I've Moved These Comments Up Here Into A Post For You, In Case You Missed It

anon said...
as a very devoted sufjan fan, i was aware of him being mildly christian, but would argue that if you put the lyrics of any song from illinoise up against thos of your derek webb, you wouldn't find any of the overt imagery or blatant references to christ with sufjan. Also, he made an entire album of songs relating to the zodiac.

After more thought about the subject, I've begun to think that it's more a question of subject matter. I subscribe to the "high fidelity" school of pop music - namely that 98% of good songs are about heartbreak, rejection, or loss. And i think as a fairly dejected, quarter-life crisis sufferer, i appreciate those themes in music, and have come to accept them. Christian music, on the other hand, is far too uplifting for me. Like most of america, i don't want to be cheered up, i want to see the dregs of existence. This is why so much of our entertainment centers on sex, violence, crime, heartbreak, etc. Even the passion of the christ had to have an uber violent crucifixition scene. It's just what the people want from entertainment. We save being saved for sundays only ;)
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Sunday, 08 January, 2006
Greg said...

anon,

Thanks so much for your comments. I appreciate and relate to your sentiments. I wonder if perhaps your understanding of what Christianity is about is not a bit off. One of the great heartaches (and frustrations!) of my life is the widespread misapprehension of the essence of Christianity.

You talk about "sex, violence, crime, heartbreak", "rejection and loss", "the dregs of existence" as if those are aspects of life outside of or foreign to Christianity. No doubt many Christians and churches are guilty of giving that impression. But in my experience (and in the understanding of the great bulk of Christians who've practiced our faith in diverse regions and times for two thousand plus years) Christianity and the life of the Christian is all about those things.

Sex, violence, crime, heartbreak, rejection, loss... man, you just described 50% of my experience living life as a Christian. In addition there is passion, drama, love, mercy, grace, mystery and longing. Not only in our lives, but the Grand Story, the Redemptive Drama that gives shape to our faith. (I still maintain that the dirtiest book sold in any Christian bookstore is the Bible).

I think a part of what is unsatisfying about the music being produced by the "Christian" music industry is that not much of it respects the complexity of life as a Christian who, while experiencing redemption (being "saved") is doing so in a world and a life that is both beautiful and broken. The problem is that the Christian music iNdustry in general, produces art from the perspective that "being saved" is just for Sunday. This allows no room for the "Christian" expression of joy in the beauty of the world or the expression of sorrow, grief and indignance over the brokenness of the world. What is left is a white bread, sugary-sweet, watered down, pseudo-religious, kum-bah-ya kind of Christianity that has been so neutered and nullified that it no longer looks anything like the "Christ" we are named for.

Any attempt (by Christians or non-Christians) to compartmentalize our lives in such a way that confines Christ to one "sunday" segment or slice of the pie, will always produce an experience and understanding of Christianity that is distorted, unattractive and ultimately unfulfilling.

If you are in the central Ohio area, I'd love it if you could visit our church and hang out with us sometime. We are attempting to forge lives wholly forged by Christ and his message. In this view, the sex, violence, crime, heartbreak, rejection and loss all have their place. As does, passion, truth, beauty, brokenness, mystery, grace and love.

Here's to seeing the big picture.

Peace.
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Monday, 09 January, 2006
Greg said...

BTW, Seven Swans is an album all about the transfiguration of Christ.
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Monday, 09 January, 2006
anon said...

If you only know one or two things about Sufjan Stevens, chances are the second is that he is a practising Christian who isn't afraid to let his beliefs impact upon his work. "If someone asked, I would say that I was born again. I would look you right in the eye and say it."

"I don't know anything about CCM. I'm not an evangelist. I'm a songwriter and a storyteller. If that story happens to be about Christ, then perhaps, in some odd semantic way, the song could be termed 'evangelical'. I gladly accept that. I also sing about divorce. And murder. And adultery. I sing about chickens and war and bathrooms. In my mind, the gospel is not something to pander and pawn off like a diet soda drink. There is no product. There is no selling point."

"This is what it means to be born again: to fully and completely disengage with the preconceptions and preoccupations of the adult world and its religions, to dismantle all laws - of physics and society - and yield yourself to the birth canal, and what comes after, in which everything begins to shake and tremble with all senses fully turned to the centre of the universe, the creator, God the Father, in whose cultivation we begin to know and understand our true selves, our real selves, as a reflection of God's image, his creation, like newborn babies, full, fresh, suckling, elated and laughing at everything. But honestly, I have no idea how this relates to my music. I hate talking about this stuff."

"I'd like to spend less time talking about God and more time being in God's presence. I think that would put an end to this conversation, once and for all."
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Monday, 09 January, 2006
anon said...

that's my kind of christian