A Clash of Emphases

With the death of my old laptop went a number of music software that were installed. Over the last couple of months I've been purchasing new versions. I put some of them to use this week, mostly as a way to learn some of the improved features and such. I also decided that I really ought to use more features available on my synth.

As my test subject I decided to use two songs and put them into a kind of a fused medley. The songs I chose were: "Lift High the Cross" (SDA Hymnal #362) and "Room at the Cross For You". The first is a very traditional, high-church type hymn, while the second is a mid-20th century gospel song. I looked at the words of both and on initial glance didn't think much about them other than that they both used the cross as the theme and focal point.

I set to work putting together an arrangement that alternated one verse and refrain of one with the other. I spent several hours each during three days (mostly when I either couldn't get to sleep, or awoke far earlier than planned) working the MIDI file.

I finally finished and after a couple of music-only playback, decided to sing through it. It was in the midst of singing the words that I was startled by the huge clash and gulf between the songs and their message. They both have the cross as the focal point, but beyond that there is virtually no similarity. In "Lift High the Cross" the emphasis is on Christians going out and winning souls and claiming victory for Christ until "all the world" accepts Him. In "Room at the Cross For You" the emphasis is on the attraction of Jesus and upon the invitation he extends through the cross.

Of which type of evangelism would I rather be on the receiving end? How about you? The militant, forceful, "win at all costs" kind of evangelism? Or the kind that presents the attractiveness of Jesus and leaves you and me with the invitation and choice?

I don't have a convenient way to record audio from my synth to an MP3 file. So I used virtual software synths to create the MP3. It doesn't sound nearly as good as it does out of a real synth, but it will do for the purposes here. Here is the link. The impact of the clash and dichotomy didn't hit me until I sung through the music, and so you might want to do the same to get the effect.