Hypnotic Music

[Russ Kelly]

In another thread, vaspars wrote "The other change was to get rid of classic, scripturally rich hymns, and replace them with monotonous, repetitive, hypnotic "praise choruses" that are one line over and over and over and over again. A real "dumbing down" of the worship service, let me tell you."

I am 59 and totally agree. I miss the old hymns with long messages for the heart of worship.

Several years ago, Roland Hegstad of Christianity Today wrote a book on Counterfeit Revival about this phenomena. I think the repetition is more dangerous than inspiring.

 

[tinytim]

Isn't the phrase, "Holy, Holy, Holy"
repetitious?

 

[vaspers]

It's not that I'm "against" modern music or contemporary Christian music or new worship music.

I used to be in industrial noise bands and also made electronic techno music with synthesizers, midiverbs, distortion boxes, etc. But I no longer do that, I have renounced personal music experimentation to focus on web usability analysis and theology.

I like all kinds of Christian music: Newsboys, Starflyer 59, John Michael Talbot, Johnny Amico, delirious, Twila Paris, Seeds, Wes King, Phil Keaggy, Audio Adrenaline, 4Him, lots and lots of stuff.

My problem is: one or two line Praise Choruses over and over and over and over again.

I love old Hymns, even the Oldest Hymns--book of Psalms.

John Michael Talbot, a CATHOLIC musical artist, is super cool, nearly all his songs pure Psalms or Gospel lyrics, I mean nearly no personal original thoughts, just straight scripture set to music.

So don't think anybody that I'm a fuddy duddy.

I'm in favor of extreme experimentation and innovation in all art forms.

But monotonous mind-numbing repetitious Praise Choruses are hard to take. I used to like Stereolab, but they also repeated one or two lines over and over, so after 8 CDs I gave up on that band.

 

[atestring]

Originally posted by Russ Kelly:
In another thread, vaspars wrote "The other change was to get rid of classic, scripturally rich hymns, and replace them with monotonous, repetitive, hypnotic "praise choruses" that are one line over and over and over and over again. A real "dumbing down" of the worship service, let me tell you."

I am 59 and totally agree. I miss the old hymns with long messages for the heart of worship.

Several years ago, Roland Hegstad of Christianity Today wrote a book on Counterfeit Revival about this phenomena. I think the repetition is more dangerous than inspiring.

Was this the book that slams prosperity teaching at $29.95 per book.

 

[Trotter]

I got it for $3 at Christian Book Liquidators, here in Cleveland, TN. Ha!

In Christ,
Trotter

 

[Dr. Bob]

Normally I would zip this to the "music" forum. But since, after two posts, it is already going astray, I will leave it here for a more general baptist audience.

So not a DEBATE here, but just a survey of opinion. Or, if it gets hot, it gets moved!!

 

[dianetavegia]

Since this IS staying nice, I'll join in!

I enjoy the new praise songs on my CD's. What I do have a problem with is sometimes in church, we sing the same praise song 5 times in a row and I notice the majority of the congregation is fidgiting, going through purses, talking to their children, looking around... while our praise group / leaders are quite seriously praising the Lord.

My preference is for the old hymns. They really touch my heart. I could sing every verse of all the old favorites and my heart soars.

Instead of a dumbing down, I would call it vain repetition if one's heart isn't in it.

Diane

 

[Russ Kelly]

HOly, Holy, Holy is fine. Just don't ask me to sing it over and over for 30 minutes! I have a book entitled "How to Prophesy and Speak in Tongues." It tells you to pick something, anything, and keep on repeating it until your conscious mind is thrown out of gear and your subconscious spirit will break out in tongues. Are we Baptists heding that way with songs that repeat a phrase 15-20 times? I hope not.

PIck up an old hymnal and read the gospel message of some of those old songs and tell me that the new repetitious ones can match up.

 

[Dr. Bob]

I think Tiny was being "tongue-in-cheek" with his reference to "Holy, Holy, Holy" or the "Hallelujah Chorus".

No comparison with the tripe that passes for much of CCM.

There. I've offered my opinion.

 

[dianetavegia]

Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms, above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms, above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now THIS one makes me sob!

Diane

 

[BillyMac]

Anyone ever heard of "Hosannah music"??? It was put out by Integrity Music some years ago (about 15 years ago) and was Praise and Worship music that was based on scripture. It was also live tapings of real Praise and Worship services. I loved it then very much and if I could find it again the way it was organized back then I would buy the CDs. In recent years however, many of those CDs and tapes are out of print and they have divided up the original worship services to market it differently.

