Reflections From The Playlist

Jonathan Wiggins Leadership May 2, 2023 | 0

Ever since I was a little boy, I have loved music! Originally it was the hymns we’d sing every Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday night at church — from the old red Alliance hymnal copyrighted I believe in 1962. From there I learned about a whole new kind of music to my ear — usually under my pillow really low at night — in my bedroom called rock and roll. Oh, the scandal of listening to Bread, Chicago, Player, The Carpenters, TV theme songs, Earth, Wind and Fire, and of course The Bee Gees! As a young teen, I was then introduced to a whole new kind of rock music called “Christian Rock!” Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, Love Song, The Imperials, Sweet Comfort Band, Paul Clark, Keith Green, The 2nd Chapter of Acts, Matthew Ward, Petra, and many others! As a college student, I learned to like “choruses” in church services! We had these little papers in the pew (old wooden benches that were smoothed out sometimes with pads sometimes not!) that had maybe 20 songs on them that were totally different than the hymns we generally sang. Eventually, there was a purple book and then a red book that were paperback (not hard bound like the hymnal) and they had all kinds of what some called, “short, meaningless, repetitive songs.” Some of those songs were pretty meaningful to me then and still are today. Finally, in the late mid to late 1980’s there came available chorus books that had hundreds of songs in them that had been sung on Hosanna Integrity cassette tapes or Maranatha cassette tapes. These songs were still called “choruses” but they had verses — sometimes as many as old “hymns” had! Again, some people didn’t like the new songs because they thought they were being sung at the expense of the old hymns from the 17th – 20th centuries.

Why do I share all this in this column? Well, April afforded many hours of reflection time as Lori and I had the privilege of visiting the South American country of Uruguay with five other people from the RMD. Each way was about 24 hours of air travel from door to door in Billings to Montevideo, Uruguay. It was great to be with RMD International Workers, Matt & Jeanette Griffin, and family along with eight other IW families there. It was a high honor to be able to preach in two Alliance churches in Montevideo — each with their own flavor and feel. It was also so good during the long air flights to go “back in time” to another day and remember the beauty, simplicity, and meaning that music can have. In the Old Testament, we read of music being played by the Children of Israel at special times. We read of how David would come before King Saul and play music to soothe the King and allow Him to de-stress. And I have found music to be both of those for me as well. Perhaps you have too! I love a whole wide variety of music and have many different songs on my iPhone. If they are older songs, oftentimes when they come up and I hear them, it’s like I am transported back to 1975 as a pre-teen or 1985 when, as an assistant pastor, I had a live Christian radio program every Sunday afternoon on our local secular station!

More recently, in Christian music circles, there has been a rise in what I call the “if I don’t agree with their theology, YOU can’t sing their songs!” mentality. Songs from Hillsong, Bethel, Elevation, and other places are deemed unacceptable because of some of the interpretations, practices, and emphasis each group might have, or the people attached to them. Through the years I have appreciated songs from all three of those aforementioned places even if I didn’t embrace 100% of everything they do or say. (Truth be told, I don’t like 100% of everything I do or say in the course of a week!)

So, again, why do I write all this? Because there’s a song that was going through my mind so many times while flying to and from Uruguay. It came to me over and over again. It is a song that was especially meaningful to me during a time of great heartache not related to ministry or the RMD or the Alliance in 2021. It comes from Bethel and so I know some are prone to dismiss it because of where it was written and first sung. Perhaps you have heard it on Christian radio or sang it in church and didn’t know it was a “Bethel song” — whatever the case may be — the words are very meaningful to me and perhaps they will be to you.

The Goodness of God

I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God (yeah)

And all my life You have been faithful (oh)
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God (yeah)

‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me (oh-oh)

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
(I’m gonna sing, I’m gonna sing)

‘Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God

Much could be said about this song. I’ll leave the application of it to your life for you to do if you so choose. As for me, I just re-read the words again and again after typing them — allowing them to run deep into my soul and pouring out thankfulness to God for His amazing goodness to me. A goodness that I in no way deserve but am afforded because of who God is! And that goodness, for me, motivates me to surrender again, to re-up again as it were to what the Lord wants even if at times it makes no sense to me or is not an easy path. My heart and soul cry out in yielded surrender to His will, His way, and His purposes which are eternal.

If there is a special song that’s been burning in your soul, shoot me a text or an email and let me know why so that I might enter into it with you!

Serving Christ Together With You,

Jonathan

Reflections From The Playlist

Reflections From The Playlist

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