Normally when I drive home from work the local CCM station is playing some wonderful worship music; however, the last couple of nights I've come home during the time that the programming was "geared toward the teenaged audience" as the DJ repeatedly told me. What that means is that the music is (for the most part) loud and hard...the lyrics are difficult to hear and what I did hear could have plugged in nicely with many of today's current pop stars - nothing more than fluffy, cotton candy, lovey-dovey tripe. Apparently the M.O. is to deliver lyrics to our teens that are devoid of any theology so as to not turn them off. The one glaring exception to this was a song from Todd Agnew (I'm becoming a fan) and Rebecca St. James entitled "Our Great God". While a little hard in places, I very much enjoyed this song. All in all, however, I found (during my back-and-forth flipping on the dial) that my 40 minute drive home from work came at a time when there was just some pretty horrible music on the radio - the more conservative station in the area (BJ, WILDS, NBBC, Majesty, etc.) plays "old" music during that time...music that needs to be listened to while sipping tea on the front porch with Andy and Barney....
By the way, here's another great song by Todd Agnew entitled "My Jesus". Enjoy!
By the way, here's another great song by Todd Agnew entitled "My Jesus". Enjoy!
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5 comments:
My Jesus was a great song. That should be the cry of each Christian. To be like My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Ellis,
Wow! I never thought I would enjoy any CCM, and I cannot really say that I enjoyed "My Jesus." It really was poignant, though. It made me think. I need to listen to music not as much for enjoyment as for being challenged, encouraged, humbled, etc. all of which I got from "My Jesus." I listened to it three times in a row, and would listen again, but the library where I am on the computer is closing in a few minutes.
Also, I listened to Casting Crowns's "Who Am I?" and found a link to a video of "I Can Only Imagine," and another by Casting Crowns called (I think) "I Will Praise You in This Storm," or something like that.
In my experience, we hold up those that are musically talented as "performers" in our churches, etc. None of those that I listened to would make it in our church, but it seems like they really know the Lord and are really singing to Him, not for the praise of men. Have we missed something? I know that I am not ready to jump right into the middle of CCM, but these that I have heard in the last two days are a lot to consider. I don't know where I am yet, but I will let you know.
Marty
These are some of the songs that have challenged my thinking and preconceptions a great deal, Marty. Some of these Christian rock groups putting out this music seem to have very little in common with those that were putting out the shallow garbage that seemed to typify the CCM movement of the 80's and early 90's. This is good music that glorifies God. I truly believe this music is pleasing to Him....
Wow, thanks for sharing that song by Todd Agnew - I hadn't even heard of it before. That song definitely contradicts the common perception of CCM, and does, I believe, have more substantive lyrics than many, if not most, of the songs I've sung at my fundamental Baptist church. At the same time, this church unequivocally considers all such music to be "of the devil." I simply cannot understand how anyone could say that there is any part of "My Jesus" that could be used of Satan.
Thanks for commenting, Aaron.
I think that in Fundamentalism we tend to get so wrapped up in peripheral incedentals that we "miss" things. Our constant focus on the wide-sweeping generalizations regarding certain styles of music have sometimes cuased us to miss out on some incredible, Christ-honoring music.
It's like going to the Grand Canyon and missing out on everything because you can't stop focusing on some flying insect that's buzzing around your head. You end up missing out on something incredibly beautiful and wondrous simply because you're choosing to focus on something negative and of no real consequence.
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