Like any good person on sabbatical (sabbaticalarian?), I am looking to refresh myself. One of the ways I did that today was to pull out some old favorite Christian music.
Most contemporary “Christian” music (CCM) coming out today is tripe. Half the women look like hookers, there is no substance to the lyrics, and the music itself is of poor quality. (I know. Sallie, tell us what you REALLY think of CCM!)
We don’t have a lot of CCM in our house and what we do have tends to be older. In fact, I doubt we have more than seven or eight CDs that have come out since the mid 90’s.
But one of my hands-down favorite Christian albums is Out of the Grey’s Gravity. Every song is a gem (and there are almost no albums where I REALLY LIKE every song on it.) Today I was playing it (loudly) while working in the kitchen and David was painting in the living room. At one point I paused it and went out to tell him why I like it so much.
I call this album upbeat music for the thinking Christian. In fact, unless someone is a Christian I don’t think they would “get” this album. It doesn’t present the plan of salvation and it doesn’t speak explicitly of the doctrines of the faith. But it is all there for someone who has already started walking with God and is trying to figure out what it all means. Every song on there ministers to me, causes me to praise God, and/or reminds me of what I have been given in Christ.
The first song on the album is Stay Close…
Many words of wisdom have been given us
As tangible as turning the page
But we tend to keep our distance
And resist the simple choice
Then wonder why we cannot hear His quiet voice
Stay close
Don’t go
Stay close
No, don’t make the same mistakes
Take those things that you know to be true
And hold them to you
Don’t let go
Stay close
Many times I’ve seen the wonder of His ways
Lost in the closet of neglect
But the door is always open
To the turning of a phrase
A brilliant light spills inside to show the way
Stay close
Don’t go
Stay close,
No, don’t make the same mistakes
Take those things that you know to be true
And hold them to you
Don’t let go
Stay close
May we all endeavor to stay closer to Him through the power of His Word.
Have you heard of Indelible Grace? It’s a group that has a heart to recover the tradition of putting old hymns to new music to “enrich our worship with a huge view of God and His indelible grace”.
I know some might not like the idea, but for someone like me that has just recently become familiar with hymns at all, it’s be a sweet blessing!
Red Mountain Music in another group that is into “hymn reconstruction.”
The lyrics that were written hundreds of years ago are quite different and it’s been great to get to become familiar with them and those who wrote them.
I think we have an Out of the Grey cd my husband bought hears ago…I’ll have to check it out too Sallie.