Day 65 - Church People

Who are ‘church people’? Are they those we see every Sunday? Are they the righteous and the upright? Who are our ‘church people’?

This thought occurred to me when I stumbled across a cover of Amazing Grace recently. Now, there is nothing unusual about that per say – anyone who is anyone has covered Amazing Grace. But this one was something different. This one was sung by a Heavy Metal singer. Not who you’d expect to find singing the hymns we are used to. And yet, the passion, conviction and heart with which he sung each note, each word, moved me so much. So much so in fact that, before continuing this article, I need you to go and listen. Dan Vasc on YouTube with the title ‘Metal Singer performs “Amazing Grace”’. Go on, I’ll see you in 5 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89g9yMGFGlM

What did you think? Pretty incredible, right?

Anyway, returning to my original point, who are ‘church people’? If you’d walked past Dan on the street, I doubt he would be the first person to cross your mind. But then again, neither were the disciples. A motley crew of fishermen, a tax collector, a political activist and various assorted tradesmen. But that’s the beauty of what we believe – that anyone, no matter what, is offered God’s love and guidance. There is no ‘church people’, there are only believers of all backgrounds, all life experiences.

And what a power that belief has.

I think a few words on John Newton, the writer of “Amazing Grace” are important, not least because of a comment on that video, which I quite agree with, noted that this is ‘how John Newton meant his lyrics to be sung - with absolute clarity and piercing conviction.’ Newton was a slave-trader, slave-ship captain and was admonished several times by ship captains for his foul language – going as far as to make up new profanities to expand the horizons of his debauchery – in a trade which, needless to say, gave birth to the phrase ‘swearing like a sailor’.

But in 1748, being caught in a storm that seemed certain to sink the ship he was on, Newton uttered, “If this will not do, then Lord have mercy upon us!” He proceeded to the deck and steered the ship for 11 hours through the storm. Although it would take longer for his conversion to be complete and for him to give up all involvement in the slave trade. Newton would go on to be a priest, a hymn writer and an ardent abolitionist. When he talks about being a ‘wretch’ and being ‘saved’ he isn’t lying.

In conclusion then, for an article that has gone everywhere, I suppose all that’s left to say is that ‘church people’ can be anyone, anywhere, at anytime. For some, it may happen quickly, for others it takes time. But our job, as believers of the moment, is to show God’s light and love in all we do to those around us and perhaps they might be inspired to find their own Amazing Grace. Amen.

Harry Booton