(Excuse the following "links" as "Quick Reply" has no url button to provide an active link).

http://www.worshipmusic.com/compact-discs-integrity-hosanna-music.html

http://www.intergritymusic.com

http://psalmistry.com/psalms_christian_music_directory.htm

 

[Kathy]

:::THREAD JACK:::

Favorite CCM song(s)/artist(s)/group(s)??

My ALL TIME FAVORITE CD is the one by 4Him where they re-did "The Hymns"...UNBELIEVEABLY AWESOME! I love their rendition of It Is Well With My Soul ***SIGH*** it really takes me to a place where I want to fall on my knees and just grovel at the Throne!! To think that the man that wrote that song (sorry, I can't recall his name and the CD is in the car), had just lost his wife and children when their ship went down...WOW...

Kathy
<><

 

[Gib]

I like that chorus with the title, "Pharoah, Pharoah, Whoa Baby, Let My People Go."

 

[vaspers]

Kathy, I can't hardly stop listening to 4Him CD, The Basics of Life.

It's the only recording I have by them, but I did tape some LIVE stuff off a radio broadcast: Fill the Earth, Measure of a Man, It Is Well With My Soul, You Reign, Jesus in the Real World, Blessed is He Who Fears the Lord, Sacred Hideaway, Christ the Solid Rock, I Know You Now.

4Him is so amazingly great. I'm going to listen to that LIVE recording right now, thanks to you reminding me of it.

What CD by them should I get next? Which two, I should say?

 

[BillyMac]

Kathy,
What does :::THREAD JACK::: mean???

And what does CCM stand for???

 

[Kathy]

Vaspers - I HIGHLY recommend "The Hymns" by 4Him!! You will LOVE it!! I also have their "First Decade" and of course I love it too! Another one that is truly an awesome CD is Steven Curtis Chapman's "Speechless" I love EVERY song on the CD!! I belong to BMG's Sound and Spirit...they have great deals!!

Hey BillyMac! :::THREAD JACK::: is kinda like a car jacking, but I'm jacking the thread (changing the topic a little) - hehe and CCM = Contemporary Christian Music. HTH! (Hope This Helps)

Kathy
<><

 

[tinytim]

Yeah, Dr Bob, I should have put a smiley after
Holy, Holy, Holy. Gotta have fun somehow!!

As for the tongues part, I once had a pastor that told me that he had a charasmatic friend tell him that anyone could talk in tongues and then told him to repeat "jump start my Honda" as
"jump-astaut-myhonda" until the Holy Spirit arrived. BUnch of Hogwash!!

ps, 'Above All" is one of my favs too.

 

[Frogman]

I was once invited to a holiness church, I went to see what it was about. The preacher began speaking in 'tongues' by repeating 'shaka-kahn' over and over. I left. I bet they are still praying for my salvation.

Bro. Dallas

 

[Gib]

"Shahnda-leh-sheeto-shawmahna Kumbah-romma-domma hibidy-dibbidy-doo" Was always a favorite for me.

 

[vaspers]

I do believe in speaking in tongues, healing, casting out unclean spirits, direct revelation from word of knowledge/wisdom, working miracles, all that Acts stuff, JOHN 14:12 says so, etc.

But, I also do NOT believe in Benny Hinn, or slaying in the spirit, or vomiting up the devil, or stringing together nonsense syllables, or being "possessed by" the Holy Spirit (rather, being "filled with"), holy laughter, or any non-biblical silliness, "charismania."

I also think "cessationism" is a weird joke. Why would the power from on high cease just because the apostles died? It died with them? Weird. Or just because we "have the complete written revelation of God's Word." Like there are no more sick or demon possessed people anymore?

A pastor many years ago said if he thot someone was demon possessed he'd take them to a psychiatrist. That, my friends, is a symptom of the lack of faith and power in today's church.

There are two (or maybe more) extremes: total disrespect for God's continued presence and promised power...and nutty staged healings and imitation tongues and slying, ooops, slaying in the spirit goofiness.

IMHO. LMHO.

Now "hypnotic music": how many Christians even know what hypnotic techniques are, could know enuff about con job persuasion and influence tactics to ward them off and warn others?