Tag Archives: Ryan Clark

Forging Faith Through Fire

July 17, 2024 Rev. Todd R. Lattig Leave a comment

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24 NLT).

Ryan Clark’s journey through life and music is a compelling narrative of faith refined through trials. Born on June 23, 1979, in Woody, California, Ryan grew up as a pastor’s kid, deeply rooted in a Christian household. His early exposure to a wide array of music—from secular rock and metal to Christian metal pioneers like Living Sacrifice and Tourniquet—fostered a unique blend of musical and spiritual influences.

Ryan’s initial foray into music was as the guitarist for the hardcore punk band Focal Point. This experience laid the groundwork for his musical career, allowing him to develop his skills and explore the boundaries of heavy music. Following Focal Point, Ryan and his brother Don Clark formed the band Training for Utopia, which gained traction in the Christian metal scene in the late 1990s. Training for Utopia was instrumental in shaping Ryan’s musical identity, blending intense metalcore with thoughtful, faith-based lyrics.

However, it was the creation of Demon Hunter in 2000 that truly marked the beginning of his significant impact on the metal music landscape. Demon Hunter’s debut self-titled album in 2002, released through Solid State Records, quickly garnered a dedicated following. The band’s music is characterized by its powerful blend of aggressive metalcore and melodic elements, combined with Ryan’s introspective and spiritually infused lyrics.

The themes of faith, struggle, and redemption in Ryan’s music resonate deeply with fans. These are not merely artistic choices but reflections of his personal journey through life’s trials. Ryan has faced the challenges of being in the public eye, the pressures of the music industry, and the personal struggles that come with balancing faith and career. Despite these challenges, he has remained steadfast in his beliefs, using his music as a vehicle to express his faith and connect with others.

Imagine a blacksmith working with raw iron. The iron must be subjected to intense heat and relentless hammering to be shaped into something strong and useful. Similarly, Ryan’s life and career can be seen as a piece of iron being forged in the fire of life’s trials. Each album, each song, represents a strike of the hammer, each experience a wave of heat, all contributing to the refinement of his faith and artistry.

James 1:2-4 encourages believers to consider it pure joy when they face trials of many kinds because the testing of their faith produces perseverance. This perseverance, in turn, leads to maturity and completeness in faith. The trials are not pointless; they are essential for growth.

Colossians 3:23-24 reminds us to work willingly at whatever we do, as though we are working for the Lord rather than for people. This perspective transforms our approach to challenges and work, emphasizing that our ultimate reward comes from God, who sees and values our efforts.

Ryan’s story and the messages in James and Colossians remind us that trials are an integral part of the Christian journey. They are the furnace in which our faith is tested and strengthened. Ryan’s dedication to his craft and his unwavering faith amid the pressures of the music industry exemplify the principles found in these scriptures.

When faced with challenges, we should remember that God is refining us, preparing us for greater purposes and deeper understanding of His love and grace. Just as Ryan used his experiences to create music that inspires and uplifts, we too can transform our struggles into testimonies of God’s faithfulness. Our work, no matter how mundane or difficult, is an act of worship when done for the Lord.

In practical terms, this means approaching our daily tasks and challenges with a mindset of service to God. Whether you are a student, a professional, a parent, or in any other role, view your efforts as a part of God’s refining process. This perspective not only provides motivation but also brings a sense of purpose to every aspect of life.

Additionally, it’s essential to remember that each trial we face is an opportunity to grow closer to God. Just as Ryan’s music has evolved and matured through the years, so too should our faith evolve as we navigate the various challenges life presents. Each struggle is a chance to deepen our reliance on God and to witness God’s faithfulness in new ways.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Trials are the furnace in which faith is forged.

PRAYER
Lord, help us to embrace the trials we face, knowing that they refine our faith and draw us closer to You. Amen.

Devotion written by Rev. Todd R. Lattig with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI.

Devotional, Previous Post

REVISITED: I Am You

January 26, 2024 Rev. Todd R. Lattig Leave a comment

John 8:48-59

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE

“It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

One of my all time favorite music bands is a band called Demon Hunter. Now I am sure that, judging from the name, you can probably tell that they are Heavy Metal band. If so, you are absolutely correct. I am also sure that, judging by the name, some of you might be questioning why someone like would be listening to a band with that kind of a name. Well, the truth be told, I listen to all sorts of music from classical to heavy metal, from Christian to secular music. In fact, sometimes I find a deeper spirit-filled theology (whether it was on purpose or accidental) in secular music than I do in Christian music.

With all of that said, Demon Hunter is actually a Christian heavy metal band who writes music that really speak to me as a person who knows what it is like to struggle in life. I know what it means to be depressed, to feel hopeless, to feel like the world might be literally crushing me, to feel like I am at wits end, and to feel like no one truly understands me. The lyrics that Ryan Clark write for Demon Hunter are ones that reach out to people who struggle in life, it is their ministry to do so and God certainly has blessed them, and those listening to them, as a result of doing that ministry.

