Just for the record, the label, “worst worship ever” was already embedded on the youtube video; I didn’t add it. I have a feeling there has been much worse.
It is a bit difficult for me to respond to this video of Rick Pino at the Ramp in Hamilton, AL under Karen Wheaton and Damon Thompsons’ ministry, as I am biting my tongue. I am a youth pastor at a church in Kentucky who happened to stumble across your site to make a visit. I pray that you understand that the label”worse worship ever” is conceived by people who live in a culture who’s views of spirituality unfortunately are not far from the churches view. I can honestly say from experience and knowing Rick personally that the Ramp and its ministries and it’s in tune heart with the presence of God have changed more young peoples lives in the past 10 years than you or I put together will see. Please do me and everyone else a favor research thoroughly what you post. From Pastor to Pastor, brother to brother…it was prophesied that the 3rd Great Awakening was being birthed out of that place and I believe it has begun. So my friend, I tell you this out of love, always praying for ya’ll…Peace
I am not trying to criticize the ministries of Rick Pino or the Ramp, because I don’t know enough about them. That is why I did not mention either one by name.
The song, however, is another matter. It completely divorces emotion from content. It says nothing about Jesus at all, except that He spins me “right round”. I have no idea what that means. And it exposes the church to the contempt of the world, who are all too eager to label us as ignorant, emotional lemmings easily manipulated by whoever has the microphone.
I think the problem with the church in america is that we are afraid to expose anything…and if we are labeled who cares. I can guarantee you there was no manipulating, but I will tell you this: after this song about 2-300 kids were set free from pornography, drug addiction and the like…Rick has prophesied twice over me and both have come to pass! Here is my challenge to you pastor Daniel, if you have itunes or a nearby christian bookstore purchase Rick’s latest CD its called Narrow Road…listen to every song and try it with no interruption. God will begin to move on you and wreck you, trust me! If you can’t do this, I live in Trafalgar for the time being, we can meet for coffee(my treat…lol) and I will give you a CD. Please understand that by far I am not trying to argue or debate with you…but you saying it divorces emotion from content and talking about being ignorant and manipulated is harsh for someone who also says that I don’t know enough about them. So if the world says all that about us(church) and we(church) say the same about people in the church, what my friend makes it any different?
Travis,
Again, my criticism is directed against this one particular example of worship, not Rick as a person. Even good people make mistakes. I certainly do. And I did not call him ignorant or manipulative, but was merely pointing out what the world could easily say about songs like this.
I may take you up on your offer of listening to his music if I have time. I’m a little behind on some important things right now, including some reading.
By the way, to me the argument that a song is okay because of the results, or that a person should not be criticized because God is using them is completely invalid. In the first place, the ends NEVER justify the means. In the second place, the results you mention are impossible for anyone except God to really evaluate over the long term. If we want to continue to talk about this video, then let’s please just talk about the song itself, whether it magnified Jesus Christ, beautifully proclaimed biblical truth, and helped God’s glory to be seen more clearly.
[...] a certain Rick Pino, who is featured in a much less positive light on this blog, under the heading, “If I become an atheist, here is Reason Number 3”. In that video, Rick asks the audience to spin their socks over their heads as they sing, “you spin [...]
Daniel
08/10/2010 at 5:58 pm
Just for the record, the label, “worst worship ever” was already embedded on the youtube video; I didn’t add it. I have a feeling there has been much worse.
travis
08/12/2010 at 10:55 pm
It is a bit difficult for me to respond to this video of Rick Pino at the Ramp in Hamilton, AL under Karen Wheaton and Damon Thompsons’ ministry, as I am biting my tongue. I am a youth pastor at a church in Kentucky who happened to stumble across your site to make a visit. I pray that you understand that the label”worse worship ever” is conceived by people who live in a culture who’s views of spirituality unfortunately are not far from the churches view. I can honestly say from experience and knowing Rick personally that the Ramp and its ministries and it’s in tune heart with the presence of God have changed more young peoples lives in the past 10 years than you or I put together will see. Please do me and everyone else a favor research thoroughly what you post. From Pastor to Pastor, brother to brother…it was prophesied that the 3rd Great Awakening was being birthed out of that place and I believe it has begun. So my friend, I tell you this out of love, always praying for ya’ll…Peace
Daniel
08/13/2010 at 8:56 am
Travis, thanks for your post.
I am not trying to criticize the ministries of Rick Pino or the Ramp, because I don’t know enough about them. That is why I did not mention either one by name.
The song, however, is another matter. It completely divorces emotion from content. It says nothing about Jesus at all, except that He spins me “right round”. I have no idea what that means. And it exposes the church to the contempt of the world, who are all too eager to label us as ignorant, emotional lemmings easily manipulated by whoever has the microphone.
travis
08/13/2010 at 2:22 pm
I think the problem with the church in america is that we are afraid to expose anything…and if we are labeled who cares. I can guarantee you there was no manipulating, but I will tell you this: after this song about 2-300 kids were set free from pornography, drug addiction and the like…Rick has prophesied twice over me and both have come to pass! Here is my challenge to you pastor Daniel, if you have itunes or a nearby christian bookstore purchase Rick’s latest CD its called Narrow Road…listen to every song and try it with no interruption. God will begin to move on you and wreck you, trust me! If you can’t do this, I live in Trafalgar for the time being, we can meet for coffee(my treat…lol) and I will give you a CD. Please understand that by far I am not trying to argue or debate with you…but you saying it divorces emotion from content and talking about being ignorant and manipulated is harsh for someone who also says that I don’t know enough about them. So if the world says all that about us(church) and we(church) say the same about people in the church, what my friend makes it any different?
Daniel
08/13/2010 at 5:14 pm
Travis,
Again, my criticism is directed against this one particular example of worship, not Rick as a person. Even good people make mistakes. I certainly do. And I did not call him ignorant or manipulative, but was merely pointing out what the world could easily say about songs like this.
I may take you up on your offer of listening to his music if I have time. I’m a little behind on some important things right now, including some reading.
By the way, to me the argument that a song is okay because of the results, or that a person should not be criticized because God is using them is completely invalid. In the first place, the ends NEVER justify the means. In the second place, the results you mention are impossible for anyone except God to really evaluate over the long term. If we want to continue to talk about this video, then let’s please just talk about the song itself, whether it magnified Jesus Christ, beautifully proclaimed biblical truth, and helped God’s glory to be seen more clearly.
Goofiness and Glory | Daniel Jepsen
08/24/2010 at 6:17 pm
[...] a certain Rick Pino, who is featured in a much less positive light on this blog, under the heading, “If I become an atheist, here is Reason Number 3”. In that video, Rick asks the audience to spin their socks over their heads as they sing, “you spin [...]
Andy Brown
08/24/2010 at 8:40 pm
Honestly, folks. Do we really need to discuss why waving dirty socks in the air is probably not the best way to glorify God?
Daniel
08/25/2010 at 12:27 pm
apparently