Today’s artist is new to me.
After seeing The Jesus Music documentary just released, Kirk Franklin jumped off the screen. Not just for his music, but his energy and his heart, and more importantly his insight. His story spoke to me. It moved me to learn more about him, to listen to him. His style is not my typical style, but his words speak loudly to me at this point in time.
I recommend anyone loving music, go see The Jesus Music because it will talk to you.
They had me at Jesus and Amy
My relationship with the Lord was the strongest between 8th grade and my junior year of college. God and I were tight. We were close. I knew that He heard me and I heard Him. And our line of communication was music, specifically Amy Grant music.
Amy helped form me, though we know it was not her that formed me, but her music was given to her to get to me. I spent hours in a car listening to her songs, they were therapy sessions. I have church camp memories sewn into my heart from quiet firesides where only her voice singing His lyrics filled the space. She was my support system through those pesky and sometimes painful growing up years. I survived high school and college with a lot of Amy’s help.
So when I stumbled upon an interview with Michael W. Smith talking about The Jesus Music and mentioning Amy Grant, well they had me at Jesus and Amy.
The trailer showcased music that fueled me in my youth but went dormant as an adult. The nostalgia alone, drove me to the theatre.
The takeaway
The history of Christian music and how it came to be a billion-dollar industry is fascinating. But a peek behind the curtain of a genre with multifaceted genres umbrellaed under it and hearing artists speak to navigating their place within it – no matter when the generation - makes it a very timely exploration.
Something is bubbling. Something is moving. There is a shift, and I’ve been feeling it. There’s been a call to it. Ponder This is alive because of it.
To me the world feels like it’s spinning right now. I feel a tad bit helpless. It seems as if it doesn’t matter what spectrum a person resides in – it is all spinning from their perspective and we don’t have much control. When the merry-go-round goes round and round, and you want to stop it, you often just do a hard stop – foot or hand to spinning metal.
For me, after pondering this documentary, the hard stop to the spin is the music of believers.
“The hard stop to stop the spin - is the music of believers.”
Ponder that – it is the music of believers – all believers, and they come in ALL shapes, sizes, color, and gender. The Jesus Music showcases it for us.
Transforming empathy
em·pa·thy
-
the ability to understand and share the feelings of anothertrans·form
-
make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of
Music is beautiful, all music. And it speaks to us. And we can relate to it on levels that identify where we are in our lives at any particular moment. That’s what draws us to it.
Secular music reflects empathy. Country, pop, rap, metal, and contemporary music understand us. They are songs that we relate to; we sing because they are words that meet us where we are living right here right now. We are drawn to this song because we’re in love. We are drawn to this song because we are hurt. We relate to it, but we don’t’ necessarily change from it.
But Jesus music, gospel music, contemporary Christian music to worship and praise – this music can transform.
These songs start from a place of empathy and take us to a place of hope. Christian artists have used their gifts and talents to share their testimonies through melodies, which create emotional connections and can activate spiritual growth. Christian music can heal and can lead someone somewhere, often to salvation.
Watch The Jesus Music movie.
Go to concerts. Gather where His music gathers others. Pick some Christian playlists from your music app of choice. Choose it over your typical playlist and see if over a few days, weeks, months, you start transforming, moving from where you are to someplace different.
“Gather where His music gathers others.”
So, in week two, we are adding Kirk Franklin and “Revolution” to our playlist. The theme for the the next few Mondays – The Jesus Music. Let’s see what happens.
Ponder This subscribers, watch for the “Behind the Ponder – mu*sic Monday - the Revolution".” It will be in your inbox Wednesday morning at 10:01 a.m. for additional insights and how this post came to be. Thank you for your support and trust.
If you like what you read, please share it. Till next Monday – ponder things – it makes us better.
If you like Videos - Here is the video on YouTube
If you like to read and listen - Listen HERE via Spotify and lyrics below
Lyrics to “Revolution “
The Book of Revelations
Chapter 7: Verses 16 and 17 (Yes sir)
They shall hunger no more
Neither shall they thirst anymore (Preach preacher!)
And God shall wipe away (Yes sir)
Every tear from the eye (Yes sir)
Get ready for the revolution
(Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on)
Whoaaaa-o-o-oooooo-ohhhhh
Do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop!
I said do you want a Revolution?
Whoop Whoop
Whoaaaaa-o-o-Whoaaaa-ohhh-ohhh
Do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop
Come on, do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop!
Sick and tired of my brothers, killin' each other
Sick and tired of daddies leavin' babies with their mothers
So every man that wanna lay around and play around
Listen partner, you be man enough to stay around
Sick and tired of the Church, talkin' religion
But yet we talk about each other, make a decision
No more racism (no), two face-ism (no)
No pollution (no), the solution (no)
A revolution
Whoaaaa-o-o-oooooo-ohhhhh
Listen, do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop!
I said, do you want a Revolution?
Whoop Whoop
Whoaaaaa-o-o-Whoaaaa-ohhh-ohhh
Listen, do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop
I said, do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop!
No crime (no), No dying (no)
Politicians lying (uh), Everybody's trying
To make a dollar, it makes me wanna holler
The way I do my life, the way they do my life
There's gonna be a brighter day
All your troubles will pass away
A revolution's comin', yes its comin' comin'
Revolution's comin', yes it's comin'
A revolution's comin' comin'
Whoaaaa-o-o-oooooo-ohhhhh
Listen, listen, do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop!
I said, Do you want a Revolution?
Whoop Whoop
Whoaaaaa-o-o-Whoaaaa-ohhh-ohhh
All my people, do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop
I said, do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop!
What you feelin', what you want, son?
Who you callin' to, son?
You know Jesus is the truth, son?
The second in the Trinity, I know you feelin' him
500 days left, until the new millenium
You hearin' him, trumpet soundin'
Christ, the last, the first, the first, the last, it won't pass
So don't be caught slippin' brother, don't be trippin' brother
'Cause when I see him, I'm givin it
Even when we go they say we move too much, we do too much
If you step against us, then you lose too much
Ain't no stoppin' what we doin' when the spirit is movin'
Don't be hatin' what im doin', I'm the vessel he's usin'
Everywhere I be they try to judge me
They try to shake me, they try to buzz me
But they can't break me 'cause I'm down with Christ
DarkChild and Nu Nation make me feel alright
Where all my east coast saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my west coast saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Detroit saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Dallas saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Chi Town saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my A-T-L saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Jersey saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where all my towns saints at?
With their hands up! Up, they got their hands up!
With their hands up! Up, they got their hands up!
With their hands up! Up, they got their hands up!
With their hands up! Up, they got their hands up!
Where my DC saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Nashville saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Newsville saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Philly saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Denver saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Charlotte saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Tampa saints at? Whoop Whoop!
Where my Fort Worth saints at?
With their hands up! Up, they got their hands up!
With their hands up! Up, they got their hands up!
With their hands up! Up, they got their hands up!
With their hands up! Up, they got their hands up!
Whoaaaa-o-o-oooooo-ohhhhh
Do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop!
Do you want a Revolution?
Whoop Whoop
Whoaaaaa-o-o-Whoaaaa-ohhh-ohhh
Do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop
Do you want a revolution?
Whoop Whoop!
Source: LyricFind