I quit paying attention to the Christian Music Industry.

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- How we turned worship into music. (A brief history and solution) - • How we turned worship ...
- A case for Gospel-shaped worship services. - • A case for Gospel-shap...
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[@JeffHendricks]

It's not just you. The older I get, the more I understand that these things come and go. But God remains the same.

[@GriffinServices]

I'm a 45 year old music leader who's dad was a music leader for the first 30 years of my life and mom played the piano the entire time. I've been surrounded by Christian music my entire life. I don't listen to CCM radio either. I hear 1 song out of 30 that has solid theology. The others are just repeating "God's fighting for me" or "Imma bout to get my breakthrough" 100 times in a row. There are individual artists and groups that are not doing that. But they aren't getting the airtime on CCM radio. You have to search them out. Stay true to theologically sound lyrics.

[@savedbyHisGrace7752]

Not in a choir, yet I listened to music before being saved. I see no difference from my old music to this modern christan music. When it should be a focus on Jesus, on our Heavenly Father and His Holy Spirit. Like Exodus fifteen, Moses praised God, went to a Baptist church and the hymns was more soothing, of glorifying God, turning from sin to God.. so much more godly... great topic, truly appreciate this, God bless.

[@johannestsoi5441]

I am a teen worship leader and I agree that leading worship should be serving God and the church. Even though, people say "I should" sing more newer songs, I know that our church doesn't know it that well. As a teen, I love singing the classics "Shout to the Lord" "Worthy Is the Lamb" "How Great Is Our God." Worship SONGS should be lifting up the name of Jesus, through music. People are not going to worship through "ROAR (x1000)" People are going to worship through "Shout to the Lord all the earth let us thing." We also do not frequently introduce new songs. We introduce them like once every 6 months through our college worship leaders.

[@paulreilly4510]

Your comment about using music for a functional purpose in the church is gold. Great thing for us to be teaching our musicians about. Thanx. BTW, I am only learning songs from two sources right now. Hint; they're not from the big 3.

[@jeffreysturgill7668]

Too often with contemporary worship, the male vocalist sounds like a helicopter mother over comforting their toddler who has just stubbed their toe. We need male vocalist to sing like soldiers preparing for battle instead of crying for a diaber change

[@serhii-ratz]

They keep only tenor and alt now. That’s reality.

[@im58woody]

I think I am growing tired of the industry too. I can’t keep up with all the releases and our worship team cannot duplicate the sound with 3-5 people serving. We don’t have or want to use tracks to make our sound bigger either. It’s really frustrating me also when the lead pastor is asking for all upbeat songs that start fast but also wants the congregation to sing more, but no hymns. Good stuff 🙏

[@ronirony2122]

I remember going to church at 19 not knowing any of the songs they sang ( very old songs) .I just came from the world listening to hip hop /rap songs . 10 years later, all I listen to is old classic praise and worship music.

[@zachtoom]

Literally doing Rock of Ages this week - so good!

[@rosskendall]

If contemporary music isn't important, why did the Wesleys find the need to write so many new songs instead of just singing the established hymns of the time? Most hymns were written with the popular music of their time. Why shouldn't each generation have fresh, new and creative expressions of their faith and love for God? I value many old hymns but I also think that they can be a (musically) cultural obstacle to younger generations and those new to the faith. Maybe we should heed Paul's example to be all things to all men.

