On Gospel
For the past years my weapon of choice on a Sunday morning has been the electric guitar. Hold onto what you're thinking; my favorite songs to play at church aren't guitar-solo filled, effects laden rockers. No, I love the music at my church because we choose to incorporate many contemporary black Gospel songs into our normal weekly mix. Today many of these songs have crossed over into the "mainstream" of Sunday worship sets, mostly thanks to the popularity of dynamic leaders like Israel Houghton, Kirk Franklin, and Fred Hammond. It seems funny how electric guitarists seem to carry the stereotype of vain, overly cerebral, or pedantic musicians, especially when applied to church worship situations. I confess I've had my moments in any and all of those categories.
Lately, my antidote to any guitar ego is worshipping alongside a choir, when all instrumentation serves to support the soaring harmonies, and never the other way around. Rhythm is emphasized over melody for my instrument, and my hands must find their way in the hectic patterns of jazz or blues scales. Luckily, this helps when I lose myself on the fretboard, because let's face it, everybody is listening to the choir anyway. Here the voices resound and remind me why I'm so grateful for my experiences with worship styles so different from my own tradition. I know they'll always remain, and I hope they inspire many more pilgrims along the way.
I'll share one of the most meaningful songs for me in this season. Through this song, God spoke to me and continues to affirm my mission and identity. Before anything I do, I remember God loves me, and his people as well. We need to name the many voices of doubt or confusion, and say yes to the triumphant, death-transforming victory of Jesus. This is a music that could only be born out of the soul of that part of America where suffering has had such a mortal impact, which I shall never fully understand, yet which defies the spirit of defeatism or complacency with radical messages of hope. Whenever I pick up my guitar to accompany this song, I know I am praying, not simply playing.
Hezekiah Walker featuring Marvin Sapp, "God Favored Me"
Lately, my antidote to any guitar ego is worshipping alongside a choir, when all instrumentation serves to support the soaring harmonies, and never the other way around. Rhythm is emphasized over melody for my instrument, and my hands must find their way in the hectic patterns of jazz or blues scales. Luckily, this helps when I lose myself on the fretboard, because let's face it, everybody is listening to the choir anyway. Here the voices resound and remind me why I'm so grateful for my experiences with worship styles so different from my own tradition. I know they'll always remain, and I hope they inspire many more pilgrims along the way.
I'll share one of the most meaningful songs for me in this season. Through this song, God spoke to me and continues to affirm my mission and identity. Before anything I do, I remember God loves me, and his people as well. We need to name the many voices of doubt or confusion, and say yes to the triumphant, death-transforming victory of Jesus. This is a music that could only be born out of the soul of that part of America where suffering has had such a mortal impact, which I shall never fully understand, yet which defies the spirit of defeatism or complacency with radical messages of hope. Whenever I pick up my guitar to accompany this song, I know I am praying, not simply playing.
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