Jump to content

Favorite Music


Recommended Posts

Great music. Any others you would recommend?

 

Hi Dutch. Iona has a beautiful song that is a tribute to Nelson Mandala called "Factory of Magnificent Souls". It has awesome lyrics about what true strength is. They also have another one in that vein call, "Strength".

 

And probably one of my favorites is rather simple, but still deep. It is called, "Treasure."

 

-----

Consider the flowers of the field

In their beauty

More lovely than even the clothes of a king

Consider the birds of the air

Flying high, flying free

You are precious to me

 

Where your treasure is

There is your heart

 

If a son asks his father on earth

For fish or for bread

Who among you would give him

A snake or a stone

How much more does the Father above

Have a heart full of love

For the children that He calls His own

-----

 

This song is not only catchy, but speaks to me of GOD's love and heart always being with me.

 

But, truth be told, I like all of Iona's music. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Is it just me or does it seem like the majority of Christian music is aimed at conservative Christians? The only Christian song I can think of that isn't is a song Ray Boltz made after he came out of the closet that's a pro-gay marriage song from a Christian perspective called Don't Tell Me Who To Love, but is there any other Christian music out there with more of a progressive slant to it?

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a composer named Brian Wren. I'll try googling him and see what I get. I belong to a More Light Presbyterian (open to all) congregation, and though we are seen by many as on the far "progressive" end of the spectrum, we still sing and enjoy many of the hymns from the Presbyterian hymnal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it just me or does it seem like the majority of Christian music is aimed at conservative Christians? The only Christian song I can think of that isn't is a song Ray Boltz made after he came out of the closet that's a pro-gay marriage song from a Christian perspective called Don't Tell Me Who To Love, but is there any other Christian music out there with more of a progressive slant to it?

 

I didn't know that Ray Boltz came out as being gay! Cool! I was really into his music in the late eighties. The theology in most of it is a little too conservative for me now, but Ray had a good voice and definately knew how to put a song together.

 

PS - Sorry, but I don't know of an contemporary progressive Christian music/artists. There are individual songs, of course, that have a progressive slant. But to get airplay, Christian music has to rely on the fallen mankind/blood of Jesus formula.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I handpick music off the Christian pop charts that isn't too Calvanistic. Some of the Casting Crowns stuff that is critical of the church works or "Lifesong". Brandon Heath's "Give Me Your Eyes," Sanctus Real's "Face of Love" and "Deeds".

 

Also, I've written one... For some reason this is not letting me attach the file....

Janet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://tcpc.ipbhost.com/index.php?/topic/1373-progressive-christian-music/page__hl__music__fromsearch__1

 

This is a link to the song I was thinking of from a post back in April 2008.

 

I'd love to swap ideas for songs with anyone who listens to "Christian pop/rock" about what songs are progressive. I'm SO glad to get the Ray Boltz tune reference, because we are going to do a service about who's in/who's out that involves some of the church's past/current embarassing stances regarding homosexuality.

 

God's timing?

 

Janet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the recommendations! I'll have to check them out! And Ray Boltz has his pro-gay marriage song to listen to free from his official site and if I'm not mistaken, I think Ray Boltz now performs concerts at Metropolitan Community churches: http://rayboltzblog.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/dont-tell-me-who-to-love-the-new-single/

Edited by Neon Genesis
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Katy Taylor has a lot of beautiful interfatih sacred music. Many of her songs reflect the Christian tradition while others pull from Pagan. However her music is not very marketable since it is not rock/pop music. Loreena McKennitt too has a lot of good sacred music, more or less under the label 'new age.'

 

But JJ Heller is a Christian artist whose music can easily appeal to the religious and non-religious alike. Songs I like from her include 'Small', 'Love Me', 'Only Love Remains', 'Garden Variety'.

 

If you've been following the 'emergent church' at all, it's a post-modern church movement that has moved away from the thought-world of fundamentalism. Solomon's Porch, led by Doug Pagitt, has a lot of in-house music from their own members. Their songs may seem more or less conservative though, but I appreciate their music more knowing where they're coming from.

 

Generally I enjoy music that reflects traditional Christian spirituality, songs that either capture the ancient mysticism or that hold special meaning for me. For me music doesn't have to be particularly 'progressive.' As such I enjoy many traditional church hymns, and also Gregorian chants. I also tend to like homegrown folk or blues style religious music, exemplified in, say, Kelly Joe Phelps (folk blues, probably my favorite living artist) and Connie Dover (folk, but also with a strong Celtic tendency).

Edited by Mike
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Generally I enjoy music that reflects traditional Christian spirituality, songs that either capture the ancient mysticism or that hold special meaning for me. For me music doesn't have to be particularly 'progressive.'

