What Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" teaches us about the gospel

Most 80's "hair bands" have simply flamed out because, frankly, they were not very good. 4 chords and an electric guitar with overuse of a "whammy" bar does not necessarily make for good music. Lyrical content didn't get much better. "Mocumentary" Spinal Tap really did a great job of making fun of how overtly sexual lyrics had become with songs like like "Sex Farm" and "Big Bottoms." 

Now I say this with some nostalgia, as the first song I learned on guitar was Poison's "Every Rose Has It's Thorn." I also learned the guitar solo, if that says something to you of the lead guitarist C.C. Deville. Nevertheless, still a good song.

Yet not all of these 80's rockers were equally as bad. Guns N Roses comes to mind; of course they eventually got really bad and broke up. But I wonder if you thought Night Ranger was still rocking. Just saw this on foxnews.com.

Apparently front man Jack Blades is still rocking and putting out music. Some of his former band-mates have collaborated on his new project. If you're like me-aware of many of these bands-you may only remember Night Ranger's "Sister Christian." But if you want to go see him, you needn't fear. They haven't forgotten what we remember most about them.

The album features special guests including his Night Ranger band mates Brad Gillis, Kelly Keagy, Joel Hoekstra, and Eric Levy.  He’ll reunite with them on the road with both Night Ranger and solo shows in store this year. And don't worry, “Sister Christian” will be on the set list!

Unlike some folks who score big with a song of almost anthem-like quality like House of Pain's "Jump Around", and yet DON'T want to play that song in concerts because such artist feel they're beyond it, Night Ranger is more than happy to sing "Sister Christian." They don't mind being identified with it. Perhaps even defined by it.

“How can you get bored when you look out at the audience and… just grins across their face, their eyes, happy, singing 'Motoring,' how can you not get into that?” he asks. “It’s been 30 years we’ve been doing this, and every night I get up there and play and it’s like my first night.”

For Christians, it is no different with the gospel. We can never get tired of singing the same song over and over. It's what defines us; its what identifies us. Whether it be for 30 years or 90 years, the Christian is to know, be known, be identified with, and proud of the simple song of the gospel his/her whole life. Our whole lives involve regularly singing it and looking forward to hearing others "covering" it from the pulpit each week.

What I mean by this is that we need to regularly repent of ways in which we disbelieve that Jesus is more than enough to cover our sins and supply all of our deepest heart longings. And then we believe that Jesus still loves us just as much in our struggle to believe, as he does when we seem to "get it." Jesus never repented because he didn't have anything to repent from or for. But he did have faith, and fully submitted himself to the will of the Heavenly Father, and so that faith now counts as ours. 

I love "Sister Christian" and you can listen to it below. For Jack Blades, singing "Sister Christian" never gets old. May it be the same with the gospel. The gospel is a song that should be on our playlists every day.