Very good discussion so far! I find myself particularly in agreement with everything that Dave U and Johan have said so far. Apart from the issue of the legitimacy of drawing a strong distinction between the music we listen to for "pleasure" and the music we use in our worship (private or corporate), I do find the claim that the music with which the church worships should emerge from the church unassailable. Of course, I now belong to a church whose worship is entirely liturgical, so I don’t really need convincing on that point.

I suppose what I would like to explore a little more deeply is the claim of some holy hip-hop supporters and artists (such as William Branch), that holy hip-hop has emerged from the church -- from the Christian hip-hop church community. It is their “indigenous” music. Just as our church music (I’m especially thinking of the music and not the lyrics) reflects and bears the stamp of the cultures from which our churches have emerged, their music reflects and bears the stamp of the culture they have come from and still belong to. Once they’ve thrown out all the dirty, degrading, worldly lyrics and replaced them with pious ones, what else do they need to do? Are certain rhythms, sounds, and melodies intrinsically ungodly? My gut says Yes! But, not being a musicologist, I don’t have a clue how to articulate my misgivings. Also, maybe my musical intuitions and tastes are just too "white." Is there anything ungodly or sinful about “sampling” or “scratching” or “rapping” in themselves? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/peace.gif" alt="" />

When missionaries go to foreign mission fields, do they or should they allow local, indigenous musicians to write new settings for old songs, or perhaps even compose or write their own? Or is the (white - Western) music the missionaries bring with them the only thing permitted? And if so, for how long? What if indigenous children or teenagers start singing songs about Jesus in the style of other songs they know, should this be discouraged? How or why is the inner-city African American community or culture any different? Certainly it and the people in it need to be redeemed; but what does redemption look like when it comes to music? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shrug.gif" alt="" />




O Lord and Master of my life
take from me the spirit of sloth
faint-heartedness,
lust of power
and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility,
patience,
and love to thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King
grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brother;
for Thou art blessed unto the ages of ages.
Amen.

-- St. Ephraim the Syrian

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