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 ...
Wouldn't that be - Unto the Lord?
And I have seen some young people (myself included) leave churches because of getting sick of shallow modern music.
It goes both ways.
So now you have a problem with concerts? Why does that not surprise me?
Music is a valid form of ministry and evangelism, whether you can appreciate that or not.
>>It's more than singing songs. It is a way of life. We should worship Christ in everything we do. If anyone thinks that worship is confined to a couple of hours on Sunday morning they are in a sad position spiritually.<<
With that I wholeheartedly agree. It is kind of creepy seeing anyone (and I have been known to do it myself) sitting in judgement of others simply becuase he/she doesn't like their "style" of music.
One can seldom fault the lyrics of most "Christian" music and if one does, there is the risk of putting God in a box.
If what someone is doing as a form of worship is not ourtright sin, others should walk away or join them. But to say they are somehow immoral for not doing it the way you would do it is just wrong, no matter who you are. And yes, I am wrong when I do it.
Hymns, to me, are quaint, like old oil paintings. They were written by people who used language differently than we do. Some of them are as ancient compared to modern music as paintings created before the use of perspective are ancient and "quaint" compared to art of more recent centuries.
To put such on a pedastal as somehow more "holy" is bordering on idol worship.
It is just music - which is art. And art is subjective.
'Course, rap aint music. 8^>
Agreed. I believe we are on the same page as far as instrumental music in worship stands.
What do you think of the topic at hand?
Do you care for "Christian music" or Rocking for Christ as the title puts it?
Can't say I've ever listened to any but I would have no qualms with it outside of worship.
I couldn't disagree with you more. A Christian song does not need to cover the events of the entire Bible. Each one picks a tiny part or concept from within the message. It is not watering down, it is focusing, just as Jesus and all the books and chapters of the Bible do.
Even in the Psalms there are lots of songs about a lot of subjects. And the spirit of the songs in the Psalms can be found in the words of both Hymns AND contemporary worship music. And some songs within both genres are sterile as well.
The genre is not the problem, the individual song and/or individual performer is the problem.
Like a good sermon, the Swithfoot song "Meant To Live" opens up a cornicopia of questions when presented in an open environment. Questions that have their answer in the Word of God. And the doorway to the answer is often opened in the non-believers hearing of the song.
That is a good thing.
>>We are commanded to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, not to hold concerts.<<
You make it sound as though it was an "either or" proposition.
Heres another one, "We are commanded to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, not spend most of our time at a job, earning money to buy stuff."
A lot of it is bad, but a lot of it is good as well.
Outside of worship, I have no problem with it (I am listening to some right now in fact....Reborn from Jennifer Knapp I think).
My concern is when Christian music waters itself down to get airtime in secular radio...that does bother me.
>>It goes both ways.<<
Precicely. In other words, "to each his own."
Hymns are not bad, I just cannot relate to them (most of them).
Modern praise music is not bad, some people just cannot relate to them.
I have never heard a "watered down" Christian song. I honestly don't understand what you mean.
I don't have a problem with concerts themselves; I have a problem with using them as evangelistic outreaches without preaching the Gospel (i.e...tellingn people they are in need of Jesus due to their sin etc.)
Taking folks to a concert does not fulfill the Great Commission.
That doesn't mean concerts are bad; I enjoyed a Steven Curtis Chapman one recently. But, it is wrong to use that as a substitute for preaching the Gospel.
The Psalms discuss lots of different topics; it seems like modern praise and worship only talks about the Cross (and in a very shallow level without fully explaining the ramifications of God coming down in human form to die).
When I played bass in a praise band, this is the scripture I took to heart:
"Psalm 33
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy."
Beyond the obvious key words (Praise the Lord) is this word that I take to heart: Skillfully.
>>The Psalms discuss lots of different topics; it seems like modern praise and worship only talks about the Cross (and in a very shallow level without fully explaining the ramifications of God coming down in human form to die).<<
And the key word in your post is "seems." You could not be further from the truth. The power in much of the praise music I have heard and played is diverse - from praising His majesty and grace, to giving Him honor, to asking Him into our hearts. The popular music which is not "praise music" (e.g. Swithchfoot and Third Day) is often about human "angst." It is often a sort of "shouting out" to God. Asking the "why am I here" type of questions, to which answers are clearly available in scripture - which is why concerts can be every bit as valuable (and with young people, sometimes moreso) than a Billy Graham crusade.
And like the crusade sermon, the concert is just the first step...
The nature of evangelism is sharing the Gospel - so in that regard, your remarks don't make sense to me.
Then again, as you pointed out earlier, I'm no "Einstein". (Very Christ-like of you, I must say.)
But, it is wrong to use that as a substitute for preaching the Gospel.
It is not wrong to use music in an evangelistic effort - and an evangelistic effort by its nature is the sharing of one's Christianity and the Gospel - through many means. Evangelism legitimately encompasses more than speaking, and just because you're tone deaf (by your admission) does not give you license to challenge the validity of communication through music.
With that, I believe I'm done with you. No matter what I do, I will never be as uptight, stuffy, and traditional as you require me to be. Thankfully, I don't answer to you. I will put my confidence in God's grace to forgive me if I've failed in the arena of sharing my faith through my profession, or in understanding His desire for the role of Christians in music.
>>That doesn't mean concerts are bad; I enjoyed a Steven Curtis Chapman one recently. But, it is wrong to use that as a substitute for preaching the Gospel.<<
I'll sure agree with that statement. If people are thinking that putting on a concert is a replacement for preaching the Gospel, they are really missing the point.
Our Prison band would finish a main concert, followed by the Christian message of Jesus sacrifice for our sins, and the concept of grace. We would then end it with the Third Day song "Thief." As I said in a previous post, I saw at least one of the boys with tears in his eyes during that song.
We and a trained team then talk to the boys after the concert.
The music is just "heart tenderizer." That is all it can be. The songs are just too short. As a public speaker I know the power of not trying to explain life, the universe and everything in the span of a few minutes. 8^>
Well then, that sounds fine and dandy to me.
I have no problem with that.
"does not give you license to challenge the validity of communication through music."
Ah, but trying to uphold godly standards and being faithful to God does.
>>Ah, but trying to uphold godly standards and being faithful to God does.<<
Don't take this personally, for I will admit to doing this myself before (and will probably do it again), but sometimes we confuse cultural standards for Godly standards.
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