At the Summit, we’ve come a long way when it comes to racial and cultural diversity. And by God’s grace, we’ve still got a ways to go. But I thank God consistently for what I’ve seen him do in our midst, drawing people together from different backgrounds under one banner—the banner of Christ.
The gospel, as Dr. Tony Evans says, doesn’t produce sameness; it produces oneness. That’s why, in all of our efforts to become multi-cultural, our chief aim will always be to proclaim the gospel. Only the gospel has the power to take what our Enemy intends to divide us, and turn it into an opportunity to show the world what true oneness looks like.
One of the most surprising avenues of cultural diversity that we’ve seen (surprising to me, at least) is through our music. We can go wrong in a couple different ways when it comes to our assumptions about worship music. On one hand, some people think that music is the key to cultural diversity. So if you want black people in your church, play some gospel music. Want Latinos? Play salsa music. Not only does this sort of mentality reinforce the differences between us—many of them based on unfair stereotypes—it also nearly never works. A musical buffet doesn’t magically create oneness.
On the other hand, music is a really big deal! A couple years ago, I remember talking with a white college student after one of our services. He was passionate that we become more of a multi-cultural church. (I agreed.) But then a few weeks later, this same guy came up to me, visibly agitated because our worship was too animated. He didn’t actually want a multi-cultural church; he wanted a multi-colored church that was still culturally white.
Multi-color diversity may be a leap forward for many congregations. But it’s only skin deep–literally. What we want to see is multi-cultural diversity, which means that we actually celebrate and highlight some of our cultural differences. God made us diverse, and he delights in teaching us more about himself by having us rub shoulders with believers from different backgrounds. This isn’t always a comfortable process, but as we often say, multi-cultural diversity means that we’re comfortable being uncomfortable.
Musically, this means that for our predominantly white congregation, we need to expand our horizons. And this summer, Summit Church Music has given us some incredible and fun options to help us along. Just a few weeks ago, they dropped Gospel Songs, Vol. 1. (“Dropped” is cool lingo for “released,” as I’ve recently learned. I’m cool, right?) It’s a three-song collection of urban contemporary gospel songs, featuring our very own Kaimy Masse and Grammy winner Shannon Sanders, both of whom can flat out sing. Give it a listen. I challenge anyone with a pulse to keep from dancing while listening to “I Shall Not Move.”
And Gospel Songs, Vol. 1 is just the beginning. They’ll be releasing volumes 2 and 3 in 2016. They’ve also just released a new kids album, Look to Jesus, that will save you from endless loops of “Let It Go” (will it never end?). And I’ve heard some reliable rumors of our first-ever live worship album due up later this summer.
What leads us to worship is the glory of the Lord, revealed in the gospel. What leads us to passionate worship—regardless of our culture—is feeling that gospel personally, knowing intimately how much we’ve been forgiven of. Gospel Songs, Vol. 1 powerfully communicates the message of the gospel … with a soul-stirring style.
For more, head over to Summit Church Music to listen & download your copy now!
