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10 Questions with ... Jason Gray
September 6, 2022
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1. Share about that new song/album of yours.
“When I Say Yes” was born out of an experience I had as a camp speaker. I’ve been doing the music and speaking at Camp Shetek in Southwestern MN every summer for 25 years (wow!). I’ve watched as kids would come to the altar for every invitation—even when it obviously wasn’t for them! Something in them wanted to be in the middle of whatever God was doing and they just couldn’t not come forward. The content or the terms of the altar call didn’t matter so much as the fact that their hearts were open, yielded, and desiring to be wherever they believed God was. That got me thinking about the nature of salvation and how it seems what matters most is that a person has a “yes” in their heart toward God. The rest seems to work itself out so long as that “yes”—that desire for God and to yield to him—is in place. That goes beyond salvation into all aspects of our life and the rest of the song is about the power of saying “yes” to God.
2. Share a challenging part of the past year.
Oh wow, well… if I’m being real… dating post divorce has been tricky to navigate. The mere logistics of it can be overwhelming—stepping into the lives of her and her kids, knowing when to intervene and when not to, respecting that they already have a father, etc. Not to mention that it’s currently a long-distance dating relationship. Add to that our own traumas from our divorces and all the fear and second guessing that comes with that and you’ve got yourself a bit of a minefield! And whose mines are whose? At the same time, all those challenges lead me to places in my own heart that need attention and healing, so it’s good. It’s just a lot of work to go in there and disarm all those mines! Of course, my relationship with her has given me some of the best parts of my year, too!
3. Some really great advice you received recently was…
I just heard something last night. I did an event with Colton Dixon who encouraged the audience to interpret the things in our life as either being something that connects us to the abundant life or that steals, kills, and destroys. Obviously you want more of the one and less of the other, but you have to be nuanced about it (paying bills definitely steals, kills, and destroys, but it still has to be done haha), but I thought it was an interesting lens to look at my life through.
4. How do you continue to deepen your relationship with Jesus?
Follow my curiosity, trusting that it’s the mechanism God put inside of me to lead me to Him. At the same time, cultivating a deep mistrust of my own assumptions, recognizing that I’m prone to self-righteousness and confirmation bias. Doing both of these things help clear the way for authentic encounters with Jesus (as opposed to some god I’ve created in my own image).
5. Share how you balance creating, recording, and performing.
Ha! I don’t know that I do! It’s an imperfect science, for sure. I will say that some of these things happen in seasons. I’m just wrapping up a season of writing for a record. It’s been insanely demanding… writing with collaborators nearly every free day that I’ve had for months. But I’m nearing the end of that, which means I’ll take a break from songwriting for a while, until it’s time to write for the next record. In the meantime, I’ll keep writing for a book I hope to publish sooner than later.
One practical piece of all of that, though, when it comes to balance is deciding who I’m going to cheat. I heard pastor Andy Stanley talk about the idea that there’s no way we can do everything our lives demand of us, so we have to choose who/what we will cheat. Today I might cheat my work life in favor of other things that need my attention. But then tomorrow I might cheat my friends or family, or maybe myself to get some work done, and so on and so forth. Choosing who/what to cheat helps me be conscious and intentional about it, accepting my limitations, rather than imagining I can do everything and then feeling guilty when I fall short. I accept that I’ll fall short, but I get to choose when and where. So a season of songwriting means some relationships and personal rest get cheated. But soon I’ll cheat songwriting and give my attention to the other things.
6. Tell us about someone who you really respect and why.
I heard this story from a friend who hosted Richard Rohr for an event, that controversial Franciscan monk who some regard as the nuanced voice our times need and others regard as a kind of heretic. Driving him from the airport to the event, my friend overheard a call Mr. Rohr received from the bishop in Mississippi who was to introduce him that night but who was now backing out because of pressure he was receiving from those in his congregation who didn’t like Rohr’s theology. The bishop apologized, but my friend overheard Rohr say, “No need for apologies my friend. I’d actually like to thank you. Every day I pray for a bearable humiliation to help keep my ego from getting too big and remind me of my daily need for Jesus. You are the answer to that prayer today, and I thank you for it.”
I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I heard the story. Somebody cornered me after a concert a few months ago to take issue with some things I shared but I failed to be as generous in my spirit as Rohr was. Regardless of whether I disagree (in whole or in part) with his theology, Rohr’s response in that moment is the most genuinely Christlike thing I’ve heard in awhile and it made me want to be more like that.
7. What's one thing that most people would be surprised to learn about you?
I love to cook!
8. What’s your favorite room at home and why?
Right now I’d say it’s my back deck. Maggi and I did some work to make that a beautiful space, and I love going out there to read, write, and visit with friends when I have them over.
9. What’s something you’re looking forward to?
I’m really looking forward to my new record! I’m very proud of the songs, but I’m also at a place in my life where I’m more secure in who I am so I’m less neurotic about the whole process haha. Writing and making a record is an exciting part of my ministry and I’m so grateful for it, but along with it has always come a certain amount of wrestling with my own insecurities and worries. But I’m in a different space with all of that this time around. The older I get, the more my life is shaped by gratitude, and things like insecurities and worries whither in the presence of gratitude.
10. What do you do to chill and unwind?
My mind is very active, I’m always thinking about something, so enjoying a TV show or a movie helps me direct that. I’m very purpose driven with it, it’s not escapism for me—especially since I’m always looking for shows/movies that engage my heart/mind/soul. It really is a place to direct my attention. It helps me let down and pulls me into a story where I can exercise all of the things I’ve been thinking about. For instance, and this is a weird example, but if I’m reading books about psychology or theology and then I’m somewhere where “The Bachelor” comes on—a show I’d otherwise have no interest in—I get to put my thinking to the test as I observe what human beings do when they’re put in unnatural circumstances. It’s fascinating! But it’s better for me if I watch something plot driven—with a beginning, middle, and conclusion—because it gives me the experience of things being resolved. It’s a little taste of order amidst the chaos of life!
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