I am a designated “worship leader” at our small community church. I’m 64 years old. Many modern churches have pushed out older people and replaced them with younger musicians who have little to no knowledge of musical history. All they know is what they hear on the radio. I draw from hymns, spirituals, country gospel, bluegrass gospel, as well as from modern and contemporary music. I also write songs when I don’t find any that I like to fit a certain scripture or topic.
My goal is to select songs that reflect and complement the “message” of the day. Also, to have a good time doing it. Old hymns are full of teaching and speak right to the soul. They do not have to be sung as dirges. I personally like to put some “yeehaw” with our “amen” and add a country flavor to a lot of the worship that we do at our church.
So glad there’s a push back. Contemporary music is OK but when but it all tend to sound the same. It’s disappointing when I hear an artist come out with something that grabs my attention because of it’s different. The next album that comes out sounds exactly like the rest of the stuff of CCM. It’s like they get captured and forced into a mold.
One last thing. A few years ago, I spoke to a couple of A&R people who were looking for contemporary songs. One key elements - songs shouldn’t say Jesus too many times, if at all. I kid you not. THAT is the problem right there.
My first introduction to Jesus was when my parents, along with other members of the choir they belonged to gathered in front of a reel-to-reel tape recorder and sang Haldor Lillenas' hymn "Jesus Will Walk With Me" and the old Methodist gospel tune "He Keeps Me Singing" (Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know). Although those tunes wouldn't fly with those A&R guys you mentioned, they did stimulate my curiosity about Jesus, setting me on the road to becoming a Christian.