I love the smell of commerce in the morning.

I don't usually go to the mall, but when I do I prefer THIS happen.

Well, it's one louder, isn't it?

Is it just me, or is 93% of the music in restaurants too loud and/or inappropriate ?

I mean, I can't hardly hear myself, let alone others close by.

It's like I'm at a seeker-sensitive church service or something. Zing!

No smoke, no lights, just me and my guitar. Think anybody would buy that?

BONUS: Check out this video clip of those less persuaded of the truth expressed in the song I shared recently, especially "Real Preachers of Genius."

No smoke, no lights, just me and my guitar. Think anybody would buy that?

For your edification and sola Scriptura solidification, the following are two verses from the hymn, "We Have an All-Sufficient Word."

6
Yes, help us preach Your Word alone,
For it alone is true;
We need not clowns or luring games
To draw men unto You!

7
We have an all-sufficient Word,
God-breathed in every part;
A piercing Power to penetrate
Depraved, cold human hearts.

(Words: Kenneth A. Puls; Music: William Croft)

BONUS: Check out this video action of those less persuaded of the truth expressed in the above song, especially "Real Preachers of Genius."

The musical growth of this band cannot even be charted. They are treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry.

You might have missed it, but VH1 just ran their 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of all time list. I'm a sucker for lists, so I had to share and weigh in.

• First, I think #2 should have been #1, since it started the phenomenon.
• There's a lot of rubbish rated higher than "Regulate" at 98.
• I can understand only one song per artist, but then I'm thinking Paul Revere for the Beastie Boys instead, or even Brass Monkey.
• No way that Doug E. Fresh's "The Show" doesn't break the top 50.
• No way Hammer's "Can't Touch This" doesn't make the top 25.
  
• Though it's become somewhat of a punchline, Vanilla Ice's "Ice, Ice, Baby" was the bomb back in the day and should have at least made the top 100.
• Lastly, is VH1 really all that qualified to come up with such a list?
  

100 Biz Markie – “Just A Friend”
99 Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz ft/ Ying Yang Twins – “Get Low”
98 Warren G ft. Nate Dogg – “Regulate”
97 Eve – “Who’s that Girl”
96 DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince – “Parents Just Don’t Understand”
95 L’Trimm – “Cars With The Boom”
94 Master P ft. Sikk, Fiend, Mia-x and Mystical – “Make ‘Em Say Ugh”
93 N.E.R.D. ft. Lee Harvey and Vida – “Lapdance”
92 Yo-Yo – “Can’t Play with my Yo-Yo”
91 Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone – “Ridin’”
90 Pete Rock & CL Smooth – “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)”
89 Cam’ron – “Oh Boy”
88 Jungle Brothers – “What U Waitin’ 4″
87 Wyclef Jean ft. Refugee All Stars – “We Tryin’ to Stay Alive”
86 Heavy D. and the Boyz – “Now That We Found Love”
85 Black Star – “Definition”
84 UTFO – “Roxanne Roxanne”
83 2 Live Crew – “Me So Horny”
82 Chubb Rock – “Treat ‘Em Right”
81 PM Dawn – “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss”
80 Three 6 Mafia ft. Paula Campbell- “Hard Out Here For A Pimp”
79 DMX – “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem (Stop Drop)”
78 Arrested Development – “Tennessee”
77 Cold Crush Brothers – “Cold Crush Bros. at the Dixie”
76 Big Punisher ft. Joe- “Still Not A Player”
75 Lil’ Kim ft. Lil’ Cease- “Crush on You”
74 EPMD – “You Gots To Chill”
73 Black Sheep – “The Choice Is Yours”
72 J.J. Fad – “Supersonic”
71 Whodini – “Freaks Come Out at Night”
70 3(rd) Bass – “Pop Goes the Weasel”
69 Common – “I Used to Love H.E.R.”
68 T.I. – “What You Know”
67 Mase – “Feel So Good”
66 House Of Pain – “Jump Around”
65 Spoonie Gee and The Treacherous Three – “Love Rap”
64 The Roots – “What they Do”
63 Kid ‘n Play – “Rollin’ With Kid N Play”
62 Digable Planets – “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”
61 Slick Rick – “Children’s Story”
60 L.L. Cool J – “I Need Love”
59 Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”
58 Ludacris ft. Shawna- “What’s Your Fantasy”
57 Big Daddy Kane – “I Get the Job Done”
56 Busta Rhymes – “Woo-Ha! Got You All In Check”
55 Terror Squad ft/ Fat Joe and Remy – “Lean Back”
54 MC Lyte – “Cha Cha Cha”
53 Lox ft. DMX and Lil’ Kim – “Money, Power, Respect”
52 Foxy Brown ft. Jay-Z – “I’ll Be”
51 Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew – “The Show”
50 Lil’ Wayne – “Tha Block Is Hot”
49 Boogie Down Productions – “My Philosophy”
48 Nas – “One Love”
47 Young MC – “Bust A Move”
46 De La Soul – “Me, Myself, And I”
45 Geto Boys – “Mind Playing Tricks On Me”
44 Method Man ft/ Mary J. Blige – “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By”
43 Game, The ft. 50 Cent – “Hate It or Love It”
42 Roxanne Shante – “Roxanne’s Revenge”
41 Funky 4 + 1 – “That’s the Joint”
40 Run-DMC – “It’s Like That”
39 Tone-Loc – “Wild Thing”
38 Coolio – “Gangsta’s Paradise”
37 Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – “It Takes Two”
36 Nelly – “Hot In Herre”
35 Queen Latifah ft. Monie Love – “Ladies First”
34 Cypress Hill – “Insane In The Brain”
33 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – “Tha Crossroads”
32 Puff Daddy & The Family ft/ Notorious B.I.G., Lil’ Kim and The Lox – “It’s All About The Benjamins”
31 Kool Moe Dee – “How Ya Like Me Now”
30 Tribe Called Quest – “Check the Rhime”
29 Digital Underground – “The Humpty Dance”
28 Ice Cube – “It Was A Good Day”
27 Beastie Boys – “Hold it Now, Hit it”
26 MC Hammer – “U Can’t Touch This”
25 Fugees – “Killing Me Softly”
24 Eric B and Rakim – “Paid in Full”
23 Outkast – “B.O.B.”
22 Naughty By Nature – “OPP”
21 Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force- “Planet Rock”
20 Kanye West ft/ Jamie Foxx – “Gold Digger”
19 Ice T – “Colors”
18 50 Cent – “In Da Club”
17 Sir Mix-A-Lot – “Baby Got Back”
16 Missy Elliott – “Get Ur Freak On”
15 Eminem – “Stan”
14 Tupac – “I Get Around”
13 Wu-Tang Clan – “C.R.E.A.M.”
12 L.L. Cool J – “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”
11 Jay-Z – “Hard Knock Life”
10 Kurtis Blow – “The Breaks”
09 Salt-N-Pepa – “Push It”
08 Snoop Doggy Dogg – “Gin and Juice”
07 Notorious B.I.G. – “Juicy”
06 N.W.A. – “Straight Outta Compton”
05 Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – “The Message”
04 Run-DMC ft/ Aerosmith – “Walk This Way”
03 Dr. Dre – “Nuthin But A ‘G’ Thang”
02 Sugarhill Gang – “Rapper’s Delight”
01 Public Enemy – “Fight The Power”

Redneck noise, dude, that's all it is. Make about as much sense as you do.

The question will at times come up regarding Christian music as to what inherently makes it "Christian." Is it the lyrics or the style or both?

I didn't realize, however, that the same is true in other music genres (e.g., country).

From the July 28, 2008 edition of Country Weekly:

"I have a great life, but I want to hear songs about drinking, cheating and dogs dying. That's country music to me."
-Miranda Lambert

P.S. It's amazing what you can find to read waiting your turn in the barber shop.

cf. I'm expressing my inner anguish through the majesty of song.

I'm expressing my inner anguish through the majesty of song.

Okay, either I'm losing my mind or the music world is off its axis, bold as love.

I'm station jumping in my car and on MIX 102.9 (local pop station in Dallas) I hear "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me.

Earlier that very same day I had heard Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" on KLTY, one of the local "Christian" stations. I had heard it reported that they played it, but my blood still boiled when I heard it.

The latter no longer surprises me, having either personally heard or got from reliable witnesses the playing of the following on the Christian station:

• I Need You - Lea Ann Rimes
• If I Lose My Faith in You - Sting
• Time after Time - Cyndi Lauper
• Peaceful, Easy Feeling - Eagles
• Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFarin
• Proud To Be An American - Lee Greenwood
• Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
• The Living Years - Mike and the Mechanics
• Stand By Me - Ben E. King
• Beautiful Day - U2
• Kyrie Eleison - Mister Mister
• Lean on Me - Bill Withers
• In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
• Because You Love Me - Celine Dion
• Love Is the Answer - England Dan & John Ford Coley
• Where Are You Going - Dave Matthews Band

(Perhaps I'm just tender that Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler" has been snubbed thus far.)

I heard two others last week that my wife could validate, but I can't remember them. I was about to come unglued and so wished I would have written them down. I just thought they were so heinous I would not be able to forget them. My bad.

Admittedly, at least some of these songs are being sung by (presumably) Christian artists, but I'm not sure that makes it a Christian song.

I also realize that for some they only know these songs via a Christian station by a Christian, but is that what makes a secular song a Christian song?

But, hearing "I Can Only Imagine" on "regular" radio motivates me to ask: Are these helpful labels anymore (i.e., "secular" and "Christian") when it comes to music? Were they ever?

1. What constitutes "Christian" music?

For me that's a more difficult question to answer than "What may I listen to?"

It's easier for me to have stuff that's "off limits" (that list may be different for others). But for me there are two things that can disqualify a song:

• Does it promote sin?
• Does it glorify evil?

There's a lot of gray out there, but these are two questions that I have found helpful.

2. What governs/guides your musical experiences?

Well, if I fake it then I don't have it.

On the heels of a post that spoke to issues of worship & styles, I thought this might be helpful for further contemplation/reflection. The goal is to recover authentic worship.

The following are links to a three part commentary on worship from Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The Whole Earth Is Full of His Glory: The Recovery of Authentic Worship
Part 1 ... Part 2 ... Part 3:

It's imperative that we worship as He would like.

"My concern is that the issue of worship will define not only our church services, but also our theology and our beliefs about God. There is no more important issue for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ than that we worship as God would have us to worship Him." (Part 1)

Worship is something that should be of great concern to every Christian.

"Scripture makes clear that worship is something that we do, not just something we attend. It is not merely an issue for the pastor and other ministers. It is not just an issue for the musicians and those who will plan the service. It is an issue for the entire congregation, for worship is something we do together. It is our corporate and common responsibility to worship God as He desires." (Part 1)

God is holy and must be regarded as such (cf. Lev 10:1-3).

"What does the holiness of God mean? It means certainly His separateness from his creation. He is what we are not. We are finite; He is infinite. God is transcendent. God's separateness certainly reveals the difference, the infinite contrast between His moral nature and ours. Holiness also certainly refers to His majesty and power." (Part 2)

Have we trivialized God in our pursuit of user-friendly worship?

"My haunting thought concerning much evangelical worship is that the God of the Bible would never be known by watching us worship. Instead what we see in so many churches is "McWorship" of a "McDeity." But what kind of God is that superficial, that weightless, and that insignificant?" (Part 2)

Purpose in worship must transcend styles.

"Will styles change? Yes. But the worship must always be God directed. Will there be a diversity of styles in worship? Yes, but there must be one glorious purpose following this clear biblical pattern: to measure everything by the norm of scripture, in which God has revealed how He wishes to be worshiped." (Part 3)

Worship reminds us that doctrine impacts duty. Right doctrine leads to right duty (e.g., evangelism).

Worship calls for an ongoing response seen in the proclamation of the gospel, in evangelism, and in missions. If our worship is weakened, our missionary witness will be weakened as well. We will forget the God who has sent us. We will neglect the content of the message of redemption with which he has sent us. (Part 3)

Worship will be our eternal occupation and should occupy us now, our hearts & minds.

"We were created to worship God. The whole story of our redemption retells how we were created to worship God but by our sin became disqualified from that true and authentic worship. By God's redemption in Jesus Christ, we were created anew for the purpose of worshiping God. And every glimpse of heaven we have in Scripture indicates that worship will be our eternal occupation. It is for that purpose that we are being prepared even in the present." (Part 3)

Like Mohler, I think it's imperative that we strive for the recovery of authentic worship, the real thing and not the fake stuff that masquerades as worship because if we fake it, then we don't have it.

