"In spiritual matters there really is no 'Third World.' It's all Third World."
- Dallas Willard
Saturday, December 20, 2008
There's a song I've been listening to a lot the past few of days. . .
(Before I go on, if you know me well you know that the sentence I just wrote does not cross my lips or my mind very often. There's not a whole lot of music that does much for me these days. I don't have 5,000 songs on my ipod. I don't have an ipod. I don't have mixes, shuffles, I don't play the "five random songs" game, don't post often on "the five songs rocking my world this week", and most of the music coming out today I could do without. In fact, I think if everyone spent as much time in silence as they did listening to music this world would be a better place. But I digress. :-)
As I was saying, there's a song I've been listening to a lot these past few days. It's the song "Instead of a Show" by Jon Foreman (frontman for Switchfoot) off his Spring & Summer project. The song is based off of Amos 5 and Isaiah 1. This song speaks to me, to things I've been dealing with in my own relationship with God and the practice of my faith. Have you heard it? The lyrics are below:
I hate all your show and pretenseNote: I'm not sure how to say this diplomatically, but if this post generates any discussion, can we please keep out of the whole "CCM stinks" debate? Yes, I'd love this song to get play on our local Christian radio station. No, I don't expect it to. No, I don't want to argue, debate, reflect, or discuss why or why not. OK? BTDT.
The hypocrisy of your praise
The hypocrisy of your festivals
I hate all your show
Away with your noisy worship
Away with your noisy hymns
I stop up my ears when you're singing 'em
I hate all your show
Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
Your eyes are closed when you're praying
You sing right along with the band
You shine up your shoes for services
There's blood on your hands
You turned your back on the homeless
And the ones that don't fit in your plan
Quit playing religion games
There's blood on your hands
Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show
Let’s argue this out
If your sins are blood red
Let’s argue this out
You'll be white as the clouds
Let’s argue this out
Quit fooling around
Give love to the ones who can’t love at all
Give hope to the ones who got no hope at all
Stand up for the ones who can’t stand at all, all
I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show
Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show
Also, sorry for sounding like such a Curmudgeon in this post. Five years of blogging will do that to a guy.
Update: Our good buddy dbd hipped me to a YouTube of Foreman playing this song. I think this was right after he wrote it, or while he was writing it. It's not a particularly good recording, and contains a decent amount of fiddling with guitar at the beginning (am I the only one for whom that's a pet peeve? :-) and forgotten lyrics midway through. But it's still really good and lets you actually hear the song.
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Comments on "Instead of a Show":
3. the sentinel
- 12/20/2008 10:59 pm CST
Even better studio version here with lyrics...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHFao2gnZ-U&feature=related
Great song, Bill. Thanks.
It is so gracious of God to direct me to this on a Saturday night as I prepare to worship with His people tomorrow morning. May He keep us all from pretense and may we present to Him what He truly delights in- a broken and contrite spirit and a sacrifice of praise.
4. Les
- 12/22/2008 10:48 am CST
It's a powerful lyric. It reminds me that compassion is a dirty, bloody business; not clean and comfortable and long distance. It reminds me that there will be many who will, in the end, reply;
"When did we see you hungry and not feed you? When did we see you naked and not clothe you? When were you in prison and we didn't visit you?..."
The church habit can be like a drug, inuring us to the pain in the seat next to us, in the alley outside, in the hearts of those who "despitefully use" us. Like the fix in the Pink Floyd classic, perhaps "I have become comfortably numb."
6. Roy
- 12/23/2008 7:43 am CST
Which of us would dare write such a song? Yet God did. At least the poetic expression in several books.
And, note too, that the Psalms express some of the same ideas. Ponder a moment the *requirement* that folks sang Ps 51. Or how about Ps 2? Would any of us dare pen much less sing words mocking those refusing submission to the King?
Would that Christians should regularly sing such, accompanied by the declaration that they do not sing their own invention. I'd rejoice at any radio station playing those words calling us to "pure religion and undefiled" per James, reminding us of God's desire for justice, confronting us with our need for grace.
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Those Jon Foreman EPs (Spring, Summer Fall and Winter) are excellent. I remember being blown away the first time I heard that song. I remember thinking of all the so-and-so's who needed to hear it and then I realized it was probably me who needed to hear it.