The problem with "Christian" music today

Andrew · Nov 9, 2018

Josiah · Nov 9, 2018

It's SATIRE but it's SO true....

I'm especially amazed by all the "Jesus is my boyfriend" songs..... all the totally secular, emotional stuff that has nothing to do with anything.....

Andrew · Nov 9, 2018

Josiah said:
It's SATIRE but it's SO true....

I'm especially amazed by all the "Jesus is my boyfriend" songs..... all the totally secular, emotional stuff that has nothing to do with anything.....

I'm a songwriter, and I tried making Christian rock music before and actually found out the chord structure (usually bright open chords but at the same time not whole chords) I couldn't write the lyrics because it just sounded like something I myself wouldn't care for.
I think next i'll just write down how I actually feel first without prescribing the music before hand and then strumming what I'm used to and improvise a melody over the music using the lyrics I wrote

Like an actual hymn!

MennoSota · Nov 9, 2018

This just made me laugh out loud. When I was an Arminian I played some of these songs for church. Come to think of it, I may have these songs to thank for pointing me toward Reformed theology! [emoji16]

tango · Nov 9, 2018

Can't see the video right now so hopefully I'm not wildly missing the point.

At least with traditional hymns, and even the older edges of more contemporary chorus-type songs, reading the words still made sense. The focus was on a belief, on God, on something tangible. So much now seems to be filled with "ooh" and "yeah" and "woah" and stuff, and the parts that aren't filler are often theologically very thin if not outright toxic. There's an awful lot out there that's little more than a bunch of drivel about us, that might as well be a version of Gina G's "ooh, ahh, just a little bit" with maybe an occasional mention of Jesus thrown in.

Andrew · Nov 9, 2018

tango said:
Can't see the video right now so hopefully I'm not wildly missing the point.

At least with traditional hymns, and even the older edges of more contemporary chorus-type songs, reading the words still made sense. The focus was on a belief, on God, on something tangible. So much now seems to be filled with "ooh" and "yeah" and "woah" and stuff, and the parts that aren't filler are often theologically very thin if not outright toxic. There's an awful lot out there that's little more than a bunch of drivel about us, that might as well be a version of Gina G's "ooh, ahh, just a little bit" with maybe an occasional mention of Jesus thrown in.

You get it spot on

NewCreation435 · Nov 9, 2018

Yet, there are many of us including me today who are turned off by how boring and slow the traditional services and music are. The church I attend now has a traditional service. Less than half our members go to it. I think it would also be incorrect to say that all of the songs don't mention Jesus or have some good theology in them. I won't sit through a traditional service. it puts me to sleep and bores me

This is one of my favorites right now. You'll notice he does mention Jesus by name.

https://youtu.be/u-1fwZtKJSM

Andrew · Nov 9, 2018

jsimms435 said:
Yet, there are many of us including me today who are turned off by how boring and slow the traditional services and music are. The church I attend now has a traditional service. Less than half our members go to it. I think it would also be incorrect to say that all of the songs don't mention Jesus or have some good theology in them. I won't sit through a traditional service. it puts me to sleep and bores me

This is one of my favorites right now. You'll notice he does mention Jesus by name.

https://youtu.be/u-1fwZtKJSM

Amen

Albion · Nov 10, 2018

jsimms435 said:
Yet, there are many of us including me today who are turned off by how boring and slow the traditional services and music are. The church I attend now has a traditional service. Less than half our members go to it. I think it would also be incorrect to say that all of the songs don't mention Jesus or have some good theology in them. I won't sit through a traditional service. it puts me to sleep and bores me

This is one of my favorites right now. You'll notice he does mention Jesus by name.

Oh yeh. Worship of God must be fun. And it must be all about...us.

Ugh

Lamb · Nov 10, 2018

jsimms435 said:
Yet, there are many of us including me today who are turned off by how boring and slow the traditional services and music are. The church I attend now has a traditional service. Less than half our members go to it. I think it would also be incorrect to say that all of the songs don't mention Jesus or have some good theology in them. I won't sit through a traditional service. it puts me to sleep and bores me

This is one of my favorites right now. You'll notice he does mention Jesus by name.

https://youtu.be/u-1fwZtKJSM

Wait, you get bored by traditional music but prefer this slow song? I got bored within the first few chords. Sorry. I prefer a song the entire congregation can sing to, not just a select few even though solos, duets and choir pieces can be nice at times.

