"Christian Music" discussions

I've been reading several old issues of Contemporary Christian Music magazines (I got several years worth of issues off ebay last year). Seems the secular vs sacred discussion has been going on forever. I've read quite a few interesting articles though, and thought I'd start sharing some of them - just to get some opinions on them.

I read this one last night, it's pretty good- It's from CCM April 1987 (so some of the examples are archaic, but the idea's still the same)

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I disagree that if music focuses on evangelism (not that every song should) that the quality would suffer. I would expect the opposite.

I think evangelistic music would have to be above par... if it's not it's not very effective at evangelism... because no one outside the church would listen to it lol

Good points. I've heard "evangelistic" music that pulled no punches and yet had better creativity and quality than any top 40 radio tune.

"It is the presence of truth, beauty, and integrity--not religious jargon--that makes music godly."

This.

I will also weigh in and say that there is no reason evangelistic or worship music cannot be of supreme quality and creativity. What better act of worship than to put your creative best into music for your Creator! Now, I do mean "your" creative best. Beethoven was Beethoven; Bach was Bach; you are you. If the best you can do is a limerick and a 12-bar blues, then give it back. Now that I think about it, matching up a limerick with a 12-bar blues is nothing to sneeze at.

I agree with many of the points written in this article. Christians should be able to write about different topics and express themselves however they choose. Sadly, though, many seem to be afraid of mentioning Jesus anymore. I realize that you don't have to have a good JPM meter running, but you can't be afraid of singing about Jesus either.

messiaen77 wrote:

"
I will also weigh in and say that there is no reason evangelistic or worship music cannot be of supreme quality and creativity. What better act of worship than to put your creative best into music for your Creator! Now, I do mean "your" creative best. Beethoven was Beethoven; Bach was Bach; you are you. If the best you can do is a limerick and a 12-bar blues, then give it back. Now that I think about it, matching up a limerick with a 12-bar blues is nothing to sneeze at.

Well said.

alldatndensum wrote:

I agree with many of the points written in this article. Christians should be able to write about different topics and express themselves however they choose. Sadly, though, many seem to be afraid of mentioning Jesus anymore. I realize that you don't have to have a good JPM meter running, but you can't be afraid of singing about Jesus either.

Completely agree with that too.