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Emily Smailes

ENC1101

Ms. Bridgman

July 17, 2012

The Power of Lyrics

Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights became dull. It was as if I were sitting in the

back of my calculus class, listening to the deep, mutter of my dull professor as he taught what

seemed like the same lectures over and over again. So I decided to switch things up a bit. One

night as I was sitting in my room, practicing my set list for the Wednesday night worship service,

I paused and thought to myself, “What am I doing? Am I really fulfilling my purpose as a

worship leader? Where did that fiery flame go every time I sang and played the guitar? And why

did it just disappear?” My thoughts continued flowing with such questions before I paused,

opened my Bible, and began to read. Eventually, I recognized that Acts 20:35 was the answer I

had been looking for; “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Because I had lost sight of my

own true purpose, I started going through the motions leaving me empty inside. After this bold

awakening, I gained a new, unexpected motivation.

Not once did I hesitate to write. It just happened. The lyrics flowed from my pencil as I

wrote on the back of my Wednesday night sheet music. The chorus was the first thing I wrote

down: “…No one ever said that it was easy letting go of things that aren’t worth living for.

Letting go is never too late….” I wanted to share something with the world, something everyone

could relate to. When reading Acts 20:35, I soon realized how selfish and demanding our world

truly is. I decided to write down my thoughts, my hopes, and my prayers. “God, please open our

eyes to the things unseen. It is so easy to be swayed by the way of the world and to fall short in

your glory. Teach me Lord to let go of my old ways and use me to lead others to your great

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love.” I wanted everyone to know that it is never too late to let go of the “things” we fill our lives

with. All the materialistic items that we cling to are only temporary, but there is a Savior who

offers more than temporary satisfaction; He offers eternal life and a personal loving relationship

with Him. With this in mind, I took that journal entry and I held onto it as I continued to write

my first song: “Letting Go.”

Through every word I wrote down, I made sure that the lyrics spoke the truth. So that

maybe, just one person could see that it is never too late to let go of the things that hold them

back. When I was finished, I wrote down the chord progression that accompanied the lyrics,

blending in perfect unison. Now I felt like a true artist, sculpting the clay into the work of art I

had mapped out in my head. After continuous hours of perfecting my masterpiece, I started to

feel complete. For a moment, I stopped playing and as I read over the lyrics, I noticed how the

song truly reflected my life and personal struggles. Because I was distracted from worship at

church, I was unable to be the worship leader that I was supposed to be. This song made a huge

impact in my life and I prayed this same message would make a greater impact in the life of

others.

That following Wednesday night, after the service was over and most of the church

members had departed, I pulled Steve Rippy, my youth pastor, aside and asked if I could play

him a song I had recently written. “Sure! I’d love to hear it! I had no idea you wrote!” he said.

As I pulled out my old Yamaha acoustic guitar, I smiled and said, “Neither did I.”

After the song ended, I was speechless and felt as if I had returned from a familiar place

accompanied by a familiar friend, God. This sensation reminded me of moments when Sunday or

Wednesday service became true worship. When the church is so consumed by the lyrics that the

surroundings disappear and everyone is focused on the presence of the Holy Spirit. “Wow…”

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Steve whispered to himself. “That is what worship is all about. The song was such a grea..” and

before he could finish his sentence, the church music director came bursting into the youth room,

“Was that you Ms. Smailes?” I nodded my head as he continued to say, “I couldn’t help but

listen in from the next room and I just had to ask if you could please share that with the

congregation next Sunday morning?” Again I nodded my head, still unable to speak, not because

of his request, but from the adrenaline rush triggered by this new, unrealistic feeling. “Alright

that’s perfect! I guess I’ll see you Sunday morning at seven then,” he concluded as he went the

way he came. Still attempting to comprehend what had happened, I quickly turned back to look

at Steve, who was smiling more than ever. Suddenly, with my heart beating faster, Brother Steve

calmly gripped my shoulder and said, “You’ve got this Em. Just worship Sunday morning like

you did a few minutes ago and remember, it’s not about you, it’s about Him. God has blessed

you in so many ways and I hope and pray that you use these many blessings to please Him in

every way possible.” By now, my heart rate was finally at a normal pace so I smiled and replied,

“Thanks Brother Steve. I’ll try my very best.”

Sunday morning came faster than expected and I, surprisingly, was not nervous at all.

Before I opened my eyes, I laid there, perfectly still, slowly breathing in and out, as I waited for

the world’s chaos to disrupt my perfect Utopia. But it never happened. Instead an unusual peace

embraced me throughout my day, leaving me with a calm uplifting spirit. Therefore, when it

came time to share my piece with the congregation, I was ready to give all that had been given to

me, packaged in this pattern of perfection. As the offertory prayer ended, I quickly picked up my

little old Yamaha and took my place at the mic stand. I gave a brief introductory as I sank back

down into my place of worship, smiling freely and singing my heart out. Every worry and fear

vacated my mind. It was just me and the presence of this strange peace that was so weird, yet so

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addictive. As I started to sing the chorus one last time, the same adrenaline rush I had in the

youth room, a week ago, returned. Oblivious to the world around me, I failed to notice the

congregation was peacefully standing with me in worship. I strummed my last chord then ended

with a deep prayer, “Dear God, thank you for your unfailing love and your never-ending grace.

Let us always be reminded that it is never too late to turn to you God. As we continue in worship,

let us lay down our every burden and lift up joyous songs of praise. We love you and we praise

you all of our days. In your name we pray. Amen.” When I walked off that stage I was

overflowing, not with pride or confidence, but with true peace and serenity. If it weren’t for

lyrics and music itself, I would have never presented that message to the congregation that

Sunday morning.

