Topic: Thoughts on Contemporary Christian Music

[Luckster]

Howdy!

I have a 25-minute (one way) drive to work. I have a choice of listening to light rock, light rock, pop, more light rock, or Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Some have rightfully said that CCM isn't as good as most pop or rock music, which I'd agree with. However, it does offer a cleaner message and we don't have to repeatedly listen to the same Lady Gaga song across several stations. Most have theologies that disagree with Orthodoxy. Some are strange (like Matthew West's You Are Everything). I attended an LCMS University and my New Testament professor made us listen to Michael W. Smith's Ancient Words. It's a good song.

For those who don't know, Orthodoxy has OFM (Orthodox Folk Music). Unlike CCM which can used during Protestant contemporary worship services, OFM is purely modern folk music, like drinking songs but with Christ-centered lyrics. You can find those at St. Romanos Records.

[Justin Kissel]

I generally don't find Christian music to be any better or worse than secular music, but then I'm mostly thinking of metal as I don't listen to much you'd hear on more pop-oriented stations. Though I will say that I rather liked some of the worship songs we used when I was a Protestant. Theologically shaky at best, sure, and sappy and emotional, but still, it got me to feel something (positive), which is more than I can say for most music.

[LizaSymonenko]

What about classical music (gotta love Beethoven, Mozart, etc.), Jazz or simply listening to the NEWS?

[JamesRottnek]

I have never understood the antipathy some Orthodox and Catholics have to CCM; I can only assume such antipathy is created and fostered by Evangelical converts to Orthodoxy or Catholicism who want to distance themselves completely from their past.  Some CCM is complete and utter crap.  No one with half a brain cell denies that.  However, much is also quite good.  In that respect, it is the same as any popular music: some of it sucks, some of it is good.  I mean, bands like D.C. Talk have even had their music played on VH1 and MTV (in the case of D.C. Talk, shortly before they went on an indefinite hiatus, their song Between You and Me was making the rounds on said stations, and on popular radio).  Then there are bands like Switchfoot which are composed of Christians and write songs that seem to quite clearly be influenced by Christianity, and who are quite popular nonetheless amongst non-Christians.  However, bands like Switchfoot usually get ignored by those who attack Christian rock for no apparent reason, because Switchfoot doesn't make any major attempts to tie itself in with the Christian music industry, whereas Toby Mac, for instance, does. 

As to the charge that CCM is not, somehow, "theologically heavy" or some such thing, should you really expect it to be?  I mean, when CCM artists create songs that they intend to be worship songs, they usually take a piece of the Psalter, sometimes a whole Psalm, sometimes not, and expand it into a 3 to 5 minute song.  If anyone attacks CCM for not being theologically heavy, they must attack David for not having put enough theology into the Psalms, because most CCM is at least as theological as the Psalms. 

As for Christian rock specifically, it seems to be that most people have one or two songs in their mind, and listen to every other Christian rock song with preconceived notions that it must be a "Jesus-is-my-boyfriend" song, and then keep hold of lyrics that they can interpret that way, while ignoring the lyrics that contradict such an interpretation.  Honestly, I've quite seldom heard a "Jesus-is-my-boyfriend" song, and I spent the better part of a few years listening to more-or-less ONLY Christian radio stations (specifically, KLove and Air1). 

As to the accuracy of the theology that is in Christian music, well, most CCM songs COULD be interpreted in theologically flawed ways, but COULD also be interpreted in theologically accurate ways, much how Amazing Grace can be seen as endorsing once-saved-always-saved, or can be seen in a theologically accurate way.  Those who are not prejudiced against Christian music will not hear every single CCM song as being heresy, while those who are prejudiced against it will always hear it as the gravest heresy.

[Luckster]

What about classical music (gotta love Beethoven, Mozart, etc.), Jazz or simply listening to the NEWS?

I think society has reached a point when we're over-saturated with news. In other words, it's no longer news and reactionary, over-the-top drama.

