I’m trying to step deeper into my faith in Jesus and calling. But one area maybe people around me would say I’m struggling is that I don’t want to engage with Christian music. I don’t like singing in church. I don’t want to listen to hillsong or any CCM at home. I don’t feel like playing this specific genre of music makes me feel closer to God nor do I think that just playing it is worship. I don’t mind that this works for other people, to me it’s all sort of insincere? Like these songs are a thing churches pay to license and they’re a purchasable commodity and they’re designed to cause you to emotionally react a certain way?
Am I like missing out on some major aspect of the Christian life or is this sort of an evangelical fixation that it’s okay for me to be skeptical about?
There's all kind of genres out there. It's not just Hillsong.
There is lots of “Christian” music that is not in the vein of Hillsong or CCM. One that just released an album that I love is John Van Deusen. You got Spotify?
I agree with you. I like Christian songs that refer to what Jesus did for us and testimonies of spiritual things, but I don't think they're appropriate to be sung in church or during worship.
Worship is different. These songs are like secular songs with spiritual meanings. They're good on the radio, while driving or walking, or doing chores at home, but in church, they have stifled believers' ability to approach God in a personal and natural way, guided by the Spirit.
The easiest path has been chosen; you don't have to create anything, you just have to sing a song created by others that evokes an emotion. Serious damage, I believe.
Ouh love your take that it’s watering down what could be a more sincere chance for communal engagement with others in church service 🙏
I looked hard and found a church I’m happy with but some of their music is borderline entertainment and just too complicated and performative to even sing with (not that I know the lyrics anyways, the songs tend to show once or twice and not come back)
My frustration is that there are contemporary songs that praise or worship the Lord, but they are often ignored in favor of the testimonial songs you describe.
Like, you are so close. Can't you see the difference in the words that you are singing?
I'm not a fan of that music either. It doesn’t work for worship for me either. What helps me worship God are Orthodox hymns. They sooth my soul and orient me towards God. Night and day to CCM. I have a big playlist of hymns.
I agree! I find CCM to be largely uninspired. Personally, I find joy in prose, lyrical and/or musical complexity, and thought-provoking statements. Quite honestly, I find more joy in poetry, instrumental music, or somewhat secular music pointing to God than I do even in most hymns. CCM feels like it was written with low effort, points to themselves more than God, or just misrepresents the glory of the Lord. If you’re like me and enjoy somewhat different forms of praise and worship, definitely check out some Handel (classical), John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” (Avant Garde Jazz), or some hymns from choral groups (I enjoy the Hymns from Merton album a lot). If you enjoy secular music that points to God, the Oh Hellos’ “Dear Wormwood” is a beautiful album. To come full circle, though, I quite honestly don’t believe there’s much depth on a large scale when it comes to hillsong concert-style services. Some people naturally worship quietly and internally. There’s nothing wrong with that, and don’t let Christians with different styles convince you that there’s something wrong.
As a quick aside, I’m not entirely sure how Christians started thinking we all needed to listen to Christian music everyday to begin with. Faith and love have always been expressed through different mediums, be it writing, poetry, music, conversation, or even through learning. God’s glory can be found everywhere!
Im just gonna recommend you some christian artists and bands from various genres and you can check them out because I totally get what you mean. There’s a whole world of christian music out there besides just hilsong-type music.
Pop/contemporary: Forrest Frank, Munn, hulvey, gio. , Josiah Queen, brandon lake, leanna Crawford
Rap: Lecrae, Caleb Gordon, Alex Jean, Jay Manwell
Soul/r&b/hiphop: Sondae, Sean C. Johnson, Peter Cottontale,
Acoustic/folk: Strings & heart, Jimmy Clifton, Ian Austin, Heather Suzanne
Indie: Citizens, sun haze, Beach Chapel, RIDERS,
Rock: skillet, disciple, flyleaf, ivoryline, starfield, manafest, relient k
I could go on but Im fresh outta juice haha. If you have spotify you can explore the various Christian genres out there, as well listen to the playlists people make
Yeah I’m with you, CCM is not for me. Try and find a more traditional church that focuses on congregational singing and not a rock show. Many still sing hymns and psalms. It will change your life.
