What can be done?

[IndyEllis]

"How can today’s world listen to music that encourages them to get to know the counter-cultural person of Jesus when all they hear from Christian-based media are cheesy, regurgitated catch phrases?" ~ Alan Atchison

Christian Music…Why Does It Suck? What Can Be Done?

"One still hears a lot of complaints about lame music, trite and repetitive lyrics, theological shallowness, etc., etc., in the world of contemporary Christian music. Some of these complaints come from people who secretly wish we would go back to singing hymns like they did back in the -50’s (18- or 19-, your pick). I am not interested in complaining, and I have more interest in what will be in the 2050′s than in what was in the 1950′s (the decade of my birth). My concern has to do with substance..." ~ Brian McLaren

An Open Letter to Worship Songwriters

"In more gentle terms, N.T. Wright has called them “teenage love songs”..." ~ Carson T. Clark

Miniblog #155: Something Is Terribly Wrong with the “Jesus Is My Boyfriend” Genre | Musings of a Hardlining Moderate

Curious what folks think of this.

Valid criticism? If so, what of it fits?

Over-reaching in the critique? If so, what?

Once, I was in a worship service and it was 40 minutes before I heard any of the names of any of the Persons of the Holy Trinity or any lyric that had any direct reference or even indirect allusion to any specific Christian doctrine.

Do you care?

Do you think the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit do?

In your opinion, what would be the Evil One's thoughts on this?

 

[FreedByte]

- redacted -

 

[McMatt]

There are two big things I can think of between then and now. First point is that back then there wasn't a "christian music" industry. There were no "christian" labels. The running mentality of christian music in general seems to be "let's make a christian version of this", which brings about a lack of originality, conviction, and care. The second observation would be the decline of music in general. Even wu-tang era rap compared to todays garbage has gone through a complete paradigm shift. Back in the early days of rap and even until about the late 90's rap music had good content in their lyrics. Now you have rappers like lil wayne who say things like (and by the way, this is an actual lil wayne lyric I kid you not) "I'm getting cake like I'm Jewish, my n**ga drake he's jewish".

People don't care about substance in music today and it is really sad.

 

[WolfGate]

Yes, there are a lot of songs being written and recorded today that will not stand the test of time. But there are some very good nuggets outs there that will.

IMHO, that is how it has always been.

I was listening to a couple of men debate the worth of a Chris Tomlin's songs One guy was saying that while Chris Tomlin had a few excellent songs that will be around, nobody would be singing most of what he writes in 50 years. He compared that to Charles Wesley, who has over 150 hymns in the Methodist hymnal today. The other man agreed, but also pointed out that Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns - most of which have not stood the test of time either. And since we never hear those songs, our perspective is that all of his music was top level theologically, musically and lyrically.

 

[britchops]

I think N T Wrights quote about modern worship songs being ' teenage love songs' is pretty on the mark. We need more mature worship today.

Cheers

TJ

 

[worshipgirl0410]

I believe when the Bible says to make a joyful noise unto the Lord it is meaning just that. It does not matter if the words do not rhyme or the music stinks, all the matters is that the person who wrote the song is singing for God.

 

[holyrokker]

I think the Church in general has strayed away from what worship really is and has substituted it with songs.

Singing songs together on a Sunday morning is not worship.

 

[gospelinmusic]

When our words is full of HIS power, the word will work wonders