Baa Baa Do Baa Baa?

Colin Buchanan is, in his own words, an ‘interesting hybrid’ — former teacher and Australian children’s television presenter, country music recording artist, and a Pied Piper figure proclaiming Christ to thousands of children, as the songwriter who added the refrain ‘Baa Baa Do Baa Baa’ to the words of Isaiah 53.6.

During July, Colin toured the UK. At the Keswick Convention, he captivated parents and children by bringing his own brand of musical humour combined with straight-talking biblical truth. Julie Skelton interviewed Colin for EN.

Coming to know God

‘Part of my love of ministry to children is that I was touched by the gospel early in my life. I remember having to learn Psalm 23 and being attracted to learning about the things of God even though I was very young. When someone talked to me a little later about that personal relationship with Christ, it resonated. It wasn’t until I was about 11 that someone unpacked the sense of the offence that my sin was to God and the wonder of his grace and mercy in Jesus.

‘I’d call my parents churchgoers, as opposed to Christians. They’d probably be offended by that distinction but personal faith wasn’t a big matter. I am grateful that I had a moral upbringing. We attended church every week, but once I had been told the gospel in that personal way, it was like being offered chocolate — it was very attractive to me and everything just clicked into place.’

Writing songs and TV

As a young couple, Colin and his wife, Robyn, spent some time in the Australian outback as part of an evangelical community. He qualified as a primary school teacher, but the transition to a full-time Christian music ministry was to be a gradual one.

‘We’d been well taught through our teen years, and we just felt like our faith needed some more legs — we really wanted to get it out of our heads and into our lives a bit more. During that time I started writing songs and, interestingly, God led things towards me having a career in country/folk music in Australia. In the process of that the Lord opened doors for me to work in national children’s television, on Playschool, which introduced me to a whole new audience. I was still teaching Sunday School and involved with local churches, and in 1996 — 12 years ago — I thought we should put some of the Sunday School songs I’d written onto a CD. I did a little tape as a Christmas present for some of the kids, and felt like maybe I should go one step further, get a little band, and the CD I ended up making was Remember the Lord. It connected really strongly with people in Australia because there wasn’t anything quite like it. We’d inherited a lot of American Christian children’s music and for us Australians it had a bit of a cultural cringe factor to it! I also wanted something a bit more thorough, biblically, than I’d heard.’

True truth

Colin Buchanan’s songs, though written for children, appeal to a wide spectrum of people. Which of his many tracks does he think provokes the greatest response?

‘I think “Remember the Lord” is a song that seems to connect with people of all ages, which is interesting because it’s very much sung from a child’s perspective. At one of the first big concerts I’d done after I released the record, a lady pulled me to one side and said, “Just last week I lost my Dad”. She’d got the news and gone for a drive. The CD of Remember the Lord was in her car from driving the children around, and she told me how helpful that song was to her. My intent is to find what Francis Schaeffer called “true truth” — there’s no middle ground, there’s no junior truth and senior truth, there’s just truth that is expressed in a way that is understandable. I think the “understandable-ness” of a song like “Remember the Lord” shows it’s not my truth — it’s the Lord’s truth. He’s a God who rules and cares, and our circumstances don’t define his faithfulness, but his faithfulness endures through all circumstances. It’s a wonderfully powerful message and I need that — everyone needs to remember that.’

Uncompromising

The latest CD, Super Saviour, embraces different musical genres while still appealing to children with its bold Christian message. Colin has perceived subtle battles raging even in Christian circles and attempted to address this with clear, non-compromising lyrics.

‘After my last trip to the UK, I was aware there’d been hot debate, amongst evangelicals even, that it was a bit of an offence to consider that God would sacrifice his own Son. I just wanted to make a record off the back of some of those discussions, to reinforce the fact of substitutionary atonement and that Jesus is the Saviour for our sins. When I visited London and All Souls, singing “Super Saviour” with all the kids doing the actions felt like a really significant moment for me, even though I was dressed as a spaceman at the time! You can have fun, but there’s substance there. My prayer is — though the fun’s part of the message, in a way — that when the fun burns off there might be the real bones of biblical truth there, that can serve the children not just in their childhood but even into their adulthood.’

As a father of four, Colin is well aware of the pressures of Christian parenting, and holds appropriately passionate views. ‘The world is relentless in its attempt to influence us’, he says with conviction, ‘but faithful Christian parenting, with the truth of Scripture and living a life of wisdom and repentance in front of the kids — and the Bible at the heart of it — is like a nuclear power somehow. Take this thing called “family” — where God intended our children to learn and seek the truth — and multiply it with a collection of moments where we make the decision that, although I’m tired, I will play with my child, I will have family devotions tonight, and you have a potency that we shouldn’t underestimate.’

Bringing the gospel

He relishes the thought of bringing families together to hear the gospel, even though he wouldn’t consider that it’s a ‘frontline’ ministry. ‘Coming to the UK, I felt a little like there were battles raging in the wake of GAFCON and Lambeth and so there was smoke on the horizon. I enjoyed the feeling of ‘tunnelling back’ into the prison camp, into a flank that’s not well defended and not anticipated. Just to come in a small and happy way and bring the gospel to people, I feel a little like the guy throwing the match out of the window! You do a little bit of work but then the people take it from there. At the gigs there’s a very strong sense that you’ve been amongst a community of light, but really I’ve just helped facilitate that.

‘I’m very conscious of being involved in the gospel battle, but having said that, I receive very little opposition… some part of me wonders what I’m doing wrong — or what am I not doing, that I’m not being confronted or abused! It’s a really unique position to be in, part of me doesn’t really understand the dynamic that makes it so acceptable to be this direct with people!’

Colin values prayer for his continued work — as he says, ‘I’m just a man following Christ and so I want to be faithful to him and walk in the light as he is in the light — I want to do that as a husband and a father and a brother in Christ.’

An interview with Colin Buchanan, the man who gave us Aussie praise

Coming to know God

Writing songs and TV

True truth

Uncompromising

Bringing the gospel

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