Saturday, October 22, 2005

Why I Listen to Christian Music (Even though some of it stinks)

There's a topic to bait an audience. Something to offend everyone, I always say. But it does capture the essence of what I've gone through in my relationship to Christian music. Let me explain.

For quite a while I didn't listen to Christian music. None of it. Because I was of the mind that most of it was trite, contrived. Pop junk with "Baby" replaced with "Jesus". And I'll admit - there's still a fair bit of that out there. Also lots of cheap imitations of grunge, rap... you name it. Still, there's a couple of things that have driven me to listen more and more to Contemporay Christian stations.

The first is that there is a growing body of really good music out there. Third Day is really popular right now, and its well deserved popularity. These guys are making interesting, unique music. So are bands like Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, and individuals like Nichole Nordeman and Jeremy Camp. And these are the ones in the mainstream (which is all I've gotten around to listen to). There are lots more good artists out there in the alternative space.

I've noticed a better attitude from these folks too. A spirit of real humility when you hear them talk - or even at concerts. I think its because a lot of these bands are growing out of local churches, and often still grounded in those same churches. More on that in another post maybe.

The second reason is that I've thought a lot this past year about what I spend my time thinking about. Yeah that sentence is only kind of circular. Better if I put out an example. I've noticed that when I listen to a lot of talk radio, my mind spends a lot of time thinking about politics. And that subject percolates to the top of my "what's important" list. So I guess what I'm saying is that I've learned that "I am what I eat". Or in this case, what I listen to.

Bearing that in mind, I've made an effort to spend more time listening to things that focus on God. Because I want to be obsessed really. I want thoughts of God to be what are in my head when I fall asleep, and when I wake up. And I'm not even close to being there. My mind is filled with all manner of other stupid things - but all too rarely am I thinking about God. I want more.

Does it work? I dunno. I think that in some measure it does. I know that I think about politics less. I know that I often have a song about my faith running through my head. That's encouraging. Exciting really. Maybe even worth listening to that same SuperChick song again. And again.


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