MUSIC

I love all music. As I get older, rock isn't my top pic. Currently, I listen to a lot of alternative acoustic (Jon Foreman), and pop with r & b flavor (jason mraz, onerepublic, shawn macdonald, and matt kearny) but I love all music. This summer I have bought these albums: Matt Kearney - City of Black & White, Daughtry - Leave This Town, Hillsong United - Across...., Michael Buble - Call Me Irresistable, Christy Nockels - Life Light Up, CCR Greatest Hits, Areosmith - Big Ones, Robert Randolph - Colorblind, Jars of Clay - Long Fall Back to Earth, The Fray, The Afters - Never Going Back to OK, Tenth Ave. North, and some other random songs. FYI the Jars of Clay is the best of all of em.

Comments

[Mike]

Hi Matt,
I am a former "Muskegonite" who recently moved for job relocation, but before I moved, my family and I did attend The Journey a few times. I like to check in every once in a while to see what you and Paul and the church are doing via your blogs. As someone who grew up as a musician as well as a Missionary kid (MK), i can completely understand these "music wars" you are speaking of. I've seen them firsthand, dealt with them first hand, have read and heard about them from many other pastors- and I know that it is a real issue.

After reading through your last several blog post focusing on music however, one thing that does concern me, and it seems to be a prevalent trend in the American church right now: contextualization-- Trying to make the church look like the world to somehow entice or attract people to come to church. Admittedly, one of the reasons we came to your church a few times was to "check it out" after a few friends had encouraged (or should I say harassed:) us to come.

I have no doubt that you have a heart for lost people, and I do not doubt sincerity nor the relationships that have been built/are being built within your church. But if you are making a certain style of music the centerpiece of your service, it seems only logical that music might become a sticking point for many people. There are many preferences and the truth of the matter, is that those preferences have more to do with us than what God wants from us. I'm not saying purge the music altogether....but what "lost" people need- is the Word of God preached. How can lost people even understand what "worship" is if they don't even know God?

My concern after reading these posts is that your assumption is that people won't come to church unless there is a rocking band and a coffee bar...not to oversimplify here....but is that what you're saying? While that may get people in the door for a time....is there a point where it becomes manipulation? This is something I have been thinking about in my own life and new church. What is the point of having all of these programs, coffee bars and a rocking band WITHIN our church, when there are multitudes of Starbucks, schools and theaters within a 2 mile radius of our church building? Maybe the church should stick to the basic functions: bible study, worship, care of the saints and world, evangelism discipline, etc....and go into the world and bring about redemption right around us?

What lost people need, what we ALL need, is to hear God's Word. God created this earth through His Word....if that is the case, the Bible must hold a lot of weight.. In Romans 10 1-21, the Bible speaks about "The Message of Salvation for all". This is a lengthy passage teaching on preaching, evangelism and faith. Verse 17 says: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ". While I appreciate your sensitivity to people who have never been to church, or may have a had a "bad" church experience....tell me more about what the Journey is doing to teach and train their people. Music doesn't change people....Jesus does. I'm sure you agree.

While maybe we can see "biblical themes" in a secular song....if the writer of the song was penning it for another reason, I find it difficult to understand how using it in worship has more to do with God than it does pleasing the lost people who want church to be what they want it to be. We are sinners- we want to be God ourselves....I fear that we as the American evangelical church have been spending more time making God into who WE want Him to be, than we have actually reading, praying and knowing who He REALLY is.

I am dealing with someone in my church right now who literally said, "If our youth group doesn't have a student-led praise band, all the kids are going to leave and find a church that will give them one"....flat out word for word here....It doesn't take much to see through this statement and easily, one would question motives....

Yes yes. I'm on a bit of a soap box, but truly....it deeply troubles my soul when I see music or any other practice being held in such high regard when we really should be starting with the bible. Could the Journey exist without a band, or a building? I'm not implying that those things are wrong, but I know from personal experience how easy it is to get caught up in distractions when people are perishing all around us each day.

Just wondering your thoughts....I know I'm not attending the Journey, but I do think it's an important discussion.

[M@]

Hey Mike, lots of thoughts...
Here is a quick response to a lengthy discussion.
I mentioned this a couple post ago (Journey Music worship) - Music isn't as important as the church makes it out to be. The coffee bar, dumb videos, or opening the series with a top 40 song are just tools - methods to break down walls for people to hear God's word - churched and unchurched. None of those things are the backbone to who we are or what we do - they are not the mission, they are methods. We like to make church with the environment we have been talking about all week and we like to have fun, but that doesn't mean we water down our message or don't speak of Jesus in a bold way. I see a lot of what you are talking about in churches. I think it deals a lot with imitation. People think if we have this or that or do things this way, people will come. We approach things as how can we help people talk first steps or next steps in their relationship with Jesus and others? What unique things do we need to do at The Journey to reach/connect in West Michigan and to reach those not being reached?

[Mike]

Thanks Matt. I'm really not trying to judge anyone. Living outside of the US for 3 years (Guatemala), I have seen the "global" church too and sometimes it hard for me to digest things that I fear may be passing trends. I definitely don't have all of the answers which is why I wondered what your take was on some of these issues. I guess that is what prayer is for! Peace bro.