Out of tune with church music

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Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#41
Aug 13, 2014
27,362
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#41
kittysnax said:
Has anyone else ever liked a church's teachings, but their music has never drawn you into worship like it has with most others? Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about only 1 (special) kind drawing you like that?
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Running a church music program is kind of like running a radio station. If you do anything too far outside the comfort zone of the majority of your listeners, you are going to catch a lot of flack.

It can't be too upbeat, but it also can't be too downbeat. It can't criticize any sin that anybody in the audience might be doing. It can't say anything anybody might object to.

If you break any of these rules, a lot of people are going to get disgusted and leave the church.

Imagine if 96% of the people in your church felt the same way you do about the music that is sung. Think it would last much longer? That's what would happen if they tried any music other than what they are using. Anything else would cause major disruptions in the congregation.
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#42
Apr 5, 2022
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#42
Lynx said:
But... But... But then I wouldn't have anything to complain about!

Get with the times you dinosaur. Moving on and finding something you do like is so old-fashioned. Quietly sitting through it and getting your blessing on the next song is even more so, practically prehistoric. Complaining loudly is the modern trend.
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Good point.
I will go on twitter, tik tok and Snapchat and complain loudly about this.
I will become an infuencer and also open a YouTube channel.
 
K

Karlon

Well-known member
#43
Mar 8, 2023
2,604
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#43
kittysnax said:
Has anyone else ever liked a church's teachings, but their music has never drawn you into worship like it has with most others? Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about only 1 (special) kind drawing you like that?
Click to expand...
DEFINITELY!! most churches i've attended had a moderate band or even less! 1 church plays the same rhythm pattern for every song! unbelievable. there's people on stage who can hardly play their instrument. by course, Christian music always beholds the message of Jesus 1st & the ability to play well isn't greatly important but you can see the crowds reaction that they aren't pleased with the quality either. it's really sad. imagine a top notch teacher-preacher & a talented band! what a huge difference, that church would be overflowing!!!
 
oldman

oldman

Member
#44
Apr 29, 2012
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#44
Subhumanoidal said:
That was my point. I'm not missing anything because I find public worship too distracting. So even when I showed up I wasn't worshipping, hence switching to private.
I'm not really missing anything. I don't need to be in a crowd for God to move or for my worship to be any better.
I'm also not a fan of most church music, old or new, and thus unfamiliar with every song.
Worship didn't actually Become fulfilling until I started doing this.
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Excellent choice! Would love to hear how it's going.
 
Subhumanoidal

Subhumanoidal

Well-known member
#45
Sep 17, 2018
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#45
oldman said:
Excellent choice! Would love to hear how it's going.
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Thank you. Infinitely better than my years trying group worship.
Let's my mind focus where it should, no dragging on, no being cut off. Not having to start at a specific time or only on certain days of the week. No one telling you how to worship (such as telling you when to raise your hands).

If someone enjoys public worship, then that's what they should do. But for those of us that find it problematic I find this a valid solution.
 
Dino246

Dino246

Senior Member
#46
Jun 30, 2015
25,472
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#46
Tall_Timbers said:
There are a lot of modern songs being sung in churches with questionable lyrics... I suspect they're originating from hillsong, bethel, etc...
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The sources you mention definitely don’t have a corner on poor lyrics. I often see wacky lyrics from songwriters who have other songs with rock-solid lyrics. Unfortunately, it appears that Christian music publishers are not being sufficiently critical of the material they publish.

Ironically, one of the most biblically solid current songwriters is based at Hillsong.
 
oldman

oldman

Member
#47
Apr 29, 2012
1,181
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#47
Subhumanoidal said:
Thank you. Infinitely better than my years trying group worship.
Let's my mind focus where it should, no dragging on, no being cut off. Not having to start at a specific time or only on certain days of the week. No one telling you how to worship (such as telling you when to raise your hands).

If someone enjoys public worship, then that's what they should do. But for those of us that find it problematic I find this a valid solution.
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Praise and worship has been the main focus of my study for a little over 3 years now. I recently learned that obedience is the corner stone of worship upon which all other forms or styles are based. Could be doing things or in song, dance before the Lord. (partial list)
Because we tend to think in the natural perhaps instead of thinking 'corner stone' which in the natural seems rather small we should think of obedience as the foundation upon which our worship is based.

Also when we get to this realization and we sense a flow of the Holy Spirit, there seems to be an overflow of that Holy Spirit to tose around us that blesses them. So public or corporate worship is also a good thing.

So private and public worship are both good just on different levels

I'll be praying that you find that place of spiritual worship at a high level
 
Subhumanoidal

Subhumanoidal

Well-known member
#48
Sep 17, 2018
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#48
oldman said:
Praise and worship has been the main focus of my study for a little over 3 years now. I recently learned that obedience is the corner stone of worship upon which all other forms or styles are based. Could be doing things or in song, dance before the Lord. (partial list)
Because we tend to think in the natural perhaps instead of thinking 'corner stone' which in the natural seems rather small we should think of obedience as the foundation upon which our worship is based.

Also when we get to this realization and we sense a flow of the Holy Spirit, there seems to be an overflow of that Holy Spirit to tose around us that blesses them. So public or corporate worship is also a good thing.

So private and public worship are both good just on different levels

I'll be praying that you find that place of spiritual worship at a high level
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I did state, in other posts, that both were good and neither was better. I merely pointed out an alternate approach in bypassing public worship for private only for those that may struggle with public.

