Passion, Gifting, and Creativity

Over the last three and a half years, Dave and Jess Ray have brought leadership to Tallowood’s contemporary services each weekend.  In the course of their time at Tallowood they have also released three CDs of original material.  Here, Dave writes of the joy of creativity and using our gifts to serve our one true Passion:

The Psalms are filled with exhortations to “sing to the Lord a new song,” a reminder that we serve a creative God who formed us in His image that we might also be creative beings.  The phrase also reminds us of the great joy God takes when we use our creativity in His service.  Of course, when we think of creativity, most of us think of music and the arts, but in reality human creativity extends to all fields: creating new ideas, new technologies, new solutions, new directions.  For me, though, creativity most often means songwriting.

I find tremendous joy in using my creative gifts in the service of the Giver, as all of us do when our purposes line up with God’s purposes.  And He is teaching me an important lesson about the relationship between me, Him, and my gifts.  I used to say, “Music is my passion,” but often found myself jealous of other people’s skill and success, and frustrated at any perceived failure.  God has been showing me that these negative emotions are a direct result of misplaced priorities.  You see, I was not created for music to be my passion, my ultimate joy.  I was created for God to be my passion.  Music is simply my gift, and is meant to be used in service of my passion.

Dave & Jess Ray

When Jess and I arrived at Tallowood in 2006 I was just beginning to learn that lesson.  I resolved that I would use my gift in God’s service and let Him lead me through whatever door He opened, no matter what that might be.  The first door was unexpected: an album of Scripture songs for children.  I had never written a song for children before, nor had I ever tried to set Bible verses to music, but our Minister to Children, Carol Kleckner, commissioned me to write a song for the launch of M&M&Ms (Missions, Memory, & Music) using their theme verse, Psalm 145:21: “My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.  Let every creature praise His holy name forever and ever.”

I enjoyed the experience so much that with the support of Carol and our Minister of Music at the time, Paul Magyar, Jess and I recorded a full album of songs with texts taken directly from Scripture.  We called the album The Doorpost Songs after Deuteronomy 6:9, which commands the people of Israel to remember the word of God, pass it down to their children, and tie it to their doorposts.

The Doorpost Songs (2006)

Jess and I sang the lead vocals along with a children’s choir from Tallowood.  Musicians from Tallowood and the Houston area recorded the band tracks, and our good friend Scott Williamson produced and engineered the record.  We released the album in December of 2006, and immediately were grateful that God had led us in that direction as we heard parents tell how their kids were memorizing the songs and learning Scripture.

The next door that opened to us was an album of other original songs that I had written during our time at Tallowood.  These songs were personal.  They were expressions of worship, declarations of praise, and exhortations to obedience.  They were the cumulative experiences of our lives over the previous three years, and the story of our walk with God through it all.

Dave & Jess Ray (2008)

These songs became an album simply titled, Dave & Jess Ray, which was released in May of 2008.  Again we were privileged to work with our friend Scott Williamson who produced and mixed the record.  It was incredibly rewarding to share these songs with our church family, allowing these moments of vulnerability in the hopes that the ways God had been working in our lives would encourage and edify the body of Christ.

Soon after the release, Carol Kleckner approached me about doing a second Doorpost Songs album.  The experience of creating and releasing the first album had been so unique and exciting that I was immediately interested and began to plan and write for the album that would become The Doorpost Songs: Next Generation.

The Doorpost Songs: Next Generation (2009)

Recorded in the same fashion as the first Doorpost Songs record, with our now faithful compatriot in creativity, Scott Williamson, at the helm, The Doorpost Songs: Next Generation was released in June of 2009.  It features ten new songs (and one “surprise”) from Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments set in a modern worship style that we hope will appeal to kids and adults alike.

If you’ve never heard the songs on these albums, we would be delighted to share them with you.  Each of the albums is available at the Tallowood Bookshop, and both Dave & Jess Ray and The Doorpost Songs: Next Generation are available on iTunes by clicking on the links below:

Dave & Jess Ray on iTunes

The Doorpost Songs: Next Generation on iTunes

And don’t forget that serving God creatively is not reserved just for musicians and artists.  We have all been endowed with creative gifts by a creative God who longs for us to find our passion, our ultimate joy, in Him.  When we use our gifts in the service of our Passion, we align our purposes with God’s purposes, and that is a truly inspiring place to be!