Josiah · Nov 10, 2018

I don't really care how FAST the tempo is or have jazzy the tune is..... although people SHOULD get excited about the Gospel, not just an emotional response to music....

What bothers me, a lot, about most of this "contempory" music (as if new is therefore better) and "Praise" music (although often Jesus isn't the object of the praise) is that it tends to not be Christian. IMO, Christian music, by definition, should be Christian - about Christ, proclaiming Christ, teaching Law and Gospel. God can use His Word... but only if its there.

I notice too that not only is the Word missing in so much of "contemporary" and "Praise" music, but so is any mention of sin or blood.

Now, there's certainly "traditional" hymns just as bad. Consider "In the Garden"

NewCreation435 · Nov 10, 2018

Albion said:
Oh yeh. Worship of God must be fun. And it must be all about...us.

Ugh

I was really referring to personal preference. I don't get much out of the old hymns like you apparently do.

NewCreation435 · Nov 10, 2018

Lämmchen said:
Wait, you get bored by traditional music but prefer this slow song? I got bored within the first few chords. Sorry. I prefer a song the entire congregation can sing to, not just a select few even though solos, duets and choir pieces can be nice at times.

Our entire congregation does sing along with this song.

Andrew · Nov 10, 2018

jsimms435 said:
Our entire congregation does sing along with this song.

Well I enjoyed the song but mainly because he wasn't afraid to say the name Jesus... most never do these days and it just starts to sound like an average love song.
I'm down for Christmas songs all year

But those are still fragmented down to his birth.
To be frank I enjoy old southern gospel music like 'they hung him on a cross' and 'aint ya glad the blood done signed your name' by leadbelly, 'John the revelator' by Son house (actually more southern delta from the 30s to 40s).

Andrew · Nov 10, 2018

This one is based on a Psalm and it's one of my top favorites because its basically taking Davids words verbatim and structuring a rhythm around it. Very island sounding but I'm up for all types of music.
https://youtu.be/vYK9iCRb7S4

psalms 91 · Nov 10, 2018

I like John the Revelator as well and I love the song Mary Did You Know

tango · Nov 10, 2018

jsimms435 said:
Yet, there are many of us including me today who are turned off by how boring and slow the traditional services and music are. The church I attend now has a traditional service. Less than half our members go to it. I think it would also be incorrect to say that all of the songs don't mention Jesus or have some good theology in them. I won't sit through a traditional service. it puts me to sleep and bores me[/quote[

If you read my post you'll notice I didn't actually say that "all of the songs don't mention Jesus" or that all of the songs lack good theology. My concern is the sheer number of songs that either don't mention Jesus at all, or mention him in a context so loose that he could be substituted for something else without breaking the sense of the song, and the sheer number of songs containing either thin theology or toxic theology. It seems to me that there is an increasing tendency for songs to be written with a focus on being "catchy" rather than being theologically valid.

I prefer more contemporary music myself, I just don't see a lot of point sitting in church singing songs that are little more than "ooh, ahh, just a little bit" with a dusting of theological terms so they count as "Christian music". Where some get bored with more traditional hymns (and I agree it is sad when an already slow song is played extra slowly and in an extra dreary manner), others (myself included) get bored with singing endless rounds of "happy happy, joy joy, woo woo, Jesus!" or some such. A term I heard a while back and kinda stole was the concept of the "Hare Krishna" test - when I'm looking at the words on the projector screen and see a line followed by "repeat x8" I lose interest more or less right away.

At my church we alternate traditional and contemporary services. As I said before I prefer the contemporary style but it's not all about my every desire, so I attend the traditional ones as well. There's usually more content to speak of in the traditional hymns than in the modern songs. Which is a shame - I like to see more modern songs that have something you can get your teeth into.

