Christian Music: What's appropriate?

[Thorin]

As a musician, I have grappled with this issue on boths sides of the fence. I have defended certain types of music (both secular and Christian) but have now changed my stance. This is a very interesting topic with many different views. Lets have a decent discussion on this topic and state and explain our opinions. Biblical support is encouraged.

Question: Does it really matter what kind of Christian music we listen to?
What about music used in worship?

Question: Does the music really matter, or is it only the lyrics that count?

The fuse has been lit! :D I will express my views at a later date.

[HLGStrider]

Well, I think we have to look at this in two seperate ways:

Biblical and societal.

Biblical: this only really applies to lyrics. We have no idea what Biblical music sounds like. There's no way to say a certain sound is more Biblical than another. We can only say that a certain sound is older than another.

Societal: I don't think Christians should purposefully try to offend, and certain sorts of music are offensive in certain societies. So, I think we should keep that in mind.

[Sarah]

only the lyrics matter. the tune is there to get the younger kids back into it ya know. it's hard to explain, somebody help me.

[Feanorian]

I dont enjoy most Christian music, other then worship music. It if often lacking in lyrical depth and musical talent, there is just not very much competition in the Christian entertainment music world. This does not mean I listen to any and all secular music with no discernment, discernment in what we listen to is crucial.

[Thorin]

Originally posted by Sarah
only the lyrics matter. the tune is there to get the younger kids back into it ya know.You know, I believed that once as well. I even vehemently defended it too. I see the practicality of it and it may even seem pragmatic. But music is a powerful force. We must be careful what kind of music we use as a witnessing tool. Unfortunately, we have some music that is simply aggressive in nature, period. When we use this music as a medium for witnessing, the message gets lost. When I see Christians 'moshing' and 'slam dancing' at a hard rock Christian concert , I don't see a productive, Christ centered method of bringing our young people to Christ. Why? Because the music they're hearing isn't any different than that which has fueled their aggression before.

Yes, the lyrics are important, and if I had to choose, I'd rather have someone listen to the same music with Christian lyric than secular, but we cannot discredit the power of the music itself and how it should be used as a witness.

I guess we need to make three distinctions in Christian music and discuss them separately:

1) Music for every day listening entertainment
2) Music as a witnessing tool
3) Music in a worship service

I believe that not all music is appropriate for the other. The music I listen to may not be appropriate for a worship service. The music I listen to in church may not necessarily be the best music for witnessing to someone. Or the music I listen to can be for 2) and 3). I believe that alot of our churches don't make a distinction and either anything under the sun is acceptable in the more liberal churches, or the baby gets thrown out with the bath water in the more conservative churches. There needs to be a healthy understanding and balance.

[Éomond]

Originally posted by Thorin
....Lets have a decent discussion on this topic and state and explain our opinions. Biblical support is encouraged.



Yes, amen. We had a "disscusion" a while back ago and it got heated. So yeah, let's please try to keep this to a nice, acctuall discussion please :)

[HLGStrider]

I dont enjoy most Christian music, other then worship music.

I personally abhor almost all worship music. The moment worship music comes on I kind of tune out. It's always very repetitive. I've rarely been challanged by a song in the worship catagory and almost as rarely uplifted.

I'm a huge Steven Curtis Chapman fan. I find his lyrics incredibly uplifting.

I think you see the same thing in the field of Christian literature that you do in music. Some Christian literature is poorly poorly poorly written. It gets published because the Christian industry is small and has to feed from a smaller pool of authors.

However, there are Christian Musicians with a heck of a lot of talent and depth. I listed SCC.

[Talierin]

Yeah, I really don't like that airy pop-ish kind of worship music, it's just annoying...

I do looooove the Supertones though, their lyrics are great and challenging and their talent is enormous. Some of the other christian bands I listen to I won't say that about... I listen to them, and I like them, but they really aren't that great.

[omnipotent_elf]

I believe in freedom so the choice in music is to the individual.

