Comments on: The New Traditional Church: Music http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/ Trying to be strategic. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:28:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Javier http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-70121 Javier Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:23:53 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-70121 you make some interesting points tony...yet it is only 1/3 meaning the 2/3 do listen to other styles of music...along those lines i agree with what one of the comments above said regarding the community that we are serving and what styles may be high on the charts where one serves...ultimately music styles and church will be a debate that i believe will exist until Jesus comes to some extent...one should just pray that it doesn't hurt the mission of the church instead of help it... you make some interesting points tony…yet it is only 1/3 meaning the 2/3 do listen to other styles of music…along those lines i agree with what one of the comments above said regarding the community that we are serving and what styles may be high on the charts where one serves…ultimately music styles and church will be a debate that i believe will exist until Jesus comes to some extent…one should just pray that it doesn’t hurt the mission of the church instead of help it…

]]> By: The New Traditional « Jordan Steffaniak http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-64938 The New Traditional « Jordan Steffaniak Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:55:18 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-64938 [...] “While the church still leans on a mix of rock and pop music as the preferred worship genre, our culture has shifted once again. Now, according to iTunes, 1 in 3 of the top 100 songs in the country is either hip-hop/rap or R&B/soul. My guess, though, is that you can’t name a church in the country that’s using these genres of music for worship.” (Check out his article on this very topic!) [...] [...] “While the church still leans on a mix of rock and pop music as the preferred worship genre, our culture has shifted once again. Now, according to iTunes, 1 in 3 of the top 100 songs in the country is either hip-hop/rap or R&B/soul. My guess, though, is that you can’t name a church in the country that’s using these genres of music for worship.” (Check out his article on this very topic!) [...]

]]> By: blackwasp19 http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-50426 blackwasp19 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:01:59 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-50426 This discussion is long already. But I want to point out the Christian hip-hop (a culture) and rap (art form within a culture)has been around for years. And although most of Christian radio and media focuses on John Rueben, Grits and other so-so artists, there is and has been an entire world of Christian rap that has been ignored. Here are some website that focus on Christian Rap: www.rapzilla.com www.holyculture.net www.sphereofhiphop.com Additionally, here are some books written on the subject. The Hip Hop Church Un.orthodox: Church. Hip-Hop. Culture. The Gospel Remix: Reaching the Hip Hop Generation Disciples of the Street: The Promise of a Hip Hop Church This discussion is long already. But I want to point out the Christian hip-hop (a culture) and rap (art form within a culture)has been around for years. And although most of Christian radio and media focuses on John Rueben, Grits and other so-so artists, there is and has been an entire world of Christian rap that has been ignored. Here are some website that focus on Christian Rap:

http://www.rapzilla.com
http://www.holyculture.net
http://www.sphereofhiphop.com

Additionally, here are some books written on the subject.

The Hip Hop Church
Un.orthodox: Church. Hip-Hop. Culture.
The Gospel Remix: Reaching the Hip Hop Generation
Disciples of the Street: The Promise of a Hip Hop Church

]]> By: Rich Kirkpatrick http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-48410 Rich Kirkpatrick Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:50:56 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-48410 We can splinter further and find that age is really the deciding factor, Tony. The Boomer generation is the most Caucasian born in history. They do not buy as much on iTunes, by the way. So, the younger you get the more diverse the culture gets and this is what we see in the music industry and in politics and of course in church work--why many mega/giga churches are Boomer-homogeneous and aging. You should also mention that Spanish is the most spoken language in the world right now, so why not Latin lyric and culture? In just about 5 years we will be so Latin we will not know the difference if we watch demographics. The danger here is that worship music has 5 things to be effective in my opinion and the #1 is the "truth" quotient. Truth--1)we can truly sing it since it is an expression of who we are right now in style, tone and heart 2)objective theological since it transcends culture and is about things we believe that are older, bigger and beyond us. That danger is we lose truth even in the style: To make Hip Hop work you need SUBS to actually be turned up loud! I fear that will not happen in most churches so younger folks attending there will run hearing watered down Hip Hop by white people who cannot dance. ;) We can splinter further and find that age is really the deciding factor, Tony. The Boomer generation is the most Caucasian born in history. They do not buy as much on iTunes, by the way.

So, the younger you get the more diverse the culture gets and this is what we see in the music industry and in politics and of course in church work–why many mega/giga churches are Boomer-homogeneous and aging.

You should also mention that Spanish is the most spoken language in the world right now, so why not Latin lyric and culture? In just about 5 years we will be so Latin we will not know the difference if we watch demographics.

The danger here is that worship music has 5 things to be effective in my opinion and the #1 is the “truth” quotient. Truth–1)we can truly sing it since it is an expression of who we are right now in style, tone and heart 2)objective theological since it transcends culture and is about things we believe that are older, bigger and beyond us.

That danger is we lose truth even in the style: To make Hip Hop work you need SUBS to actually be turned up loud! I fear that will not happen in most churches so younger folks attending there will run hearing watered down Hip Hop by white people who cannot dance. ;)

]]> By: Laura http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-48031 Laura Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:24:38 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-48031 I am a 41-year old white stay at home mom who loves Christian Hip Hop. Our family listen to KJ-52, John Reuben, Legacy, LeCrae, as well as Jesus Culture, Hillsong, etc. There are plenty of Christian Hip Hop choices out there. http://www.christian-hiphop.net has great on-line listening. Turn up the bass, dance around, and have fun praising Jesus. I am a 41-year old white stay at home mom who loves Christian Hip Hop. Our family listen to KJ-52, John Reuben, Legacy, LeCrae, as well as Jesus Culture, Hillsong, etc. There are plenty of Christian Hip Hop choices out there. http://www.christian-hiphop.net has great on-line listening. Turn up the bass, dance around, and have fun praising Jesus.

