continued

[ptrallan01]

There is a perception among Christians or rather there are perceptions among Christians about electric guitars and worship. The electric guitar is associated with the worst elements of rock and roll form the inception of rock and roll, rock and roll is associated with "devil" music. Trag did a beautiful blues tune that many churches would not allow to be played in their sanctuary. Our previous music director hated the fact that I played a guitar. It was okay for someone else but the pastor shouldn't play it and certainly not blues licks.

This combination of generally unspoken disapproval may cause the best guitarist to find a more comfortable place to play or cause excellent guitarist to temper their playing to fit in. This may push them out of the fold over a simple issue of liberty.

There is a story that I read several years ago about a pastor. I cannot verify the story at this point so please do not quote this as absolute truth. He was reflecting on the good and the bad of his ministry and on his early days as a youth pastor. There was a kid who was a little quiet and didn't quite fit in with the other kids. The pastor didn't do anything about it. The other kids left him out and thought he was weird and if I remember correctly so did the youth pastor. Eventually the young man dropped out of the group and the pastor was somewhat relieved because odd ducks sometimes make things difficult. Eventually that young man became Marylin Manson. As I said I don't know if this is true or not but it has a feel to it.

Psalm 150 instructs us to where praise the Lord, to praise him for the things he is and has done, and what to praise him with. It is a shame that sometimes when knew musical styles come out they are rejected by the church.

The great hymn writer Issac Watts at 16 or so complained to his father about the boring music that was played at church. His father told him if he didn't like it he should go to his room and write better music. The young man did as he was told and became one of the great hymnist of his time. Initially the musicians of his day rejected this "modern" and "popular" music as irrevelant and blasphemous. Yet today we call it "traditional". So it is with blues and rock and rap and guitars in the modern church. Yet God wants us to use everything we have and every talent and gift that we have to praise Him for His Excellent Greatness.

I find it all appropriate when its center, when its core, when its purpose is to glorify God, whether its a B3, a Tele, or a hand clap give it for The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

Love always

Peter

[Pearly Gator]

Cool, Peter. Thanks for posting that.

I don't know if that's true about Marilynn Manson, but it's true of Leslie Phillips. Remember her? Everyone tried to mould her into some preconceived Christian artist, but she bolted from Christian music. She now calls herself Sam Phillips and does secular stuff.

Oh, and I can totally understand on a personal level, too. My attempts to set original songs on the altar of worship has been an uphill battle for eight years. "Oh, we'll check it out and if it's suitable for a given sermon, maybe we will use it."

The difference for me is, I'm waiting on The Lord's timing. I'm not here to play church, I'm here to worship Jesus Christ.

Gary

[trag-o-caster]

Yes, thank you very much for posting this! I followed up in the previous thread where this started (My first Gospel tune). That mindset forced me out of the church and left me wandering in darkness for so long. It's been a long hard road getting back to God, and trying to figure out how I stand in His eyes regarding the gifts that He's given me, and how I'm supposed to use them for His service, as opposed to compromising my art to "fit in", or worse yet, giving up and just playing in bars.

[stephen]

This one young guy came to accept the Lord around the age of twenty. Now, he had come out of the rock scene in hollywood, playing in a hot power trio band that was getting a lot of notice at the time.

Upon his conversion, he knew he couldnt keep the hollywood scene up, and opted to get out of it.

He started going to a denominational church in Redondo Beach, and he was growing. He still looked like a rock n roller though (kinda flashy clothing, earings, and long hair, though he did stop wearing the make-up: glam rock era). He had said he would like to play guitar for the youth group (High school/college). They said " No, we got a program in place were happy with, but thanks for asking to help."

About a month or so later, after heading up a teaching at the young mens bible study, he felt the urge to give more: He asked the youth pastor, if he could help with bible studies, even for the little kids. The youth pastor told him: "well I thought the last time I said no to your offer, I figured you would have gotten the hint. The truth is, you look like a freak, and there are a lot of people here that want you to be asked to leave. I mean look at you. How can you bring yourself into this church looking like that? When I see you looking like this, I wonder if you have had a real experience with God, or if your just playing at this?"

It was raining that day, and he lived about 6 miles away from the church. He walked home in the rain. Dejected, and depressed, suicide actually crossed his mind: He was about to kill himself 9 months before, when a friend who he hadnt spoken too in over a year showed up at his door, and brought the Gospel of Jesus along with him. As he went into his little apartment, thinking, heck, he might as well finish what he was going to do months ago, when this came to his heart: "I respect of no man. If I have chosen you, thats all that matters. I judge by what is in your heart." He went to his bible, and found the scripture where it says this. He experienced a bitter joy: bitter taste of rejection from those that should know better, and absolute joy in the love that Jesus had given him. Suicide faded away. Eventually, he found another church, that didnt care about the way he looked, and he has grown in God ever since. He now plays guitar in the church that he calls home. He only recently cut his hair short, and he still dresses relaxed (jeans tennis shoes, and T type shirts, not to rock n roll, but casual), and he is still growing in the Lord!

Now, you can quote me on this story, cause I know for a fact, it is real.

That young man, is me.

[reverbbb]

I have not known you for very long. I started TDPRI last September 2003. I have been following your posts, especially since your wife died.

I have seen an amazing change in your writing style and your whole outlook. I am real happy for you that you are coming back to God. I too was lost for many years and had very similar issues in my life. Except that it was not the church that drove me off, it was my peer pressure from my fellow musicians - plain and simple. This is perhaps the core of the church's fear of a person being associated with blues and rock music. It is not the music in of itself, it is the company that you choose to keep while playing it.

I think that there are many of us who start out with a good foundation early in life. Then we get side tracked and wonder far away. But fortunately, if we live through those times, God allows us to become whole again in His love.

I pitty those who never get the early foundation or who destroy themselves before they come to realize what God has to offer them.

It is so profound how people of 2000~4000 years ago knew this and decided to document it in the living pages of the Bible. Jesus was the most profound of all. He knew so much that it bothered people of his wisdom and his truth. Just like we are scared of a snake that may enter our home. We destroy it before we have a chance to understand that it was there to rid us of our rats.

[kewlpack]

Erhm...

Guys - we lost half the thread... repost your thoughts so I can read 'em!!! :?

[stephen]

Erhm...

Guys - we lost half the thread... repost your thoughts so I can read 'em!!! :?

uh,...... :oops:

[LesStrat]

Such arguments never cease to amaze me. God created music. God created musical instruments. God created musicians. Just because we don't prefer a particular style of music does not negate its eternal worth. I personally do not care for rap, but it sure does reach many of our youth (look at POD). Who am I do question the calling of other musicians?

As long as God is clearly first in their lives, then their worship is valuable.

We went through a similar debate in the '80's over Christian rock. The entire concept that music must be in the style of hymns is historically ludicrous. Many of our hymns are lyrics put to the music of barroom music. That's right. Our hymns were once in the style of music popular at the time. Contemporary, that is.

As a wise Christian musician once asked (I forgot who it was), "Why should the devil have all the good music?"

[kewlpack]

As a wise Christian musician once asked (I forgot who it was), "Why should the devil have all the good music?"
Geoff Moore and the Distance
...it's on their Greatest Hits album.

~A~

[Ravindave_3600]

As a wise Christian musician once asked (I forgot who it was), "Why should the devil have all the good music?"
Geoff Moore and the Distance
...it's on their Greatest Hits album.

~A~

Actually, it's by Larry Norman, the Godfather of Christian Rock, from ABOUT 1970 (I think).

I think I may have posted this twice; please forgive my technoinadequacies.

[kewlpack]

Ah GM musta redid it later.
~A~