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16 Responses to “Jon Foreman: Instead Of A Show”

1. mudpuppy Says:
   June 9th, 2008 at 9:24 pm

   Thanks for the mention. Twice!

   When I heard this I was blown away. Your first instinct is to dismiss it as being too critical. Too cynical. Maybe Jon is a bit cynical, but as you pointed out, this is very biblically based (it’s in Amos as well).

   After a few listens I was less offended because I realized it’s not really directed at me. Why? Because I’m there too. This is directed at those that still think it’s all about the appearance yet don’t actually live out the Kingdom of God in their lives.

   He’s got a Derek Webb vibe going on…

2. snowjunkie Says:
   June 10th, 2008 at 7:55 am

   You’re worth the mention. Twice!

   Yeah, I was blown away too - not because I was offended, but because it seems like he penned this song out of a kind of righteous frustration.

   Is he fed up with all the hype and whoo-haa that accompanies christian concerts and events these days? Is he fed up of christian bands singing vanilla pop so records appeal to the vast majority? Is he pulling back the facades to worship from the heart - and not a rehearsed performance?

   For me it raises many questions like that. I like Jon Foreman all the more now.

   It’s important for us to keep questioning our motives in what we do for God. Are we doing what we do for God’s glory or Man’s glory?

3. New Music Tuesday- Jon Foreman « The Refried Times Says:
   June 10th, 2008 at 9:42 am

   […] snagged the lyrics and this video from http://snowjunkie.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/jon-foreman-instead-of-a-show/ . I’d love to hear what you think about […]

4. Wide Awake Says:
   June 10th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

   Almost sounds like there is more going on here than just a dig at modern worship. Unless I am reading the 2nd verse wrong.

5. snowjunkie Says:
   June 10th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

   Hi Wide Awake, I don’t think it’s an attack on modern worship at all. It’s probably more an attack on the motives people have behind their actions.

   When we worship God, is it just for show or are our hearts behind it? Do we worship God just on Sundays when everyone is looking, or are our hearts constantly homing in towards God?

   Does that make sense?

6. Thomas Says:
   June 10th, 2008 at 3:17 pm

   Don’t pretend like you were offended.

7. snowjunkie Says:
   June 10th, 2008 at 3:54 pm

   What do you mean Thomas?

8. Wide Awake Says:
   June 11th, 2008 at 6:13 am

   Right - agreed. But that 2nd verse seems to point to maybe a situation with a pastor, or something a little more personal. It just seems a little too - angry - to be just commentary.

9. Jon Foreman – Summer « The Original Mud Puppy Says:
   June 11th, 2008 at 9:33 am

   […] opportunity to own this EP for FREE. Leave me a comment with your feelings on Instead of a Show. You can listen to and read the lyrics here. On Monday night I’ll chose a random comment and mail you your own copy of […]

10. worshipcity Says:
    June 12th, 2008 at 10:07 am

    LOVE LOVE LOVE what Jon’s done with his solo projects. This song is a testament to his song writing. Interesting how we’re discussing what he’s talking about here. I thought I had it nailed until reading what ya’ll brought up Initially, I thought it was a dig at modern worship and musicians.
    By the end though I was very excited. I think it’s more about the mentality of worship being something confined to a Sunday morning experience of songs and prayer and getting dressed up with the mentality in which you feel good about doing it with other people. Explicitly I don’t know if there’s anything wrong with that but when it doesn’t bleed over in to a changed lifestyle of being a giver of hope, love, justice then you’re simply putting on a show.
    I think it’s beautiful and meant to convey a feeling of awkwardness

11. snowjunkie Says:
    June 12th, 2008 at 11:34 am

    Thanks Conner.

12. Mark Tucker Says:
    June 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm

    I am so glad to see this thread, because I read this review (http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdReviews/JonForemanSummerEP.asp) and was rather upset with this critique:
    ‘”Instead Of A Show” - a somewhat bitter examination of the church and the worship movement. In some ways, it’s come just in time for the Summer festivals as Foreman flat-out attacks the worship scene for focusing more on the appearance of things than something more important, such as social justice (”I hate all your show and pretense/ The hypocrisy of your praise/ The hypocrisy of your festivals/ I hate all your show/ Away with your noisy worship/ Away with your noisy hymns/ I stop up my ears when your singing ‘em/ I hate all your show”) . Where Foreman could have strictly used the song to complain about what he sees wrong with the church or believers taking part in worship corporately and outwardly, he rounds out his view by presenting a solution instead of just dwelling on the problem (”Instead let there be a flood of justice/ An endless precession of righteous living/ Instead of a show”). It’s a rebuke that will undoubtedly raise some eyebrows and cause a stir, but Foreman isn’t exactly out of line in pointing out such problems through a song.’

    When I listened to the song, it sounded a lot like God speaking to his rebellious, disobedient people, so I figured it was some Old Testament verse. I searched today myself, and also thought Isaiah chapter 1 fit the most, and then I come here to confirm it as well.

    Thanks for getting this out there. The reviewer clearly doesn’t know Foreman’s work, or the heart behind it.

13. Cara Says:
    June 20th, 2008 at 9:01 pm

    He’s right, you know. So many people walk around with their noses high and a holier-than-thou attitude assuming their eternal salvation because they’ve studied Jesus’ teachings. But, you have to be able to do more than just attend services. You need to believe, you need to have faith, and you need to show the love that God shows us to everyone, not just those you’d like to be associated with or just those who are the upper crust of society. Jesus hung out with the sinners, and we need to show them some love, too!

