Posted 4:01 pm Monday, March 30, 2009
The Paul Baloche Band To Play Benefit April 5
By PATRICK BUTLER
Religion Editor
Combing worship and justice is at the heart of Paul Baloche's upcoming concert to benefit "For The Silent." The Lindale-based worship leader with an international audience will endorse the "new generation charity" on April 5 at Rose Heights Church.
Religion Editor
Combing worship and justice is at the heart of Paul Baloche's upcoming concert to benefit "For The Silent." The Lindale-based worship leader with an international audience will endorse the "new generation charity" on April 5 at Rose Heights Church.
"For The Silent is a worthy nonprofit charity organized and started by 20-somethings," Baloche told the Tyler Morning Telegraph on Thursday. "I like the fact that a young couple is behind this. It's a new generation charity and I like the energy behind that. It's a beautiful thing for this generation to say, 'What can I do,' and see them trying to make a difference."
Tyler native Kenny Rigsby and his wife, Julie, started For The Silent two years ago as a response to the problems of sexually children exploited in the international sex trade. The idea of worshipping God and actively working on justice issues is catching on once again in the church, Baloche said.
"I think especially so with the younger generation," he said. "A lot of kids who have grown up in church appreciate singing songs to God and experiencing a sense of his presence, but they are also saying, 'Let's do something now. What can we do? This is great. We're singing songs to God. Now what?'"
He's seen, as he's traveled about the nation, that the question needs asking.
Proceeds from the sale of “Compassion Art” goes to the charities of each contributor’s choice. Baloche chose to donate his share to For The Silent.
"I think its good question. Some of us baby boomers need to be challenged to see worship as more than something we do on Sunday morning in our country club church and say, 'Boy, isn't this nice? Doesn't this make us feel good?' We need to be challenged to action, even in the midst of difficult economic times."
The April 5 concert, which starts at 6 p.m., is not the first time Baloche has come to the aid of For The Silent. In late 2008 he met with other Christian artists to cut a collective album where all the proceeds would go to charity. Singers such as Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Martin Smith of England's Delirious, Darlene Zschech of Australia's Hillsong, Graham Kendricks, Matt Redmon, Tim Hughes, Andy Park, Israel Houghton and Stu Garrard, gathered in Scotland to write 20 songs for the project called "Compassion Art." Each artist picked a charity to support with their share of proceeds. Baloche choose For The Silent.
"The effort (in Scotland) was to combine worship with justice, and the whole experience was freeing." he said. "All the writers share, the record company's share, the artists share went to the charity of choice."
The act of worship was the "next thing," said Baloche.
"I think a lot of times people in the Christian community are asking, 'What's the next thing' in worship. I think they mean well but it's if they're asking are we going to be lifted off the floor 3 feet or get goose bumps the size of measles or what?
"I think God's heart has always been for us to know the father's heart and then extend his heart to others. The 'next thing,' to do has always been to connect with God's heart through worship through singing our songs and corporate prayer and -- as we're in his presence -- be moved by his Spirit to go out and feed the hungry, clothe the naked, set the captives free, visit the prisoner and speak for those who can't speak for themselves as For The Silent is doing."
The concert is one of many things people can do, he said.
"So what we're doing April 5 is 'worship for the silent,' but you can run for the silent or take pictures for the silent, form a prayer group for the silent, or find ways to donate what you do. It could mean going out of the country on a mission trip or being aware of your neighbors on your street that hard things they're going through; being a friend to a troubled teenager, or a friendly voice to a widow."
For information about Compassion Art visit the Web at www.compassionart.tv/created/album/
Updated Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 4:54 p.m. CST
Updated Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 4:54 p.m. CST
