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DETECTING RELIGIOUS

ROCK [CCM] MUSIC

As he travels across the country and listens to music in churches and religious radio stations, the writer is convinced there is a both a grave ignorance as well as a great indifference among Bible-believing Christians concerning the essence and nature of Contemporary Christian Music [CCM], a designation that is simply a fancy title for religious rock.

Regretfully, he must factually state, that in his personal opinion, CCM is continuing to make dangerous inroads into Fundamentalist churches and homes, carrying with it destructive properties that promote compromise, worldliness and religious apostasy.

It appears that some naïve saints just don’t know what constitutes CCM [rock], while other believers just don’t want to know! In Hosea 4:6, God declares “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The F.D. editor trusts the delineation of the following CCM traits will prove helpful in assisting concerned saints to detect CCM sounds and songs so they can effectively resist its advances in their hearts and homes.

Readers should note that the elements listed below are not infallible guides and that not all elements are inherent within every pro-CCM sound or actual CCM song.

1. Imitation of the secular ungodly world’s beat and rhythm, extending its sensually based features to professing evangelical and Fundamental Christianity.

2. Over-emphasis upon bass rhythm in both instrumentation and amplification; the predominance of the bass rhythm in a song. Use of drums is an almost sure token of CCM.

3. Constant slurring of notes by vocalists where the written score does not call for such changes in singing.

4. Holding microphones overly close to the mouth where a breathy, throaty and sensual tone abounds.

5. Little variation in notes; repeated use of the same limited musical scale/score.

6. Use of the pre-recorded “Nashville” sound background music; use of pre-recorded background sounds written/recorded by worldly religious entertainers. These pre-recorded sounds generally hinder and limit the Holy Spirit’s endeavors in a live service.

7. Music that sounds similar to the “dinner” hour music of night clubs: music that is intrinsically associated with and purposely played as preparatory for and prior to sensual dancing that follows a wine centered meal.

8. A melody which only the performer[s] can render; a so-called melody with which the audience/congregation can never really join in singing because the melody is obscured-minimized by other parts [alto-tenor-bass].

Three Dangerous Musical Trends in Fundamentalist Churches frequently associated with the Use of CCM Music

A. Use of clapping vs. use of “amens”. In the writer’s opinion, loud clapping infers the audience has been “entertained” while hearty “amens" imply the congregation has been “edified.” Biblical worship and Christian service do not center on entertainment, they center in edification (I Cor. 14:12, 26).

B. Placing the words on a large overhead screen versus the use of lyrics [score] and musical score in pew hymnals and gospel songbooks. This generally results in diminished use of the intelligence/mind (and inner spirit) by the congregation and greater dependence upon external non-mind stimulating sources. The complete musical score is missing [soprano-alto-tenor-bass musical parts entirely eliminated]. This unfortunate musical deletion increases the congregation’s musical deficiency.

C. Pro-sympathetic CCM and actual CCM are often introduced in modified form/stages by injecting a few measures/strains into otherwise Scriptually sound songs. In the writer’s opinion, this is where Frank Garlock and Ron Hamilton [Majesty Music] have unnecessarily compromised their principles for the sake of expanded commercial interests. The F.D. editor believes that a 25 year comparison of Majesty’s music offerings would verify his assessment.

A Personal Note: The F.D. editor greatly enjoys old fashioned southern gospel music. Some of the finest Biblical doctrine and sound theology written is found in some of those simplistic country/mountain tunes! He receives great spiritual blessing from singing and hearing some of the Great Old Fashioned Southern Gospel Songs.

The writer’s collection of probably 400+ hymn/gospel song books includes numerous southern gospel songbooks. Modern Southern gospel music, however, is the type gospel music that is most susceptible to pro-CCM and actual CCM influence. It is here that Fundamentalists must exercise keen discernment and perception.

A Guiding Principle

The believer must never imitate the ungodly secular world’s pro-sensual/sensual music sounds (Rom. 12:1-2, I John 2:15-17, James 4:4). The believer’s sounds and songs are the “new” sound (Ps. 40:3) of the regenerated saint (II Cor. 5:17), not the degenerate sounds that characterize a sensual ungodly world (Ecc. 7:5). D.J. (Previously published in The Fundamentalist Digest, with slight adaptations)