Reincarnation

Lately, I have been doing an in depth philosophical study on great musicians and why they are considered as greats. My area of study has been largely centered on musicians from the latter half of the 20th century since music progressed through several phases in a speed that hadn't been experienced before. I have ignored the 21st century because the last two decades haven't really offered us anything new musically speaking. I am a musician from the 21st century so do not conclude I am hating for the sake of being a critic. Even the Rolling Stones top 100 musicians of all times chart seems to agree with me.

Some of the most fascinating musicians from that era in my opinion included James Brown, Ray Charles and Bob Marley but in regards to this particular time, James and Bob. They were very sharp musicians who gave the world new music. Bob introduced reggae to the world, James was the godfather of funk and rap (which led to hip hop) and Ray gave us rhythm and blues. However, above and beyond that, Marley and James Brown preached a universal message. (Stevie Wonder also comes in here). All these musicians did sing about love, which is the most resounding theme in music, but they did sing about something even greater, and that is socioeconomic injustice. Bob sang about freeing Africa and mental slavery. James Brown addressed black freedom in the USA. And it was evident from their music and live performances that they were very passionate about the message they preached. They knew what they wanted to say and knew that the world must listen to what they had to say whether they liked it or not.

In Kenya today, we classify music into two: Gospel and secular music. I believe it is the same for a large part of the world. Normally, Gospel music is sung in reference to an Almighty God while secular music is in some ways anti-God in its thematic expressions. These may take the form of gloating and sexual innuendos that usually include fornication and vocal porno to some degree. Some sing about love but not in a manner you would gladly play as a church presentation or in the presence of a spiritual leader. The previously mentioned characters would fall into the secular music category without a doubt.

However, there is the theme of socioeconomic justice that is not so popular in mainstream music circles. Those who have made it part of their musical philosophy; their life philosophy have made a great contribution to the world. Once a musician touches on this theme, the person transcends above the limits of categorized music and becomes something more than a musician. The person becomes a political ruler in the gates. The person becomes an ambassador for justice. S/he no longer flies on the same altitude as the rest. For justice isn't the property of religion. It is part of a human being. If you do not believe it is part of a human being, then you must believe empathy is part of the human being. Empathy simply put,  is the cog upon which the wheels of justice rotate on. It is part and parcel of man's humanity.

The musicians above, though secular, managed to transcend above the Gospel and secular limitations and set a bar above that which was already in play. That is why they were truly great. They carried powerful political messages that people could relate to. That is indeed greatness for they addressed that which was beyond their own self centered needs and little personal agendas. I pray at some point, there may be a reincarnation of such selflessness in the near future.

Miserable sacrifice

"When you come to church, when you worship him, you’re not doing it for God really. You’re doing it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy. Amen?”  -Victoria Osteen

Before I start, let me introduce myself by saying I am a person called by God into music ministry and I am not ashamed of saying so. That is all you need to know for the purposes of this blog.

So who are the Osteens?? They probably need no introduction to a majority of Christians but to those who do not know, they are the most controversial preachers of our generation and they lead one of the biggest congregations in the USA. They do preach what I may describe as a self centered Gospel that really dwells a lot on me, myself and I, which is half the Gospel if you ask me. I do not listen a lot to them and I rarely talk about them because it would be wrong to make a conclusive judgement based on hearsay and stuff I do not have direct evidence of.

Anyway, back to the statement. It was probably, the most controversial statement made this August and the YouTube comments show why. This is because it touches on a sensitive area and that is worship. Worship is as close to God as any man can get, and I am not speaking just about musical or artistic worship. This is because you worship what you most closely relate to. If it is money, that is it. If it is fame, so it will be and if it is God, so shall it be. And for it to be worship, it has to involve some level of sacrifice meaning you have to give up something about yourself, no matter how small. Thus comes in the aspect of sacrifice.

Worship also in another funky way is the evidence of one's love and admiration for the object of worship. The love part may not necessarily apply for all deities but for the Lord, it does because love is His very essence and nature. You cannot simply worship God without loving God.

So far, out of the many elements surrounding worship I have decided to pick these two. And the third element that we often love to overlook and that is Joy. Joy is one of the least expounded on topics when it comes to worship because church today has taught us there is no joy in sacrifice. It always has to be painful and therefore, any feelings of joy should not be present.
Put in another way, if we derive joy from offering our sacrifices, then it has not cost us enough. The deeper the pain, the greater the sacrifice. And from the pain, we gain a sense of self righteousness which again is totally not the goal of worship.

David in psalms 122 says, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go up to the house of the Lord. They joy was there before the sacrifice came. Let me put it this way, his righteousness preceded his sacrifice. And what I am about to say next will cause me some trouble.
God is the object of worship but man is at the center of it. People believe worship starts with sacrifice but it actually starts with man's delight in God. God is not interested in the depth of the sacrifice if the Lord isn't the delight of the man offering it. Our own joy therefore comes into scrutiny here. God is not a sadist who lives off the praises of man. That isn't him. A sacrifice offered up with melancholy is in no way God's idea of worship. And this is not to say that deep sacrifice is bad. I am just saying if at the end of the day after offering up worship or a sacrifice and all that is left in your heart is anything other than joy; if it is just pain and sorrow, you need to check yourself again.

Most Christians misunderstand joy. Joy is a fruit of the spirit, not a reward for anything we have done. The fruit of the spirit is something that all Christians need to exercise for we all have the Holy spirit as a result of accepting salvation. If joy and delight are not the center of our worship then we are doing it wrong.

The rest is for you to figure but that is the pinnacle of my thoughts regarding the statement by Victoria. I truly and shamelessly believe that man is also a priority in worship. Man's delight and joy are priorities in worship. Sacrifice in worship is important but that is not what God is essentially looking for. He wants to be the delight of our hearts. No delight, no joy, no worship.