I’d like to weigh in on this discussion. I’m a musician/singer/songwriter. I came to Christ in 2000 at the age of 40. I was started writing and recording gospel songs.
I was looking to market them and spoke to a contemporary Christian music reviewer in New York who told me that I can’t say “Jesus” too much in my songs. It turns people off.
I also had an opportunity to have my first CD reviewed by an A&R guy at a Christian label. He loved the music (folk/country/bluegrass blend), and said he might personally want to use some of the songs for his own personal project, but since I wasn’t a 23 year old rocker with a goatee, I wasn’t what they were looking for. It was disappointing to say the least.
Currently, I’m a worship leader at a cowboy church. We do a variety of music from old hymns to country gospel to CCM. The music is done well, with a tuned voice and a tuned guitar. The guitar itself didn’t kill Christian music. It is a finely tuned instrument that I use to communicate, just as I pray that I am for God’s use.
Much of CCM is taken from Psalms. It’s all praise, no theology. The hymns that are being forced out of churches are teaching tools and, I believe, are powerful tools for leading people to Christ. I agree that so much of the current Christian music is devoid of any soul or feeling.
I have a three piece band. We love to do gospel concerts, but our main performance venues tend to be in the secular arena. We ALWAYS play gospel songs. It’s amazing to us how well received gospel songs are received in secular places. It opens up hearts and opportunities and is often the only time many people are exposed to the gospel.
A couple of weeks ago, we played at an out door event in Prescott. We included several gospel songs in our set, as usual. When we finished, a homeless man came up in tears thanking us for playing those songs. They had touched him deeply.
My husband and I have been participating with a homeless ministry for many years now. They picked one of my songs, Daddy-O, as a theme song for their web site. Here’s a link:
http://www.youmatterministries.com/You_Matter_Ministries/Home.html
Bottom line - good music is good music. The subject matter of God cannot be exhausted. His word never comes back void - so put it out there.
I second the plug for the performances of “stansblugrassgrl.” I’ve listened to some of the music, and it’s well done. Not everyone is going to like every song or find it inspirational - just as not every Psalm in the Bible speaks to everyone at every time - and it’s not reasonable to expect that.
My band is Contemporary Latin-American Acoustic. We do some modern Latino Christian pieces, but our best songs, and the ones our congregation likes best, are in traditional Ranchero and Mariachi styles ... sort of the Mexican equivalent of Baptist Hymnal standards.
Bingo! Feeling rather than thinking. When the feeling stops so does the spiritual influence. If there are lyrics that make you think eternally rather than temporally then you bring something with you that has staying power.
And just because it's modern doesn't mean it's fluff.
Payback Time by Charlie Daniels
The hero in the big white house
Shakes his head and moans about
The misery of his fellow man
Just as though he really cared
While the hand he holds behind his back
Conceals the truth from those he is deceivin'
The camera rolls another reel
While the robots on the hill
Are dashing madly to and fro
Smiling at the status quo
While in the secret, smoke-filled rooms
They sell the very air that you are breathing
When it's payback time
And you take that final ride
When there is no place to run to
And there ain't no place to hide
The supreme court of the universe
Where justice is not blind
And no prisoners will be taken
When it's payback time
Another day, another knife
Another precious unborn life
Will never see the light of day
Will never run or jump or play
It's just another sacrifice
To that greenback god of choice you are serving
Their blood cries out to be avenged
And someday you will cower and cringe
Where the books don't lie and the judge don't deal
No high-priced lawyers to appeal
Where the verdict is eternal
And you can't escape the verdict you're deserving
When it's payback time and heaven rules supreme
When your gold and silver's worthless
And you stand before the King
When your nightmares are reality
And there is no exit sign
And it's too late for repentance
When it's payback time
The sun comes up the pendulum swings
And each new frightening morning brings
The children's cries, the cannon roar
More loudly than the day before
The wax of time is drippin' down
From both ends of that candle burning brightly
A mighty shout, a trumpet blast
When the last is first and the first is last
The world is hushed and time stands still
And the final chapter is fulfilled
The sky will part each knee will bow
To greet the awesome hour of His returning
When it's payback time
And the sheep are gathered in
When the roll is called up yonder
And eternity begins
When the wedding supper's ready
And the faithful called to dine
Who'll be sitting at the table
When it's payback time
Payback time
Not what I would suggest for a worship service but it would be nice to hear on the radio once in a while.