Tales of a Secret Rockstar

I've decided to officially put this blog on hiatus for the summer. I'm just out and about so much, I never have time to sit down and write here. And I really never get a chance to think about things to write here. So for the months of June and July, I'll probably leave this site alone. I always have time for http://stopfiverecords.blogspot.com. But I like to put a little more thought into these posts. And right now I just don't get a lot of time to think about the kind of stuff I would generally post here. Although I should post some stories or something. This blog has gotten a little to serious for its own good. I think the world has enough "I'm a soul searching 20-something just trying to understand who I am" kind of blogs out there. I fear this has become one of them. But really, I suppose it will always be a reflection of myself, seeing as I've tried to stay true to keeping this as a sort of online journal. I suppose it will never be as personal as a "nonline" journal could be, but I still like the idea of writing for the sake of writing, regardless of whether others read it or not. And I've been one of those soul searching 20-somethings. It's been interesting to read over the last year or so, seeing what I've been working through. I like that. I feel a lot more confident now than I did a year ago. A little more sure of myself, and a lot more sure that God is looking out for me.

It's hard to explain the confidence that comes from knowing that you are doing what God wants you to do. I don't ever want to be one of those people who thinks he knows everything, and I never want to pretend that God and the life he has given us isn't mysterious; but I believe in things now. There are just some things in life that I don't have questions for anymore, because I know that they're true. I think that my ideas and attitudes are starting to reflect that. So I guess what I'm saying is that this blog, once I return from hiatus, will probably look a little different than it has in the past. At least as far as my thoughtful posts go. In a roundabout way, I think I'm trying to say that I'm just a lot less "postmodern" (for lack of a better term) than I used to be. I don't pretend to have some well established theological/philosophical system of thought, but I'm just not wandering around in a cloud of vague "what if's" and "why's" like I have been in the past. Having said all this, I know that life has more questions than answers. And there will probably be many times when my understanding of the world is shaken. But at the root of all this is a God who doesn't change. And that's what gives me confidence to go ahead, knowing that in Him is all truth.

That was an unexpected rant. That's what I love about writing though. It just seems to happen to me sometimes. I never finished that "controversial" post I was talking about, but I thought I'd post what I have. Perhaps it will be an interesting topic for discussion. I will be checking comments here for a while.

We are singing a song entitled "Friend of God" by Israel Houghton for College choir this year. Here are the lyrics, for easy reference:

(Chorus)
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

(Verse)
Who am I that you are mindful of me
That you hear me, when I call
Is it true that you are thinking of me
How you love me
It's amazing

(Bridge)
God Almighty
Lord of Glory
You have called me friend

Let me begin by admitting that I love this song. It's a rocking gospel song with a wicked groove. So fun to sing, or play percussion for. But I will attempt to put that aside for the moment and write objectively.

I have been hearing several complaints from many different people about the alleged theological inaccuracy of this song. People complain that it is oversimplified, that it is presumptuous, and that it does not reflect the true nature of the believer's relationship with God. I have heard a few suggest that we should be singing "I am afraid of God," rather than "I am a friend of God." I'm going to attempt to answer these charges as best I can, although I must point out that I am rather limited by the constraints of my chosen medium. However, I hope I can shed some light on what I see as mostly a misunderstanding.

First, simplicity and incorrectness are not synonymous. I will freely admit that this song is simple in it's message. However, unlike many other "simple" worship songs that we tend to deplore, this song is not vague in its message. The message is as clear as the title. There can be no mistake about what we are singing. I think sometimes we try to shy away from simplicity. We tend to want our music to somehow contain all the truth of the Bible. This is difficult, to say the least, particularly considering the style of most modern music. Whether or not it is possible is a different debate entirely. In my mind there is nothing wrong with stating a simple truth simply. The question then, is whether the statement this song is making is true or not.

The case for friendship with God rests most strongly, of course, on John 15:14-15. Here Jesus is telling the disciple of their need to remain in him. He is the vine, and they are the branches, drawing their spiritual life from his. In verse 14, Jesus states “You are my friends if you do what I command.” He goes on to say “I no longer call you servants . . . Instead I have called you friends, for everything the Father has made know to me, I have made known to you” (v. 15). Now many would immediately claim that this friendship is conditional, resting on our obedience. Verse 14 does indeed seem to suggest this.

I was just getting to the good part too. Well, maybe one day I'll complete it. But I'd love to hear what people think.