When I finally relented and begged Jesus Christ to lead me and guide me, my wonderful Lord gifted me with a love for country gospel music. That gift came out of the blue, I had never even cared about Country Gospel music before, and suddenly I'm craving it day and night. Now years later I believe I understand why He did that for me. You know how the lord of this world can get between you and God? I know you know how this world tries to beat you down, tangle you up in its secular web and drive a wedge between you and Jesus, and sometimes it takes a bit of an effort to regain the joy we felt when we realized we were saved.
When I feel the tug of this world pulling me away from Jesus Christ, when sin looks too delicious to avoid I plug in my headsets, set myself to a menial task and crank up the Country Gospel music. The menial task (yard work mostly) reminds me that I am here to serve others, and the music reminds me over and over that Christ did that for me too. And some of the music is so joyful, I can only wonder why that joy appears to me to be missing in Contemporary Christian Music.
A while ago I was told (in humor, but humor is the decorative sheath of truth) that Country Gospel Music is bad theology, and yeah I bristled at that a bit. Country Gospel Music is quite often those wonderful old baptist hymns that the artist grew up with, and newer Country Gospel music is merely an interpretation of those same concepts and quite often 'countryfied' spirituals that came from our black brothers and sisters in Christ as they praised the Lord in pure joy. But my accuser went on to explain how CCM is better theology than CGM. I thought of those "Jesus is my Boyfriend" CCM songs, those songs that go on about love but never even hint at who or what is the source or object of that love, and mostly those "single line repeaters" that I am sure Jesus warned about in Matthew 6:7
So I'm setting up my first annual Good Friday Good Theology Joyful Noise Challenge. If you're a CCM aficionado here's your chance to put my theories and preferences to rest. I'll post a video and lyrics of a CGM song that moves me, and if you have a CCM or TCM (Traditional Church Music) song or hymn that pulls you back into Jesus' arms post a link here. We're looking for Good Theology and Good Music, and hopefully a lot of Joy. Let's do this until Pentecost and then we'll tally up what we have.
We're not picking winners and losers here, because if we're sharing what we consider Joyful Noise, we're praising God, we're sharing His word, so He wins!
Here's my first entry in my first challenge - I know I'm coming out strong and swinging for the bleachers, but I dare you to find a more joyful praise than this: Just Preach Jesus by the Kindom Heirs
Once a preacher boy was told
He couldn't preach it straight and strong
The Ten Commandments and perhaps the golden rule
No one wanted him to tell them what was right and what was wrong
So he asked an old time preacher what to do
CHORUS
Just preach Jesus born and crucified and risen from the dead
Just preach Jesus as He paid for sin with the precious blood He shed
Lord and Savior, King of kings
Son of God and Son of Man
Just preach Jesus until Jesus comes again
That old preacher turned to Acts at chapter eight verse thirty-five
Where a lost man tried but couldn't see the light
Phillip found hin there, Isaiah fifty-three just came alive
He preached Jesus, and he won that man to Christ
CHORUS
Lord and Savior, Kings of kings
Son of God and Son of Man
Just preach Jesus until Jesus comes again
CHORUS
Just preach Jesus until Jesus comes again
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