Bluegrass Theology
I have heard the band that will play at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. I was surprised. It will be Bluegrass.
Some friends took me last night to a local watering hole to hear renowned Bluegrass musicians Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder. It was my first such concert (Nickel Creek really doesn’t count) and I was amazed and overjoyed.
What struck me was how natural and unfeigned Skaggs’ talk of his Christian faith was. He spoke of his mother and her deep faith as a “foot washing Free Will Baptist,” and of how God graced him with loving visits from his father in his dreams (the communion of saints). He spoke of the charismata which the Lord bestows upon his people (without using the technical theological language, of course). He also told the tale of how the tune for a particular instrumental song came to him as he read I Corinthians 1:18, a beautiful tune that he credits to the Author of all creativity.
The lyrics of the songs often reflected his Christian faith without falling into ham-fisted preaching. They speak of simple faith, simple duty, and abiding grace. What came to mind as I listened was the admonition of Jean-Pierre de Caussade: “do your Christian duty, and abandon yourself to divine providence.”
The crowd was rather mixed, and I know that many would be nonplused by an out and out Christian witness, but no one seemed put out. The crowd continued to cheer with enthusiasm through the evening.
I credit it to the unforced authenticity of the presence of faith in the evening’s performance. It was evangelism through authentic (and unashamed) Christian existence.
I think we have much to learn from such Bluegrass theology.
Some friends took me last night to a local watering hole to hear renowned Bluegrass musicians Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder. It was my first such concert (Nickel Creek really doesn’t count) and I was amazed and overjoyed.
What struck me was how natural and unfeigned Skaggs’ talk of his Christian faith was. He spoke of his mother and her deep faith as a “foot washing Free Will Baptist,” and of how God graced him with loving visits from his father in his dreams (the communion of saints). He spoke of the charismata which the Lord bestows upon his people (without using the technical theological language, of course). He also told the tale of how the tune for a particular instrumental song came to him as he read I Corinthians 1:18, a beautiful tune that he credits to the Author of all creativity.
The lyrics of the songs often reflected his Christian faith without falling into ham-fisted preaching. They speak of simple faith, simple duty, and abiding grace. What came to mind as I listened was the admonition of Jean-Pierre de Caussade: “do your Christian duty, and abandon yourself to divine providence.”
The crowd was rather mixed, and I know that many would be nonplused by an out and out Christian witness, but no one seemed put out. The crowd continued to cheer with enthusiasm through the evening.
I credit it to the unforced authenticity of the presence of faith in the evening’s performance. It was evangelism through authentic (and unashamed) Christian existence.
I think we have much to learn from such Bluegrass theology.
posted by peregrinator at 8:30 PM
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