The Christian Music Thread

[VicarJoe]

Step one, follow this link.

Step two, note at what point in the song you start to suspect that the Lord is not pleased.

Step three, cleanse your palate with any other sound.

Step four, discuss in this thread why modern Christian music doesn't like people, and how a song like the one in the link might make the work of evangelization harder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8

[cradlerc]

Well, he'll need someone to turn to when people laugh at him, that's for sure.

You raise an interesting point about Christian music, which I admit I do not listen to often, if ever. The analogy that always springs to mind is that it reminds me of low-fat chips, to which I must repond, "why are you here at all?"

[VicarJoe]

I feel almost offended that someone thinks to call it mayo when it's clearly something new and nothing like the original.

Did I just veer into gay marriage territory? LOL

I see your point about Christian music. It's a bit like what Flannery O'Connor says about Catholic fiction. A good Catholic writer is a good writer--his or her Catholicism will take care of itself by informing the sensibility.

[cradlerc]

because I do have some writers I really like who write specifically for Christian audiences with explicitly Christian content. Are they as good as Flannery? No--but then most writers aren't.

But I've never "gotten" Christian music. Perhaps I don't listen to it enough; maybe there is some good stuff out there .

[AustenFan]

I'm pretty sure I made this suggestion on another thread, but as far as Christian music, you might try CD's of the Taize community-music which has its roots in Gregorian chants and is lovely. The other person I like is John Michael Talbot whom you might know of. He was an Evangelical Christian and converted to the RCC and is now a brother in a community he founded. It's great stuff.

[stihl]

I don't what it is but, when I am scanning through radio stations I can pick it out in 3 bars or less. Even when they try to dress it up as rock, pop or country I can pick it out and my finger involuntarily hits the seek button.

I feel bad because I try to maintain an ecumenical dispostion toward my fellow Christians but the Jesus music just turns me off. :puke:

[AustenFan]

what you mean by "Jesus music". Are you talking about Praise choruses which are quite redundant and don't have much theology behind them except, "Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus Loves me.". There are, IMO, some great hymns of faith such as "Amazing Grace" or Standing On The promises Of God" or many hymns by Charles Wesley, who wrote the words to 6000 hymns. Many of them are about Jesus for obvious reasons.

[stihl]

I don't mind songs about Jesus. When I use the term "Jesus music" I am reffering to the new age Christian music.

[AustenFan]

anything. :P but if it's Christian music it's not "new age" unless the lyrics say, "Jesus was a sexy, groovy, inclusive guy but he wasn't God" or "Jesus make us all into Gods just like you." If you mean shlocky (sp?) sentimental stuff, yes, there is a lot of stuff out there, but some good stuff too.

[cradlerc]

is the music that attempts to sound like whatever pop music is popular for its time, but substitutes "regular" lyrics with "jesus-y" lyrics. So it's kind of muzacky and pukey all at the same time. Amy Grant type stuff, but more contemporary. There seems to be this idea that, "well, kids like to listen to rock , so what we'll do is we'll take out all the lyrics about doing bad stuff, replace it with Jesus stuff, and voila! No one will be inspired to do bad things."

I'm with you, stihl--plus, I think it misses the point, which is that certain sounds are, themselves, evocative of certain, um, moods. So if I take the Bruce Springsteen sound, but instead of Thunder Road I'm singing about the Road to Damscus and seeing the light, I've kind of missed the point--which is that Springsteen's song is kind of earthy and sad and sexy all at the same time, and a big part of that is the music itself.

[stihl]

You hit the shlock on the head.

[Thereforeiam]

I always liked "Jesus is Just Alright With Me" by the Doobie Brothers from my college days. Some of the new Christian music is ok, some blah. My wife enjoys it so it's become one of those marital compromises/concessions that occurs even after 27 years together. Thankfully we have more than one radio and tv in the house.

[AustenFan]

I mrentioned to Cradle that I found the music of John Michael Talbot and also the Taize community particularly helpful in devotions.
I just bought a CD of Talbtots yesterday that I would really recommend. It's called "Signatures" and has selections from his various collections. Talbot has wonderful written commentaries on the pieces that aid in setting a peaceful, centered start for the beginning or closing of a time of meditation or prayer.

And Therefore, I like "Jesus Is Just Alright With Me" too.

[stihl]

...a deeply spiritual song that has resinated with me is "Halleighluia" (sp), covered by many artist including Rufus Wainwright. The melody is great and the lyrics are poetic. The lyrics switch view points from a narrative regarding David, Sampson and Delila, to the Lord, ect...

Maybe because it is a bit abstract you can try to read different things into the song. The theme is one of complete surrender, the kind of surrender when you let your natural self pass way in order to move toward God. It is melancoly and profound.

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