Does Anyone Miss Worship Music?

[Abmin9]

I'm a musician. My username is not a misspelling of "admin" but rather Abmin9 or A flat minor 9 (as in the chord). Anyway, I like Casting Crowns, Israel & New Breed, and Hyperstatic Union. I like them for the music. So, out of curiosity, I'd like to know how many of you still listen to those groups and encourage any other thoughts on the subject you'd like to share.

Thanks in advance!

[oddbird1963]

I'm sure in terms of instrumental talent, many Christian groups are highly talented. There are also some great lyricists who write creative lyrics.

 

But I can't get into the subject matter any longer. The premises upon which most Christian music is based are foundations I no longer accept and stand upon.

 

To me, it is foolish to rely upon an imaginary Being for comfort and to expect that Being to do anything in your life.

[hereticzero]

I didn't listen to that shit when I was a Christian.

[Vomit Comet]

Hated most of it back then, and I guess I still do.

 

But I have been getting into this band lately. Follow the link.

 

Coven, the first satanic rock and roll band ever (1969)

[Andy]

I didn't listen to that shit when I was a Christian.

Same here. I was never discouraged from listening to secular music and so there was never a need to turn to christian music.

[OpheliaGinger]

I didn't listen to that shit when I was a Christian.

 

Me neither.

[ghost_warlock]

When I was a kid I listened to a christian rock band, though I think it was mostly because the only rock albums I owned were by them.

 

Since then, I typically shun worship music. I have some albums by a few bands that occasionally wax religious (some more often than others), but I vastly prefer my music to remain secular (though, I'll admit to a soft-spot for a few thoroughly anti-theistic tunes ).

[Vixentrox]

I didn't like most of it then and I certainly won't listen to such vileness today.

[par4dcourse]

I didn't like most of it then and I certainly won't listen to such vileness today.

 

How many ways are there to say "god is so freakin' wonderful"?

[OpheliaGinger]

No Christian rock band could ever match Rob Zombie.

[agjohnson]

I listened to Aaron Shust, Michelle Tumes, Nichole Nordeman, and Hillsong United. I liked all of them, and musically I think they are all great. In fact I listened to some Aaron Shust to see if the same emotional link was still there. It wasn't.

[Brutal Brian]

My attitude towards it, other than using the CDs my radio station would get as coasters, was to adopt a very Monty Python approach to it and RUN AWAY!!

[Abmin9]

The LAST thing I do when listening to music is pay attention to the lyrics. I know that's not a good thing, it's just the way I am. I think music theory, analyzing harmonic progressions, etc. So really, if there's a great band singing a song describing all aspects of chunky vomit, I'd be the last to find out and rock on.. LOL

[Pecker]

This was the part of the service where I really realized that I was different.

 

My modern christian church would open the service with 15-20 minutes of worship service. I never could get into it. I simply couldn't take it. I'd look around and there would be people with their hands up, eyes closed, who were letting themselves go to "god." I never could get to that point.

 

This was one of the things that made me realize I was different and started me down my road to questioning my faith.

[Snowflake]

I'm a musician. My username is not a misspelling of "admin" but rather Abmin9 or A flat minor 9 (as in the chord). Anyway, I like Casting Crowns, Israel & New Breed, and Hyperstatic Union. I like them for the music. So, out of curiosity, I'd like to know how many of you still listen to those groups and encourage any other thoughts on the subject you'd like to share.

Thanks in advance!

 

I used to play guitar on the worship team of a charismatic church and at times I do miss the creative outlet and the emotional high that I got from the experience.

 

I have no desire to listen to christian music now that I'm an atheist. I get the same high from any good music, but I miss the creative outlet.

[Bob Rectenwald]

Hey A-flat: I used to be a Worship Leader. Before I "got saved", I just freaking loved music, loved playing guitar, loved singing, etc. When I got saved, I learned that music was "an idol" that I put in God's place, and that I needed to put God first. So, like a good little Christian soldier, I destroyed all of my beloved albums in favor of "treasure in heaven". Ahhh how Christians love the little acts of suicide they impose on each other. Not long after that, I became a worship leader.

 

I know good music, and I know crap. Worship music is the simplest, cheesiest, catchyest music known to man. It's crap. I freaking loved it. It was one of those guilty pleasures that, because I was Christian, I didn't have to feel guilty about. It's like when I watch American Idol now. I know that it is corny shit, that it represents what's bad about American culture, but I don't care. I watch it anyway. The same went for Worship Music. It was corny, it was garbage musically, but it was fun, and it felt good. Because music makes people feel good.

 

I don't know why Christians should have the "sing along" market cornered, but people outside the church shouldn't be ashamed to love music and sing it together. Knowing as I do now that Jesus is a myth, I don't feel the least bit ashamed if I pick up my guitar and sing and play a worship song. Sometimes my wife and I go to church, just because we miss being in a huge crowd singing songs together. It's like when you go to a concert and the band sings their hit song, and the whole crowd is singing along. Everybody loves that. Christians just found a way to recreate that experience on a weekly basis. As I was coming out of Christianity but still acting as worship leader, I would always make a point of reflecting to myself while leading the congregation and reminding myself that what we loved was MUSIC. We loved singing. Jesus was fake, but MUSIC was real, and there is something beautiful about sharing it together. I could have been singing a love song about a woman, or I could have been singing about the glories of Natural Selection, and as long as we all were singing together, we would have felt the same feelings, the same unity, and the same "spiritual" feeling.