Shortly after the service ended, I was approached by a woman whose face was red and

blotchy from crying. Trembling, she grabbed my hands and began to share her testimony with

me. She spoke of how she had a bad family life before she came to church and made a “new”

family here at Crestview Baptist Church. She also told me she came to know salvation through

the loss of her own sister about three years ago. With her serious tone and desperate eyes, I knew

this woman had been through several trials, but I was still curious as to why she had chosen to

speak to me about her troubles.

She gripped my hands tighter and I listened intently as she spoke, “It’s been a year since

I quit smoking and drinking altogether but after recently losing my job, and the passing of my

father, it has been very hard to stay away from my old habits. I was actually thinking of going to

a bar tonight with my old friends, but after hearing your song I was reminded of God’s grace. I

was reminded that it is never too late to say no to the things that our world offers and to say yes

to being satisfied with only what He has to offer us.” She hugged me tight and expressed her

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appreciation for sharing my song with her, leading me to overflow with tears. Before she left, we

sat down and prayed for each other and I was awestruck that the song I had originally written to

awaken my spirit, could actually impact others. This unforgettable, life changing, experience

fuels my passion for writing.

After this encounter, my youth pastor’s wife, Katie Rippy, took me to a music convention

near Indian Rocks Beach. Mrs. Katie also wrote Christian contemporary worship music and

mentored me through my journey as a worship leader. So there we were at First Baptist Church

of Indian Rocks in a worship workshop, listening to Kathryn Scott, a famous Christian artist,

speak on different composing techniques. By the end of that last worship session, I was so

emotionally, spiritually, and mentally drained that all I wanted to do was crawl in my bed and

sleep. Overall, I took home several new composition and leadership techniques to improve the

Contemporary Christian worship environment.

One idea Kathryn Scott highly recommended was journaling. Personally, I always

thought journaling was pretty lame. In high school, journaling was viewed as a way to keep

records of the latest rumors spread around campus. However, she made me realize it’s not just

some silly gossip book but, instead, it can actually help me reflect on my thoughts and keep

everything together permanently. Since Kathryn Scott “highly recommended” keeping a personal

journal, I decided to give it a try. For the first few days I found it extremely hard to sit down and

write lyrics to just any song, but I began seeking for inspiration. I reached for the Bible sitting on

my desk, chose a random chapter, and began reading. No matter what chapter I chose, I always

found a verse that caught my attention. Quickly, I would jot the verse down in my journal and

begin writing my thoughts, which were more like prayers. Then those prayers would later be

edited and transformed into lyrics. Next, I’d improvise on the guitar and find a good chord

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progression followed by a catchy melody. After a few days or weeks of critiquing, I would have

a new worship composition ready to copyright.

For an example, the verse from 2 Corinthians 1:4 says, “He comforts us in all our

troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the

same comfort God has given us.” This verse gave me strength and comfort when my dad was

diagnosed with cancer. I turned to this scripture when I began to lose faith, crying out to God I

would ask, “Why are you putting my daddy and my family through this? What’s the purpose of

this?” As soon as I caught myself slipping away, I would remember 2 Corinthians 1:4 and

remind myself that all things happen for a reason. I wrote down 2 Corinthians 1:4 in my journal

and wrote about how it inspired me to have faith in the depths of the valley.

Ever since the Worship Convention, I had been writing in my prayer journal at least once a day

and it has been the greatest tool as a writer.

At the end of my junior year, Mrs. Katie and I were going out to Starbucks, like we did

every month to talk about what was new in our lives. After paying for both of our tall caramel

macchiatos, I knew something was up. As we sat down on the couch in the small cozy corner of

the coffee shop, everything was normal until she said the words that everyone dreads to hear,

“Emily, there’s something I want to tell you.” I casually smiled and replied, “I’m all ears.”

After that, she slowly told me that this was the last time we would be having Starbucks

together. I thought that maybe she just wanted to start going to Panera Bread or Cold Stone right

across the street instead, until she explained that Brother Steve had been offered a job as the new

youth leader at a church in Maine. Searching for the right words I finally said something,

“Congratulations! When do you guys leave?” She paused before telling me, “Umm we leave in

about a week…” My jaw dropped as I had known this couple for over five years. I was

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completely devastated, but continued to be supportive since I knew that this was really hard for

them too. “Well, no matter where the Lord leads you He will use you in great ways.” After

talking for hours and sharing a few laughs and tears at our last Starbucks get together, we prayed

for each other and went on our way. The next Sunday morning would be their last and they

would announce their departure from Crestview and their new adventure to Maine.

Getting ready for church their last Sunday morning, all I could think about was trying to

imagine what things would be like when they were no longer at Crestview. I thought that it

would be much like losing your two best friends or a close aunt and uncle. However, I tried to

grasp that they would still be just a phone call away. Surprisingly, I didn’t get emotional at all

until I went up to gather my guitar and my sheet music from the stage. Sitting in the choir loft

next to my old Yamaha acoustic was a beautiful electric/acoustic Alvarez guitar wrapped with a

big red bow around the neck. Right next to it lay a brand new light weight case with a note

attached that read:

Emily,

I hope that this guitar is a blessing in your life as you have been to the Rippy family. Please

know that we are behind you and the music that you play for the Lord. God is in control and has

amazing plans for your life. If you ever need anything please call us. We love you!

In Christ, The Rippy’s

P.S. “Let us not grow weary in doing good” – Galatians 6:9