Preferring What is Real

Last year when I read Distracted by Maggie Jackson, I had no idea that I would be reminded of the insights in her book as often as I have been.  One of the ideas I have pondered often is what is real and what is not.  What was once considered artificial is now considered real in our world.  Online relationships are as real to many people as their relationships with their physical neighbors.  


There was one particular story in Distracted that hit me hard.  Well, actually there were several.  One that comes to my mind is her recounting of a group of people involved in an online game with avatars.  When surveyed, there was a large number that believed that their avatars were their real lives and this life is their artificial one.  My mind was alarmed!  


Over the past year, what is real has come to be something that I desire to choose.  I know there is a place for technology in our lives, but I love to think that someone has done or made something with their own hands, mind, or heart.  I suppose it's always a mix of the three whether you are gardening, writing a letter, singing a song, playing with a hula hoop, or dancing.  


In our home, we often listen classical music, bluegrass, or independent Christian artists like the folks you find on the Rabbit Room.  (https://store.rabbitroom.com/)  When we first married ten years ago, my husband and I listened a great deal to contemporary Christian music.  But, since then we have listened to only a little.  

I thought I would give some contemporary music a chance.  This week, this CD arrived from Thomas Nelson Publishing, Women of Faith Worship: Rejoice.  It is the new Worship CD from the Women of Faith tours.  There are 10 songs on the CD.  9 of the songs are contemporary worship and the last is a hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness.  If you enjoy contemporary worship as you hear on the radio, then you will enjoy this cd.  If you have enjoyed past Women of Faith, then you will also likely enjoy this CD.  Sadly, I did not.  The music is mostly synthesized. I had hoped that it would feel more real to me, but it didn't.  It left me longing to hear a piano and an acoustic guitar.  I did enjoy the last song, though, which was simpler than the others in instrumentation because it was a hymn.  The other songs were quite repetitive.  


I do not think this CD is much different from its predecessors.  If you are looking for a mix of contemporary worship songs sung by women, then you might want to take a listen to this one.  It just wasn't my cup of tea.


Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this CD for review from Thomas Nelson Publishing.