Shaun Groves
I am not sure why, but it is generally hard for me to listen to Christian radio or Christian music in general. I absolutely know that music is a very subjective thing. So one person’s opinion in regards to music does not invalidate another person’s preference for what music they like or don’t like. But I find it personally difficult to listen to most Christian music.
But then he offers a list of music written by people who share his faith that he actually likes to listen to. We’ve beaten to death here the “Christian music sounds bad” horse. I like Dan’s approach of stating the obvious (we don’t like what’s on the radio) and then offering some musical recommendations for the other discontenteds out there reading.
What’s on your list of excellent faith-influenced music?
Stephen @ Rebelling Against Indifference says:
Number one on my list is Holly Williams and her album The Ones We Never Knew, produced by Monroe Jones. I can’t recommend her music highly enough.
Number two would probably be Mindy Smith.
Jay Adkins says:
He doesn’t give specifics as to why he feels Christian music is hard to listen to. Christian music is, in a sense, just like secular music except for the message of the particular song.
In general, I don’t like secular music because it’s not where I want my focus to be and that’s on God.
I do have a few secular artists that I listen to but the majority are Christian. I think the message of the music is the most important thing to consider.
Seth Ward says:
Jay, I understand what you are saying but this statement sort of struck me;
“ I think the message of the music is the most important thing to consider.”
Are you implying that the message trumps quality? The way to approach it seems to be the one where the writer delivers a good message and maintains great quality as well. A programmer should never settle for “the message” I think if you approach it from the “message first” standpoint you set yourself up for choosing music “for the message” instead of because it’s quality simply because the immediate message is “more clear” in some music over others.
So instead of hearing “White Flag” we get yet another version of ANOTHER praise song or a new one resembling an old one so closely that you can barely tell the difference.
In turn, programmers, labels, etc look for songs saying the same phrases used over and over and over. Personally, if I hear ‘grace like rain’ or ‘love me just as I am’ in one more new song I am going to pull my hair out.
People are getting tired of the repeated VBS version of everything.
It would be strange if we used the same rationale in Christian private schools with say, literature. We would be reading Left Behind instead of the Narnia books. Apparent message over quality.
Stephen @ Rebelling Against Indifference says:
Jay, the reason why I don’t listen to much “christian music” is also because I want my focus to be on God. And much of what I hear on the radio paints a very limited picture of God. Much of the christianity I see and hear on radio and T.V. leaves me with the thought “Wow, they sure have created a complicated illusion.”
Songs like Holly William’s “Between Your Lines” are much more helpful for me:
We are all a little crazy, we are all a little weak
And we all are very fragile when there’s nothing left to speak
When there’s no one left to talk to, no more tears are left to cry
Will you stand up for the right thing or continue in denial-
I don’t know
Well you know I’d love to help you, you know I’d love to heal
But without the hands of God you will never be revealed
So take off your mask of happiness, take off your mask of fame
We all know that you’ve got problems just like everybody’s name
…So why must you walk with burdens much too big for you to bear
When you know it’s not your fault
There are saints and sinners everywhere
You don’t have to smile, I can read between your lines
I read guilt and I read mercy, I read glory to the father
I read bitterness and suffering and love for all your children
I read brokenness inside your heart and scars too deep to see
I read pain from a young boy who’s father left too early
Who’s mother tried to mold him into what she’d love to be…
…I watch you laughin on the brink of insecurity
You know we’d love to help, yeah you know we’d love to heal
But without the hands of God you will never be revealed
You know we’d all love to say you were doing fine but we’d be
bibbyroo says:
my favorites, as far as christian music, would have to be andrew osenga. and on a much different vibe- joy electric. i cannot get enough of that stuff. everyone always complains that christian music all sounds the same, but im quite sure nothing sounds like joy electric!
shaunfan says:
This is a great topic and it ties in somewhat to Shaun’s comments in the Christianity Today.com article on the message board. I listen to all types of music and “faith influenced” is my favorite genre of music. My top 5 favorite artists are Shaun Groves, Michael W. Smith, Matt Redman, Collective Soul and Live. 3 of these are considered Christian and 2 are considered secular, but all 5 are “faith influenced”, original and catchy to me. For example, I’ve put the words to “Forgiveness” by Collective Soul below which is a song that has inspired me by a secular artist.
Forgiveness Lyrics
by Collective Soul
In my silence I would love to forget
But restitution hasn’t come quite yet
And with one accord I keep moving forth
I stretch my heart to heal some more
It used to be all I’d want to learn
Was wisdom trust and truth
But now all I really want to learn
Is forgiveness for you
As my seasons change I’ve now grown to know
When one’s heart creates, one’s soul doesn’t owe
So I wash away stains of yesterday
Then tempt my heart with love’s display
Jay Adkins says:
Yes and no. What I meant was that I would consider any Christian music (over used or not) before say Marilyn Manson. I know that’s an extreme comparison but it seems like more and more of the secular music now is all about money, women or sex.
I know that doesn’t include all because like I said, there are a few secular artists that I’ll listen to but it’s very limited because of the reason I stated before.
It can be catchy but if the message makes no sense or is something contrary to my beliefs or values, I won’t listen to it.