There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond and those who don't.

While Providence Church was meeting on Saturday nights at Murphy Road Baptist Church while awaiting the availability of our lease space, we were free to visit other churches on Sunday mornings. One of those mornings we took the family to worship with our friends at MRBC.

Mary Ellen and I attended the 9:45AM blended service while the kiddos were in Sunday school, but then had them in with us for the 11AM Church Contemporary service.

When we were leaving, Sarah (7) commented on the music at the 11AM service: "Daddy, can we do our music at Providence more funky like that and not so graceful?"

She really dug it and I enjoyed it as well, but I thought her descriptions were priceless. Surely there's a sermon illustration in there somewhere.

I told her we might try to funk it up some, but that many of our folks probably preferred it not so funky.

Naturally, this got me thinking about the whole issue of worship "styles" and preferences. For the most part, I think a great deal of debate on these issues comes down to preferences. Don't get me wrong, worship is to be in spirit and in truth and doctrine is huge in what we sing.

But, while I enjoy singing And Can It Be? in a very traditional sort of way with our orchestra fully in bloom, I wonder if others would prefer that same song "funked" up some.

I think sometimes we need a deep song with rich theology as our trinitarian God is magnified in all His splendor. Yet, there may be a place for a simple message to be profoundly dwelled upon with repetition. I think of those in the Lord's presence who say that the Lord is "holy, holy, holy," but yet we know that's not a 7-11 song (seven words you sing eleven times). That's often the beauty of a chorus of some of the more well known hymns.

By nature, I'm prone to be overly critical when it comes to music used in the worship of our Lord, but sometimes I wonder if I let my preferences ooze just a bit to where I don't realize that my bias is more preference driven than theologically so.

Our worship should be done before an audience of One. Thus, the most important question has to do with His worship style and what He likes. Yet, at the same time, there's nothing virtuous in not enjoying worship.

If worship is to be most pleasing to Him, it should reflect our enjoyment of it and, consequently, Him. To quote John Piper, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

It did my heart good to see my oldest enjoying worshiping via music that was more funky, as there was nothing suspect theologically. Music doesn't have to be old to be good, nor does it have to become bad once it's twenty years old. Just because you've never sang it before doesn't means it's bad. Every song you like to sing was at one time or another a song you had never sang before. Just because folks have been singing it for generations doesn't mean it's worthy to be sung in worship.

Much of what is written under the umbrella of Christian music today is going to fall by the wayside. There are far fewer "hits" than misses, but this is nothing new. Most hymn writers wrote tons of stuff, with typically only one or two making into our hymnals. The good stuff will last, the fluff will fade away.

Hey, if it's good, which means that God is exalted and we are encouraged on to greater love and obedience, then sing it, whether its more "graceful" or more on the "funky" side.

Sometimes there can be a great divide among people based on their music preferences in worship, similar to the great divide over how people feel about Neil Diamond.

In the words of the 90s theologian Rodney King, "Why can't we all just get along?!"

Let's not let worship preferences hinder our unity in Christ. Evaluate, discern, and sing with joy as we extol the greatness of our God in Christian worship.

Ok, so are we going to be creating musical fusion everyday?

Inspired by a previous post and the thoughtful comments to it, I submit the following for your review.

Though I have little to no talent in the area of congregational singing, I lack no passion for it. There's just something about singing together with God's people, singing God's praises to Him and/or others.

What do I like to sing?

My favorite traditional hymns:(Still trying get down to 10)

• A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
• And Can It Be?
• Crown Him with Many Crowns
• Be Thou My Vision
• How Great Thou Art!
• Holy, Holy, Holy
• This Is My Father's World
• Worthy of Worship
• O Worship the King
• Immortal, Invisible
• To God Be the Glory
• (Man of Sorrows) Hallelujah, What a Savior!

My favorite contemporary songs:

• In Christ Alone
• Shout to the Lord
• In the Secret
• I Stand in Awe
• God of Wonders
• Breathe (I'm Desperate) for You
• Wonderful, Merciful Savior
• Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
• Majesty
• I Can Only Imagine

What do you like to sing?