Andrew · Nov 10, 2018

tango said:
jsimms435 said:

Yet, there are many of us including me today who are turned off by how boring and slow the traditional services and music are. The church I attend now has a traditional service. Less than half our members go to it. I think it would also be incorrect to say that all of the songs don't mention Jesus or have some good theology in them. I won't sit through a traditional service. it puts me to sleep and bores me

Click to expand...

If you read my post you'll notice I didn't actually say that "all of the songs don't mention Jesus" or that all of the songs lack good theology. My concern is the sheer number of songs that either don't mention Jesus at all, or mention him in a context so loose that he could be substituted for something else without breaking the sense of the song, and the sheer number of songs containing either thin theology or toxic theology. It seems to me that there is an increasing tendency for songs to be written with a focus on being "catchy" rather than being theologically valid.

I prefer more contemporary music myself, I just don't see a lot of point sitting in church singing songs that are little more than "ooh, ahh, just a little bit" with a dusting of theological terms so they count as "Christian music". Where some get bored with more traditional hymns (and I agree it is sad when an already slow song is played extra slowly and in an extra dreary manner), others (myself included) get bored with singing endless rounds of "happy happy, joy joy, woo woo, Jesus!" or some such. A term I heard a while back and kinda stole was the concept of the "Hare Krishna" test - when I'm looking at the words on the projector screen and see a line followed by "repeat x8" I lose interest more or less right away.

At my church we alternate traditional and contemporary services. As I said before I prefer the contemporary style but it's not all about my every desire, so I attend the traditional ones as well. There's usually more content to speak of in the traditional hymns than in the modern songs. Which is a shame - I like to see more modern songs that have something you can get your teeth into.

Ouch yes it's very true, here are the lyrics to George Harrison's hit song "My Sweet Lord"
Notice how he throws in Hare Krishna towards the end...

........

My sweet Lord
Mm, my Lord
Mm, my Lord

I really want to see you
Really want to be with you
Really want to see you, Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord

My sweet Lord
Mm, my Lord
Mm, my Lord

I really want to know you
I really want to go with you
Really want to show you, Lord
That it won't take long, my Lord
(Hallelujah)

My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
My Lord
(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)

I really wanna see you
I really wanna see you
I really wanna see you Lord
I really wanna see you Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord
(Hallelujah)

My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
Mm, my Lord
(Hallelujah)
My my my Lord
(Hallelujah)

I really wanna know you
(Hallelujah)
I really wanna go with you
(Hallelujah)
I really wanna show you, Lord
That it won't take long, my Lord
(Hallelujah)

Mmm
(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
My my Lord
(Hallelujah)

Mmm
My Lord
(Hare Krishna)
My my my Lord
(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord
(Krishna, Krishna)
Oohh
(Hare Hare)
Now I really wanna see you
(Hare Rama)
I really wanna be with you
(Hare Rama)
I really wanna see you Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord
(Hallelujah)
Mmmm
My Lord
(Hallelujah)
My my my Lord
(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord
(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord
(Krishna, Krishna)
My Lord
(Hare Hare)
Mmmm
(Gurur Brahma)
Mmmm
(Gurur Vishnu)
Mmmm
(Gurur Devo)
Mmmm
(Maheshwara)
My sweet Lord
(Gurur Sakshaat)
My sweet Lord
(Parabrahma)
My, my my Lord
(Tasmayi Shree)
My, my my my Lord
(Guruve Namah)
My sweet Lord
(Hare Rama)
(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord
(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord
(Krishna Krishna)

......

Albion · Nov 10, 2018

jsimms435 said:
I was really referring to personal preference. I don't get much out of the old hymns like you apparently do.

I do. That's true. But I always wonder, when someone starts running them down, which of the old hymns they have in mind and if they have ever sung them personally and listened to the lyrics.

It is almost incomprehensible to me how anyone could say that these powerful messages leave them feeling bored, etc. but that "Jesus is swell, he's swell, Jesus is my pal" is somehow very meaningful.

MennoSota · Nov 10, 2018

The struggle over contemporary vs old hymns is one reason I like Indelible Grace Music. IG takes the great hymns and rearranges them in modern sound.
http://www.igracemusic.com
"Heal Us" is a good example.
https://youtu.be/k8EA-EcBMMg

The problem with "Christian" music today

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... and you shall live ...

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