The band Pieces of the Wreck is going to play a little “mini-show” on December 31^st (New Year’s Eve).  We’ll have our Burning House service, and then roll right in to a Sounds of Thunder/Pieces of the Wreck concert. 

It’s sort of funny though, because they are almost the same band with the exception of just a few members here and there.  Same bassist, drummer, guitarist…the only thing that will distinguish us is the band name.  Heh.

Anyway…this all means that we have to practice, which is always a combination of hilarity and extreme frustration.  Last night, we were working on a cover of the Train song “Calling all Angels”.  It has been a while since we last did that song, and I had a little trouble at times trying to keep the rhythm, vocally.  I had the words right, and the tune was correct, I just had the wrong emphasis going, which put me out of sync rhythmically.  When I realized it, I hurried through the vocals to catch myself up…you know, just sort of droning through them quickly with no emphasis or passion at all. 

It got me thinking about the Bible.

“Doesn’t EVERYTHING make you think of the Bible?”

“No…well, maybe, I don’t know.  Stay out of this.” 

Maybe part of the problem that seems inherent in the 21^st Century
American Church© is that we’ve worked so hard to get all the words right that we’ve lost the proper emphasis over time.  Is it even possible that having all the words just right may not be the most important thing?

If you look at a sheet of music, with lyrics and musical notes printed on it, does that piece of paper accurately convey the song the composer wrote?  It does potentially, but not in practicality.  How could looking at all the notes in place and all the lyrics written out ever reveal the beauty of a song?  Is it even music if it’s not performed? 

But when it’s performed, it must be done with more than just the right notes and the lyrics properly in place…it must carry the right emphasis and passion in the expression of it.  Think of how a singer can do a cover of another artist’s song.  He makes it distinctly his own while not doing damage to the original tune.  The cover artist can only do this by retaining the original emphasis, and taking the song into himself and then expressing it with his own passion.

As we come to God’s Word, our interest has to run deeper than just getting the words right.  It’s more complex than just parsing out proper context and interpretation.  We must take it in, find the rhythm of it, find the emphasis, and then express it as our own life.  Otherwise, it’s just words on a page.  Is there really any music if a song isn’t performed…is there really inspiration if the Word isn’t lived out?

Just some thoughts over my coffee this morn.