Re: Church Next

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2003 17:25:17 +1000
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian,alt.religion.clergy
Size: 3,907 bytes

"Darren" wrote:
> In my personal opinion, there needs to be a greater separation
> between the sacred and the secular.
I think that artificial gap is the whole problem with CCM and church music.
There is NO separation in real life. The secular IS sacred and the sacred
IS secular. ALL of life is God's! There is no artificial divide
whatsoever. This has been the position of Christian artists throughout
time. It is only with the rise of fundamentalism that this divide has
appeared ... and has destroyed a vailfd presence of Christians within the
arts. Again, read Vasari's "Lives of the Artists" or perhaps Frank
Schaeffer's "Addicted To Mediocrity" 20th Century Christians and the Arts"
(son of Francis Schaeffer).
> I believe that the hype needs to be taken out of music that is used in
> services. There is some contemporary Christian music
> that may be appropriate for personal listening, yet much of the music >
that is used in modern services really doesn't cut the mustard.
Music is art and therefore individual and subjective (both of which
autghoritarian fundamentalists churches do not like!). Christians artists
need to be free to create in whatever style and with whatever content they
feel contributes to a good wortk of art. There is NO style of music that is
"Christian". All art created by a Christian is Christian art. Look at the
work of J S Bach. All his music was Christian music though he had different
themes from the religious ("Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring") to the secular
("Coffee Cantata"). Both pieces are Christian works of art as it was
created by a Christian ... namely Bach!
Some of the hymns used were bar room ballads that originally contained
rather spicy lyrics. The lyrics were changed by the music kept so that it
would appeal to those in the church! This is where "music ministry teams"
have been very deceptive and non-edifying to the church and to Christian
artists. They need to read more fully in the history of Christian art which
has always borrowed and adapted. This is one reason why contemporary
Christian art (with a few rare exceptions) is so pathetic and the pinnacle
of bad taste!
> I think one of the worst things to enter the church in recent years is the
> current fascination with the "Prosperity Doctrine". Whatever
> happened to the spirit of sacrifice and humility?
I agree. How much money did Jesus and the disciples make from preaching the
gospel? Mother Teresa must have been pretty bad to die in poverty.
> Maybe they are successful
> because Brian Houston
... and we won't mention the problems with his father Frank Houston ... nor
Brian and Bobby Houston's obsession with using the word "awesome" to
describe everything ....
> pop-christian business is showing a lack of real "love" for the
> congregation!
... and for other Christians involved in the arts.
> I remember reading somewhere that the church has moved from being
> Christ-centered to being man-centered. This is clearly the root of all
> the problems.
It SHOULD be people centred! It should HELP people come into the God
experience. That IS ministry!!!
> (personal anecdote alert, skip over this if i'm boring you) I have a
> background in security and OH&S and event management ...
... which is an important ministry (help) in the church ...
> telling me about my lack of respect for authority
That is ALWAYS the main problem with me! "You don't do as the leaders say
therefore you are a trouble maker headed for hell! Rebellion is as the sin
of witchcraft!" .... but what if the leaders are wrong! ... and then there
is the priesthood of ALL believers .... and a little thing called "personal
integrity".
> It's amazing how many church
> leaders really don't appreciate the hard work of the laiety.
Especially the work done outside the confines of the 4 walls where the real
ministry (help) happens in the real world!