“I can’t believe he just did that!” my husband Matt yelled into my ear. “I’ve never seen that at a concert before.” The deafening roar of the applauding crowd drowned out the soft, Irish-accented “thank-you’s” coming from Glen Hansard, lead musician of the Swell Season, a secular Indie/Folk rock from Ireland. He clutched his famously hole-ridden and scuffed-up Takamine guitar and nodded at the audience.

I was intrigued by this man that had just stood at the edge of the Hard Rock Live stage with an unplugged guitar and sung to us without a mike. It had the feel of a father sitting on a porch strumming tunes and singing to his children. We were amazed at this down-to-earth and unpretentious action. There was no snobbery in it, but a seeming genuine interest in interacting with the listeners.

Seeing Swell Season in person was an interesting experience for Matt and me, and I took away a lot of ideas about why the music had been so touching and meaningful that night. I was also thinking about worship and what we could learn from the Swell Season about playing music in the church. I observed several qualities that I feel are essential in making good music that will honor God and touch others.

Glen Hansard is one of the most passionate singers I know. He could be singing about trash cans and you’d find yourself moved. In his song “Lies,” Glen drives you along with his heart-wrenching dynamics, peaking with full force on the chorus as he belts out the words with intensity and agony. Suddenly, you find yourself gripped by emotion and you feel like the one who was wronged and lied against. We have greater ideas to sing about as Christians. Are we just as passionate singing about, say, forgiveness? We ought not to fake passion, but when we sing from the heart, others will be moved and convinced of the reality of our faith.

After the opening act for the Swell Season that night in May at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Marketa Irglova, Glen’s fellow-musician who helped form the group, was the first to stroll out onto the stage. I didn’t expect what I saw. She was dressed in a simple tunic and pants, and her hair, cut short, was plain and flat against her face. Her demeanor was quiet and somber. Even Glen and the other musicians weren’t dressed in any particular attractive way. A lot of music artists dress to shock or draw attention. Not at this concert. The music was the main point. No one needed to make it more than what it was. It spoke for itself and was good enough. We don’t have to dress up our worship when we come to God. We don’t need bling to attract or flashy outfits. Just the music and its message, Jesus, as the main point. He is good enough.

Glen sings like a man who’s been there. I don’t know what kind of heartbreaks he’s had in his past, but he sounds as if he knows firsthand what it’s like to go through them. His music strikes me as authentic. How can we as Christians be more real about how we approach God in song? To be more real in our worship may call for singing about the doubts we have about God’s faithfulness or it may mean that we cry out to be delivered from a sin that we keep committing.

At one point in the concert Marketa Irglova introduced the group’s violinist, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, who later played a beautiful solo piece. Marketa said that Colm had his own music for sale on the back table, but wouldn’t have mentioned it if she didn’t. I sat there wondering if I were really at a rock concert. There was no loud-mouthed singer yelling at the audience to acknowledge the band; no forcing of praise. Do we as Christian musicians keep humble and not seek the limelight? Are we promoting others, especially Christ, before ourselves? Do we attempt with our music to coerce others to acknowledge us?

“There were moments during the concert I felt like worshiping,” Matt commented as we sifted our way back to the car through shadows of people who were outlined by CityWalk’s twinkling lights and neon signs. “That’s true!” I acknowledged. I think I know why. These little snapshot qualities, the passion, humility, and authenticity, are all pictures of the One who is the ultimate of these things. The Lord Jesus Christ. He humbled himself, became a servant to us, and did not seek His own glory.

Do others walk away from our music with clear images of who He is that make them want to know and love Him more?

A heart exploding with love for Jesus sometimes results in seemingly crazy actions.

Luke 7:36-38 says:

“One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.”

Jesus said of this woman in verse 47, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Jesus tied her radical and costly gift to her very real understanding and enjoyment of her new life in Christ and deliverance from the scars of her previous one. No gift was too outlandish or too expensive to use in expressing her love. She didn’t care what others thought, or that the critical eyes of the Pharisees were on her. She didn’t care that it was “unusual.” She just wanted to love her Lord.

How can we love the Lord like this in the worship time? Are we caught up in the form, or in the aesthetics of song? Are we caught up in worry about what people will think of us if, say, we raise our hands, or give some public evidence of being inwardly moved? Are we passionately in love with Jesus and not afraid to show it?

Focusing entirely on what God has done for us can be helpful. We can look at the cross and see Jesus’ blood being poured out to cover our sins. We can think about what He’s saved us from and that all of His goodness has been placed on us.

In Psalm 149:1-3 we are encouraged to sing to the Lord and to rejoice in our King. Then it goes on to give us the reason for our singing: “…the LORD takes pleasure in his people.” The God of the universe, the amazing Creator that holds everything together, enjoys His children. Let’s enjoy Him and give Him everything we’ve got, regardless of what people around us think. Like the sinful woman, let’s not be afraid to show how much we love our Savior. Let’s come and give Him our best because we understand what we’ve been given.

People of God, lift your hands, sing with your loudest voices, play with all of your might, and adore Him!