BLOOP BLOOP!

This next series of posts will focus on music. Music has been a big part of my life. Like all good Asian parents, my mom and dad enrolled me in piano lessons when I was 4. And I must have enjoyed it because I kept on taking lessons for 14 years. In middle school and high school, I picked up violin as part of the school orchestra. I think I got by on Asian reputation alone because I wasn’t very good at violin, but since I knew how to read music, that put me light years ahead of just about everyone else. A couple summers ago I learned to play guitar. And by “learn” I mean that I figured out the 4 or 5 chords that make up every pop and Christian songs, and bought a capo so now I can play just about any song released on the radio or played by your favorite CCM band in the last 20 years.

I don’t claim to be a music snob, but I do disdain people in Columbus who listen to 97.9 WNCI (the pop music station). I don’t like hipsters, but hipsters usually have a good taste in music, so I listen to 102.5, the only truly alternative music station in Columbus. (LOCALLY OWNED! INDEPENDENTLY OPERATED! NOT A KNOCK OFF! NOT CLEAR CHANNEL! CD 102.5!). Although sometimes, hipster music is just a little too hipster for my liking.

However since I am a Christian, I have an obligation to have the Christian music stations preset on my radio. That means you can find 104.9 The River (BLOOP BLOOP) on my radio. Unfortunately, 104.9 seems to be stuck in 2003 and has an unhealthy obsession with anything Christ Tomlin or Matthew West. The radio station prides themselves on being a “kid safe” station with “positive hits!”.

Which brings me to the subject of this post. Why does a Christian radio station feel the need to promote themselves as family friendly? I mean if you’re not a Christian, you might find the music offensive and you wouldn’t want your kids listening to this nonsense. They are obviously a Christian station, and glimpses of the Gospel or evident through their broadcasting. And they’re not the only Christian station to do this. I know of several other stations that promote themselves as being “Positive” and “uplifting”. Why they don’t drop the thinly veiled disguise and just say that they are a God centered, worshiping station is confusing to me. And ultimately I think it disguises other potential problems for their listeners.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably a Christian (if not, more power to you. Stick with me though). Do you have worship music on your iPod? Do you have a Pandora worship music station? Do you own Hillsong Live albums? Do you listen to worship music in the car? Do you listen to worship music when you work out?

I answer yes to most of those questions. But why? The River (BLOOP BLOOP) would have you believe that your choice in music is good for your life. It’s uplifting and makes you feel good about yourself. I admit that it’s more difficult to have road rage when I’m listening to a song singing of God’s love and grace (but it’s definitely still possible). But there is no difference in the quality of my workout when I listen to worship music as opposed to hard rock (99.7 THE BLITZ!!!!) or rap music (POWER 107.5 COLUMBUS’S HOTTEST HIP HOP AND R&B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). And what does the moniker “Positive” hits imply? Does it assume that all other genres of music are “negative?” Admittedly the subject matter of other songs could be deemed degrading towards women, or celebratory of promiscuity and drugs, but most of the time, they’re not.

The primary goal of worship music is not to make you feel good about yourself. It’s meant for, well this may be obvious but it must be stated, worship. I’m not worshipping God when I’m lifting weights, and I’m for sure not bringing Him glory when I’m showing some unfriendly hand gestures towards that jerk who cut me off on the freeway. I don’t work out to have mini worship sessions in my head. I don’t try to get in mini worship sessions on drive to work. I simply enjoy the music because I like the melodies. I like the familiar steady beats, the repetitive chords. I don’t pay special attention to the words. They mostly say the same things anyway. It’s all about God’s love and mercy, which you know, are good, great things, and things that I agree with. They make me feel good. But I’m not approaching the throne of God singing these words back to him. These words aren’t meant for me, but I act as if they were there for my benefit.

I’m not saying that listening to worship music in the car is a bad thing, but if you listen to them simply because they are uplifting and positive, you could be missing the point. I hope these songs refocus your attention on God. I hope they frame your view on the day, that God is the center of everything. I hope that they prompt you to pray out of genuine worshipful heart. But I fear that I’m not alone in saying that these tunes simply become commonplace in your life. I turn the radio station when a song I don’t enjoy comes on. At that point I know that I’m listening for my personal enjoyment and not for God.  

Besides(and let’s be honest) from a purely musical standpoint, most of those songs just aren’t that good or creative. They’re repetitive and boring. If you’re listening for leisure, there’s plenty of other good music out there.

Worship music can make you feel good about yourself in one of two ways. Like I’ve said before, you can take away a purely emotional response away from the mostly superficial (but true) lyrics and familiar chords. Or it can make you feel good because your attention is drawn to a God who loves you, who sent his son to die for you, and who was raised from the dead so you can be with him for eternity. And this reality, that the God of the universe chooses you to be part of His plans, that He has not abandoned you in the midst of a broken world and that one day you will be with Him forever, fills you with an unspeakable joy.

BLOOP BLOOP

(Sorry to anyone not from Columbus who doesn't understand the bloop bloop reference)