While I would not be comfortable having Casting Crowns perform as part of our Sunday worship service, I believe that many songs, like “I Will Praise You in This Storm”, have powerful messages that God can use to encourage and edify us. It is not worship in and of itself, but it inspires worship in our hearts and minds. If only other “Christian” writers could do more than mimic the latest fads in music!

In an earlier article, you cited many notable opinions about CCM and this is my personal standard: If a non-Christian can’t tell that the song is about God and Jesus, mercy and forgiveness, faith and trust, then it’s not Christian music. Period. Anything that does less than glorify God’s grace and mercy, doesn’t bother mentioning His name or Jesus Christ’s, and doesn’t point the listener toward the Owner of all things is just entertainment.

Great stuff Bob!

I would agree. From what I’ve listened to of older CCM music, the new stuff is much much better. Both in quality and message, actually.

Thanks for commenting, as always.

Bob

Thanks for being crummy! Just kidding.

I agree with you to a point. Yes, Christian rock bands should strive to do everything to the best of their ability. This would include aesthetic excellence.

However, the very nature of aesthetics implies that there cannot be a definitive standard of excellence. These groups stand out among their peers as excellent and they produce great music. They may not be as innovative or original, or as avante garde as some might prefer. But the quality of what they produce is great, and it contributes to their overall emphasis on lyrical content.

And finally, we need to keep in mind the purpose and targeted focus of these groups. They are producing music that their targeted groups enjoy, and they are sticking to their purpose. Why the need to focus then on producing a “high art” version of rock?

Don’t get me wrong, being sloppy and just going with what’s groovy or popular at the time is not a good tactic. We as Christians should want to be producing the best art we can. We should be leading the way as we redeem various genres of music. However, I think we need to be careful in assuming certain groups are playing beneath their ability or producing inferior art. And with Christians, music often communicates more than it acts as art. It can do both, but majoring on communication has been the Christian thing to do.

I know I’m trying to have my cake and eat it too, but that’s my response!

Thanks for commenting.

Blessings in Christ,

Bob Hayton

Other people think bands like the ones you mentioned are so-called Christian “rock” groups. And they’d be right too.

I think as Christians we have to be careful that we strive for excellence in everything we do…I appreciate these bands hearts for ministry and it certainly seems like their focus is in the right place. However, there was a time when Christian artists were cutting-edge and trendsetting. Given the fact that we have the ultimate Creator as our inspiration to create art, shouldn’t our art be excellent? I’m not sure I would define either of these bands’ works as such. Sure, it’s good…it’s popular…but is it great? I enjoy reading http://www.dickstaub.com , he has some interesting thoughts along these lines.

To quote the great Hank Hill, “You aren’t making Christianity any better, you’re just making rock and roll worse!”
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Enjoy the blog, keep up the good work.

As far as the debate within fundamentalism and some conservative evangelicals with regard to CCM/CWM, much heat has been generated rather than light. I can remember attending a fundamentalist college in the early 1990’s and being presented with the view that contemporary Christian music was wrong, immoral, and even ‘evil’. Some went as far as to say that one is not in correct fellowship with God (or, them!) if one listens to CCM/CWM, and such music was ‘banned’ from students while on campus. Thankfully some of this is changing, and for the better, at my alma mater. Hopefully the irrational fanatacism of anti-CCM/CWM advocates are being removed to the fringe of fundamentalism as being unneccessarily schismatic. Their polemics are causing hurt with their manipulative tactics and are defaming a medium of music that truly honors God.