I’ve added a new page to this blog where I discuss my thoughts on music that I’m currently listening to. I just figured that since I’m a musical guy and I tend to be picky about what I listen to, why not publish my thoughts on music at the very place that I publish all my other thoughts? Who knows, maybe a podcast is in order here! Right now I only have David Crowder Band and Switchfoot on the “music” page, but soon I will post another “review” on Sufjan Stevens’ album, Illinois.
In writing about Crowder’s new album, a question crossed my mind. Crowder is putting himself in a very interesting category with his music. This category, in my mind, was invented by Delirious?, but there are others out there that you could make a case for. The category I’m talking about is this place between “worship music” and “Christian music”. Now, I’m not talking about those CCM artists who, all of a sudden thought it would be cool to do a worship album (I have a whole other category named after them, which I will keep private). I’m talking about these bands/artists that were originally just worship leaders who decided to cut a cd, and over time, they signed on at a label, and are going on tours. There are a lot of things to think about here, but right now I want to focus on the musical aspect of it all. How would you describe the music of these guys? Obviously, it is spiritually Christian, God-centered, and usually “worshipful”. But is it actaully worship music?
I think one thing to consider here is expanding our paradigm in the definition of worship music. We’re not dealing with Dennis Jernigan and Maranatha anymore. Worship music has taken on quite an evolution of sorts, and I think for the better. As of right now, there’s worship music being put out there to appease the musical preference of almost anybody. Now, I’m a believer in the idea that it’s ok to have a musical preference regarding worship music, as long as musical preference doesn’t take precedence over worship itself. If you honestly find it easier to worship with a punk band leading, good luck with that, but don’t start making demands of your church if they don’t go for that sort of thing, and don’t tell me that you “can’t worship with hymns”.
But back to what I was saying—worship music has a much wider scope today than just ten years ago, and I think that’s good. But when does worship music cease to be worship music? Let’s take Delirious? for example (not just because their my favorite band, but because I think they pioneered all of this). They started as a few British teenagers who were asked to lead worship for a Wednesday-night youth service at their church. Pretty soon, they started to write their own worship songs. After that, they gained some popularity and began doing some larger venues and worship gigs. Then they released a cd called Cutting Edge, which was their band’s original name. The cd was packed with great original worship songs which gained worldwide popularity (I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever, Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?). In the following years, they released another album called King of Fools—another definitive modern worship album, but (intentionally or not) the most popular track, Deeper, became somewhat of a Christian-pop single, getting some serious radio airplay, launching this “worship band” into the Contemporary Christian Music scene.
Now, along with newcomers David Crowder Band, MercyMe, and Chris Tomlin, these worship leaders are making music that passes as both “worship” and “Christian rock/pop”. Now, being who I am, this tends to be the flavor of music I enjoy the most, mostly because of the God-centeredness and musical style. But as I think about this, a question comes to mind (this is what I was talking about all the way at the top of this post): Is all of this ok? Is it ok to blur the line between regular Christian music and worship music? Should there even be a line?
My immediate thoughts tell me, “Yes, there should be this kind of music. There shouldn’t be a divide between spiritual music and worship music, because worship is, after all, spiritual.” This is connected to my distaste for Christian artists “doing” worship cds. Why must an artists have to make that division? Why can worship only exist on a separate album, apart from the rest of their music?
I’m not finished with this, but this post is getting long. I have a list of second thoughts, but that will have to wait for a sequel post. For now, let’s focus on these questions: Should there be this “line” separating “worship music” and “Christian music” (or all music, for that matter)? If there is a distinct category for this type of music, what do we call it? I’m proud of the progress that worship music has made because I think it has had a major impact on the spiritual climate of younger generations. But I don’t want to see things go wrong. I don’t want worship music to stop being worship music.
I don’t really like the rift between Christian music and worship music. One of my favorite songs for worship is Switchfoot’s “The Shadow Proves the Sun Shines.” But it’s not really a worship song.
While I play alot of worship music, I don’t particularly enjoy listening to Passion or Hillsongs on my Ipod. I have a much richer worship time when I listen to Crowder or Switchfoot or Webb.
But I also think amazing worship happens when I read a solid Christian book.
PS- I think the federal government should impose a ban on covering “Shout to the Lord.”
See, the world messed everything up because God created music with the distinct purpose of returning it back to Him as one (of many) form of worship. The world took that and turned it into something else. But, to borrow from a Buddhist thought, to label music as “worship’ music implies that there is another type of music. But, there is not. There is only one type of music and we have forgotten why music exists-to worship God.
So, as Christians, we should not approach music as different types; worship, love, Christian or non-Christian; because there is no non-Christian music. There are only non-Christian words.
