Christian Formation and Music

My friend Mike Crawford weighs in on Christian Formation and Music for Immerse: A Journal of Faith, Life and Youth Ministry.

Christian Formation and Music: Part One By: Mike Crawford Music is one of God's most powerful and creative forces, and it's played a huge role in my life and is certainly playing a large part in the lives of my kids. I've been reflecting on how I encountered music as a young person and also how I've fostered space in my kids' lives to make sure they encounter the beautiful partnership between God and man in both the listening to and creation of music. First, a couple quotes I found while reading a great book on calling by Ken Gire, called Windows of the Soul: "What can we do that makes us the gladdest, what can we do that leaves us with the strongest sense of sailing true north and of peace, which is much of what gladness is? Is it making things with our hands out of wood or stone or paint or canvas? Or is it making something we hope like truth out of words? Or is it making people laugh or weep in a way that cleanses their spirit? I believe that if it is a thing that makes us truly glad, then it is a good thing and it is our thing and it is the calling voice that we were made to answer with our lives."  -Frederick Buechner "There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets in the future."    -Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory For me, the future started knocking on the door when I was in fifth grade. The specific day was August 16, 1977, the day Elvis died... Read More!