(UPDATE: Please understand that the context of what follows is strictly related to practices of spiritual formation and the gathering together of believers within The Salvation Army.  As I stated in one of the comments below, an earlier revision of this post contained this thought: “The list of services that the Army provides are too many to list here—every community or societal or personal disaster is in some way touched around the world by the ministry of soldiers, employees and/or officers of the Army. And the motivation behind each act of service is (as stated in the Army’s international mission statement) love for God.” I am fully aware of the amazing ministry that the Army has around the world, having participated in that ministry (not just music) for most of my life. With that in mind, my comments below are in relation to the relatively minor (but still important) issue of what it is we do when we gather together for worship, whenever that may be.)

I have been so privileged to be part of music ministry in The Salvation Army over the past nearly 15 years.  It has been a great journey and the groups I have played in and led have been given incredible leeway in a lot of ways. We’ve led worship at youth councils and conferences, camps, retreats, etc, etc. Some of those times have been life transforming for me. We have seen people give their life to Christ, people broken free of addiction, people transformed in a very real way by the power of God in worship. It has been humbling to be used by God in that way.  We have had extended times of energetic praise and extended times of reverent and precious worship, dripping with the presence of God.

But often the Army that our young people and young adults (and, increasingly, middle-aged and older adults) return to is still wrapped in the traditions of a bygone era without a keen awareness of the meaning behind those traditions. We are largely consumers and spectators in worship rather than participants.

(I realize that I am making sweeping generalizations, and I apologize to those that have vibrant worship gatherings on a weekly basis.)

I need to do my research on this, but the statistics I have heard time and again have shown that young people are interested more than ever in symbols and traditions and liturgy, but have deep aversions to rigid adherence to the way in which those symbols and practices are administered and represented. They are in love with the mission of The Salvation Army, but are repeatedly told they must manifest that love and devotion in specific ways that are tied more to Victorian England than our modern day society.

My question is: Why are there not more modern expressions of Salvation Army spirituality and ecclesia?

I had a dream recently in which I was seated in the congregation of a Salvation Army service.  The youth were in charge of everything about the “meeting”, but the hall was filled with older people. After the meeting, I sat and listened to criticism after criticism leveled at the young people from the audience. In my dream I stood up and began to plead with older Salvos not to look so much on the methods and structure but the fact that these young people were worshipping from the heart…….

In my head I have two quotations constantly juxtaposed.  They’ve been there for a while, almost as if locked in a perpetual wrestling match that’s been going on for several years.  The first quote is from a conversation I had with a Salvation Army officer around the topic of relevance and it was so good that I had to stop her in the middle of our conversation so I could write it down.

“Our attempts at relevance within the Church are sometimes misguided. The good news of Jesus Christ is counter-cultural and so, in some ways, the Church will never achieve complete ‘relevance’, only insofar that broken people will always need restoration, those in pain healing and those beyond hope mercy.”
Lieutenant Sonia Jeffrey

The other is a much shorter and funnier quote from a talk I heard given by a well-known speaker at a Salvation Army conference in the UK:

“If the 1950s ever come back around, The Salvation Army will be ready.”
Tony Campolo

I think the point that Tony was making was that there is often a well-preserved subculture of Salvation-Army-church that is embedded in, passed down from and even watchfully guarded from one generation to the next. Don’t hear me saying that I don’t value tradition. I absolutely value it. It’s tradition-alism that I’m talking about, the refusal to let go of a grain of wheat (to use a biblical expression) so that it may fall into the ground and die and be fruitful.

(I hate that I even have to give this disclaimer, but please don’t hear me saying this has anything at all to do with instrumentation. I could care less whether it was 12 bagpipes, a full brass band, an orchestra, a jazz trio or a typical rhythm section, the point is not the instrument but the style and intent.)

…

The reason that I’m excited about this album is that it represents a live event at which young people in our movement had the opportunity to come and participate in an extended time of praise and worship. In my heart, it is something I would love for the Army to replicate throughout the Western world. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but it should be more normal than it currently is. The reason for extended times of praise and worship is not for the sake of more music or even for the sake of more relevant music, but for the sake of more interaction with the Spirit of God.  Yes, God moves in other ways besides through our sung worship, but it is during these uninterrupted times of focus on the attributes of God, His worth and worthiness, His holiness, His goodness, His power and salvation… something about these times of adoration and petition allow God to speak to us and change our hearts in a very real way. In most places in the Army we are still learning how to do this rather than the typically disjointed service in which there is a song, an offering, a testimony, announcements, another song, a special number, a message, a song, a video, etc, etc..   In my humble estimation, this type of setup isn’t formative for our souls.

