The Rich Mullins 20th Anniversary Project is a Big Missed Opportunity

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Alternative title: 
Some Thoughts and Concerns on the Rich Mullins 20th Anniversary Project
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UPDATE: I have begun an podcast about Rich Mullins with Joe Cook of the Ragamuffin Archive. For our first episode we were even able to interview Jimmy Abegg about the Be God's Podcast. You can listen to the episode here or subscribe on itunes  Google Play  Tunein Radio  or  Stitcher

It has been an amazing past several years for the legacy of musician, writer, teacher, and walking human enigma Rich Mullins. 

Derek Webb Isn't Exactly A Christian Anymore...Or is he?

So...according to an interview with the Give and Take podcast Derek Webb isn't exactly a Christian anymore...or is he? 

You can listen to the interview here: http://mygiveandtake.com/2016/04/22/a-conversation-with-derek-webb-and-david-zahl/ (here's the itunes link)

Webb was his typically provocative self during the interview and had many fascinating and insightful things to say about the current state of the music industry and about intentionally being an artist who flies under the radar, which in Webb's case means having enough committed fans that he makes a decent living but not enough fame that he has to make compromises in his art in the hopes of pleasing the adoring masses in the hopes of maintaining the fandom of the masses. Essentially, Webb has been able to make the kind of music he's wanted to throughout his career and he expresses his profound gratitude in the interview for this set of circumstances. Webb's career has certainly been a test case for pushing the boundaries as an artist (especially within the realm of "Christian Music"), being an innovator and disruptor on the economic side of his artistry (e.g., giving away his albums, starting Noisetrade), all while finding a decently modest amount of success and recognition (despite "flying below the radar" Webb is still pretty much in the upper echelon of known artists)

But in the interview (which was recorded after Webb's Mockingbird Conference, which was put on to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his landmark album) he also says he's scared to death of the new songs he's writing because of the stories he's telling. I have my guesses about what he means by this, and this is based on where he goes in the rest of the interview. Webb says he hasn't been going to church since his divorce and admitted infidelity to his ex-wife and artist Sandra McCracken. Webb says he is in the midst of a deconstruction and possible re-construction of his faith. He says that when he is in the realm of having and practicing his faith it takes on a relatively conservative theological bent. He has a pretty high ecclesiology, which means that if he were a Christian, his beliefs would not allow him to not be in Christian community, which is to say that his belief in Christ (when it is present) causes him to strongly believe that he should live in committed Christian community, which is to say he cannot allow himself to be one of the "spiritual but not religious" types who believe in Jesus in some personal way but do not practice their faith outwardly in a typical way such as regular church attendance. Here is a direct quote: "The last time I put any real thought into the construction of my theological grid, I don't know that I would allow myself Jesus without the Church...and so, is there a season where I'm having to say no to both for a minute? Maybe...? Um...and I think that if I come back to it I'm going to have both. I don't think there's a version..I have a very high view of Scripture. I have a very conservative theological ethic when I have it...That's the only answer I have right now."

Notice Webb's emphasis on the "if" and "when" of his beliefs. Webb seems to intentionally leave his self-definitions vague and the interviewer doesn't really press him to parse out where he presently finds himself on the spiritual map other than to say/ask "you don't exactly seem like a religious "none" but maybe more like a religious "done" (my paraphrase), titles which Webb mostly eschewed. Webb also noted that the turnover of his friends in the past 2 years have been near 100%, which is to say that he has almost an entirely different set of friends then he had before. He says he has found people to be more accepting in bars than in churches. They more readily accept you for your past than people in churches, who are more ok with you singing about your sins in your songs than actually being a sinner in real life.

So where will Webb go with his new batch of songs (which he says might take on a synth-heavy industrial rock tone—think Nine Inch Nails)? Will he turn his critical eye on the church who wasn't willing to accept his mistakes and who was not there for him when he needed them? Will he confess his personal doubts and struggles for belief? Will he bring to light the part he played in his failed marriage? Or will he be putting God himself on trial? Will this be a walking towards or moving away from faith record? I know—it is all speculation for the time being.

Here are the vital questions: has a prophetic voice for the Church led to doubt which has led to skepticism which has led to cynicism which has led to non-practicing unbelief? Has Webb allowed the witness of the Body of Christ to speak into his life or has he simply chosen to "go his own way"?

