Posted on 12/07/2004 12:06:09 PM PST by LouAvul
Thanks. I appreciate that this thread is staying fairly civil (bad witness when we Christians start attacking each other over stuff like music). Just for clarity, I was in church for many years with just the pipe organ and traditional hymns, and would still be there if necessary. Fortunately, I was able to be involved in creating a new worship service which is reaching many young people who simply would not be hearing about Christ if they had to listen to hymns and pipe organ. It's a mission field thing. (p.s. we kept our traditional service intact as well, and it too is reaching new people for Christ, just different ones)
I love well-executed classical music, and certainly don't mind sitting through it at church - but what stirs me, and seems to speak to me, is the music I identify with (which for me is R&B). Maybe the difference between me and some other people is that as long as it's well-executed, I am happy to hear anything in church, knowing that it's ministering to someone. Maybe it's not me that time...but maybe next time it will be. Whatever is done well and glorifies the Lord is a good thing, imo.
We have both services. I like the contemporary service with the rock band but my wife believes that any music written after she was born is as useless as teats on a boar hog.
my dog isn't in this fight, but it looks like a good place for me to say that I don't listen to "Christian" music, per se: though I love it when Christians make music -- good music.
Yeah, I'm not a big rap fan either... :-)
Right on. First sentence from "The Purpose Driven Life," the national best-seller by Rick Warren...
"It's not about you."
You'll have to read the rest of the book for a full explanation.
By the way, I love your tagline. When you get tired of it, I'm interested. I collect used taglines.
I would argue that it's not the fault of a Christian rock band if that happens. They are doing what God is calling them to do. I know jazz musicians - instrumental jazz musicians - who spend a lot of time on their ministry. There are NO lyrics in their music, but they are doing what God called them to do, and using their craft to glorify Him. How could anyone be critical of that?
I'm 51. I used to own a few Second Chapter records, and saw them as sort of a Christian "ABBA." Yes, some was very good, but I sort of see them as part of a major transition of Christian music to the more "mainstream sounding" stuff we have today. A lot of the Christian music I listened to back then, I listened to because I was "suposed" to like it. It's like enjoying the music of a band where the members are all friends, vs today when you like the music, even double blind tested, i.e. not because you know the band. It is an objective appreciation.
And not aimed at you, but must be said:
To suggest that Christian musicians must produce "Christian" music is like suggesting that "Christian" attorneys and plumbers must only do "Christian" jobs, whatever that would mean.
I agree it's not only the bands fault, there is a decided lack of decipling new Christians and training in basic theology. And that is a problem that extends to the whole body of believers.
"My concern is that the bands water down the Gospel and it becomes more of a "feel good" message than a salvation message."
Agreed. If I walk in to a church and see a drum and/or an electronic keyboard, I'm outta there. Am church pianist and refuse to play the insipid, inane, shallow, droning, whiny choruses that are popular now. (Mom calls them "7-11 songs -- 7 words repeated 11 times.) It's just the religious verion of dumbing down that's prevalent in all area of society and education. God help us (so to speak) if we should sing hymns that are theologically substantive.
If the lyrics are not detrimental, I see no problem with them. As I just said in another post, I know musicians in ministry who don't even sing, and whose drive is to perform music with a high degree of skill for the purpose of glorifying Christ.
God can even use music that doesn't have lyrics to reach people, imo.
If the Holy Spirit is speaking to someone, music may (and probably will) be just part of the picture to that person's understanding of salvation.
"Then there is the 7-11 music: seven word lyrics sung eleven times"
That is so true! Sometimes I feel like the heathen that the Bible describes repeating their prayers. It seems we often repeat phrases in songs over and over again waiting for that worshipful "feeling" or whatever the goal is that a songs repetition is suppose to bring. Usually this seems to be done with the song just before the Sunday morning sermon to get us in the "right mood". A good chorus of Blessed Assurance would do better for me.
I'm not saying this to down music with a beat (I love music from Steve Taylor to Switchfoot) but some of the churches out there need to stop trying so hard to manipulate emotions with repetative praise verses Sunday morning. IMHO, It goes from praise to what the Bible was talking about when heathen repeat their words. If we are not to do it when we pray, then I don't think we should when we sing for worship either.
I liked Steve Camp's version of "O Holy Night," but it's hard to find anymore.
THAT's what I was trying to say!
Good analogy.
LOL - me too.
I haven't heard it, but I will check it out. (Glad you're on this thread.)
Totally YOUR opinion, and kinda rude too. Nobody here is calling traditional church hymns long,boring,dead-a-century-ago,funeral music. Just because it doesn't appeal to you doesn't mean that it doesn't reach people.
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