This worship album is not your typical “Salvo” album. For one thing, it’s a solid one hour of uninterrupted worship. It’s “live”. There are no remakes of “O Boundless Salvation” or Storm the Forts” or any other song from our hymnal. I have written those types of songs and arrangements for transMission albums for the past decade. I love them. They are a vital part of our heritage. But as much as or even more than we need those expressions, we need a completely new (yet complementary) expression of worship using today’s language. And we need communities of Salvation Army people that tell the story in real and powerful and contemporary ways using the timeless truths of Scripture.

It's time for the Salvation Army to write new stories so compelling that future generations struggle to break free from their legacy.

February 15, 2012 12:18 PM via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@JRocPope

Jason Pope

I am really excited about hope.glory - you can read more about the project and find out details about its availability by visiting the website for the event: www.hopeglory.com.au.

Antoni Gaudí

The finished building (a Roman Catholic church) will be the tallest church building in the world, having 18 spires (12 for the apostles, 4 for the evangelists, one for the virgin Mary and one for Jesus), 3 grand facades (Nativity, Passion and Glory), seven different chapels, several towers and a main organ with nearly 1,500 pipes (not to mention the other organs that will be strategically placed throughout the massive structure, all 8,000 pipes playable simultaneously from a single console).

It was designed by a man named Antoni Gaudi, a Spanish architect who was apparently a very devout Roman Catholic, so much so that he earned the nickname “God’s Architect” for incorporating Christian symbolism and imagery into much of his work. Gaudi lived from 1852-1926, construction of the Sangrada Familia began in 1882, is still taking place, and is actually not expected to be completed until 2026!

When asked before his death why he had designed something that would take so long to complete, he reportedly said, “My Client is not in a hurry.”

This gives me pause and makes me wonder what kind of legacy I’m building.  Will my life be a monumental work whose impact is felt long after I’m gone (and into eternity)? What if I approached every day, every project, every relationship in light of eternity?  What if my constant mindset reflected Peter’s words that “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8, NIV84)?

This is a constant struggle for me. Left to my own devices I am a perpetual worrier, nail-biter, busybody, attention-getter and overall master of overemphasizing the unimportant. Even in my “down-time” I often find myself occupied with a million distractions, watching TV on the couch (and flipping between two channels), laptop open to catch up on emails, phone in hand to keep tabs on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/etc… truly, scatterbrained and shortsighted. I’m not saying there’s anything inherently wrong with that activity, but there is a danger in letting trivialities encroach on living a meaning-filled life, much the same way as neglecting your weeding will kill your garden.

For me, the key to becoming disciplined in this area (having an eternal perspective) is found in three places, the first of which is Psalm 23 (NLT)

The LORD is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD
forever.

This Psalm reminds me who and whose I am; when the LORD truly leads me beside still waters and restores my soul, all the meaningless busyness is brushed aside and replaced with a settled state of mind and firm purpose. The second key is Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

It wasn’t that Martha’s work was unimportant, just that the order of her service was backwards.  Mary chose communion first, which is always the right order. Finally, the last key for me is found in the words to an old, old song by Albert Osborn:

Saviour, if my feet have faltered
On the pathway of the cross,
If my purposes have altered
Or my gold be mixed with dross,
O forbid me not thy service,
Keep me yet in thy employ.
Pass me through a sterner cleansing
If I may but give thee joy!

(chorus)
All my work is for the Master,
He is all my heart’s desire;
O that he may count me faithful
In the day that tries by fire!

Have I worked for hireling wages,
Or as one with vows to keep,
With a heart whose love engages
Life or death, to save the sheep?
All is known to thee, my Master,
All is known, and that is why
I can work and wait the verdict
Of thy kind but searching eye.

I must love thee, love must rule me,
Springing up and flowing forth
From a childlike heart within me,
Or my work is nothing worth.
Love with passion and with patience,
Love with principle and fire,
Love with heart and mind and utterance,
Serving Christ my one desire.

And there you have it.  Psalm 23, Luke 10 and Albert Orsborn… in that order.  A good reminder that meaningful and eternally significant work follows an established/firm identity and is maintained only by constant communion with God.

How about you? How is your life impacting eternity? Are you building cathedrals or __________ ?

