BETTER BY SUNDAY
[ CRUEL EMAILS | Paul Herman ]
CHRISTINE DENTÉ
Closer to Free
Do you know the official term for a group of eyes, shake our head and just lash back
alligators? Congregation. at someone?
As a former worship leader, I remember the Maybe a passage of scripture will help.
cruelest email I ever received from someone I’d advise you not to go immediately to
in the congregation. No, it’s not the reason the “pearls before swine” passage. Better
I’m a former worship leader. And I’m not suggestions might be “…be wise as
scarred for life. In serpents and harmless
fact, when I tell the as doves.” [Matthew
story, it’s usually with
an incredulous laugh.
I still can’t believe
“I feel myself on the edge of better things… anyone
I’ve got butterflies inside,” declares one of that obnoxious.
could
be
Since the last Out of the Grey album (the We don’t expect that
excellent A Little Light Left in 2015), mama in church, but maybe
Denté has seen eldest son Julian wed a we should. Because
fellow musician and put out his own album in church, there are
under the moniker Yøuth, and now he returns messed up, selfish,
to the family fold to produce this EP of insensitive
contemplative pop. who have been well-
people
trained by our ME
She’s lost none of her lyrical transparency culture to want what
as she cautions us away from unrealistic they want. And when
expectations of our musical heroes. “On this they
pedestal, I seem so steady… Should you they squawk.
get
10:16] or “…do justly,
we keep humbly with your God.”
with cruel emails is not
that, when all The biggest problem is
we want to cause us to instinctively
do is roll our critiques. Even heartfelt,
eyes...
the sting to our egos.
that these emails may
bristle at any further
well-meaning
ones
from people who really
do love us. Because
it,
in church, there are
also truly loving, caring
wonderful people who have our best interest
OK, I’ve delayed long enough… here it is:
glass.” (in “See Through Me”) Julian keeps the
at heart and who are touched deeply each
week by the Spirit of God through what
production sedate but not boring or repetitive.
“Culdesac Kathy,” the most insightful song
The biggest problem
in the face of
dare to shine a light my way, see the shadow
of the shape I’m in, so paper thin, fragile as
love mercy and walk
[Micah 6:8]
worshiping
Christian music’s most recognizable voices.
don’t
So how do
we do.
Dear Worship Leader,
of the bunch, rides a lonely Fender Rhodes
It’s all a messy, beautiful mix. That’s church.
waltz line while confessing how a comfortable During your worship set this morning, I The Bride that Jesus loves with all His heart.
suburban life can become an idol that prayed for a power outage. So serve your people well. Love them well.
insulates us from ministry opportunities.
Remain open to honest critiques. Filter out
the mean-spirited, agenda-driven ones. Be
Denté’s vocals have lost none of their Yes, it was a real email that someone really wise as serpents. Harmless as doves. Do
expressive intimacy in the last 25 years. If sent. And yes, that person had an agenda. justly. Love mercy. And walk humbly with
you’re looking for substantive Christian music They usually do. your God.
So how do we keep worshiping in the face Paul Herman
Songwriter, Worship Leader,
Creator. Vancouver, WA
that grapples with the realities of modern life,
this is it.
of that, when all we want to do is roll our
CCLI’s
Content
Robert Berman
Robert is a Sunday School teacher, music nerd,
and acoustic guitar enthusiast. He lives in rural
Tennessee with his wife and three boys.
March 2018
WorshipMusician.com
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