Coming to Peace with Amy Grant Even If I Disagree with Her

This is almost like a gift. Years back, we had tickets to see Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith in concert, and then my father was scheduled for emergency heart surgery the same day. Out of state. We gave the tickets to some friends. I flew out to see him, and we moved on. I haven't had a chance to see her again.

Even longer ago, when Amy came through town on the House of Love tour, we had great seats! Gary Chapman opened for his wife and was quite good But I waited for the title song. The hit song with now husband Vince Gill is still one of my favorites- and truth be told, when the Building the House of Love video came out on A&M Records, my wife and I could easily recognize the spark and chemistry between she and Vince. Little did we know what was going on. 

Amy is no stranger to controversy. Now, her affirmation and support of her niece's wedding to another woman is just somewhere that I can't go. We've had many family members whom we love deeply who are gay- but for the life of us, we cannot find references or a consistent support in the Bible for same sex relationships. Our lives belong to Jesus Christ, and if we're going to carry his name, we've got to be 100% willing to die to everything that God's word says is unholy. Everything. 

I was more than disappointed in Amy. I was angry. Very angry. 

Some say she's abandoned her faith, others say she never had it. I say Amy is still growing in it, and like many of us, have chosen to believe things that are not true- or worse, failed to align their beliefs with what God deems clean and pure. But let me state clearly- she is wrong in this approval of those living the LGBTQ lifestyle and professing Jesus. To support what God deems evil is wrong. There is deception going on here. The truth is always loving. The presentation of it must be loving as well.

We're all broken. We're all imperfect. Even if you side with Amy on this issue, look deep within and admit there's still a lot of work left to be done in you. If you disagree with her on this issue, remember you like I am not perfect. There's still work to be done, and if God's spirit is in us, we must choose to disagree peacefully and civilly. That attitude reflects God's heart to a world that needs to know Him. Not pride and ego, arguing and fighting. We all - believer in Jesus Christ or not- can come to God imperfect and broken, but we must yield to Him and His ways to continue to show Him that he is loved. Sermon over. 

Pray for Amy to come to the truth in humility and to be willing to stand up for it- lovingly, kindly, but bravely. Many will fall away from Jesus. The Word tells us that. Is this the beginning of Amy's total move away from the Lord? I hope not.

It's still hard for me to listen to her now- sadly, even her Christmas albums- which I love.

Now... here's a great concert where Amy performs hits both secular and sacred, and she tells many stories along the way. Human stories that reveal brokenness in her own family and God's enduring faithfulness. 

Thanks to 7th Stone Media for publishing this concert for 2023:

Put A Little Love in Your Heart

What a very nice surprise this was! As I was searching around for something new to listen to and checking in on my favorite artists, I discovered what has to be one of the best matches of song and singer: Amy Grant's new single Put A Little Love in Your Heart.

In a world that tends to make light of positive music, Amy Grant has been a consistent hit maker. But the message behind her music is what drives her. God's love found only through Jesus Christ. Pure, simple music that makes you think, smile, and sometimes weep. Man, it is great to hear the Baby Baby and House of Love singer again.

Amy Grant Interview Hits Home

Just watched this interview with Amy Grant. There's something I can't put my finger on, but it touched me so deeply. There's a sincerity, a gentleness, a maturity that comes from time and age that you can hear in her voice. Gotta watch it.

The Music Plays On

Twenty years ago, Amy Grant released her landmark album Lead Me On. This was her coming of age disc, and the sound and contemporary feel was light years ahead of her earlier, more sugary releases. Few albums if any saw Christian music artists tackling such heavy issues as the Holocaust in the midst of the expected songs of faith and love. Lead Me On was an album that also included material by writers that were decidedly not believers but still had something of substance to say. This unexpected twist made a bold statement: Amy was an artist and a woman who refused to be defined by what others expected of her.

This disc also marked a period of increased success in the secular market as well in the gospel music arena. Amy's profile further increased after her duet with Peter Cetera of Chicago fame, surprising listeners and viewers of the associated video when they discovered that the young Christian singer was actually more relaxed and candid than her leading man. It was a small taste of what was to come.

For A&M Records to sign a Christian artist was a big step of faith. However, it paid off. Hollywood and the pop music charts embraced and rewarded Amy even as she stuck to her beliefs. How could this be? In addition to being attractive and charming, Amy was sincere and humble. Her involvement with groups like Habitat for Humanity made her well loved- long before it was trendy for celebrities to be actively involved in making the world a better place. 

Amy never flaunted or downplayed her faith, and she was not preachy about what she believed or how she conveyed it. A former A&M Records promotions man told me that Amy was one of the nicest and most sincere people he had ever met, making his job a whole lot easier as his work on her single Baby Baby made it a number one pop smash. The concurrent album Heart in Motion brought Amy to her highest point of popularity as she became even more controversial.

Guest appearances on other artist's work and movie soundtracks balanced songs both secular and sacred. Amy covered everything from old hymns to songs made popular by Elvis Presley, Carole King, and Robert Palmer. Her seasonal Christmas releases and solo albums contained a combination of both types of music, as well as songs penned by her. This was the pattern that continued for a few years, pleasing both secular and Christian audiences.

Unfortunately, some in the Christian community were frustrated and angered by their poster girl's refusal to play by their rules, forgetting the Biblical admonition to be ambassadors of Jesus to the world around them. This is a tough balancing act for anyone wanting to represent Christ well, but especially for those in the public eye.


Christmas projects and special releases aside, Heart in Motion was followed by House of Love, a likable but uneven collection that did include the perfect match of song, artist and duet partner with Vince Gill on the title cut. A video highlighting the making of the disc revealed the pair's chemistry. Her next release revealed all was not perfect in Amy's own home, however.

Behind the Eyes was a solid and powerful release, but it revealed a very unhappy woman in addition to examining topics of social commentary and faith. Critics justifiably applauded her honesty as well as her artistry. However long time fans read between the lines and many remained worried for her marriage and her personal life. Rumors gleefully spread in Hollywood and Nashville. Sadly, gossip sometimes disguised as concern made the rounds in neighborhoods of faith. Amy eventually divorced her husband, ending some speculation about her life, and many seasons later married her House of Love partner.

Although it would be years before their friendship culminated in marriage, neither Amy or Vince could escape speculation about their past. Whether or not the allegations of unfaithfulness were true, Amy's origins made it impossible for many folks to remember she was held to the same standard they were- and like them, she was also forgiven by God if she sought Him.

Retreating for a period of rest and refocus, Amy returned with the great Simple Things album, happier in tone and not quite as far removed from the pop feel of her earlier hits. Focus on homespun pleasures and the freedom that comes from forgiveness from the past highlighted the tone of this collection.

 

As life settled down, Amy journeyed back to her roots with a couple of Hymn projects- Legacy and Rock of Ages- as well as guesting on other artist's work. All very solid efforts from an artist who knows who she is and who she is in Christ. Besides being powerful testaments to her enduring faith, these discs returned her once again to the good graces of her original supporters.


Greatest hits albums told her journey in song, but a book about her life was not far behind. Fans expecting her Mosaic to be a tell all autobiography may have been disappointed. Instead, it is a charming collection of stories about her life. It reveals much about her and the ups and downs of life as a woman, wife, mother, Christian, singer, humanitarian, and celebrity. Just like Amy, it is a warm and honest account.

As her career moves into the later stages, Amy proves herself to be an artist that has endured many trends and personal changes. She succeeds due to the same thing that made her controversial to begin with: she'll play by no one's rules but her own as she strives to love and serve Jesus in the unique way He designed her. May the music play on.