You can click here to see my article written as a counter argument to Webb's views on "Christian music: "Yes There Is Such a Thing As 'Christian Music': A response to Derek Webb

"To be or NOT to be ('Christian', that is): The Dilemma of a Christian Artist

If you could only choose one...

Last week I wrote two posts on "Christian" music:
Why I Cringe Every Time Someone Says "I hate Christian Music" and
Yes, There is Such a Thing as "Christian Music": A Response to Derek Webb

This week I have two more articles on the same subject in response to two comments I received from readers. You can read the first article here: 'Christian music is like beer': An insight from a reader."

Today I am responding to Heather Peterson, keyboardist, singer, and songwriter in the band Hello Industry. You can go here to listen to an interview I did with her husband Nathan last year when their album Matter came out. I think Heather's position on whether or not to call oneself and one's art "Christian" is important. She is a working musician (she's also a piano teacher!) and actually has to exist out in the big bad world. As artists Hello Industry has gone back and forth for years playing in Christian environments (churches, youth camps, ministry conferences) and then just trying to play "normal" shows wherever they can. Their faith is embedded in every aspect of their art and yet I can tell they really feel a tension in how they label themselves and how they communicate their faith.

Yes, There is Such a Thing as "Christian" Music: A response to Derek Webb

I've just put Derek Webb into a very uncomfortable situation. 

In 2013 Derek Webb wrote an essay on his tumblr entitled "Safe For the Whole Family: The Marketing of Jesus", which is essentially his argument as to why we should not call works of art "Christian", and why there is really no such thing as "Christian" music. In light of a recent Christianity Today article called "Why I Stopped Hating Christian Music" and my own recent article relating to the same topic I decided to write a response to Webb's essay. It's something that has been festering in me for some time regarding the issue of "Christian Music" and I hope I have been able to fashion a legitimate argument. It is not that I think Webb's perspective is entirely wrong, but I do think it is lacking on some levels...(oh, and I should also say, I'm a long time Derek Webb fanboy! Apart from a few things here and there [some of the Caedmon's Call EP's and independent releases and the acoustic version of Control], I own basically everything he's put out.) My intentions are not to bring down Webb or be a troll or whatever but to instead further and deepen the conversation about what Christian music is and is not.
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Why I Cringe Every Time Someone Says "I hate Christian music"

Christian Music is dead! Long live Christian Music!

Last week Christianity Today published an article online by Peter Chin called "Why I Stopped Hating Christian Music". I related to a lot of what he mentioned in the article and would like to offer my own contribution to the conversation on Christian music and the Christian music industry. On top of that, here is a response to an article Derek Webb wrote a while ago on his blog about "Christian Music", which is called "Yes, There is Such as Christian Music: A Response to Derek Webb." In many ways I know there are no easy answers to the questions "Is there such a thing as "'Christian' music" and if so, what is the criteria for it?" There are compelling arguments on both sides of the issue and lately the side for getting rid of the term altogether seems to have the most traction. I, however, come down on the "Yes, there is such a thing as Christian music" side and would like to present my case as such over the course of these two articles. Your feedback is welcome...even though I realize things could get ugly...

Why Christians Should Call Themselves Christians

This week's post is something I wrote a couple of years ago but never got around to putting out there.  It is also a bit of a palette cleanser before I move on to a longer series surrounding worship and worship music.  In what follows I risk "preaching to the choir" a bit, still, I think it is worth saying.

A little while ago I overheard a conversation between a student and a parent at the Christian school I work at which articulated a reoccurring sentiment I have heard expressed by many different people over that past few years, most of them from various outlets of Christian media.  I have heard it from the mouth of Canadian radio talk show host Drew Marshall and from musicians Bruce Cockburn and even DerekWebb.  Most recently this sentiment has gotten more widespread attention because of an interview Marcas Mumford of Mumford & Sons gave to Rollins Stone.  You can sift through all their interviews over numerous years if you want to find what I am talking about, but I think the sentiment has permeated our lives to such an extent that you will probably have heard this line numerous times already. It goes something like this:

The word “Christian” has been so misused and abused I’m not sure if we should just stop using it anymore. I’d consider myself more of a follower of Jesus. I don’t have a problem with Jesus; it’s those who claim to be Christians that I have a problem with. Since all anyone ever thinks of when they hear that word is bigoted hate-mongers, maybe we should just get rid of that word. So, let's not call ourselves "Christians" anymore...