But if you want a different spin on music, i reccomend the gregorian masters of chant

[Thorin]

I believe that there are guidelines that need to be established for Christian music used in worship. Notice that I said 'worship' not everyday listening.

1) Does it lift up Christ?
2) Does it lift us up spiritually instead of stimulating us physically?
3) Are we brought closer to God because of it?
4) Is it of good quality and properly performed?
5) Is it superficial or deeply spiritual?

Unfortunately, I see so many church services and rallys where people use the worship music like a drug. They stand there swaying, looking like they are in pain while the music repeats the same lyrics over and over and over again. These people are being hypnotized more than spiritually lifted up. Music is very powerful and can make us feel something we think we are, but aren't. People are being whipped into a musical frenzy by pounding rhythms and repetitive lyrics. How can the spirit speak to someone in the "still small voice" that the Bible mentions?

Is there anything wrong with more contemporary music or drums or such? Not necessarily, but they have their place. As I said before, what we listen to normally may be acceptable but not during the worship service where our minds and thoughts need to be focused in a different direction in a different way than in our daily lives.

Most of the Christian music I hear fails under number 5) and 2)'s scrutiny. There is a difference in being moved emotionally and being stimulated physically. When we want to get up and boogie to the music during a worship service, we are not glorifying God, we are glorifying ourselves and trying to spiritualize what we usually feel during secular entertainment. So many people come back from a rally like "Aquire the Fire", on such a high. Most people will comment that it is because of the music. They will say, "Wow! I've never been on fire like that before! Now I know what it means to be a Christian!" A few weeks later they crash down and are feeling the same insecurities and doubts they did before.

The reason being is that they are being fed 'candy' when they need a nourishing carb/protein/veggie spiritual diet. Our spiritual lives cannot grow when we are fed 'Praise the Lord!", 'Praise the Lord!", 'Praise the Lord!", 'Praise the Lord!", 'Praise the Lord!", "Amen!" "Yes, Lord!","Yes, Lord!","Yes, Lord!","Yes, Lord!" while running around bawling our eyes out and dancing in the aisles. It's fluff that is intended to appeal to our wildest emotions and physical stimulation. We need to be very cautious on how we approach God in our worship and that we have control over our senses and emotions. That doesn't mean, however, that there can be no emotion in worship, but there has to be some sort of balance. One doesn't need to cry, fall on the floor dance in the aisles or speak in tongues to have a spiritually, emotional worship experience.

Having said that though, there are more and more worship songs coming out now that glorify God with their lyrics and moving melodies as opposed to hypnotic, repetitive fluff. Songs like "Here I Am to Worship", "Breathe", "Heart of Worship" and "As The Deer" are very deep and moving. However, this also makes a difference because of the WAY they are done. These same songs can be brought down to an elementary level to 'make us mooooove with the spirit", rather than lift our minds toward God.

[HLGStrider]

carb/protein/veggie spiritual diet

GASP! CARBS! NO CARBS! DR. ATKINS SAYS LESS CARBS! DR. ATKINS IS LIKE THE MEDICAL SAINT!

;)

Anyway, I come from a family of people who don't sing. My uncles would never sing in church. My brother won't sing in church. . .maybe I should say a family of males who won't sing.

Some people just don't like singing. Music is a limited tool as far as worship goes.

[Eliot]

Originally posted by Éomond
We had a "discussion" a while back ago and it got heated.

Ah...I remember that very well....I remember getting 4 warning points for bashing you Éomond....:o :(

It was not pleasant at all....

[Ciryaher]

Well, I haven't heard any "bad" Christian Rock...but I think that the lyrics should be intelligible for it to count as Christian.

I have two Christian groups that I like...Skillet, which is a sort of hard-rock Christian band (but they do have some soft songs...I don't like 'em, though)...and then Lamb, which is a band of Messianic Jews from the mid- to late-80's that have a really nice sound. Plus they sing in Hebrew...singing in Hebrew about Jesus and God kicks arse :cool: