Again you twist my words!!! The term Rock and Roll originated with fornication in the back seat of a car. Fornication did not start then, but can be traced back to the Old Testament. Fornication did not come into being with music. However, the term for Rock and Roll came into being when fornication took place in the back seat of a car. People probably did fornicated while listening to classical music, but the term classical music did not come into being when people were fornicating in the back seat of a car.
So when before the term "rock and roll" was coined to mean a certain type of music that people listened to to fornicate in the back of cars, was it OK? How about we call it Contemporary Christian Music and not Rock and Roll (which actually I haven't heard it called rock and roll in like a gazillion years)? Does the term make the difference? You're arguing against a term - but we're not even using the term. Then you argue that it's the music that played while people were fornicating - yet people fornicated to the crickets chirping too and I don't think that the crickets chirping is wrong. If anything, why don't we eliminate back seats since that seems to be the whole issue with rock and roll. :laugh:
So again I ask you...Where is the line that you draw in what you listen to and what you use for worship? What types of songs are okay in your opinion for a church service? Which kinds are not okay for a church service?
OK - now on to some good questions. I can answer you for our church - not for other churches - and for my husband's and my standards (since we ARE one flesh I can kind of have an influence on what is played in church - remember he's the worship pastor). Here we go:
Music that is played at church:
1) Music that is focused on God and His glory.
2) Music that is playable and singable. It's no use in getting a great song with great words that is just unsingable for a congregation. Some of these songs are better as "performance songs" rather than for congregational singing.
3) Songs that are theologically sound.
I'd say that is it in a nutshell. I'm sure I can expand on those but those are the 3 keys for us.
Songs that we listen to:
Since my husband is very musical, we've always had music around. We also are products of the 80s and were into the alternative music back then - REM, U2, The Ramones, B52s, etc. Yeah, some of it is bad - but some of it is good and some of it is just downright fun. We don't listen to that music a lot anymore but every once in a while, when I'm home alone and need to clean this mess, I'll put on the B52s and sing along with them (hence the "home alone").
However, 98% of the music we listen to is worship stuff. I'll listen to some other Christian music that is not worship but I'm not into it as much. Some of the Christian songs are pretty shallow, IMO and I don't like to listen to that stuff (Jesus - you make me happy ... kind of songs) but I certainly will listen to Watermark, Casting Crowns, Delirious, etc. They are some great musicians and I appreciate their hearts for the Lord. I've met Martin Smith from Delirious and what a humble man.
OH! That's another biggie for me. If a band is going to label themselves as Christian, they need to live it. I've met and spent time with numerous artists and I can see authentic Christianity and those who are not. We did a concert once at a local amusement park with 4 different well-known bands. One of the bands, who will remain nameless, was so self-centered that they wouldn't even talk to us lowly workers. I noticed them with their girlfriends and was very uncomfortable with the way they were acting with them. Immediately upon coming home, I tossed their CDs. They were great musicians with great words singing for the Lord - but they showed me clearly where their allegiance lies. It was not with the Lord. Then we did another concert at our church - we hosted the Passion Subway Series over 4 years ago with Louie Giglio teaching and Charlie Hall leading worship. Oh my word! Those men are true men of God. To this day, they will contact my husband and tell him that they're praying for us and our ministry to the college students in NY. They remember my husband's injury and ask about it - having laid hands on him the night of the concert when he was in particular pain (which made the entire program 15 minutes late because they were REALLY praying and not just giving token prayers). I respect these men and will continue to buy Charlie's CDs because I KNOW his heart for God along with the rest of his bandmates. Not every song he does is one we'd do in church, but they are certainly songs I'll listen to.
I know that was a long answer, but I think it more fully explains what we do here in NY at our church and in our family. We don't only do contemporary songs - we don't do heavy rock songs (they would not be singable for the congregation - and I think that heavy rock is icky - LOL) but we DO use contemporary songs that we feel worship the Lord God and are useful for the church to enter into worship.