CCM was basically an attempt to reach the younger generation back in the 70s, and it worked! But since then it’s grown to the point where some tradition was lost in our music. Many Christians today have never sang a single psalm or hymn in their entire life.
I think the younger generation today is actually pushing against this. And hopefully the culture will follow that trend.
What prompted my original question was actually that I have older friends who frequently talk about playing Christian music at home throughout the day and often tell me that I need to do the same, that it’s this dimension of faith and connection with God I’m not realizing.
Helping me understand that this might be partially generational can help me respond differently!
I was reading yesterday too in this new book “the justice of Jesus” about how important the physical table for communion is, remembered my grandmas church actually had you walk up to the front to take bread and juice from the table, and then you walk back to your seat. And it’s this collective action that justifies us being physically present and helps us humble ourselves and be equal to our neighbors. And then I remember communion for me ever since has been something I grabbed from a bowl walking into service and just something I now do alone in my seat.
I am def torn between having community needs met in my nondenominational church but also starting to see these pieces that are missing!
These churches are trying to be the holy spirit for the flock. Their worship music causes sensation, and thus they deceive the flock into thinking this is the holy spirit at work.
You're right to have this discernment. A bit of research will show these groups have very bad fruit .
Seek to worship jesus instead in spirit and in truth (as he calls us to do). Keep persisting. May jesus bless you
I feel that it is important to sing. Singing can be a spiritual activity. And singing with other believers can strengthen the bond of fellowship.
But I understand how frustrating it is when you can't agree with the musical style or the content of the words of the songs.
I encourage you to try and find like-minded people to sing with. Perhaps you can do this in the context of a small group? If there is no one who feels able to lead, there is a wealth of recorded music that you and your fellows can sing to. However, the church sang for centuries without instruments and without trained singers. In some churches, a cappella is still the way that these churches worship.
You aren't missing out. Modern Christian music isn't for everyone. One can sing or listen to many other genres of song to praise God. I enjoy some contemporary Christian music, some traditional hymns, and some alternative Christian music (kind of an old band, but Fireflight is a good one). Honestly, I prefer singing older hymns during church because they were composed with the singing abilities of the average congregation member in mind instead of performers.
Do you like EDM, there’s a new genre coming around which is Christian EDM which sounds pretty good
Flyleaf, Barlowgirls, Reliant K are all fantastic Christian bands
Some songs are no doubt like you say but there are still good artists with biblically based sincere lyrics.
And yes those artists are paid for their songs. It’s their job and how they make money. Pastors are paid, church workers are paid, in the older days composers and artists were paid (and still are just in a different way)
Jervis Campbell
There sooooo much modern Christian music. All genres across the board. Search deeper
Listen to Kings Kaleidoscope
Same here. Try Gregorian chants or Baroque hymns.
Tbh, I agree with you when it comes to CCM. My wife listens to it, but I've never been able to bring myself to like it. I'll admit, that's partly because I've just never been a fan of the modern pop music sound, but I also feel like the music itself is just not spiritual. It feels like everything I've heard talks about the Lord giving us strength or prosperity in this world, rather than paying the price to gain us entrance into the next.
If you haven't listened to Bluegrass Gospel, but that might be something you could be interested in giving a shot, I'd suggest the albums I'd Do It All Over Again by The Easter Brothers and Help Is On The Way by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. You've got some upbeat tracks like I Know, Let The Hallelujah's Roll, I Didn't Leave Like I Came, and Press On, O Pilgrim, but there are also more slow and sentimental feeling tracks like The Clay In Your Hands, The Black Sheep Returned To The Fold, The Lost Sheep, and Old Fashioned Talk With The Lord. There are some other great songs as well, such as The Power Came Down by Marvin Morrow, Come On In by Authentic Unlimited, This World Is Not My Home by Shelter Creek Revival, If We Never Meet Again by The Primitive Quartet, The Right Side by Flatt Lonesome, and Sin Will Take You Farther by The Royer Brothers.
Don't listen to it! I prefer the older Christian classics, but, a few modern Christian ones, I DO like.
There is a lot more music out there than what K-Love plays. Thankfully.
same. I switched churches.
to me, it feels like emotional manipulation. But if it brings people truly closer to God, Im happy for tthem.
Don't listen to it. Problem solved.
