Soma Community Church

Gospel/ Family/ Mission

the spoken word

The word “rap” is really just a shortening of the phrase “Rhythm and Poetry” and means “fast read” or “spoke fast”.
Rapping can be traced back to its African roots that is centuries older than hip hop music.  The griots, or West African historians, were delivering stories rhythmically, over drums and sparse instrumentation for centuries before the American development of Hip Hop.  Such connections have been acknowledged by many modern artists, modern day “griots”, spoken word artists, mainstream news sources, and academics. Spoken word as it is known today did not evolve until the late 1980s and early 1990s with the emergence of “poetry slams,” where spoken word artists would square off incabaret-style duels.  Since its inception, the spoken word has been an outlet for people to release their views outside the academic and institutional domains of the university and academic or small press hegemony. The spoken word, or slam poetry, evolved into the present day soap-box for people to express their views, emotions, life experiences or information. The views of spoken word artists encompass religion, politics, sex and gender. A spoken word piece can be powerful with the right emotion behind it but, at the same time, a lack of emotion can set a poem apart. It all depends on the topic. Life experiences are best, especially when the person has actually lived through the experience. Lastly, spoken word is used to inform or make people conscious of some aspect pertaining to life.

You may be asking yourself why I’m giving this so much interest, and the reason is simply to educate and inspire you.  So starting today I want to place some spoken word so you can hopefully begin your week off right. Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igCj3jsbcqs&feature=player_embedded]

He could have let me drown

Gospel music can be an extremely broad term.  Most of the attention is focused on music that sprung from the early African-American church and inspired a host of modern day choirs and contemporary gospel/R&B sounds.  [Black] Gospel Music and soul music are inextricably linked from the smooth sounds of Sam Cooke to the dancing, acrobatic vocals of Kirk Franklin, gospel music does more than just sound sweet–it literally moves its listeners. Whether it’s swaying with the choirs, tapping along with the quartets, or simply raising hands to the rhythm of soul-stirring crooners, gospel is one genre of music that needs to be both seen and heard. Once narrowly defined as religious, gospel has transcended those limits to become a profound force in American music and popular culture.

Gospel music has a history which can be traced to the 18th century.  During this time, hymns were lined and repeated in a call and response fashion and the spirituals/ work songs came on the scene.  Enslaved Africans attended their masters’ worship services, which was the main influence on spirituals and work songs.  At these services they would grow closer in their understanding of Christian doctrine and role that music played in that experience. The worship music (hymns) of the masters became the backdrop for the music the enslaved Africans would use at their eventual worship meetings. As we listen to gospel music today with its sometimes downtrodden themes, it continues to be curious how such beauty and richness can emanate from troubled times.

In the tradition of the [black] church, call and response in singing and in speaking has been and continues to be a foundation on which the gospel is delivered. Through this participatory delivery system beliefs are reinforced. There is an expectation that when there is agreement with either the spoken word or song because of either its content or its contexts that verbal affirmation will be given. Those who are witnessing, speaking, or singing are encouraged by the responses and those who are about to experience issues are empowered to be victorious.

Gospel music can stir many different emotions. The audience for this spiritually moving idiom continues to grow as do the types of venues where it can be heard.  Gospel singers and listeners, making a joyful noise to the Lord is what the music is about and it invites the participation of all to come together, honor the past, look forward to the future, and through song, renew our faith.

Check out a great example below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3L1mXV8UUA]

Really? Really? We can’t do better?

Some things I’ll never understand if I live to be a 100 and this is one of those things…Why do a cartoon that has absolutely nothing to do with religion or Christianity need a Jesus voice? And out of all the people in the world guess who the voice of Jesus will be? You got it! Lil’ Wayne, he will be providing the voice of Jesus in the new cartoon “Freaknik.”

In order to understand this you must understand what “Freaknik” was you should understand its origins. Freaknik was an annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, primarily of students from historically black colleges and universities, begun in 1982. Atlantans’ reception of the festival was mixed. In its heyday, the fest attracted upwards of 250,000 revelers to the city. Many residents attended and enjoyed Freaknik, and others complained about traffic congestion due to street parties.  City leaders eventually took measures to curtail Freaknik’s accessibility, and hence its popularity. As a result, Freaknik moved to Memorial Drive in Dekalb County then Daytona Beach, Florida and was shut down soon after there arrival for spinning out of control.

The show, which is a 1-hour musical, will be airing on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim in March and is said to feature many guest rapper’s, including Lil Wayne as the voice of Jesus Christ, who will be performing a music video for “Ghetto Commandments.”

The creative director of Adult Swim, tried to explain the shows concept and the rappers involvement. “Basically it was a Black Spring Break that went down in Atlanta and got shut down back in ‘98 or ‘99. So the show is going to resurrect that, and it’s going to be starring T-Pain and Lil’ Wayne and all these other artists like David Banner and some other dudes. It’s all drawn, and T-Pain plays the ghost of Spring Break, the Spirit of Freaknik. He brings this party back to Atlanta and the artists have done all this music for it, and it’s amazing.”

Painful worship?

Sometimes I can’t see past my own pain and struggles. Life has suffering and pain, people hurt you and often just suck in general. This simple video reminds me that nothing can defeat me if we don’t let it define me, in Christ.  We should be defined by worship, not pain.  The underlying question of this video is “who are you worshipping?”  ALL of these people have been given something beautiful. Hope, Peace and the knowledge that their situations and pain only will define them if they let them. If you miss it then please take some time to reevaluate where you place your worship, you need your life changed by a Divine perspective.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUtFV127i-s&feature=player_profilepage]

(If you are reading this on a feed please click through to see the video)

How He loves!

Every time I hear this song words cannot describe how it effects me.  The beginning of this video is the most important part and every time I watch it I feel, sorry, happy, desperate, grateful and joy all mixed together.  Please spend a couple of minutes listening to this mans story.  By the way this person is John Mark McMillan and he is telling his story and singing at a conference named “The Call” in Nashville, TN about 3 years ago.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chx6s3qXKt4&fmt=18]

Challenge: Think about this story, the promise taken, and the raw nature of this song the next time you hear it and then let it affect you.  Just a suggestion.

Soma Community Church

804 Fairmount Blvd
Jefferson City, MO 65109
(573) 635-4832

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