Genuine Worship

I wrote this in 9th grade. My views have changed since then, although they are very similar. I have no problem with most CCM, but my opinion remains when it comes to actually focusing on the words of the song and not getting caught up in false emotions. We should focus on our relationship with Christ, not on the music itself.

Pretend, for a moment, that you are a new, famous, CCM artist. How would you sell your music? What would your music be like? Would your music glorify God? Now, pretend that a Christian magazine interviews you. They ask, “How do you determine what your music should be like? Sure, you use good lyrics, but does your music glorify God wholly?” You would probably reply that you sing and play from your heart, for God, and use the truths given to us, by Him, in your music.

Next they ask you, “But, what are those truths? You have to admit that CCM has been and is still used because of its popularity, not because it glorifies God. In addition, your lyrics may glorify God by your standards, but what about God’s standards? What about the musical composition? Where do you get your standards for what your music should be?” What would you say? Would you use scripture? Sure, music is a big thing in the Bible, but where do you get your standards?

In recent times, Christian music has “crossed over” in an effort to “evangelize”. The effect that contemporary Christian music, or CCM, has had on people in this change is different than you might think. CCM has become a form of music that seems to glorify God, but, in truth, does not. It often does the opposite of what genuine worship should do and conforms to the world. Much of it, therefore, is unbiblical. Evangelism has become a term bluntly and wrongly used for CCM, and very few “Christian” bands actually communicate the things necessary for genuine worship in their music.

God’s word offers criteria for evaluating music. A summary describing basic, Biblical characteristics of genuine worship appears in Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent and praiseworthy - think about such things.

A song must be true, noble, morally excellent, worthy of praise, and acceptable, not only in lyrics, but in its music as well. Genuine worship music should contain beautiful, reverent, dignified words worthy of the praise of a holy God (Isaiah 6:1-6 and 1 Corinthians 14:26-33). Balance in characteristics of the components of music such as harmony, rhythm, and melody, as well as musical preciseness, poetical technique, and evidence of structure and order (1 Corinthians 14:40) characterize such music. It should present a message clearly conveyed that stays true to the word of God and is doctrinally sound (Colossians 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 14:6-12). Even more, it should help us to honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and be free of mental association with musical styles of the world (Romans 12:2). Last of all, it should not be suggestive of evil in message, in musical arrangement, or in performance (Philippians 4:8), and it should not tempt believers to return to their former life or sin.

Many of these standards, CCM does not meet. CCM takes secular music and “Christianizes” it. Many argue that all that matters is the lyrics, that making music this way can create a “cross over” that will bring secular audiences to their music and God. To put it shortly, the end justifies the mean. This is a dangerous principle. They say that they are evangelizing, making millions and billions of dollars off of it at the same time that missionaries overseas make hardly any money at all. They call it a ministry, yet their audiences hardly ever hold them to any values or standards that would be expected of a minister. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” There are certain kinds of people fit to lead and not fit to lead. Yes, we have all sinned, but are people such as Amy Grant and Sandy Patti (both having divorced and remarried; Sandy Patti also having committed adultery) really fit to lead? Even if they are, many have fallen to peer pressure when it comes to the way that they act, sing, and sell their music.

Many have forgotten God’s blessings. When it came to one of her CDs, Amy Grant admitted that she did not mention or imply God in any of her songs and had purposely been more “secular” in the way she dressed for the pictures on the CD, commenting, “Isn’t that the point?” CCM is linked to secular rock, pop, and rap. CCM artists often agree that secular music is not exactly “good” or Biblically “right”. If music is identified with music that is “evil” or “wrong”, then it is not of good report (reputation - one of the virtues in Philippians 4:8), regardless of its lyrics. For example, music that is 95% good and 5% bad is not pure (another virtue in Philippians 4:8), and is, therefore, not genuine worship. Nate Macey, a graduate of George Fox University, puts it this way, “When playing the game of Janga, if you pull one block out the wrong way, the entire pile falls.” The same applies to worship. Romans 12:2 says, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We, as Christians, are not supposed to live and be like everyone else. If a kind of music sounds like worldly music, looks like worldly music, and is marketed like worldly music, then that music is worldly.

Genuine worship must glorify God. Music such as CCM that seeks to “copy” worldly music approaches does not honor or glorify God. How does a person glorify God by listening to music that is injurious to their hearing? Does that not disrespect the glory and honor that we should give to God through our bodies? Furthermore, does a band really glorify God through their music when disorder and chaos reigns? In much of CCM, the drums, guitar, and other instruments are mixed together in a way that you cannot even hear the calm instruments such as a piano or keyboard. Even more importantly, it is so loud that it overshadows the message of the song. God is a God of harmony and order. Does it glorify Him to sing music that is exactly the opposite of that? What about concerts?

Worship music should balance and compliment its lyrics (1 Corinthians 14:26-33). However, through CCM, emotion takes over and people concentrate so much on emotion that they mindlessly sing and forget to really praise God and think about the meaning of the words. Maybe some music seems to follow the virtues of Philippians 4:8 at church, school, or home environment, but what about when that music is amplified and projected so loud that you cannot understand the words or hear the person next to you talking?

What do bands do at concerts? At the Billy Graham Crusade that took place in Fresno, 2002, artist Kirk Franklin ran around the stadium, encouraging the audience to scream for him. Some ran behind him, screaming. Another band, DC Talk, actually went into the audience. One of the members took his jacket off and let girls scream, touch, and swoon over him. Is this the way that bands glorify God, or themselves?

