Within the Context of....

Last week I was driving along, listening to the Christian radio station WGTS, when one of my favorite worship songs came on, In the Secret.... and it brought me back to summer vacation.

It's typically a hot, muggy evening bustling with excitement among the dozens of little children, decked out in their southern best for an evening of fun with Harbour Town's own Gregg Russell. We've experienced this phenomena enough to know that #1 - we missed something when we were kids, and #2 - this kid's show is as much (or more) for adults as it is for children.

The kids come decked out in T-shirts and posters claiming that their parents were once sitting where they are, claiming that they've driven X amount of hours from Ridgefield, New Jersey JUST to see him, claiming to know each and every one of his songs.... all for the chance to come up front and sing a little diddy in front of everyone. It's kind of cute, and truth be told, our girls really get into this as well, even though they can hardly claim any of that! Well, OK, we drive 10 hours from MD!

This one particular night, Gregg chose two little boys to come up front and sing. Now, the show is not particularly religious in nature, but down south, any reference to God is generally accepted. Church songs are fine, so preparing children to sing a favorite Bible song for this evening ritual is completely acceptable.... unless, of course, you choose a song that does not expressly communicate that it is, uh, Godly?

So, these two little boys begin, in their best, well-practiced church voices possible....

"Do, do, do.... do, do, do... do, do, do... dahhhhh...
In a secret, in a quiet place...
In the stillness You are there.....
In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait, only for you,
'Cause I want to know you more......"

It's at this point Mr. Russell gives the audience the "hmmm" look, raises his eyebrows, but is clearly not ready to pull the plug...

The two little boys continue....

"I want to KNOW you
I want to HEAR your voice
I want to KNOW you more...

I want to TOUCH you
I want to SEE your face
I want to KNOW you MORE!!"

At this point, he's getting a bit squirmy. I started to get this little ache in the pit of stomach, wondering what parents would prepare their children to sing this song in front of a large group of people of unknown origin/religion/beliefs??? I'm thinking, do all these people think this is a song about, I don't know, child abuse???

Just as I'm thinking Gregg is going to bring this song to an abrupt end, it starts again, and even he can't stop it!

"Do, do, do.... do, do, do.... do, do, do.... duh.......
Do, do, do.... do, do, do.... do, do, do.... duhhhhhh!"

Gregg is nearly laughing, everyone is kind of laughing, maybe out of utter embarrassment or just plain discomfort. But it continues...

"I am reaching for the highest goal
That I might receive the prize
Pressing onward pushing every hindrance aside out of my way
'Cause I want to know you more...

(Loudest voices yet)
I want to KNOW you
I want to HEAR your voice
I want to KNOW you more

I want to TOUCH you
I want to SEE your face
I want to KNOW you MORE!!"

Well, that was - interesting - to say the least. I used to love that song, and now, when I hear it, it kind of makes me wince from that memory. A great worship song, little reference to anything Godly when performed in front of such a mixed crowd. They were the sweetest little boys, very well prepared, sang more than ABC's but it surely left me wondering.

If we are ever to return to Mr. Russell's little show, what would I prepare my girls to sing in the off chance they were chosen to go before such a large group? How many of my little Christian songs do I sing to myself or outloud that make little sense to those around me?? I do believe that our worship is a conversation with God, so I'm not saying this song is bad in any way whatsoever, but it definitely taught me a lesson about presumption. Who will ever explain that song to those people and will they ever know it was even a "church" song?? And what about Gregg Russell - I would have loved to have been a fly on his wall that night!! "Well, Mrs. Russell, you would not believe what these two little boys sang tonight - and I think it might have been a real song!"

It's a funny world we live in - and it just keeps getting stranger every day!
(song - Andy Park, Mercy/Vineyard Publishing)