CCM vs. Hymns or Is CCM good?

[ArmenianJohn]

ArmenianJohn - when I distill down your two posts, I see one overall concept. You don't like the music, therefore it is "inappropriate for worship and praise".

There is nothing wrong with preferring a certain style of music for when worshipping with song. There is nothing wrong with music style being part of why someone attends a church if the music helps worship more fully and freely. It is a big error, however, to believe that music you don't like cannot be the perfect and appropriate vehicle for worship for other believers.

Thanks for your response - it has shown me that I was not clear in expressing my views. I unwittingly tried to convey two separate ideas as one.

I do not think that CCM is inappropriate for worship simply because I don't like the style. There are many styles of music that I like, some styles appropriate for worship and some are not. For example, I love classical music which I believe is wholly appropriate (the best) for worship. I also love heavy metal music, which I believe is wholly inappropriate for worship. So, it's not that I like or don't like the style which makes it appropriate or inappropriate.

So why do I think some styles are appropriate or inappropriate for worship? Because of what the music evokes.

Music that is fleshly has a purpose, but it's not worship. That's good for entertainment, for certain kinds of dancing, for fun, for bodily pleasure and exercise. It's not appropriate for worship because it feeds these other things in us. i love the Red Hot Chili Peppers - my favorite rock band - and Metallica and lots of heavy music but (even lyrics aside) it's not appropriate for worship.

Music that is spiritual serves the purpose of worship and praise. It may also be entertaining, it may also be good for certain kinds of dance, it may be somewhat fun, but it feeds the soul/spirit and brings us closer to the Lord and His Creation. Classical music is the height of this. Hymns and psalms do this also; folk music of sorts also can do this.

As a separate issue, when it comes to entertaining music (the first type I described), I can't even listen to CCM for pleasure because while it's of a rock or R&B style I find it mostly to be really, really bad. For that kind of music, it is very watered down and slowed, I suppose in an effort to make it more "worshipful", but it neither accomplishes being worshipful nor being entertaining. It's just worthless to me. That's my own taste and that's why I won't listen to it for leisure. But the reason I won't listen to it in the forum of worship and praise is that it does not feed my spirit or soul in a worshipful manner - it more feeds the flesh (even though it does a bad job at that, too).

I hope I clarified my position better. I don't believe that my taste in music is the deciding factor as to what's appropriate or not. There are classical and hymns and psalms that I don't particularly like but I believe are wholly appropriate for worship. At the same time, there are many songs in contemporary styles of music that I love but still don't consider to ever be appropriate for worship. I hope that makes my position clear.

 

[A_Thinker]

 

[dms1972]

I never thought a lot of the CCM I listened to was meant to be worship music, or could be sung in church - it was just christian pop and rock music, occasionally with a evangelistic message, or a message to encourage or challenge those who already were christians. But there were a few exceptions of CCM that was also worship such as some of the songs of Amy Grant, Michael Card, Michael W. Smith, Twila Paris and a few others. Twila Paris straddled CCM and Worship.

So yeah I have no problem with modern hymns as such and I like oldies too - but the oldies have richer content I find.

 

[dms1972]

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[Tigger45]

This one always grabs me by the soul.

 

[A_Thinker]

 

[A_Thinker]

 

[A_Thinker]

 

[A_Thinker]

 

[A_Thinker]

 

[A_Thinker]

 

[A_Thinker]

 

[Steve97]

I have heard the criticisms about CCM and they are all valid. Music preferences are subjective, as are all forms of music. That being said, when I became a Christian in 1970 at age 16, CCM was in its infancy and was terrible. Praise music was always 10 years behind the rest of contemporary music but I was hungery for music that celebrated my faith in addition to traditional hymns. I was thrilled when "Godspell" became popular, much to the chagrin of older, more traditional Christians. Music has been and continues to be a church splitting issue.

That being said, I listen to CCM today. There is a difference between "praise" and "worship" music, praise for daily living, worship for church services. I know there are those who will disagree. As my 18 year old grand daughter said (she is not a Christian), "I like your music better than today's contemporary music because it is so positive...".

 

[lightninboy]

Praise and worship music nowadays is mostly forgettable. At least hymns have stood the test of time.

 

[RDKirk]

Praise and worship music nowadays is mostly forgettable. At least hymns have stood the test of time.

John Wesley wrote over 6,500 hymns. People still regularly sing only about 20 of them, and only 150 are currently in print. So a whole lot of those old hymns did not stand the test of time.

 

[Pathfinder627]

Hello,

I'm a grad student working on a research paper that explores the type of music a Christian ought to listen to in their life/ what restrictions should we have in our music choices, if any? Is there a biblical basis for this?

Mainly, I am interested in the current ongoing debate or "worship wars" over what kind of music is appropriate for worship. I would like to hear voices from both sides. Do you listen to CCM (Contemporary Christian Music - for example anything by Hillsong)? Why or why not? Do you prefer one musical style such as traditional hymns over a contemporary style?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Why not both? Right now, I think Audrey Assad does so many beautiful songs in both styles.

 

[.Mikha'el.]

It's a matter of individual taste. Both have a place in the act of worship.

 

[sunshineforJesus]

I love C C M,especially Jesus culture and elevation worship.Bethel is good too.