Peace and Love from the country Yall... it's sure been gnarley hot out here... it's been a bad scene with all the heat and the storms... it's really bringing me down.. and when I'm down, I start thinking about blogging again.. so let me lay somethin on ya... let me hip you to the things I been rolling around in my country-fied brain...( or is that Country FRIED brain??)
Remember back in the late 60s/70s when lots of young people were rebelling against the system... they were called HIPPIES and they did everything in their power to go against the grain.. to be non-conformists.. to be free-thinkers.. to be individualistic in every respect.. so what did they DO???? Well..... they ALL started dressing alike.... they ALL stopped working.... They ALL started speaking alike...... liking the SAME MUSIC.(. you get it don't ya???) it was a really cool scene- going to San Francisco, wearing Flowers in your hair, tie-dyes, long hair, jeans, hallucinogenic drugs... Rebelling against the man is such fun.. Even Free Spirits enjoying Free Love have to pay the piper some day... and they all did... in one way or another- some of them found the answer to their questions in the Messiah... Calvary Chapel and other California churches pointed these seekers to the Savior.... and they became what was known as Jesus People....
The Jesus People did what other sub-cultures do- they brought a little of their OLD SCENE into the NEW SCENE... you know... they talked of getting HIGH on Jesus instead of drugs, they emphasized the "outsider/radical" aspects of Jesus ministry and Life, " Hey Man, Jesus was the Ultimate hippie... He shot down the MAN every chance he got... Peace and Love Man...." and Oh Yeah... the Jesus People brought their music to the worship service... Guitars and bongos replaced the Piano and Organ... and Hey.. thats cool - the Word says to Praise him with the stringed Lyre and the cymbals... Worship can be a happenin' Scene.. I dig it... But here's what we should'nt dig-
The worship music of the Jesus People was naturally centered on the emotional experience of Knowing Christ. Get High on Jesus while you are strumming your guitar... The lyrics could be used in a romantic love song for your favorite girl ... The Hippie worship music held huge appeal for women- the feminine need to relate on a purely emotional basis... It was'nt about the ethical perfections of God's nature... it was all about the FEELING.. and as the Flower children said, " If it feels good....( well.. you know.....) "
The Men of the church retreated( or welcomed) this change in the worship music of the church.. they fled from their responsiblities as leaders.. and asked the women of the church to "take over" the music programs of the local church... after all... " we are busy doing the "REAL work" of the church... "let" the women do the music and teach children's Sunday School....
Today we have Worship Music that often focuses on our FEELINGS about knowing God...it does'nt remind us of His LOVE in a Scriptural way... HIS LOVE is NOT an EMOTION that can be lost because of a "bad Day" .. HIS love is rooted in His nature, A.W. Pink called them His ethical Perfections... Not emotions, not passions... He Loves because He is Love... His WORD strengthens our knowledge of His Love... His Sacraments confirm and seal his Grace to us.. It's NOT singing about "hearing the Brush of Angel's wings"
In today's Church, the Music Ministers and Worship Leaders design their music exclusively with Women in mind... after ALL... the men have neglected their role as Disciplers and teachers of their wives... and turned music over to the Ladies...The emphasis on emotion is clearly seen.. Worship music has turned in to a performance- " Ladies, lets be sure to get color co-ordinated on the Praise Team wardrobe"...
Thanks to the Jesus People, thanks to the Men who retreated, thanks to the women who now control the music.. we can all hear the Brush of Angel's wings... hey... thats not all bad.. it drowns out the boring reminder that God is" a most pure Spirit,invisible, without body, parts, or passions,immutable, immense, eternal, ..etc....." - and who wants to be reminded of THAT???
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