Take any song of any style from anywhere in the world and remove the lyrics and it is impossible to label it as Christian and non-Christian. It is impossible to tell from just the music if the author follows Christ. Christians aren’t that good at doing this because our preferences come into play. Church history has erroneously embodied certain styles of music as Godly. The danger in allowing our preferences to get in the way is that we allow a particular style of music to get in between us and God-that is where there is danger.
Back up a little to when I was younger. I sat in church and sang hymns-some I liked and some i did not and as I got older I like hymns less and less because they did not really speak to me. I didn’t understand the words-some of which were so old and outdated that our English language didn’t even use them any more. Words like Ebenezer (Come Thou Fount)…most people think this is a Dickens character and I was wondering why the Scrooge was in my church hymn! Lord help me.
But, where my church fell short was in instructing me as to what these words meant and why we were singing them. And, they shunned any glimpse of contemporary music because they said it had no place in church. They placed a Godly attribute to certain styles of music-ignoring that God created all music-verging on idolatry. So much for “spirit and truth”. I learned the lesson to, as a worship leader, inspect the songs we use and explain a few things – just in case people are lost with the poetic nature of some writers.
As humans we love to categorize music. We have to because we have to categorize everything-and marketing makes us create labels. But that’s not the way it was originally meant to be. I’m talking about pre-fall days. In the beginning. Back in the garden. And truly, isn’t that where we want to be? Don’t we want to be back in full communion with God? Walking with him and being with him 24/7?
There’s only one way to get there. Jesus Christ is the remedy for the fall and every day that we follow him more we return back from our fallen state and into His likeness. Kinda cool, huh? Read A.D. Bauer’s “In The Beginning” by Square Halo Books. Alan goes through this process and it will shed light on the topic in a whole new way.
So, back to music. Our attitude is the missing ingredient. How we approach music and how our heart is prepared to honor God with the music is the key to “worship music” (I don’t like that label). Look at it this way….music is powerful. And it’s that way because God created it to be powerful. Music can arouse memories and emotions like almost nothing else. I find music to be more powerful than pictures, sight and smells. And I truly believe that that amazing element of music is God in the music. Our minds are wired for music. Think of how many songs you can sing by memory and now think of how many books you can recite by memory. It’s a drastic difference. That’s one example of the power of music.
When we approach music in a worldly way we place labels on it and limit it. That’s not saying that all music is useful to worship God with. The world has tainted music with lyrics that do just the opposite. A quick review of MTV or any local radio station will quickly reveal a lack of God in many authors’ lives and influence. And this is a shame. We should pray for these people and be ready to lead them to Christ when the opportunity arises.
I personally use all types of music as worship music and work not to label music. I don’t care what the human author intended-I care about what God intended. And I don’t let a worldly label get in between God and me. I look for God working in music-even the music that man says is non-Christian. Man cannot put a label on God even though he may try.
A little background on me-I am a worship leader, having been raised in a Christian home I can say that I’ve been a Christian for most of my 38 years-technically I’ve been a Christian for 32 years, I guess.
The DCB CD, A Collision….David is doing something sort of new here. He’s combining a musical art form that the world has used many times. Call it a “concept album” like Tommy, Dark Side of the Moon or whatever. But, Christians don’t typically do this sort of thing with their music (again, labels that I don’t like). Crowder is branching out and trying to get our minds to open up a bit. Maybe let our minds find God in the sound. He’s allowing our own personal imaginations fill in the blanks-creating the story line. He gives some clues in the titles but not all the details. So many artists spoon feed us-they tell us exactly how great God is, exactly how magnificent He is, spoon feeding. I think Crowder is trying to lead us to God in a way that is not so prescribed. Allowing each listener to figure it out-if they give the disk a chance.
Like the last 2 tracks-the interview. I love those two tracks. They are my favorite on the whole disk. The interviewer just does not get it-even tho he thinks he does. He’s so quick to want to know what the hidden things are-instead of being patient and thinking about it. He wants to be spoon fed. I know the interview is fake but I think Crowder is doing something cool here by using his own symbolism in his songs when compared to the Lark-by saying he doesn’t always get it either. The Lark’s author tried to spoon feed David but David didn’t feel the same way. Maybe someday David will-obviously he’s trying.
And isn’t that really “spirit and truth”? Isn’t that really what God wants? He gave us free will-he wants us to choose. Does he want us to just blindly follow some worship leader? Doesn’t God see our hearts? Doesn’t man see our bodies?
I hope I’m making sense. Sorry for the long blog.
It’s a journey and I’m having the time of my life.
Chris Webb
Chris W. - You said, “God created music with the distinct purpose of returning it back to Him as one (of many) form of worship.”
Just out of curiosity, where does that belief come from? Is there anything in the Bible that says that?