As to the charge that CCM is not, somehow, "theologically heavy" or some such thing, should you really expect it to be?  I mean, when CCM artists create songs that they intend to be worship songs, they usually take a piece of the Psalter, sometimes a whole Psalm, sometimes not, and expand it into a 3 to 5 minute song.  If anyone attacks CCM for not being theologically heavy, they must attack David for not having put enough theology into the Psalms, because most CCM is at least as theological as the Psalms. 

As to the accuracy of the theology that is in Christian music, well, most CCM songs COULD be interpreted in theologically flawed ways, but COULD also be interpreted in theologically accurate ways, much how Amazing Grace can be seen as endorsing once-saved-always-saved, or can be seen in a theologically accurate way.  Those who are not prejudiced against Christian music will not hear every single CCM song as being heresy, while those who are prejudiced against it will always hear it as the gravest heresy.

To be fair, I did link to an example of a 'bad song'.  Even the B-I-B-L-E song has the lyric, "I stand alone on the Word of God," which endorses Sola Scriptura and making it unacceptable for Orthodox Sunday Schools. I think we can agree that it's more theologically effecacious for Orthodox to listen to Orthodox Folk Music rather than CCM.

[JamesR]

If I wanted to listen to contemporary music then I would listen to contemporary music. But Christianity and Christian worship in particular is not supposed to be contemporary; it is liturgical. If I want to listen to something to help me worship, then I would listen to our liturgical hymns.

[LizaSymonenko]

Personally, I've got a number of Liturgies and services that I've recorded.  I play these back ALL the time....and each time I get re-energized as the memory of the actual moment floods back to me.

I also have a rather extensive library of Orthodoxy CD's....Sacred Treasures, Chants from Valaam, etc. 

Can one ever tire of listening to any of these?

[Iconodule]

The only "CCM" I can stomach is by a weird occultist dude named David Tibet.

[GabrieltheCelt]

What about classical music (gotta love Beethoven, Mozart, etc.), Jazz or simply listening to the NEWS?

I think society has reached a point when we're over-saturated with news. In other words, it's no longer news and reactionary, over-the-top drama.

 You got that right!  Seems Journalism has been replaced with Pugilism.  BTW, doesn't your radio have country or bluegrass? 

[FormerReformer]

Meh. I listened to my share of CCM back in the day and will occasionally delve into the older songs I used to listen to out of a sense of nostalgia. That said, I was never that big of a fan of CCM radio, even in the days when I could stomach ANY radio station for longer than five minutes. I like certain types of music, this taste is wide and diverse, but most of CCM falls into the categories of music I don't like- bland manufactured pop or folksy wannabe spiritual music or Amy Grant. The fact that this music was Christian just made it worse- the Evangelical love of lowest-common-denominator pop-consumerism spirituality given musical form- the musical equivalent of WWJD bracelets and "edgy" t-shirts with Christian themes wore thin after too long and ends up sending the wrong message entirely.

Even the songs I did like weren't the greatest- I can count the number of bands on one finger that "changed my life" in the same manner my first listen to Nirvana or the Ramones did. Too, there was a tendency in the subgenres of CCM that doesn't exist in the sub-genre's of music- a group is expected to change it's style to match what is popular whereas in actual underground rap or punk this is something that would be derided. A good example is DC Talk- Jesus Freak was indeed a great album, very well done, and well-deserving of the accolades it has won since it's release in 1995- but the sudden shift away from their original rap-rock-and-soul style to ripping off Smells Like Teen Spirit is something that would have had them rightly pilloried in most non-Christian music lovers' camps.

In short, what ended up falling flat with me, and leading to my not listening to any new Christian music well before my conversion to Orthodoxy, was the fact that CCMers are not musicians, they are evangelists with musical instruments. The Message is what is important, not the Music- and while this might, to a certain extent, be true when the Message is the Gospel there is a certain dishonesty behind adopting the trappings of a musical style beyond that of bland-radio pop that undermines the Message to begin with. If more bands were Christian musicians as opposed to Christians with musical instruments I might still be listening to Christian bands to this day.

[dzheremi]

Hymns are always best. CCM is just garbage.

