I
wasn't familiar with many of the artists, either. I felt like I was
taking
the SAT's all over again. I was glad to hear the names Hathaway and Norful last night. Hurray for people who can actually sing well. (I still think Liv Warfield deserved a nod this year.)
Once again, the social media commentary was competing to be more
entertaining than the actual show.
Being perplexed by the results should be expected if one doesn't understand or participate in the process by which the results are achieved.
Many are as upset over the "Album of the Year" winner, as they are about the apparent inability of some stagehand to give any one of the on-site gospel artists, someone's grandmother, or an elderly usher a microphone so that the viewing audience could hear a churchfolk-sanctioned rendition of "Precious Lord". Beyonce's performance neither shocked, nor bothered me. I didn't know there was a law governing the rendering of any song. No matter what your publicly shared body of work may entail, the technical execution of any song is fair game. Whether the rendering is effective, moving, mesmerizing, or heartfelt is subjective. Those designations depend solely upon the tastes of the listener.
Okay. Sure. It's true. Ledisi, Pastor Shirley, Tramaine, Yolanda, Kim, Beverly, the Jennifers (Hudson or Holliday) Tata, or any one of the Clark Sisters could have generated a stampede. Either of them could have transformed the venue into a sanctuary, and the stage into an altar-- replete with couture-wearing audience members slain in the Spirit all over the place. The decision makers, however, had another plan. When you don't know how decisions are made or who is making them, you reserve pointing fingers, but you still stand by what you think would have been more appropriate (as you sit at home and watch).
It's the Grammy Awards, not Greater Grammy Pentecostal Holiness Church. It's not the Stellar or Dove Awards where the focus is exclusively...uh...ummm...wait...oh...oops...my bad...If I'm not mistaken, Destiny's Child was seated on the front row at The Stellars one year, weren't they?
Artists, fans, and gospel music lovers really should stop expecting from organizations what they have never promised just because they open a door for gospel music to enter and play a part.
In the "ABOUT" section of the websites of the two premier awards honoring achievement in gospel music, neither uses the words "Christian" or "anointed" to distinguish themselves, or the people they promote. Both embrace mainstream music and artists. Why the outcry when the premier mainstream music awards show's executives exercise their prerogative with respect to sacred music? Just because there is no Christian exclusivity with regard to performers on programs that do primarily showcase sacred music, mainstream media is under no obligation to appease gospel music lovers. The National Academy of Recording Arts and
does not hail itself as a faith-based, Christian organization, but neither do the Dove and Stellar Awards organizations. They all aim to put their best foot forward (be it a secular foot or otherwise) to entertain, get ratings, accumulate revenue, and highlight the recording arts. Winning souls or celebrating Jesus is not in their mission statements. If new Christians and converts are a byproduct of either entity's annual presentation, that's wonderful, but we shouldn't fool ourselves, or have lofty Christian expectations (with our bootlegging and file-sharing selves).
Just because the awards shows, we perceive to be Christian based, readily embrace performing artists of every genre to host, present, and perform, doesn't mean the mainstream awards shows are obligated to reciprocate, be sensitive, or respectful. To tell the truth, the tenets of Christianity aren't always in consistent operation, and are often compromised and downright hazy in organizations where the proliferation of Christianity is the advertised mission!
None of them--not the Grammy, Stellar, or Dove organizations are churches. They're businesses. Soul winning is not the principal thing. Revenue is. Anybody can sing or record a sacred song whether they believe the words, or believe in God or not. If one messes around and sings the song, however, the words will go forth, and no one can ignore them, their focus, or meaning.
I'm siding with the Apostle Paul on this one. In the first chapter of his letter to the Philippians, he wrote the following: "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice..."
When you're finally welcomed to the playground that someone else built, you can't make demands, change rules of play, or promote your star player. It ain't your playground! When not on your own playground, it's not up to you to decide when, how long, or even if you swing, slide, or teeter totter. Sure, you can be there; you can even watch as others attempt to play the game at which you're arguably best, but there is no guarantee that you'll be allowed to play at all.
Want to continue to be invited to their playground? Keep your mouth shut, and be thankful they let you on the court, or pass you the ball every now and then. If you don't like it, however; if you don't like being a spectator; if you don't like being ignored; if you're tired of suiting up and sitting on the sidelines, there's nothing stopping you from building your own playground, creating your own games, and establishing your own rules according to your own standards, preferences, and principles.
Now if, in your heart, you covet the other person's playground, don't bother. Don't bother building your own if it's just going to be a carbon copy of something else. Don't bother if you don't really think that your standards and principles are good or glamorous enough, and what you really want to do is join the other team.
If you're truly dissatisfied with not being able to play freely, build your own playground. Be careful, though. Examine your motives. When your playground is complete and ready for players, remember that you have scores to choose from. Populate your playground from within. Remember the people who were with you in the sandbox on that other playground--wanting to play but not allowed to. When you've built your own playground, don't suddenly envy, become, or adopt the ways of the playground which regularly and publicly snubbed you. Don't think you have to kiss up to the players who satirized and even outwardly ridiculed you as you visited their playground. Arrest your thoughts if you begin to think that your playground and the people who play there aren't good enough. Be careful not to become cliquish, arrogant, exclusionary, political, or unnecessarily competitive on your own, new playground. Don't begin to modify or despise your own rules of play. Don't feel, in order to get greater attention for your playground, that you must seek out and compensate those who relegated you to the perimeter of their playground. Don't think you need the other playground's players to sanction and occupy the choicest seats and areas on yours. Don't treat your own players like peons or cattle. Don't use them. Don't kick them to the curb.
