, Lord of all creation

You ordain the sun to rise and fall

You scatter the stars across the heavens

You come close enough to hear me call

Now I want to sayHoly is Your name

Let all creation proclaim

Holy Is Your name

Your love is the shelter over my soul

You fill me with the wonder of a child

You will heal the humble and the broken

Mercy flows like a river running wild

On the highest mountain

I will lift my heart to the sky

From the lowest valley

Hear my cry

Holy Is Your name Holy Is Your name

Holy Is Your name (Norman)

In this particular song, Norman does not address real world issues of sadness, sorrow, happiness, or relationships (as well as others). Now, do not mistake what is being said, God is very worthy of praise and love, but Christian songs should be a little more real than dealing only with the praise and worship of God/Jesus. Jesus did not go around saying how great God/Himself was and praising himself, but rather; He went and helped people who were hungry when He fed the four thousand (Mark 8:1-9), gave them something to drink when they were thirsty at the wedding feast (John 2:1-11), helped people who were dealing with real issues such as the paralytic man (Matthew 9: 2-8), and the healing of the oppressed such as the crippled woman (Luke 13:10-17).

Christians are called to live out faith in all aspects of their lives. People live in the secular world, where their whole lives should be lived out for God, but real issues and emotions do happen. Boyfriends and girlfriends break the hearts of their former loved ones; married couples get divorced; people are sometimes sad, and people die. Through these real issues, Christians do and should praise God. We have songs that deal with relationships with God through happiness and praise. Does it not then make sense to have songs about praising God and dealing with real issues as well, or even dealing with praising God through the emotion of sadness or grief? Brown seems to agrees when he sarcastically states that, “the sense to acknowledge the deep darkness of the shadows or the possible starkness of death itself is to be fundamentally unfaithful…the only proper praise is happy praise,” (Brown 226). Praising God through grief or sadness is just as “faithful” as praising God through happiness. People go through all kinds emotions; therefore it only makes sense to praise God through those emotions at different times in our lives.

Brandon Heath is a songwriter that does praise God with his music, while at the same time dealing with the real world issues that all people deal with in daily life. It seems to make one think as Brown does, “When a church becomes more interested in the lives, values, and desires of certain groups of people…the church may become more interested in their preferred music as a form of church music” (35). As the church continues to become more relevant to Christians and non-Christians alike, more people will see the church as a place where their need can be met. However, less than ten years ago:

In 1999, The Christian music group, Sixpence None the Richer (the name comes from a C.S. Lewis quote) scored a crossover Number One hit on general market radio with their romantic ballad, Kiss Me. Two the members had just wed, and it seemed appropriate to many that they should sing a sweet song about being in love, even if it was not specifically religious. Sixpence had long been favorite contenders for Dove awards given out annually by the Gospel Music Association, but the latter organization now ruled that the song Kiss Me was in ineligible for these awards. It is a nice song, they averred, but there is nothing particularly Christian about a woman wanting her husband to kiss her. In response singer Leigh Nash and the songwriting husband in question allowed that they were not all that concerned about being nominated for awards but wanted to state for the record that they did not quite follow the logic behind this decision. “We don’t experience faith as a compartmentalized, religious aspect of life,” Nash said. “I don’t feel like I’m more of a Christian when I’m saying my prayers than when I’m kissing my husband.” (Powell 134)

Perhaps there has been a shift towards more relevant music in the last few years. Heath’s song, Give me Your Eyes, which has been on top of the Christian charts for the last eleven weeks, is not only a song that deals with his relationship to God, but also with society. Though, I am not sure if it would have the same effect if it were a romantic song such as Kiss Me. Unlike the continually praise and worship of Christ in Bebo Norman’s song, Holy is Your Name, Heath gives us a sense of brokenness from the first line of his song.

Looked down from a broken sky.

Traced out by the city of lights.

My world from a mile high.

Best seat in the house tonight.

Touch down on the cold black-top.

Hold on for the sudden stop.

