By Michael C. Mack
“Don”t tell me men don”t sing,” says Greg Atkinson, a pastor, author, speaker, consultant, and the founder of Worship Impressions, a secret shopper service for churches. “If someone (male of female) has had a genuine encounter with the living God””they sing, sometimes loud,” says Atkinson on his blog, www.gregatkinson.com.
Atkinson says he”s seen this firsthand in his 22 years of ministry, particularly in prison ministry. “I”ve been in prisons with a room full of tattooed, hardcore men (some with teardrop tattoos signifying they”ve killed someone) that are singing to the top of their lungs,” he says. “They unashamedly worship our great God and Savior knowing the consequences and that some other prisoners may see this as a sign of weakness or make fun of them.”
But it”s not only prisoners who have hit rock bottom that blow Atkinson away with their passion for God and love of worship music. “We”re all desperate for and dependent upon God,” he says. “When we realize our need for Jesus, we cry out to him. We lift our voices and shout, “˜Hosanna!””
Several decades ago, men filled stadiums across the U.S. for Promise Keepers conferences. The worship times were some of the strongest””and loudest””many of the participants ever experienced. A popular T-shirt worn by many of these men proclaimed unashamedly, “Real Men Sing Real Loud.” So let”s stop saying they don”t.
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