    Mr. Jon Foreman’s lyrics are brutally honest in a beautifully musical sense, and if you’re offended, it’s because you feel like he’s criticizing you, which means you know that your being hypocritical. Don’t be bitter, he’s a musician stating how he feels. And if your feeling guilty, you know he’s right.

    If your not offended, go along with your ways and enjoy the music. =)

14. S.K. Johnson Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 12:41 pm

    I think the points that have been made are valid, and right. I agree, specifically with Cara…but I think we’re all missing the most obvious point of this song, which comes DIRECTLY out of Isaiah chapter 1

    I’ll start with verse 10 (the first 9 verses can be taken different ways and are ambiguous, so out of the cultural context they don’t make as much sense until you get to verse 10 and on)

    10 Hear the word of the LORD,
    you rulers of Sodom;
    listen to the law of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!

    Here, God is comparing his people to Sodom and Gomorrah, arguably the most sinful cities of all time, which God destroyed as there was no righteousness to be found inside of them. That’s a pretty harsh thing to say about His people, Israel.

    (verses 11-12)
    “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the LORD.
    “I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
    I have no pleasure
    in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

    12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,
    this trampling of my courts?
    —

    Here, God is declaring that he ‘takes no pleasure’ in the worship of Israel.

    In fact, he continues on to tell them to stop worshiping and that he will cover his ears to their prayers:

    3 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
    Your incense is detestable to me.
    New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
    I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

    14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates.
    They have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.

    15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
    even if you offer many prayers,
    I will not listen.

    —–
    But why?

    (verse 15:b)
    ” Your hands are full of blood;”
    ——
    Verse 17:

    learn to do right!
    Seek justice,
    encourage the oppressed. [a]
    Defend the cause of the fatherless,
    plead the case of the widow.
    —–
    In this passage, God is saying that he will not listen to the prayers of His people, or care anything for their worship, as long as they do not ‘do right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, or plead the case of the widow’.

    In this time, widows and orphans were denied basic rights, which most likely included their Hebrew law ‘Victims’ rights’ and were thus easily preyed upon. Also, Israel was allowing some among them to perform idol worship which required the burning of newly born babies.

    Not all of Israel was likely engaging in these practices, many probably secretely abhored them, yet althoug Hebrew law provides for much ‘power to the people’ similar to America, they did not use that power to stamp out these injustices and others, and God saw this as hypocrisy. Devotion to God requires a devotion to justice, it would seem.

    So here, Jon Foreman is creating parallels to that situation to our situation in America today. Instead of describing Israel’s methods of worship, Foreman discusses current American evangelical trends (and not just current trends, but the trends of all churches. ‘Shined shoes’ strikes an image of very conservative, liturgical Christianity, ’shows’ and ‘closed eyes’ and ’singing aloud with the band’ is also a strike at modern worship. Foreman brings all of American Christendom into the accusations):

    and uses the same outline and imagery of Isaiah chapter 1. You can read Jon Foreman’s song and see it directly parallel Isaiah chapter 1, basically starting with verse 10.

    Foreman’s lyrics at the end also parallel the end of Isaiah 1:

    Let’s argue this out
    If your sins are blood red
    Let’s argue this out
    You’ll be one of the clouds
    Let’s argue this out
    Quit fooling around

    (Isaiah 1:18
    8 “Come now, let us reason together,”
    says the LORD.
    “Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
    though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.)

    What injustices is Foreman referring to?

    ‘You turned your back on the homeless
    And the ones that don’t fit in your plan’

    Mainstream conservative Christianity sometimes ignores the poor in the name of ‘capitalism’, and liberal Christianity fools around with welfare programs, which in my opinion, only worsen the plight of the poor, destroy the culture, and is nothing but an impersonal attempt at fixing very personal problems. Yes, this is a gross-generalization, but mainstream Christianity on the left and the right seem to want nothing to do with the poor. I make this generalization since Isaiah seemed to over-generalize also… even those of us who do care for the poor need to do better about encouraging others to do the same. (Jon Foreman’s song ’somebody’s baby’ is a great piece on this subject… and in my interpretation takes a stab at welfare programs by saying ‘when people don’t want you they throw you money for beer’ …which in my estimation, is all that welfare does. It ignores the personal problems of poverty and just throws money around, and seems to me in no way more compassionate than anyone else, since it sends to send the same message of ‘I don’t want to touch you, so I’ll let the government touch you by throwing money at you from a capital building far off).

    Foreman’s reference to ‘those that don’t fit into your plan’ could perhaps be a reference to abortion, but I want to be careful that I’m not reading too much into it…so what do you all think? The common excuse for abortion is that ‘I did not plan for a child, thus I shouldn’t have to take care of it and deliver it’.

    Mother Theresa’s words come to mind: “It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”

    ‘Those who can not stand’ also sounds like a reference to babies, who can not stand on their own.

    Yet, this is the tip of the iceberg. This is not to mention human trafficking, child prostitution, and other injustices. And perhaps God’s call to justice also requires a civic responsibility to stand up for justice in every detail of public policy. Fighting to have a traffic light installed in your town, which could save lives, perhaps glorifies God and reflects his love of justice as well.

15. mudpuppy Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 1:39 pm

    Cara is my type of Christ follower—well rounded.

16. portorikan Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

    Wow.

    Love the song and the comments.

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