Stripping Down

The other day I ran across a really cool recording. A single voice. One child. 12 years old. You’d be amazed at what I heard. There had been a band and even backup singers. But in this final product, every instrument and every voice was erased. Deleted. The band… the Jackson 5. The boy… Michael Jackson. A few years ago, Motown simply decided to strip down a bunch of songs of everything except for Michael’s voice for a new CD. The result… not what you’d think.

I shudder to think if someone ever decided to take away our band and just record my voice alone. That hasn’t happened yet. Thank God. But at times, I’ve wondered what I would do if say, I could no longer play the piano. Well, “alot” says God. Glorify Him, at all times, any way possible, everywhere possible. Paul stripped it all away by saying this, “I desired to know nothing else among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” 1 Cor. 2:2

Lately, as I begin a long rehab from shoulder surgery, it feels like some of the busyness of life itself has been stripped away. Recuperating at home, and for a while working less hours, has given me a sort of absence of noise.  And that absence makes a great background to listen for God’s voice in new ways. 

Tuesday, I heard His voice through 300 voices of the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic at the Inauguration. The other day, I heard God remind me through my pastor, “Keep eye contact with Jesus.” Today, I got a few “Get Well” drawings in the mail from kids and those reminded me of the verse I read today, “The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love.” Gal 5:6 Kids do that stuff without even knowing it.

Oh, the lyrics Michael Jackson was singing… “I’ll be there. Just call my name, and I’ll be there.” Strip away everything else, and you’ll hear Jesus speaking those words to you too. 

Final thought for the day: There’s been much talk recently about whether another singer lip-synced the words in a huge performance recently. I don’t care. I think we should all lip sync every day. We should talk in such a way that when people hear us they actually hear the voice of Jesus.

There’s no place like hope,

Stefan