Dealing with Demonic Praise Choruses (Part 1)
The most challenging change through which I’ve had to shepherd our church has been in the use of church music.
When I joined evangelicalism in the mid-70’s no one had heard of “worship music”. We used the hymnal accompanied by piano and/or organ. Our youth group used more lively choruses with hand motions, but those were strictly used for youth events, not church services.
“Christian rock” had only recently emerged from its infancy and was, for the most part, tame folk music – Evie, Amy Grant, Dallas Holm, Don Francisco, Randy Stonehill, John Michael Talbot, 2nd Chapter of Acts. A few artists used a rockier style – Keith Green, Petra, Rez Band – but no one – even us teens – considered that worship music to be used in the church.
The first “worship music” I recall was Maranatha Praise produced by Calvary Chapel – Scripture verses accompanied by folk guitar or string orchestra; songs like “Sing Alleluia to the Lord”, “Open Our Eyes, Lord”, “I Love You, Lord”, “As the Deer”, “Thy Word”, “Majesty” and “Micah 6.8”. We now consider these ‘the oldies’.
But back in the 70’s, though they enjoyed this music in their homes and cars, many were unsure of their use in a church service. The lyrics were godly, but some songs were driven by guitars (not piano or organ) or used drums and syncopated rhythms that made you want to tap your foot or sway (fleshly responses!).
By the late 1980’s many churches used Maranatha choruses alongside hymns in church. So, when a young man offered to do so at our church, playing guitar and shining lyrics on the wall with an overhead projector, I said ‘yes’ without consulting anyone. It didn’t seem like a big deal.
But after the first week of hymns and choruses, a number of people expressed deep concern because they had heard from Christian anti-rock seminars that such choruses were dangerous and demonic. They had heard (among other things) that syncopated rhythms adversely affect the normal beating of the human heart and that certain drumbeats automatically summon demons to the church service. One person protested that Jesus never used an overhead projector!
What I found odd was that nearly every person who expressed concern listened to the syncopated Marantha Praise at home! Most of them owned several Maranatha Praise albums. But they believed, a few of them quite strongly, that such music was unacceptable for use in the church.
How would you shepherd a church through that? I’ll tell you how I decided to lead our church through it in the next blog.
When I joined evangelicalism in the mid-70’s no one had heard of “worship music”. We used the hymnal accompanied by piano and/or organ. Our youth group used more lively choruses with hand motions, but those were strictly used for youth events, not church services.
“Christian rock” had only recently emerged from its infancy and was, for the most part, tame folk music – Evie, Amy Grant, Dallas Holm, Don Francisco, Randy Stonehill, John Michael Talbot, 2nd Chapter of Acts. A few artists used a rockier style – Keith Green, Petra, Rez Band – but no one – even us teens – considered that worship music to be used in the church.
The first “worship music” I recall was Maranatha Praise produced by Calvary Chapel – Scripture verses accompanied by folk guitar or string orchestra; songs like “Sing Alleluia to the Lord”, “Open Our Eyes, Lord”, “I Love You, Lord”, “As the Deer”, “Thy Word”, “Majesty” and “Micah 6.8”. We now consider these ‘the oldies’.
But back in the 70’s, though they enjoyed this music in their homes and cars, many were unsure of their use in a church service. The lyrics were godly, but some songs were driven by guitars (not piano or organ) or used drums and syncopated rhythms that made you want to tap your foot or sway (fleshly responses!).
By the late 1980’s many churches used Maranatha choruses alongside hymns in church. So, when a young man offered to do so at our church, playing guitar and shining lyrics on the wall with an overhead projector, I said ‘yes’ without consulting anyone. It didn’t seem like a big deal.
But after the first week of hymns and choruses, a number of people expressed deep concern because they had heard from Christian anti-rock seminars that such choruses were dangerous and demonic. They had heard (among other things) that syncopated rhythms adversely affect the normal beating of the human heart and that certain drumbeats automatically summon demons to the church service. One person protested that Jesus never used an overhead projector!
What I found odd was that nearly every person who expressed concern listened to the syncopated Marantha Praise at home! Most of them owned several Maranatha Praise albums. But they believed, a few of them quite strongly, that such music was unacceptable for use in the church.
How would you shepherd a church through that? I’ll tell you how I decided to lead our church through it in the next blog.