Obosit de oferta muzicală “creştină” de pe piaţa hiper-saturată de Matt Redman, Delirious & Co., am simţit nevoia unui muzician foarte fresh în stil, sensibil în emoţiile pe care le provoacă şi profund în textul muzicii sale. Aşa l-am descoperit pe Jeremy Riddle şi albumul său The Now and Not Yet.
Sound-ul puţin gălăgios al chitărilor reci se împleteşte perfect cu căldura vocală, Jeremy realizând un bun echilibru între “hedonismul” auditiv decent al muzicii de calitate şi resursele devoţionale la care ne invită prin versuri.
Amprenta vocală a lui Jeremy Riddle mi-a adus aminte de dinamica melodică rock adolescentină îmbunătăţită însă cu o ideatică şi o trăire creştină originală. E de ajuns să ascultaţi Surrendered in Praise ca să evadaţi din conformismul (neo)burghez anchilozant sau să vă rugaţi alături de el în Prayer for the Church.
Am ascultat albumul The Now and Not Yet gândindu-mă la tensiunea dintre escatologia prezentă şi cea viitoare, tensiune reprezentată vizual foarte inspirat în coperta albumului. Suntem de prea multe ori schismatici, defocalizaţi, incapabili să trăim aici şi acum, in saeculum, dar în aşteptarea unui atunci şi acolo, a aeternitas. Renunţăm de multe ori la şoaptele certitudinii eterne pentru gălăgia asurzitoare a efemerului sau ne refugiem paranoic în nori, incapabili să oferim lui Dumnezeu vre-un dar creat din ceva ce am făcut aici, pe pământ…
În preambulul audiţiei, sper delectabilă, vă ofer un citat grăitor pentru ce ar trebui să fie închinarea, citat preluat de pe site-ul www.jeremyriddle.net :
I am a worship leader. That is what I do. I’ve been on staff at churches and I’ve been a pastor, but mainly I’ve operated as a worship leader. I’ll be honest… it worried me when worship music began to run to the top of the Christian music charts. It seemed that worship started to become a part of the industry with the centre of attention on the artist. But worship has nothing to do with a person. Worship is anything that brings pleasure to the heart of God, and if we really want to please the heart of God, it probably has very little to do with the songs that we sing. Worship is more about ministering to the lost, the least, the downtrodden, the broken, the marginalized people of society; the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the imprisoned, the sick. It was a revelation to me that I could be close to the heart of God if I ministered to the poor.
Surrendered in Praise
Whenever I’m low and sinking down
When I’m overwhelmed and doubts abound
When I’ve lost all heart and the will to fight
When despair sets in and my day is night
Lift up my head, make steel my gaze
Cast out my fear, move me to faith
Surrendered in praise
To Your glorious grace, Jesus
Whenever I’m tired and I feel alone
When oppression mounts and trials come
When the father of lies, his arrows fly
When there are no answers
And my dreams, they die
In my heart of hearts where these battles rage
My strength it fails and my courage fades
In my distress I cry aloud to You
You lift my head, and You steel my gaze
You cast out fear, and I’m moved to faith
Surrendered in praise
To Your glorious grace, Jesus
Prayer for the Church
Where she is weak
Strengthen arms now, steady feet
That she would care for, she would seek
Welcoming Your lost and wounded sheep
Coming home to You
Where she is stained
Bring Your healing, bring Your rain
Wash away now her disgrace
‘Till she shines in white, she radiates
She now mirrors You
(We’re praying)
No more compromises, no more moral crises
Tonight may she move and act as You
No more small divisions
No more lack of wisdom
Tonight may she move and act as You
Where she is right give her courage for the fight
Full of salt now, full of light
Standing firm where truth and love collide
She remains in You
Now she’s shining
Her light is blinding as she sings Your name
Now she’s beauty
Up from the ashes, Your love is on her face
Where she is strong, keep her moving, pressing on
Bringing justice, righting wrongs
Demonstrating now Your Kingdom come
She’s in step with You
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