Hozier - Take Me To Church

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSVMgRr6pw

"Take Me To Church"

My lover's got humour
She's the giggle at a funeral
Knows everybody's disapproval
I should've worshiped her sooner

If the heavens ever did speak
She's the last true mouthpiece
Every Sunday's getting more bleak
A fresh poison each week

'We were born sick,' you heard them say it

My Church offers no absolutes.
She tells me, 'Worship in the bedroom.'
The only heaven I'll be sent to
Is when I'm alone with you—

I was born sick,
But I love it
Command me to be well
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[Chorus 2x:]
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life

If I'm a pagan of the good times
My lover's the sunlight
To keep the Goddess on my side
She demands a sacrifice

Drain the whole sea
Get something shiny
Something meaty for the main course
That's a fine looking high horse
What you got in the stable?
We've a lot of starving faithful

That looks tasty
That looks plenty
This is hungry work

[Chorus 2x:]
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life

No Masters or Kings
When the Ritual begins
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin

In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene
Only then I am Human
Only then I am Clean
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[Chorus 2x:]
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life

I first heard this song and saw the music video when I was at the Youth Workers Convention in Sacramento. The guy who was leading the seminar showed this to us because it was just about to become big in the US and all the teenagers would begin watching it. I was shocked when I saw this, and I didn't fully understand it at first. The guy doing the seminar had us split into groups after we watched it so we could discuss it and process what we saw and had us think about what it is portraying and the message it's giving. Prior to splitting off, we were told that this was representing Russia and how they are against the gay lifestyle. As we were discussing, it appeared that they were hurt by the church for saying how loving and accepting they are and how they forgive sins. However, they then felt that they don't accept people when they do open up about their sins and how they don't fit into the churches "perfectionism" - they don't live a perfect, acceptable sin life. It hurt that they were so hurt by the church. Hozier says, "Sexuality, and sexual orientation — regardless of orientation — is just natural. An act of sex is one of the most human things. But an organization like the church, say, through its doctrine, would undermine humanity by successfully teaching shame about sexual orientation — that it is sinful, or that it offends God. The song is about asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love. Turning your back on the theoretical thing, something that's not tangible, and choosing to worship or love something that is tangible and real — something that can be experienced." (http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/03/qa-hozier-on-gay-rights-sex-good-hair.html) 

I think if I got the chance to talk to someone after them seeing this video and relating to it, I think I would apologize for how harsh the church has been towards the choices they've made. The church has been called to love people, not to judge and to hate. We are supposed to let God be the judged, and we have taken that role upon ourselves. I think I would just try and build relationship with whoever I would be talking to and listen to their heart and their opinion. Sometimes it can be best for us to not talk and just to listen to other people's opinions and wait for the moment when they ask us and they feel comfortable enough with us to ask or to question things. Instead of the Church constantly opening their mouths and saying our opinion about every little thing that goes against the Bible, I think we should learn to listen sometimes, not talk, and listen to how the people around us are feeling and learn to just simply love them. That is all.

Carrie Underwood - Something in the Water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ2kdx4zZUY

Something in the Water

He said, "I've been where you've been before.
Down every hallway's a slamming door."
No way out, no one to come and save me
Wasting a life that the Good Lord gave me

Then somebody said what I'm saying to you
Opened my eyes and told me the truth."
They said, "Just a little faith, it'll all get better."
So I followed that preacher man down to the river and now I'm changed
And now I'm stronger

There must've been something in the water
Oh, there must've been something in the water

Well, I heard what he said and I went on my way
Didn't think about it for a couple of days
Then it hit me like a lightning late one night
I was all out of hope and all out of fight

Couldn't fight back the tears so I fell on my knees
Saying, "God, if you're there come and rescue me."
Felt love pouring down from above
Got washed in the water, washed in the blood and now I'm changed

And now I'm stronger

There must be something in the water
Oh, there must be something in the water

And now I'm singing along to amazing grace
Can't nobody wipe this smile off my face
Got joy in my heart, angels on my side
Thank God almighty, I saw the light
Gonna look ahead, no turning back
Live every day, give it all that I have
Trust in someone bigger than me
Ever since the day that I believed I am changed
And now I'm stronger

There must be something in the water
Oh, there must be something in the water
Oh, there must be something in the water
Oh, there must be something in the water
Oh, yeah

I am changed
Stronger

I'm free

When I first heard this song, I was excited that such a famous singer was writing a song so much about God and Him rescuing her. I then heard from a girl in my class that she actually got baptized before this, which got me even more excited that this happened in her life. I am not too sure about Carrie's background with Christianity, but I am excited that she released this song. I got excited that so many people who follow her will hear this song and that they can hear the Truth from her in a song. I also like that she isn't connected to the Christian Music Industry (from my understanding), and that she is a light into the Country Music world.
I would hope that this would allow me to talk more about what Jesus did for us and the life we have now because of what Jesus did for us. I would tell them how the Jesus I serve does care for us and loves us, and would try and explain how bad things still happen because of the sin in the world.

