Secular music compatible with Christian world view

"Bridge Over Troubled Water"

I've even heard that one sung in church.

 

How about The Flying Burrito Brothers doing the gospel song like "Farther Along" and a Merle Haggard tune called "Sing Me Back Home"

 

And then there's REO Speedwagon's "My Love Is a Rock"

My love is a rock, an immovable force
Anywhere that you are, my love is right here
With any tick of the clock
Life can change it's course
Some things are here and then gone before you know
Some things disappear without a chance to grow
But my love will not
My love is a rock

By the way, a little REO Speedwagon trivia for you:

When we saw them a couple of years ago, their lead singer, Kevin Cronin, introduced a song that he and his son wrote together about how they were reconciled after they both accepted Christ at a Greg Laurie crusade that Foreigner lead singer, Lou Gramm, invited them to.

Their previous singer was Greg X. Volz, who also happens to be a Christian. I understand that, after he left the band, he made a brief foray into Christian music with some band or other.


Now Playing: Sugar Blue – “Blue Blazes”

 

WOW. I didn't realize that Lou Gramm was a Christian either. Didn't he have a near-death experience with a brain tumor?

God's Very Best to you and yours,
BiR

[listening to Sugar's debut album Copper Blue]

 

<Sound of BiR spitting coffee all over his computer>

The Flying Burrito Brothers!!!!



God's Best to you and yours too, Rocko9,

BiR

 

Yeah, he's a Christian and has been a featured singer at Greg Laurie's Harvest Crusades for many years now.

He also wrote Petra's song, "We Need Jesus".

Yes he did. He was in pretty bad shape at one point.

I don't know how he's doing now but I know that he's been pretty active and that Foreigner is going out on the road soon, so I guess that's a good sign.

Thank you. And you as well.

[listening to Sugar's debut album Copper Blue] [/QUOTE]

I don't think I have that.


Now Playing: Jason and the Scorchers – “Still Standing”

 

I recently got back from youth camp. Everynight thry would show a video and the music they played was secular over the videos. The content of the videos were great and they picked perfect music to go with it. Music is what we make it. Some secular music does match up with a Christian worldview. That doesn't mean it is Christian music.

We want to saty inside the walls of the church and not know what is going on. Ministry requires stepping out.Before you condenm someones music you better know it. Some is trash and some is ain't.

 

Not really sure if this is a secular song by definition, but it is a good one.

By His Grace
by Van Morrison


You've got to try, for the kingdom
You've got to try, for the kingdom
On high, you've got to try,
By His grace, by His grace

You've got to live your religion
Deep inside, when you try
For the kingdom on high
By His grace, by His grace

Open your mind to the wisdom
When you try for the kingdom, on high
By His grace, by His grace

Open your heart to the wisdom
In your mind when you try
For the kingdom on high
By His grace, by His grace

One day at a time, you got to try
Open your eye, it will come
By and by, when you try
By His grace, by His grace
By His grace, by His grace.

Now Playing: Jerry Jeff Walker – “Jerry Jeff Jazz”

 

Well, according to this article, you're partly correct. Foreigner is touring, and Lou is touring, but not together.

 

5 pages straight and nobody has posted this yet? Tssk, tssk you guys are losing your touch.

You see the face on the tv screen
Coming at you every sunday
See that face on the billboard
That man is me
On the cover of the magazine
There’s no question why I’m smiling
You buy a piece of paradise
You buy a piece of me
I’ll get you everything you wanted
I’ll get you everything you need
Don’t need to believe in hereafter
Just believe in me
Cos jesus he knows me
And he knows I’m right
I’ve been talking to jesus all my life
Oh yes he knows me
And he knows I’m right
And he’s been telling me
Everything is alright
I believe in the family
With my ever loving wife beside me
But she don’t know about my girlfriend
Or the man I met last night
Do you believe in god
Cos that’s what I’m selling
And if you wanna get to heaven
I’ll see you right
You won’t even have to leave your house
Or get outta your chair
You don’t even have to touch that dial
Cos I’m everywhere
And jesus he knows me
And he knows I’m right
I’ve been talking to jesus all my life
Oh yes he knows me
And he knows I’m right
Well he’s been telling me
Everything’s gonna be alright
Won’t find me practising what I’m preaching
Won’t find me making no sacrifice
But I can get you a pocketful of miracles
If you promise to be good, try to be nice
God will take good care of you
Just do as I say, don’t do as I do
I’m counting my blessings,
I’ve found true happiness
Cos I’m getting richer, day by day
You can find me in the phone book,
Just call my toll free number
You can do it anyway you want
Just do it right away
There’ll be no doubt in your mind
You’ll believe everything I’m saying
If you wanna get closer to him
Get on your knees and start paying
Cos jesus he knows me
And he knows I’m right
I’ve been talking to jesus all my life
Oh yes he knows me
And he knows I’m right
Well he’s been telling me
Everything’s gonna be alright, alright
Jesus he knows me
Jesus he knows me, you know...

Jesus He Knows Me- Genesis
Listening to it is very therapeutic after having been subjected to television preachers and their fans.

 

Thanks, I really enjoyed that article.

