Charity Gayle – Are You An Artist?
“I really don’t see myself as an artist. I just see myself as a worshiper.”
This statement from contemporary worship leader, Charity Gayle, reflects a growing movement in the church to see music as a vehicle for worship, rather than as an end in itself. This shift in perspective is rooted in the belief that the most important thing about music is not its style or genre, but its ability to lead us into a deeper relationship with God.
Charity goes on to say that “worship doesn’t have to happen just on the platform. Worship should happen in the pews.” This is a reminder that we can worship God through our singing, our prayers, and our actions.
Charity Gayle also emphasizes the importance of our unique individual sound. “Even our voices are individual,” she says. “But I’m not labeling your voice and you’re not labeling mine. It’s just the gift that God’s given us.”
This is a powerful reminder that we are all created in God’s image and that we each have something unique to offer. When we come together to worship, we can blend our individual voices into a beautiful symphony of praise.
Charity then compares the blending of our individual voices to the beauty of creation. “You have mountains and rivers and fish and elephants,” she says. “And there’s something so beautiful about when all of the sound of creation comes together.”
This analogy is a beautiful reminder that God has created a world of diversity and that we are all part of something much larger than ourselves. When we come together to worship, we can experience the unity and harmony of creation.
Charity concludes by saying,
“I think that the songs that Ryan and I write are a perfect example of that, because you have this worship, but you also have this beautiful gospel sound attached and it just becomes this amazing sound.”
This statement reflects the growing trend of blending different musical styles in contemporary worship music. This blending can be seen as a reflection of the diversity of God’s creation and the unity of the body of Christ.
The Importance of Identity
Charity also emphasizes the importance of our identity as Christians. She says that “if our identity is rooted in Christ first, then we can all become super blended in what we do.”
This is a reminder that our identity as Christians should be our primary focus. When our identity is rooted in Christ, we are free to express ourselves in our own unique way, without feeling the need to conform to a particular style or genre.
This blending of our individual identities can lead to a more authentic and powerful expression of worship. When we come together to worship, we can celebrate our diversity and our unity in Christ.
Conclusion
The worship leader’s perspective on music and identity is a refreshing and inspiring one. She reminds us that the most important thing about music is its ability to lead us into a deeper relationship with God. She also emphasizes the importance of our unique individual sound and our identity as Christians.
When we come together to worship, we can blend our individual voices into a beautiful symphony of praise. We can celebrate our diversity and our unity in Christ. And we can experience the beauty of creation as we worship the Creator.
When we come together to worship, we can be transformed by the power of music to unite us in our common love for God. We can celebrate our diversity and our unity in Christ. And we can experience the beauty of creation as we worship the Creator.
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Charity houses a powerful voice that has a fresh yet reminiscent sound. She loves the Lord with fierce faith and was raised in a home full of worship and has been involved in ministry since she was a child. Growing up in Buffalo, NY, Charity was a part of a culture that thrives in the spirit of unity while celebrating diversity. Surrounded by worship and the Word, her love for praising Jesus through music grew as she did. One of her favorite things growing up was watching her mom direct choir at Thursday night choir practice and by the age of 16, she was directing multiple choirs herself. “I love harmonies in gospel music. I think about Heaven being full of every type of voice from every nation, finding their part and praising God at the top of their lungs together around the Throne.” She spent two years in Nashville in 2014 and 2015 where she fell more in love with the art of writing songs for the church. Focusing on bridging the gap between worship and gospel music, she has authored songs like ‘Amen’ ‘Psalm 100 (Enter In), Cleansed and ‘New Name Written Down in Glory’. Her first record, ‘Lord, You are my Song, debuted at #1 in the Christian and gospel genre in January 2018. She recently released her sophomore album ‘Endless Praise’ in Sept. 2021, featuring the song ‘Thank You Jesus for the Blood’ also debuting at #1. Most recently, Charity received a Dove Award for the song ‘Benediction (As You Go)’ on Selah’s record, “Firm Foundation”. Charity lives and leads worship with her husband, Ryan Kennedy. They are cultivating a movement for 24-hour prayer and worship called GatherHouse, and are continuing to write and spread the gospel in the US and globally.