IT'S ONLY MUSIC, DAD!

Amen brother!

 

Amen, Music never has been or ever will neutral.

 

Thank God for CCM. This music has done more to revive the church than anything else, short of finally getting a bible into modern day English.

 

What about artists who have made opposite statements? Are their opinions any less valid?

There are two very important things that David Clown fails to mention.

The first is that there are a variety of professions in which people die prematurely.

Coal miners, police officers, firefighters, the military, etc. Are these things bad, then?

The other is when you consider the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, who have played rock and roll and gone on to live long, healthy lives, 500 deaths actually tracks lower than many other professions.

 

Terry do you really feel that today the church is in a revival?

 

I have read many of the threads about those who despise CCM (I did not know what that was until I PM'd Dr. Bob) and those who think CCM is what it is all about.

CCM and "contemporary worship" opposers complain about singing the same old choruses over and over, and the use of "rock music".

There are those who are tired of singing "Amazing Grace and Victory In Jesus". Our church uses the 1991 Baptist Hymnal. They only really use about a 1/3 of the hymnal. We have tried to introduce new hymns and get the same complaints about using those and many of you get in services that use "Contemporary" music. I asked why do you oppose singing new hymns out of the hymn book. They have said they want to do what they know, you know the old hymns. Same old hymns over and over.

What to do?

 

I do not know whether or not the corporate church body is in revival or not. I do believe that there are local churches that are experiencing revival. I do not think that the style of music a church uses is determinate of whether of not this is so.

There are, no doubt, churches that use only hymns that are barely living just as there are, no doubt, churches that use contemporary music that do no better.

In our church we sing mostly hymns, but our new music director is introducing more praise and worship music into our services. This is, I believe, improving the worship in our church. Personally, I enjoy CCM and see no reason to change.

We are fortunate here in Houston, Texas to have two wonderful christian radio stations. One is more traditional while the other plays only CCM. While I listen mostly to the latter, I do enjoy both.

I do not see any reason to pick only one style. I enjoy a wide variety of christian music.

 

I think the problem is it ends up either one or the other, or that is the way it has been where I live. There have been churches I know of down here that have gone from traditional to contemporary and after a while after a large growth of new members lost their older members and then went back down to nothing among Baptist Churches. There is one large Baptist church that has contemporary music and the other Baptist Churches have for the most part have traditional music. Most of the Pentacostal Churches around here have rock or contemporary music.
Just a few years ago most if not all Baptist Churches wouldn't have Southern Gospel music in there churches(20 or so years ago). A 100 or so years ago we had little or no music and 150 years ago I would say no music( if I recall my history correct).

 

Are there any churches combining the two; traditional hymns and contemporary songs? I have been to several churches that have what I call a blended worship service. Our church utilizes both contemporary songs and hymns.

I wonder if what I consider a blended service may not be the same to others. We sing choruses from time to time. Some Sundays we don't. I have never thought that "What A Mighty God We Serve" is a contemporary rock song.

What song titles in particular are people referring to that they feel have no place in worship and have that "Rock and Roll" feeling?

Should I start a new thread for that?

 

it's more than music. music sets our attitude and flow for the rest of the service. Do you hear ballet music at a football game and do you hear band marches at the ballet no. so why hear rock music at church?

GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

I think nearly every sports team plays "Oh, Fortuna".

"Band marches" is a little broad. Certainly there is upbeat music at the ballet.

Why not? Why isn't rock music as valid as any other?

By the way, can we please define "rock music"? The way it's being thrown around here is awfully broad and I would wager that what most of you have in mind isn't rock music at all.

 

Bob, I agree with you. I don't like that type of worship, either, but isn't it a cultural thing?

We had a funeral several weeks ago and we sang several hymns.

I know all the words and usually just hold the hymnal as a prop. As I was looking around, you could see from the looks on some people's faces that the antiquated words and slow, plodding music meant nothing to them.

 

Good posts Mike,
I can see that you actually care about the truth, and how it relates to Biblical Principles, there aren't many of us out there, but its encouraging to see.

The start of this thread is the typical, less than factual representation, and the fairly broad jump from Secular Rock and Roll, to CCM. There are particular artists that may ride the line, and the industry is integrated by the economies of scale, but there are many musicians out there with very good ministry philosophies, and who genuinely worship and serve God, just like there are those who are in it for the money, or the name. Thats where dicsernment comes in. Many people will stand in church and sing a traditional hymn with poor or even heretical doctrine, and not bat an eye, but wouldn't be caught dead singing a modern worship song with lyrics taken directly from the scripture, there is a breakdown there somewhere!!!

I am not into roller skating in the church service, and I attend a church that uses traditional instruments, and primarily traditional music, but There is a wealth of good contemporary music with solid strong docrinal lyrics, and music that at least to me is not distracting in any way. There is also a great deal of music that I would probably not choose as music for a worship service, but that has perfectly good uses in other venues.

 

I would challenge anyone here to listen to anything written or performed by the late Rich Mullins and say that his music is not straight from God.
BTW, he died "prematurely", in a car accident.

I understand "I'll Fly Away" wasn't readily accepted in churches when it first came out.

 

I'll fly away would still not be accepted in some churches

wizofoz, I would agree. Rich Mullins was a strange dude, but his songs are full of doctrinal truth, and passion for Jesus Christ.

Especially the Jesus record, which was released after his death.

 

Dr. Bob, a question please. Why do you consider "The King is Coming" an example of a weak contemporary Christian song? I ask because it is one of my pastor's favorites - he says it lifts up his spirit every time he hears it.

Ruth

 

I think it comes down to the human characteristic of not wanting to accept anything new or different. People tend to criticize what they don't understand or are not familiar with.
It has been apparent in each generation; and it will continue to be so in future generations.
CCM is new and different to the ones who have grown up singing out of the Baptist Hymnal with a piano or organ accompaniment all their churchgoing lives.
Time will tell. The songs that are not really glorifying God will fade in the distance, but others (I Can Only Imagine and Shout to the Lord, for instance, IMHO) will become ingrained in worship services for quite a while.