Regards to you and yours,
BiR

 

Back in the 80's, there was a songwriter I liked who put out a couple of albums of his own.

His name was Skip Ewing.

He was an old hand at livin' and makin' his way
He smelled like old whiskey and he needed a shave
His home was an alley off 8th Avenue
If you had a minute or an hour or two
He'd tell you the Gospel according to Luke

2. Luke carried his Bible in a crown royal bag
He wiped off his brow with an old dirty rag
He'd tell you straight out just the way he believed
Faith in the good Lord was all that ya need
I remember the mornin' he first preached to me


CH: He said give to your brother is he is in need
Offer up thanks for the gifts you receive
There's treasure in heaven for the generous few
Thatwas the gospel according to Luke

3. So I bought him breakfast at the Daylight Cafe
Biscuits and gravy, hot coffee, and eggs
He was hungry and ragged, hadn't eaten in days
But I was the one there who felt out of place
When he folded his hands, bowed his head, and said grace

4. A week ago Wednesday, I saw him again
Downtown at the mission, surrounded by friends
Handin' out all the change he'd collected that week
Sayin' you boys might need this a lot more than me
I try hard to practice the words that I preach

CH: Give to your brother if he is in need
Offer up thanks for the gifts you receive
There's treasure in heaven for the generous few
That was the gospel according to Luke

5. He was an old hand at livin' and makin' his way
He smelled like old whiskey and he needed a shave
His home was an alley off 8th Avenue
If you had a minute or an hour or two
He'd tell you the Gospel according to Luke


Now Playing: Joe Henderson - "Lush Life" [/i]

 

The topic of the OP was "Secular music compatible with Christian world view".

Most classical music is secular in nature, yet few of us would tell our organists to cease playing Mozart or Vivaldi works. The secular "Wedding March" and "Trumpet Voluntary" are often played at weddings.

These are good examples of secular music not being incompatible with the Christian world view. Of course, whenever it involves a drumstick, then it becomes a different story somehow. Tell that to the Salvation Army.

 

I wanted to correct something I said earlier.

I said that the Kinks were banned from playing in the US.

That wasn't correct. They were blacklisted by the Teamsters and other unions for reasons I can't recall at the moment.

I was listening to a radio preacher the other day talking about the emptiness we have when we live for ourselves rather than God and darned if Porter Wagoner's "Satisfied Mind" didn't come to my mind:

How many times have you heard someone say
"If I had his money, I could do things my way?"
Little they know that it's so hard to find
One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind.

Once I was waitin' for fortune and fame
Everything that I dreamed for to get a start in life's game
Suddenly it happened, I lost every dime
But I'm richer by far with a satisfied mind

Money can't buy back your youth when you're old
Or a friend when you're lonely, or a love that's grown cold
The wealthiest person is a pauper at times
Compared to the man with a satisfied mind

When my life is ended, my time has run out
My trials and my loved ones, I'll leave them no doubt
But one thing's for certain, when it comes my time
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind

Now Playing: Al Green – “I Can’t Stop”

 

Hi, I think this song is at least worth a mention
Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd


Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say.
And if you do this
It will help you some sunny day.
Take your time... Don't live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
Go find a woman and you'll find love,
And don't forget son,
There is someone up above.

(Chorus)
And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Won't you do this for me son,
If you can?

Forget your lust for the rich man's gold
All that you need is in your soul,
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

(Chorus)

Boy, don't you worry... you'll find yourself.
Follow you heart and nothing else.
And you can do this if you try.
All I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

regards

p4017

 

"All that you need is in your soul"

really? How is that compatible with Christianity?

The whole song just posted is all about being satisfied with whatever is already in yourself. It is glorifying self with no idea of anything beyond one's self.....such as, hmmm, perhaps GOD?

 

Hi bapmom

I've always assumed that it meant having your soul opened in relationship with God. I could be wrong of course but I thought the song had a strong message behind it please feel free to correct me.

kind regards

p4017

 

Hi

addendum to my above post the song does say "And don't forget son,There is someone up above".



p4017

 

psalm40.17,

for you, I went back and reread it again....


I still did not get anything deep from the song, no. I did see that there was one mention of "there is someone up above", but that would fit in with absolutely any stripe of theology that exists in the world today. There is no description of who is up there, no indication that He is personal or that He can be known or can guide us. In fact, the song promotes the popular but erroneous notion of "following your heart."

I did not mean to be harsh with you in my first post. I have no knowledge of the author of this song, so this is not any sort of preconceived notion about what that author may typically write in his music. BUT, it seems to me that many of us as Christians are being led subtlely down a path towards more shallow Christian living. And this song is to me an indication of that. You got some sort of deeper idea out of that song.......I don't know how, although I DO understand that God can and does speak to our individual hearts using various things throughout our day. Perhaps He used something in it to speak to you that day, and Im glad for that.

But the overall message in that song seems to me to be one of "look within yourself and you will get everything you need....oh, and don't forget there's somebody up there somewhere.....we don't know who or what, but somebody. And it really doesnt matter anyway because you have to follow your heart."

 

Hi bapmom

Thanks for the detailed reply, I can see where you are coming from now. I am intrigued by what you say, indeed it would seem to be true. I am going to pray on this one.

with thanks

p4017