If I Had a Hammer…
One of the core challenges I’ve faced as I’ve tried to develop more relevant, “contemporary” worship for my redeveloping congregation is the complete absence of liturgical music for a high-energy, justice-oriented worship. I’m pretty open to new forms of worship. You want a praise team singing contemporary music? Fine. Liturgical dance? Great! Christian Puppetry? Why not? Liturgical macrame? Give it a shot! But I’m old school in that I think that good worship isn’t just a random agglomeration of bits, but that all of the elements of worship should amplify the Word as it’s read and proclaimed.
So here’s my problem. If orthopraxis and a rediscovery of the prophetic call to care for our neighbor and our world are at the heart of the emergent movement, then why in the Sam Hill doesn’t anyone write songs about it?
When I’m preaching out of Isaiah against the relentless acquistiveness of consumer culture, for example, I’m pretty much up a creek without a musical paddle. The hymnal is usually good for one solid blast from the old-line, but the landscape of contemporary Christian music is practically useless. The songs are fine, but are so monomanaically focused on praising God and Jesus that any inkling that Christians are called to do other stuff in their lives can’t be found. My little congregation now has a praise team, and after working with them for a while, I’ve pretty much given up on finding contemporary music that ties in thematically to the message.
So if the Emergents are a movement, what are the songs to which they march?
Comment by Jim Bonewald on 8 May 2007:
David, have you tried anything from the Iona Community?
Their publishing arm, Wild Goose Resource Group, focuses on contemporary, global, and justice oriented worship music:
http://www.iona.org.uk/wgrg/wild.htm
Some of their stuff can be found in the US through GIA at http://www.giamusic.com
Beyond that you are right…there’s not much out there.
Comment by Eileen on 8 May 2007:
Derek Webb is a phenomenal singer/songwriter, with great lyrics that are all about social justice and action. Slight problems are that he has a very high range and the songs aren’t typical “worship” or “praise” songs…
Lyrics from “Rich Young Ruler” - Derek Webb
“poverty is so hard to see
when it’s only on your tv and twenty miles across town
where we’re all living so good
now that we moved out of Jesus’ neighborhood
where he’s hungry and not feeling so good
from going through our trash
he says, more than just your cash and coin
i want your time, i want your voice
i want the things you just can’t give me”
Comment by rodger sellers on 8 May 2007:
David:
Agree with you 100%. That’s one of the reasons my “emerging” PCUSA community does a lot of writing our own music. In fact, we pretty often make use of lyrics from the PCUSA hymnal (sometimes with liberty on some words here or there) and re-arrange them for the folk-style guitar music we use. The depth of the theology and litugy comes shining through in the words and our own music makes it our “own”. (It doesn’t take long to realize that these hymns were written with keyboard in mind and don’t “translate” to guitar chords as is very well. Often we’ll even end up with a different, but vagely “similar” melody line.
I know of some churches around who do much of the same thing — primarily because the “Jesus is My Boyfriend” stuff from much of the CCM world just doesn’t do it. I’d say to anyone with musicians to let your creativity (and liturgy / theology) to guide you.
Rodger Sellers
Comment by Chris Brown on 8 May 2007:
I second the Derek Webb comment, and would also suggest Charlie Hall (www.charliehall.com) - his song “Micah 6:8″ is definitely worth having your praise band check out.
Comment by David A. Zimmerman on 8 May 2007:
I’ve just introduced the concept of writing worship music to our junior high guys; in a creator culture, you’re just as well hitting your congregation up to write your own songs, I think. In the meantime, Tom Sine at Mustard Seed Associates has been commissioning people to write justice-based worship songs; Mark Labberton’s book The Dangerous Act of Worship is about justice-themed worship; International Justice Mission probably has some stuff; some of the Taize chants have a justice bent to them; and there’s a guy in Seattle, Brian Moss, whose music might get you going: http://www.prayerbookproject.com/
Hope that helps.
Comment by jake meador on 8 May 2007:
I was thinking of Derek Webb while I was reading your post. And if the Micah 6:8 song is the one I think it is (Charlie Hall has a music video on the Invisible Children DVD, and I think that’s the song on it), then I can tell you that one is awesome too. We’re actually doing a fundraiser here in Lincoln in a few weeks for Invisible Children where we’re going to have some local poets read and a few local musicians perform, many of whom are Christian. I’ll ask them what songs they’re doing and I’ll forward any good ones to you.
Comment by Neal Locke on 10 May 2007:
David, I think the answer to your question is in the title of your post (If I Had a Hammer). I think the music of emergent–which is of course, still emerging–is a resurgence of folk music.
I’ll add my enthusiastic vote to the Derek Webb fans, he is certainly a breath of fresh air, and a great artist as well.
I’ll also add my vote to Rodger et al about growing your own music. I’m the music director at our church, and in addition to some folk-type songs I’ve written for our congregation, we also like to re-hash hymns (change the music, add lyrics, remix, etc.).
For what it’s worth, folk music isn’t an “old” thing, either–I’m 31, and know many 20 somethings who are just now discovering Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie (my fav.).
One more thing: We have an amazing resource in our own denomination–it’s a Presbyterian Folk Singer by the name of David M. Bailey. Last weekend our church just hosted him in concert for the second time in our short NCD lifespan.
Here’s his website: http://www.davidmbailey.com
Comment by Mark on 11 May 2007:
Neal,
Thank you so much for that link to David M. Bailey. I listened to some of the selections from his mp3 archive…exquisite!
My sister-in-law was just diagnosed yesterday with colon cancer. MRI showed two spots on her liver, so it’s likely metastacized. We’re still waiting for her to come out of surgery this afternoon (she lives about 8 hours away from us). David’s album “Hope” might be a good present for her, and for her husband and teen children.
Why have I never heard of him before? What a great resource for the Church, emergent or otherwise! What a gift from God!
Yours in Christ,
Mark
Comment by Neal Locke on 15 May 2007:
You’re welcome, Mark. For those who don’t know, David Bailey, in addition to being a self-described “Presbyterian Hippie Folk Singer/Songwriter,” is a Brain Cancer Survivor of ten years. And an very humble, talented man.
I think his message of hope is one that needs desperately to be heard, especially among Presbymergent types. If we ever do some kind of event (which we’ve talked about a whole lot, in true Presbyterian fashion), I’d dearly love for him to provide the soundtrack…