I admit that I used to wrinkle my nose at contemporary Christian music. It was too emotional and expressed a relationship with Jesus that was far too intimate for me.

At the same time, I loved Gospel music, including contemporary Gospel music.

Eventually I made myself look at that dichotomy: loving Gospel music sung mostly by black artists and being dismissive of contemporary Christian music, sung mostly by white artists.

I tried to come up with an honest explanation of why I appreciated one and not the other. But, when the words in my head were along the lines of African Americans… suffered more …. therefore more authentic, I realized I had a problem.

Holding black music and artists in higher regard because of the suffering of their ancestors is racist. Understanding that allowed me to delight in exploring more broadly.

I added a Hillsong channel to my Pandora account, and began to listen regularly, especially at work, where cube land with a bunch of extroverts got louder as the weekend approached. My like-minded colleague would quip, “Good Jesus in, bad Amazon out.”

At the time I rarely attended church and it was this contemporary Christian music that unexpectedly kept me somewhat tethered to any type of faith.

It was an umbilical cord—with enough nutrition and reminders of what I used to love—to keep me going until I could find my way back to God and to a community that loves me and which I love back, (a lot.)

Now, Crowder, Naomi Raines, Zach Williams, Bethel Music, Maverick City Music, Nicole Mullen, and whoever else pops up in Pandora sing me through my workday.

I prayed for many years that the words I heard through my headphones would someday be the words of my heart. And it has come to be. So, when Cory Asbury and Naomi Raines sing, “Reason to Praise”, my heart sings with them, and I can dance before the Lord.