“All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment; where this is not remembered, there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub.” – J. S. Bach
Last week I took aim at the genre of Contemporary Christian Music and addressed why so much of it is unfit for use in the Mass. Allow me to take a step back and clarify: there is a lot of great music to be found here as well. And if it achieves its purpose of glorifying God, strengthening and lifting up his Church, and is effective as a tool for evangelization and ministry, then I support it 100%. That doesn’t, however, mean it’s appropriate for use in a parish Mass setting. And why not? It all goes back to the initial goal of music ministry; even before the question of liturgical, pastoral, and musical suitability. “Does it foster full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy by all people?”
I listened to a lot of CCM growing up. At some point in my childhood, all of the radios in our house, family cars, etc. switched from Billboard Top 40’s pop to the local Christian music station. In high school, I bought into the Columbia Records “10 CD’s for a penny” marketing, and bought my fill of DC Talk, Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, Petra, Sixpence None the Richer… all prominent Christian rock bands in the late 90’s. And a lot of it was (and still is) great music. I’ve attended concerts and festivals headlined by these same groups, and I don’t doubt that they are fulfilling their own purpose in bringing about the Kingdom of God. But the songs are written to be listened to – to be observed – not to be sung in communion with a church assembly. They’re great when they are performed, with all of the production values that a great recording artist and professional musicians bring to the table, but not always approachable to a congregation who may struggle with the range or complex rhythms. These things sound great, but alienate the unfamiliar or untrained. It’s music we love to hear, but less inclined to do.
But again, just because a song (or an artist as a whole) isn’t well suited for liturgy by no means is a judgment on it’s value, either artistically or theologically. Mac Powell, lead singer of the band Third Day, wrote (with regards to the band’s Offerings: A Worship Album, that worship music aught to have both a vertical component, focused on fostering and deepening the relationship between God and the singer (and by extension, the listener), and also a horizontal component, designed to engage the individual with the greater community of believers, and in the pursuit of evangelization, beyond that community. And the two components combined reinforce the symbol of the cross. If this notion sounds familiar, it might be because Fr. Michael preached this same message in a recent homily!
So it was not my intention at all to throw the entire CCM genre under the bus as unacceptable. Rather, it’s music that serves a great purpose in the right setting and with the right audience. And if you’re interested in exploring more of it, let me know. I’m sure I still have those Columbia House CD’s somewhere.
Please accept this invitation to participate more fully, more actively, in our parish’s music ministry. If you are interested in singing in the choir, leading the congregation as a cantor,
or enriching our liturgy as an instrumentalist, email Shawn Gelzleichter at sgelzleichter@gmail.com or call the rectory at 781-662-8844.