When I wrote the weekly lineup, I happened to be in a discouraged mood (and it also happened to be Monday). Two days and many power outages later, I’m finding encouragement and joy for the simple reason that I am doing better than I deserve. I stole that line from Dave Ramsey, who responds to the question, “How are you doing, Dave?” on his radio show with, “Better than I deserve.”
It’s not that I’ll never feel discouraged, but I guess it’s sort of an issue of perspective. In any case, I want to change it up a bit and make a musical suggestion.
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If you’ve not heard the musical stylings of Jon Foreman, you are certainly missing out. After the startling success of the West Coast band Switchfoot, lead-singer Foreman broke out on his own to blaze a new trail.
His songs may not be getting the most radio time. You may not be able to hum a familiar melody off his new four CD collection: fall, winter, summer, spring. The tunes might not catch on and sweep across the country like his past top hits. But, I can tell you this: Jon Foreman inspires, convicts, and speaks where other artists fear to say a word.
One of his songs, “Instead,” talks about the misplaced comforts of modern day Christianity. Foreman sings through frustrations with Christians who put on a show every Sunday but miss the point. “Instead, let there be a flood of justice, an endless precision of righteous living, living. Instead let there be a flood of justice… instead of your shows, I hate all your shows.”
Pretty strong language. He must have been reading up on Isaiah 58:5-7 when Isaiah admonished the Israelites, to whom fasting had become such a show. True sacrifice is to “loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke and set the oppressed free…” Revolutionary, yet strangely familiar is Foreman’s new tune.
MUSINGS IN THE MIDST 