Music etc
I used to be very into music. When I really gave myself to the Lord, I threw away most of my music. That was over ten years ago. I still love music but I feel a check when I'm browsing in HMV etc. My question is...is that check just me or is it the Lord?

I've thought about it a lot over the years and I would be very grateful for other people's views. I'll try and summarise mine. Music consists of lyrics and, yes, music! If we start with the lyrics, I think that most of you would agree that where a song expresses a spirit that is 'anti-Christ' then we would not want to listen to it. For example, it may be a song that exhorts drug use, is sexual etc. But what about those lyrics that are 'neutral'? My concern there is that the lyrics may not be overtly anti-Christ but they are an expression of a world view that is at its root anti-Christ and which is a world view that I cannot have fellowship with.

Music is of course much more than lyrics. Music is itself an expression of our view of the world. In the music we express who we are. A depressed guitarist plays the blues! The same problem arises. That world view is not of or in Christ, it is anti-Christ and so should I listen to the music? I think that music is a very powerful medium and can affect us deeply so we should be careful. It is interesting that most contemporary Christian music is pretty poor. Is this becuase the Church is trying to imitate the world? The world does it so much better.

Strangely, I don't seem to have the same problem with (most) classiscal music. Is this becuase I am culture-bound or is it becuase that music, although written by non-Christians, came out of a culture that shared many Christian values?

Any ideas?

Griffo,

To me these words of a hymn says it all:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim.

Indeed music, whether in or out of the church is all part of this world. Some day it won't exist (as we know it) So, I say, focus on Christ and the Word. Spend time with God. Our calling is to love God and love others. When we have that straight, then we'll find that our minds dwelling on the important matters of our calling.

One time, as an choir accompanist, I was disturbed by some words of a modern song (a bit new age). So I said I couldn't play it. The director got very upset, and it cause a turmoil to everyone. The Lord got a hold of me and told me that my commitment was to that choir - the people. He wasn't concerned about the words of the song, but instead he wanted my life to be Christlike. So I appologized and played it.

You see, it is people, people, people who must come first. We are called to be lights of God's love in the world. Songs are just that, songs, and often people don't pay near as much attention to them as we assume. But they take our love and respect for them seriously.

God can help us know where to draw the line. He can also lead us away from music that he feels distracts us from him. (If we let him)

You mentioned about Classical music ( a very broad term). I think that most of the bad, flimsy stuff gets washed out over the course of time, and what is really good stays on. Many of the composers were visionaries - far beyond the cultural trends of their day. They wrote music that transcended their own culture. And it was brilliant - and stayed on.

Maybe that is something for us to consider. We don't have to join in with the masses of our culture, who merely go with the flow and are quite content with the mediocre.

Another thought:
I believe that even the best of Christian music can get in the way of God's best for us. Music can become too important to us.
Diane

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Diane

I don't believe all secular music is bad. In fact, I have found that some Christian music leave as bad a taste in my mouth as some secular music.

I do enjoy some secular music. Older stuff. CCR, James Taylor, and some 80's stuff.

I used to like all of it...from heavy metal to the grateful dead.

I stopped listening to it, not so much because I thought it was wrong, but because as I grow in Christ I just want to fill myself more and more with things that speak of him or worship him. That includes music. So really, I stopped listening to secular music because I actually grew to prefer Christian music. (which shocked me because I originally hated it)

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matt

A week or so after I was converted, I still had all of my secular CDs. I had a big cd case full of them and a very small cd case of a few Christian CD's others had given me. The Lord told me to get rid of the secular CD's but I decided that they were worth too much money and that I would just keep them around and not just throw them away. I was on my lunch break thinking about it. I locked my car, rolled up the windows and went back to work. After the day was over I went back to my car and.... my secular CD case was gone, which was sitting right next to my smaller CD case (which had Christian music). It just disappeared... I don't know if someone stole them or what. All I know is that they were gone and the Christian ones were still there. That's about all it took for me to decide!

I haven't owned a secular CD since. The only time I hear secular music would be while in a store or in some similar situation.

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Josh Parsley

[i]I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay

I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song
How long to sing this song
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song

He set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm
Many will see
Many will see and hear

I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song
How long to sing this song
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song[/i]

Anyone who has a broad music pallet, unlike myself - would know that this is U2.

U2 can be regarded as a secular band, however they have done a lot of songs that are able to go both ways.

My point?
Not all music is bad just because it doesn't have a Christian label on it. I have heard 'Christian music' which has got very little if any Christ content in it at all.

However, in my case if the song has excessive swearing, cursing, blasphemy, sex and so forth then I don't feel inclined to want to listen to it.

Michael

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Michael Hancock

Griffo,
From your question it seems to me the Holy Spirit is teaching you so I would just ask Him. Say something like this: Lord, do you not want me to listen to this? And if you are willing to be obedient, he will tell you and then do it. This is living by faith...

ginnyrose

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Sandra Miller

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Josh Parsley

We've been here before a few times. Check [url="https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=2872&forum=35#18228"]this[/url] out.

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Aaron Ireland

Something to think about, "It's not what's bad in it, but what is good in it?"

That's the question.

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Combat Chuck