I do still like a lot of classic Christian hymns, like I still love Amazing Grace although I don't care for those new modern versions of the song that youth groups love to sing for some reason. But some of the lyrics in conservative church hymns are kind of creepy to me with the obsession they place on the torture of Jesus and being Christian martyrs. I think the most creepy song I've heard has been "There's A Fountain Filled With Blood" and then there's that song "Wonderful Cross." And I didn't know Casting Crowns were PC. Their song "What If His People Prayed" sounded more conservative to me but then that was their debut album. Edited by Neon Genesis
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do still like a lot of classic Christian hymns, like I still love Amazing Grace although I don't care for those new modern versions of the song that youth groups love to sing for some reason. But some of the lyrics in conservative church hymns are kind of creepy to me with the obsession they place on the torture of Jesus and being Christian martyrs. I think the most creepy song I've heard has been "There's A Fountain Filled With Blood" and then there's that song "Wonderful Cross." And I didn't know Casting Crowns were PC. Their song "What If His People Prayed" sounded more conservative to me but then that was their debut album.

 

Ha I suppose a lot of hymns can be considered 'creepy' if you sit down and think about what the words are literally saying. Though to be fair, at this point the cross and sacrifice of Jesus have taken on a cosmic or metaphysical significance in Christian theology and I doubt very many Christians are really thinking the historical, factual, visceral torture of Jesus when singing songs like that. At least, I never was. To be honest though I do shy away from songs that explicitly state or promote that theory of atonement.

I know very little about Casting Crowns but they seem conservative to me too.

I do recommend JJ Heller though, like I said I think she has a general appeal, not just to the religious.

 

Peace to you,

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Hey all,

I'm so frustrated with the lack of good progressive Christian rock radio!! Actually I can stand most of the music played on WAY-FM and KLOVE (our Christian pop stations), but yesterday I got so disgusted and angry I had to turn it off!! Between songs, they aired an "Abounding Grace Minute" from Calvary Chapel on my favorite WAY-FM. Let's just say it was very hateful and diametrically opposed to my thinking about homosexuality. The speaker was saying "The Bible teaches that there is no greater depravity in the downward spiral!!!!" Where does it say THAT??? Then right after, the speaker started saying how we should show Jesus' love to people struggling with this... and thought I heard God crying in frustration!! I was actually hoping God would toss a lighting bolt toward Calvary Chapel, but since I don't believe God causes disasters in our world....

 

Anyway, this has totally wrecked my ability to listen to Christian radio in the short term. It doesn't matter that I'm not gay. I'm trying to decide if I should circulate a petition asking the station to stop airing Calvary Chapel's hatred and misinformation. I certainly don't feel like giving them any more money to spread that kind of message!

 

Sorry for the rant! Your thoughts?

 

Janet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hardly listen to radio but I believe your frustration certainly is justified. But this, or similar views, are still very common within the churches. I remember as a conservative Christian, even though I harbored no hatred or personal dislike for homosexuals, I still felt that it was against biblical standards and therefore not truly acceptable. It was a conclusion that I felt (and was taught) was inescapable, however unhappy, since it was clearly there in the bible. What do you do with black and white text?

 

And remember that Christian radio is not primarily out there to attract theological liberals. Conservative to moderate Christians, I wager, form the body of their listenership.

 

Peace to you,

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mike,

You're right that I'm obviously not the target market of that station, but we liberal Christians like music, too :)

 

Interestingly, the webmaster from the station replied via facebook message to me today (I have shared your concerns about the Abounding Grace Minute with our General Manager. You were not the only one to express such concerns and I appreciate your doing so.) and I was glad to hear this, but disappointed that he removed my post off their wall. I understand it was not good advertising, but I think a public reply would have been better. I was also looking forward to hearing someone who supported such talk explain to me why....

 

As far as the question about what to do with black and white text, I haven't so far found the quote in the Bible that homosexuality is at the bottom of the downward spiral of depravity. In fact, there are many, many abominations and many offenses punishable by death in the Bible, but I don't see any kind of ranking...

 

It is a very human perspective reflected in the Bible. Recently Leviticus 20:13 has come into the spotlight again in Africa, to try to justify the death penalty for male-male sex. 4 verses earlier, a child that curses his father or mother deserves the death penalty too. In another part of the Pentetuch (Numbers 5) there is a whole section on The Test for an Unfaithful Wife, where a jealous husband with no proof can have a priest make his wife drink a bitter potion that might kill her. Obviously humans have learned much about God since those times. I know I don't need to convince you, Mike -- again I'm just ranting....

 

Thanks for your wish of Peace. I know Jesus will grant that if I ask Him.

 

Janet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Janet,

 

Maybe you should start your own PC radio show! Or start planning a program for when your kids are grown. You have musical talent, compose your own lyrics, play / sing in church-- ? you could do it!

 

That’s terrible about the anti-gay statement on the air – shameful. I’ve always read in theology books, that the biblical negativity toward homosexuality was mainly due to the widespread practice of older men seducing or raping young boys, owning them as slaves etc. The NT was against that type of abuse, rather than prohibiting loving relationships among same gender adults. Paul may well have been gay or bisexual himself. I would bet at least one of the apostles was homosexual, and many of the first disciples.

 

I’m not into most religious pop music (though I think there’s plenty that could be called liberal). I just wish there were a classic rock station that didn’t keep repeating the same old songs while neglecting hundreds of great hits from the 60s--80s that get little or no play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mike,

You're right that I'm obviously not the target market of that station, but we liberal Christians like music, too :)

 

Interestingly, the webmaster from the station replied via facebook message to me today (I have shared your concerns about the Abounding Grace Minute with our General Manager. You were not the only one to express such concerns and I appreciate your doing so.) and I was glad to hear this, but disappointed that he removed my post off their wall. I understand it was not good advertising, but I think a public reply would have been better. I was also looking forward to hearing someone who supported such talk explain to me why....

