Hi All,
I have not been to this thread for a month or two and have been reading catch-up.
Tucci's comments raised some intersting food for thought as well as how the use of music in scripture should define "appropriate use" of music to Christians and I had a few thoughts.
There seems to be two basis for appreciating and enjoying music. Those who find it an
artistic pursuit and those who find it mostly usefull for as a form of
entertainment.
To me persuing it for artistic appreciation and expression is a higher calling and fits more in line with being more like our creator by
being creative as He is. He creates beautifull masterpieces of every shape and form. To not at least aspire toward this end and simply use music as entertainment to me is "casting your pearls before swine". But
that is the catch! To me music has such potential to be something so valuable (ie a pearl) but to many other people reguardless of spiritual beliefs it is simply a common screwdriver in a tool box of grimy unorganized tools that is pulled out when it meets a need and then put away.
My wife however simply likes music for entertainment (outside of a church worship experience anyway) and likes very overproduced un-original cotton candy fluff music because it entertains her...she is not looking for inspiration from music but she finds inspiration elsewhere.
These two "schools of thought" affect what we want and expect from music. Like Tucci I am usually very disapointed by most comercial CCM because it is IMHO very unoriginal, uncreative, lacking in passion and falls far short of its potential. Why are Christians following the popular "cutting edge" secular music styles (several years behind) instead of leading the way in creativity, passion and quality. We should be the pacesetters. If there is anything more pathetic than the blind leading the blind would it not be the seeing following the blind? There is even a band that is played on K-Love radio regularly called the Apologetics that do nothing but but record dead straight copies of secular hits but rewrite the lyrics with christian ones wich IMHO is
ultimate example of everything that is wrong in the CCM industry today.
But some are called to be evangelist, others Prophets, Teachers.........and how can I argue with some one who is called and gifted in the area of Evangelism and effectively uses music (no matter how cheesy) as a tool to communicate the gospel to someone who needs to hear it. How can I fault a person who enjoys heavy metal or punk complete with screaming vocals I can't possibly understand, that feel encouraged by a Chrisitan band that uses that style of music?
I find myself in a dilema that I can only reconcile with my original premise that what we expect from music; be it simple entertainment and nothing more or inspiration that often also provides some enteriantment value is foundational in how we percieve what is good. I know God created music and it can be used for good and evil but I challenge anyone (including myself) to say any particular style is not appopriate for God to use. I know the devil did not and can not create anything himself...he can only distort, twist or poision the good things God has created for his own evil intent.
So if God wants to use a heavy metal guitarist who has a beatifull dead mint 1964 pre-CBS Strat who cant' play in tune or in key and only knows two power chords to save his life as a rusty screw driver to reach people who desperately need to know God can I really tell Him He is doing it all wrong?
I don't think I would go there... but I might ask if I could trade my $50 pawn shop special for the guys Strat because he probably wouldn't know the difference anyway.