• Twice as many people would rather follow on facebook/twitter than give out their email address. (Makes sense.)
• Nearly twice as many would rather download an album for a set price than for free (and share the word).  And very few want to have to go through the trouble of figuring out how much to “tip” an artist.

To be fair, my sample pool was pretty small (< 100) and I’m sure many in my audience of listeners aren’t as aware of all the great services like Bandcamp and Noisetrade (not to mention Kickstarter and PledgeMusic).

If you took the poll, thanks.  If not, you can still chime in.

Growing up in the Bible belt, I thought being Christian meant voting Republican (I’m aware that that cliche’s wearing thin, so I’ll leave it at that), and I had a pretty narrow view of what it means to really be pro-life. My first major political discussion in Australia involved a small room full of mostly Christian people incredulous that I had voted for George W. Bush not once, but twice. I defended my voting record but felt really small and cornered in that room. It made me angry and defensive at first, but I had to admit afterwards that there were some good points raised.  I walked away knowing that I needed to more thoroughly evaluate a candidate’s every position in light of Scripture, not just one or two “litmus-test” positions.

And so I have done some thinking and reading and discussing over the last 4 years about this next election and about what kind of candidate would get my vote. To be completely honest with you, none of the current presidential candidates excite me, sitting President included. Between the career politicians and the talking heads and those who play the game so well, say all the things we want to hear… how do we begin to sort through all the politicization, talking points, voting records, private lives—how do we cast a confident vote for a President that will lead the country in the right direction, in the direction Jesus would have us go as a nation?

We’re only responsible for the decisions we make in the light of the revelation and discernment we have at any given time, but where does the average Christian voter begin?  Does each of us need to have some grasp on macro-economics and welfare reform? Healthcare theory and banking systems? Government regulatory agencies and global climate change?

In some ways, I actually think the answer is yes.

We need to be informed on the most pressing issues.  We need to know why our nation is in such bad economic straits (or at least be aware of the major differing opinions on why we are).  We need to know a little bit about the best way to take care of our neighbor. We need to know what we believe about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and how the American dream gels (or doesn’t) with the Great Commandment and Great Commission. And we need to know what role we think the government should play in the transformation and betterment of society, what role the Church should play and where/if they overlap.

I believe in voting.  Not because I don’t believe in being salt and light in the world, but because it is a way of exerting influence for Christ as part of a bigger life-picture. And I want to cast a confident vote this November.  So I’m praying and thinking and trying to match every potential candidate’s character and voting record and stated positions against what Scripture has to say to see how they stand up.  I’m not alone in this, I know. But, sadly, I’m not in the majority either.

“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:43-45)

The context of this passage is the radical command to love our enemies, but I was thinking about that last part of the passage, the part about God making the sun shine and rain fall on both “good” and “evil” people……and then wondering if there was any application for me as a Christian artist (an artist who follows Jesus). What does it look like for my art and music to be a vehicle God uses to bless not only those inside the Church (which is primarily where I’ve used it so far) but also maybe to people who wouldn’t step foot in church?

In college I was a huge fan of the band Caedmon’s Call. Caedmon was a monk of the 7th century who miraculously received the gift of music and songwriting through a divine dream.  I have heard it preached that his “call” was to write music for the Church; obvious, I guess, in that as a monk he was separated from the world. Interesting to note, though, is that (according to accounts we have anyway) his dream occurred before becoming a monk, before he was cloistered away in a monastery for the rest of his days…

As a writer of songs that are sung in places where congregations gather to worship, let me say that I fully embrace the calling some have to write songs strictly for the Church to sing.  This is part of what it means to be God’s holy people, the ones “set apart” to Him.  It is a different kind of writing to write for worshipping congregations than it is to write for top 40 radio (not to say that some songs don’t do well in both places).

But I’m wondering lately how to do more of the “salt and light”, “rain on the righteous and unrighteous” kind of music-making in a way that compromises neither the message of the good news nor the person that I am as a Christian. Talking to my wife about whether people will think I’ve sold out if the next set of songs I record make no mention of Jesus’ name, she says to me what I think are some pretty wise words:

It makes no difference—you sing the song that God puts in your heart, whether that’s a praise and worship song for the local church or a pop track for a wider audience.

And of course, she’s right. The intent must be right or the execution won’t really matter, at least not from the standpoint of my own involvement. Which reminds me, I need to finish this book.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

I had a ton of fresh material from my time at Berklee and I wanted to record before I got caught up in another full-time job; I knew that with family responsibilities, a solo album would be out of the question for a long while if I didn’t do it then.

