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Robin Revier
Good News
Commentary
Just like there are so many
different denominations in the
Christian faith, there are also
seemingly many denominations
of music. You may have heard or
even used the term “secular
music” yourself. Rest assured,
you are not alone as it is a
common term among the
brethren, that is, people of the
Christian faith.
What sets it apart
MainstreamChristian music
may share a secular style of
groove and musical swag, but if
you listen closely there is a
running theme of godly lyrics that
typically drive home a gospel
message. Sometimes the message
is aggressive and sometimes not,
but the theme is there.
That is the main thing that
sets it apart from so-called
secular music. But is it really
necessary to boycott secular
music; do all those writers out
there laboring over lyrics day in
and day out to make a living and
contribute to the musical tapestry
of our culture deserve to be
booted off the presets? I’m gonna
go out on a limb and say, “No.”
Once upon a time
There was a time when it was
common for Christian parents to
forbid secular music to be played
by their teens. I sometimeswonder
if it was just easier to do that, than
comb over every lyric tomake sure
that the kids were not being
exposed to ungodlymessages. The
musical themes in the 70s and 80s,
leaned towards drugs and sex and
not having much regard for
authority or parents. Similar to
today’s pop music, although I
would say currently there is amore
blatant approach to getting the
point across in the form of a pop
song. Sadly, it is a fact that kids
gravitate towards music first and
not lyrics, but by the end of the
song, both are embedded in the
brain.Music is powerful, no doubt.
Crossing over
So why give that so-called
secular music a chance? A few
things to consider; much of the
content is quality, for example,
Stevie Wonder wrote a lot of
great music, with both excellent
music and lyrics. To mention a
few, “Loves in Need of Love
Today” and “My Cherie Amour”
were positive hit songs with
beautiful melodies. Nothing
gospel about them, but they were
harmless in content and the
melodies, heavenly. Albeit, you
have to do your research and find
the artists out there that have
excellent gifts and take pride in
writing positive material, and
yes, I believe there are less today
than there may have been
previously, but they’re out there.
Keith Urban is one of my favorite
writers because he keeps it real
and is never offensive or loose
with his content. Vince Gill
similarly, is a very conscientious
writer whose songs convey
truths of life. These men are not
gospel artists, but you would be
hard-pressed to find anything
overtly out of line.
Something to consider
As believers, it’s important to
remember that we were not a
gospel song when God rescued
us. He listened to the off beat of
our sinful hearts, and gently sang
a different melody to us until we
surrendered our offensive heavy
metal to him. Of course I am not
suggesting
that
we
make
ourselves listen to rude music, or
that we go soft on our kids when
they are singing along to an
unspeakable lyric, and Lord
knows there are plenty to choose
from. What I
am
suggesting is
that we give the musical world a
chance to express themselves
where they’re at and gently speak
to our kids (and ourselves) about
lyrics
and
content
while
considering God’s relentless love
for the lost, and how he meets us
in our sin. It’s the perfect picture
of grace when we share in that
light, not promoting the sin, but
finding Jesus in the middle of the
concert and remembering that,
apart from the blood of our
Savior, we are all offensive. It’s
also a great opportunity to pray
for an artist who has great talent
but is obviously not a follower or
believer in Christ. I have done
that for years for one of my
beloved artists, and just this year
he wrote a song that actually has
me thinking I may not be the only
one praying!
For it is by grace we have
been saved, through faith – and
this is not from yourselves, it is the
gift of God – not by works, so that
no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8).
Do you listen to strictly Christian
music or do you mix things up a
bit? Tell us what you do by
emailing editor@goodnewsfl.org.
Robin is a singer and published
songwriter who currently sings
with the praise team at CRPC.
Follow her on twitter at
@robinmahria or email her at
robin3418@gmail.com.
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33 January 2014
MUSIC
Musical Segregation
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