Keith Green

I must have been 15 or so at the time. I was with my best friend and his family in their minivan on the way back from a family retreat in Missouri. A family retreat that my family didn't go to. I always wanted to be part of their family, they seemed so perfect and loving. My family had the love part but I found myself fleeing them to be with his family more and more as Dad's drinking got worse. I wanted the approval of my best friend's Dad so much. So, It meant the world to me when he gave me a blue cassette called No Compromise by Keith Green and said I reminded him of Keith. John and Susan, my friend's parents, said that my zeal and boldness were reminiscent of Keith Green's. They then told me of how Keith died in July of 1982, 6 months after I was born, in a plane wreck with his 2 oldest children. They were certain that had he lived he would still be making music and it would be less seventies sounding.


I couldn't wait to pop the tape in and find out what they thought of me. I instantly fell in love with the music, it was a breath of fresh air. They style of music reminded me of one of my favorite songs at the tim, Piano Man by Billy Joel. It was cheesy in places but it had a timeless and urgent feel to it. The first song I fell in love with was Dear John Letter (to the devil)

It's such an upbeat and funny song about how Keith turned his back on the devil and the ways of the world after he got saved. I remember laughing at the little asides that Keith says right before each chorus, "Is it soup yet? Awww no!"

All of the songs on No Compromise are classics in my eyes but after all of those years since first hearing the tape that John and Susan gave me I still find myself thinking about the convicting lyrics to the song To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice.



To Obey is better than sacrifice

I don't need your money, I want your life.

And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon,

But you act like I'll never return.

Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet,

How you thrive on milk, but reject my meat,

And I can't help weeping of how it will be,

If you keep on ignoring my words.

Well you pray to prosper and succeed,

But your flesh is something I just can't feed.

To obey is better than sacrifice.

I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights,

Cause if you can't come to me every day,

Then don't bother coming at all.

Lah, lah,lah….

To obey is better than sacrifice.

I want hearts of fire, not your prayers of ice.

And I'm coming quickly, to give back to you,

According to what you have done,

According to what you have done,

According to what you have done.


I don't know how much I was like Keith Green 14 years or so ago but I identify with his none compromising attitude and un-failing devotion to God. His biography is amazing, I've read it a few times and each time I take something different from it. I think that if I hadn't been given that fateful cassette tape all of those years ago I wouldn't have mellowed out and became comfortable in my own skin as a christian.

I have a lot more to say about Keith Green, this will have to be somewhat of a regular feature. My next post will cover another classic: Jars of Clay's debut album.