The audience is waiting . . .
Light technicians are checking their switches to make sure that everything is perfectly synchronized to have a good show. The musicians are preparing and tuning their musical instruments, while the vocalists are talking to the sound engineers for final adjustments.
It’s going to be a good show . . .
During the old days, I would jump up on my feet or stand on my chair and shout or whistle to let them know that I am waiting for the show to start.
Not here . . . not today . . . not inside the church.
‘Say what’?
You heard me, man,
. . . not inside the church.
Don’t get me, wrong man, this new generation music activities inside the churches are the very good thing, actually, the best thing that ever happened to the churches in this century. I am not against it. I love it. Being a musician myself, participated in several ‘worship teams’.
I just want to know who started it. How it began, and who justified that this kind of music set up is acceptable or not. Somebody must have decided it. Somebody must have the power or authority to made it happened. The same reason why we are legally drinking coffee today. The plant that for how many hundred years was considered a ‘drug’. Somebody must have had the authority to change the rules.
You will understand me better if I will tell you my background.
I was born and raised in a Christian family. Well, not an ordinary Christian family I would say. You see, my grandfather was a preacher, and also my father is. I am a PK (preacher’s kid).
We belong to one of the oldest Protestant denominations, a conservative one that never approved (but not strictly) of the secular things.
I remember, I hardly listened to any secular songs. Most of the songs I knew was church songs or gospel songs. I got to know my Saviour when I was 14 years old.
But then, something happened . . .
I fell in love with music. Different kinds of music. I fell in love with jazz. I learned to appreciate pop songs, dance music, even rock . . . any kind of music. Eventually, I became a professional musician.
During those days, it is not easy to become a musician when you are a PK, well . . . at least on my guilt and conscience. It was almost the same time when I’m loving jazz and appreciating some Eagles’, and Led Zep tunes, that the churches in the US had their ‘records-burning’ rituals. Burning all the secular music.
‘Do you remember those ‘backmasking’ days? If you have a cassette tape and accidentally played those tapes backward, it will have weird sounds that the church ‘experts’ declared it ‘satanic’.
Nonsense . . . Baseless, no proof man!
In fact, today in the digital music age, you can do that easily with any audio software, and you will know that even the songs of Don Moen, when to play backward will have the same ‘satanic’ effect.
It was so difficult maintaining my profession and being a Christian. It came to a point where I asked myself if changing my profession will make me a good Christian. Of course, the answer is no. We know that being a Christian, and accepted Jesus as our own savior, we must live according to His purpose. So, it must be that regardless of what our job is, as long as we live according to His purpose, we are good Christians.
. . . but, a musician? Playing secular songs? In a bar? It doesn’t make sense, right?
For me, it’s difficult to balance my profession with my faith.
Think about ‘born-again’ police officers, if have any. Or new Christian soldiers in a battlefield. For sure they will have difficulties in their will to continue their jobs while being a good follower of Christ. Well, not to mention the politicians.
I love being a musician. I must admit that I have good feelings for playing live in a band. But my guilt told me to change my job so I could be a good Christian.
Something happened during the 70s and 80s. There were many evangelistic crusades all over the world. Many were ‘converted’. Converted in the sense that, they were changed from being ‘church-goer’ Christians to good followers of Christ. Many were in the entertainment world. Musicians, actors, actresses, etc., Many with big names and popular.
They were converted alright.
Many of them produced recordings for worship. Praise, Maranatha, etc. It created a new trend of Christian music . . . created a new money-making scheme, and they were accepted. The business was good and business as usual for those artists . . . In fact, the business is still so good that until now, we can see many record producers and recording companies for Christian music . . . and again they were accepted.
I never see any recording companies for Christian music that give their CDs for free. It’s always business. Do they have a ‘GIDEON’ counterpart of Christian music? Gideon gives free bibles. Just a thought.
Everything changed. Churches changed. Churches started building bigger stages. Started investing in musical instruments that were not acceptable many years ago inside a church.
I remember me bringing my bass guitar on a Sunday worship service many years back, and I could sense that the congregation didn’t like it. Those days, you can see only a piano or an organ inside the church.
That was before . . .
Now, you can see and hear screaming electric guitars (loaded with digital effects), drum set, synthesizers, electric bass, percussions, etc. on a regular Sunday morning worship.
Yes, everything has changed. Good or not, it depends on your own perspective, I guess.
If you feel good, better, and you can worship Jesus Christ our Lord that way, then it’s fine.
For me, as a musician, I love it. But when I think about the past, I feel funny. I keep on thinking that it’s the best thing that ever happened inside a church. That thing that was unimaginable 20 years ago.
But who started it?
And. . . what’s next?
I was listening to a compilation of a Christian CD the other day. There was a track that I thought was not included in that compilation. It’s a rock song. I stopped my CD player and checked again the title in the compilation. Yes, it was a praise song indeed. The words were definitely praising God.
So, if praising God has no limitations, how about the music genres? I guess, everything is acceptable these days, ha?
Some people might say, ‘hey, we are in a new age now’. Past is past. Everything has changed.
Yes, you are right. I must ask then, ‘what’s next? . . . let say, in 20 years . . .
. . . . .who wants to change the rules? . . . .
