Contemporary Christian Music

Eric E. from the Nuart Theatre and Campus Christian Ministries here in Moscow recently e-mailed some thoughts in defense of Contemporary Christian Music prior to a concert at the Nuart. I thought I would post them here, because I think they're interesting and agree that sometimes, we at Christ Church are too critical of CCM. While I no longer believe that the contemporary hit parade praise songs should be used in corporate worship, there's no doubt that we can be blessed by all sorts of Christian entertainers. Especially disconcerting are those Christians who would rather go to a Dave Mathew's concert than go here somebody sing about Christ! So thank you Mr. E for your work at CCM and your music! (By the way, Eric has an album, which many people don't know about, called "Lead Me to Life" with his own Christian songs on it that I've really enjoyed.) Here are Eric's comments:


"I have heard from quite a number of people that they are not planning to come to the Bebo Norman/Aaron Schust/Brandon Heath concert on Monday, because they don't like the style of music. I would like to address this briefly.

Let me say that it makes me sad that many people will miss out on something very special, because of slight perceptional problems.

This concert on Monday night will not really have a definable "style". In fact this music isn't about "style" at all. It's not about playing music in such a way as to convince the audience that you really do sound as good as if you were black, Irish, or wearing a powdered wig. It's not about playing inside a pre-defined stylistic box and not coloring outside the lines. Those kind of concerts are wonderful-- I enjoy them-- especially when the musicians really are black, Irish, or wearing a powdered wig. But that is not what Monday night will be.

Monday night's concert at the Nuart is about getting to know three young men, and hearing them put their passion for Christ into poetry. There will be one set of songs each, by three different guys with a six-piece band of Nashville (viz. excellent) musicians. When they wrote these songs, these young men were not trying to ape a style at all. They simply wrote poetry and used whatever sounds came out of their guitar to make the poetry more beautiful. And this concert will be about sharing the personality and Christian walk of these young men, and rejoicing with them in the goodness of God. That rejoicing will result in direct worship in which they will ask you to join. It's not about musical "style" at all.

If people insist on nailing down a style for this show, it would have to be somewhere between "easy rock" and "acoustic rock". Which means it is a style that will be accessible to probably the broadest age-range. It will be very hard not to like the music-- you'll have to work at it.

It is truly a shame when people say they don't like "Christian Contemporary music". They certainly like contemporary music of some sort. If they are Christians, they must like music that praises God. Many times the people who say they don't like Christian Contemporary music, haven't really listened to any in twenty years. Is there current Christian music that is sappy, trite, silly, and poorly played? Of course-- just as there is in EVERY style, even 300 year-old music. Does that mean there is no good modern music that is currently done by Christians? If you think so, you simply haven't been around the block. Christian music is way better than it has ever been, and the quality of the musicianship and technical production is as good as anything out there that is secular. One must simply keep an open mind, just as one must in the world of fine wines and fine food. Feasting involves much more than eating the same few foods until we are too old to taste the difference.

So, I would encourage you to throw caution to the wind, dare to risk your taste buds, and come to the concert at the Nuart at 8pm on Monday night."