Since time began music has been a way for people to communicate their thoughts and feelings with one another. Still today, we are moved by lyrics that strike at the core of our struggles.
“His comfort is deep in the night time. He walks with me all through the day. And when I fall in the valley of darkness, He comes to light my way.”
Karen Lafferty is a recording artist whose lyrics bring hope. She grew up in a Christian family and was always grateful for her beginning in God. But it was actually in a New Orleans bar where Karen found intimate relationship with Jesus. She was working as an entertainer, when one day a childhood friend came to visit. Karen saw in her friend’s relationship with Jesus, realness and love that she longed for, but had thought unattainable. Because of that meeting, Karen gave her life to do whatever Jesus asked. That same realness and honesty still reflects in her lyrics today.
As a songwriter you tend to derive your lyrics from life. That’s what happened to Karen when she wrote the song, “Seek Ye First.” After leaving New Orleans she moved to California. It was here that she felt to quit her job and pursue full-time ministry. But when money ran out and Karen couldn’t pay rent, she became very disheartened and felt she couldn’t call her family for help. Then one night she attended a bible study, which focused on Matthew chapter 6. It instructed her to seek first the kingdom of God.
Karen went home that night, refreshed in her faith and full of joy. She couldn’t think of another song that used the inspiring words she had heard in the bible study, so she wrote them down and put them to music. Over a period of years this song “Seek Ye First” became hugely popular and God still uses the royalties to provide for Karen today.
People yearn for answers to a multitude of questions in life. As I interview Karen, she shares how God has used her to minister over the past forty years, from the start of the Jesus movement and Maranatha music until now. She says, “I’ve seen music evangelism be very effective. I’ve witnessed many hundreds come to know the Lord.” Karen expresses a deep desire for younger musicians to reach out to their own generation. She says, “Today the christian music worship industry is huge. So that’s what a lot of people tend to do, only be involved with worship. I want to encourage people that the great commission is all about going into the world and sharing the gospel. Pray for creative ways to reach people. Think about evangelism as well as worship.”
When the topic of talent comes up, some people shy away from playing publicly. They think they aren’t sufficiently gifted for God to use them. As Karen and I chat about what it takes to “make it” as a musician, she dispels some of the myths. She says, “Go ahead and do the best with what you’ve got and God promises increase. If you use your talents, you’ll be surprised at what God wants to do with you.”
It’s not simply musical talent that enables someone to follow a calling from God. Karen says, “It takes solid character, attitude, and people skills. The ability to work within a team is essential, while it is also important to have an attitude of serving.”
Ministry can be found in unlikely, or not thought of venues. Many times people wait to be asked, but Karen says, “Look for opportunities to minister, in prisons, or old people’s homes. These places won’t ask you to come and play, you have to seek them out. Humility is a big key. When we began with Maranatha we never knew where we’d be sent. One day we could be playing for 1000’s at Disneyland and the next we could play at a retirement home. I learned to be open for God to use me however and wherever He wanted. I was in my early twenties and this type of ministry wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. But it was important for me to see beyond just playing songs for a bunch of people and then leaving. I needed to learn to see the people and minister to them.”
In the early eighties Karen pioneered “Musicians for Missions” as part of Youth With A Mission in Amsterdam. She says, “I knew that there needed to be a push for musicians to minister in the hard places.” For the next fourteen years Karen led teams, ministering to people including prostitutes and the homeless living on the streets of Europe. She also founded the School of Music in Missions in 1995. Later she returned to the USA, where she has continued to tour and minister through music and evangelism. She is now located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the current headquarters of Musicians for Missions. When I ask her what her most important piece of advice would be for a young musician, she says, “Seek Ye First, the Kingdom of God.”
For more information about Karen Lafferty or Musicians for Missions, please visit the website at www.musiciansformissions.com