 

So, yeah, I miss worship music. But, only because I miss singing with a group of people who are moved by the power of music.

[The-Captain]

I never liked contemporary Christian music or worship music even when I was a Christian. I still like some of the old hymns and gospel songs, as well as old sacred music compositions by Palestrina, Monteverdi, and Bach.

[Snowflake]

Bob -- I messed up the quote thingy, sorry --

 

 

So, like a good little Christian soldier, I destroyed all of my beloved albums in favor of "treasure in heaven". Ahhh how Christians love the little acts of suicide they impose on each other.

 

So, yeah, I miss worship music. But, only because I miss singing with a group of people who are moved by the power of music.

 

 

I did this, too. It makes me sick when I think about it, really. Hundreds of dollars worth of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Journey, Rush, Styx....I can't even remember them all...

 

and you nailed it. Music moves (some? or all?) people. I am moved listening to my kids playing in the school band!

[OpheliaGinger]

This was the part of the service where I really realized that I was different.

 

My modern christian church would open the service with 15-20 minutes of worship service. I never could get into it. I simply couldn't take it. I'd look around and there would be people with their hands up, eyes closed, who were letting themselves go to "god." I never could get to that point.

 

This was one of the things that made me realize I was different and started me down my road to questioning my faith.

 

That is a part of the whole hypnosis procedure employed by churches. I went to an Assembly of God church that would sing for a good hour and a half, or until the leaders thought the congregation was submissive enough.

[cobrakai]

I don't deny that some "christian" (I'm always curious if there is a certain christian test they have to pass to get labeled as such) artists have talent but the music is horrible. Especially so called christian rock n roll. I relate to many posts on here because even as a believer I could never get into it. It seemed empty because god is empty I just hadn't realized it yet. Any secular concert I would go to, the visceral experience was there. You got into it because it was on a human level, you could relate to it. The idea of standing there and praising god always felt foolish to me. Looking around at all these people with their hands pointed towards god was beyond uncomfortable. In my opinion the Christians that give up all secular music and have a library of Christian music are the ones that have allowed themselves psychologically to be taken over that much more. Music is just one more thing that we would not really have if Christians had their way over the years. We'd have music but it would be controlled and drums would probably not be allowed. If christians had their way in the 50s and 60s we would never have heard the magic of rock n roll. So for some believers to get together and say they are in a rock band is laughable. It is them once again twisting their faith so they aren't left out of the real tangible joys of life. I think the most I ever got into was P.O.D., now that I no longer believe that music just seems awful to me.

[Jenn]

I was totally, TOTALLY into Christian music. I still listen to some of it on occasion today. Despite the negativity of the Christian life I lead, the church, all that other crap... it still makes me feel almost nostalgic in a way. I think that's because of the positive corrolations the church worked so hard to instill in us when it came to worship music. I also sang in the worship band, so it was a big part of who I was for many years.

 

Nichole Nordeman, Jennifer Knapp, Jaci Velasquez, Phil Keaggy... also the older bands like Caedmon's Call, Audio Adrenaline, DC Talk, Jars of Clay, Sonic Flood, Third Day...

 

Yep. Guilty.

[smellincoffee]

I grew up in a Pentecostal church, so music was a big part of the culture. I was only supposed to listen to "godly" music (Pentecostal music and some contemporary Christian). Most of my music library consisted of UPCI choirs, solo cds from UPCI singers, or the odd bit of contemporary music -- Michael W. Smith was huge in my church, but my personal favorite was a guy named Chris Rice.

 

I hated their "worship music" the more I attended church, seeing it as emotionally manipulative and vile, but there are a few songs I like. Even if I enjoy the tune, I won't listen or sing the song by myself if the lyrics are terrible. A few, like "Down by the Riverside", I still like...and Chris Rice's songs are often applicable regardless of religious views or no.

 

I like listening to UU choirs: they have good music without vile lyrics.

[★ Citsonga ★]

I used to listen almost exclusively to christian music, but to be honest most of the "worship" genre didn't do much for me. There were some songs here & there that I liked, but most of it that I heard suffered from poor arrangements and/or production. I preferred stuff like Whitecross & Guardian.

[Dagan]

I can't listen to it anymore because when I did, it brought me into a heightened state of worship and helped me feel "closer to god." Now to me it just brings back memories of how I used it to manipulate my mind, or else it sounds like a bad rip-off of old U2 songs.

[StevoMuso]

I'm a musician. My username is not a misspelling of "admin" but rather Abmin9 or A flat minor 9 (as in the chord). Anyway, I like Casting Crowns, Israel & New Breed, and Hyperstatic Union. I like them for the music. So, out of curiosity, I'd like to know how many of you still listen to those groups and encourage any other thoughts on the subject you'd like to share.

Thanks in advance!

Brilliant username - but I thought A-flat-min is what you got when you threw a piano down a mine-shaft hehe.

 

I should change my username to Min7Flat5 - one of my personal favorites (esp. as "ii" in a ii-V-I progression). I did a classical degree in music and then spent 17 years working as a pro trombone player in orchestras. We did plenty of sacred music and as a bone-head I got booked for the choral gigs often. To me, the music is just too beautiful for words, the moving harmonies etc etc. I miss it very much, not because I'm now out of the church, but because I no longer play in orchestras (our new government in South Africa 1994 closed all our orchestras down because it was "white" music - v. sad).

 

The really beautiful choral music, funnily enough, doesn't get played in church as much as it gets performed in theaters with huge choirs and professional orchestras. Some of it is really beautiful but could be an acquired taste.