Whats playing on your iPod...

... or computer, home stereo, car CD player?

I ask this because you may be listening to something that might grab my attention and enlighten others as well. I've latched onto a lot of good sermons on here based on other folks' recommendations.

On mine:

Jonathon Edwards: (audio book) Religious Affections

Chuck Smith teaching Galations

Keith Green... of course.

The Darrell Mansfield Band

Thats about it. Anyone else?

Yea, little too early for Christmas music for me. I start getting into it in the middle of December.

Krispy

Last year I bought two Christmas CD's by the Brian Setzer Orchestra... wow. I could listen to those any time of the year. Especially their swing band version of the Nutcracker Suite.

Krispy

My favorite Christmas song is "It's about the Cross" by Go Fish. I love it. I could listen to that one over and over all year long.

Never heard of Go Fish... see, thats why I started this thread! Now I gotta go google them.

Krispy

Jonny Lang (excellent blues music)
The White Horse Inn (podcast)

Right now I'm listening to Keith Daniel, "A Man After God's Own Heart". My goal is to listen to all of his sermons.

Hmm, I have quite a variety on my little Zen Nano:

A lot of miscellaneous sermons from Stephen Kaung, Josh Parsley, Paul Washer, Harold Vaughn, Bill McCleod, Carter Conlon, Paul West, Art Katz, Keith Daniel, Leonard Ravenhill, David Wilkerson...

The book of Romans
Compilations
The Life and Diary of David Brainerd
Sermonindex Podcasts
The Power of Prayer by EM Bounds
Zac Poonen, series through the Bible

Music:
'I Can Go In' Abigail Miller (album)
Some miscellaneous songs, Greenville, Alan Martin, ect.

