Posted on 12/07/2004 12:06:09 PM PST by LouAvul
The growing clout of America's 100-million evangelical Christians is being heard loud and clear. Just turn on your radio, and you'll notice that a seismic shift in American culture is taking place.
Before, you could tune into different stations, which offered different music and different messages.
But now, as Correspondent Bob Simon reports on 60 Minutes Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT,, evangelical Christian music is flowing into mainstream media -- and changing it. In fact, Christian entertainment now brings in $4 billion a year.
Rappers and rockers are making hits and making money while spreading the gospel to national audiences. Christian groups can be heard on secular radio and seen on "The Tonight Show." Earlier this year, the group Third Day even played at the Republican National Convention.
"The fact that there are Christian themes now emerging in rock and that Christians are in rock is just representative of a spiritual desire or a spiritual hunger in our culture," says Cameron Strang, publisher of Relevant Magazine, a religious publication.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Along these lines is to suggest that only Christian plumbers should be hired...but my feeling is I want the best one for the buck. His religion is his business. Been let down by more than one tradesman with a fish next to his name.
Eddie Van Halen is (or was, at least) a GREAT guitar player. I don't know if he went to church.
You assume that musical genre, qua rock 'n roll, is by itself sinful and worldly. This is a dangerous assumption to make, since most Christian music and hymnody throughout history utilized music taken directly from the current culture.
The important thing is that the LYRICS glorify God. There is no such thing as a "sinful musical genre."
I would rather hear a song that has doctrinally-correct, God-glorifying lyrics in the rock 'n roll genre than heretical lyrics in a traditional music format.
I think I might have that on a cassette. Whiteheart's version of Little Drummer Boy is on there too.
"Living Dangerously in the Hands of God" has to be one of the strongest songs ever made. More Steve Camp. I think he left music to be a pastor somewhere.
You'd prefer that Rock 'N'Roll be strictly the province of Guns & Roses, Metallica, & AC/DC?
Some people wouldn't be saved if there weren't churches with drums and electronic keyboards.
That is not what I meant. I already clarified in other posts.
I go to a Bible based church where the message of salvation is preached in great clarity, but some people get confused by the music.
A couple of week's ago someone in my home group complained that they didn't know what to do when the band is playing. "It sounds more like a concert than it does like worship" they said.
So I understand how the music can get in the way of the message for some people.
As for me, however, I stand up, lift my hands, just flat-out worship as the spirit guides me.
So many people without Christ are so firmly entrenched in the world that they need to have something in the church (e.g., the music) seem familiar to them when they actually visit....
Maybe for the Episcopal Church USA?
You are free to sing The Doxology as many times as you wish. Why do you care how others choose to worship Christ?
Worship at full volume.
How do you feel about ancient hymns played in a "modern" way?
David Crowder Band has done a version of "All Creatures of Our God and King" that sends chills up my spine everytime I listen to it.
Wow, your church sounds positively invigorating...I'm willing to bet your congregation is on fire, too...yeah...
I think that's the mentality my pastor and music director have bought into, so we sing too many of those mediocre, overly repetitive "praise songs" every Sunday, even though the youth make up maybe 5-10% of the congregation.
BTW, I'm in my 20's and far prefer singing hymns in church instead of music that makes me feel like I'm listening to the local Christian radio station.
You got that right! This is how I worship!
To your reply in Post 15 -- I am the Programing Director in a seeker targeted church in Winchester, VA. We use all different types of media to get the message across. Secular music that is relevant to the lesson, Christian rock, movie clips, drama and videos that we create ourselves. No tradtional hymns used at our church unless the music is updated.
What matters most is that these artists are planting seeds in the unsaved. If you don't think that God is powerful enough to use anything to bring unsaved people salvation, then I respectfully question your faith. I've seen it happen many times in the past 6 years that I have been a leader in Grace Community Church.
>>Been let down by more than one tradesman with a fish next to his name. <<
I'll take it a step further. An argument can be made that putting your Christianity on your business card or signs (via the "fish," etc.) is exactly what the Word of God meant by taking the Lord's name in vain.
It is a very compelling argument, btw.
Oh, you mean those insipid, repetitive songs like "The Hallelujah Chorus" and "Holy, Holy, Holy"?
Seriously, please think about how you sound. What if I said "If I walk into a church and see an organ or a grand piano, I'm outta there. Am a church guitarist and refuse to play the insipid, inane, self-important, droning, whining hymns that were popular from the 1850's to the 1950's (Mom calls them '711' songs, 711 words per song)."
Thankfully, I have not adopted such a narrow view. I've been blessed in churches with grand pipe organs, Hammond B-3's, and antique out-of-tune pianos.
I don't see a single easter bonnet in that picture.
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