Not long ago, I would have thrown a fit if someone wanted to perform a John Mayer song during a corporate worship service. I must admit that I probably would not think to every include a John Mayer song in corporate worship, but it happened this Sunday at the church where I serve. In order to help set the tone for our new series, God and Government: A Conversation on Faith and Politics, we used John Mayer's "Waiting for the World to Change" to highlight the apathy and hopelessness that many people feel when they have an prompting to change the status quo. Some people clapped when the song was finished, and some clapped at the end of the guitar solo during the instrumental section of the song.
Was it a concert or was it Christian worship? What is the place of art that neither comes from a Christian worldview nor speaks of Christian things? I think that the answer lies in our understanding of common grace.
Monday, September 10, 2007
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4 comments:
I would've thrown a fit if I was in the context where I COULDN'T use a John Mayer song. To quote Larry Norman quoting William Booth quoting Rowland Hill quoting Martin Luther, "Why should the devil have all the good music?"
an oversimplification of course...
Keep up the good work.
Interesting ... I was thinking of using the same song in a service for World Peace coming up in August. I enjoy Mayer's music - it has a nice feel and fit to it. As I read on another blog recently it speaks of human experience and points toward the fact that 'the heart of life is good' but does so without pointing further to God as the source of that goodness. Does that matter if it is a resource for engaging people where they are at? If it is used in that way ... a way of engaging people ... perhaps it is not any different to a literary example used to gain people's attention in a sermon? Then the rest is left to the preacher to guide toward God's goodness.
I wouldn't use it in the context of inviting people to listen to his music to worship God, but as a way of engaging them where they are ... I think some of his work has merit.
Blessings,
Andrew - Vicar
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