Is there something wrong with this.? The light show, the lyrics. I ask because I don't know. You asked, so I'm answering.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a blues festival in a nearby town. I'm not a blues 'historian', but I do love the stuff. My younger sister asked me if I would like to go with her and her husband (babylonians both) to a concert on a sunday night...which happened to be the last night of this blues festival. The name of the act was Big Daddy Weaves (as best as I remember). I'd never heard of 'him', but it sounded like a blues act to me! My sister also knew the 'promoter' and was determined that I meet him--in order to advance my musical career, I'm certain.
They came and picked me up, and it took a few minutes for it to sink into my brain that we were NOT heading to the blues-fest as I had thought, but were instead headed to a church for a concert of contemporary Christian music--not at all unlike what was in your You-tube links.
I was disappointed, but felt sure I would survive the experience.
I don't think I was intentionally misled, just confused.
We got there about a half-hour before the concert started, and the atmostphere was pleasant. I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I did NOT belong there, but that didn't mean I needed to escape. I was happy for the aisle seat just in case they started singing the praises of Satan and the justice of eternal torment, or attacking the soveriegnty of God
We got a paper handout since it was a sunday night and this 'concert' replaced whatever this church ordinarily did on sunday nights. What caught my eye was the advertisements. Essentially, the concert was sponsored by several local and regional businesses (including some quite large ones). It was also promoted by a local christian radio station. So...even before it started, I had the impression that this was simply an imiatation of 'the world' dressed up in christian clothes.
There were two acts involved...this Big Daddy outfit and a local band that opened for them. I got myself prepped to either enjoy or leave in protest, whichever came first. The first band got started, the music began and the bandmembers began to join in to bring the crowd to attention.
Then it happened. The leader of the first act began to urge everybody to their feet. He said, as best I can remember to quote him, "You can't worship sitting down!", he said. "At least that's what I think."
At that moment, the words of Christ came to my mind.
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
In my spirit, I rebuked that young man. Oh, for the strength to stand up one day and preach this! 'Just because you play a guitar does not give you the right to contradict the words of Christ. I don't
care what you think. Jesus said the hour is coming and NOW IS that neither in this mountain NOR in Jerusalem will we worship the Father. How much LESS whether we sit or stand, clap or fold our hands, laugh or cry, are exuberant or still. NEITHER are right or wrong. BOTH are WORTHLESS in and of themselves. If we don't worship in Spirit and Truth we cannot say we are worshipping.'
"You can't worship sitting down...at least that's what I think." Man, that statement sums up so much of what is wrong with churchianity.
That theme continued through both bands sets, with occasional wisdom peeking through otherwise near constant musical, lyrical, and spoken appeals to 'dance, be foolish, etc.' Now, the second band in particular was quite good, but I could have 'worshipped' like
that better at the blues-fest! And would have!
When it was all over, I wanted to leave there so I could resume the worship I was living before I got in, but my sister insisted we go and meet the 'promoter'. I'm kinda glad she did, because I got a good look backstage where they had the merchandise tables set-up and kids and adults were crowding around buying up the T-shirts, CD's and other trinkets, as I waited for the Lord Jesus to show up with his fashioned whip.
We finally found the promoter and it all fell into place perfectly. He met me, and asked my sister, "How did you like the show?"
Glory to God! "How did you like the show?" I didn't need to hear anything else.
Show-Business. Got it.
Roy, it isn't that I think music is evil. I don't. It isn't that I think music with a christian message is evil. I don't. It isn't that I think everything that goes on inside the walls of every church is evil. I don't. The churches hold everything from the finest, most humble people on earth to the worst of sinners who heap hypocracy on top of all their other stinking sins. They hold everything from the finest and most sincere expressions of faith to the vilest and cheapest of merchandisers of the gospel. GOD KNOWS HEARTS. He knows them better than we know our own. But when it comes to worship, I don't want this, that, or any other Mountain, city, feeling, position, emotion, company, inclusion, exclusion, hypocracy, temptation, apearance of evil, evil itself or anything OTHER than The Spirit of GOD and Truth.
I don't want my worship 'led'. Been there and done that...on both sides of the microphone. That's just me, though.
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Topic: An invitation to forum musicians (Read 29250 times)