"Man, ain't church fun? Whoopee bring on the band, turn up the treble, there's going to be some rocking tonight!"—Does that, or similar words sound familiar?
What does Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Stan Kenton, Jack Jones, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Al Martino, Roger Williams and Jim Roane have in common?
Well, not a whole lot except Ralph Carmichael taught me song direction for pastors while I was in seminary, and he wrote musical arrangements for them. I know, these are some lesser known impressive facts about me that some of you didn’t know. Now, if you really want to understand what is going on in contemporary church music you need not go much farther back than the "Father of Contemporary Christian Music” himself.
However, contemporary church music has always challenged the traditional. Charles Wesley was ridiculed because he composed Christian songs to fit secular tunes—not many, I am told, but far too many for some. Contrary to popular opinion though Charles never degraded sacred music by setting his tunes to that of some rip-roaring beer drinking song like 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, so don't for it there ‘cause you won’t find it.
Today, however, it is nothing to be suddenly jarred out of your senses on Sunday morning by some facial pierced nincompoop banging on a poorly tuned guitar trying to outdo the antics of the drummer in the glass cage behind him, and all under the guise of worship. Amazing Grace? Forget the sound—there’s nothing sweet about it.
And, do you know what is amazing? Current church polls have shown a significant trend among the youth away from this. Yet, it seems as if some of us have got stuck in the “user friendly” rut so long that we can’t seem to steer ourselves clear of it.
Last Sunday, for example, I looked around, as I usually do, and the only ones singing with any enthusiasm—mark that as hype—were the “worship” leaders.
I am not complaining, I am just saying.
Is this all necessary? Absolutely not. Pastor Church Swindoll at Stonebriar Community Church one of our area’s mega churches no only preaches excellent expository sermons but you are not deaf by the time you get to hear him. Now, not every church is perfect. Chuck is in my opinion is just a little too Calvinistic for my taste, but I am willing on occasions to filter some of that out just to enjoy the rest of the sermon and the music prior to that.
Now, mind you, I said occasionally, because after all I do have denominational loyalties. But, I do feel obliged to sample success in other church venues in order to at least come up with a few new ideas.
I’ve got more to say about the contemporary church, but that will have to wait for another blog.
I am, however, yours for the journey,
Well, not a whole lot except Ralph Carmichael taught me song direction for pastors while I was in seminary, and he wrote musical arrangements for them. I know, these are some lesser known impressive facts about me that some of you didn’t know. Now, if you really want to understand what is going on in contemporary church music you need not go much farther back than the "Father of Contemporary Christian Music” himself.
However, contemporary church music has always challenged the traditional. Charles Wesley was ridiculed because he composed Christian songs to fit secular tunes—not many, I am told, but far too many for some. Contrary to popular opinion though Charles never degraded sacred music by setting his tunes to that of some rip-roaring beer drinking song like 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, so don't for it there ‘cause you won’t find it.
Today, however, it is nothing to be suddenly jarred out of your senses on Sunday morning by some facial pierced nincompoop banging on a poorly tuned guitar trying to outdo the antics of the drummer in the glass cage behind him, and all under the guise of worship. Amazing Grace? Forget the sound—there’s nothing sweet about it.
And, do you know what is amazing? Current church polls have shown a significant trend among the youth away from this. Yet, it seems as if some of us have got stuck in the “user friendly” rut so long that we can’t seem to steer ourselves clear of it.
Last Sunday, for example, I looked around, as I usually do, and the only ones singing with any enthusiasm—mark that as hype—were the “worship” leaders.
I am not complaining, I am just saying.
Is this all necessary? Absolutely not. Pastor Church Swindoll at Stonebriar Community Church one of our area’s mega churches no only preaches excellent expository sermons but you are not deaf by the time you get to hear him. Now, not every church is perfect. Chuck is in my opinion is just a little too Calvinistic for my taste, but I am willing on occasions to filter some of that out just to enjoy the rest of the sermon and the music prior to that.
Now, mind you, I said occasionally, because after all I do have denominational loyalties. But, I do feel obliged to sample success in other church venues in order to at least come up with a few new ideas.
I’ve got more to say about the contemporary church, but that will have to wait for another blog.
I am, however, yours for the journey,
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