The Sloppy Wet Kiss

 

My friend Brian told me the other day that David Crowder's new album contains John Mark McMillan's 'How He Loves', but the Crowder band changed the lyrics from "Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss" to "Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss". (Watch here if you like)

 

While I don't want to get into theology debates on if Heaven meeting Earth is truly "unforeseen" or if our eyes and ears and minds are just closed, I do know I would be pretty bummed to have a song I wrote lyrically altered, even if it meant my song would be heard. Call it, artistic-license being violated.

 

But what struck me more than the lyrical changes was the dialogue by some on the YouTube comments about the lyrics and what this actually reveals about us, as the Church, and our hearts in encountering God in worship. Here is the account of what two people were discussing:

 

HubbaRider14: "anything that makes you open your eyes during worship shouldn't be there. its about connecting with God. and if i said sloppy wet kiss in the middle of worship, i'd be like what the heck......."

And the response to HubbaRider14 from Meeko777:
"i'm gonna have to agree, if i heard sloppy wet kiss during worship it would most likely distract me every time, (Partially because i'm a.d.d. but thats not the point) So im glad david crowder changed it to 'unforseen kiss' good call there to be honest."

Whether the lyrics suck or not, that's one thing. But the observation here of so many who feel they shouldn't open their eyes or be distracted by lyrics, music or leaders is a huge disservice to God Himself who is all about changing paradigms and making us open our eyes to Him.

I WANT to be shaken and stirred and know I am loved by Heaven's relentless pursuit. I WANT have something new that rattles me a removes me from just singing songs or memorized lyrics. I WANT to be ravished by God and how does love us, but who isn't content on having us remain where we are. But a God who gives us new lyrics and sounds and melodies and harmonies. To end here on a lyrical note from my friends in mewithoutYou:

We hunger, but though all that we eat brings us little relief 

We don't know quite what else to do, 
We have all our beliefs but we don't want our beliefs,
God of peace, we want you. 

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UPDATE:::
John Mark McMillan actually wrote his own reply to the changing of the lyrics back in September 2009 (a month after this article was created). Check it out. 

Comments

[TJ]

Our church sang this song recently with the "wet, sloppy kiss" lyrics. I must admit, when I saw it on the sreen I leaned over to the guy next to me and said, "Seems strange to sing about wet, sloppy kisses at church." This was coming from me, the guy who co-leads the marriage ministry with his wife. Well, the guy next to me, who is 17 years old by the way, put me in my place and reminded me that we, the Church, are the bride of Christ. Touché, indeed.

At the point I didn't even know what Crowder's lyrics actually were. When I found out it was "unforseen kiss" in his version, I decided I liked the "wet, sloppy kiss" better.

But, on that note, I love David Crowder band and my wife and I are going to see them in concert in Phoenix next Friday! And I'll be singing about wet, sloppy kisses! :-)

[Holly]

My church does the sloppy wet kiss line. The first time I heard that line, I couldn't wait to find out who did that song so I could get it. I love that song, I love that line, and I'd be highly offended if it were mine and changed to "unforeseen". That doesn't even make sense to me.

[Jordan]

I wholeheartedly agree, I was infuriated when I heard the change of lyrics.

[James]

I hate sloppy, wet kisses. My ex-girlfriend was a sloppy, wet kisser. And the line in that song is beyond ridiculous.

[Jon Greany]

The line is a blatant metaphor for unbridled passion. The act of a sloppy wet kiss isn't the focus, it's Heaven coming to Earth with the force of a hurricane and the love of a bridegroom.

[Joel Stephens]

"...it's Heaven coming to Earth with the force of a hurricane and the love of a bridegroom."

Wow. An awesome way to put it, Jon. Thanks!

[Mike]

Uh...have we read Song of Solomon???

If you choose "unforeseen kiss", then my guess is you have not. My apologies. But passion is not man's idea or invention. It is a hint of God's incredible love for us.
Song of Solomon 1:2 NLT
2 Kiss me and kiss me again,
for your love is sweeter than wine.
What...scripture even mentions wine...what!

How about Song of Solomon 4:11
11 Your lips are as sweet as nectar, my bride.
Honey and milk are under your tongue.
One can only know that under the tongue is like honey and milk if one has...uh, well, gotten a little sloppy.

Heaven, earth, marriage...love for Jesus is amazing when we get a little sloppy. Gang, the point is, scripture hints that the incredible emotions we experience are only a limited taste of what is to come when we finally experience his love in its fullness.

I'm lookin' forward to it!!!

[Joel Stephens]

Good stuff, Mike!

