A quote:
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
If you are going to walk on thin ice you might as well dance
This is the personal website of Matthew Dellinger. I use it speak my mind on the continuing work of God in my life, our culture, the the church, and anything else that comes to mind.
I'm currently trying to move into a more serious realm. I want to use this space primarily to address the second and third topics I mentioned: culture and the church. I'm always looking for something to write about, so if ya'll think of anything, just ask and I'll talk about it.
Enjoy, or at least think about what I post.
So I have not posted in quite a while. Well, in like two weeks. So here's something I've been thinking about. I love country music. I grew up in the south, in the woods, and that's what it talks about. I love the music itself. But lately I've had cause to question listening to it. Here's my problem.
Most country songs are about guys and girls. I don't have a problem with that. As Joel is fond of pointing out, all guys think about is food and women, and we don't know how to get either of them. What's more logical to right a song about? My problem comes with how relationships are viewed. So many times, relationships are portrayed as the point of life, and are given precedence over other relationships. They are constantly idolized. Taylor Swift is a perfect example; most of her songs (like "Teardrops on My Guitar") are musically rather appealing to me, but look at the lyrics. She sees this guy as "flawless" and crying herself to sleep at night over him. This attitude is carried out, more or less throughout ever song about relationships. I love the music, but I'm not sure I'm going to keep filling my head with all this garbage.
To bring me to my second point, let's look at another country song about relationships: the song "Daddy's Money" by Ricochet. He talking about being in church, totally not paying attention, and wishing he was hooking up with a gal singing in the choir. I'm not even going to talk about his relational ideas; what got me was the fact that this is all taking place in church. It really struck me again how much of a cultural affair church is in the south. If you've been around me recently, you probably know that I can go for hours about it, but it's true. The church has ceased to be a gathering together of the body of Christ on Sunday and is now just another social function, just like the local barn dance. As Lewis says, anything, even "Christianity" itself can be used by the devil to hinder the cause of Christ, and it is. Most folks don't even realize it. Having grown up in it, it's something I struggle with; last Sunday I didn't go to church because I wanted to, but rather because, as a good Christian that's what I do. I'm still trying to figure out how to fight it.
(7/23/07)