Banned Phrases from Christian Music
on Oct 09 in Art and Media, Funny, WorshipThere is an industry known as Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). For the most part, I’m a supporter.
When I was a teenager, bands like “Rez Band” (called “Resurrection Band” back then) and “Servant” proved that they could sound like Randy Rhoades and Eddie Van Halen. My best friend – Nick – and I saw “Servant” in an abandoned warehouse downtown, and some no name band called “Petra” opened for them. Their eight-tracks, and their live shows, were incredibly inspiring to me.
It was good stuff.
But some of it’s not so good anymore. So I’m writing a letter to the CCM industry. And I’m asking that one thing be remembered as these song-writers open a blank word processing document, and begin to put phrases down. Here’s my letter…
___________________
Dear CCM:
I humbly request that you recognize that God is not your girlfriend. I’m quite sure you already know this, but the lyrics you produce, and the albums you record, seem to indicate that you don’t understand this truth completely.
I’d like to propose a ban on the following phrases when you write your lyrics. Please treat my proposed ban like we treat the swine flu epidemic – do everything you can to keep it from spreading.
My proposed banned phrases:
* “I just wanna be with you.” God is with you, whether you want Him to be, or not. He is ommipresent.
* “Take me as I am”. He’s not ever gonna take you as you are. His holiness demands that He cannot. God takes you as Jesus is, not as you are. No need to keep begging.
* “Take me away”. God wants the opposite for each of us reading this. He wants us to partner with Him in fixing a broken world, not escaping from it.
* “Let me see you”. You really don’t want Him to answer this. Moses begged for it, and He saw God’s butt. If we ever saw God, we’d disintegrate. Faster than the guy at the end of Indiana Jones. An act of God’s grace is for us to see His work, but not His person.
So CCM – you’re probably wondering why this is so important to me. It’s quite simple, really. I have three teenage daughters who are deeply influenced by your songs. They sing your words by heart. They know the lyrics to your songs far better than they know Scripture. So if you’re gonna become such an influence in the lives of my daughters (and in the lives of millions of teengers and young adults), I would simply ask that you hold high the Almighty God in ALL His holiness. My daughters, and the millions of people in their generation, really need to know the One True God. They need to know the love and the grace of a holy God.
Because God is not your girlfriend.
Not even close.
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So…
I guess this means you won’t be dining my new worship song at your church this week:
Take me as I am, I only want to see Your face;
I just wanna be with You, so Jesus, take me away.
Too bad. I think it’s gonna be huge. Just like that “sloppy wet kiss song.”
O.K. I disagree with most of what that said. Most of those phrases have nothing disrespectful in them. They maybe incomplete, such as “I just want to be with you”, could use the support phrase of “make me know your presence”
Take me away-you have never longed for those special times when you get away and spend time alone with God?
Let me see you-I want to see God, I want to know God, but it is with my spirit not my eyes.
As far as your kids knowing the lyrics better than Scripture that’s not CCM’s fault. Music is far more repetitive and less complex than Scripture. Rather than judge the lyrics use them as a starting point for discussions, that’s what I do with mine.
Gary, not sure I agree either. I, too, felt like you may have taken a few of those phrases out of context or meaning. I have to agree some with Kim on this one.
However, I do see your point. While I think an intimate relationship is essential, sometimes CCM takes it a bit far.
My biggest thing about worship is “worshipping in SPIRIT and in TRUTH.” I’d like to see a little more TRUTH and meat in songs.
Touch my heart and tickle my brain.
I’m actually more concerned with the quality of Christian music, not the message. I think CCM’s biggest problem is that it assumes as long as it mentions Jesus then it’s pretty much good to go as far as “art” is concerned. But nothing is more further from the truth! The CCM scene needs to reconnect with what it means to maintain “artistic integrity.” There’s a reason the secular music world doesn’t like most CCM and I’m not so sure it’s the lyrics.
But I will agree with the call to be as theologically accurate as possible. I think we, as Christians, are often guilty of just singing the words without ever processing or struggling with them mentally. They shouldn’t be so simple or shallow to where they can be digested in one sitting.
Oh how I long for theologically deep music created by Christians because of God’s artistic/musical gift in their life!
*like*
Wow! I was re-reading some of the blog posts here. The blog is great but there's this person on here named Kim, what's up with her? Was I really that much of a grump? Sorry for the bad attitude.
Okay. I just laughed till I peed. Thank you for that!