Posted on 08/24/2019 7:36:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
He discusses Christian music in the chapter "Jesus on Vinyl: From the Jesus People to Contemporary Christian Music." I can't remember if the South Park episode is also referred to in the chapter, but I know it was mentioned by someone else when we were talking about the book.
Personally, I happen to agree that most contemporary Christian music lacks the depth of previous generations.
I totally agree. When I was younger, I led worship, I sang solos often. I saw and felt the whole CCM scene late ‘70’s, early ‘80’s and got turned off (Amy Grant in McCalls speaking of using F-bombs as her and her friend ran down the Cali beach topless - just an example). I worked behind the scenes at Christian festivals. Really soured me - because yes, “You can play and sing? Great - lead worship/be in worship band” “Sing before thousands”. WRONG!
Jesus said “Those who seek glory of men, they’ve gotten their reward”. All throughout the Bible, TRUE men and women of God did not seek their own glory but rather declared that they were the same as everyone else and not to reward them - they were just being obedient servants. What is BADLY missed in these invididual’s lives is the RAW BASIC TRUTH - YOU SPEND QUIET TIME BEFORE THE LORD ON YOUR KNEES AND MAKE IT A VERY VERY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP! Otherwise it’s worthless. Yes, God will not let His Word return void - but I’ve seen so many ‘Comely’ (as Paul talks about the parts of the body of Christ) let the glory seduce them - and forget the intimate relationship and CONSTANT temptation - then they get disillusioned and walk away from the Faith.
It makes me sad when this happens - but it’s a necessary purging - wheat from the chaff. My dad was a man of God - but I’ll never forget when I was a teenager. He said “I’m a sinner. I need Christ daily. Don’t follow me. Follow Christ” and told me that’s what it meant in the powerful song “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, ALL other ground is sinking sand”. There’s a verse that says “I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus Name”.
I had never heard of this man before, so perhaps I am not the best person to comment, but he sounds like an overwrought twelve year old. He has children? I wish them and their mother a lot of luck .
Oh Yes!
Amen to what you said, Dear FRiend in Christ.
The MIRACLE is that, both of us, having been through all of that, still trust in the Lord Jesus.
That being said, I feel very bad for the folks whose faith has been shipwrecked by the storm-tossed Christian Music Scene.
I do not watch gangster movies (I avoid them, since they seem to glorify crime), and one does not need to be Italian to relate to such a message.
I have been a semi-professional chorister for many years. I have to have a working understanding of many languages to sing high-end repertoire.
Latin and Italian are central to such music, because of the pure vowels.
What used to be known as CCM attracts many hedoinists, as does secular music. They often mistake a passing emotional reaction to what I call Churchianity for a spiritual one.
I have seen many such musicians dabble and fall.
I joke about the Italian part :)
And what an interesting profession.
I guess Marty didn't read this in his Bible:
Exactly! See Psalm 73. But we do have a faith that is based upon some undeniable truths - truths that even a first year seminarian could explain to him. I wonder what kind of counseling Marty got BEFORE he announced to the world his rejection of Jesus Christ? It sounds like he is of the "I'll believe it when I see it (seeing is believing)" crowd. Whereas God promises that when we believe/trust by faith, we will see (believing is seeing). God is not afraid of our doubts:
The comments here (and each thread I’ve read about it) are pretty much to what a person who is struggling with doubt at a particular point in his life might just convince him to say, “Screw all this BS, you bunch of fake a-holes.”
Trying to equate the contemporary failure in the ability to create art with music is like comparing Bach and Mozart to hip hop. It is an instructed failure of our schools and lazy, or non-existent, parents in their quest to talk a lot about our social problems while they are creating or extending some of them. And Marty Sampson is another example.
One of the joys of having a country with religious freedom is you can personalize your religious beliefs based upon what church or theology is available, or even start your own. But the problem with Sampson is he “preaches” Christianity, but he knows so little about it. I can see why both he and the church he followed failed each other.
He was a follower of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I, also, disagree with their theories and practices. I have read the Book of Mormon and studied their history, I’ve been to Temple Square and listened to their efforts to justify their beliefs in their history and evolution. But I’m not foolish enough, or childish enough, to downplay a topic as broad as Christianity based upon the writings of a criminal that was murdered because he conned some people out of money leading them to believe he was seeing images of treasure in rocks and that he was directed by an angel to the basic history of religion. In 1838, Smith published a narrative of his First Vision, in which he described seeing both God the Father and a separate Jesus Christ, similar in appearance to each other. And their promotion of these historical beliefs starts to fall apart when they also admit the existence of other Latter-day Saints that are other gods and goddesses outside the Godhead, such as a Heavenly Mother who is the wife of God the Father, and that faithful Latter-day Saints may attain godhood in the afterlife. Joseph Smith taught that God was once a man on another planet before being exalted to Godhood. I think I saw an episode on the Outer Limits like this. Aliens, a little stretch here.
But trying to equate one religion, especially one so far on the outer edges of the beliefs of a majority of other religions, and denying Christianity for that failure, is childish, uneducated, and borders on the edge of misinformed manure. His theology, or lack of, is directing paganism from his limited exposure to religion.
I am not what you’d call the quintessential expert on religion. But I’m not immature enough to put my foot in my mouth like this child. He doesn’t know what he has, but he doesn’t know what he wants either. Babies are like that. Do the comparison.
rwood
What is CCM? Thanks.
CCM = Contemporary Christian Music
Good point.
Who is “Marty Sampson”? (Obviously some drama queen).
Many of these large evangelical churches founded somewhat outside a formal Protestant denomination have a particularly strong center in either Contemporary Praise Music, Charismatic Inspirational Preaching by a founding pastor, a Pastoral Mission or a particular twist on the denominational branch from which they spring.
This guy is, as I understand it is a Contemporary Christian Music, singer, songwriter, producer who was a big part of the main church organization.
I have attended services in such churches but they are outside of what I am most comfortable with in worship.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.