Vicky Beeching. The name might not sound all that familiar
to you, but when I saw her name in my news feed this week, my world paused…in a
good way. She was a quick link back to my former days.
While there are many things I do not miss about the
religious world, I sometimes miss the music and the worship
times if I’m honest. Everyone has their thing that brings them peace and music
has always been mine. During worship, I would be carried away, seemingly far
from my cares, doubts, and misgivings, and my soul was comforted.
Along with my role as youth minister, I spent a large portion of my ministry
years on the worship team. I would throw myself into learning every single
element of each song and play them with all the passion within on Sunday
mornings.
Having placed distance between myself and those experiences,
I now feel that it was the musical experience that was my refuge more than the
act of worship. I have the same euphoric experience when I listen to The
Phantom of the Opera, John Legend, and yes, even Idina Menzel’s Let It Go. (Don’t
judge!) I am moved to the depths of my being by certain music and lyrics; I am
moved by the raw emotion that lies within some songs.
What does this have to do with Vicky Beeching? In the height
of my worship team career, Vicky Beeching was one of the songwriters leading
the way out of England. She wrote touching songs about her relationship with
God. Her songs held that element of honesty that moves me. In short, she was
one of my favs. This week, she came out
publicly with a story that feels so familiar, yet is
uniquely hers. She told of humiliating experiences as she tried to rid herself
of this unwanted (thanks to rubbish teachings), bouts of self-hatred, and the toll that hiding one’s true self
will eventually take on a soul.
I was quite surprised and I can imagine the surprise that is
rippling through worship teams at this moment. The dilemma? Beeching penned
many of the most popular songs sung in contemporary churches today. Through her
lyrics she brought people to a side of God that is loving, forgiving, and kind.
She is loved among many of the contemporary worship teams of today, but a
portion of these Christians will feel the need to write her off because of her newly
exposed life of sin. The boycott buzz is already 'buzzin'. But I see a bright side: another face within the Christian
circle that is already known, loved, and respected has come out. With
each new face, it becomes harder to justify the unfounded and, quite frankly,
worn-out stance against homosexuality. Another soul has stood up to the
illogical and misguided teachings within the Church and that soul has said,
enough, I am through hiding who I am. She wants to be truly and freely herself
as she continues to worship her God.
Bravo and peace to her and to all the other souls who are
tired of hiding. Equality makes this a better world for us all.
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