The CCM issue is clearly one of criteria— what
criteria should we use to assess music? What rule or
standard or yardstick should we use to measure or
evaluate CCM?
Two well-known contemporary Christian musicians have
offered their opinion on this “criteria” issue:
David Meece: “Basically you have to focus on the
lyrics, and what the song is saying. That is my
criteria to decide whether the song is right or wrong.
It has nothing to do with the music style. It has to
do with the lyrics. What is the song saying? What are
the words saying? As Christians, we can objectively
judge it from that standpoint.”
Sandi Patti: “Music is a very powerful force. It has
a way of breaking down barriers....But a lot of
artists are taking that very powerful tool and putting
negative, horrible lyrics to it, and those lyrics are
getting into the hearts of the listeners and are
shaping their values....Why can’t we [i.e.,
contemporary Christian musicians] take that same
powerful force — music — put positive lyrics to it and
begin shaping values that way?”
If Meece and Patti are right, then CCM is more than
just okay—it is a powerful spiritual weapon that we
must use.
I believe, however, that both Meece and Patti are
wrong. First, they ignore the fact that God’s Word
offers criteria for evaluating music that is different
from theirs. Second, they both assume (and this is an
important word) that we must evaluate music solely on
the basis of its lyrics. They assume that the music
itself apart from the lyrics is morally neutral, or
that the music itself apart from the lyrics
communicates no message. These are false assumptions.
Tunes or melodies communicate messages regardless of
lyrics (or, to put it another way, there is always a
message implicit in the music). Bad music that
contains “good” lyrics still transmits a bad message.
What Meece and Patti (and most other defenders of CCM)
do is “rig the game”: they begin by setting the rules
for assessing CCM, but their rules guarantee that CCM
will come out in a favorable light.
Before I continue, I must clarify something. I’m sure
that most CCM performers are well-intentioned and
sincerely think that they are doing what is right. Of
course, good intentions and sincerity are no
guarantees that one is right. And it would be a
foolish thing indeed if we blindly assume that CCM
performers are mature spiritually, or if we assume
that CCM is okay simply because we like it.
I. Criteria For Evaluating Contemporary Christian
Music
A. Recall Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true (or represent truth), whatever things
are noble, whatever things are just (or right),
whatever things are pure (or untainted by sin),
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of
good report (or good reputation), if there is any
virtue (or moral excellence) and if there is anything
praiseworthy— meditate (or think) on these things.
This verse obviously applies to music because music is
something that we meditate on or allow our minds to
dwell upon. Philippians 4:8 clearly has much to say
about a song’s lyrics. All people — even CCM
performers like Meece and Patti — agree that a song’s
words must be true, noble, morally excellent, and
worthy of praise if that song is to be acceptable.
But notice what else Philippians 4:8 says. Good music
must be of good report (the New American Standard
Bible provides the literal translation “of good
repute”). In other words, good music must be of a good
reputation, or be wholly disassociated with things
that are wrong or contrary to God. If something is
okay in itself but it is strongly linked to or
associated with something else that is evil, then that
thing has a bad reputation. It has a bad report. This
is a principle that we all accept. I’ll give you an
example: Do you think it is okay for me to go into a
store and buy a Coca-Cola? Yes. But do you think it is
okay for me to go into a bar or a saloon and buy a
Coca-Cola? Even though buying a Coca-Cola is obviously
okay, when I buy one in a bar I associate that
Coca-Cola (and myself) with things that are evil. It
would not be right for me to go into a bar and buy a
Coca-Cola because wicked things have given my innocent
act a bad reputation or a bad report. Philippians 4:8,
then, says that your music must be associated only
with good or righteous things. Your music cannot
resemble or be linked to things that are evil. If your
music is identified with music that is evil or wrong,
then your music is not of good report. Clearly CCM is
linked to secular rock, rap, and pop music. Indeed,
CCM performers consciously try to “cross over” and
appeal to non-Christian audiences by making their
music sound just like that of non- Christians. Don’t
many CCM performers dress just like secular musicians?
Don’t they sport hairstyles just like secular
musicians (and in disobedience, I might add, to 1
Corinthians 11)? Don’t many male CCM performers go so
far as to wear earrings, while some female CCM
performers wear clothing that is by any definition
immodest?
No one will deny that secular rock and rap music has a
bad reputation. Is CCM linked to or associated with
secular rock music? Is it sometimes hard to tell the
difference between CCM and secular rock music? Do most
people see a connection or a similarity between CCM
and secular pop music? The answer to these questions,
I think, is yes— which means that CCM is not of good
repute and therefore does not pass the Philippians 4:8
test.
B. Notice something else about Philippians 4:8. Good
music must be pure. This means that good music can not
have bad stuff mixed in with it. Music that is 95%
good and 5% bad is not pure. Good music, then, must be
completely free from contamination or pollution. Does
this seem unnecessarily strict? If so, it is only
because you don’t realize how important your “thought
life” is to God. Because your thoughts shape your
character, God is very concerned with (and very strict
about) what you set your mind upon. That is why your
music must be pure. The Bible says that the world
taints and makes impure (James 1:27; 2 Peter 2:20). In
other words, when worldly things are mixed with or
introduced into something, impurity results. Is CCM
worldly? Does CCM liberally borrow from the world and
adopt the world’s practices? The answer, I think, is
obvious. This is serious. Romans 12:2 says “be not
conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind.” (Compare Ephesians 4:23 and 1
John 2:15-17.) This means that God commands us to not
live like everyone else. Our lifestyle cannot match up
to or be similar to that of other people. If a kind of
music sounds like the world’s music, looks like the
world’s music, and is marketed like the world’s music,
then that music is worldly (what else could “worldly”
mean?). Worldly music is impure music.
C. Philippians 4:8 says that music must be morally
excellent, noble or something that you could be proud
of, and so beneficial that it is worthy of praise.
Meece and Patti, you will recall, assume that this
only applies to the lyrics of a song. They imply that
a song’s music (i.e., the sound only) does not
communicate a message. Is this true? No. A song’s
music — regardless of the lyrics — does communicate a
message. Many doctors, researchers, and musicians —
many of them not Christians — agreed that a song’s
music does communicate a message regardless of the
words. Dr. Max Schoen, for example, writes in The
Psychology of Music that “Music is the most powerful
stimulus known among the perceptive senses. The
medical, psychiatric and other evidence for the non-
neutrality of music is so overwhelming that it frankly
amazes me that anyone should seriously say otherwise.”
(And yet people like Meece and Patti say otherwise!)
Dr. William J. Shafer, a non-Christian sociologist,
writes similarly that “Rock is communication without
words, regardless of what ideology is inserted into
the music.” Professor Frank Garlock says that “The
words only let you know what the music already
says....The music has its own message.” The primary
message of CCM lies in its music, not in its lyrics.
If all music (regardless of the lyrics) has a message,
then what is the message communicated by the music of
CCM? CCM uses the same style of music as does secular,
non-Christian rock music; therefore, CCM’s music
communicates the same message as secular rock and rap
music! Nearly all of the effects produced by
contemporary music’s beat, repetition, and loudness
are negative. Rock music is mildly hypnotic and can
become addictive. Rock music produces chemical
reactions in your body that encourage aggressive and
emotional behavior. Those same physiological reactions
prevent you from thinking and judging rationally. By
the same token, contemporary music’s beat, repetition,
and loudness unmistakably convey a mood of defiance,
rebelliousness, aggressiveness, and
self-assertiveness. Clearly these effects are neither
“morally excellent” nor “noble” nor “praiseworthy.”
Bad music, regardless of comparatively “good” lyrics,
communicates a bad message.
How is it that music can affect me? The music itself,
regardless of the words, affects your emotions. Even
if there are no words to a song or a tune, it affects
you. Everybody knows this. Lullabies put babies to
sleep regardless of the words. National anthems can at
times create feelings of pride or move listeners to
tears. Some of the most powerful music ever written —
like Beethoven and Wagner — contained no words. Ask
any young person why they like rock music and they
always say something about the beat or tempo. They are
admitting that, regardless of the words, the music
itself is quite powerful.
This is important. It means that “good” words does not
make something good music. Regardless of the "good"
lyrics, the musical score itself has an impact on the
listener. Assessing music as good or bad or acceptable
or unacceptable, is not simply a matter of evaluating
the words. You must evaluate the tune also, because
the sounds themselves affect you.
D. Philippians 4:8 says that your music must not only
be “not bad,” but that it must be positively good. In
other words, it is not enough for the music to be free
of evil— the music must strongly communicate a
positive message. Is it true that CCM’s lyrics are
positively good? Most CCM, it is true, does not
contain profanity, does not talk about sex, and does
not glorify violence. But do these songs express deep,
meaningful spiritual truths (such as you read in old
Isaac Watts hymns)? Does CCM teach good, solid
theology? Doesn’t CCM usually express a light,
flippant, and shallow view of Christianity? I, for
one, have rarely heard a CCM song that expresses
profound or meaningful spiritual truth.
Christianity Today commented in 1987 that CCM sales
were slumping because of CCM performers’ “lack of
spiritual commitment and meaningful lyrics.” John
Styll, editor of Contemporary Christian Music
magazine, complained that “Some ‘Christian’ songs
today are so veiled in terms of spiritual content that
their meaning is lost to all but the most
imaginative.” In other words, Styll was saying that
CCM doesn’t even communicate a good message in its
lyrics. “Many singers,” writes Christianity Today,
“have softened their Christian message in an effort to
‘cross over’ into the secular marketplace. But many
now say this practice has damaged their credibility
with Christian audiences while blunting their impact
on secular customers.”
While it is true that CCM’s lyrics are not filthy,
vulgar, or wicked, neither are they positively good.
Most CCM lyrics — especially the recent “Christian
rap” of performers like DC Talk and Mike-E — contains
a weak message or no message at all. At best, these
songs encourage a superficial and flippant
understanding of spiritual things. At worst, listeners
simply ignore the empty lyrics and allow the sensual,
rebellious music to influence them.
E. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which
cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may
serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Many, many times we are exhorted by Scripture to fear
God and to have reverence for Him. How does this
relate to music? If I really fear God, if I really am
overwhelmed by His holiness and dignity, if I have
great respect for God’s dignity, if I am truly zealous
