Links...
Official Something Like Silas site
Sparrow Records
Flood
"We want to change the way people look at worship bands. We want to play sweet music
that engages people on their journeys toward knowing the hope found in God, whether
they know Him personally or are just open to it. We want a new way of playing music
and approaching God at the same time." -Eric Owyoung
Click here for pictures from Something Like Silas' recent mission trip to Malawi Africa.
Malawi facts:
In the rural parts of southern Malawi, severe drought, poverty and AIDS have shortened the average person's life expectancy to 36 years. In drought-stricken areas, farmers often do not have the resources to purchase seed and fertilizer after a poor harvest.
info courtesy of MANNA (Ministering Aid to Needy Nations Abroad)
MQ: I saw that you currently lead worship at FLOOD, a service designed to reach the post modern generation. What do see as being music's role in society right now?
Lenny: Music is definitely a common
denominator between people that believe in God - people that don't believe in God - people with political agenda - people who just want to create. It is
really the common denominator between all of those things...even in sports we use music. I think there is a value in music that kind of underlines life just
in general. It has the potential to great harm and bring hatred but it also has the potential to bring peace and love. It has the potential of changing hearts and attitudes toward each other and toward God.
Eric: Someone once said this is not the day and age not of the orator, but of the artist.
What that means I think is that twenty-five years ago, influence was happening from the speakers....you turned on the radio and listened to a speaker or a
politician talk. But, right now the politicians are like Bono from U2. He is not even a politician but yet he has so much influence. I think that is true
in the church. Yes, we have pastors and those are totally important but the role now of a worship leader is so vital to the church and its identity and the
things that that worship leader, if that worship leader is writing songs for the church, what those songs are about and how he communicates those
things are really important. Thats a big pressure I think - a big obligation. It's difficult to realize but I think its a challenge that as worship leaders
realize their role they are challenged to 'step it up' and realize how much influence they have in their church.
MQ: Do you have any advice or tips on people starting out in music? Life advice?
Technicial advice? What to do? What not to do?
Nick: It's been said so many times and it can be said a million times...and that's - don't try to write
music just for the sake of being signed or for the sake of selling records but
with what God has gifted you with in your heart...what God's doing in your heart is what you should write about. What's on your heart and the music that
comes out of your life is what you should be doing. The calling in your life is evident from the things that you enjoy - the things you are passionate about. To feel strongly about that and to be focused on that and also know that God is going to take you where He wants to take you, and not to create something that isn't right.
MQ: I read on your web site the band has been to Africa. At one of the stadium events,
there were over thirty thousand people.
Eric: We did a missions trip to Africa. Malawi was the country we went to. We took a
soccer team because the people of Malawi say they have two things...they have so very little, so they whittle it down to soccer and music. Our
church community at FLOOD said 'Hey, lets take those two things to Malawi.' And so we
gathered together a soccer team and had their soccer team play all of their top national
teams in Malawi. And then, our band went out into the field and played a concert. We used
that time to talk about the grace of God. There are many people in Malawi who know about
Christianity. It's not new to them. But they may not see who God really is. They may not see
the gift of grace. Many of them think that Christianity means you have to behave a certain way and you'll get to Heaven. Then, you combine that with a little bit of witch doctor
practice and it makes a good life - or then you get blessed. We went there to preach the
true gospel of Christ giving grace as a free gift. We utilized that band time...I think the most meaningful thing for us was engaging with the people. We
learned some of their songs in their national language, Chichewa.
As soon as we started speaking their language and singing their songs there was
an immediate connection all the away across the world...from people that we could call our brothers. All of a sudden we felt like family with them. We
were able to go, 'Wow, we have so much to learn from you people.' We kind of went over there with the mentality that 'Oh, we're missionaries, we're going to go bless their country.' I think of anybody that was blessed
, it was us. We walked away with a perspective of life, of their generosity, of
their kindness, of their ability to embrace people, of their ability to appreciate life.
That was impacting. I don't think we'll ever forget those times. I don't think we'll
ever forget how it's impacted our own lives and our own ministry.
Malina:
I think our trip to Africa just affirmed something in our heart about doing
international ministry. We feel we have a real sense of calling to other people groups. I think as
the technology advances, the world gets smaller and smaller and a lot of the themes
we are struggling with in San Diego ... we were at a
university in Malawi talking with people about the same things. People are looking for
hope. There is a lot of despair despite all of the stuff that we have in America. The true
despair is because there is a void. We try to stuff it with other stuff. In Malawi,
there isn't all of that stuff but there is still that emptiness. They are still trying
to fill it with other things. I think there is this common thread throughout youth and
people growing up this postmodern society that says 'there is no truth - your truth is
your own.' It's just not sitting right with people and we know there's something greater. That is what we try to communicate because that is a lot of what we struggle with.