Thank you for sharing this. The music of the past has always been a comfort, but it is the music of the present which is prophetic. When you sing leaving on a jet plane the song spoke to thousands of young people struggling with the injustice and hypocrisy of the war in Vietnam. The songs of Victor Jara in Chile inspired thousands of Latin Americans to seek for justice. The songs of the civil Rights movement inspired thousands of people to unite against the injustices of racism. Now we are trapped in a world recovering from COVID and distorted and confused by misinformation, and lies from politicians. Maybe it will be singing which will be able to unite us and draw us back together again.
First had Noel and Bodyworks band to our church in Phoenix back in 1984, and many many times after that. While we also had many other fantastic CCM artists and bands to our church, Noel had (has) a way of sharing faith in ways that come at us sideways, with grace and compassion.
I went to dozens of great Christian concerts in the 70’s and 80’s. They were usually in churches and they definitely helped strengthen my budding Christian faith. But I began to see a very narrow focus and a shared Christianese language that became distasteful after a while.
Then I discovered the likes of Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill,and Steve Taylor (I want to be a Clone), among many others, and found a much wider net cast, as well as music I could easily share with my non-Christian friends.
I appreciate Noel and his consistent and beautiful music and messaging through all these decades!
Thank you for sharing this. The music of the past has always been a comfort, but it is the music of the present which is prophetic. When you sing leaving on a jet plane the song spoke to thousands of young people struggling with the injustice and hypocrisy of the war in Vietnam. The songs of Victor Jara in Chile inspired thousands of Latin Americans to seek for justice. The songs of the civil Rights movement inspired thousands of people to unite against the injustices of racism. Now we are trapped in a world recovering from COVID and distorted and confused by misinformation, and lies from politicians. Maybe it will be singing which will be able to unite us and draw us back together again.
First had Noel and Bodyworks band to our church in Phoenix back in 1984, and many many times after that. While we also had many other fantastic CCM artists and bands to our church, Noel had (has) a way of sharing faith in ways that come at us sideways, with grace and compassion.
Why indeed should the devil have all the good music?
On YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shjd5x-uDJw
I went to dozens of great Christian concerts in the 70’s and 80’s. They were usually in churches and they definitely helped strengthen my budding Christian faith. But I began to see a very narrow focus and a shared Christianese language that became distasteful after a while.
Then I discovered the likes of Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill,and Steve Taylor (I want to be a Clone), among many others, and found a much wider net cast, as well as music I could easily share with my non-Christian friends.
I appreciate Noel and his consistent and beautiful music and messaging through all these decades!