[PrincessMommy]

I have never understood the antipathy some Orthodox and Catholics have to CCM; I can only assume such antipathy is created and fostered by Evangelical converts to Orthodoxy or Catholicism who want to distance themselves completely from their past.  Some CCM is complete and utter crap.  No one with half a brain cell denies that.  However, much is also quite good.  In that respect, it is the same as any popular music: some of it sucks, some of it is good.  I mean, bands like D.C. Talk have even had their music played on VH1 and MTV (in the case of D.C. Talk, shortly before they went on an indefinite hiatus, their song Between You and Me was making the rounds on said stations, and on popular radio).  Then there are bands like Switchfoot which are composed of Christians and write songs that seem to quite clearly be influenced by Christianity, and who are quite popular nonetheless amongst non-Christians.  However, bands like Switchfoot usually get ignored by those who attack Christian rock for no apparent reason, because Switchfoot doesn't make any major attempts to tie itself in with the Christian music industry, whereas Toby Mac, for instance, does.  

As to the charge that CCM is not, somehow, "theologically heavy" or some such thing, should you really expect it to be?  I mean, when CCM artists create songs that they intend to be worship songs, they usually take a piece of the Psalter, sometimes a whole Psalm, sometimes not, and expand it into a 3 to 5 minute song.  If anyone attacks CCM for not being theologically heavy, they must attack David for not having put enough theology into the Psalms, because most CCM is at least as theological as the Psalms.  

As for Christian rock specifically, it seems to be that most people have one or two songs in their mind, and listen to every other Christian rock song with preconceived notions that it must be a "Jesus-is-my-boyfriend" song, and then keep hold of lyrics that they can interpret that way, while ignoring the lyrics that contradict such an interpretation.  Honestly, I've quite seldom heard a "Jesus-is-my-boyfriend" song, and I spent the better part of a few years listening to more-or-less ONLY Christian radio stations (specifically, KLove and Air1).  

As to the accuracy of the theology that is in Christian music, well, most CCM songs COULD be interpreted in theologically flawed ways, but COULD also be interpreted in theologically accurate ways, much how Amazing Grace can be seen as endorsing once-saved-always-saved, or can be seen in a theologically accurate way.  Those who are not prejudiced against Christian music will not hear every single CCM song as being heresy, while those who are prejudiced against it will always hear it as the gravest heresy.

Except that some of us started hating CCM years and years before Orthodox came on the radar. Stop assuming because we don't like something Protestant it must mean we're reactionary converts.    Maybe it means we have taste  

I tend to get audio books from the library or listen to NPR.

[Maximum Bob]

I tend to listen to "The Ark" on the "Orthodox Christian Network", a lot of variety in style everything from traditional Byzantine Chant to folk music, to some hard rocking numbers. Not a lot actual variety in songs. I guess there's not a lot of contemporary Orthodox artists out there, but there are some songs on there that I really like musically, and I say that as a musician. (Not a good musician, mind you, but as someone who plays and doesn't just listen.)

As to the Protestant Contemporary Christian Music I understand about some of the dislike especially the mainstream radio stuff. Now, however, I used to go to the Cornerstone festival every year and the music there was of wide variety from folk to metal, rap to punk, "New Age Music" (the style, not the ideology) to Goth. Most of the artists they brought in, at least when I went, wouldn't be caught dead flipping styles, and the had the good sense to group music like with like. The metal bands would be on the metal stage the folk bands on the folk stage. Some of the bands were really deep too.

As a festival they branched out beyond music too into art, literature (Tolkien, Lewis, others) movies, and teaching on many topics. The seminars covered also of the previous topics as well as apologetics,  the business side of ministry, culture etc. It was a good time and definitely not a vanilla experience.

[PrincessMommy]

I tend to listen to "The Ark" on the "Orthodox Christian Network", a lot of variety in style everything from traditional Byzantine Chant to folk music, to some hard rocking numbers. Not a lot actual variety in songs. I guess there's not a lot of contemporary Orthodox artists out there, but there are some songs on there that I really like musically, and I say that as a musician. (Not a good musician, mind you, but as someone who plays and doesn't just listen.)