for His Name and His glory, then I will make sure that
my music is appropriate for glorifying God. Not only
must the words be appropriate for the glorifying of
God, but the sound or melody must befit the majesty,
the purity, and the holiness of God. I will ask
questions like these: Is this music — both words and
melody — suitable for glorifying God?
Does this music — both words and melody — cheapen
divine things or trivialize spiritual truth? Does this
music encourage a non-serious or frivolous view of
religion? Might it lead a listener to think that God
is Someone that you can play games with or treat
lightly?
Does this music — both words and melody — handle
sacred truth in a sacred way? Is the music compatible
with or complementary of the sacred things of which it
claims to speak?
If this music bears Christ’s name (as CCM does), then
does it — both words and melody — also bear the marks
of Christ’s character? Does this music reflect His
holiness, His righteousness, His purity, and His
majesty? CCM fails here. It is not a suitable medium
for glorifying God. CCM cheapens spiritual truth and
encourages irreverent attitudes toward God. Even in
songs where the words are okay or even good, CCM
employs a type of music or sound that is not
appropriate for worshipping God. The sound of CCM is,
at very least, casual and worldly.
I realize that this concern may make little sense to
some of my readers. We Americans have, unfortunately,
grown up in a generation that doesn’t understand what
it means to fear God. We have no sense of God’s
holiness. We play with sacred things flippantly. We
rarely tremble at the fact that our God is a consuming
fire. Incredibly, we think that if something is good
enough for us, then it must be good enough for God.
But Hebrews 12:28-29 merely alludes to something that
is suggested over and over in the Bible: God is so
holy that many things, actions, or attitudes are
simply not appropriate before Him. If you have low
views of God’s holiness, then you won’t appreciate my
concerns here. But the more you appreciate God’s
sacredness, the more you will be concerned about the
appropriateness of your music.
A former CCM performer, writing in the mid-1980s, put
this well. He said that "For three years I sat under
the sound of biblical teaching and those years
revolutionized my life. Very soon I learned what the
gospel was, and as soon as I did so doubts arose in my
mind as to the suitability of rock as a medium for the
gospel....When I saw the seriousness of the gospel I
saw the paradox of using a non-serious medium to try
to convey it." The musician realized that his
“Christian music,” despite his good intentions,
actually communicated a non-serious attitude.
II. Other Questions To Ask About Contemporary
Christian Music
A. When you listen to CCM, what effect does it have on
you? What happens when you listen to it? Do you find
yourself worshipping God in spirit and in truth? Do
you begin thinking about Bible verses or Scriptural
truths? Do you think about God? Are you convicted of
sins and failings in your life?
Or do you get pumped up? Do you get psyched? Do you
simply start “feeling good”? Do you start playing “air
guitar” or “air drums”? Do you feel like getting
rowdy?
If you listen to CCM because it produces the second
effect, then that should tell you that your music is
dangerous. Your music is not glorifying God.
A seventeen-year-old girl from Texas testifies that
CCM — despite its “good” words — communicates a bad
message through its beat and melody. CCM encouraged
her not to worship, but rather to be sexually immoral.
She writes: “I would like to share a testimony
concerning my experience with ‘Christian rock’ music.
I had listened to this music with my friends and at
church social functions for several years before I got
my own tape, recorded by a famous artist. Buying that
tape was the biggest mistake of my life. Under its
influence, my moral convictions began to dissolve and
I allowed myself to become involved in a relationship
with a boy from my church, against my parents wishes.
When we were together we listened to ‘Christian’ and
‘soft rock’ music. It was all sensuous and destroyed
my inhibitions. I am so ashamed of what happened. The
music made me rebellious and pulled me away from my
family. I thank God that I can say today that I have
not listened to this harmful music for several months
now, and I feel a freedom I had not experienced
before.”
A fifteen-year-old student from Ohio agrees. He writes
that “When I got into secular rock music I was
bombarded by many sensual thoughts. Those that think
that ‘Christian rock’ is OK because of the words, are
wrong. When I listen to that type of ‘Christian’
music, I have the same reaction.” A twenty-one-year
old student from Washington writes that rock music
“has had a definite bad impression on me. It makes me
feel rebellious, and I just have weird feelings when I
play it. To me, ‘Christian rock’ is no different than
regular rock. It still gives me those wrong feelings.”
A sixteen-year-old student from Missouri writes that
“I have many contemporary Christian music tapes, and I
find when I listen to them that I get a rebellious
spirit.”
B. Who is it that is always defending CCM? Who is most
vocal in arguing that CCM is actually good? Aren’t
CCM’s primary defenders a) the unsaved; b) teenagers
who, if they are Christians, must certainly be babes
in Christ; or c) people who have only a questionable
claim to being Christian? I’m struck by how no
spiritually mature men that I know rally to the
defense of contemporary Christian music. In other
words, it is the spiritually weak that argue that CCM
is good.
I’ll briefly mention a related issue. CCM makes
songwriters and performers our spiritual leaders. By
listening to their songs, we are shaped by their
music. Are CCM composers and performers qualified to
be our spiritual leaders? Does the fact that someone
can put words to rhyme or possesses a good voice
necessarily mean that they are qualified to teach us
spiritually? Certainly this is a frightening
phenomenon. At the same time when young people
increasingly ignore preaching and pastoral counseling
— indeed, young people often find pulpit teaching
boring — they flock to CCM as their source of
spiritual nourishment. Little surprise that our
children are not saved, and know so little about the
great doctrines of our faith?
C. Many young people testify that listening to CCM
harmed them. Listening to CCM led many to listen to
secular rock and rap music. In other words, CCM is a
dangerous “slippery slope.” A few testimonies:
A sixteen-year-old student from Oklahoma: “I began to
listen to ‘Christian rock’ without the blessing of my
father. He told me that if I listened to ‘Christian
rock’ it would open the door for Satan. I just
laughed, and listened anyway. It totally deadened my
Christian growth and led to terrible immorality,
rebellion, and rejection of God. It then developed
into secular, hard rock. Now all I can do is go back
and pick up the pieces. But I still have a scar in my
life that will never be removed.”
A twenty-one-year-old student from Michigan:
“‘Christian rock’ has hindered my life because the
only real difference between ‘Christian rock’ and
secular rock is the words. The beat, rhythm, and the
melody are not different; they are the same. It does
not matter whether I listen to secular or ‘Christian
rock,’ when the songs are over, I feel the same. I
feel an emptiness in my soul, a heavy burden. Even
‘Christian rock’ sometimes makes me feel like going
out and getting rowdy or even hurting someone else if
they provoke me.”
An eighteen-year-old student from Oklahoma: “When I
was twelve or thirteen years old, I was given some
‘Christian rock’ tapes by my parents because they
thought I was getting into secular music. The truth
is, I was getting into some bad music. The ‘Christian
rock’ dominated my life for over a year until I could
not get the same satisfaction I received the first
time I heard it. I went to secular rock music and kept
this desire and sin from my parents. I started out on
soft music and grew to pop/rock-type music. It was not
long before my desire grew to ‘hard rock’ and
‘progressive’ stuff. I started getting into drinking
and going to dance clubs. Minor recreational drugs
came in and soon my life was going down the drain. One
night while drinking, I fell into immorality and my
life was devastated....I feel very deeply that if I
had not started out in ‘Christian rock’ I would have
been convicted about the bad music I got into. Maybe I
would not have messed up my life so much.”
A twenty-year-old student from Oklahoma: “When I used
to listen to rock music it hindered my spirit and
caused a rebellious attitude. I can tell you that when
I hear ‘Christian rock’ music, it makes no difference
what the lyrics are. It is the music that causes the
poor spirit and rebellious attitude.”
A sixteen-year-old student from Florida: “‘Christian
rock’ music has probably been the biggest hindrance to
my spiritual growth. When I first heard this kind of
music, it really bothered my spirit. But then this
music was brought into my church. The more I heard it,
the less it bothered me. The less it bothered me, the
more I listened to it. It wasn’t long before I was
involved in secular rock music because I didn’t see
any difference. This music caused me to resist the
Lord and hold parts of my life back from Him. I was
not able to have a freedom to truly serve Him and be
totally dedicated to Him until I was willing to give
up this music.”
A nineteen-year-old student from California: “I began
listening to ‘Christian rock,’ and shortly thereafter
I began a fast, steady pace downhill. This eventually
led me into a totally backslidden state. I know that
my own rebelliousness was the cause of my fall.
However, ‘Christian rock’ entered into my life at a
very crucial point and added fuel to the fire. I
remember the specific day and the song I listened to
first. I remember feeling rebellious— like I was going
against what is considered acceptable by the standards
of Godly people. Within weeks, maybe months, a very
apparent breakdown of my conscience, morality, and
appearance was evident.”
A seventeen-year-old student from Pennsylvania:
“‘Christian rock’ and Christian contemporary music
have, in my life, been stepping stones. Not stepping
stones going up— but down. Just a few months of
listening to ‘Christian rock’ and contemporary music
led to a life of being controlled by acid rock. This
quickly led to and encouraged rebellion, greed, moral
impurity, and trying to protect my rights and hide
from my parents.”
A fifteen-year-old student from Nebraska: “When I
started listening to ‘Christian rock’ I slowly started
to listen to just regular worldly rock (soft rock).
Then I was listening to something harder and harder.
It not only led me into worldly rock, but I was
getting rebellious toward my parents, and I was having
sensual and lustful thoughts. I also could not
memorize or read God’s Word and understand it or
retain it.”
III. How Can You Tell If A Piece of Music Is
Acceptable or Not? Where do you “draw the line”?
Based upon the discussion above, and relying heavily
on Philippians 4:8, I come up with the following
“yardstick”:
1. Good music must have good lyrics. Lyrics must not
only be not bad; they must be positively good (i.e.,
pass the Philippians 4:8 test).
2. Good music must have a good sound. The sound or
tune itself can not be conducive of irrational
thinking, aggression, or impulsiveness. Nor can the
sound communicate a rebellious or defiant mood.
3. Good music cannot be associated with or linked to
negative or questionable things. Good music must be
pure. Good music cannot be worldly.
4. a) If music claims to be Christian, then (in
addition to the above points) it must be music that
befits God’s majesty. Christian music must be sober
and reverential. Christian music must exemplify or
display Christ’s character. b) If music does not claim
to communicate a spiritual music (e.g., orchestral
music), then (in addition to the above points) that
music must be refined, balanced, sublime or subtle,
and tranquil.
My conclusion is that much, if not all, of what is
today called contemporary Christian music fails to
measure up to this yardstick.

