 ARTICLEMinistering Beyond Words How music can open doors and enable healing
Meet someone you should know—Steve Siler. An accomplished musician and composer, Steve has a bigger vision for his music than many artists. For him, it's the ministry of healing. In 2000, he launched Music for the Soul , an organization that takes music into some of the most painful, broken situations of life—suicides, sexual addictions, marriages in crisis, and so on. Into those situations, he delivers music that is raw with emotion and direct with Christ-centered hope. BuildingChurchLeaders.com interviewed Steve to understand his music and his ministry. As you read and listen to the clips provided, reflect on the possibilities of using music as a tool for healing in your church.What's the story behind Music for the Soul? We create song and spoken-word recordings from a Christian perspective to help hurting people deal with life's most painful issues. We're a resource for the church, pastor, Christian counselor, or lay leader who wants to take on topics that are difficult to talk about. Why do you use music?People put up walls to protect themselves from pain. Words often bounce off those walls. But the walls have cracks–and music can seep through the cracks and open up the heart before the listener even realizes it. Then we can lay a message of hope and healing into that open heart. It's important to realize that studies have shown that people remember more of what they hear in music than what they read or what they're told. Once you combine lyrics that speak deep truth with a melody, you have a much better chance of that person retaining the message. Consider also the difficulty of reading and retaining information when you're in deep pain. Music can reach people who don't have the strength or energy to study. What are some painful topics that music can address?Any topic can be addressed by music. People ask me, for example, "How do you write songs about pornography?" The answer is that our songs really aren't about pornography—or cancer, or eating disorders, or suicide. They're about choosing intimacy with God and knowing Jesus as the ultimate healer. How is this kind of music different from worship music or hymns?I think our music is worship music in its purest form; there's no greater act of worship than to open our hearts and invite the Lord to be present with us in our deepest pain, the most vulnerable parts of who we are. Of course, the irony is that he's already there. God has already moved heaven and earth and can share in our deepest, darkest pain so that we can be made whole. Walk me through one of your albums—what's going on in each song?On each recording we walk the path from (1) stating the problem to (2) helping the listener see it in their own life to (3) walking the listener through some steps toward healing and, finally, (4) showing them that there is hope in a future free from pain. For example, our CD Tell Me What You See: Hope for Those Overcoming an Eating Disorder begins with "Control," spoken-word reflections on the most pivotal issues at stake to those with an eating disorder. Listen Clip 1 The first song, "The Cost," describes the agony of being trapped in the controlling grip of an eating disorder; it illustrates the pain that leads to a disorder, and how an eating disorder can actually seem like an outlet in an uncontrollable situation. Listen Clip 2 The third song, "Swept Away," shows a woman beginning to understand her own responsibility for where she is, and her fear that if she doesn't do something, she could be facing a big problem. Listen Clip 3 "Piece Me Together"is an admission that the singer needs God's help to rebuild her life. Listen Clip 4 Once the CD turns this corner, several songs begin the process of reframing the listener's identity—she is a child of a loving God. The last song, "No One Can Love Me Like You Do," assures the listener that she is special, one-of-a-kind; that God longs for a relationship with her, and that Jesus gave his life that she might have eternal life and peace. Listen Clip 5 Cancer, eating disorders, troubled marriages, suicide—how do you get so close to the issues you cover?We immerse ourselves in the topic: reading books, interviewing people who have lived through the issue, even creating an advisory board of Christian therapists with expertise in each area. Again, this helps us identify the critical themes that the recording should cover, as well as identify what not to say on the recordings. This kind of creation is a painful and challenging process, but a deeply gratifying way to use the gift of communication God has given to me. Your CDs alternate music and spoken word. Why?We feel it's very important for those who listen to these projects to hear from others who have "walked in their shoes." People tell us that, upon hearing the spoken testimonies, their response is often, "That's exactly how I feel!" That resonance with another person does at least three things: First, it makes the listener realize that they're not isolated in this experience. Second, it helps them to trust that the people who have put together the record truly understand what they're feeling and experiencing. Finally, the spoken-word pieces provide a bit of a respite on the difficult journey the records take people on. How have churches used this kind of music?I've heard of a variety of uses:
Steve Siler is director of Music for the Soul, based in Nashville, Tennessee. His most recent CD, "Tell Me What You See," reaches out to women struggling with eating disorders. Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today International/BuildingChurchLeaders.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