As to the Protestant Contemporary Christian Music I understand about some of the dislike especially the mainstream radio stuff. Now, however, I used to go to the Cornerstone festival every year and the music there was of wide variety from folk to metal, rap to punk, "New Age Music" (the style, not the ideology) to Goth. Most of the artists they brought in, at least when I went, wouldn't be caught dead flipping styles, and the had the good sense to group music like with like. The metal bands would be on the metal stage the folk bands on the folk stage. Some of the bands were really deep too.

As a festival they branched out beyond music too into art, literature (Tolkien, Lewis, others) movies, and teaching on many topics. The seminars covered also of the previous topics as well as apologetics,  the business side of ministry, culture etc. It was a good time and definitely not a vanilla experience.

I went to Cornerstone back in the early 80's.  It was definitely not your vanilla experience.     The oddest memory I have is going to a seminar given by Edith Schaeffer.  Very odd experience with all those punk and metal rock people and here was little Edith Schaeffer talking about homemaking and caring for Francis in his last days.

[Justin Kissel]

[This Post, A Mistake]

[FormerReformer]

I tend to listen to "The Ark" on the "Orthodox Christian Network", a lot of variety in style everything from traditional Byzantine Chant to folk music, to some hard rocking numbers. Not a lot actual variety in songs. I guess there's not a lot of contemporary Orthodox artists out there, but there are some songs on there that I really like musically, and I say that as a musician. (Not a good musician, mind you, but as someone who plays and doesn't just listen.)

As to the Protestant Contemporary Christian Music I understand about some of the dislike especially the mainstream radio stuff. Now, however, I used to go to the Cornerstone festival every year and the music there was of wide variety from folk to metal, rap to punk, "New Age Music" (the style, not the ideology) to Goth. Most of the artists they brought in, at least when I went, wouldn't be caught dead flipping styles, and the had the good sense to group music like with like. The metal bands would be on the metal stage the folk bands on the folk stage. Some of the bands were really deep too.

As a festival they branched out beyond music too into art, literature (Tolkien, Lewis, others) movies, and teaching on many topics. The seminars covered also of the previous topics as well as apologetics,  the business side of ministry, culture etc. It was a good time and definitely not a vanilla experience.

Heh, that takes me back- not that I ever went to the Cornerstone festival, but I lived a block down from the JPUSA commune in Chicago. For those who don't know, the JPUSA are the ones who started and still back the Cornerstone festival. They were an... interesting group of people.

[Maximum Bob]

I tend to listen to "The Ark" on the "Orthodox Christian Network", a lot of variety in style everything from traditional Byzantine Chant to folk music, to some hard rocking numbers. Not a lot actual variety in songs. I guess there's not a lot of contemporary Orthodox artists out there, but there are some songs on there that I really like musically, and I say that as a musician. (Not a good musician, mind you, but as someone who plays and doesn't just listen.)

As to the Protestant Contemporary Christian Music I understand about some of the dislike especially the mainstream radio stuff. Now, however, I used to go to the Cornerstone festival every year and the music there was of wide variety from folk to metal, rap to punk, "New Age Music" (the style, not the ideology) to Goth. Most of the artists they brought in, at least when I went, wouldn't be caught dead flipping styles, and the had the good sense to group music like with like. The metal bands would be on the metal stage the folk bands on the folk stage. Some of the bands were really deep too.

As a festival they branched out beyond music too into art, literature (Tolkien, Lewis, others) movies, and teaching on many topics. The seminars covered also of the previous topics as well as apologetics,  the business side of ministry, culture etc. It was a good time and definitely not a vanilla experience.

I went to Cornerstone back in the early 80's.  It was definitely not your vanilla experience.     The oddest memory I have is going to a seminar given by Edith Schaeffer.  Very odd experience with all those punk and metal rock people and here was little Edith Schaeffer talking about homemaking and caring for Francis in his last days.

You know I think I remember her being there. I went every year for at least the first ten years and  a decent amount of the 2nd ten, I just don't remember exactly how many. It worked well for me I like Heavy Metal and bagpipes.

Heh, that takes me back- not that I ever went to the Cornerstone festival, but I lived a block down from the JPUSA commune in Chicago. For those who don't know, the JPUSA are the ones who started and still back the Cornerstone festival. They were an... interesting group of people.