I have been listening to some of Hillsong's music. I find some of their songs are good and others are too rock and roll for me. I posted the two I like on my xanga.My husband really likes Hillsong.Some of the lyrics on these songs are really good. Tell me what you think if you have any thoughts on their music. Thanks.

I am fond of:

Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime? by E.Y. Harburg
You Never Give Me Your Money by The Beatles
With Plenty of Money and You by Tony Bennett
Money, Money, Money by Abba
If You’ve Got the Money (I’ve Got the Time) by
Merle Haggard
Baby You're a Rich Man - The Beatles
We're in the Money by Al Dubin
Penny Lane - The Beatles
well you get the drift

Yes , I consider both of these men true Profits.

I just found this websight:
[url=http://www.pilgrimproduction.org/index.html]Pilgrim Productions Presents:

VOICES ACROSS AMERICA

Singers and singing groups from across the country present
Christian Music for your listening enjoyment.[/url]

Does anyone know where to get the old hymns on Cd?

Rivqah wrote:

I just found this websight:
[url=http://www.pilgrimproduction.org/index.html]Pilgrim Productions Presents:

VOICES ACROSS AMERICA

Singers and singing groups from across the country present
Christian Music for your listening enjoyment.[/url]

Does anyone know where to get the old hymns on Cd?

Nevermind, I found a site :)

http://www.altarofpraise.com/more_music2.htm

Ever stop beside an open-windowed car, at a stoplight, blaring rap music so loud it rocks their own car? I have a friend who hated that assault on the world, and what it gave rise to inside them. The Halleluiah Chorus, something that should be played loudly, solved everything. As the lights changed there were even “thumbs-up” signs from surrounding motorists.

That sounds like a Krispy sort of thing to do.

Yea... I could see me doing that! Altho, I'm not a big classical music fan.

One song I do love to crank at red lights is Casting Crowns' song "What If His People Prayed"... right at the line where they sing:

"What if the family turned to Jesus...
and stopped asking Oprah what to do!"

