Religion, Unspoken Requests, and Trust

I’ll take today’s writing as an opportunity to introduce three new songs. Before I get into that, I need to remind you of the refreshing that comes from great gospel music. Admittedly, not all new releases will not fall into that category, but as one preacher put it, “When a song is church approved…”, it passes the test. It’s not only about lyrical hooks, and musical runs, or even vocal prowess or stage presence, what I look for in a song is if it truly blesses me and can be sang in my church. So, with that, I’m often very hard on songs, but I’ll give them all a chance.

Up first is The Erwin’s new release, “The God I Know”. In this moving ballad the siblings begin with that all too often problem, unanswered prayer. Hope is given in the chorus as they describe God as the mountain mover, the holder of our souls, and calmer of storms. The second verse has a poignant line “Tell your heart to trust Him”, this may be one of the gut wrenching lines in the song. Could it be that reason for our prayers being unanswered is that we haven’t fully trusted Him? 

The Jordan Family Band have also released a song about prayer and faith. This title, “Unspoken” takes me back to my youth when our pastor would take prayer requests and always ask if there were any unspoken requests.  You see, those unspoken requests are often so dear to our hearts, so intimate in nature that we cannot publicly express them. As Randa Jordan sings, sometimes “all I offer is a groaning, inside my soul there is a knowing” that God hears our unspoken requests. 

“Religion isn’t Working” anymore is the very first line of Joseph Habedank’s brand new single. An off-putting title to say the least, but if you have followed Joseph for any length of time, you know He’s like those Fire and Brimstone preachers of yesteryear that give their convicting sermons a title to catch your ear. In the second verse, He sings, “Religion never set nobody free, it’s always made a prisoner out of me”. Let me pause and say “AMEN”, before I trusted Christ as my Savior, I tried religion, IT DOES NOT WORK. Joseph later sings, “Just give me Jesus”, that’s all you need. Jesus, just to say His name, brings peace to my heart.

This week, beginning Monday April 19, 2021 our Church will host our Camp Meeting for the 35th year. As a singer and Pastor, I can assure you that some of those “church approved” songs will be lifted under the old tent. We won’t be pushing a religion, but Jesus Christ, so drive the short distance outside of Americus, to Lighthouse Baptist Church on Hwy 280. Now, that just my Southern Gospel Point of View.