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Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Pilgrim of Worship 4: Awesome God

When I realized that Awesome God was not a "camp song," but a worship song, one that could be sung not only by teenagers, but college students, I was stoked. Again, Peak of the Week at Harding was transformational. By my sophomore year at Harding, Peak of the Week had outgrown it's location on campus and required the Benson Auditorium just to fit all 2000 of us.

Wednesday nights were electric. Each Wednesday evening there was an expectancy that built starting at about 4PM and climaxed when the praise team belted out the first song - not a hymn, but a song. Sometimes "special" songs and sometimes worship songs. I didn't know what to do with these new songs but sing them like I was at camp.

Ah yes, I learned about praise teams at Harding. My home church back in Minnesota had never heard about praise teams and therefore I had never heard that they should be condemned until it was far, far too late.

Later, drama was added to Peak of the Week along side the praise team. Oh man, I was hooked. I tolerated Sunday morning high church, but I longed for those Wednesday evening times. Mike Cope would bring it week after week. Relevant preaching. Who knew?

It was about this time that Free Indeed hooked up with Jerome Williams and launched the Sing a New Song series of praise and worship songs. "Hail Jesus You're My King." Couldn't get enough of it. Acappella and AVB were just launching into their newer and hip (less like the Oak Ridge Boys) format. (Believe it or not, Keith Lancaster's newest CD is titled none other than Awesome God.)

I think it was my sophomore year when my non-Church of Christ friend, Mike Foster, told me that the song Awesome God was written by a guy named Rich Mullins, and he wasn't from the Church of Christ. Not only that, but there was more to the song, the best part in fact. And when the song is sung with instruments, like it was originally meant to be sung, it is so much better.

Disillusionment dogged me badly. How could someone bound for Hell write such a great song? It was like he knew a truth about God, but was lost at the same time. I wondered what this "one song wonder", Rich Mullins was all about. I figured he got lucky.

By the end of my senior year, uhm, my first senior year, I was heavily questioning the mandatory prohibition on the use of instruments in worship. Eddie Veddar had just unleashed Pearl Jam on us and someone handed me a bootleg cassette with Christian music on it - instrumental Christian music. And wouldn't you know that it was Rich Mullins Awesome God.

It was the summer of 1991 when I switched sides. I went from acappella only to instrumental is OK. Oh, and I kept reading that one verse over and over, the one about how evil instruments are and realized that it really didn't say it. In fact, I came out of the fog and realized that every single reference to instruments (except I cor 13 clanging cymbal) in the Bible was affirmative.

What a loving and patient and Awesome God that gently released me from a ridiculous bondage. Oh, if I had only known how many layers of bandage there were. More to come.

14 comments:

Rob said...

Amen Faj! I was released from said bondage about the same time you were. I went too far at one time poo pooing acapella singing altogether. That's as bad as where I started this journey. I really love each form for what it is now and readily switch back and forth between the two. Our stories mirror each other in a lot of ways though I think I'm better at being a Pharisee than you are.

I was 32 miles from Jonesboro, AR, last Sunday running late for a speaking appointment in Searcy. Had I time, I was gonna land on your home front...unless you've moved. Have you moved?

Karen said...

Keep it comin'. Except for the part about attending Harding, it sounds an awful lot like my story.

Fajita said...

Rob, I still live in Jonesboro. It would have been great to see you. I know how packing things into limited time goes. I might not be in Jonesoboro forever, though. I have applied to phd programs in Minnesota and Purdue. We'll see if they want me.

Peace.

Beaner said...

I grew up Catholic. Though I don't have the CofC roots or hang-ups, I had my very own weirdness to bring to the table! I really enjoy this series as it's a bit of a history lesson for me!

Shump said...

I think I am going to have to send a link of your blog to "Contending for the Faith" and "See the Old Paths" They will name names and you can expect the false teachings police to be on your doorstep very very soon.

David U said...

Isn't freedom in Christ amazing!?! Like you, I too have taken off those chains and handcuffs of tradition. I love our acapella singing, and I think it is the most beautiful singing I have ever heard! But, I realize now that it's a preferance.....and somebody else may not have the same preferance as me. Imagine that! :)
And like you, instead of being ruled by tradition, I went to scripture. It just doesn't hold water. Now I am free to love my brothers who choose to use instruments, and I love to sing along with comtemporary Christian music. Isn't Heaven going to be wonderful?

KEEP EM COMING!

DU

Gem said...

OK, I was at HU when you were and I totally do not remember Peak of the Week. Or a praise team -- who had a praise team back then? At HU? It's funny, I came from rural KS, as conservative as it comes -- and the RED books were liberal, the only proper books were blue books that were at least 50 years old. I went to York College, then HU, so HU seemed even more conservative to me. It's funny how perspective makes things seem different! After attending, then working at HU, we moved back to MI (talk about LIBERAL!, lol) and immediately defected to a Willow-Creek-model community church. We're back at the CoC -- one of the most 'liberal' in the area!

jhp said...

What great memories! I am so glad that I was at Harding during that time. I was one year behind you, so Peak of the Week was always in the Benson for me. And Wednesday was my favorite day, too. Life changing stuff. Julie

Bek said...

i'm with beaner on the history lesson. wow, fajita, you've come a long way.

Fajita said...

To resolve Gem's confuision about HU and praise teams - when Mike Cope moved on to Abilene, Peak of the Week as it was understood evaporated.

Under new leadership the Wednesday PM service took on a new personality - one that did not use praise teams, drama (much), or anything remotely cutting edge.

Donna G said...

I wanted to type "Free at Last", but it is not completely true. I am still held up by some traditions...God is good and oh how we have cheated ourselves of much of that goodness.

Sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for what we went through next....

believingthomas said...

I think it is seek ye the old paths, shump.

I will check my mother's coffee table tonight. She leaves them and others laying out for us to see.

Rich Mullins- even a broken clock is correct twice a day. Just kidding.

I was right there with you, although Praise teams were actually post instrument for me.

jhp said...

What great memories! I am so glad that I was at Harding during that time. I was one year behind you, so Peak of the Week was always in the Benson for me. And Wednesday was my favorite day, too. Life changing stuff. Julie

Rob said...

Amen Faj! I was released from said bondage about the same time you were. I went too far at one time poo pooing acapella singing altogether. That's as bad as where I started this journey. I really love each form for what it is now and readily switch back and forth between the two. Our stories mirror each other in a lot of ways though I think I'm better at being a Pharisee than you are.

I was 32 miles from Jonesboro, AR, last Sunday running late for a speaking appointment in Searcy. Had I time, I was gonna land on your home front...unless you've moved. Have you moved?