Krispy

wrote:
The CCM issue is clearly one of criteria— what
criteria should we use to assess music? What rule or
standard or yardstick should we use to measure or
evaluate CCM?
Two well-known contemporary Christian musicians have
offered their opinion on this “criteria” issue:
David Meece: “Basically you have to focus on the
lyrics, and what the song is saying. That is my
criteria to decide whether the song is right or wrong.
It has nothing to do with the music style. It has to
do with the lyrics. What is the song saying? What are
the words saying? As Christians, we can objectively
judge it from that standpoint.”
Sandi Patti: “Music is a very powerful force. It has
a way of breaking down barriers....But a lot of
artists are taking that very powerful tool and putting
negative, horrible lyrics to it, and those lyrics are
getting into the hearts of the listeners and are
shaping their values....Why can’t we [i.e.,
contemporary Christian musicians] take that same
powerful force — music — put positive lyrics to it and
begin shaping values that way?”
If Meece and Patti are right, then CCM is more than
just okay—it is a powerful spiritual weapon that we
must use.
I believe, however, that both Meece and Patti are
wrong. First, they ignore the fact that God’s Word
offers criteria for evaluating music that is different
from theirs. Second, they both assume (and this is an
important word) that we must evaluate music solely on
the basis of its lyrics. They assume that the music
itself apart from the lyrics is morally neutral, or
that the music itself apart from the lyrics
communicates no message. These are false assumptions.
Tunes or melodies communicate messages regardless of
lyrics (or, to put it another way, there is always a
message implicit in the music). Bad music that
contains “good” lyrics still transmits a bad message.
What Meece and Patti (and most other defenders of CCM)
do is “rig the game”: they begin by setting the rules
for assessing CCM, but their rules guarantee that CCM
will come out in a favorable light.
Before I continue, I must clarify something. I’m sure
that most CCM performers are well-intentioned and
sincerely think that they are doing what is right. Of
course, good intentions and sincerity are no
guarantees that one is right. And it would be a
foolish thing indeed if we blindly assume that CCM
performers are mature spiritually, or if we assume
that CCM is okay simply because we like it.
I. Criteria For Evaluating Contemporary Christian
Music
A. Recall Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true (or represent truth), whatever things
are noble, whatever things are just (or right),
whatever things are pure (or untainted by sin),
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of
good report (or good reputation), if there is any
virtue (or moral excellence) and if there is anything
praiseworthy— meditate (or think) on these things.
This verse obviously applies to music because music is
something that we meditate on or allow our minds to
dwell upon. Philippians 4:8 clearly has much to say
about a song’s lyrics. All people — even CCM
performers like Meece and Patti — agree that a song’s
words must be true, noble, morally excellent, and
worthy of praise if that song is to be acceptable.
But notice what else Philippians 4:8 says. Good music
must be of good report (the New American Standard
Bible provides the literal translation “of good
repute”). In other words, good music must be of a good
reputation, or be wholly disassociated with things
that are wrong or contrary to God. If something is
okay in itself but it is strongly linked to or
associated with something else that is evil, then that
thing has a bad reputation. It has a bad report. This
is a principle that we all accept. I’ll give you an
example: Do you think it is okay for me to go into a
store and buy a Coca-Cola? Yes. But do you think it is
okay for me to go into a bar or a saloon and buy a
Coca-Cola? Even though buying a Coca-Cola is obviously
okay, when I buy one in a bar I associate that
Coca-Cola (and myself) with things that are evil. It
would not be right for me to go into a bar and buy a
Coca-Cola because wicked things have given my innocent
act a bad reputation or a bad report. Philippians 4:8,
then, says that your music must be associated only
with good or righteous things. Your music cannot
resemble or be linked to things that are evil. If your
music is identified with music that is evil or wrong,
then your music is not of good report. Clearly CCM is
linked to secular rock, rap, and pop music. Indeed,
CCM performers consciously try to “cross over” and
appeal to non-Christian audiences by making their
music sound just like that of non- Christians. Don’t
many CCM performers dress just like secular musicians?
Don’t they sport hairstyles just like secular
musicians (and in disobedience, I might add, to 1
Corinthians 11)? Don’t many male CCM performers go so
far as to wear earrings, while some female CCM
performers wear clothing that is by any definition
immodest?
No one will deny that secular rock and rap music has a
bad reputation. Is CCM linked to or associated with
secular rock music? Is it sometimes hard to tell the
difference between CCM and secular rock music? Do most
people see a connection or a similarity between CCM
and secular pop music? The answer to these questions,
I think, is yes— which means that CCM is not of good
repute and therefore does not pass the Philippians 4:8
test.
B. Notice something else about Philippians 4:8. Good
music must be pure. This means that good music can not
have bad stuff mixed in with it. Music that is 95%
good and 5% bad is not pure. Good music, then, must be
completely free from contamination or pollution. Does
this seem unnecessarily strict? If so, it is only
because you don’t realize how important your “thought
life” is to God. Because your thoughts shape your
character, God is very concerned with (and very strict
about) what you set your mind upon. That is why your
music must be pure. The Bible says that the world
taints and makes impure (James 1:27; 2 Peter 2:20). In
other words, when worldly things are mixed with or
introduced into something, impurity results. Is CCM
worldly? Does CCM liberally borrow from the world and
adopt the world’s practices? The answer, I think, is
obvious. This is serious. Romans 12:2 says “be not
conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind.” (Compare Ephesians 4:23 and 1
John 2:15-17.) This means that God commands us to not
live like everyone else. Our lifestyle cannot match up
to or be similar to that of other people. If a kind of
music sounds like the world’s music, looks like the
world’s music, and is marketed like the world’s music,
then that music is worldly (what else could “worldly”
mean?). Worldly music is impure music.
C. Philippians 4:8 says that music must be morally
excellent, noble or something that you could be proud
of, and so beneficial that it is worthy of praise.
Meece and Patti, you will recall, assume that this
only applies to the lyrics of a song. They imply that
a song’s music (i.e., the sound only) does not
communicate a message. Is this true? No. A song’s
music — regardless of the lyrics — does communicate a
message. Many doctors, researchers, and musicians —
many of them not Christians — agreed that a song’s
music does communicate a message regardless of the
words. Dr. Max Schoen, for example, writes in The
Psychology of Music that “Music is the most powerful
stimulus known among the perceptive senses. The
medical, psychiatric and other evidence for the non-
neutrality of music is so overwhelming that it frankly
amazes me that anyone should seriously say otherwise.”
(And yet people like Meece and Patti say otherwise!)
Dr. William J. Shafer, a non-Christian sociologist,
writes similarly that “Rock is communication without
words, regardless of what ideology is inserted into
the music.” Professor Frank Garlock says that “The
words only let you know what the music already
says....The music has its own message.” The primary
message of CCM lies in its music, not in its lyrics.
If all music (regardless of the lyrics) has a message,
then what is the message communicated by the music of