Breathe in the familiar shock of confusion and chaos.

Another key to that idea is speaking of the best seat as on the “cold black-top.” There is a sense, that to see what is happening people have to be out in the world. Out in the confusion and chaos of life, because that is where the people in need are. If one is not in the world with those in need, they cannot assist with the world’s issues.

All those people goin somewhere,

why have I never cared.

Give me Your eyes for just one second,

Give me Your eyes so I can see,

Everything that I keep missing,

Give your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the broken-hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten.

Give me Your eyes so I can see.

He really hits on an issue that few seem to address, “Why have I never cared?” Perhaps He is truly asking why does our society not seem to care? Or rather, where are the actions to all the words? Society and the church like to speak about helping others, but perhaps we need to look at things in a new light. Heath’s song seems to resemble what Jesus called us to; to give food to the hungry, company to those in prison (those we cannot reach), give something to drink to those who are thirsty (Matthew 25: 35-36). However, in this case, it may be adapted; if someone is homeless, help them find shelter, if a man or woman lost a job, help them find another, and Heath seems to tell us to get outside our comfort zone. “…step out onto the busy street,” and off our comfortable seat and go help someone. While one is at it he or she might even want to give someone that comfortable seat he once enjoyed.

He continues by asking to be given Your eyes so I can see. Whom is Heath talking about? Even though it does not come out and directly state the fact, one would have to gather that he is asking for God’s sight for just a second. This is a statement of him seeking to see the world, and those in need as God does. Yet, Heath does not say, ‘Just let me praise You, and enjoy my relationship with You.’ He seems to push that we should not only want to see the world like God does, but to put actions to our words as Jesus did. Not just for the people down the street, but also to the ones that are one the other side of the world. He asks to see those who are in need, as if He was blind before. What changed how he sees things?

Step out on the busy street.

See a girl and our eyes meet.

Does her best to smile at me.

To hide what's underneath.

There's a man just to her right

Black suit and a bright red tie.

Too ashamed to tell his wife

he's out of work, he's buyin time.

All those people goin somewhere,

why have I never cared.’

One might say that Heath calls us to ask to see people in need the way that God does. To look for them as Heath does the girl in the street, and then to reach out to those in need. It is important for one not be fooled by how things may look or the appearances that people may put on, but to see the reality of the situation. This not only shows the authority that God should be for Christians’ lives, but also is calling to help them in their true need. Not just the people who need help nearby, but also the ones across the world. To see them as God does, and perhaps not how society or even “Christians” views them.

I've been there a million times.

A couple of million lives.

Just movin past me by,

I swear I never thought that I was wrong.

But I wanna second glance

so give me a second chance to

see the way you've seen the people all along. (Heath)

In this last stanza, it is also interesting that He asks for a second chance, showing that he has failed in past, but he wants a “second glance”. This glance, allows Heath as well as his listeners to have another chance to see the world as they should have from the beginning, even though he never thought his former view was wrong. Maybe his thought is that one may not get this new view right the first time. Possibly it is something that each has to work on throughout his or her life.

Christian music can be a powerful force because of the spiritual feeling, but it seems that these

spiritual feelings are, often its ability to “silence the noise of the mind, binding the mind to the eternal present” (Robinson 34). Many styles of Christian song exist; some are concerned mainly with theological content, while others deal with relationships between God and humankind (as well as the worship and praise of God), and then there is a new type of music that praises God while dealing with the real issues of life. When dealing with these differences it is important to remember the words of Paul in his statement from Phillipians 4:8, “Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Therefore, all Christians need to realize regardless their background, age, sex, or race, that the most important thing when it comes to music is that it is about God, and for God. People enjoy different kinds of music, and saying that one is less theologically sound is not the point of Christian music. The point is to love and praise God while being relevant to the society in which we live. If Christians focused more on being relevant and less on how many times the words God and Jesus are mentioned in a song, maybe then Christianity would be the transforming force that it hopes to be.