Agreed, I visited them for several Sunday morning services when I was in college.

[JamesRottnek]

What about classical music (gotta love Beethoven, Mozart, etc.), Jazz or simply listening to the NEWS?

I think society has reached a point when we're over-saturated with news. In other words, it's no longer news and reactionary, over-the-top drama.

As to the charge that CCM is not, somehow, "theologically heavy" or some such thing, should you really expect it to be?  I mean, when CCM artists create songs that they intend to be worship songs, they usually take a piece of the Psalter, sometimes a whole Psalm, sometimes not, and expand it into a 3 to 5 minute song.  If anyone attacks CCM for not being theologically heavy, they must attack David for not having put enough theology into the Psalms, because most CCM is at least as theological as the Psalms. 

As to the accuracy of the theology that is in Christian music, well, most CCM songs COULD be interpreted in theologically flawed ways, but COULD also be interpreted in theologically accurate ways, much how Amazing Grace can be seen as endorsing once-saved-always-saved, or can be seen in a theologically accurate way.  Those who are not prejudiced against Christian music will not hear every single CCM song as being heresy, while those who are prejudiced against it will always hear it as the gravest heresy.

To be fair, I did link to an example of a 'bad song'.  Even the B-I-B-L-E song has the lyric, "I stand alone on the Word of God," which endorses Sola Scriptura and making it unacceptable for Orthodox Sunday Schools. I think we can agree that it's more theologically effecacious for Orthodox to listen to Orthodox Folk Music rather than CCM.

But, again, there are plenty of perfectly acceptable CCM songs.  Why should Orthodox Folk Music be any better, simply because Orthodox people wrote it?  Nestorius was once Orthodox, as was Arius.

[Alveus Lacuna]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS1mRm6H96Q

Nestorius approves of Devotam. Contemporary Christian Metal for the masses, and quite elite for the blackened hordes of darkness. A win for both sides!

[Cognomen]

...some of us started hating CCM years and years before Orthodox came on the radar. Stop assuming because we don't like something Protestant it must mean we're reactionary converts.    Maybe it means we have taste  

Agreed.
No "reaction" here; just always thought it was horrible.  I'll change my mind when I've heard something that isn't horrible, but I'm sure not going to seek it out.  That said, I really can't stand most contemporary music, and certainly anything with contemporary in the name.

[Luckster]

What about classical music (gotta love Beethoven, Mozart, etc.), Jazz or simply listening to the NEWS?

I think society has reached a point when we're over-saturated with news. In other words, it's no longer news and reactionary, over-the-top drama.

As to the charge that CCM is not, somehow, "theologically heavy" or some such thing, should you really expect it to be?  I mean, when CCM artists create songs that they intend to be worship songs, they usually take a piece of the Psalter, sometimes a whole Psalm, sometimes not, and expand it into a 3 to 5 minute song.  If anyone attacks CCM for not being theologically heavy, they must attack David for not having put enough theology into the Psalms, because most CCM is at least as theological as the Psalms. 

As to the accuracy of the theology that is in Christian music, well, most CCM songs COULD be interpreted in theologically flawed ways, but COULD also be interpreted in theologically accurate ways, much how Amazing Grace can be seen as endorsing once-saved-always-saved, or can be seen in a theologically accurate way.  Those who are not prejudiced against Christian music will not hear every single CCM song as being heresy, while those who are prejudiced against it will always hear it as the gravest heresy.

To be fair, I did link to an example of a 'bad song'.  Even the B-I-B-L-E song has the lyric, "I stand alone on the Word of God," which endorses Sola Scriptura and making it unacceptable for Orthodox Sunday Schools. I think we can agree that it's more theologically effecacious for Orthodox to listen to Orthodox Folk Music rather than CCM.

But, again, there are plenty of perfectly acceptable CCM songs.  Why should Orthodox Folk Music be any better, simply because Orthodox people wrote it?  Nestorius was once Orthodox, as was Arius.

By and large, OFM tends to have better, more Orthodox lyrics, while CCM tends to be theologically shallow (speaking in generalizations, of course). My favorite CCM band is Faith +1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS1mRm6H96Q

Nestorius approves of Devotam. Contemporary Christian Metal for the masses, and quite elite for the blackened hordes of darkness. A win for both sides!

