Day Fifteen: Deliverance – Strahan

I appreciate it when musicians actually put thought into their words. That might sound kind of stupid, but honestly it can be rare sometimes. Especially in pop music. And, unfortunately, in Christian worship music too. (We’ve already talked about this.) You can sing “you are holy” five times in a row, but when do the words become empty? When do you stop thinking about the words you’re singing?

That’s my main “beef” with worship music, if you will. I understand that most Christian songwriters have their hearts in the right place, but it doesn’t seem like their hearts are in the lyrics. And lyrics are pretty important, especially when you’re worshiping in church with a diverse congregation.

I’ll try not to sound curmudgeonly when I say that singing “holy” or “You are good” fifteen times in a row isn’t the best way to connect with God. At least, not for everyone.

Let’s do a side-by-side comparison shall we? (Or as side-by-side as we can on a blog.)

Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8

Don’t get me wrong, I like Hillsong. But this is my least favorite worship song. Period. Not only do the words seem empty to me (I don’t need to say “You are [adjective/noun?]” more than once,) but the music is pedantic and borderline moronic. Is it really necessary to dumb down praise music to no more than two chords and the same words over and over?
Luckily, we have Strahan.
Strahan breathes new life into true Psalmic music. When you listen to his music, you return to what is at the heart of David’s psalms. Not poppy synths or monosyllabic lyrics, but actual, richly-crafted poetry. The minute I discovered Strahan I knew I would never worship and connect with God the same.

So here’s my favorite.

There’s no doubt Strahan’s music has a very Mumford flavor to it. Deliverance is all acoustic, with Strahan’s melancholy voice backed by rich vocals. It’s like being at a holy barn-raising. In the first few lyrics, he sings more than “you are love, you are love” could ever do.

Your love is a flood, and I’ll drink deep when the tide is up
Oh, would you flood me too?
Saltwater in my blood has made me taste sweet to the world
Oh, and you taste sweet too

We already know two things – God is good and we are not. Strahan contrasts the first two lines by celebrating the love of God but also recognizing the sin (characterized as saltwater) in his own heart. So we have the what and the why. And after that, it’s all praise.

This is my deliverance
Hands held high as you deliver it 
Oh, you have made me a child of God
My feet on the ground, my heart in Heaven, 
I am bread made without the leaven
Oh, you have made me a child of God

The fact that Strahan reinforced his own need for a God makes these words ring even more powerful. And it’s just all-out praise without being pedantic. If you’re anything like me, word pictures help me relate to things. And the rich imagery of unleavened bread, something eaten during Passover, reminds me that my fate is sealed by the one who saved me.

And I won’t go
Until I know
That you have sown
All you have in me

One thing that bothers me the most in modern Christian music is that it’s very self-focused. I have done this and that. You have done this for me. What we really should do is focus on God’s glory throughout, and the fact that God is always working in us and through us, not just doing things for us. The image of sowing seeds in us reminds us that we are works in progress, and we don’t deserve the pat on the back. We deserve hell, but God has decided to plant a garden in us, because of His goodness and loving kindness.

This is a bit of a short reflection today. I welcome you to dive into Strahan’s music. You’ll be uplifted and rejuvenated, and his music will speak more than this post will.

However you worship, worship well.