For me personally, music is the most important aspect of my religion. I am a Christian, and my favorite way to feel close to God is through praise and worship, or just listening and studying gospel music. Here are a few of my favorite songs:
https://youtu.be/rFNHmA9a2gI
https://youtu.be/W7zwlHZ4fxU?list=RDrFNHmA9a2gI
Music is my favorite form of worship because it is also something in which I have great skill, so, if I ever wanted to create a worship song of my own, I feel as though I would be fully equipped to do so. Music I generally used in church services the traditional form of worship through hymns and/or praise bands. This time allows church goers to send praises to the Lord before and after hearing His word.
I have found that many gospel artists have attempted to make their music sound more secular so as to reach out to and attract younger listeners. These artists are beginning to focus more on how the music sounds rather than what the words are saying, therefore defeating the purpose of the song and I think that this is the wrong method of taking things from society and applying them to music. One rule that should be followed within the realm of gospel music is that the lyrics of the song should do nothing other than tell a story of God's grace and mercy, rather than attracting more people solely for the style of the music. When the focus of a song is taken away from The Lord and placed upon the singer or the audience, it is no longer gospel music. It is selfish to try to classify songs that have little to nothing to do with God as gospel.
I found your perspective on contemporary Christian music very interesting, because I’ve never given it much thought! While there are many contemporary songs that have beautiful lyrics and deep meaning, there are still many songs that are repetitive, with shallow meaning. It’s crazy how many of these songs are classified as “gospel or Christian”, but have little meaning or relation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these thoughts Natalia. I've often found myself frustrated with the church for seemingly watering down the gospel for popularity or entertainment's sake as well. Not that the music is less good, but perhaps less focused? Even in the first song you posted, I was noticing how self-focused it was instead of God-focused. "Sometimes you have to speak over yourself" instead of, say, Zephaniah 3:17 which says that GOD delights in us and sings over us! It's not that cut and dry, and I liked the song, but it's just something I was thinking about. I'd love to see more Christian music solely about praising God just for who He is--not even necessarily what He has done for us--instead of on our experiences or secular ideas. Hm. Things to think about as we study music... :)
ReplyDeleteSorry...my name didn't show up. This is Macayla Raney.
DeleteBecause I am not a Christian, it is cool for me to know your perspective on music and religion. I feel touched by your words about the connection between you and your religion through music. I also love the song "Encourage yourself" you shared.
ReplyDeleteI loved your blog because it reminds me a lot about how I feel when it comes to music in church! My favorite part about church is the music!
ReplyDeleteVivica Nogueira
As a church musician, it can be tricky to draw the line between polishing a performance for worship purposes and just being persnickety. It's a question that's always being asked. Would it surprise you to know that there have always been strains of Christianity that chose to forego music altogether, because it was felt to be too distracting?
ReplyDeleteAnd a quick request: find a way to embed videos rather than just list the URL. It makes for a more seamless reading experience.
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