Music and Worship: Part Two

Music and the Church

From Donald Hustad

Aesthetic Relativism

Because of…

The triumph of commercial pop music over art music

The triumph of untrained talent over artistic discipline and preparation

The triumph of aesthetic spectatorism over aesthetic participation

The Problem of “Pop Worship”

Wave of renewal are followed by a wave of marketing

Music industry:

Motive of sales rather than discipleship--profit margin

A musically bland lowest common denominator

Radio air time translates into church platform air time

A model of church music adapted from culture

“Upside down”? •The Emergence of the Contemporary Worship Music Industry (CWM) •Rooted in the revivalist stream – hymnody adapted to the American popular culture of the day •Youth as a targeted demographic •Youth for Christ •Youth musicals •Jesus music •More on demographic targeting • •Sources of CWM - 2018 •Hillsong, etc. •Online delivery holds promise of greater diversification, but… •Radio •Pandora •Amazon •Itunes •Spotify •CCLI TOP 100 •The dangerous dynamics of CWM influence •Sources outside of the established church structures establish •Style •Theology •Like any other industry, CWM must pay attention to •Profit margin •Market sustainability •Discipleship in reverse? •Solving the Entertainment Problem

Principles

•Safeguard the holiness of the central worship service. •Break the controlling tie between church music and secular pop styles. •Approach: Divergence in entertainment, unity in worship

Don Hustad

•Cross-Cultural Worship Music

Choices

•Musical genre •Focused, or •Blended •Praise Band vs. Choir •Band - handful of available positions •Choir - “Can you carry a tune?”

Sally Morgenthaler, Worship Evangelism

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