Does rock-n-roll belong at church services?

[sealchan]

Contemporary Christian rock/pop music & co. have their place in the car, on the street, at home, in the park, in bars, etc., sure. But not in church. It's music of the world, for the world.

And where did the music in the church come from in the first place? Who composed it? Probably the same sort of people that create all other kinds of music. The distinction you are making I think is specious and is another example of how traditional Christian church media content is how the church is suffocating people right out of the pews.

This song in particular showcases superb instrumentalists with a profound lyricist whose attention to spiritual matters has always been a part of his work. As such this song represents a sincere and profound reflection on the relationship of humanity to the divine.

All music comes from somewhere and not out of a YouTube channel owned by God Him/Herself. For those who find their spiritual contact through the traditional music, they need to make room for others who need something more or other. Otherwise they can just have all that empty room in the pews to themselves. They would be deeply wrong to think themselves more Godly IMO...maybe less so actually.

 

[sealchan]

I grew up in a conservative, fundamentalist Christian church. I also played guitar. So every Christmas we'd put on a play and show, and I would play guitar through some of it. One time we were having rehearsals and we took a break. The rest of the group all went downstairs for snacks, but I stayed up on the stage. You see, they had some pretty cool speakers and I wanted to see how my guitar sounded on them. So I turned up the volume and hit a G chord.

Within seconds the preacher came running up the stairs, waiving her arms, and yelling "THIS IS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD!! THIS IS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD!!" I just looked at her and was like....."Huh? What did I do?" She yelled "THIS IS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD AND WE WILL NOT TOLERATE SUCH BLASPHEMY!!" I pointed out that I just strummed a G chord, the same chord I'd been playing in rehearsals all morning, just that this time was a little louder. All she could muster was to repeat "THIS IS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD!!!" and pull the plug on the amps.

So I guess the difference between "Godly music" and "blasphemous music" isn't the music itself, but the volume it's played at?

Fundamentalists sure are entertaining.

I played drums in a church band and my pastor wanted me to play louder! I was concerned about drowning everyone else out (a common issue for drums in the mix.

 

[David1967]

I can't say that there has ever been a 'Christian' group that I've liked.
Gospel has its moments but R'n'R should be nasty and rebellious.

I agree. To me, church music should be reverent. Rock and Roll should never be.

 

[Ponder This]

Do you go to Church to be entertained by the performances of other people appearing to worship God?

Or do you go to Church to participate in worshiping God?

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Contemporary Christian rock/pop music & co. have their place in the car, on the street, at home, in the park, in bars, etc., sure. But not in church. It's music of the world, for the world.

I admit, this is one reason I struggle with Christianity despite some of the mythology inspiring my worldview. The distinction between "Church" (realm of God) and "world" (realm of Man, despite being God's creation) forces people towards an unhealthy dichotomy.

Occultists, mystics, and pagans have a saying: "As above, so below." The world of the spirit reflects that of the physical and vice versa.

Any style of music that inspires a person with meaning is a spiritual one.

 

[Jose Fly]

I played drums in a church band and my pastor wanted me to play louder! I was concerned about drowning everyone else out (a common issue for drums in the mix.

LOL....too bad I didn't go there!

 

[1213]

...

Thundering drums, screeching voices and blaring electric guitars don't seem pious in the Lord's house.
It's apt to wake up the dead at funerals. Cause them to rise from their coffins.

I think it depends on the motive. With good motive, almost anything could be accepted, in my opinion. However, I would like that there is only externally and internally beautiful music.

 

[Shiranui117]

And where did the music in the church come from in the first place? Who composed it? Probably the same sort of people that create all other kinds of music.

St. Romanus the Melodist in the 500's composed many of our hymns. Others who have composed or written church music are very often monks (St. Nektarios of Aegina, St. Andrew of Crete), nuns (St. Kassiani for example), and common priests (Gregory Petrov, who composed his Akathist of Thanksgiving as he slowly died in a Soviet gulag). Individual musical settings for existing hymns are of course almost continually being produced; Vladimir Morosan is a good present-day example of this, as are Tschaikovsky, Bortniansky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in more recent times.

The distinction you are making I think is specious and is another example of how traditional Christian church media content is how the church is suffocating people right out of the pews.

Good church music isn't what's causing people to leave church. Bringing politics to the pulpit, not raising the children in the faith at home, not being a living example of the faith for others, and not mentoring the younger generations is what's driving the decline.

This song in particular showcases superb instrumentalists with a profound lyricist whose attention to spiritual matters has always been a part of his work. As such this song represents a sincere and profound reflection on the relationship of humanity to the divine.

I don't dispute that. But music for liturgical worship is different than music for casual enjoyment or listening. They fulfill different purposes and are thus subject to different criteria. What speaks to the human soul has not changed.

Spoiler: Some good church music.

All music comes from somewhere and not out of a YouTube channel owned by God Him/Herself. For those who find their spiritual contact through the traditional music, they need to make room for others who need something more or other. Otherwise they can just have all that empty room in the pews to themselves. They would be deeply wrong to think themselves more Godly IMO...maybe less so actually.

You can have your contemporary-style music, there's nothing wrong with it at all. I readily acknowledge that it is inspiring to many people and it can evoke many emotions. But it has its place, and that place is not during a church service.

 

[Kenny]

I love organs and the bible calls for them. Guitars, pianos, harpsichords and basses are definitely stringed instruments and cymbals are large part of rock music. But where do human voices, tambourines and drums come in?

LOL...

Human voices, - "Let everything that hath breath..."
Tambourines, - they are small cymbals... (I think Deborah used it after they were delivered from the Egyptians"

Drums. LOL It's not in that list but I think He thinks its great.

