Running On Empty

At Meadow, we are a church that is not afraid to use secular music in our services. Of course, there are conditions on this. We are not going to do a secular song just for the sake of doing a secular song - but if a secular song contains a theme or thread that corresponds to the sermon for that day, we may just use it.

Why do we do this? Because music, all music, paints a picture and can be used as an illustration to drive home a point. For instance, last week we did the Stevie Wonder song "Superstition." Why would we do a song about superstition in church? Isn't God against superstition? Yes He is. But the song itself is not necessarily pro-superstition, in fact the chorus states, "Superstition ain't the way." And, in fitting into the theme of the message last week we wanted to drive home the point that to determine God's will for your life you need to study the Bible, and seek out counsel from other Godly people who have gone through what you're going through. Just because we used a song with the name "Superstition" does not mean we are advocating that as a church. It only means we are using a song most Christians and non-Christians alike have heard to make a point - if you're seeking God's will and direction for your life then "superstition ain't the way." God has outlined the methods we are to use to discover his will - and those are the methods we should use. The song reinforces the theme for the day.

There is another older secular song that we will be performing this coming Sunday. It is "Running On Empty" by Jackson Browne. Now, if the Christian life is supposed to be a life of spiritual fullfillment, why would we do a song about running out of gas? Remember, the message series is about God's will - what does life look like for those who don't know God, or understand his purpose for their life, or his grace, or his forgiveness? Wouldn't it look a lot like someone who is running on empty? Running blind? The song can be taken allegorically, to paint a picture of life from the perspective of someone who is searching for God, for his will and purpose in their life. We are not advocating that we should run blindly through life. But when viewed through the filter of allegory, this song has an incredibly strong impact. And that is how we need to see the secular songs that we perform at Meadow - allegory, a tool to tell a story and drive home a point (definition of "allegory" from Dictionary.com - a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another).

To be honest - I love this song. It is one of my all-time favorites. It's simple melodic hook and message of searching have gotten it stuck in my head many times throughout the years. Here are some of the lyrics. Read them through the filter of allegory - see the picture they are painting, the description of life from the writer's perspective.

Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
Looking back at the years gone by like so many summer fields
In sixty-five I was seventeen and running up 101
I don't know where I'm running now, I'm just running on

Running on, running on empty
Running on, running blind
Running on, running into the sun but I'm running behind

Gotta do what you can just to keep your love alive
Trying not to confuse it with what you do to survive
In sixty-nine I was twenty one and called the road my own
I don't know when that road turned on to the one I'm on

Running on, running on empty
Running on, running blind
Running on, running into the sun but I'm running behind

Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels
I look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through
Looking into their eyes I see they're running too

Running on, running on empty
Running on, running blind
Running on, running into the sun but I'm running behind