The State of Worship, Part 1: Linkin Park in… Church?!?!
I am a rocker. I love most music, but some good rock (everything from classic to alternative and hard rock) just hits my soul. I think it is because of my affinity for the versatility and focus of guitars in the genre (I’ve been playing for almost a decade now), as well as its in-your-face percussive nature.
I was doing some reading this morning while listening to Linkin Park’s newest album, Minutes to Midnight. If you are not a Linkin Park fan, they popularized the rap-rock fusion (pioneered by bands like Beastie Boys and Aerosmith with Run DMC) called “nu-metal” and paved the way for a lot of the more rhythmic emphases in alternative rock. I would consider their earlier albums pretty good on their own, but they weren’t necessarily products of mature musicians. In my opinion, Minutes to Midnight moved Linkin Park from a “pretty good band” to bon-a-fide artists.
This album is just incredible. It is lyrically impressive, with themes of redemption and honor woven through the songs subtly but unmistakably. The song, “What I’ve Done” is probably the most obvious of these redemptive-themed songs, with lyrics begging to “let mercy come, and wash away what I’ve done.” The music is layered and dynamic, ranging from the soft-yet-building ballad of the U2-inspired “Shadow of the Day” to the provocative protest-rap “Hands Held High.” Here’s their music video for “What I’ve Done”:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sgycukafqQ]
I became distracted from my reading, eyes closed, and really just indwelling both the lyrics and the music. It was absolutely inspiring.
Every time I hear a new song on the radio, my wife says she will just watch me as my eyes lose focus and I concentrate on the musical layers, both melodic and rhythmic, dissecting the song and analyzing the skill and artistry involved in its creation. To me, that is beauty.
And I really wish I could do that with Sunday morning Worship music, but most of it is just not… good… at all.
Wait…did he just say that?
Yep.
One of the challenges I faced in becoming a Christian was dealing with the often-uninspiring “contemporary music” played at church. I don’t blame artists and musicians for not wanting to come to church, anymore than I’d blame Shakespeare for not sitting through high school theater! I wish I saw more of our worship music treated with the artistic love and attention that Linkin Park gave to Minutes to Midnight. I wouldn’t be able to help standing in church, arms raised with tears streaming down my face in praise to God, if more of the music had the kind of gorgeous melodic layers and rousing tempo comparable to “Shadow of the Day.” And “Bleed It Out” would DEFINITELY qualify in making a “joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 100)! Yet sadly, worship is often given just enough attention to keep the tempo and get everyone singing. “Good enough” is the acceptable standard, and that is debatable!
I yearn for a musical renaissance in the church. In the 16th century, when Martin Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation, there was an explosion of original art and music created for worship and praise to God. Isaac Watts, a hymn writer in the wake of the Reformation, was criticized for being “arrogant in his creativity” by factions in the church who saw writing new music in worship to God on par with trying to rewrite scripture. Isaac said in response to these criticisms, “I am fully persuaded that the Jewish Psalm book was never designed to be the only psalter for the Christian church. And if one could pray to God spontaneously and in words not exactly scripture, why is it not any different to sing it so?”
I yearn for fresh songs with the same cultural relevancy that his writings were for that time. Christians used to be at the forefront of the artistic endeavor, pushing boundaries and discovering new and creative ways to express ourselves. But now we are too busy criticizing culture and defending our children from it to notice how beautiful it can be. I yearn for the modern talent that God has blessed so many with, to be exercised creatively for God…
… especially if that includes a ridiculously distorted guitar!
Links:
Linkin Park (MySpace)
As I’ve just re-joined my church’s praise band, I feel everything you’ve just stated with passion. I discovered LP about a year ago and have since gobbled up everything I’ve been able to. YouTube, myspace, etc. I have felt led to push our band to do more heartfelt music, though we do have some good pieces. With a change in worship pastors, I’m hoping for the best. (I would be more “instrumental” in the change, but since my only instrument is my voice, it impairs me quite a bit.)