 

[Shiranui117]

I would respect conscience and recognize a variety of styles on that one.
However one should look at the goal. In the church music is part of putting words of truth with human voices. It should be God centered and truth drenched in general.

If it's merely entertainment or providing a feel or noastalgic I would not be a fan. But a range of styles are fine if it's truth centered and worshipful. I am also not a fan of over repetition or drowning out the congregation with a 'worship band' where you can only hear them.

Music ideally helps tie the service together and even helps memorize scripture and truths.

Orthodoxy does that in spades. You could get a VERY good crash-course in Orthodox faith and theology just by showing up to church on Saturday evening, Sunday morning and the great feasts with your ears perked up.

For example, this is a very famous Orthodox hymn for Great and Holy Friday:

Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung on a tree.
The King of the angels is decked with a crown of thorns.
He who wraps the heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery.
He who freed Adam in the Jordan is slapped in the face.
The Bridegroom of the Church is affixed to the cross with nails.
The Son of the Virgin is pierced by a spear.
We worship Thy passion, O Christ.
Show us also Thy glorious resurrection.​

And this is the service we sing as we start off Great Lent:
Canon of St. Andrew of Crete – Monday

Also, fun fact... The hymn "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" was originally an Orthodox hymn that the West loved so much they just had to have it. (Who could blame them?) Here's an Orthodox rendition...

 

[susanblange]

Pipe organs didn't exist until the late medieval period... The word translated in the KJV as "organ" is actually "pipe" or "flute". The KJV is by no means the best translation.

I think the KJV is the best English translation and it's the version God wanted us to read. There was a clue to this in the paper the Lord submitted to her Public Speaking class on December 13, 1983. She was born in San Diego, Ca. This means Saint James or King James. The KJV is not perfect, but it is remarkably accurate.

 

[Srivijaya]

A few years ago, we went to a Christmas service at our local CofE church. A new hymn was sung to the tune of Jingle Bells. "Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves today, Hey!" We were like "you've got to be kidding". That was the last Christmas service my wife wanted us to partake in. It's quite put her off.

 

[Shiranui117]

A few years ago, we went to a Christmas service at our local CofE church. A new hymn was sung to the tune of Jingle Bells. "Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves today, Hey!" We were like "you've got to be kidding". That was the last Christmas service my wife wanted us to partake in. It's quite put her off.

Jingle Bells and all the other consumerist, soulless Christmas songs always make the Christmas season hell for me. I usually listen to my Spotify, the music on my phone or a podcast while I'm driving around or running errands so I can avoid it, but whenever I have to be subjected to the same old Christmas playlist that every radio station just seems to put on loop, I feel like a slug which just got dropped into a salt shaker.

 

[Srivijaya]

Jingle Bells and all the other consumerist, soulless Christmas songs always make the Christmas season hell for me. I usually listen to my Spotify, the music on my phone or a podcast while I'm driving around or running errands so I can avoid it, but whenever I have to be subjected to the same old Christmas playlist that every radio station just seems to put on loop, I feel like a slug which just got dropped into a salt shaker.

I feel your pain. Now... Eastern Orthodox music is in a category of its own. Sublime.

 

[SomeRandom]

Jingle Bells and all the other consumerist, soulless Christmas songs always make the Christmas season hell for me. I usually listen to my Spotify, the music on my phone or a podcast while I'm driving around or running errands so I can avoid it, but whenever I have to be subjected to the same old Christmas playlist that every radio station just seems to put on loop, I feel like a slug which just got dropped into a salt shaker.

Ever worked in retail during the Christmas season?
Egad! I wanted to personally hunt down every single composer of “Christmas Carols” and cause them great bodily harm. Think of nothing but the same Christmas playlist on work radio from November onwards. *shudders*

 

[Shiranui117]

Ever worked in retail during the Christmas season?
Egad! I wanted to personally hunt down every single composer of “Christmas Carols” and cause them great bodily harm. Think of nothing but the same Christmas playlist on work radio from November onwards. *shudders*

I worked at a grocery store for years as both a bagger and a meat clerk. I also worked at McDonald's for a few months. I know exactly the kind of cancer you're describing.

 

[Jonathan Bailey]

Pipe organs didn't exist until the late medieval period... The word translated in the KJV as "organ" is actually "pipe" or "flute". The KJV is by no means the best translation.

The word "organ" comes from a Greek word meaning "machine or apparatus". A pipe organ is rather a kind of musical machine or "engine".

 

[Riders]

When it comes to liturgical music I am of the opinion that chant is the ideal. I can tolerate traditional, organ accompanied hymnody but my preference remains for unaccompanied chant.

Guitar based music, or styles based upon secular pop and rock I don't think have any place in a church. Holy Mass is a solemn occasion. Unfortunately, much of the nonsense that has been pushed onto Catholics by liturgical 'experts' since the sixties rarely reflects that solemnity.

I enjoy Catholic chanting music like I do Buddhist chanting music, I really like it.

 

[Jonathan Bailey]

I played drums in a church band and my pastor wanted me to play louder! I was concerned about drowning everyone else out (a common issue for drums in the mix.

My mother once said the drums were the devil's instrument when I told there was one at one of my United Methodist services in the early 1980's. The piano, electric organ and choir were the staple of the church music there. Sometimes guest bands would perform in church with popular music instruments as well. There would be guitars, a bass and a drum set. The music was still staid and conservative, calm like a mellow form of jazz or gospel. Never wild rock-n-roll still. She was raised Catholic and would have regarded pipe organs and choirs as the norm for church music. I love pipe organs with the loud and penetrating state trumpet stop that might sound like the trumpet of the herald angel Gabriel.

 

[Riders]

My Father was a Primitive Baptist. Not only did they NOT have contemporary or Christian rock music but they did not allow piano music or any musical instruments. They sang every hymn acapella. They used shape notes to sing with.