When was it that God became real to you? If you ask Michael Puryear, he might just pinpoint that time, and then go one step further. Looking at how Michael chose to mark that occasion, how many of us could say that we similarly asked God, through a song, to put inside of us a “Heart of a Servant”? Nashville, Tennessee is a musical place (see its seal here), so that melodic gene was certainly all around Michael, was inside the church where he worshipped, and was permeating his own spirit, too. For Michael, the simple prayer song that he composed in or about 1992 summed up what he was experiencing with the newfound realization of God’s calling. What Michael prayed is like asking the Creator to build a small eternal flame inside one’s being, so that it acts like a perpetual engine with a constant light to show others the nature of the One who gives it. Its fiery presence, you might say, has consumed Michael’s life through all the music he’s been able to write in the decades before and after this special moment. This way of being consumed doesn’t destroy, but actually remakes a person.
Michael Puryear’s few words say volumes – so read and hear them for yourself, as he responded to this blogger’s email recently: David, it (Heart of a Servant) was written soon after reaching a point that Christ became more than real to me. I was going to Ashwood Church of Christ (Nashville area) and wanted to basically write something that was meaningful and could be a worship tool. The song seems to get to the core belief of Faith and the reason for being a follower of our Savior. Did you notice that Michael said ‘Christ became more than real’ to him? So, it wasn’t just a notable moment for this songwriter, but an extraordinary moment, when he suggests that Jesus was so present, that this God-Man could not be ignored. His own servant nature must have been so abundantly evident, that Michael wanted to mimic Him and urge others to do the same, in order to exalt Him adequately. Jesus deserves something ‘meaningful’, as Michael’s own words testify. What is at the ‘core’ of our faith? Michael must have been wondering, as others do when they first meet this One who claims to be God, then become more familiar with Him, and finally reach a crossroads – a decision point. If He’s really God, and really did behave like the ultimate servant, just to draw me into His saving life, how can I resist? Maybe Michael read what Paul wrote to some Philippians (2:1-11), or perhaps one or more other similar biblical odes – with a musical edge to them -- as they venerate this servant Savior. If you love music the way Michael obviously does, what better way to amplify His hold on you than to appreciate Him via what He says through His musical messages in scripture?
He’s a beautiful God, and so it really makes sense that He tugs at us as though he’s gently strumming the strings of a guitar or tickling the keys of a piano. He’s not loud and obnoxious, but rather a servant, coaxing you and me with His loving, sacrificial nature. Michael describes this servant as tender, faithful, and true with the few words he crafted, as an echo of what Paul and others say about Him. But, don’t just stand there admiring Him. Imitate Him, and understand that you’re His tool for the community that He’s creating. What? I’m not equipped to do that! But, He provides the only thing you need – Himself, and the love example He provides. It will be some kingdom when we all see it, each other, and especially Him there! This kingdom of His has no perimeter fence to limit its membership. He wants the whole world, and you and I can begin this quest in our own small corners where we live.
Thanks to Michael Puryear for his emails to this blogger on 9/3/2024 and 9/4/2024!
Read about the author-composer here: Michael Puryear | Belmont University
Read about the Ashwood Church and its predecessors and how it has evolved since 1992 here: https://www.woodmont.org/our-history
See information on the seal of Nashville here: File:Seal of Nashville, Tennessee.png - Wikimedia Commons…This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1929 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. For further explanation, see Commons:Hirtle chart as well as a detailed definition of "publication" for public art. Note that it may still be copyrighted in jurisdictions that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works (depending on the date of the author's death), such as Canada (50 p.m.a.), Mainland China (50 p.m.a., not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany (70 p.m.a.), Mexico (100 p.m.a.), Switzerland (70 p.m.a.), and other countries with individual treaties.
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