I guess I mean the music has to have a good balance between message, quality and of course originality because I agree, some songs are completely run into the ground because so many artists have their own versions of them.
Part of my situation is that I completely shut out secular music (for the most part) when I came to Christ so I’ve lost touch in a big way with it. If I knew of more secular artists who were “faith influenced” or at least artists who put quality messages into their music without all of the garbage, then I could easily see myself exploring those a little closer.
I guess that’s why I like Shaun’s music. Because it’s not a carbon copy of the “same ol’, same ol’” yet He gives glory to God in his songs.
keith says:
I like to discover new faith-influenced music over at the Bored Again Christian.
Cali Amy says:
wait…faith influenced means what we normally call Christian music?
My favorite of all time without question is Andrew Peterson. Favorite. Period. of all Faith and faithless music.
But if we’re talking about people who are Christians and make good music without talking about God, I love The Fray. Loved them before I knew they were Christians. I remember getting the cd and thinking how nice it was that it was a good cd with songs I wanted to listen to over and over and think about.
I also love Christy Nockels (Watermark),Charlie Hall, and Justin McRoberts. and of course, Shaun Groves or I wouldn’t be here.
JL says:
Switchfoot and Sufjan, Dylan and Cockburn are four that come to immediately to mind. In the classical world, Estonian Arvo Pärt writes music that fills the soul. “I could compare my music to white light which contains all colours. Only a prism can divide the colours and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener.” AP
Shaun Groves says:
I say “faith influenced” only because that is broader in my mind. Working the “Christian music business” I see the term “Christian music” as a business term (in my work) meaning music made by Christians primarily for purchase by Christians.
“Faith influenced” in my warped little brain encompasses music written about or because of or from a spiritual (not necessarily Christian) perspective.
ABOUT or BECAUSE is key. Derek Webb and I write mostly ABOUT our faith while The Fray may be writing more BECAUSE of theirs and Patty Griffin may write FROM the perspective of faith without consciously deciding to communicate her faith (ABOUT) and without realizing her faith affects what she creates (BECAUSE).
Got all that? Not sure I did. I confuse myself sometimes. Diplomacy sometimes feels like wet jeans around my ankles.
mdaele says:
I think Jay intones a sentiment that is pretty common in Christianity: I rather listen to Christian music cause it is better for me.
Regardless of how lame most Christian music is – it is not an open and shut case that it is somehow better for us – automatically.
we shut our eyes to the lies that are preached in many songs in the Christian genre. They just don’t tell the truth:
-God does not always make my life better.
-He does not always solve my problems
-It is not healthy for me to obsess over my lack of victory so that I perpetually dwell on sin
-Obscure references to prophesy are meaningless without context
-Midlessly repeating the virtues of God makes him no more real or the virtues any more apparent to me (unless brainwashing is recreational sport that advocated in some scriptural passage in Hezekiah)
Now of course there are Christian songs that tell the truth. But it seems so often we refuse to scrutinize Christian music with the same ardent fervour as we do secular stuff. when it should be the other way around.
We should expect that music written from a perspective that does not include Christ will not uphold His values. But when music that purports to be speaking on behalf of Christ and his church lies…
So for me when I discover truth in places where it really wasn’t ‘supposed’ to be I get excited.
Cali Amy says:
I agree that we need to scrutinize Christian songs more. Sometimes there are worship songs that don’t make sense and are grammatically incorrect, yet they get played Sunday after Sunday because they are catchy. That really annoys me.
I think talking about the virtues of God and the things God has done can be really helpful in music. There’s something about music that can bring to life a phrase or verse from the Bible in a new way. I think that’s a really positive and important aspect of Christian faith influenced music.
I actually, for the record, like the term faith influenced.
Jay Adkins says:
True Christian music is intended to honor and glorify God, not to tell lies. I wouldn’t suggest that any artist is lying in their songs.
Why scrutinize it so much when it’s intended to be uplifting and encouraging? It’s not meant to lie to anyone. Every Christian (if they know anything about God) knows that not everything is always rosy.
My point is that it’s absurd to accuse anyone of lying because you may not particularly like the style of music they’re performing.
God gave us music as a gift, the least we could do would be to praise, honor and glorify Him with the gifts He gives us.
arny says:
i normally won’t listen to a song about sex lust and deception. but i listened to a song the other day about a guy who called up a girl to have an afair with him. and as he waited for her in his bedroom he wondered if she would be wearing sexy black dress since he had already seen her taking a bath…not a very christian situation…but it’s exaclty what King David did. this is not a song you would listen to on christian radio. it was a song by the one time band the normals fronted by andrew osenga…it’s honest and real. David dealt with this temptation and guess what…he gave in. and he got his consiquence. I believe this is the sort of thing that christian music today is lacking. Being real and honest. Saying things like. “There are days that i don’t believe this gospel that i preach and i have to put on a mask sometimes so God help me.”
GRANT says:
I really see the point in censoring some lyrics, but I personally do not go crazy about promotion of Christian music. Why make so much important these themes? They pretend to deal with eternal moral topics, but they do not always have a clear understanding of real life. They sometimes resort to such a pop stuff… Btw,Got to know a nice resource to accompany free time
’http://musics-shop.info/Want to compile perfect playlists?