That's creepy.

[This Post, A Mistake]

This would imply that Asteriktos makes mistakes.

[JamesRottnek]

What about classical music (gotta love Beethoven, Mozart, etc.), Jazz or simply listening to the NEWS?

I think society has reached a point when we're over-saturated with news. In other words, it's no longer news and reactionary, over-the-top drama.

As to the charge that CCM is not, somehow, "theologically heavy" or some such thing, should you really expect it to be?  I mean, when CCM artists create songs that they intend to be worship songs, they usually take a piece of the Psalter, sometimes a whole Psalm, sometimes not, and expand it into a 3 to 5 minute song.  If anyone attacks CCM for not being theologically heavy, they must attack David for not having put enough theology into the Psalms, because most CCM is at least as theological as the Psalms. 

As to the accuracy of the theology that is in Christian music, well, most CCM songs COULD be interpreted in theologically flawed ways, but COULD also be interpreted in theologically accurate ways, much how Amazing Grace can be seen as endorsing once-saved-always-saved, or can be seen in a theologically accurate way.  Those who are not prejudiced against Christian music will not hear every single CCM song as being heresy, while those who are prejudiced against it will always hear it as the gravest heresy.

To be fair, I did link to an example of a 'bad song'.  Even the B-I-B-L-E song has the lyric, "I stand alone on the Word of God," which endorses Sola Scriptura and making it unacceptable for Orthodox Sunday Schools. I think we can agree that it's more theologically effecacious for Orthodox to listen to Orthodox Folk Music rather than CCM.

But, again, there are plenty of perfectly acceptable CCM songs.  Why should Orthodox Folk Music be any better, simply because Orthodox people wrote it?  Nestorius was once Orthodox, as was Arius.

By and large, OFM tends to have better, more Orthodox lyrics, while CCM tends to be theologically shallow (speaking in generalizations, of course). My favorite CCM band is Faith +1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS1mRm6H96Q

Nestorius approves of Devotam. Contemporary Christian Metal for the masses, and quite elite for the blackened hordes of darkness. A win for both sides!

That's creepy.

[This Post, A Mistake]

This would imply that Asteriktos makes mistakes.

If you think CCM is theologically shallow, you must be real upset how the Orthodox Church has Psalms read, what with their theological shallowness.

CCM is generally JUST as theologically deep as the Psalms.

[Iconodule]

I'm puzzled by the assumption that, if the music has "good lyrics", that the music as a whole is therefore good.

[biro]

With that last sentence of his post, JamesRottnek made me laugh.

[Alveus Lacuna]

This is a contemporary Orthodox song about becoming Orthodox, and I highly recommend that everyone here go listen and be edified:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o8_zWvTeyY&feature=related

Seriously, please go listen to it. Please. I don't want to be the only one here who has listened to this. Be attentive to the brief bridge.

[JamesRottnek]

This is a contemporary Orthodox song about becoming Orthodox, and I highly recommend that everyone here go listen and be edified:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o8_zWvTeyY&feature=related

Seriously, please go listen to it. Please. I don't want to be the only one here who has listened to this. Be attentive to the brief bridge.

I stopped at 34 seconds because that was way too cheesy.

[Alveus Lacuna]

I stopped at 34 seconds because that was way too cheesy.

Please somebody, make it all the way through. TRA-DI-SHE-ON.

[genesisone]

This is a contemporary Orthodox song about becoming Orthodox, and I highly recommend that everyone here go listen and be edified:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o8_zWvTeyY&feature=related

Seriously, please go listen to it. Please. I don't want to be the only one here who has listened to this. Be attentive to the brief bridge.

I stopped at 34 seconds because that was way too cheesy.

I got further than that, at least a bit. A good effort: not unlike many of the conversion stories we read here and everywhere. Interesting idea to put it in the context of a song. I like the idea and concept - unfortunately, I really don't like that style of music (Christian or not).

[dzheremi]

Yeah, I couldn't make it the whole way through. Sorry. It's not bad, but I don't think I like explicitly religious songs in Western pop format very much. Which is weird, because I like folk music, but I didn't like that. Hm.