All that said, I truly feel that way about LP’s music. Chester’s voice and Mike’s melodic talk allow me to focus in and be IN the music. I truly appreciate your view, and maybe people like you and me can change Christian music, one church at a time. Now, if I can just get my Christian friends to enjoy that “nu-metal” sound like my husband and I do…
There is hope, though! My sons love LP (they are 5 and 9), and I do believe they are going to rock the music world in their own way. Only time (and God) will tell.
Blessings,
Miki
Miki,
Thanks for stopping by, I am continually surprised at how many people feel the same way, and want a change but don’t know exactly what that looks like… And yes, we can change Christian worship music one church at a time! For the next part in this series, I’m going to look at a few examples and churches that have made that transition, or are earnestly striving towards it.
“My sons love LP (they are 5 and 9), and I do believe they are going to rock the music world in their own way.”
WOW. Seriously, you must be a pretty cool mom. Keep rockin’ and hopin’! I think God is definitely on the move in this area of the church…
Brad, THANK YOU! I feel the exact same way. If I have to listen to one more “contemporary Christian rock” song I might die. the lyrics are really atrocious and trite!
Those peeps ought to take a couple pages from people like Lincoln Park, The Killers, and the White Stripes. all three of those bands write music that is GOOD, hits main stream media (mostly), and often has themes that could be interpreted as Christian.
This reminds me of when I was attending the LDS Church, and we would go see films edited down from their “R” rating. There is a company dedicated specifically to editing “R” rated films down to PG-13 or even PG so people like LDS members can see it. We had this big projection screen and we’d set it up in the church for youth nights. It was completely ridiculous and absurd. And then at youth dances, they would play what was considered “LDS” music. I guess there were a few LDS bands. and they were AWFUL. Luckily, no one tried to bring contemporary Christian rock into any services. They kept those very very liturgical and traditional that way.
This reminds of that youtube “Big Bibles” vid, where someone redid the “Big Butts” video as a Christian thing.
On one level, I applaud these efforts. It seems like someone is thinking, “Okay, we can’t not be a part of mainstream culture; how can we maintain our rules and integrity, but still participate?”
On another level, however, I’m not thrilled. All the edits or remakes or reworkings always feel less enthusiastic and less genuine than the originals. Go figure.
Kyle, you are WELCOME. It’s good to see more people wishing the word “contemporary” were used a little more accurately…
The frustrating thing is not that “contemporary Christian music” doesn’t reach people’s hearts, because it does (for some), but that other forms of music (alternative, rap, rock, punk, ska, indie, etc.) are looked down on by many of the same people who lift up “Contemporary Christian Music” as the only acceptable form of worship/Christian art. THAT is what makes me sick.
I still think the music sucks, but that definitely isn’t my biggest beef. Since when did we start fearing culture?
“This reminds of that youtube “Big Bibles” vid…”
I know exactly which video you’re talking about! That is freaking hilarious… If it was meant as a joke, cool. But if that is the extent of Christian involvement with the culture… I may puke.
It sounds like you know even better than I, what kind of unnecessary restrictions can be put on art/culture/self-expression. While I wouldn’t recommend showing an R-rated movie to a middle schooler, the church has gone a little too far…
*cough* Fundamentalism *cough*
Seriously. We need to put the “Fun” back into “fundamentalism.”
Thanks for this post…as a music major, I have talked with other music majors about how contemporary Christian music doesn’t have even a degree of the richness and depth of the old hymns. I’m a part of the Navigators ministry at ASU and we were singing all old hymns yesterday….it was wonderful.
As for other good bands, I would like to recommend some you may have already heard of….but they have some incredible depth and make me praise God, which is why I recommend them. One is mewithoutYou, another is ThouShaltNot (I think only the singer of the band is a Christian). Others that are awesome are Half-Handed Cloud, Sufjan Stevens, Headnoise (punk), ….anyway, those are just suggestions, but if I had to only choose one off of that list, it would absolutely be mewithoutYou. If we every played that kind of music in church….I would go crazy with joy!
By the way, I’m a friend of Josh’s if you’re wondering who this random person is….