Christian Music Heritage

I am a music junkie. There, I said it. But that still doesn't remedy my problem... I have so much music, that I seldom get to listen to it all. But fortunately, the iPod came along. Now I shuffle through my entire collection randomly and within a four or five month period, I'll hear every album...

... except my records. But I've been in the process of ripping my vinyl to a digital format that can be played on my iPod. During this task, I've rediscovered a lot of really cool music! (It has to be cool, if it is in my collection, right?!)

So today, I'm listening to Sheila Walsh's 1983 "War of Love". I bought this record when I was working at a radio station in Boise. I loved the 80's techno beat, fairly rare in ccm at the time. Admittedly, it sounds a bit dated today, but it sure brings back some great memories!

All this has got me thinking about how thankful I am that people have been making music glorifying God. For decades artists have been expressing their beliefs through music, each in their own styles. And I am confident that the music industry today is a much better place thanks to the work of people like Sheila Walsh... or Martin Luther... or King David.

My hope is that generations from now, people will look back at the music of today and be thankful for the legacy Christian musicians are leaving right now.

The Music of Nature

My wife and I enjoy GeoCaching. Yesterday we spent the day in the scenic Columbia Gorge of Oregon, and I was impressed again by all the music of nature.

• Wind strumming through the trees


• Water splashing over waterfalls


• Birds singing


• The percussive pops of the trees warming in the sun

And this doesn't even begin to touch on the sights and smells! What a wonderful, musical world God has made for us to enjoy!

It's Everywhere

I am struck with the importance of music. The commercials on TV I remember most, have a catchy jingle. Everyone has a portable music device. Most stores have some kind of overhead music playing. The world seems to have surrounded itself with music.

All this makes me wonder, is my Christian walk as pervasive as music? Does my relationship with Christ affect everything I do and everywhere I go?

Unfortunately, I think not. Like most musicians, I guess I need to practice my Christian walk so as to be more "listenable".