Enjoying the Moment
It's been 20 years since his first album, but Steven Curtis Chapman is keeping things fresh by maintaining honesty and embracing the present rather than worrying about the future.
by Andy Argyrakis | posted 10/08/2007
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If you can believe it, 2007 marks the twentieth anniversary of Steven Curtis Chapman's debut as a recording artist. Yet the 44-year-old singer/songwriter is less concerned about his past accolades or future uncertainties than he is focused on living in the present—a theme that runs throughout his new album This Moment, whether appreciating the efforts of his wife, watching his daughters grow up, and playing music on tour with his two boys, Caleb and Will Franklin. How does Chapman maintain such a fresh perspective after all these years? We chatted about it firsthand during the opening weekend of the Live In This Moment Tour.
You're known for making albums that revolve around specific themes. When did you start doing that?
Chapman I think I started doing that around For the Sake of the Call. I found that's when my writing became really thematic, and at that point I started realizing more that this craft is something God had given me. At that time, I started reading more and digging deep for themes, communicating through song what God was showing me in my own life. When I'm writing songs for a record, I'm often inspired by readings and sermons by my pastor.
When I first started on This Moment, there was so much going on in my mind, my heart, my life, and even in the music industry! I was wrestling with so many different voices of input from people, like the label and management—"do this, don't do that." While they're all great people who love me and only want the best, they all have their own opinions.
To what degree was industry pressure a factor in shaping this album and where is your place within the current Christian music landscape?
Chapman To be honest, the industry is so upside down right now that no one even knows what's going on! So in that sense, I felt the pressure from people around me saying, "You really need to deliver [with this album]." And if they give me just an ounce of that, I'd turn it into a ton of pressure and really internalize it!
Plus, I'm still trying to figure out my place personally and what my role is at this point. First I was the new kid on block, then I was in a season along with Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant topping the charts, steering the direction of what contemporary Christian music looks like. Now we're in a new season where everything's changing. There's are a lot of new, young talent, so I find myself in more of a mentoring role—like helping a band like Casting Crowns have a voice and [connect them with audiences]. All that to say there's been a lot of soul searching, to the point of what my pastor calls, "The paralysis of analysis."
It sounds like you've managed to silence those voices on the record by living "one moment at a time." How did you reach that point?
Chapman I stumbled across a verse in Revelation that says, "Write therefore the things that are seen." Here I was in the middle of this internal struggle, and it was like God telling me, "These are your marching orders—write the things you've seen and don't worry if you satisfy the record guys." I felt like I was supposed to step in the water, but I was looking for the Red Sea to part to give me a path of dry land. But God was telling me, "I've given you that so many times before. This is more of a Jordan crossing—I want you start this journey. Take the first step and then I'll show you."
My first record released in 1987, so now that I'm at the 20-year-mark, I find myself looking over my shoulder and thinking, Wow, it was great when we did that. But then I also look ahead and wonder, Will there even be an industry 10years from now the way things are going? God has taught me to only concern myself with following Jesus in this moment and leave all the rest to him.
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