Are you gonna take me home tonight
Ah, down beside that red firelight
Are you gonna let it all hang out
Fat bottomed girls, you make the rockin world go round
Surely, this couldn't be the opening band playing this song... It was. It was their final number of the night and the college students they were playing for loved it, for it is a great, fun, rousing song by one of the most well known bands of the 21st century, but I really couldn't believe it was coming from the stage at a "Christian" show. Why not just play “Big Bottom” by Spinal Tap?
This experience has led me to a number of thoughts. Generally, the lack of accountability in Christian music in general is rather troubling to me. Maybe their record label does not know that they are playing this song, or perhaps they do know they are playing this song and they don’t care. Either way I think it speaks to the fact that our industry by definition has to focus more on entertainment than on substance. I’m not sure that should be lodged as a sharp criticism though since this is a Christian entertainment industry.
I guess the bigger question could be, should Christianity have an entertainment industry at all? Some would say that simple entertainment does not embody the weight and substance that true Biblical Christianity implies or demands. I can understand that, but it is wrong to want to be entertained? Probably the answer lies not in a sweeping condemnation of the idea as a whole, but should be judged on a case-by-case basis.
This judging process leads me to a dream I have held since I began thinking about the music industry as a career. Although there are many great things that come out of CCM, there are many problems as well that I think can be directly traced that fact that CCM is a business and in business the mighty dollar is the bottom line. You get signed to a recording or songwriting deal, not because you have good theology, but because you represent profit to the record companies.
Why couldn’t there be a church that would have the vision, finances, artistic savvy, ministry accountability, and business structure to house and own bands that could be launched to the national Christian mainstream? I have a strong desire to see ministry not have money be the bottom line, but have true Biblical discipleship be the goal for all involved. Maybe I am too naïve and idealistic, but it seems that there would have to be a means to this somehow if someone would just have the risk-taking vision and capital to get it started. Who knows, maybe I will someday.
2 comments:
Nice post, Z.
I still have to get used to you writing about shows all around the country, and dressing rooms, and getting your gear ready. Man, the Lord is blessing you with some awesome experiences and opportunities to minister.
I would've been rocking out in the crowd to "Fat Bottomed Girls" - just 'cause it's such a classic tune...but then again, I'm less mature and more carnal than you!! :) Just kidding - about the second part, that is - because I would've been rocking out...and then probably reflected back on it after the fact in the same way you did at the time. I'm just a couple steps behind, I guess!!
Your point is well taken - and it is unfortunate that the almighty dollar governs even much of CCM. And whether it is naive or idealistic to think Christian artists should be driven by Biblical discipleship is beside the point, because that's what they should be driven by!! And any effort to reform the industry and point it in that direction is worthwhile, whether it is called naive and idealistic or not!
Though no artist is perfect, situations like the one you've described make me respect guys like Michael W. Smith or Steven Curtis Chapman or that stud from the 70s who died in a plane crash (was it Keith Green?) or Rich Mullins - artists who seem to be clearly driven by something larger than money and whose track record over the long haul bears that out.
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Out.
Vitamin Z,
I recently stumbled across your blog from Justin Taylor's. I have been reading and skimming through your archives. I'm impressed and blessed by it. I am a recent convert to Calvinism and have attended Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis (Piper's church) for almost a year and a half, now. You can get more background on me at my blog if you want.
I just wanted to say I like your idea for a church to sponsor a Christian band. Perhaps even a denomination could sponsor a recording label or something. Or even a smaller denomination like Sovereign Grace Churches (Mahaney's) or others. The church being more involved in the recording/business side of CCM could help with deeper lyrical content also. It would be neat to see that happen.
Thanks for your blog, I plan on bookmarking it and keeping up on it. By the way, I just bought Matthew West's History. I bought it primarily for the song "Only Grace"--a great and very moving song. I am new to CCM coming from a background which viewed this music as innately worldly and carnal--even sinful. It is a joy to me to discover how Biblical and Gospel-oriented so many of the CCM musicians are. So many of their songs are as rich theologically as most hymns. And the music style is better suited to my more modern tastes in eliciting emotion and heart-involvement in worship. I am encouraged to see how thoroughly Biblical you are in all your posts--you being a CCM band member and all. And getting a Masters of Theology is it? At Covenant Theological Seminary!! This contradicts the fundamentalist stereotype of CCM musicians for sure, let me tell you.
Anyway, I wanted to comment on this post and on your blog in general.
God bless.
Bob Hayton
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