Solution for Mahn-days

When I wrote the weekly lineup, I happened to be in a discouraged mood (and it also happened to be Monday). Two days and many power outages later, I'm finding encouragement and joy for the simple reason that I am doing better than I deserve. I stole that line from Dave Ramsey, who responds to the question, "How are you doing, Dave?" on his radio show with, "Better than I deserve."

It's not that I'll never feel discouraged, but I guess it's sort of an issue of perspective. In any case, I want to change it up a bit and make a musical suggestion.
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If you’ve not heard the musical stylings of Jon Foreman, you are certainly missing out. After the startling success of the West Coast band Switchfoot, lead-singer Foreman broke out on his own to blaze a new trail.

His songs may not be getting the most radio time. You may not be able to hum a familiar melody off his new four CD collection: fall, winter, summer, spring. The tunes might not catch on and sweep across the country like his past top hits. But, I can tell you this: Jon Foreman inspires, convicts, and speaks where other artists fear to say a word.

One of his songs, “Instead,” talks about the misplaced comforts of modern day Christianity. Foreman sings through frustrations with Christians who put on a show every Sunday but miss the point. “Instead, let there be a flood of justice, an endless precision of righteous living, living. Instead let there be a flood of justice... instead of your shows, I hate all your shows.”

Pretty strong language. He must have been reading up on Isaiah 58:5-7 when Isaiah admonished the Israelites, to whom fasting had become such a show. True sacrifice is to “loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke and set the oppressed free...” Revolutionary, yet strangely familiar is Foreman’s new tune.