Jesus Cheerleading

(http://pansypanda.com/jesus-doing-everyday-things/)

The other night, I found this link on Facebook of a guy who found the pose of Jesus funny, and decided to Photoshop Him doing every day things.
The entire link has 19 photos of Him photo shopped into normal day activities. When I first found this, I laughed so hard. I don't know if it was because I was over tired or what. But I found all these pictures hilarious. I don't think they were putting down God in anyway. It was meant to be funny.
I don't quite know what kind of image this portrays to non-believers; I don't know if this would cause them to brush off Christianity more, or if this would cause them to question or think deeper. I think if anything, it is a common bridge which both Christians and non-Christians can cross together and have a good laugh about something.
I would use this as a conversation starter with a non-Christian. We could sit together, look at the pictures and laugh together. They could potentially question why I would be laughing at it, and I could explain what I believe and how I don't think it is portraying anything wrong, it is just a bunch of funny pictures. Hopefully this would be able to help them see that we aren't crazy strict people or are uptight (although some people are), but we can have fun and joke around.

The Avengers brings in God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSnHM3rn1jc

So recently, Bryan has been making me watch the entire Marvel super hero movies in order, and the other day it was time to watch The Avengers. Into the movie, this one scene came up in which Captain America brings up the topic of God. In the scene, the woman Natasha, says how he shouldn't try and get involved in a particular fight because they are practically gods (Thor). Captain America responds by saying, "there is only one God, and I'm pretty sure He doesn't dress like that". When I first heard this, I got so excited that they put that into the movie. There weren't any other lines in which God was mentioned in the movie, but it got me so excited that God was included in such a big movie, and that they didn't down play Him, or make fun of Him or anything. They simply brought God into the open, and said there is only one God, and not multiple. It got me excited to think that even if people don't believe in God, or attend church or whatever the case, they just heard a simple statement that there is only one God, and that He doesn't dress up like a fictional character. I am excited that at least people will hear this truth in a pop cultural movie. 

I don't think I am 100% sure on how I would bridge this. I think I would just try and add to the truth that they begin with in the movie. I would try to build a bridge saying that God isn't some fictional character like ones we read about daily (like Thor), but that God is real and is daily involved in our lives and isn't there to ruin our lives. (I suspect the conversation would then turn into why do bad things happen then). 

Lightning Bolt to the Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8llndAAQCbk

When I first heard this song on the radio, I didn't think much of it. Just thought it was a nice pop song, with a good beat that I could work out to; so I found it on iTunes and bought it. It wasn't until a few times into listening to the song, did I realize that the lyrics they are singing can be transferred into the way that Jesus has saved us, or the way that His love makes us feel.
The beginning of this song is definitely more about a girl that the guy had feelings for...

(I was all you thought you ever needed

So you said, "how'd I let this slip away?"

On the floor, cold and barely breathing

So it goes

Sleeping all my dreams away

'Til you found me)

But when it begins to get into the pre-chorus, that is when to me, I find a lot of it begins to relate to how the love of God has transformed us.

(Like a lightning bolt to the heart

You woke me up, woke me up

Yeah, you brought me out of the dark

With just one spark, just one spark

Now I can feel your pulse

Kick starting this lifeless soul

Like a lightning bolt to heart

You woke me up, woke me up

Yeah)

This kind of sent me a new way of looking at how Jesus' love for us has transformed me. His love woke me up, it brings me out of the darkness that I was living in and I can feel Him all around me and in His creation.
This song gives an image of what Jesus' love can do for us. It also shows how society is searching for something that only the Lord can provide and give. To me, it is showing how desperate they are for something to jolt them; to shake them up and set them on a path towards light and not darkness. They are clearly singing about it. 

I would use this song to create an entry for conversation to someone who isn't a believer. Ask them questions like, "what do you think he is talking about/meaning in this song?" Hopefully that will create an entry point for me to go in and even show some Christian songs by Christian artists (ie. Lecrae) who have the same message, but instead of talking about an ex girlfriend, he is talking about his relationship with Jesus Christ who has turned his world around and has fulfilled him the way that they are constantly searching. I would use it to explain that we all make mistakes, sometimes we fall away after we said we wouldn't; but in the end, Jesus' love will always bring a spark back to us and get us set on the right path again.