Musical Discernment

Image from paducahtruth.blogspot.com

My years in the independent fundamental Baptist (IFB) denomination encouraged me to think that practically all music except for the old-time hymns were bad. This came after 16 years of listening to virtually any and every musical genre I wanted. I attended a strict, legalistic Christian college in which all music submitted was evaluated by those in authority to see if the music met the college’s criteria of something that could be listened to during the school term. If it did not meet the college’s criteria, the album was held until the end of the term then returned to the owner.

I spent quite a bit of time in which I listened to nothing but songs and hymns that would fall very much under the genres of classical, choral, and non-percussion instrumental. While I enjoy listening to these genres at various times, limiting myself to these genres alone proved trying. At times, I found classical or choral music quite boring and sleep-inducing while non-percussion instrumental music could contain brass instruments making the song loud, distracting, and downright annoying.

At that time, I really believed that classical, choral, and non-percussion instrumental were sinful and harmful to listen to. I discarded all of my secular albums, ripped up my Beatles and Michael Jackson posters, and thought I was doing my best to be obedient to God. But my actions certainly weren’t motivated by an attitude of love and grace; I did those things in obedience to the commandments of men (Matt. 15:9).

Granted, the general principle behind the legalistic rules is not bad:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  —Philippians 4:8

A great many songs in the secular realm do not meet the criteria above hence the radical fundamentalist view of shunning “worldly rock music.” But then again, a lot of songs that pass for what is called “Christian” don’t meet the criteria above either.

After leaving IFB churches (perhaps even a bit before that), I began to listen to a variety of songs again and discovered how much these songs could positively impact my mood. Here are a few personal examples:

• Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” has an infectious electronic melody and beat that gives my mood an upswing, often pulling me out of sadness or depression for a moment, encouraging me (briefly) to dance my cares away.
• Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology Song)” has an urban groove that focuses my mind on societal issues such as the environment, gas prices, unemployment, and war.
• Mary J. Blige’s “Show Love” is an upbeat R&B song that encourages the listener to not to worry about what others think or say about them but to keep living as best they can and be thankful for what they have.
• U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” is a rock song in which lead singer Bono essentially expresses the idea that nothing on earth is fully satisfying.
• Sara Groves’s “This Journey Is My Own” is a low-key, somber melodic song in which she expresses how she struggles with her need for man’s approval and how ultimately, the only approval that really matters is the one that comes from God.

Those are only a few examples of how various songs (Sara Groves being the only overtly Christian song on the list) minister to me that would never meet the criteria outlined by my old Christian college and old IFB churches. (Yes, that includes the Sara Groves song.)

A lot of the songs above don’t fly for a lot of Christians. It may be that the songs don’t meet their musical preference (ie, don’t like the sound or lyrics) or that they’re not godly enough. That’s okay as long as they are the ones determining what’s good for them and not someone else.

Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann is a favorite artist of mine because I love her lyricism. She writes songs that are not only clever but realistic and deep. (But then again, I suppose one’s definition of “deep” is arbitrary.) Within that deep realism, Mann’s songs (like “Humpty Dumpty“) can often be depressing:

So get out while you can
Get out while you can
Baby I’m pouring quick sand
And sinking is all I have planned
So better just go

Oh, better take the keys and drive forever
Staying won’t put these futures back together
All the perfect drugs and superheros
Wouldn’t be enough to bring me up to zero

Mann’s Oscar-nominated song “Save Me” from the Magnolia Soundtrack speaks of asking a hero to save her “from the ranks of the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone,” lyrics that appeal to me on a personal level as I’ve always considered myself to be something of a freak or weirdo.

However, Mann’s songs are often so low-key, so somber, underlined by sadness and punctuated by hopelessness that often it’s not worth me listening to no matter how much her melodies appeal to me. I make a few exceptions to her music (“Beautiful” expresses truth beyond just physical appearance). Other people may not have this problem with Mann’s music but it’s a struggle of mine that I need to be aware of.

Then there are other songs that I don’t listen to because they:

• Offend my ears
• Offend my sensibilities

Offends My Ears

Screamer music and heavy metal tend to do this to me. Songs of those genres invoke stereotypical images of the devil and hell in my mind. I don’t care for the music and prefer not to listen to it. Bluegrass just grates on my nerves and old-school country makes me want to keel over dead. However, if someone is edified by these genres, kudos to that person.

Offends My Sensibilities

There have been songs that I’ve really, really liked but have had to write off because I cannot in good conscience sing along without being convicted by the Holy Spirit about it in some way. (I have a strong conscience usually so when the Holy Spirit’s poking me about something, I sit up and pay attention.)  Here are a few examples:

• Madonna’s “Love Profusion” starts out with simple guitar strumming before it even gets to the typical pop part by the beginning lyrics give me pause:

There are too many questions
There is not one solution
There is no resurrection
There is so much confusion

In the third line, Madonna has expressed a belief that I don’t hold to. I believe in a resurrection, not only that of Jesus but also of saints who have passed away. Even though the rest of the song is fun and light, I’ve had to write off the entire song because I can’t get past the beginning.

• Sheryl Crow’s “Peaceful Feeling” is another fun, groovy song that I enjoyed listening to at first. For most of the song, I’m groovin’ right along with Sheryl Crow. Then toward the end of the song, she sings:

No matter who is leading
There will be peace and salvation

So I get super theological in my mind and think, Well, yeah, it does matter who is leading and only in Jesus will there be peace and salvation. Technically, I could listen to the song up until that part but doing that still ruins the song for me as I’m no longer able to enjoy the song as a whole.

• Lady Gaga’s “Teeth” is a song that came as part of The Fame Monster album that I paid to download. I promptly deleted this song after listening to it a few times. (And each time the Holy Spirit said, “Um, no. Probably not a song you should be listening to.” I finally got the message.) Believe it or not, it wasn’t the raunchiness of the song that got me. Here are the lyrics that sealed the deal:

Got no salvation (no salvation)
Got no salvation
Got no religion (no religion)
My religion is you

Explaining why I deleted the song would be belaboring my point.

If there are other Christians who can somehow listen to these three songs without a problem, perhaps they have a stronger conscience than I do. They’re fun songs but my conscience won’t permit me to listen to them. And perhaps I listen to songs to which other Christians cannot (Lady Gaga’s raunchy “Love Game” [lyrics] or Tori Amos’s borderline anti-God “Flavor” [lyrics] might qualify).

But the point is that each person needs to decide for himself or herself what that limit is. Not a church. Not a pastor. And even in listening, be ready to be accountable before God for not only the things we say but also the things we listen to.

(And yes, I can stand before God and give an honest account of why I listened to “crappy” pop music.)

Interact: How do you discern what music to listen to, if at all?