Im with you
I like Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Swoope, nobigdyl, kb, Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake, Zach Williams plus a bunch of old school stuff like Pettidee, Grits, TobyMac, etc. there’s almost any genre you can think of.
There are folks on YouTube who sing the Bible verses. The Book of Psalms sung as Blues is a fave. But you don't have to be concerned about the lyrics. Its not all blues. Worth looking into.
God Bless
I generally really don't like modern Christian music for worship because they aren't worship songs. Some a praise, and most are edifying songs.
Here are two semons on worship that I found very interesting and helpful. https://youtu.be/1TFgZqVRKO0?si=RYTwIhN1we0VDCjF
https://youtu.be/qEIfBbK3zu4?si=S15PXlwRD2zFB2ce
I feel the EXACT same way!
I like some CCM. (Jeremy Camp, Phil Wickham, David Crowder etc )
It's more entertainment kinda music. (With good/positive sounding lyrics)
But for actual worship, I'd rather listen to instrumental piano or some Gregorian chant.
Honestly can't stand most modern church music. Sounds incredibly numb to me.
I don’t like it either. Some songs maybe, but it all sounds too similar. I recently discovered Sondae, Cether, and Demares Gomes. Josh Garrels is another good one
Same here, I would recommend older CCM or indie Christian artists. I'm liking:
Phil keaggy Keith Green Daniel Amos Bride Mastedon Darrell Mansfield 12 Stones
There's a lot of good stuff out there, it just won't be put in front of your face
What kind of music do you like listening to in general?
I like Shane & Shane—especially the Psalms album from like 2015. When I think of super modern Christian music, Forrest Frank comes to mind, which, to be honest , I don't like. It's not that I think it isn't genuine, but I don't like how it sounds secular on purpose. Not that it's wrong or anything, but I personally don't like it. That's just how I feel.
I personally still listen to mostly secular music but deep music at that. I like to reflect on the topics and still listen through a Christian lens. I've actually found that listening to secular music through a Christian lens opens a lot of music to a more spiritual meaning and insight. for example, I've seen a Christian be averse to the song Man in the Box by Alice in Chains because it says "deny your maker " in part of the lyrics. I noticed that in this song the narrator is describing calling out to Jesus, but his addiction is whispering "deny your maker" in his ear. i think it provokes thought of the spiritual reality of addiction. In terms of corporate worship, I take what the church is giving, but in own time, I prefer deep music that helps me reflect on spiritual realities, even if they're ugly sometimes.
You might like modern Psalter playlists....It's the Psalms sung....Here's a playlist with a bunch of different bands. I really like 'Poor Bishop Hooper,' 'Sons of Korah,' and 'Verses' are my fav on it. You can search Spotify and find multiple of these.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5IzSytOO0Nyh75JLa1BcgU?si=01acf507276549c4
I respectfully disagree on the premise that gospel music and singing it in church isn’t a form of worship. There are many Christian artists whose lyrics are directly from scripture and also pay homage to our God and speak what he’s done what he’s doing and what he will do. Some artist I like are chandler Moore, the group Maverick City Music and elevation worship. I also like some rap artist but that’s an acquired taste. Any form of action that gives the glory to Jesus and what he’s done for us is worship. It’s not just hymns.
But I also understand that everyone experiences God differently and at different points of their life. I’m not saying that you not liking it is wrong. Just disagreeing that it isn’t a form of worship.
Wave your hands more. It really helps!
I think modern CCM sucks. thats why I usually listen to DC talk and Reliant K. Josh Garrels also slaps.
You're far from the only one. I'm with you on this one.
You say this, and yet “Blown Away” By Hillsong UNITED exists….
I stopped listening to it,too. it’s fake christian music inspired by satan, he is a seducing spirit. He wants to be like God and wants to be worshipped.
Have you researched the original hymns from the hymn book? I love reading the words and finding the traditional hymns to hear now it’s sang. My favorites are - “ there is power in the blood” “ are you washed in the blood” “ standing in the promises of God” “Blessed assurance “ “He lives” “ only trust in him” “Amazing grace”
Modern Christian music sucks. No modern song will come close to praising God as this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D0ncpEMcGM
Look at the lyrics, there is a reason the church has been singing that since the 4th century or earlier. There are churches that still sing that weekly btw. (in english)
You would benefit from finding a traditional, reverent church that uses hymns