During our second week in Ecuador, about seven months ago, I listened to Kanye West during worship.
Headphone worship if you’re not familiar is a practice where instead of having a traditional worship leader, or even singing the same song, you plug in headphones and worship to whatever song. Any song. In a crowd of folks that nodded and scrolled directly to their worship playlists I sat there with my eyes going back and forth like a metronome, earbuds in ear and didn’t play anything. After an uncomfortable 2 minutes I opened up apple music, and typed: “Jesus” into the search bar of my downloaded music. I’m not sure what I expected to pop up, but the only song that did was Kanye West’s 2004 hit, “Jesus Walks”.
While everyone sang loudly to Ryan Ellis or Lauren Daigle, I sat there and quietly mumbled the lyrics of a really good, albeit explicit rap song that more closely resembles a social critique than a worship song. It was in that particular moment I realized the last christian music I had been familiar with was MercyMe songs that I learned the words to in 6th grade..
What had gone wrong in my life was that I associated “Christian & Gospel” with horrible production, unimaginative lyrics and the average voice. If this sounds like you, I’m here to tell you what was not abundantly clear to me in past times: The Church is not one dimensional. People who love Jesus are not one dimensional.
People who love Jesus are not one dimensional.
Neither is their music.
Throughout the race I was introduced to so many talented artists that had been formerly off my radar, Liz Vice, R&B sweetheart Montell Phish, Novo Amor. I was introduced to this entire world of talented people who love Jesus. What a relief.
In Guatemala, Melissa and I spent a large portions of our evenings yelling Hank William’s “I Saw the Light” over my less-than-perfect guitar playing while we sat in the grass. I realized worship doesn’t have to be crappy pop music or even good pop music. Worship doesn’t have to be hipster acoustic music (though it certainly can be and I’ll gladly send you those playlists as well).
Sometimes, I stand in the kitchen at our cafe praising the Lord LOUD to Johnny Cash. Here’s my current favorite off-the-beaten-path Jesus music playlist: Country Gospel
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot- Ralph Stanley
I Saw the Light-Hank Williams
In the Sweet By and By- Johnny Cash
Uncloudy Day – Willie Nelson
I Do Believe- Highwaymen
Can the Circle Be Unbroken- The Carter Family
Take My Hand, Precious Lord – Merle Haggard
Go Rest High on That Mountain- Vince Gill
Jesus Remembered Me- Hank Williams
I’ll Fly Away – Johnny Cash
Amazing Grace- Josh Turner
The Old Rugged Cross- Merle Haggard
(I’m Gonna) Sing, Sing, Sing – Hank Williams
Other things in Jesus music world, listen to “Throne Room” by Caleb Mitchell, Emily Baumgartner & Anna Goward on apple music and Spotify to hear three lovely very talented folks who are still making music while on the field for another Gap Year squad!
Need a Jesus playlist for a different genre? Have music suggestions for me? Want to talk about more serious things or catch up? Hit me by email at [email protected] or on my Cambodian number +855 87 672 623