CCM? CCM uses the same style of music as does secular,
non-Christian rock music; therefore, CCM’s music
communicates the same message as secular rock and rap
music! Nearly all of the effects produced by
contemporary music’s beat, repetition, and loudness
are negative. Rock music is mildly hypnotic and can
become addictive. Rock music produces chemical
reactions in your body that encourage aggressive and
emotional behavior. Those same physiological reactions
prevent you from thinking and judging rationally. By
the same token, contemporary music’s beat, repetition,
and loudness unmistakably convey a mood of defiance,
rebelliousness, aggressiveness, and
self-assertiveness. Clearly these effects are neither
“morally excellent” nor “noble” nor “praiseworthy.”
Bad music, regardless of comparatively “good” lyrics,
communicates a bad message.
How is it that music can affect me? The music itself,
regardless of the words, affects your emotions. Even
if there are no words to a song or a tune, it affects
you. Everybody knows this. Lullabies put babies to
sleep regardless of the words. National anthems can at
times create feelings of pride or move listeners to
tears. Some of the most powerful music ever written —
like Beethoven and Wagner — contained no words. Ask
any young person why they like rock music and they
always say something about the beat or tempo. They are
admitting that, regardless of the words, the music
itself is quite powerful.
This is important. It means that “good” words does not
make something good music. Regardless of the "good"
lyrics, the musical score itself has an impact on the
listener. Assessing music as good or bad or acceptable
or unacceptable, is not simply a matter of evaluating
the words. You must evaluate the tune also, because
the sounds themselves affect you.
D. Philippians 4:8 says that your music must not only
be “not bad,” but that it must be positively good. In
other words, it is not enough for the music to be free
of evil— the music must strongly communicate a
positive message. Is it true that CCM’s lyrics are
positively good? Most CCM, it is true, does not
contain profanity, does not talk about sex, and does
not glorify violence. But do these songs express deep,
meaningful spiritual truths (such as you read in old
Isaac Watts hymns)? Does CCM teach good, solid
theology? Doesn’t CCM usually express a light,
flippant, and shallow view of Christianity? I, for
one, have rarely heard a CCM song that expresses
profound or meaningful spiritual truth.
Christianity Today commented in 1987 that CCM sales
were slumping because of CCM performers’ “lack of
spiritual commitment and meaningful lyrics.” John
Styll, editor of Contemporary Christian Music
magazine, complained that “Some ‘Christian’ songs
today are so veiled in terms of spiritual content that
their meaning is lost to all but the most
imaginative.” In other words, Styll was saying that
CCM doesn’t even communicate a good message in its
lyrics. “Many singers,” writes Christianity Today,
“have softened their Christian message in an effort to
‘cross over’ into the secular marketplace. But many
now say this practice has damaged their credibility
with Christian audiences while blunting their impact
on secular customers.”
While it is true that CCM’s lyrics are not filthy,
vulgar, or wicked, neither are they positively good.
Most CCM lyrics — especially the recent “Christian
rap” of performers like DC Talk and Mike-E — contains
a weak message or no message at all. At best, these
songs encourage a superficial and flippant
understanding of spiritual things. At worst, listeners
simply ignore the empty lyrics and allow the sensual,
rebellious music to influence them.
E. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which
cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may
serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Many, many times we are exhorted by Scripture to fear
God and to have reverence for Him. How does this
relate to music? If I really fear God, if I really am
overwhelmed by His holiness and dignity, if I have
great respect for God’s dignity, if I am truly zealous
for His Name and His glory, then I will make sure that
my music is appropriate for glorifying God. Not only
must the words be appropriate for the glorifying of
God, but the sound or melody must befit the majesty,
the purity, and the holiness of God. I will ask
questions like these: Is this music — both words and
melody — suitable for glorifying God?
Does this music — both words and melody — cheapen
divine things or trivialize spiritual truth? Does this
music encourage a non-serious or frivolous view of
religion? Might it lead a listener to think that God
is Someone that you can play games with or treat
lightly?
Does this music — both words and melody — handle
sacred truth in a sacred way? Is the music compatible
with or complementary of the sacred things of which it
claims to speak?
If this music bears Christ’s name (as CCM does), then
does it — both words and melody — also bear the marks
of Christ’s character? Does this music reflect His
holiness, His righteousness, His purity, and His
majesty? CCM fails here. It is not a suitable medium
for glorifying God. CCM cheapens spiritual truth and
encourages irreverent attitudes toward God. Even in
songs where the words are okay or even good, CCM
employs a type of music or sound that is not
appropriate for worshipping God. The sound of CCM is,
at very least, casual and worldly.
I realize that this concern may make little sense to
some of my readers. We Americans have, unfortunately,
grown up in a generation that doesn’t understand what
it means to fear God. We have no sense of God’s
holiness. We play with sacred things flippantly. We
rarely tremble at the fact that our God is a consuming
fire. Incredibly, we think that if something is good
enough for us, then it must be good enough for God.
But Hebrews 12:28-29 merely alludes to something that
is suggested over and over in the Bible: God is so
holy that many things, actions, or attitudes are
simply not appropriate before Him. If you have low
views of God’s holiness, then you won’t appreciate my
concerns here. But the more you appreciate God’s
sacredness, the more you will be concerned about the
appropriateness of your music.
A former CCM performer, writing in the mid-1980s, put
this well. He said that "For three years I sat under
the sound of biblical teaching and those years
revolutionized my life. Very soon I learned what the
gospel was, and as soon as I did so doubts arose in my
mind as to the suitability of rock as a medium for the
gospel....When I saw the seriousness of the gospel I
saw the paradox of using a non-serious medium to try
to convey it." The musician realized that his
“Christian music,” despite his good intentions,
actually communicated a non-serious attitude.
II. Other Questions To Ask About Contemporary
Christian Music
A. When you listen to CCM, what effect does it have on
you? What happens when you listen to it? Do you find
yourself worshipping God in spirit and in truth? Do
you begin thinking about Bible verses or Scriptural
truths? Do you think about God? Are you convicted of
sins and failings in your life?
Or do you get pumped up? Do you get psyched? Do you
simply start “feeling good”? Do you start playing “air
guitar” or “air drums”? Do you feel like getting
rowdy?
If you listen to CCM because it produces the second
effect, then that should tell you that your music is
dangerous. Your music is not glorifying God.
A seventeen-year-old girl from Texas testifies that
CCM — despite its “good” words — communicates a bad
message through its beat and melody. CCM encouraged
her not to worship, but rather to be sexually immoral.
She writes: “I would like to share a testimony
concerning my experience with ‘Christian rock’ music.
I had listened to this music with my friends and at
church social functions for several years before I got
my own tape, recorded by a famous artist. Buying that
tape was the biggest mistake of my life. Under its
influence, my moral convictions began to dissolve and
I allowed myself to become involved in a relationship
with a boy from my church, against my parents wishes.