There is a song that they write called, I AM YOU. In this song, Ryan writes, “A new voice for the broken souls in a world awaiting its death—I am you—an everlasting well of life for the hopeless and the wrecked I am the dying self, the narrow path, the calm that conquered the storm—I am you—the cross-hairs on the head of shame, the negation to conform.” For the longest time, I interpreted this to mean that Ryan, the singer, was saying that he was like anyone else and that he, too, has struggled in his life. I am certain that, in part, he is saying that.

This time around, however, I began to see the song in a whole new light. I began to hear God’s voice in it. After all, is it not true that God is a new voice for the broken souls? Is it not true that God is an everlasting well of life for the hopeless and the wrecked? Did Jesus not embody the dying self, the narrow path, the calm that conquered the storm? Did Jesus not set the cross-hairs on the head of shame, and represented the negation to conform? To Moses, God revealed Godself as I AM. In Jesus, God revealed to the world, I AM YOU.

What a wonderfully powerful notion that God is one of us. That God knows what it means to struggle. After all, which one of us has not struggled in this life? Which one of us have remained completely unscathed from childhood to whatever age we are at now? Which one of us has lived a perfect, paradise-like existence without any pain, loss or suffering? I am imagining the answer to be: NONE OF US.

Then how powerful of a message it is for us to receive that God is one of us and knows how to conquer the struggles we face everyday. It is a wonderful message that God is not above us or somewhere out there watching us from afar but, rather, God is with us…God is in us. When we truly embrace that, we will recognize that God is not only with us, but God is with us wherever we go. Once we realize that truth, we will see that when we are in the lives of others…when We reach out to others with compassion and say, “It’s okay, I AM YOU”, we are showing such people that God is with them too…you are giving them the good news of God’s presence and of God’s hope, healing and wholeness.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” – Anne Frank

PRAYER

Lord, fill me with your Good News and send me out to bring it to others. Amen.

Devotional

I Will Fail You

March 6, 2015 Rev. Todd R. Lattig Leave a comment

Read Deuteronomy 32:1-4

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48 NRSV)

Have you ever been failed by anyone? Have you ever put your trust in someone, almost elevating them to the status of “perfect”, only to be let down by how not “perfect” they actually are? Perhaps you have done this with celebrities? Perhaps you have done this with public officials, perhaps you have done this with pastors, with friends, and/or with family members. You think that they are wonderful people, that they can do no wrong, that they have your best-interest in mind, only to find out that they were not able to live up to all you thought that they were.

Have you ever failed anyone, including yourself? Have you ever had people put their trust in you, have you had people look up to you like you could do no wrong, only to let them down for one reason or the other, revealing to them how much wrong you could actually do? Have you ever been relied on, looked up to, and placed in a position that you felt you had to live up to, only to find out that your attempt, in the end, was an epic fail? My guess is that, like me, everyone can pretty much answer “yes” to each one of the above questions.

I have been listening to my favorite Christian metal band, “Demon Hunter”, a lot lately. On their latest album, “Extremist”, there is a song called, “I Will Fail You.” In that song, Ryan Clark sings, “I will fail you, of that I’m sure. I will remind you of the pain forevermore. And when my sins are just a memory, faith restored, I will fail you to the core.” In the video for the song, Clark is seen driving a car at night…like for the WHOLE VIDEO. As the song progresses, Clark goes from just driving, to lighting up a cigarette and smoking. Finally, he opens up a bottle of pills and takes several of them, which are presumably narcotics. In the end, Clark becomes dazed and incoherent as headlights shine through his window. The video then pans to the passenger side of the car where a man who is bound, whose mouth is shut with duct tape, tries screaming to wake the drugged driver up. The video cuts to black; the video, like the driver and passenger in the car, has come to an abrupt end.

Clark, who is the frontperson and chief song writer for the band, explained the song by saying that, especially as Christian artists, there is a lot of pressure for them to be perfect. Because they are Christian, people expect them to be the ultimate role models, to be the staunchest Christians (as defined by each individual looking to them that way), and to live perfect lives. The reality is, however, that at some point they will be let down. Imperfection and the tendency to fail are a part of the human condition. What’s more, if we try to be perfect or elevate someone up to the status of perfection, we are totally setting ourselves up for epic failure.

The only one we should look to for perfection is God. While Christ called us to “be perfect as God is perfect,” Christ was not calling us to raise up anyone, ourselves included, as idols of perfection. Rather, Christ was calling us to strive to live into the essence of God, which is to have compassion, to be a peacemaker, to forgive others, to be agents of hope, healing and wholeness, to seek justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. If we do those things, if we seek after God’s righteousness rather than an unattainable human perfection, we will find that God’s righteousness will be flowing in and through us for the transformation of the world around us. I will fail you…but GOD WILL NOT!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.” – Benjamin Franklin

PRAYER
Lord, help me to place my faith in you for you will never fail me. Help me to grow in my love and compassion to others who, like me, embody the human condition. Amen.

Devotional

I Am You

January 23, 2013 Rev. Todd R. Lattig 2 Comments