[Joel Stephens]

Poetic license, perhaps? :)

[Betsybassoon]

I teach at a Christian high school. We sing this song during our chapel services sometimes. A "sloppy wet kiss" is something these kids can relate to. Not as a haphazard or "bad kisser," but as mentioned by others, a truly deep and passionate kiss. I admit, when we first sung it I thought "Wait, now, what was that about a kiss?" So, I looked into it, looked at the lyrics to truly find the meaning behind them. I'm sure others have done this as well. Can you imagine what would happen if we took all praise songs this seriously and truly dissected the meaning of every word? I was taken aback when I first heard "unforseen kiss" on the radio... at first I thought they were saying "ultimate kiss."

[JW]

straight from the horse's mouth:
http://johnmarkmcmillan.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-he-loves-david-crowder-and-sloppy.html

[Joel Stephens]

Wow. Thanks so much Jared! Thats awesome to read. I think I will repost a link to John Marks blog! Thanks!

[Sarah]

I liked "sloppy wet kiss" because it was different and it made me think of how God loves me in a different light. Not in a nasty or perverted way, that's how the world loves, but in a no-holds barred kind of love from my heavenly father. "Unforeseen kiss" just doesn't have the same effect on me and I'm sorry that my church changed to that version.

[Joel Stephens]

Thanks Sarah! Where did you find the blog from? Check out the first video blog I updated today: http://www.revolttowards.com/2010/07/announcing-my-first-video-blog.html

[Aaron]

Mike but that will only hold water if you allegorize the song of solomon. The book, in its historic context, does not take on the meaning you are giving it, and that idea would have been alien to the readers of the time, and not at all what the author intended.
It is a book about the joys of marriage between a man and a woman that God has graciously granted us.

I think, especially in this day and age, we must resist the temptation to sentimentalize and romanticize our relationship to our Holy God. I hear a number of people talking about how much they "love God", however, Jesus' definition of loving Him was not a sentimental or a "Jesus is my best friend" kind of love that seems to be popular today in Christendom, but rather it was obedience to Christ's commands:

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

True obedience that flows from a regenerate heart is the issue.

[Joel Stephens]

Hey Aaron,

It's important to keep in mind the Jewish/Rabbinical perspective of the Song of Songs. Here is a good summarization on this website article from the UK's Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Writings/Song_of_Songs.shtml

It says,
"...The ancient Rabbis, while accepting the Solomonic authorship, debated whether the book should be considered part of the sacred Scriptures. The Mishnah (Yadaim 3:5), after recording this debate, gives the view of Rabbi Akiba, eventually adopted by all the Rabbis, that no one ever debated that the Song of Songs is sacred: 'for all the ages are not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the Ketuvim are holy, but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies.'"

What is interesting is that when it comes to the Song of Songs, it is us in the Western world have a hard time with anything beyond a literal interpretation when this was very easy for the Jewish people to adopt as allegory:

"For example, the verse (1:2): 'Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth' is interpreted as referring to the revelation at Sinai when Israel took upon itself to keep the Torah and an angel was sent by God to kiss each Israelite."

And while I do believe that part of loving Jesus is obeying his commands, we must remember another verse of Jesus in John 15:15:
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

Jesus is looking for more than people who are obedient. Slaves are obedient. But friends do things for one another out of love. Our journey with Jesus is about moving from just following orders to this deeper place of friendship. Don't get me wrong: He is still Lord.

But the story of the Prodigal Son is a great picture from Jesus. The Prodigal Son got the party and feast, the coat and the ring, all after blowing the King's (His father's) inheritance. It was the Obedient Son who was the one angry and upset at the treatment of his brother. He couldn't wrap his head around the notion that his own obedience would go ignored while his brother was lavished upon with grace and mercy. The Obedient Son had lossed sight of love.

All obedience must be rooted in authentic love of God and our brothers and sisters around us. We have laws in America, but I never feel like I'm affecting our President if I disobey them. In fact, he could care less if I went to jail or not for committing a crime as we have no relationship other than an authoritative one. Obedience, if it's not rooted in love and relationship, becomes robotic (a modern-day version of a slave) and void of sentiment and feeling altogether.

God made us to feel and experience Him. "Taste and see that the Lord is good". No one can stare at their favorite fruit to know it's good. It's one thing to just hold it and observe the colors and skin, but it's only when we taste it do we realize the flavors, textures and layers. For me, it's this tasting and experiencing that births my obedience, not because "He told me so", but because I know it hurts Him who is my friend when I do not.

[molkiecole]

Booo! Just what we need... more legalizm...

[TJH]

I don't really associate anything related to God as "sloppy". Passionate? Sure. Seems like so many other lyrics fit here. That being said, my church used "sloppy, wet kiss" and it wasn't my personal taste. However, it does make you think.