Don't ever forget why you built your own playground.
Being perplexed by the results should be expected if one doesn't understand or participate in the process by which the results are achieved.
Many are as upset over the "Album of the Year" winner, as they are about the apparent inability of some stagehand to give any one of the on-site gospel artists, someone's grandmother, or an elderly usher a microphone so that the viewing audience could hear a churchfolk-sanctioned rendition of "Precious Lord". Beyonce's performance neither shocked, nor bothered me. I didn't know there was a law governing the rendering of any song. No matter what your publicly shared body of work may entail, the technical execution of any song is fair game. Whether the rendering is effective, moving, mesmerizing, or heartfelt is subjective. Those designations depend solely upon the tastes of the listener.
Okay. Sure. It's true. Ledisi, Pastor Shirley, Tramaine, Yolanda, Kim, Beverly, the Jennifers (Hudson or Holliday) Tata, or any one of the Clark Sisters could have generated a stampede. Either of them could have transformed the venue into a sanctuary, and the stage into an altar-- replete with couture-wearing audience members slain in the Spirit all over the place. The decision makers, however, had another plan. When you don't know how decisions are made or who is making them, you reserve pointing fingers, but you still stand by what you think would have been more appropriate (as you sit at home and watch).
It's the Grammy Awards, not Greater Grammy Pentecostal Holiness Church. It's not the Stellar or Dove Awards where the focus is exclusively...uh...ummm...wait...oh...oops...my bad...If I'm not mistaken, Destiny's Child was seated on the front row at The Stellars one year, weren't they?
Artists, fans, and gospel music lovers really should stop expecting from organizations what they have never promised just because they open a door for gospel music to enter and play a part.
In the "ABOUT" section of the websites of the two premier awards honoring achievement in gospel music, neither uses the words "Christian" or "anointed" to distinguish themselves, or the people they promote. Both embrace mainstream music and artists. Why the outcry when the premier mainstream music awards show's executives exercise their prerogative with respect to sacred music? Just because there is no Christian exclusivity with regard to performers on programs that do primarily showcase sacred music, mainstream media is under no obligation to appease gospel music lovers. The National Academy of Recording Arts and
does not hail itself as a faith-based, Christian organization, but neither do the Dove and Stellar Awards organizations. They all aim to put their best foot forward (be it a secular foot or otherwise) to entertain, get ratings, accumulate revenue, and highlight the recording arts. Winning souls or celebrating Jesus is not in their mission statements. If new Christians and converts are a byproduct of either entity's annual presentation, that's wonderful, but we shouldn't fool ourselves, or have lofty Christian expectations (with our bootlegging and file-sharing selves).
Just because the awards shows, we perceive to be Christian based, readily embrace performing artists of every genre to host, present, and perform, doesn't mean the mainstream awards shows are obligated to reciprocate, be sensitive, or respectful. To tell the truth, the tenets of Christianity aren't always in consistent operation, and are often compromised and downright hazy in organizations where the proliferation of Christianity is the advertised mission!
None of them--not the Grammy, Stellar, or Dove organizations are churches. They're businesses. Soul winning is not the principal thing. Revenue is. Anybody can sing or record a sacred song whether they believe the words, or believe in God or not. If one messes around and sings the song, however, the words will go forth, and no one can ignore them, their focus, or meaning.
I'm siding with the Apostle Paul on this one. In the first chapter of his letter to the Philippians, he wrote the following: "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice..."
When you're finally welcomed to the playground that someone else built, you can't make demands, change rules of play, or promote your star player. It ain't your playground! When not on your own playground, it's not up to you to decide when, how long, or even if you swing, slide, or teeter totter. Sure, you can be there; you can even watch as others attempt to play the game at which you're arguably best, but there is no guarantee that you'll be allowed to play at all.
Want to continue to be invited to their playground? Keep your mouth shut, and be thankful they let you on the court, or pass you the ball every now and then. If you don't like it, however; if you don't like being a spectator; if you don't like being ignored; if you're tired of suiting up and sitting on the sidelines, there's nothing stopping you from building your own playground, creating your own games, and establishing your own rules according to your own standards, preferences, and principles.
Now if, in your heart, you covet the other person's playground, don't bother. Don't bother building your own if it's just going to be a carbon copy of something else. Don't bother if you don't really think that your standards and principles are good or glamorous enough, and what you really want to do is join the other team.
If you're truly dissatisfied with not being able to play freely, build your own playground. Be careful, though. Examine your motives. When your playground is complete and ready for players, remember that you have scores to choose from. Populate your playground from within. Remember the people who were with you in the sandbox on that other playground--wanting to play but not allowed to. When you've built your own playground, don't suddenly envy, become, or adopt the ways of the playground which regularly and publicly snubbed you. Don't think you have to kiss up to the players who satirized and even outwardly ridiculed you as you visited their playground. Arrest your thoughts if you begin to think that your playground and the people who play there aren't good enough. Be careful not to become cliquish, arrogant, exclusionary, political, or unnecessarily competitive on your own, new playground. Don't begin to modify or despise your own rules of play. Don't feel, in order to get greater attention for your playground, that you must seek out and compensate those who relegated you to the perimeter of their playground. Don't think you need the other playground's players to sanction and occupy the choicest seats and areas on yours. Don't treat your own players like peons or cattle. Don't use them. Don't kick them to the curb.
Don't ever forget why you built your own playground.
Don't lower or compromise the standards.
If you do, you'll look up one day and there will be no discernible difference between your playground and theirs.
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