Tom Petty Was He Born Again
"Into the Great Wide Open up" With Tom Footling on July 8
By Ben Boswell
On Oct 2, 2017, we lost one of the greatest singers and songwriters in history, Tom Petty. Known and loved by many, Petty was an exceptionally talented musician. Throughout the course of his career he sold fourscore million records, won 8 Grammy awards, was nominated 18 times, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Music critic John Thompson in one case said, "If 'Christian music' could be half as electrifying every bit [Petty's] 'Running Down A Dream' no one would ever take to apologize for the genre once more." Well, let the apologies cease, because we are bringing the music of Tom Piddling to the Church! On Lord's day, July eight nosotros will have some other diverse worship service in the round in Heaton Hall led past our own Randy Franklin and his ring The Sardines, featuring the music of Tom Picayune.
Tom Trivial was not a practicing Christian, but he was a spiritual person. In an interview with "Billboard," Petty was asked to explain the history behind his song "Playing Dumb" and he said, "No one has interpreted Jesus Christ's teaching more incorrectly than Christians." Later Piffling said, "I'm fine with any organized religion y'all want to accept, but yous can't tell anybody it's OK to impale people, and you can't abuse children systematically for God knows how many years." Footling's philosophy often echoed Gandhi or Buddha, yet religious themes of his music were obvious to Christian people. His famous song, "I Won't Dorsum Downwards" was covered by scores of gimmicky Christian artists from Switchfoot to MercyMe, who easily converted it into a praise and worship song.
Petty was understood as a unintentional "crossover" artist past many in the Christian community because, as John Thompson claims, "he offered echoes of the gospel by constantly assuring us that someday we would exist gratis, and—nearly chiefly—that nosotros were not alone. He stood up for u.s.a. against the users and abusers and mocked the absurdity of the world we shared, fifty-fifty as he celebrated moments of rare transcendence. He punched out three-and-a-half infinitesimal sermons wrapped around primordial riffs and delivered with perfectly imperfect swagger. Songs like 'The Waiting,' 'Deliver Me,' 'Learning To Wing,' and 'Into The Great Wide Open up' might not have been specifically Christian in nature, but the inspiration and promise they offered lifted people'south spirits over and over once more. Petty's songs offered encouragement and inspiration. He sneered humorously at the wolves at the door, while singing about a surreptitious hatch in the roof through which nosotros all might escape. He painted himself equally i of u.s.a.. He was right at that place with us, wondering nearly dearest and lies and the meaning of it all."
What is the departure betwixt "sacred" and "secular" music? Is it determined past the religion or religious belief of the composer? Who decides what is "sacred" and what is "secular?" Is information technology an arbitrary stardom? Can music move back and forth into both categories? Could it be that individuals and communities are the ones who make up one's mind for themselves what is "sacred" or "secular?" Perchance what makes a piece of music sacred is not the faith of who composed it but what it draws out of us and allows us to express near the nature of the human condition, how it moves us and shapes us every bit people, and whether or not it helps us to communicate something true nearly the holy mystery of a God who loves u.s.a. in spite of ourselves.
This will non be the outset time we've worshipped with music written by a not-Christian composer. Concluding summertime we explored the blurry line between "sacred" and "secular" as we worshipped with music from Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Band, and U2. In addition nosotros've also worshipped with Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Vaughan Williams, who all considered themselves atheists or agnostics, besides as Wagner who was an ardent Nazi. Even the famous Baptist hymn writer Isaac Watts was a Victorian colonialist whose music historic England'southward trigger-happy conquest of indigenous peoples and native lands. The people who wrote and composed the music nosotros beloved, and worship with, were all imperfect human beings. Tom Petty was far from perfect every bit well, and yet he and his music were an inspiration to millions. In fact, it was his imperfection that fabricated him so powerful, as information technology often does with those we dearest.
Bob Dylan in one case said that his good friend Tom was "full of the light." Piffling served his audience well, lifting our spirits and giving u.s. a reason to trip the light fantastic toe. He looked down the butt of life, bared his buck teeth, and flashed that crazy smile. Tom Petty was the voice of hope deferred and longing fulfilled. He was our companion 'into the nifty wide open.' Psalm eighteen:nineteen says, "God brought me out into a wide and spacious identify; God delivered me, because God delighted in me." May God apply the music and lyrics of Tom Piddling to bring u.s.a. out into a wide and spacious place—into the bang-up wide open—where we are gratis to worship in new ways with non-traditional forms from non-Christian composers, e'er seeking to be "open to all new light" as information technology states in our covenant, so that we tin proceed to be people who lift our voices passionately and authentically to God in spirit and in truth.
W. Benjamin Boswell
Senior Minister
Source: https://www.myersparkbaptist.org/music-of-tom-petty-on-july-8/