Hillsongs Gets Punked: Terminal Writer of Hit Song Not Really Terminal
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, August 21, 2008
- Viewed 133
- (22) comments so far
According to the article, “It appears that Mr Guglielmucci, who was a pastor with one of Australia’s biggest youth churches, Planetshakers, may have even deceived his own family.
“This news has come as a great shock to everyone including, it seems, his own wife and family,” Hillsong general manager George Aghajanian said in an email to his congregation yesterday.
“Michael has confirmed that he is not suffering with a terminal illness and is seeking professional help in Adelaide with the support of his family.
“We are asking our church to pray for the Guglielmucci family during this difficult time.”
Los has a short post on the situation. You can also read the news article here.
What do you think? Can a song be ‘annointed’? And can/would God work through a fake to pen a song for that would be embraced by the church as this one has? (I obviously think He could, but wonder why He would… but, as Obama would say… I think that ones above my paygrade.)
Your thoughts?
Todd
A sad and embarrassing story hit the wires over the last few days... this time out of Australia. Michael Guglielmucci is a former pastor who had inspired hundreds of thousands of young Christians with his testimony of having terminal cancer. The problem was... he didn't. According to Adelaidenow.com.au, he is now seeking professional help. Earlier this year, Guglielmucci released a hit song The Healer which was featured on Hillsong's latest album. The song has become an anthem of faith for believers, many of whom are suffering their own illness and were praying for a miracle for Mr Guglielmucci, who has claimed for two years to be terminally ill. In one church performance that has attracted 300,000 hits on YouTube, he performs his hit song with an oxygen tube in his nose. The clip was pulled by YouTube with the advice "video no longer available."
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Peter Hamm on Thu, August 21, 2008
Ooh… You just can’t make this stuff up. (Okay, I guess you can…)
First, Can a song be ‘annointed’?
No, I don’t believe so, not in the biblical almost “magical” sense that so many mean it these days. Can a song be very appropriate and inspired (not in the sense that Scripture is inspired) and effective in communicating something very effectively? Oh yeah. But a song that is anointed one day isn’t the next? (If I ever hear “Shout to the Lord” one more time I’m going to just scream…)
And can/would God work through a fake to pen a song for that would be embraced by the church as this one has?
God causes EVERYthing to work together for his good purpose for those who love Him. That answer is easier, but more disturbing imho.
Camey on Thu, August 21, 2008
Oh…. praying…... more thoughts to come I’m sure…
Peter,
I understand where you’re coming from on “Shout to the Lord.” Let me tell you from mine… As someone who has known the depth of life-threatening illness personally.. of not being able to stand or move… and then having been completely healed - I will always shout to the Lord. Forever I’ll stand…. even when I wasn’t able to on my own and now even when wearing 3 inch heels for 12 hours like I did yesterday. I even shout to the Lord in regards to my daddy’s life and last breath.
Back to the original post:
We don’t always understand it all… and I for one am thankful for that - for He alone is God.
karl on Thu, August 21, 2008
yes, i think God can work through a ‘fake pen’. as hard as the story behind this is, as far as the song goes, there has been plenty that wasn’t originally created to honor God that has then been used in that way.
Derek on Thu, August 21, 2008
C’mon Peter…shout to the Lord…that’s a classic!
Seriously, I agree with you. We actually use Shout to the Lord (STTL) as a benchmark. I tell our worship leader that any song written before STTL is too old for us to do in worship. And STTL is a bit worn out, but it was cool when the American Idol contestants sang it last April on the number one TV show in America.
Can a song be anointed? No not really. “Anointed” is charismatic talk for uniquely inspired or empowered by the Spirit. It is perhaps the wrong word. God typically anoints people and not things.
God can use it to encourage people, no doubt. But songs can also have a powerful emotional effect on us that people can wrongly assume is the Holy Spirit. This is one of the pitfalls of charismania, confusing emotional experiences with spiritual experiences (e.g. the Lakeland “revival”)
Derek
P.S. We do include “O Lord You’re Beautiful” in our worship services. My all time favorite worship song by the late, great Keith Green.
Peter Hamm on Thu, August 21, 2008
Derek,
That Keith Green song has, imho, attained hymn status at this point anyway. But here’s my point. The top 25 songs from August 2008 according to CCLI.
How Great Is Our God
Here I Am To Worship
Blessed Be Your Name
Open The Eyes Of My Heart
Forever
You Are My King
Come Now Is The Time To Worship
Shout To The Lord
Lord I Lift Your Name On High
Holy Is The Lord
Everlasting God
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
We Fall Down
God Of Wonders
In Christ Alone
The Heart Of Worship
Trading My Sorrows
You Are My All In All
Breathe
Beautiful One
You’re Worthy Of My Praise
Above All
Mighty To Save
Days Of Elijah
Heck, I’ve RETIRED half these songs because they have “lost” their effectiveness. I wonder how many folks program nothing but these on a regular basis, because they felt so good and so right at some point, so they try to re-create an experience that might be better served by a NEW song!
Derek on Thu, August 21, 2008
Peter,
Yeah I see what you are saying. It underscores my earlier post about confusing an emotional experience with a spiritual experience.
