JPM's

So, I got in a discussion this week with an artist friend. I had asked him how he, family and ministry were doing. And he told me something that really got me to thinking. He shared that radio folks weren't playing his current single. The reason? It didn't mention God or Jesus enough.

I wasn't sure that I understood, so I dug in a little deeper.

His explanation was that the general consensus is that if you don't mention someone from the Deity often enough in a song, it may or may not get seriously considered for airplay. And that REALLY got me to thinking.

I was still pondering when I got home to have dinner with my wife that evening. We sat down and ate together, each of us bringing one another up to speed on the happenings of our day. Laughing, loving, living, eating, talking. And towards the end of the dinner/conversation, a realization hit me. I hadn't spoken my wife's name ONE TIME during dinner. And she hadn't uttered mine, either. But there was no confusion about to whom we were talking. The message was clearly communicated. And the target was understood.

I wonder if we might be dissecting this God/Jesus/Holy Spirit thing just a little too tediously?

Is there truly a "Jesus Per Minute" measurement? Or is it still about a finely crafted song, great hook, amazing melody and heartrending lyrics?

Certainly God has the ability to understand we are singing to or about him. And I also believe the average listener would make the same leap of comprehension.

So I guess one question remains: Can we?

It's sad to think that some truly anointed musical offering might be discarded on the heap of legalistic religiosity. Or that I might not get a second helping of mashed potatoes. All because I didn't say "Candace" before I asked her to pass them.

If we truly understand the heart of the person doing the talking/singing. And we know to whom they are referring. Is it REALLY important for them to say the person or Deities name, over and over and over? We don't do it in any other walk of life. So why do we hold that standard to songs on the radio? Think about it.

Oh, by the way, the potatoes were EXCELLENT. And so was the song. If you were able to hear it.