Listening to Jonathan Ogden has been so refreshing. Usually, I find it a bit harder to take people named “Jonathan” seriously because that’s my brother’s name too HAHAHA, but I’m so glad to have stumbled across his music on Spotify.
As I was looking for a suitable recording of “Before the Throne of God Above” for church, his video popped up in my recommendations. (For once, I am immensely grateful for the YouTube algorithm!) Jonathan’s version of the song (0:00-5:30) is, by far, the best version I’ve heard! In a world of much noise and jarring sounds, Jonathan Ogden’s music is such a gift. Now it really makes sense to me that Saul calmed down when David played the harp!
Another thing I deeply appreciate about Jonathan Ogden is how he exemplifies the kind of balance which I think really matters in such a fragmented world. His lyrics aren’t just fluff. These days, Christian songs seem to fall into these extremes: either too rigid about always having “correct” lyrics (zero room for poetic expression and imagination), or too loose and abstract that it sometimes verges on heresy (poetry as an excuse for bad theology). Sometimes I wish we’d all take out the logs in our own eyes and just have the humility to learn from the other side – To come to a state where if I have bad theology, I’m gonna buck up and learn in humility, but if I’ve got a better grasp of theology, I’m gonna learn, in humility, to be gracious to those who don’t have that grasp yet.
Anyway! I thank God for Jonathan Ogden! He’s a true artist – someone who creates and appreciates beauty – who also holds the Word of the Master Artist in high regard. He’s someone whose music is not just pleasant to the ear, but also points to what matters most – a genuine love and desire for God.
PEEPING FROG 