[@MrRichard1280]

I do wish in this day and time that there were a clearer distinction between Pentecostal and Charismatic. I was primarily raised in a Baptist church and even said the sinners prayer in a Baptist church with the youth pastor. However, my mother attended an Assembly of God church; which, used to be Pentecostal, but not Charismatic. I attended church with her and even made another confession of faith at the altar, in tears, a few days after my initial confession with the Baptist youth pastor. This time, not only did I feel the Spirit of the Lord, but I felt truly washed and the burden of sin lifted. This was over 30 years ago before so many churches became a circus. If one knew the circumstances that led up to my first confession, then I doubt anyone would question my sincerity, or that the Lord was drawing me to Him by the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, even back then after I became a regular in the Assemblies of God denomination, the word charismatic made me leery. When I think of charismatic, I think of those wild, crazy acting people, rolling around flopping like chickens and barking like dogs; which, I have never read about in the bible. Those that blow an entire congregation down while waving a suit jacket. Granted, the crowd of soldiers that came to arrest Jesus fell backwards when Jesus said, "I am he". (John 18:6) But that was Jesus. Point is, I personally enjoy a church where the presence of God can be felt, without the need of loud mantra music. But I cannot stand a church that feels like a perpetual funeral service either. I despise the fact that true Pentecostals get lumped into the same group as the crazy charismatic of our present day. Strange Fire, so to speak. Nonetheless, no matter what the sign on the door says, each congregation of believers is different, irrespective of their denomination. I've been to Baptist churches that one could write Ichabod ( 1 Samuel 4:21) over the door. Yet, I have seen Baptist churches that don't mind allowing the Spirit of God to move. And the same could apply to some Pentecostal churches as well. Life was easier before I knew about denominations and arguments about certain issues that divided them. It was wonderful just to have heard the Gospel: that Jesus died on a cross for my sin, and that I needed to turn from my wicked ways and come to Him for salvation. Joy unspeakable and full of Glory!!!

[@TheRealTimConboy]

Music is a lot like food. Keep the ingredients and flavours simple. Work with what you know, avoid unnecessary fillers, and test recipes before you serve it to other people. Restaurants with smaller menus tend to be much better in quality and service. In my worship team we keep a library of about 50 songs which is a blend of hymns and contemporary. All new songs go through myself and our Pastor before being shared with our congregation. We "taste-test" our music. You mentioned great points Spencer and one thing that stood out for me was; there's a reason that the Psalms have stood the test of time. There's a reason 300 year old hymns have stood the test of time. It's because it was inspired by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, grounded in truth, active and sharper than any 2-edged sword. 2 Timothy, chapter 4 talks about "tickling the ears" and I think that's what mainstream Christian music has fallen into. These artists have a career that they need earn a living for, and the consumption of (musical) goods is in such high demand that the reliance on said career seems to focus on self-productivness instead of God-productivness. God bless! Have a great weekend!

[@toddphipps5496]

Amen! I 100% agree! Thank you for all you do!

[@johannestsoi5441]

And yes we DO NOT DESERVE HIS GRACE AND LOVE

[@MariAnKenobi]

I have never listened to CCM. I don’t know most of the songs my band/church members talk about or request. I don’t go to Lifefest or stuff like that. But I really have no interest, despite being a worship director. I get excited about vintage hymnals, but not when Brandon Lake drops a new single. Though I use contemporary songs in my church because that’s the kind of church I’m in.

[@godsmanpodcast]

I think a lot of times we focus on "songs" instead of the worship. I think we should be asking if these songs are actually suitable for worship and if they're even biblical, and represent God's character and who He is. it's about connecting with God, glorifying Him, and aligning our hearts with His truth. The songs chosen for worship should indeed be evaluated based on their biblical accuracy, theological depth, and their ability to accurately reflect God's character and attributes.

[@johntudisca5]

These artists make it about them and not Jesus. Though their lyrics may reflect Bible scriptures, it is still self-idolatry and misleading. A lot of the. Work together and make money on large concerts. Turning the Fathers house into a marketplace. I make instrumental music with song name that’s are Bible related in different genres in hopes to draw people into the Kingdom. I don’t use it as a tool for my own gain but for His.

