The Tulip Driven Life

I love Shai Linne. His lyrics are incredible. His latest album seems to be of high quality musically as well. Lecrae lays it down every time, though I think he certainly mixes more entertainment in there, which is why he is so popular. And I am okay with that. What does concern me is trying to have it both ways- entertainment and worship, all at once. That can't be done. There's the rub. I checked out Sam Guzman's article  here . It's a few years old, but relevant to this discussion. Guzman argues that music itself has a message, not just the lyrics. With that I agree wholeheartedly. I used to deny that vehemently. But when you start going to St. Andrew's, Sproul's church, and get good teaching from the professors at RBC, you have a hard time denying there is something to music itself having a certain mood, and that some words, themes, concepts, and lyrics are more suited to a particular tune than others. Having said that, I find reformed rap, stripped down t...

As most of you know by now, prolific writer and well known atheist Christopher Hitchens died on Thursday after battling cancer. I have an atheist friend who liked some of Hitchens' thoughts and works; Hitchens also garnered respect from Christians, such as Doug Wilson, whom Hitchens toured with for debates. Hitchens was, in an odd way, both offensive and endearing to many on both sides of the fence in the debate about God. Building on this, I would like to briefly talk about how, in God's providence, atheists like Christopher Hitchens can actually be good for Christianity.  Hitchens was smart, and offered strong rebuttals to the Christian defense of faith. His prowess as a speaker and writer, combined with a brash and bold approach, helped make him a famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective) figure. This forced believers to know what they believe, and why they believe it, if they were to stand confidently as believers in this lost and...