atmospheres. Psalm 95 opens up by saying:
1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods.
I have a great appreciation of music; as a musician, I can see how people can be influenced by songs, especially in the worship context. At Faith Radio, we feature over 15 hours of music per day, believing that music can be used of God to draw people into His presence and to remind us of His nature and His faithfulness. Songs can be effective carriers of images and messages; the enemy knows this, as well, which is why songs are used to reflect a worldview that does not line up with God's truth.
+++++
The Bible emphasizes the value of music - we see that in the Psalms, certainly, but we also see it
mentioned by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...
Pop music's annual showcase and self-aggrandizement event occurred last night in New York City - yes, the annual Grammy Awards presented a hodgepodge of musical performances and messages.
Before commenting on some aspects of the show and some of the award winners, congratulations to those who won in the Christian music categories, of which there were five:
Best Gospel Performance or Song: Never Have to Be Alone from CeCe Winans
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance or Song: What a Beautiful Name by Hillsong Worship
Best Gospel Album: Let Them Fall in Love, CeCe Winans
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: Chain Breaker, Zach Williams
Best Roots Gospel Album: Sing It Now: Songs Of Faith & Hope, Reba McEntire
By the way, all those Grammy winners won Dove Awards back in October from the Gospel Music Association.
The Grammy Awards already had some negative feedback going in - while there was the expectation and fulfillment of the Time's Up theme, which, according to USA Today, didn't show up until 2-1/2 hours into the awards show, with a performance by a collection of artists, there were only a relatively few female artists that were nominated for major awards. In fact, according to a tweet posted on the Billboard site from the mother of artist, Lorde, who declined to perform, the New York Times had reported that out of almost 900 nominees in the last six Grammy Awards, only 9 percent were women.
Based on the reviews that I read, there were the political moments - the opening featuring Kendrick Lamar and U2, the appearance of Hillary Clinton reading, along with other high-profile people, portions of the Michael Wolff book about the President, and the appeal by Camila Cabello on behalf of the DREAMers. But, there are messages associated with the music industry that should really cause concern are those contained within the products that were actually honored.
Take Bruno Mars, for instance: he won six Grammys last night, including, according to the Grammy website: Record of the Year and Album of the Year for 24K Magic and song of the year for That's What I Like. Here's what Plugged In from Focus on the Family had to say about that album:
Then there's Ed Sheeran's award for Best Pop Solo Performance, Shape of You, in a category featuring all women except for him. Plugged In took aim atSheeran's song, saying:
Isn't it interesting that there is a correct call for an end to objectification of women, but song lyrics continue to promote that message? I would contend the music industry, as well as other forms of entertainment, have been leading offenders of suggesting that men behave badly and legitimizing that behavior. There is an enormous amount of hypocrisy here; and remember, Jesus directed perhaps some of His harshest criticism toward those who were hypocritical.
And, music is a powerful tool - the messages carried in a song can go deep into the spirit and as that song is listened to repetitively, can have an impact in shaping one's value system. That is why listening to Christian music is so important for a believer, and music is a topic that is addressed heavily in the book of Psalms. A movie or a television song can create images and distort worldviews, but songs can do those things in an even more profound way, because of the repetition and the personalization that can occur as someone sees himself or herself in the situation about which is being sung.
We have to make sure that we are choosing to expose ourselves to messages that renew our spirits, not that present a view that is contrary to Scripture. Song lyrics are more than just words - they can carry powerful suggestions and paint powerful images, and we have a responsibility to steer clear of ideas that corrupt our minds.
The Grammy Awards already had some negative feedback going in - while there was the expectation and fulfillment of the Time's Up theme, which, according to USA Today, didn't show up until 2-1/2 hours into the awards show, with a performance by a collection of artists, there were only a relatively few female artists that were nominated for major awards. In fact, according to a tweet posted on the Billboard site from the mother of artist, Lorde, who declined to perform, the New York Times had reported that out of almost 900 nominees in the last six Grammy Awards, only 9 percent were women.
Based on the reviews that I read, there were the political moments - the opening featuring Kendrick Lamar and U2, the appearance of Hillary Clinton reading, along with other high-profile people, portions of the Michael Wolff book about the President, and the appeal by Camila Cabello on behalf of the DREAMers. But, there are messages associated with the music industry that should really cause concern are those contained within the products that were actually honored.
Take Bruno Mars, for instance: he won six Grammys last night, including, according to the Grammy website: Record of the Year and Album of the Year for 24K Magic and song of the year for That's What I Like. Here's what Plugged In from Focus on the Family had to say about that album:
One song and one lyric on this breezy nine-track effort suggest that Bruno Mars is interested in a real relationship with someone. The rest of the time, it's all about sex. Bruno shamelessly woos women with his wealth even as he mocks their names and their weight. But Mr. Mars isn't much concerned with how the ladies he seeks to seduce might actually feel about his leering objectification.About the Song of the Year, the review states: "'That's What I Like' basically promises an opulent lifestyle in exchange for sex (dropping stripper jargon in the process)..."
Then there's Ed Sheeran's award for Best Pop Solo Performance, Shape of You, in a category featuring all women except for him. Plugged In took aim atSheeran's song, saying:
Unhooked from a biblical understanding of the purpose and place of sexual expression as God designed and intended it, our mainstream secular culture sees no problem with starting a relationship via physical intimacy, then perhaps moving toward the emotional kind. One's just as good as another, many today might argue, and relational growth can grow in either direction.
But Ed Sheeran is doing more than just mirroring that approach to love and sex. He's modeling it, too, reinforcing it, suggesting to his listeners that this kind of behavior is just fine and likely to lead to lasting love—rather than a train wreck of regret just waiting to jump off the tracks for one or both of these lovers should all that body-shape infatuation one day dissipate.You have other offenders that are out there. Even though Kendrick Lamar, who won 5 Grammys last night, but who was shut out of the major categories, deals with spiritual themes, Plugged In says:
I appreciate lyrics here that treat faith as a substantial part of Lamar's life. But I struggle deeply with those lyrics' close proximity to other lines that are drenched in the harshest of profanities, praise marijuana use and narrate sexual experiences with exceedingly explicit imagery.That imagery is found in the song HUMBLE., which shows the rapper in some sort of religious garb, and in a debauched Lord's Supper setting; the lyrics are vile beyond belief and especially cruel to the female who is being objectified.
Isn't it interesting that there is a correct call for an end to objectification of women, but song lyrics continue to promote that message? I would contend the music industry, as well as other forms of entertainment, have been leading offenders of suggesting that men behave badly and legitimizing that behavior. There is an enormous amount of hypocrisy here; and remember, Jesus directed perhaps some of His harshest criticism toward those who were hypocritical.
And, music is a powerful tool - the messages carried in a song can go deep into the spirit and as that song is listened to repetitively, can have an impact in shaping one's value system. That is why listening to Christian music is so important for a believer, and music is a topic that is addressed heavily in the book of Psalms. A movie or a television song can create images and distort worldviews, but songs can do those things in an even more profound way, because of the repetition and the personalization that can occur as someone sees himself or herself in the situation about which is being sung.
We have to make sure that we are choosing to expose ourselves to messages that renew our spirits, not that present a view that is contrary to Scripture. Song lyrics are more than just words - they can carry powerful suggestions and paint powerful images, and we have a responsibility to steer clear of ideas that corrupt our minds.
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