[@anonymousdogg1559]

Ultimately as long as you are worshipping God, Jesus the creator of the universe and our savior. That’s really all that matters. At the end of the day what really counts is our personal connection and what we do in secret, what’s the point of worship “only on Sunday” if you don’t plan to worship on Tuesday. I feel a lot of modern CCM is lost in the sauce of catching a “feeling” because I’ve been to some services where I “felt” the modern CCM power and movement of God but once I left it was over, a reason why I don’t agree with revivals 1x every other month. We should be able to do it on our own. I’ve told people as well that it’s not like the dudes that wrote hymns were some role model, it was the grace of God and the words in the Bible that brought those “hymns” to life, not the writers. I write all this to say, I half like what you said, and some other things were kind of fluff like the whole thing with the “with the times” thing and bringing up “Pentecostal theological principles” and “ambiguity point”. I just pray that people can stop nit picking and start focusing on themselves.

[@braxtonbrown8592]

Thanks for the video, this is great stuff. If anyone is looking for good contemporary worship, Circut Riders Music and Lindy Cofer have really good stuff. No watered down lyrics or anything like that. Songs like Oh the cross, obedience, take courage, charity gayl has one called thank you Jesus for the Blood it's really good.

[@PsalmistAngelBrown]

I don’t pay attention to the Christian music industry either. I stopped listening to the radio in 2004.

[@toddphipps5496]

Spot on, as usual!

[@MemphisMike901]

I do not listen to CCM music either on the radio, and I play keys at church. I much rather take the CCM tunes used in worship and strip them down a tad musically..they are simply too overproduced for me for Sunday morning worship, especially in the smaller churches. rather learn a new ccm worship tune by say listening to phil wickham do the song on an acoustic guitar, or what youtube shows sometimes as the house version. Basically 4 or 5 people in a small room without the smoke lights and mirrors. As a late 80’s/90’s/early 2000’s guy for worship music, the new stuff can be a challenge to accept..however, i utilize my gifts/talents every Sunday to walk” beside” the new generation of worshippers and not fight it. Great video man.

[@josedopwell9645]

Unfortunately much of CCM is owned by major record labels. It is just another genre like rock, soul/R&B, hip-hop, heavy metal, et al. The push is for sales and human recognition (ie. The love of money and praise of men; 1 Timothy 6:10, Hebrews13:5, John 12:42-43, Galatians 1:10). Therefore the leaning towards milky rather than theologically robust lyrics. Seeking to reach the lowest common denominator. I question if the lyricists and musicians even have a serious relationship with the LORD. When I think of Handl's "The Messiah " i get a great sense that the creative person was connecting with his Creator. The words and music are saturated with awe and reverence for the living God. Of course it helps that the words are a cut-and-paste of scripture!! I also wonder if many people can sort out theologically solid words from the questionable, even heretical lyrics that are consistently played and sung? It's utterly disgraceful that some churches have taken to singing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," which is actually a sexually charged song using biblical imagery. Where is our discernment? God's people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Has Jesus removed the lampstand because we've lost our first love?

[@rosskendall]

While I agree that sound doctrine, theology and teaching is essential for every church, I'm not sure I agree that congregational singing is where it all has to happen. I expect to hear sound doctrine articulated in the teaching of the church and to see it lived out in the lives of the members (especially the leaders). For me the main point of singing in a congregation is that together we can give praise and adoration to God. While it's great that some songs are theologically rich, and I don't want to discount that, singing isn't teaching and it doesn't need to cover every doctrine we believe. Singing isn't a sermon and God doesn't need to hear our all very correct theology. I do think God loves to hear his children giving thanks and praise for who he is and all he's done - and this can be achieved just as easily with a simple, emotional and poetic chorus and it can be with a dense theological hymn. In fact I think it is often the case that a dense and theologically profound hymn can get in the way of our simple adoration of the King.

[@timmiller1]

Very sensible stance. I think you and I think a lot alike.

[@jimyoung9262]

I pay almost no attention to the scene. The exception is that I'm always on the hunt for well crafted theologically solid uptempo opening songs. They're rare IMO

[@jeffscott1006]

Great content. Thank you and continued prayers

[@serhii-ratz]

CCM is simply bad nowadays…