Let’s take a stroll down history lane. In 1951, a relatively small-time DJ by the name of Alan Freed was about to make history for himself. Observing the style of the new music that was sweeping across America and gaining popularity particularly with a restless youth population, Alan saw what the new style was doing. He saw the reaction of the beat on the human body and the perverse sexuality that went along with the music. It was not the words to the songs that were driving the increase, but the music style.
The remainder of this post can be found at THE DESERT PASTOR.
I would agree insofar as he is saying that music and music style has become an all-too-central issue in regards to why a church is attended. Frankly, I think it’s an all-too-overhyped thing, that way or this.
The article does raise question, though.
For one, I doubt any of our churches use music as it was played and sung in the days of Jesus. Thus, our music styles have changed over time. The Catholic Church did try to keep one style, the chant, but even that was not completely static, and while that type of church was stuck on that, the styles in the world were changing.
Another thing I would question is why a label applied by one man to the style of music is itself justification enough for the church to reject it. Granting that Freed did apply ‘Rock n Roll’, I still question whether that in itself is a good reason to reject all that type of music. For my part, I must say rather vehemently “NO!!” To blame only the music for what worldly people are doing seems simplistic.
Thirdly, even if we grant that CCM is by-and-large not exactly a great form of music, can we fairly make a blanket statement that it is all wrong? Do we dare throw out the Keith Greens, the old Petras, the Steve Taylors, the Jars of Clays, with all that really is junk in the genre? Is the problem the music, or the reason the music is made?
Finally, I don’t particularly care for any form of church music, and that goes for old and new styles. Too much CCM, particularly of the Praise and Worship kind, is not contemporary at all and sometimes even only marginally Christian, and music only in a lowest-common-denominator sense. On the other hand, hearing the wooden singing of hymns using music that is of even lower quality of CCM is painful, too.
I have no answer as to what to do about church music, but I suspect that trying to blame musical genres isn’t looking in the right directions for answers.
I remember a point that I used to hammer when I taught youth when I was teaching on the story in Daniel when the three Hebrew children would not bow down to the image of gold. Look at the repetition of the description of the music. Pagan worship is very driven by music.
Invariably a student would say “I only listen to it for the beat – not the lyrics”. First of all, I would point out how often they would quote lyrics – at length from a song and then I would point out how they learned things from the beat or tune. For example, they learned their alphabet by singing the little song. They learned their multiplication tables to a beat. I then pointed out how the communists in Korea and Viet Nam would brainwash their prisoners by blaring rock music at them all day.