Archive for the ‘Music’ Category:
The State of Worship, Part 2: Purpose and Motivation
The first part of this post was (honestly) mostly a rant, but it outlined some of the problem from my perspective. I make no claims that it is THE perspective to view this debate from, only that it could be a common one. Having been a guitarist for six years, which is longer than I’ve been a Christian (and thus listening to Christian music), I bring a “less-churched,” if not an “un-churched,” perspective to the table.
Worship is ANYTHING that we do that fulfills God’s purpose for us and thus glorifies Him. This can be anything from working in your garden and rearing children with your spouse (Genesis 1:28) to writing and playing sweet guitar riffs (Psalm 33:3). If we do these things with God-given motivation and purpose, then we are worshipping Him indeed!
A fair number of Christians, particularly those in the American Evangelical Christian “sub-culture,” seem to have abandoned or compromised the very motivations and purposes that define worship, with respect to music. Read more »
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.
