I'm a lip syncer. I lip sync. I love lip syncing. Highly emotional songs like Mariah Carey's "Without You" and Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe" are among my favorites. As I mouth the words (and occasionally dance lamely) I can feel the emotions behind them. Though I may never have experienced the events that are lyricised by Johnny Cash's "Hurt" or Kate Nash's "Foundations" I can almost imagine feeling the way they do. Emotion is a powerful drug...maybe that's why I enjoy the art of lip syncing so much.
But.
But.
I've begun to wonder in worship these past few weeks whether I am just lip syncing aloud. When I cry "Blessed be the Lord!" do I mean it? Or is this lip syncers worship? Do I believe that "my God is mighty to save"? What is my faith?
This years ICC theme "Lead the Escape" is represented by the image of a parrot. The idea is to lead the escape from artificial communication to authentic communication.
When I lip sync I am parroting the words and emotions of the singers and songwriters. When I worship...am I doing the same thing?
What if my faith is a lip syncers faith? What if I say the words of the hymns, repeat those of the oft-quoted verses, and all I'm doing is parroting the truth? Is it still the truth?
Lip syncers worship.
Lip syncers faith.
Lip syncers love.
I say I love so many people. But do I?
"I love you."
"I love you."
"I love you."
I say it every day. Am I parroting these feelings?
I want to escape to authenticity!
I want to be real.
Authentic worship.
Authentic faith.
True love.
God. Lead my escape.
7 comments:
Thanks for the post. Those are important questions. I feel like a lip syncer at times. Lord lead MY escape too!
Daniel
This is an excellent way of looking at the important area of worship.
I feel like this every time I sing in church, we end a hymn and I'm like "what did I just sing?"
I agree with Micah; I feel like a lip-syncher almost every time I sing a worship song. It's very hard for me to mean it, because if I'm trying really hard to mean it, I really don't mean it. It's incredibly hard to just worship, to just pray, to just love.
"I want to escape to authenticity!" Well-put, and amen.
I still like lip synching, though. In a non-worship sense.
Katie, thank you for this post. So so much of it resonates with me. Oh, how I desire to be real!
<3
Good post! I can't agree more.
I also wanted to wish you a happy birthday.
AND since you have no idea who I am, I'll say that I'm Catey from Speech Camp with the long hair. If you don't remember me... umm... happy birthday anyway. Keep writing - I'll keep reading.
Echoes,
Catey
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