ASPRINGMAN@eagle.wesleyan.edu (DAYSPRING) (10/27/89)
Quotations from posting by GLENLEE@BRILLIG.UMD.EDU > I'm not sure if this belongs to this newsgroup because I never see > any discussions/interests in contemporary christian music (ccm). If > it belongs somewhere else, please tell me what newsgroup. I think this is a great newsgroup for this with one caution. Individual artists should be respected and discussions surrounding a person should be quite limited. There is plenty else to dwell on and I think you have raised some worthy topics here. > I found out that Amy Grant, Christian superstar sings the opening > theme song to NBC's _Sister_Kate_ My reaction to this is...TV?!, yuk. I really despise commercial TV. I would not mind at all if sound (in doctrine) Christian music found its way onto secular TV and radio. I also wouldn't mind if Chrisian artists held more free public performances (understatemnent). > Besides, kids today are so materialistic, that voicing out their emotions > for Christ is kinda "mushy"...Amy teaches you don't have to be an angel to > do it...just human. I don't think that fitting into the "materialistic" music industry is going to help christian kids much at all. We should try to keep our kids away from secular music and Christian music that imitates secular music. (I feel kinda funny with that last line because I am only 19 myself). Now for some explanation. I became a Christian as a Sophamore in high school. At the time of my conversion I was lead singer, keyboardist, and writer for a rock band. (No drugs, Praise the Lord!) I accepted the Lord at my piano. In fact, in order to show my earnesty in seeking Him, I said to Jesus that I would not so much as hum another note (breaking by idol) until I met Him and heard from him that I should start again and then I would only play and sing as He commands. He liked it. He took me. Now, He has me writing songs about my testimony, praise songs, teaching songs, and scripture songs; leading worship in churches and in other gatherings; and listening to a select few Christian musicians (Keith Green, John Michael Talbot, Don Fransico, Michael Card, Michael Kelly Blanchard, Glad, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Integrity Hosanna, Praise (Maranatha music), and Bach). He has taught me a lot about the responsabilities of the musician. These are some foundational points... 1) All music should be by and for God. That is, it should be from God and given to the musician by spiritual revelation. Yes, music should be from the heart, but that heart should be fixed on Jesus. That also means that all music should be praise or instruction or outreach (and that's the tricky one). 2) God is not pleased by secular music. 3) Music _does_ have inherent spiritual meaning. Even wordless music. Therefore, musicians (and Christians in general) can and should discern by the Spirit whether or not each song they play is 1) of the Lord and 2) appropriate at the time. I would appreciate all sorts of discussion (agreement/debate) on or off the newsgroup. Praise Jesus! Andrew William Springman ASPRINGMAN@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU ASPRINGMAN@WESLEYAN.BITNET
peter@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Peter Mielke) (11/10/89)
ASPRINGMAN@eagle.wesleyan.edu (DAYSPRING) writes: > few Christian musicians (Keith Green, John Michael Talbot, Don Fransico, > Michael Card, Michael Kelly Blanchard, Glad, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Integrity > Hosanna, Praise (Maranatha music), and Bach). He has taught me a lot about the > responsabilities of the musician. These are some foundational points... > 1) All music should be by and for God. That is, it should be from God and > given to the musician by spiritual revelation. Yes, music should be from the > heart, but that heart should be fixed on Jesus. > That also means that all music should be praise or instruction or > outreach (and that's the tricky one). Does this mean no more songs/compositions just for the fun of it? Take for example the secular cantatas of J.S.Bach (one of them having to do with some mythical gods and someones birthday) or Randy Stonehill singing about junk food. Even singing "Happy birthday" to take it to an extreem. Or what about the composters that wrote church music but lead an different lifestyle (like Mozart). > 2) God is not pleased by secular music. How do you define secular music? > 3) Music _does_ have inherent spiritual meaning. Even wordless music. > Therefore, musicians (and Christians in general) can and should discern by the > Spirit whether or not each song they play is 1) of the Lord and 2) appropriate > at the time. How would you tell in wordless music (e.g. music by Jean Micheal Jarre, transcriptions of works by Bach by Wendy/Walter Carlos)? -- Peter Mielke {utgpu,mnetor}!geac!aeshq!peter Environment Canada Atmospheric Environment Service "You want to know what weather it is? Look out your window!"