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Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

from Prayers of the People, Book of Common Prayer

"GOD IS"-How Ye Brought Gospel Music to the Masses

Updated: Sep 8

In 2019, Kanye West crossed over music genres in a remarkable way. A rapper who never found a word he didn't like, and wouldn't use, decided to make a Gospel rap album. This was not the first time a rapper had done this. Even R&B artists have dabbled in Gospel music. However, in true Yeezy fashion, this album brought Gospel music to the masses in an unprecedented way:


  • Debuted #1 on the Billboard 200

  • At the time, broke Kanye's own personal streaming record, with almost 200 million streams in the first week

  • 2020 Billboard Music Awards Top Christian Album

  • 2020 Billboard Music Awards Top Gospel Album

  • 2021 Grammy Awards Best Contemporary Christian Music Album


Jesus Is King-Kanye West | Jubilee Fellowship Church Fairburn

What made this crossover so different was in what we all heard. Kanye made a great Gospel album. It had great lyrics. It featured great artists. It made you think. It made you praise the Lord. It even made you laugh over that Chick-Fil-A song...(if you know, you know).


One song that really stands out to me is "God Is". What I especially love about this Kanye song is twofold:


  1. The title is a Christian truth. God is, because God lives.

  2. The Character of God back then (no matter how far back you go) is the Character of God now. God is Faithful, Powerful, Able to work miracles, and best of all . . . God is Alive.


Of course there are things believers could pick out in this song, and others, that are confusing and troubling. 


But that's okay. 


We shouldn't look to Kanye to be 100% accurate. He claimed to be a new convert who wanted to mix his faith with his talent. His platform and celebrity exposed millions of people to Gospel music like never before, even if he is not perfect. We all benefited from this. And he seemed sincere. His lyrics carried weight. For example:


"King of Kings, Lord of Lords

All the things He has in store

From the rich to the poor

All are welcome through the door

You won't ever be the same

When you call on Jesus' name"


This is something any speaker in a church could stand up and recite every Sunday! And that is exactly why I'm sharing this with you. I want you in whatever role you will play on Sundays to consider these lyrics and share them!

 

Say it out loud. 

Say it with faith in your mind and heart. 

Say it to other believers. 

Say it to guests. 

Say it in a prayer.


Jubilee Fellowship Church in Fairburn

"Creating Space for the Flourishing of Others"

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