Aesthetic or anaesthetic?

I'm cleaning up going through piles of paper and reading some stuff which arrived a while back. One was a review of a December lecture by Jeremy Begbie called ‘Sentimentality in Christian Art & Worship: What’s Gone Wrong?' I love a collision of ideas having spent 3 late evenings talking with an extremely qualified church musician and former broadcast producer about the state of worship and musicianship. Anyhow Begbie hammers home a deep problem in current worship trends where music and words become bland, flat and meaningless, being reduced to the emotional. Sickly syrup rather than real honey sometimes with only a faint sweetness and other tastes and aromas. Have you ever wondered why so few contemporary worship songs are in minor keys or even use relative minors?

"Three characteristics of sentimentality Jeremy identified three characteristics of sentimentality. First, sentimentality misrepresents reality through evading or trivialising evil; it is selective in what it chooses to notice (“the world is a great place, really”), and projects innocence where there is no innocence (“he’s not so bad, really”). Second, sentimentality is emotionally self-indulgent; it encourages an emotional reaction to reality that is shallow or one-dimensional. Third, sentimentality fails to take appropriate costly action; the sentimentalist screens out darker dimensions, wants emotion without expense."

Visit my music blog and you'll see a similar reflection over a recent worship song. I really desire that worship music and words can cry with me! If you want to read more of the summary of Begbie's lecture go here. (be warned the pdf is 2.35 MB!)

the artist

There's something within my genetic makeup and artistic temperament than means a rollercoaster of emotions. The highs and the lows, good feelings and desperate heart ache as part of my experience within daily life. But I suppose disappointment is a raging problem deep within me. Many little things that happen can grind me down so easily. Today so many half finished conversations when someone asks something and then when I ready to share rushes off to something else, then my special waitress forgot to order my food only after an hour it was remedied and my friends finished long before me. Then I arrange to look at a folding bike for my birthday present to myself except the man decided to sell it this morning and I rode through torrential rain to go and see it this afternoon. Somehow all the good is outweighed by the bad and disappointments.

This seems to be what God gives to enable me to identify with those struggling. One international student frequently tells me nothing ever happens for her, she has no luck! It is in these times I cry for her. Life sucks and we still have to go on. My boss said something that hurt and that sits on top of anything good and encouraging before. Life sucks and I'm still alive. I wouldn't be unless I had a purpose for existing. I would quit now if I had a choice, but I don't. God gives me a reason for now.