Save Me from the Nothing I’ve Become

One of the challenges of church planters and all pastors is to connect the gospel with the culture. I believe it was Karl Barth who spoke of creating sermons with the Bible on one knee and the newspaper on the other. 

As I prepare messages and services I have found that one of the richest places to connect is through music. Those of you in church planting may have a bit more leeway in using such music in your services, but almost all of us can at least quote from popular songs.

One of the most powerful songs that we’ve used recently is by Evanescence. The Song is “Bring Me to Life”.  The lyrics are below. You can listen to it on YouTube 

Taking this song and combining it with Ecclesiastes, ties a text written 3000 years ago with the realities of today, thereby making a powerful Biblical connection:

"I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly… I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them… I bought male and female slaves… I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself.. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me… I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure… Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done… everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun". (Eccl 2:1–11 NIV11) 

The next step, of course, is to bring people in the fullness of gospel hope. When I think of the fullness of gospel hope I focus on the gospel of John’s idea of eternal life. John insists that eternal life begins the moment we believe and through his gospel gives us pictures of the eternal life we life now. It is the answer to the nothing we’ve become.

As you are connecting gospel and culture what are you finding to be good places to make the connection? What resources can you share with all of us that we can use?

"Bring Me To Life" (feat. Paul McCoy)

How can you see into my eyes like open doors?
Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb
Without a soul my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home

(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become

Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life

(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become

Bring me to life
(I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside)
Bring me to life

Frozen inside without your touch
Without your love, darling
Only you are the life among the dead

All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul
Don't let me die here
There must be something more
Bring me to life

(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become

Bring me to life
(I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside)
Bring me to life