Thrice lead singer Dustin Kensrue has had the ominous distinction of being the Yoko Ono to Thrice’s indefinite hiatus. Many fans have blamed Kensrue for breaking the band up in order to pursue a new future as a worship singer. Well, in a recent post on Kensrue’s church’s blog, he explained his decision to move towards a worship career and how he intends to “shake up” the worship music scene.
Kensure declared that, “For the past few years, I have felt a growing burden and calling to invest more and more of my time and efforts towards worship music.”
He continued,
This seemed strange at first, since I don’t actually listen to any worship music and have never been very much of fan of most the music sung in churches. But God slowly began to show me that he had specifically gifted and uniquely trained me to enter into this fray and fight to make a difference. Despite apparently having told my wife at one point that I would never be a worship leader, a year or so again, I felt called to start leading worship at my home church and soon began to. When Mars Hill was going to plant in Orange County with my good friend and former Thrice manager Nick Bogardus as the lead pastor, I knew that I was supposed to sign on and serve there.
Over the last few years God, continued to give me a bigger and bigger vision of what I eventually I’m called to do, and given me the audacious goal of shaking things up in worship music culture and the church at large. I have a passion to see more songs that are 1) more cross/Christ-centered, and also 2) engage the culture directly, rather than endlessly recycling the Christian subculture. Despite my fears at failing and my doubts in my abilities, I am firmly convinced that this is God’s calling on my life.
Since Kensrue’s post, many fans have been lambasting not only his decision to explore a worship career, but also his rationale. In an fascinating twist, an unlikely defender has appeared: The Gaslight Anthem‘s Brian Fallon. Fallon took to TGA’s blog to defend his fellow frontman. In a quintessential “Fallon rant,” the vocalist penned,
I guess I’m gonna have to change this blog’s name to “Sticking Up For People.com.”So Mr. Duston Kensrue feels led by The Lord to leave Thrice and play worship music. Awesome. I love that he’s doing that.I understand some Thrice fans might be bummed that they broke up, but bands do that from time to time and it happens. You have to keep in mind that it’s not your band. These people have lives that are more important than the thing they do that we love and admire. Real life happens to people in the spotlight.
You know…just another day in the scene.