Songs carry an emotional tie to a moment in our lives. If it is overplayed it loses it’s emotional effectiveness. “Not that there is anything wrong with that” I think it is important for people to understand the difference between what they are feeling and what they are spiritually discerning as related to worship music.
Oh Lord You’re Beautiful…definitely a hymn in the contemporary pop worship world. May it live on!
Derek
Clay on Thu, August 21, 2008
Philippians 1:15-19
Jermayn on Thu, August 21, 2008
I do think its a bit of hype by emotional Christians however some songs are better than others and do make your hairs on your back of the neck stand on end.
I am more disgusted by this claim…
Jeremy on Sat, August 23, 2008
I think its funny how we have made this about the song. It isnt about the songs Mike Gug has written (which are a LOT more than just “Healer”). The song is an icredibly written song which no doubt came from God. If it came from God, than it is His, and we should have no problem in singing the song.
My concern is first, is for the man. He is obviously stuck in a web of his own deceit and dishonesty. The new news that he has had an addiction to pornography puts it in perspective. He has been having to lie to cover things up for 18+ years, so it almost comes as no surprise that it came to this. He, no doubt, is confused as to what is fantasy and what is reality. Through good, Godly counsel, I believe that he can and will be set free of this. God disciplines those whom He loves. Mike should be glad that this has happened in a sense, because God is showing him His sovereign love. How much worse would it have been had he kept on this path for 5 more years? God’s timing is perfect, and He knows what He is doing.
I think a lot of Christian folks are angry and want him to suffer and pay for what he has “put us through.” I got news though…it’s not about us. Another one of God’s mouthpieces fell in a big way, and people will be hurt, but God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him. I believe that God has a plan in all of this. I pray that Mike can become a servant of God to speak out against the perversity that has overcome a generation. I pray that God will restore him to a place that will bring God glory in the most magnificent way. Mike’s ministry has been very self serving. When he is restored back into ministry, I believe he will be very much God-serving. God wont allow him to step back in to that type of capacity until it becomes all about Him.
My other concern is for his wife. She has had to go through an emotional roller coaster for the last 2 years, thinking her husband had cancer. She has never really known him. If she chooses to stand beside Mike in all of this, I pray that the healing can begin for her, and that the trust can be rebuilt between the two of them.
I am drawn to the story of David. He obviously lived a life of deceit at least for a while with Bathsheeba. But when his sin was exposed, and he repented, David was exalted into a great place of leadership. In fact God’s throne was established through David and Bathsheeba. We need of extend that same type of grace, and not be so quick to crucify this guy, although I do believe he needs to pay the price for what he has done…
just my 2 pennies, for whatever thats worth
Caryl on Sun, August 24, 2008
sad day, but we are seeing scripture revealed…. deceivers… satan loves to shock, overwhelm and even destroy.
can a song be anointed, absolutely yes… by way of effluence (outflow) from and anointed writer. hmmmm.
samson David on Sun, August 24, 2008
I for one definitely agree with Jeremy.The guy has been living a life of deceit and people in his ministry as well as his own family could be angry with him but don’t we all have some kind of lie hiding within us.I mean at least this person has come out in the open which is the best way to deal with a lie and also to confuse the enemy.Its never too late to ask for forgiveness and start all over again. God is interested in His people and therefore He will restore the ones who seek His forgiveness and move on.We need to forgive Pastor Mike and pray for his loved ones to overcome these difficult times in their life.Also remember David, he never went against Saul because once upon a time Saul was the anointed one of the Lord.Pastor Mike is the anointed one of the Lord and lets pray that he gets is perspective right in life.Lets not judge him but befriend him.
Pat on Mon, August 25, 2008
Very sad situation, but it does not inhibit God from using the man’s songs to bless many people. God is not bound nor hindered by our shortcomings. Lest we forget, look at the many individuals in Scripture that had shortcomings and yet they were used by God and millions have been blessed by their lives although all were fallen people. This however is not a license for sin. I think he definitely needs help, which it seems he’s seeking and he needs to not be active in ministry until he has overcome whatever is plaguing him.
Pat on Mon, August 25, 2008
Whoa, Peter! A song losing its effectiveness? I think more likely, we as people change, but I think Christian music, if written under inspiration, never loses its effectiveness.
Peter Hamm on Mon, August 25, 2008
“written under inspiration” is a tricky thought, though, don’t you think? Surely not the same inspiration as scripture is written under. I have seen songs totally lose their impact over time, even good songs.
I’ve heard it said that about the 7th to 10th time an average person sings a song, it starts to go downhill. (there’s some research from barna or somebody on this.) I think that’s fairly accurate, and if you want a song to last, don’t do it twice or three times a month!
Pat on Mon, August 25, 2008
I don’t think “writen under inspiration” is tricky. One is either inspired by the Holy Spriit or they’re not.
I think it comes back to us as people. There are songs that I don’t listen to very often that I learned years ago, but because I focus on the words and the message, I can still find myself being touched by them. There are some very old standards of the Church that when sung, I can see how impacting they are on the congregation. Some I’m sure are just into emotionalism, but some really know what the message of the song is and it resonates with their own experience with God. I think of songs like “It is Well” and “Amazing Grace” for an example. I think what you’re referring to about not repeating a song 2 or 3 times a month is more a commentary on the shallowness of our culture and the disdain for all things “old”.
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