 

As far as the question about what to do with black and white text, I haven't so far found the quote in the Bible that homosexuality is at the bottom of the downward spiral of depravity. In fact, there are many, many abominations and many offenses punishable by death in the Bible, but I don't see any kind of ranking...

 

It is a very human perspective reflected in the Bible. Recently Leviticus 20:13 has come into the spotlight again in Africa, to try to justify the death penalty for male-male sex. 4 verses earlier, a child that curses his father or mother deserves the death penalty too. In another part of the Pentetuch (Numbers 5) there is a whole section on The Test for an Unfaithful Wife, where a jealous husband with no proof can have a priest make his wife drink a bitter potion that might kill her. Obviously humans have learned much about God since those times. I know I don't need to convince you, Mike -- again I'm just ranting....

 

Thanks for your wish of Peace. I know Jesus will grant that if I ask Him.

 

Janet

 

Janet,

 

You are correct. The Bible has very little, if anything, to say about homosexuality. Most significant is the fact that Jesus was silent on the subject. For myself, I find the assumption of 'total depravity' very disturbing and not in accordance with what we know about human nature.

 

As I understand it, at the time Jesus taught there was a significant difference between the text of the law and actual practice. In short, an "abomination" was more of a misdemeanor than a capital offence.

 

Myron

Edited by minsocal
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Janet,

 

Okay, getting back to the original post, I have a way I have adapted to Christian music. In secular music terms I have a system that I call the "Prat Paradox". That is there are certain bands and acts that, as people, are just tools, but I enjoy their music a lot. A prime example of the Prat Paradox is the band Oasis! Now, in terms of Christian music, I have a similar paradox, the "Gaither Paradox". While I know that the theology behind much if not all of the music that comes out of the Gaither Vocal Band and its many off shoots, I ignore that, treat the song as a mirror rather than a window (also how I read the bible) and enjoy the music for the spirit of loving Jesus. A prime example of this is the incredible song written and sung by Mark Lowry, fast becoming a Christmas standard, called "Mary Did You Know". This, on the face of it, is SUCH a literalist song, making assumptions that I don't necessarily hold to and some I think are a little unhealthy to believe in (such as "One day he will rule the nations")but the spirit of it, asking Mary if she knows, when looking into her baby's face, just how special that child will be, is, that she is looking, metaphorically or literally, at the face of God!

 

Anyway, that's my take on it. Works for me.

 

Adi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Adi,

Me, too. There are beautiful "truths" in the music, even though I don't consider them literally "true." My fellow band mates laugh at my attempt to make sure all lyrics conform to my theology before we sing them :) They've gone so far as to call me the "Lyric Nazi," so I've tried to relax and understand that just because a particular song makes me cringe it may be precious to someone else.

 

I've tried the thing of just letting the rest of the band sing words I don't want to, but my hubby says it just looks like I forgot to sing. For example, with the line "I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken", I would just leave out "because" and be fine with the rest of the song.

 

I've also tried writing some music, but so far it's not topping the Christian Rock radio charts :D

 

Thanks for bringing us back to the topic!

 

Janet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...

this is an older thread but it seemed an appropriate place

 

I am in need of new music as much as any other - and the church I attend has none! none! "Shine Jesus Shine Jesus" is probably the newest. But when I find a church with good resources I found the following approach interesting. It is kind of like having control over your psychological problems by being able to name them ;). This church uses a wide variety of music and when they use older hymns they label them as coming from a traditional era or mythic-literal viewpoint. Instead of grinding teeth everyone can relax and say to themselves, Oh, this is from this is that tradition/viewpoint. It seems me that one reason for doing this is to acknowledge that there is no break with the past but only development/evolution in the church and the past is part of our present.

 

As I said - Only when there is a balance. All the service(s) shouldn't be labeled traditional or mythic-literal. This Suquamish UCC also uses pop/rock songs.

 

http://suquamishucc.org/about/what-we-believe/what-is-the-integral-church/a-map/integral-church

 

I heard about Tom thresher's Church in one of the Evolutionary Christian conversations coordinated by Michael Dowd.

 

http://evolutionarychristianity.com/blog/audio-downloads/

 

Take Care

 

Dutch

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

What are your favorite songs that express the values of Progressive Christianity? They don't have to be explicitly Christian or religious songs but any song from any genre that you like that you think expresses the eight points of Progressive Christianity. Two songs that come to my mind are Belinda Carlisle's Heaven Is A Place On Earth:

and also Lady Gaga's Born This Way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvFqQ0ALhhA
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always been inspired by the lyrics found in U2 songs:

 

I believe in the kingdom come

Then all the colours will bleed into one

Bleed into one

But yes, I'm still running

You broke the bonds and you loosed the chains

Carried the cross of my shame

Of my shame

You know I believe it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for --

 

NORM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

terms of service