[Gamecock]

It is just ridiculous.

We must encourage modern hymn writers, like the Gettys.

[Salvation]

**hymn**

Thanks for using the correct word. Contemporary “song” just turns me off.

[knarf]

Everyone is obsessed with change, progress, something new, another way .. etc., when there's nothing new under the sun.

Perhaps that's why marriage is no longer a popular theme .... there's no other way to say, "I love you", and there's nothing else to say except Jesus loves me, this I know 'cause the bible tells me so

Most "contemporary christian music" (small 'c' intentional) is nothing more than spiritually drippy words set in rock and roll.

There's only one way to say I love you ... or Thanks ... or I'm sorry.

Get over it

All your marvelous electronic devices do is say ... I love you ... or thanks ... or I'm sorry.

Norman Rockwell wrote tomes with one illustration .. we don't need to go forward ... we need to go back ... THAT'S why we are going nowhere.

[Kharis13]

Hmmm. As a 30-year radio announcer, with the last 14 being in Contemporary Christian format, I find articles like this to be highly subjective. (By the way, as I type this my station is playing “Hosannah” by Selah.) Not only have I been on-air for all these years, but I’ve been programming for almost as long. Whenever a listener calls (anywhere) and says, “I don’t like this song!”, or “Why don’t you play more _____”, I always remind my staff that what they’re really saying is, “I want you to play what I like.” I learned a long time ago that just because I don’t like a particular style or sound of music doesn’t mean it’s not good.

Oh, and people get crankier about music as they get older. :)

[GailA]

We alternate between my husband’s Methodist formal church, and my Assembly of God less formal. That way we both get what we like. Strangely enough my AG Church, I would prefer to skip the praise hymns they have adopted for the youth, and go in for the preaching. And love the older more up tempo of the formal Methodist. Yeah, some are draggy and hard to sing kind, I skip those.

You have a multi fold problem. The number of generations in a church. Youth like the more modern hypnotic hard to sing to repetitious praise hymns. Seniors don’t care for them. NO MEANING in them.

Middle age like their gospel older, but with more up tempo beat.

Seniors get left out.

Old gospel tunes have depth, they just need to be modernized with up tempo, blue grass and C & W beats where possible. This gets rid of the draggy stuff that is hard to sing to, much less listen to. Then you have those choir directors who want to do 6-8 verses of a song. When the 3 main ones would be enough.

You have to think how long you keep your congregation on their feet, Seniors don’t do well with long standing hymn services.

This is some of the music I listen to on a USB stick in the car, or Tape, or CD at home.

The Old Love Letter, The McKameys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgC1-5WciFE

Alan Jackson “Leaning On The Everlasting Arms”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqOjJJjE_Gw

He set me free
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRvGI1kWkZ8

Where the Timbers cross
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOT5z2arQzc

Note the difference between the 2 songs. First is the original, second is the more modern version.

Gathering Flowers for Master’s Bouquet (Hank WMS Sr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0zQEBlgnjI

Master’s Bouquet - Dennis Keasling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQSXBcjrGP4

More up tempo, a little Jerry Lee tweedy added in.

Great Speckled Bird
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6KtUuQLYJs

[af_vet_1981]

Music is a very personal choice. What pleases one, does not please another. I don't see a place for contemporary music in the assembly, as it were. That being said, music can certainly fill other spaces rather nicely.