When we were together we listened to ‘Christian’ and
‘soft rock’ music. It was all sensuous and destroyed
my inhibitions. I am so ashamed of what happened. The
music made me rebellious and pulled me away from my
family. I thank God that I can say today that I have
not listened to this harmful music for several months
now, and I feel a freedom I had not experienced
before.”
A fifteen-year-old student from Ohio agrees. He writes
that “When I got into secular rock music I was
bombarded by many sensual thoughts. Those that think
that ‘Christian rock’ is OK because of the words, are
wrong. When I listen to that type of ‘Christian’
music, I have the same reaction.” A twenty-one-year
old student from Washington writes that rock music
“has had a definite bad impression on me. It makes me
feel rebellious, and I just have weird feelings when I
play it. To me, ‘Christian rock’ is no different than
regular rock. It still gives me those wrong feelings.”
A sixteen-year-old student from Missouri writes that
“I have many contemporary Christian music tapes, and I
find when I listen to them that I get a rebellious
spirit.”
B. Who is it that is always defending CCM? Who is most
vocal in arguing that CCM is actually good? Aren’t
CCM’s primary defenders a) the unsaved; b) teenagers
who, if they are Christians, must certainly be babes
in Christ; or c) people who have only a questionable
claim to being Christian? I’m struck by how no
spiritually mature men that I know rally to the
defense of contemporary Christian music. In other
words, it is the spiritually weak that argue that CCM
is good.
I’ll briefly mention a related issue. CCM makes
songwriters and performers our spiritual leaders. By
listening to their songs, we are shaped by their
music. Are CCM composers and performers qualified to
be our spiritual leaders? Does the fact that someone
can put words to rhyme or possesses a good voice
necessarily mean that they are qualified to teach us
spiritually? Certainly this is a frightening
phenomenon. At the same time when young people
increasingly ignore preaching and pastoral counseling
— indeed, young people often find pulpit teaching
boring — they flock to CCM as their source of
spiritual nourishment. Little surprise that our
children are not saved, and know so little about the
great doctrines of our faith?
C. Many young people testify that listening to CCM
harmed them. Listening to CCM led many to listen to
secular rock and rap music. In other words, CCM is a
dangerous “slippery slope.” A few testimonies:
A sixteen-year-old student from Oklahoma: “I began to
listen to ‘Christian rock’ without the blessing of my
father. He told me that if I listened to ‘Christian
rock’ it would open the door for Satan. I just
laughed, and listened anyway. It totally deadened my
Christian growth and led to terrible immorality,
rebellion, and rejection of God. It then developed
into secular, hard rock. Now all I can do is go back
and pick up the pieces. But I still have a scar in my
life that will never be removed.”
A twenty-one-year-old student from Michigan:
“‘Christian rock’ has hindered my life because the
only real difference between ‘Christian rock’ and
secular rock is the words. The beat, rhythm, and the
melody are not different; they are the same. It does
not matter whether I listen to secular or ‘Christian
rock,’ when the songs are over, I feel the same. I
feel an emptiness in my soul, a heavy burden. Even
‘Christian rock’ sometimes makes me feel like going
out and getting rowdy or even hurting someone else if
they provoke me.”
An eighteen-year-old student from Oklahoma: “When I
was twelve or thirteen years old, I was given some
‘Christian rock’ tapes by my parents because they
thought I was getting into secular music. The truth
is, I was getting into some bad music. The ‘Christian
rock’ dominated my life for over a year until I could
not get the same satisfaction I received the first
time I heard it. I went to secular rock music and kept
this desire and sin from my parents. I started out on
soft music and grew to pop/rock-type music. It was not
long before my desire grew to ‘hard rock’ and
‘progressive’ stuff. I started getting into drinking
and going to dance clubs. Minor recreational drugs
came in and soon my life was going down the drain. One
night while drinking, I fell into immorality and my
life was devastated....I feel very deeply that if I
had not started out in ‘Christian rock’ I would have
been convicted about the bad music I got into. Maybe I
would not have messed up my life so much.”
A twenty-year-old student from Oklahoma: “When I used
to listen to rock music it hindered my spirit and
caused a rebellious attitude. I can tell you that when
I hear ‘Christian rock’ music, it makes no difference
what the lyrics are. It is the music that causes the
poor spirit and rebellious attitude.”
A sixteen-year-old student from Florida: “‘Christian
rock’ music has probably been the biggest hindrance to
my spiritual growth. When I first heard this kind of
music, it really bothered my spirit. But then this
music was brought into my church. The more I heard it,
the less it bothered me. The less it bothered me, the
more I listened to it. It wasn’t long before I was
involved in secular rock music because I didn’t see
any difference. This music caused me to resist the
Lord and hold parts of my life back from Him. I was
not able to have a freedom to truly serve Him and be
totally dedicated to Him until I was willing to give
up this music.”
A nineteen-year-old student from California: “I began
listening to ‘Christian rock,’ and shortly thereafter
I began a fast, steady pace downhill. This eventually
led me into a totally backslidden state. I know that
my own rebelliousness was the cause of my fall.
However, ‘Christian rock’ entered into my life at a
very crucial point and added fuel to the fire. I
remember the specific day and the song I listened to
first. I remember feeling rebellious— like I was going
against what is considered acceptable by the standards
of Godly people. Within weeks, maybe months, a very
apparent breakdown of my conscience, morality, and
appearance was evident.”
A seventeen-year-old student from Pennsylvania:
“‘Christian rock’ and Christian contemporary music
have, in my life, been stepping stones. Not stepping
stones going up— but down. Just a few months of
listening to ‘Christian rock’ and contemporary music
led to a life of being controlled by acid rock. This
quickly led to and encouraged rebellion, greed, moral
impurity, and trying to protect my rights and hide
from my parents.”
A fifteen-year-old student from Nebraska: “When I
started listening to ‘Christian rock’ I slowly started
to listen to just regular worldly rock (soft rock).
Then I was listening to something harder and harder.
It not only led me into worldly rock, but I was
getting rebellious toward my parents, and I was having
sensual and lustful thoughts. I also could not
memorize or read God’s Word and understand it or
retain it.”
III. How Can You Tell If A Piece of Music Is
Acceptable or Not? Where do you “draw the line”?
Based upon the discussion above, and relying heavily
on Philippians 4:8, I come up with the following
“yardstick”:
1. Good music must have good lyrics. Lyrics must not
only be not bad; they must be positively good (i.e.,
pass the Philippians 4:8 test).
2. Good music must have a good sound. The sound or
tune itself can not be conducive of irrational
thinking, aggression, or impulsiveness. Nor can the
sound communicate a rebellious or defiant mood.
3. Good music cannot be associated with or linked to
negative or questionable things. Good music must be
pure. Good music cannot be worldly.
4. a) If music claims to be Christian, then (in
addition to the above points) it must be music that
befits God’s majesty. Christian music must be sober
and reverential. Christian music must exemplify or
display Christ’s character. b) If music does not claim
to communicate a spiritual music (e.g., orchestral
music), then (in addition to the above points) that
music must be refined, balanced, sublime or subtle,
and tranquil.
My conclusion is that much, if not all, of what is
today called contemporary Christian music fails to
measure up to this yardstick.

