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A lot of contemporary Christian music (which mostly uses a rock beat) is justified and rationalized because the proponents claim they are becoming MORE focused of the Lord and less on themselves.

One elderly believer in a church I used to attend confided that he hated how the music in the church had been hijacked by the rock proponents. Someone else pointed out it seems to be all about "I, I, I" and "me, me, me".

I never really thought about it before. I began to pay attention. If you look at traditional Christian music, the focus is on Jesus. Compare that to even some of the softer contemporary Christian music, such as Open the Eyes of My Heart:

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see you, I want to see you

"I" and "me" are used four times - just as many as references to the Lord.

Or just randomly select a song. I went to www.todayschristianmusic.com and picked the first artist (Audio Adrenaline) and this song came up: Leaving Ninety-nine. Here are the lyrics:

I'm lost and broken, all alone on this road
the wheels keep turnin', but the feelin' is gone
when I fear I'm on my own
You remind me I am not alone
when You said

I'd leave ninety-nine
leave them all behind
to find you
for you alone
I'd leave ninety-nine
leave them all behind
to find you

it's dark and lonely and the path is unclear
can't move my feet because I'm frozen in fear
then you say, "My child, my child -
I am always here, I'm by your side"

I'd leave ninety-nine
leave them all behind
to find you
for you alone
I'd leave ninety-nine
leave them all behind
to find you

you're never too far down
I promise you'll be found
I'll reach into the mud and mirely clay
pursue you to the end
like a faithful friend
nothing in this world can keep me away

I'd leave ninety-nine
leave them all behind
to find you
for you alone
I'd leave ninety-nine
leave them all behind
to find you

This is just a random pick. I have never heard the song. I am just assuming it is played with a rock beat because nearly all contemporary Christian music is. The point is that the emotional focus is on the singer not the Lord. "I, me, my" are used repetitively in this example six times in the first stanza, twice in the second. In the chorus and third verse, the speaker is reversed as this is supposed to be Jesus speaking. So here "you" refers to the singer. It is used three times each in both the last verse and in the chorus. So tally it up. In the course of this song, the singer refers to himself 20 times and to the Lord 16 times (using a pronoun). It is also significant that "God", "Jesus", and "Lord" are absent from the song. The fact He is being referenced is inside information. The audience only knows this if they are already familiar with what the Bible says. This ambiguity is common in contemporary Christian music.

2 Corinthians 3:12-13a Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a vail over his face."

I am not picking on this song or artist. It is a random example. I can go down the list and find song after song is the same. While claiming to be songs about the Lord or to the Lord, the singer is a prominent part of the subject matter.

Is it wrong for a song to reference the singer? Of course not. But when the claim is made that we just want to "forget ourselves and concentrate on Him and worship Him" I suggest that traditional hymns have far less focus on "me, me, me" and "I, I, I".

Do I need to get over myself? Perhaps. And perhaps contemporary Christian music is not the best remedy.