Today's Christianity

[patrioticcamerican]

I'm not trying to paint with a broad brush, but today I was searching various church websites and came across one with a music group who have been "spreading the gospel through go-go since 2001." It's one example of that kind of group; another one I saw was "Holywood" movies. Do you think this is right?

 

[Helen]

No, it's not right. The Gospel is not entertainment. It's DEADLY serious business. People think that by clapping their hands at the right time or saying the 'right words', regardless of their lives or the condition of their hearts, that they have just bought into "Jesus Life Insurance."

Churches dedicated to Christ are NOT insurance sales offices! First of all, they are to be places where followers of Christ can gather and hear the Word, and fellowship, worship and pray together.

Secondly, any church that neglects words like 'sin' and 'repent' along with 'be saved' are offering what is commonly referred to as 'cheap grace' -- and God's grace may be free, but it is for sure not cheap!

A person has to be sick to death of himself and want to change. He has to want the truth and be willing to follow it -- or what he knows of it. Then the Father will lead him or her to Christ, and Christ will not refuse any who come to Him.

But those who try to play games when He gave His life for them are being fooled or just fooling themselves.

Jesus is a matter of eternal life or death, not a matter of hip hop music or go go or any kind of great emotional or entertainment wallop. People are being deceived by this and the deceivers are going to have a high price to pay.

 

[Ben W]

It seems to me that we are reaping the reward of promoting a Capatalist based Christianity. Christianity is being promoted often in such a fake, for profit manner, that people in general see no difference between watching an evangalist on TV or watching the Shopping Channel. It is like Jesus is some type of commodity for sale.

I think that is part of the reason that interest in Orthodoxy is booming amongst sections of younger people in the community.

 

[D28guy]

What in the world is "Go-Go"???

Surely it cant be lower than rap?

Can it?

Mike

 

[patrioticcamerican]

I think both are pretty low.

 

[D28guy]

OK, I'm gonna ask again:

What is "go go"?

Mike

 

[webdog]

I don't know what "go go" is, but I do know that those people that listen (or do?) "go go" have the right to receive the Gospel message as much as anyone. To dismiss this ministry in the name of non seriousness or entertainment carries a "my way of ministry is holier than yours" attitude and is false. Judge not lest you are judged.

 

[Dale McNamee]

Hi All!

Here's a description of go-go from Wikipedia.com:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_go

From the description: " Go go is a subgenre of funk music developed in and around Washington DC in the mid and late 1970's. While its musical classification, influences and origins are debated, Chuck Brown (b. 1934) is regarded as the fundamental force behind the creation of go-go music.

Go go is defined by continuous, complex, heavy rhythm arrangements focused through two thematic patterns, and variations on those two parts, performed on multiple congas, tumbadoras, and rototoms, interspersed with timbale and cowbell parts, driven by heavy-footed drumming and punctuated by crowd "call-and-response."

And from Noise.com Magazine: http://sfbg.com/noise/44-01/chuk.html

I hope that this helps!

In Christ,

Dale

 

[hillclimber]

Originally posted by Helen:
No, it's not right. The Gospel is not entertainment. It's DEADLY serious business. People think that by clapping their hands at the right time or saying the 'right words', regardless of their lives or the condition of their hearts, that they have just bought into "Jesus Life Insurance."

Churches dedicated to Christ are NOT insurance sales offices! First of all, they are to be places where followers of Christ can gather and hear the Word, and fellowship, worship and pray together.

Secondly, any church that neglects words like 'sin' and 'repent' along with 'be saved' are offering what is commonly referred to as 'cheap grace' -- and God's grace may be free, but it is for sure not cheap!

A person has to be sick to death of himself and want to change. He has to want the truth and be willing to follow it -- or what he knows of it. Then the Father will lead him or her to Christ, and Christ will not refuse any who come to Him.

But those who try to play games when He gave His life for them are being fooled or just fooling themselves.

Jesus is a matter of eternal life or death, not a matter of hip hop music or go go or any kind of great emotional or entertainment wallop. People are being deceived by this and the deceivers are going to have a high price to pay.

You nailed it Helen. DEADLY serious indeed.

 

[bmerr]

Originally posted by webdog:
I don't know what "go go" is, but I do know that those people that listen (or do?) "go go" have the right to receive the Gospel message as much as anyone. To dismiss this ministry in the name of non seriousness or entertainment carries a "my way of ministry is holier than yours" attitude and is false. Judge not lest you are judged.

To All,

bmerr here. Matt 7:2 goes on to say, "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged." The bottom line is that it is the word which will judge us all at the last day (John 12:48). The Bible gives no example of the gospel being spread by any means other than preaching (1 Cor 1:21).

Since we will be judged by the word, I have no problem judging by the word. We are to judge with righteous judgement (John 7:24).

"Spreading the gospel through go-go" is a concept completely foreign to the Bible. It is just another man-centered attempt at religion.

People seem to get the idea that they can offer whatever they want to God, and He has to accept it. Very few concern themselves with the question, "What has God commanded?" When we start asking that question, we can find the answers in the Bible.

In Christ,

bmerr

 

[D28guy]

"bmerr here. Matt 7:2 goes on to say, "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged." The bottom line is that it is the word which will judge us all at the last day (John 12:48). The Bible gives no example of the gospel being spread by any means other than preaching (1 Cor 1:21).

Since we will be judged by the word, I have no problem judging by the word. We are to judge with righteous judgement (John 7:24).

"Spreading the gospel through go-go" is a concept completely foreign to the Bible. It is just another man-centered attempt at religion.

I've never heard of "go go", and I dont know what its like. I've read some of the descriptions that have been posted, and if its like rap I would have to get up and leave due to the hidious sound of rap to my ears. If its more like R&B I might enjoy it since it would then be music, and of the type that I enjoy.

But regarding preaching the gospel through "go go", I've seen some posts that might indicate that people are jumping to some wrong conclusions.

Just because the sign says "preaching the gospel through 'go go'." does not automatically mean they have forsaken preaching! It probably only means that thats the form of praise and worship music they use.

ALL fellowships preach the gospel through the Christ centered music they play, be it hymns, contemporary praise and worship or accapella singing of hymns.

This particular fellowship surely has preaching after their praise and worship time like all other fellowships.

God bless,

Mike

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by patrioticcamerican:
Do you think this is right?

It's not the place of other Christians to second-guess how the Holy Spirit moves other people or groups.

 

[Eric B]

"go-go" was a type of '80's funk. Back when everyting in pop and R&B was almost completely synthesized, a bunch of bands from the Washington, DC area produced a live sound reminiscent of the funk of the 70's; basically a beat, bass, electric guitars (not metal), and real horns. It was regular singing, not rap.
Spike Lee's "School Daze" features the style; if anyone is familar with that movie or its soundtrack. As synthesizers improved in recreating the sounds of live instruments, the retro sounds were gradually brought back into R&B, and the two styles basically merged back together, and the DC bands waned in popularity.

 

[Gold Dragon]

Originally posted by D28guy:
Surely it cant be lower than rap?

You mean like this rap?

Baby Got Book

 

[Eric B]

Correction: (Heard one of the songs from "school Daze" today, for the first time in years)
Go-go did have a lot of spoken lines and rhyme that could be called rap. The whole theme of it was a live block party type feel, with responsive shouting, etc. But it was clearly more musical oriented, and never took on the negative associations (gangsta/cop killa/mysogyny, etc) that rap has.