Jesus Music

Recently I rented the Jesus Music documentary and grabbed my sister, one of my sons, cousin Chuck and his wife and her twin sister and we sat down to take in a big part of our spiritual music history.

The well done doc made us laugh, tear up, reminisce and otherwise feel really good. If you are like us and grew up listening to “Jesus music,” then you should definitely check it out. We rented it on Prime.

You see I grew up in the 80s and 90s with roots in the renewal of the Catholic church in Spokane. My folks were a part of a group called “Lord of Love” that met in the GU chapel for Friday night prayer meetings. These were fired up Catholics. You have probably seen images of people at “big TV panel churches” (of which I was a part) lifting their hands, dancing, and getting otherwise super excited about prayer, worship, and connecting with God but this happened in the late 70s to Catholics! Fired up, hand-raising, out loud prayer leading, believers who went to Mass on Sundays and probably had the occasional coffee and donut after, or a Knights of Columbus chicken cacciatore meal during the week. Yes, THOSE Catholics!

As my sister and I grew up, we stayed in Catholic school through the 12th grade and our mom had albums of various praise and worship bands such as Maranatha, Dallas Holm, Sandy Patty and lots of the Gaither family. My mom loved the old gospel music. 

As we got older our cousins, initially Jay and Mary, introduced us to Christian Rock, of which a lot of the Jesus Music doc referred to, with artists such as Petra, Carman, Whiteheart, Russ Taff and so many more. I distinctly remember hearing Petra’s “Beat the System” at Jay and Mary’s home and my mom couldn’t believe that this LOUD music, loaded with electric guitars, synthesizers and drums, with loud, hard-to-understand lyrics, actually contained words that glorified God or were written to encourage people in their faith. Mom didn’t seem to want any of that (not the God part of course, but the noise…)

That is where it began. A little house on N. Perry where my older, cooler cousins lived and listened to music that I hadn’t heard before.  For Easter that year, I asked dad for a record (yes a record because we had a record player) of Stryper’s, “To Hell with the Devil.”  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Loud, grinding guitars, drums that took over our little speakers and a voice that was so high and full of passion, I was hooked.  Michael Sweet and his brother Robert, along with the rest of the band, had me hooked.

Older cousins introduced me to their older friends who also loved Jesus Music. I learned of Petra, who became my favorite band, Allies, Degarmo and Key, Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart, the aforementioned Whiteheart, Whitecross, Siloam, Shout with Ken Tamplin, Bride, Sacred Warrior, and so many more.  Sister liked Amy Grant and all that too, and eventually loved to rock out as well.

I saw Carman, Petra, Whiteheart, Stryper, Whitecross, Michael W. Smith, dc Talk, Amy Grant, Commissioned, Newsboys, Idle Cure, and many others I can’t remember in concert.  Live music was AWESOME.  We went to festivals (Jesus Northwest), camps (Riverview primarily), and other Christian youth gatherings (Youth Alive).

As I got into college, the rock stayed but faded a bit as other artists rose up and were running a long side their mainline music counterparts. Artists like Jars of Clay, dc Talk, Kirk Franklin, Commissioned, and so many others.  I was a part of a new church in the Seattle area and the praise and worship during the 90s had a big Vineyard influence, later Hillsong, and certainly a lot of gospel.  Yes, I even bought praise and worship CDs (remember those?).  It was a great time in music. So many artists, so many streams, most all desiring to connect and have their “audience” connect with the Lord.  Powerful.

If I am being honest, it wasn’t just the guitars, drums and high-powered voices that I wanted so bad, rather, it was the message.  I love so many classic and anthem-style rock singers and bands that it wasn’t just the volume and energy, it was what they were saying.

I think I was drawn to the “Jesus Music” because these men and women were writing lyrics that connected me and the way my faith journey was taking shape.  I felt that every time I sang along, or belted out a rock tune, I was connecting with God, or the words filled my heart like an anthem or prayer or message that I needed to hear.

A couple of examples of lyrics that really connected with me at various times in my life were:

“Prayer,” Petra

I played this song as I left my youth group, Zion Christian Center, way back in 1992 as I was on my way to Seattle to attend the University of Washington.  I was invited to speak/share and this is what I finished with. It has been very meaningful since.  A simple, quiet prayer.

“Stand in the Gap,” Petra

This song fit my cries of prayer for people in my life that needed God to intervene. Variety of reasons why, simply put, they needed (still need) a miracle.

“I Need to Hear from You,” Petra

There is not a lot that I can write here as to what this song means to me. It is equal parts quiet prayer and desperate cry, of which I have needed at various times in my life, most recently as I struggled to live while fighting COVID and pneumonia.

I have played these songs dozens if not hundreds of times so my spirit could hear my voice singing a long. Usually in times that were hard on me and I needed encouragement. I needed to rally. I needed to connect.

Jesus Music is kind of a funny phrase, but for me, and for so many of my family and friends, these songs were like anthems in our growing faith and the artists were like our personal musicians, captivating music and lyrics that would impact our lives as teens and throughout adulthood.  I hope these artists know what kind of impact they have had on me/us.