If We are the Body…

Mkay so you all know the song.
But if we are the body
Why aren’t His arms reaching?
Why aren’t His hands healing?
Why aren’t His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren’t His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

I haven’t made any secret of the fact that I hate that song. In fact, I point it out at every opportunity possible. But I feel like I spew hatred and I don’t give any reason behind it besides name calling, and that is wrong. So here are my reasons why I hate that song. After I am through with those reasons I will tell you why I hate all their other songs. Then I will tell you the few songs that I can stand…

REASONS WHY I HATE “IF WE ARE THE BODY” BY CASTING CROWNS

1. What Audacity to think that God’s hands don’t/can’t move when the “church” is idle. God, in all his power and might, the author and perfecter, the sovereign King, can’t move unless his people move. Since God is somehow tied to those who speak his name. SPEAK, not necessarily follow for who even is the church?

Which leads to

2. What blindness to call the people who aren’t moving God’s body! The message of the song is “Hey, Christian! get off your lazy bumsicle and further the kingdom of God!” but what it really should be is “Hey severed hand, reconnect to the head!”

Here’s how the body works. You have your brain, which is inside your head, and the brain controls the entire rest of the body, voluntary and involuntary movement. If there’s something wrong with the head, then the body can’t move, and if the thing that is meant to move is cut off from the head it can’t move.

So here we have two reasons here why the body isn’t moving

a. There’s something wrong with the head(The audacity! God is perfect. This can’t be the reason!)

b. The body has been cut off from the head.(Now there’s an idea. Maybe the church isn’t really the church. Maybe it’s just a rotting body part lying abandoned on the side of the road, hmmm?)

In conclusion: If we are the body then we are moving. If we are not part of the body then we cannot move. Therefore if you are not moving it’s either because the head does not wish you to move or you aren’t actually a part of the body. Who am I to know God’s plan, so I’m not going to tell you you’re operating outside of God’s plan by not moving because I don’t know. But when it says in the bible “As you are going, make disciples of the world” well…. you can read that how you will. But the point I’m trying to make is that those who belong to God cannot help but be used by Him.

REASONS WHY I DON’T LIKE CASTING CROWNS

1. From a purely musical standpoint, the lead singer’s voice is annoying and the harmonies are predictable. on top of that, the lyrics are bland and overused(seriously, how many times do you have to say “Gives herself/yourself away” in an album?)

2. All of their popular, original songs are deprecating to the church and display a gross mischaracterization of the God of the Bible. Not only in the song I mentioned above, but also in other songs. I feel they want to convey a sense of urgency when it comes to loving the lost, but they completely fail at conveying urgency and instead alienate Christians and treat God with a flippancy that is disgusting.

Now I understand that only a few of their songs have these issues, but you have to understand where I’m coming from here. I am a borderline Calvinist in that I believe that God’s will will be done no matter what we can do. Who are we to thwart God’s plan? To quote Mordecai “If you refuse salvation for the Jews will come from somewhere else, but as for you and your family…” So I pretty much disagree with the whole premise of the recent missions movement in music. I don’t share the gospel because it’s my duty, I share the gospel because I can’t not. Listening to some lukewarm song about telling the world about Jesus isn’t going to get me fired up. Some song guilt tripping me into a misguided conversation isn’t going to help God’s cause. What does help is people who are so on fire about the character of God that they can’t help but preach. Cut the crap and praise God, folks.

SONGS BY CASTING CROWNS I LOVE

1. Who am I(This song portrays reverence for God. Which I appreciate.)

2. Praise You in this Storm(again. Reverence)

3. The Voice of Truth(The focus is on God during this song. yes, it has elements of self gratulation, but the focus is that God gives us strength.)

4. Any song they covered. So anything not actually written by them.