Thank you.
 
Fillan

Fillan

Well-known member
#49
Oct 25, 2022
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#49
kittysnax said:
Has anyone else ever liked a church's teachings, but their music has never drawn you into worship like it has with most others? Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about only 1 (special) kind drawing you like that?
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Hello Kitty. In the Baptist Church I attend there is a blend of songs and musical styles. It's a large church with a wide variety of people. Maybe one or two modern type songs for some, a traditional hymn for others, maybe something with a Celtic style, which would suit me (being into Celtic Music myself). Going exclusively into one musical style would drive certain demographics out, IMHO it's important to try and make everyone feel welcome. The church is a family, all ages, all backgrounds, different ethnicities together, one family in the Lord. God Bless :)
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#51
Aug 13, 2014
27,362
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#51
Jepethiel said:
You bet I am out of tune with church music, mostly because it is out of tune with Him.
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Depends a lot on what church you go to. My church has a lot of different styles, but they are all right in tune.

Maybe you just haven't listened to music in the right Church yet.
 
E

elear

New member
#52
Oct 31, 2020
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#52
kittysnax said:
Has anyone else ever liked a church's teachings, but their music has never drawn you into worship like it has with most others? Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about only 1 (special) kind drawing you like that?
Click to expand...
What kind of music tends to draw you into worship? Are there any aspects of the music (genres, instrumentation, certain kinds of lyrics...) that you find help you be especially drawn into worship?
 
E

elear

New member
#53
Oct 31, 2020
14
5
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#53
Ironically, I find that much of the time, my church's music doesn't draw me into worship, specifically because it's designed and intended to be emotionally evocative. For example, we recently sang 'Whole Heart'. While the song does include Biblical (true) statements about God, much of the language is vague and emotional and conveys little concrete meaning. By the time of the instrumental (around when they start repeating "So here I stand high in surrender" indefinitely), my mind has basically blocked the song out because of the repetition and vague emotional language.

However, I recognize that I don't have the same personality type as the people the music primarily appeals to. On the other hand, I do think it could be objectively improved.
 
M

MichaelZ

Active member
#54
Jun 11, 2023
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#54
A former (retired) pastor stated: Much of modern “Christian“ music focuses on what God can do for you whereas traditional hymns focused on what God already did for us with his only begotten Son on the cross. I tend to agree.

I actually find more of the glory of God in traditional classical music than in most “contemporary Christian” music. But traditional hymns are my favorite. And there are some very nice slightly modern renditions of these hymns, an example being the music of Selah.
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#55
Aug 13, 2014
27,362
9,376
113
#55
MichaelZ said:
A former (retired) pastor stated: Much of modern “Christian“ music focuses on what God can do for you whereas traditional hymns focused on what God already did for us with his only begotten Son on the cross. I tend to agree.
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Y'all just ain't listening to the right modern Christian music.


Too many miracles to hide
Too many broken, brought to life
Too many lives are being changed
Too many to make the cross a lie
Too many hearts have been set free
Too many wonders and dreams

Too many reasons to believe
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#56
Aug 13, 2014
27,362
9,376
113
#56
elear said:
Ironically, I find that much of the time, my church's music doesn't draw me into worship, specifically because it's designed and intended to be emotionally evocative. For example, we recently sang 'Whole Heart'. While the song does include Biblical (true) statements about God, much of the language is vague and emotional and conveys little concrete meaning. By the time of the instrumental (around when they start repeating "So here I stand high in surrender" indefinitely), my mind has basically blocked the song out because of the repetition and vague emotional language.

However, I recognize that I don't have the same personality type as the people the music primarily appeals to. On the other hand, I do think it could be objectively improved.
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Howdy elear and welcome to the forum.

Yeah, these days a lot of songs are just generated to fill a market gap. They don't have anything really to say.

The songs I like are the ones that start out with "I have this thing I want to express" and then they make a song out of that. If you don't start with something you need to say, the song winds up not really saying anything.
 
G

Gideon300

Well-known member
#57
Mar 18, 2021
5,347
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#57
elear said:
Ironically, I find that much of the time, my church's music doesn't draw me into worship, specifically because it's designed and intended to be emotionally evocative. For example, we recently sang 'Whole Heart'. While the song does include Biblical (true) statements about God, much of the language is vague and emotional and conveys little concrete meaning. By the time of the instrumental (around when they start repeating "So here I stand high in surrender" indefinitely), my mind has basically blocked the song out because of the repetition and vague emotional language.

However, I recognize that I don't have the same personality type as the people the music primarily appeals to. On the other hand, I do think it could be objectively improved.
Click to expand...
I agree. I went to a traditional carols service at the church I attend. I could actually sing along with the rest of the congregation. Many modern songs have pointless repetition, are musically poorly written and have little spiritual content. I've noticed that many Christian performers have a take on some of the old and best known hymns. I'm not convinced that a heavy metal version of "Just as I am" is a good thing either, but at least there is worthy content. I'm also advocating for some churches to give out earplugs for the safety of the congregation. Perhaps that's the meaning of having ears but not being able to hear.
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#58
Aug 13, 2014
27,362
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#58
Gideon300 said:
I'm not convinced that a heavy metal version of "Just as I am" is a good thing either, but at least there is worthy content.
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Heavy metal wasn't made for "Just As I Am." It was invented for some of the psalms David wrote while he was really upset. :p
 
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