[serb1389]

What about orthodox gospel music. I'd love to see something like that

[FormerReformer]

What about orthodox gospel music. I'd love to see something like that

I think Psalm 50 would make a wonderful Gospel song, if by Gospel we are referring to what Martin Luther King, Jr called a "Negro Spiritual" and not to the Gaithers.

[serb1389]

What about orthodox gospel music. I'd love to see something like that

I think Psalm 50 would make a wonderful Gospel song, if by Gospel we are referring to what Martin Luther King, Jr called a "Negro Spiritual" and not to the Gaithers.

MLK all the way!

[augustin717]

This is a contemporary Orthodox song about becoming Orthodox, and I highly recommend that everyone here go listen and be edified:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o8_zWvTeyY&feature=related

Seriously, please go listen to it. Please. I don't want to be the only one here who has listened to this. Be attentive to the brief bridge.

Thanks for sharing. I would have written the lyrics somehow different: Like "I like a candle for my family/And 40 for my enemy/ Eastern Orthodoxy" or something.
And once he'll get the right mindset he'll modify the opening line to :"I go to church when I feel like it/when we keep Easter in the East at least..."

[Alveus Lacuna]

This is a contemporary Orthodox song about becoming Orthodox, and I highly recommend that everyone here go listen and be edified:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o8_zWvTeyY&feature=related

Seriously, please go listen to it. Please. I don't want to be the only one here who has listened to this. Be attentive to the brief bridge.

Thanks for sharing. I would have written the lyrics somehow different: Like "I like a candle for my family/And 40 for my enemy/ Eastern Orthodoxy" or something.
And once he'll get the right mindset he'll modify the opening line to :"I go to church when I feel like it/when we keep Easter in the East at least..."

The East has no exclusive claim to the Easter and/or Christmas Christian. The West has a proud heritage of once or twice a year for many people.

[Orthodox11]

This is a contemporary Orthodox song about becoming Orthodox, and I highly recommend that everyone here go listen and be edified:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o8_zWvTeyY&feature=related

Seriously, please go listen to it. Please. I don't want to be the only one here who has listened to this. Be attentive to the brief bridge.

If I were a priest I wouldn't commune this person until he removed the song from youtube.

[Alpo]

This is a contemporary Orthodox song about becoming Orthodox, and I highly recommend that everyone here go listen and be edified:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o8_zWvTeyY&feature=related

Seriously, please go listen to it. Please. I don't want to be the only one here who has listened to this. Be attentive to the brief bridge.

If I were a priest I wouldn't commune this person until he removed the song from youtube.

Axios!

[Alveus Lacuna]

Come on people, it's the woman in the video who wrote the song.

[JamesRottnek]

Yeah, I couldn't make it the whole way through. Sorry. It's not bad, but I don't think I like explicitly religious songs in Western pop format very much. Which is weird, because I like folk music, but I didn't like that. Hm.

No, it's just bad.

[dzheremi]

Oh, okay. I thought music was a matter of taste, but I guess you're right, it isn't. 

[Jetavan]

King's X remains unmatched.

[JamesRottnek]

Oh, okay. I thought music was a matter of taste, but I guess you're right, it isn't. 

Usually it's a matter of taste; there are a few rare instances where it is not.

[Justin Kissel]

I bought the new Demon Hunter album a few days ago. A Christian friend recommended it to me, saying it was aweseome. He is no longer my friend.

[genesisone]

One of my greatest fears is that the next "reality" TV show will be "Christian Idol"  .

[JamesRottnek]

I bought the new Demon Hunter album a few days ago. A Christian friend recommended it to me, saying it was aweseome. He is no longer my friend.

I don't care for the one or two Demon Hunter songs I've listened to (though I know one or two non-Christian metal heads who do like them, if I'm keeping my Christian metal bands straight), but I also generally don't like metal.

[Seraphim98]

Well speaking of contemporary Christian music and Orthodox homemade forays there unto….here's something a bit different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rTZ7NFQMJ4

BTW…whatever became of St. Romanos Records?