So, I started gathering material and doing some research on producers.  I eventually got in touch with my friend Aaron Shust’s producer, Dan Hannon (Manchester Orchestra, Art Decade, The Enemy Lovers, etc) and decided that he would produce the album which would eventually become Honestly. By this time (January ’09), I had moved to Australia with my family to take a job working for The Salvation Army in their Creative Arts Department in Melbourne.  Dan and I set a date for the middle of 2009 for me to fly back to Atlanta, we came up with a budget, I raised the money, we recorded the album, and it was released March 15, 2010.

Now, all of this would be well and good if it weren’t for this gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach from the day I first set out to record: something wasn’t right.

If you enjoy listening to any of the tracks off of Honestly, I sincerely hope that you continue to.  I hope that the apology I’m about to make doesn’t taint the album in any way for you.  But for my own artistic and spiritual integrity, I need to make a public apology for the recording on a number of different levels.  Here’s how it all unfolded:

• I committed before I planned. I posted on my blog and on Facebook that I would be releasing an album on such and such a date and even gave details about the recording before I had secured all the details.  The whole thing snowballed until I felt there was no backing out, even though I should’ve.
• I took time off work way too early into the position. I had only been in my job several months before I headed back to the States to record.  Part of this was me being really homesick and missing everything about America.  It was a selfish move, though, and it unfortunately showed that I was more committed to my own personal projects than accomplishing the goals my employer had set out for me.
• My motives were totally out-of-line. And this one is going to take some explaining, so let me stop with the bullet points

I’m actually really proud of some of the songs on the album. “Boy Become A Man” is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. “Well Done” is special to me on a couple of levels: it came out of an actual journey with the congregation in Boston I had the privilege of leading in worship for two years; and, it’s got the amazingly humble and talented Aaron Shust singing on it. No, the songs themselves aren’t my problem with the album. It’s the journey that took place after I decided which songs to do.

I need to take a step back here and tell you that, if you don’t know, being signed to a major record label was a huge idol for a long time in my life.  My heroes are guys like Rich Mullins and Keith Green and I just naturally assumed that God wanted me to be on a label like they were. (It’s possible I still will someday—who knows?)  The problem is that instead of letting God take care of the details of my sphere of influence, over the years I became more and more concentrated on how to make this happen and (when it didn’t happen) why it wasn’t happening in the time frame I imagined.

If I’m honest (no pun intended), even my decision in 2006 to go back to music school was based on the belief that I wasn’t good enough musically and that it was keeping me from getting signed.

And so, when I finished in 2008, I basically decided that I was going to do whatever it took to get me where I was so sure I was supposed to be.  (And here’s where the biggest apology needs to be made.)  In my mind, I had failed to get there on my own efforts, so I would instead listen to other people who knew better. What this meant was that I checked out and put my “fate” in the hands of people who could get me where I wanted to go.

The way this manifested itself in the studio was that I sent Dan (producer) all my songs and asked him to choose the songs that would go on the album.  When we were actually recording, I gave next to nothing in the way of feedback, objection or direction.  This continued through the first mixes, the final mixes and pretty much all the way through to mastering.

The way this manifested itself in the artwork was that I let someone else tell me how I should look, what I should wear, how I should pose, what should be on the front cover, what should be on the back cover, etc, etc, etc.  This isn’t the fault of the one who designed it, it was my fault for not letting my voice be heard, not insisting that, “Hey! This is me we’re talking about—I think I know who I am!”

The hypocrisy gets worse, though.  When looking for titles, what did I decide to call an album whose production doesn’t match my personality and whose artwork doesn’t really match my vibe? Well, Honestly, of course. :[

I need to stop and say that I think the world of Dan Hannon and all the guys he pulled together to make the musicianship and production of the album off the charts, imho.  Nothing I’m saying here should reflect poorly on him at all.  Nor should it reflect poorly on Aaron, my friend who designed the artwork and cover, which look great.  But my goal wasn’t to create good music.  It was to come up with a product that would make me look and sound good and get the attention of people in an industry already full of enough image self-consciousness.

If you want it put crassly, I was attempting to sell myself instead of staying true to my artistic intuitions no matter who liked the end product.  And for that, I truly am sorry.

I’ve learned a lot from the recording of Honestly and I’ll be taking those lessons with me into future projects, no doubt.  I am really looking forward to this year and all that it has in store.  Hope you’ll come along for the ride, maybe give me a chance to make up for past mistakes.  I’ve still got a lot of music left in me…

Yours sincerely,
Phil