Newsgroups: rec.music.christian
Subject: Re: CCM:  Ministry or Career? /"Music Amoral?" too 
From: tothmd@ucunix.san.uc.edu (Michael David Toth)
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 02:17:55 GMT
Organization: University of Cincinnati

In article <107410184@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM> rhm@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Bob Miller) writes:
>OK, I'll jump in on the "ministry vs. art" thing...
>
>From alailima@eniac.seas.upenn.edu Fri Aug  7 08:02:45 1992
>
>>...The CCM industry has been known to stifle creativity in the name of 
>>ministry...
>
>The CCM industry surely stifles creativity, but I would contend it has 
>nothing to do with "ministry"... and everything to do woth "marketability" to
>their generic "christian" audience. Its not the "industry" that is carrying on
>the Amy Grant controversy here...tho they are probably listening |-}
>
>From jpersons@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Thu Aug  6 08:51:51 1992
>
>>I get the impression that there is no role for art in ministry,
>>though I don't think you really believe that (I'm guessing).  I
>>think that *ministers* can effectively use art -- especially music, 
>>but other art as well -- in their ministry.  It is  unlikely 
>>that such art will be as good as art that is produced by
>>these same people acting as *artists*.  But that's fine -- the 
>>goal is ministry, and the art should then be judged by the effective-
>>ness of the ministry, not by its quality as art, per se.  This is 
>>what makes artistic nitpicking about Vineyard, Integrity/Hosanna, etc.
>>inappropriate, IMHO.
>
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAH NELLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Hold the show! 

>Madeleine L'Engle would surely disagree with that. Read "Walking on Water"
>(a set of meditations on faith and art). To her, bad art is also bad 
>ministry/christianity. 
>I know I have a hard time entering into an attitude of worship singing a 
>poorly written, dishonest, unimaginitive pretend-praise song.
>
I too have read that book and on most points agree with Madeleine.  As
Christians, we are called to integrity and discipline.  Half-hearted
gestures are an abomination to God (do you want me to find some specific
passages?).  MUCH, much too often, Christians in any service, from music
to plumbing, seem to think that if they're doing terrible work, it's
still acceptable.  To make good music and art is SERIOUSLY hard work -
to learn the history of your medium and understand the technical
aspects.  I have no problem with people learning and honing their skills
on a local level, but the minute you put yourself before the public,
your work is a testimony of yourself.  Most Christian music is a
laughing stock for the secular world NOT necessarily because God's truth
runs counter to a sinful human nature.  Shoddy work of any kind is a
horrible testimony.  *ANY* interaction any Christian has with another
human being should be "ministering" and we need to bring down this weird
"ministry" idol off its pedestal and quit thinking that what our pastor
does, what Keith Green did, what Sam Phillips does, are any more or less
ministry than what we are called to do in our everyday lives!  If you're
placing higher demands on Amy Grant or your pastor than you would on
yourself or any Christian you know, please slow down and think through
some of this. 

Sure, people often get saved DESPITE the low quality of the music, etc.,
but that doesn't justify it any more than people "finding God" under the
influence of narcotics justifies getting high or drunk to become more
spiritually sensitive if you get saved through it.

And for all these "music is immoral if it doesn't praise God" debates, I
have to ask what your definition of praising God is.  Using the Bible as
a model for how we should live and how we should make our art, it's
pretty balanced: we have sex, politics, relationships, truth
communicated in parables and metaphor, and verbalization of worship and
adoration of God (among COUNTLESS others!).  If *ANY* part of my life
hasn't been redeemed, and if what I'm doing isn't making me grow as a
human being and Christian to serve God, something is SERIOUSLY wrong.  I
guess I have to ask the question, how does "pray without ceasing" apply
to YOUR everyday life?

God gave us this life to enjoy, to the extent that it doesn't interfere
with what he commands of us.  And enjoying His creation, including human
beings unique and loved by Him and their expressions, needs to be
included in this "praise" concept.  But I'll be the first to admit I
wasn't always understanding of this, and some of it just had to come
with time and the maturing process.

Here's a list of books that may stir up some things for people to
re-evaluate some of this secular/spiritual garbage and where a lot of
this philosophy comes from.  The Schaeffer book is pretty cursory and
just touches on some of the problems, but it's a good "first book" and
has big print and lots of pictures :-).  The new Art Rageous book is the
best look at Christianity and creativity I've ever seen, with it and the
Steve Scott book presenting some really riveting looks at Scripture and
its application to these issues.  The Art Rageous thing contains work by
some of the most articulate and Biblically-sound Christians today
dealing with Christianity & the Arts.

_Addicted to Mediocrity: 20th Century Christians & the Arts_ by Franky
Schaeffer (Crossways Books)

_Crying For A Vision_ by Steve Scott (Stride Publishing)

_Art Rageous_ ed. by Bruce Bitmead (Cornerstone Press) essays from the
"Art Rageous" seminars at 1991's Cornerstone festival

Sigh,
Michael David Toth
tothmd@ucunix.san.uc.edu