DW: And I would like to say one last thing. And this is something—.I’ll certainly—I’m eventually gonna write some stuff, I mean I know that some of the folks online have been calling for a response about some of this stuff. And I don’t have enough time right now to worry about some of that. It’s not that I’m not concerned and that I don’t care, Its not that I’m trying to be mysterious and silent about it, I’m really not. So I eventually will.
But I think there’s one thing that people kinda have a misconception about that’s making it hard for them to have a category for some of what I’m doing right now, and I think it’s this: That my—I really feel like my job is not to be a minister. I’m not a full-time ministry person. I don’t think what I’m here to do—I think that there are moments of ministry that happen in what I do, because it’s really expressive work, and people connect to it in a way that people don’t connect with someone who fixes their plumbing. But my job is to write and to sing songs. That’s my job. That’s my vocation. It’s not my ministry. I think a lot of people have been really confused saying: “Where’s his ministry going? How does he reconcile his ministry with this new—these songs—what’s happening to his ministry?” And I’d answer that by saying most people don’t have any clue about my ministry. I mean, ministry to me is something really personal. It’s the way that I love my neighbors, it’s the way I engage with the people in my community. It’s got nothing to do with—this. I mean I think there are moments of ministry that do happen. And I’d be näive to say that there weren’t. But I do not consider myself a minister. Like, professionally. I’m not in full-time ministry. I’m a full-time singer-songwriter. That’s what I do.
And just like any other profession, you don’t have to be in full-time ministry to play music and be a Christian. You just don’t. Anymore than if when you’re a doctor— anymore—that there’s anymore value in moving to a developing country and opening up a free clinic—you don’t have to do that. You can. But you don’t have to do that. You can stay where you are and you can have a practice and you can practice excellent health care, and really take good care of people, as a Believer. And That’s good work . And you don’t have to put Bible verses on tongue compressors to justify your being a Believer and being a doctor. You know what I mean?
GM: I hear ya—
DW: And In the same way, in my vocation, in being a singer-songwriter, I don’t feel compelled that I have to do or say anything. I think what my job is to write really good songs if I can and make really good records if I can. That’s my job, that’s my pre-evangelism. This is not ministry. I mean, I’m not a full-time ministry person, I just can’t emphasize that enough. I mean I think people have been so confused, like: “What’s happening to his ministry?” And even people who are well-intentioned will thank you for your ministry, what great ministry, and “We love your ministry”, and I know what they’re saying, so I would never correct anybody.
But I really don’t consider this my ministry. This is my job. I love my job. And I think ministry happens during my job, just like ministry might happen in a doctors office with that guy who’s just practicing excellent healthcare. There might be a moment of ministry, we look for those opportunities, whatever job we have. But my job is no different than anybody else’s. So I think people have used this idea that I’m somehow a church staff person, or that I’m a full-time minister, vocational minister, they’ve used that as an excuse to call all these things that I’m doing into question, when my obligation, as one who’s gifted and has the gifts I have, as a Believer, is to try to make really excellent music. That is my job. And beyond that I don’t have any real obligations, professionally. I look for opportunities to do ministry. But ministry for me, like anyone, is personal. It flows out of my vocation but it is not my vocation. And I think that it’s hard for people to keep that straight.
I think that’s some of where the confusion has come from, is people—have called these questions about—even if I wanted to make a record that’s purely about social justice, and doesn’t even speak about why I would think social justice is important—which as I’ve said before is because I believe its part of the Kingdom coming, the being made right of all things, it’s part of the gospel I proclaim—but I could make a record that didn’t even mention my motivation, it was just about social justice, I would be totally justified in doing it.
Now if I was a full-time ministry person, and that was my primary calling and the music was secondary, then I don’t know if I would be as justified. But I think that’s what people are getting confused. They’re like: He’s a full-time ministry person. You’re not supposed to go do that. He needs to be preaching the Gospel to people, clearly. Well, no more so than you in your job, or any of those folks in their jobs. And I think some of that has even come up on the boards. Like, everyday when you go to work, do you feel like you have to use every single moment to hammer the Gospel into people? No, and neither do I. That is part of what I do. And I’ve chosen for the last few years to focus on that, because that’s been part of my own growth and part of my own story and journey. But if I go into a season and I just want to make excellent music, then I have every right to do it. Because I am an artist first. And ministry is a personal thing for me, but vocationally I am an artist. And so I just think that’s probably important to make clear. That might immediately answer some of the questions that people have, because when they start to think that, the implications of that, it might put a little balance on it.