Other bands have thrown T-shirts or drum sticks into the audience. The kids, teens, and adults they claim to influence in a good, Biblical, spiritual way scream and shout for them and buy their CDs, not because they want to glorify God, but because they “like” the music. The Dallas Morning News, in April 1996, described a DC Talk “Jesus Freak” concert like this:

As teenagers’ shrieks filled the Dallas Convention Center, moments before DC Talk took the stage, Friday night, one of the relatively few adults, in the sold-out crowd, observed, ‘This is just like the Beatles!’

One Michael W. Smith concert has been described as filled with teenage girls who “scream out their affection for him,” not for Jesus Christ. CCM artists sell themselves using secular-like music and looks. Only one out of every 130 artists uses scripture, and only three out of 130 sing for praise purposes.

Most artists try to encourage people with their music, or, in other words, they want to give their audience a “good feeling”. Kris Killam, a writer for The Crescent (George Fox University newspaper), says, “The most glorious and passionate act of Jesus Christ was not his ‘feel good’ songs to His Creator, but the righteous obedience and painful sacrifice of his life.” She goes on to make some interesting points that, although they may not be entirely true, make the reader think about what she conveys in her essay. She says that songs lyrics often are true statements; yet, these are facts God is already aware of. Perhaps lyrics are used to acknowledge that we are not God. Do we worship because we know who God is; if so, then why are we telling our maker? Or do we worship to tell others who God is? This question leads into the next point: worship is selfish. If one disagrees, she should count the number of times she says the following words in chapel: I, me and my. When salvation becomes personal, instead of world-based, our worship songs also become focused on individualism. The most important thing is no longer that ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…’ but rather that ‘Jesus loves me’… When one is feeling good and singing redundant messages that glorify themselves and narrowly place God into a masculine box, is he truly worshiping?

CCM inspires audiences to scream for the artists and to jump up and down. It is injurious to hearing, and has certain effects on people. Although a song’s lyrics may seem to have a small, good effect on audiences, the musical background and score has a greater effect over the lyrics than you may think. Many doctors, researchers, and musicians agree that a song’s music brings out a message, separate and regardless of its words. If this is true, even CCM communicates the same message as secular rock and pop music. Almost all of the effects produced by CCM’s music, beat, repetition, and loudness are negative. Not only is rock music somewhat hypnotic and addictive, but it also produces chemical reactions in your body that encourage aggressive and violent behavior and that prevent you from thinking and judging rationally.

“Not me,” you say. Well, just take a look at your life and the people around you (friends, family, particularly parents if you are a teenager), maybe right after you listen to some CCM. No one is perfect, yes, but just do a small experiment for me: stop listening to CCM, start listening to Hymns that are true to Philippians 4:8, and see how your life changes.

Even in churches, you will find differences in the way people act. When you look at how those churches worship, you will find that those that sing hymns have a very large difference from those that use CCM. See for yourself. Go to a church that sings hymns and then one that sings CCM. You will see a difference in the environment.

Proof of how music affects a person is easily found. Lullabies put babies to sleep, national anthems inspire pride, and Beethoven and Wagner’s music are some of the most powerful music ever written. In 1 Samuel 16:14-23, David is recruited to play the harp, when Saul is haunted by some sort of evil, and soothes Saul’s soul. Further more, ask any young person, who likes CCM, and they will admit that they like it because of its beat or tempo. They are living proof that, regardless of the words, the music itself is powerful, that most CCM is done for popularity, not for God, and that people like it because of the music, not because it praises God.

We therefore see that “good” words do not make “good” music. How does CCM make you feel? How does it affect you? Does it make you want to praise God and think about his truths in the Bible? Or does it get you pumped up, psyched, and rowdy? There is a difference. Do you all of a sudden want to play guitars or drums? Does it simply make you “feel good” (the goal of 28 out of every 130 artists)? Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, in which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” Do you fear God? Fearing God is a big part of worship. If you really fear God, if you truly want to glorify Him, if you really are overwhelmed by His power, then won’t you make sure your music is appropriate for glorifying Him? Does your music not only have words that glorify God, but the sound and the melody that befits the majesty, purity, and holiness of God? Biblical Discernment Ministries puts it this way: “Does it stir the flesh to ‘boogie’, or the spirit to praise God?”

If music claims to be Christian, then it should befit God’s majesty, be sober and reverential, exemplify or display Christ’s character, and be refined, balanced, sublime, subtle, and tranquil to be genuine worship, as well as follow the virtues mentioned in Philippians 4:8. Most CCM does not follow of these things and, therefore, although “good lyrics” may make it seem good or right, it does not glorify God Biblically. For more guidelines for worship, study Deuteronomy 12:31, Psalm 9:2, 21:13, 28:7, and 33:2-3.

One could argue and be arrogant about all this. We could even take this into a debate about where to draw the line and whether it is still OK to listen to CCM because you like it, but that would be another conversation (and would prove my point).

Let us put it this way: It is not about you! It is about God! So why should your preferences for music overrule the Biblical guidelines given to us? If you are going to call it Christian, it should follow Biblical principles. God has given us Biblical criteria, and we should strive to follow them. As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace will sanctify you wholly.”