This is a good article... the test is...

How Can You Tell If A Piece of Music Is
Acceptable or Not? Where do you “draw the line”?
Based upon the discussion above, and relying heavily
on Philippians 4:8, I come up with the following
“yardstick”:
1. Good music must have good lyrics. Lyrics must not
only be not bad; they must be positively good (i.e.,
pass the Philippians 4:8 test).
2. Good music must have a good sound. The sound or
tune itself can not be conducive of irrational
thinking, aggression, or impulsiveness. Nor can the
sound communicate a rebellious or defiant mood.
3. Good music cannot be associated with or linked to
negative or questionable things. Good music must be
pure. Good music cannot be worldly.
4. a) If music claims to be Christian, then (in
addition to the above points) it must be music that
befits God’s majesty. Christian music must be sober
and reverential. Christian music must exemplify or
display Christ’s character. b) If music does not claim
to communicate a spiritual music (e.g., orchestral
music), then (in addition to the above points) that
music must be refined, balanced, sublime or subtle,
and tranquil.

My concern comes from the 'brothers and sisters' who by answering Krispy's original question about what they have in their ipod and replied..."the Eagles, the Beatles, Tony Bennett, and ABBA."

Should 'we' really be listening to such musicians?

Also, what about u2? I feel that ''they'' are not Christians, rather they are leading Christians to the broad path. I can't speak of their heart and I am not judging them, however, I am not impressed by Bono's 'goodworks' and am less impressed by their performances.
*edit*
(ex. While I was in seminary last year, the Baptist school allowed a Catholic in for the very first time [maybe it was the first time one wanted to enroll...i'm not sure] and he had a tendency of hooking up his ipod to the sound system to blast u2 and the Beatles...it was and still is questionable (he and the musicians)!

I spent a large part of my life involved with worldly music and have since felt the burden to differentiate between Worldly music and Godly Music. We should not take the subject lightly, especially since so many people are influenced by it everyday...

I am open for advice.

Blessings,
Brian