What is your listening preference?

~ A reflection by Samantha

Doesn't it disturb you that our secular songs have so much "meaning"... Yes they do - but they are either angry, lusty, or depressive lyrics. And we call those good stuff... but did you know listening to negative music tends to reinforce the hard negative thoughts and actions within us?

I used to listen to stuff like that but dropped that after a 2 year struggle during my teens. It sounds funny, like giving up something so "normal" and even having to "struggle" with it...

But it's true. Why? Because a dear friend of mine once observed that I would listen to angry songs when I'm angry and nice churchy songs when I'm happy. I was already in youth ministry then. But my heart was still "with the world". Why the discrepancy? she asked me? Did I really put my faith in God during the hard times, or were these songs a way to escape into my anger or depression?

After 2 years of denial, I finally told  myself one day, by God's grace, that those music was not doing any good for me. I was getting more rebellious, more angry, and more happy being angry (get it?) because the music was cool and "angrily" cool.

So I stopped. By end of JC I stopped it totally. Gave up and got rid of all my CDs. Physically. Yes. So i would not listen to it any longer. Yes crazy, but my inner conversion (i went for the Youth in the Spirit Seminar in 1999) - made me feel so passionate for GOD that these secular music were no more than distractions to me getting to know God better.
And i've not looked back since.

So, why the extremism? Not really. It's ok to just listen. But basically, what most of us tend to do, is listen to those songs when we are feeling down, angry, etc. That is when we are emotionally "vulnerable". Think of it... God tells us to "Come to Him" when we are weary and burdened and he will give us Rest. But instead, we go listen to singers out there who don't know better, don't know God, or don't want us to know God.

It makes full sense that when we pray we "cannot hear God".... not surprising, because everytime God wants us to "be still" and listen to Him, we plug our ears with all the music and walk off in the opposite direction!

I quote a band which I DID listen to last time and totally enjoyed their music:
"First of all we want to thank Satan!" (Red Hot Chili Peppers, receiving an award at MTV awards in 1992)

Yup, that's what they said. Not that I hate them. I really liked their music... but unfortunately, they are not really leading me to God.

And unfortunately, these are the people we are listening to... Sometimes we kid ourselves that we just like the music for its spectacular drum beat or guitar riffs and nothing more than that. BUT if you were a musician yourself, you'd know that the music (even without words) also convey a message. A message of HOPE? VERSUS a message of DESPAIR....

So... I pray that we learn to listen to good things. Jesus said:

(Matthew 11:28) "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

So... What's your music listening preference?
Do you listen to music when you are vulnerable and subscribe to those messages that you hear in the songs? Agree with them? e.g. anger, lust, depression and so forth?

Did you know that sometimes, when you are down, there could be something else to do - which is to listen to God? You'll find him in the still and quiet.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."



Be Still & Know (by Steven Curtis Chapman):

Luv
Sam

Five Loaves & Two Fishes - Corrine May

This video shows us that when we Give, we Receive...

Skitguys - God's Chisel

God's Chisel - We showed this on Sunday when talking about being God's masterpiece. Indeed, we are full of "ourselves" but if we allow God to chisel at us, we will change slowly to become more in the 'image' of God, whom we were originally created. Over time, we began to build baggages of sin and became far from God. This video shows us that God is ever so near, constantly "working" on us. He is the Potter, We are the Clay!

Skitguys - The Birdcage

We showed this before the talk by Fr. Fred on the love of God. This video shows us the price God paid for us... to show us that we are not "useless" or "worthless" or things to be played about with by the Devil. We are His Beloved and He protects us and saves us because He loves us!



Jesus Lamb of God, worthy is Your Name!

A.S.A.P

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. ( 1 John 5:14-15 *NKJV )

We often find ourselves to busy to stop and say a prayer when we have a rough day. In this life everything seems like it has to be accomplished A.S.A.P. So we often forget to speak to God in prayer about it before we react.

Therefore one must remember that; The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
( JAMES 5:16 *NIV ) More powerful and more effective than anything else on this Earth, even when we must react As Soon As Possible.

Have you ever wondered about the abbreviation A.S.A.P.? Generally we think of it in terms of even more hurry and stress in our lives. Maybe if we think of this abbreviation in a different manner, we will begin to find a new way to deal with those rough days along the way...

So when.......

There's work to do, deadlines to meet;
You've got no time to spare,
But as you hurry and scurry-
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

In the midst of family chaos,
"Quality time" is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest-
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

It may seem like your worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather-
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

God knows how stressful life is;
He wants to ease our cares,
And He'll respond to all your needs
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

Our Youth Retreat "RECEIVE" is just over!

For a basic idea of what we learnt, simply click here and read the "Father's Love Letter":
http://www.fathersloveletter.com/text.html



This "love letter" from the Father states it all. At this retreat we learnt about how to "RECEIVE". Firstly we need to understand some things such as these:
1. Open up our hands to receive (like receiving a present)!

2. Open our hearts to invite and "Ask" Him in, otherwise he "stands at the door and knock". It is a CHOICE we make to "receive".

3. Prayer - is essential to developing this relationship with Jesus so that we can ask him freely and "receive" his help, encouragement, love, peace, as we do to a friend.

4. To be a "child of God", let God the Father chisel away our imperfections - and recognise that we have the freedom to receive good things from the Father and must pray and ask for it.

5. That some things we receive for - we may not really desire to "ask" God for it (eg. God's Love, Salvation, Eternal Life). This may be because of SIN that separates us from GOD (or our perception that we are not worthy).

6. Our baptism brings us into "spiritual life" with God and we have an identity - to live out the Good News. We do so by spreading the Love of God which we received by Jesus sacrifice for us, to others that they too may be baptised into our heavenly Family!

7. Remember the parable of the 5 Loaves & 2 fishes? We learnt that we can give ourselves (i.e. our talents, our different characters, etc...) for others. 

We learnt many other small things in the process of this retreat and also enjoyed playing various outdoor and indoor icebreaker games with each other. hehe..

So once again, this annual retreat is over and we await the next annual retreat in June 2011 (hopefully).

Or maybe, we could be going for the World Youth Day 2011 and working on preparations then? You can be sure that we'll be targeting that one!

More posts on the other videos/songs shown during the retreat to come in the next few posts!