MUSCLE SHOALS AND MOTOWN — THE GOSPEL ABOVE THE SOUND

I’ll confess something with a smile — I like the Muscle Shoals sound more than the Motown sound, though not by a wide margin. For context, listen to I Second That Emotion by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and then listen to Aretha Franklin’s I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You). The former is Motown; the latter is Muscle Shoals. Both are fantastic — both make the soul move and the heart lean in — but Muscle Shoals has that earthy grit, that gospel-soaked warmth, that hint of the river and the red dirt. And no, the fact that I’m from Alabama has absolutely nothing to do with it — he said, trying his best to be funny.

But here’s the thing: as beautiful as these musical differences are, they teach us something about the kingdom of God. If the gospel is preached in a church that sings a different style, plays a different groove, or worships with a different feel — we are still on the same team. One church may sway like Motown with polished harmonies, another may growl like Muscle Shoals with raw, heart-deep soul. One may clap on the one and three; another may clap on the two and four. But if Christ is proclaimed, if the cross is lifted up, if sinners are pointed to the risen Lord — then we are family (Philippians 1:15–18).

The gospel has always worn different clothes in different places. It sounded like a fisherman’s accent in Galilee, a scholar’s tone in Athens, a jailhouse hymn in Philippi. The melody changes; the message doesn’t. And that is what matters. We may prefer one sound over another, but the Spirit harmonizes all true preaching into one song — the song of the Lamb (Revelation 15:3).

Music, like life, is full of variety. God seems to enjoy letting His people sound different, look different, express their joy differently. It’s His way of reminding us that unity is not uniformity — unity is love held together by truth (Ephesians 4:3–6). And when the truth is the gospel, we can rejoice wherever Christ is exalted, even if the worship set doesn’t sound like our favorite playlist.

Motown or Muscle Shoals, hymns or choruses, organ or acoustic guitar — these things matter, but they do not matter most. Christ matters most. His grace matters most. His cross matters most. And when He is preached, heaven leans down to listen, and the angels rejoice.

So whether the sound is polished or gritty, smooth or soulful, let the church sing. Let us stand shoulder to shoulder, thankful that the same Savior who rescues us also delights in the varied music of His people. We are one choir, held together by one gospel, singing one great truth:

Jesus saves — and that is the sweetest sound of all.

BDD