]]> By: Tiffany Sellers http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-47917 Tiffany Sellers Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:01:44 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-47917 Hey Tony! Angelus Temple (The Dream Center) in LA is using hip hop music in worship and has been since I was out there in high school (about 6 years ago). I saw some of the comments above asking for places where you can find this kind of music, so I thought I'd respond. Their band Press Play has recorded a newer album that features a lot of hip hop style praise songs. I was at the NYC Dream Center's 1 year anniversary celebration service back in August and Press Play came and lead with several of these songs. And in response to Todd's comment just above, I would tend to agree with you that hip hop and rap have traditionally been born out of social injustice and anger--they also are often full of sexual overtones. But people who have come from that situation and have been given the hope of Christ just might be able to take the same creativity and emotion put into negative hip hop songs and turn out some powerful worship. I'd love to see what they might create. Hey Tony! Angelus Temple (The Dream Center) in LA is using hip hop music in worship and has been since I was out there in high school (about 6 years ago). I saw some of the comments above asking for places where you can find this kind of music, so I thought I’d respond. Their band Press Play has recorded a newer album that features a lot of hip hop style praise songs. I was at the NYC Dream Center’s 1 year anniversary celebration service back in August and Press Play came and lead with several of these songs.

And in response to Todd’s comment just above, I would tend to agree with you that hip hop and rap have traditionally been born out of social injustice and anger–they also are often full of sexual overtones. But people who have come from that situation and have been given the hope of Christ just might be able to take the same creativity and emotion put into negative hip hop songs and turn out some powerful worship. I’d love to see what they might create.

]]> By: Todd Cunningham http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-47910 Todd Cunningham Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:40:28 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-47910 There may be good reasons that mainstream Christianity doesn't naturally lean into hip hop to express our worship, or heavy metal for that matter. From what little I've read and experienced, authentic hip-hop is centered around anguish, pain, and social injustice, as is also the case with many traditional hymns, however, a key difference is that hymns (or any songs expressing praise for that matter) typically contain elements of hope and aspiration, while hip-hop revels in abject rage, confusion and sheer hopelessness. It would take some imagination to successfully create a church setting which adopts a musical language of rage and hopelessness to express not only the anguish of our sinful human experience but also the hope and aspiration unique to the Christian faith. Would the result remain authentic as hip-hop and authentic to faith, or would it ring hollow as a cheap effort to emulate a pop culture with little to recommend itself? An authentic response to those conditions which create and drive the culture of hip-hop would perhaps be of greater interest and import than the acquisition of an authentic(?) hip-hop worship language. There may be good reasons that mainstream Christianity doesn’t naturally lean into hip hop to express our worship, or heavy metal for that matter. From what little I’ve read and experienced, authentic hip-hop is centered around anguish, pain, and social injustice, as is also the case with many traditional hymns, however, a key difference is that hymns (or any songs expressing praise for that matter) typically contain elements of hope and aspiration, while hip-hop revels in abject rage, confusion and sheer hopelessness. It would take some imagination to successfully create a church setting which adopts a musical language of rage and hopelessness to express not only the anguish of our sinful human experience but also the hope and aspiration unique to the Christian faith. Would the result remain authentic as hip-hop and authentic to faith, or would it ring hollow as a cheap effort to emulate a pop culture with little to recommend itself? An authentic response to those conditions which create and drive the culture of hip-hop would perhaps be of greater interest and import than the acquisition of an authentic(?) hip-hop worship language.

]]> By: the Christian Creative » Blog Archive » Is Contemporary the New Traditional? http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-47902 the Christian Creative » Blog Archive » Is Contemporary the New Traditional? Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:22:48 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-47902 [...] was reading this article by Tony Morgan earlier today that asked why most churches hadn’t embraced Hip-Hop and R&B in their [...] [...] was reading this article by Tony Morgan earlier today that asked why most churches hadn’t embraced Hip-Hop and R&B in their [...]

]]> By: Gloriana Gomez http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-47899 Gloriana Gomez Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:07:43 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-47899 We are not talking about copying other songs and styles. Bottom line is we have to compete with the world! If we don´t give something entertaining and fun they´ll feel that there´s something they´re missing and it´s "out there"... Yes, we have good music. But the world has good music, good artists, good concerts, good clothes, good parties, etc! I´m not leaving out the fact that we are giving out the message of truth and salvation. It´s just that if our message is not as effective as the world´s, who would people choose? who would they like? what would they rather do on a Friday night? We are not talking about copying other songs and styles. Bottom line is we have to compete with the world! If we don´t give something entertaining and fun they´ll feel that there´s something they´re missing and it´s “out there”…
Yes, we have good music. But the world has good music, good artists, good concerts, good clothes, good parties, etc!
I´m not leaving out the fact that we are giving out the message of truth and salvation. It´s just that if our message is not as effective as the world´s, who would people choose? who would they like? what would they rather do on a Friday night?

]]> By: Gloriana Gomez http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/06/the-new-traditional-church-music/#comment-47897 Gloriana Gomez Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:57:20 +0000 http://tonymorganlive.com/?p=3995#comment-47897 Hey, I´m from Latin America, Costa Rica actually.. And we do worship with different genres of music, mostly saturdays with the youth group but we are changing the stereotype of what´s "real worship". One thing that helps is that we have a christian radio station for young people. We play dancehall, reggae, R&B, Hip Hop, Rock, Pop and obviously the occasional worship. Hey, I´m from Latin America, Costa Rica actually..
And we do worship with different genres of music, mostly saturdays with the youth group but we are changing the stereotype of what´s “real worship”.
One thing that helps is that we have a christian radio station for young people.
We play dancehall, reggae, R&B, Hip Hop, Rock, Pop and obviously the occasional worship.

]]>