What Happened After ‘Beautiful Things’? Michael Gungor Speaks Out
What happens when a worship leader steps off the stadium stage and into the wilderness of doubt, deconstruction, and rediscovery?
That’s the question at the heart of Episode 27 of the Nineties Worship Podcast — a compelling conversation between Ryan Dahl and Michael Gungor. Known for writing the now-iconic worship song Beautiful Things and co-writing Friend of God, Gungor has long stood at the intersection of creativity and controversy. But what’s striking about this episode isn’t just the music — it’s the soul behind it.
From Stages to Searching
Michael Gungor doesn’t shy away from the fact that his journey has included deep wrestling — with God, with the worship industry, and with himself. Raised in a small charismatic church in Wisconsin, his early years were filled with revival nights and spontaneous worship. It was messy, raw, and deeply formational.
But as Gungor’s platform grew, so did the tension. He found himself thrust into a Christian music industry where worship often became performance, theology was policed, and authenticity came at a cost. “Is this real? Or is this a power play?” he asked, reflecting on the uncomfortable shift from presence to production.
Deconstruction Is Not Departure
Some might assume that Michael “walked away” from faith. But this conversation makes one thing clear: he never left God — he left the machinery. What was stripped away, he says, weren’t his beliefs, but his idols. The approval, the platform, the power. The loss of those things became his liberation.
Instead of bitterness, he radiates peace. “I’m not hurt. I’m healed,” he says. There’s something deeply compelling about someone who has walked through the fire, lost the spotlight, and still sings.
The Mystic Hymnal: A New Way Forward
In recent years, Gungor has been quietly building a new kind of worship experience — a project called The Mystic Hymnal. Born from years of wrestling with the limitations of modern worship, the vision is simple yet radical: songs that are theologically kind, musically beautiful, and spiritually inclusive.
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He’s not looking to burn it all down. He’s asking better questions:
- What happens when worship isn’t a prelude to a sermon, but a practice of presence?
- Can songs lead us to mystery instead of certainty?
- Is there space in church music for lament, doubt, and silence?
For Gungor, the best worship isn’t just theological — it’s relational. It meets us where we are, with all our unresolved pain and unanswered questions. “Truth,” he says, “is not a creed. It’s a presence. It’s a person.”
A Conversation Worth Listening To
Whether you’ve sung Beautiful Things in a church service, deconstructed your faith quietly, or felt boxed in by the demands of spiritual performance, this episode will resonate.
It’s a reminder that innovation and faith aren’t enemies. That curiosity can be sacred. That sometimes, letting go is the most faithful thing you can do.
And perhaps most importantly, it invites us to imagine a worship culture less obsessed with certainty and more open to wonder.
Listen on Spotify here.
