Music Comment: WOW Christmas

Music Comment: WOW Christmas

Capitol Record’s WOW Worship release, WOW Christmas, is a 2 compact disk collection of “30 top Christian artists and holiday songs.” The songs are a mixture of religious and secular tunes all performed by Christian artists. All the songs have a Christmas theme. The musical styles range from contemporary pop, to country, to rap.  The artists include Casting Crowns, Sidewalk Prophets, Matthew West, Hillsong, Mandisa, Third Day, and Amy Grant.

Some may object that not all the songs are specifically  Christian. They include “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Jingle Bells.” The thing to remember is that all the artists are Christian. Their work is done “as to the Lord.”

Whether you are a lawyer, deliver dairy products, are a professional athlete, install carpet, perform lawn care, write magazine articles, are a soldier, drive a truck, are a hospital venipuncturist, grow potatoes, are a florist, or engage in any other legitimate occupation, the following words of Scripture apply to you. For the Christian there is no secular. We belong to God and all of our activities should be performed for His glory; “as to the Lord.”

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Colossians 3:23,24, NASB

“With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.” Ephesians 6:7-8, NASB

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

WOW Christmas WD2-888766

A Collection of Contemporary Christian Music

I am not usually a follower of modern contemporary Christian music. Much of it seems to me to be repetitive and representative of a consistent “sound.” It can easily become background noise, what some people call “elevator music.”

My wife has a compact disc which features thirty-five songs by various Christian artists. All of the songs are of top-notch professional production quality but, to me, most are forgettable. There are three, though, which stand far above the others. They are “This is Amazing Grace,” by Phil Wickham, “Thrive,” by Casting Crowns,and “Do Something,” by Matthew West.

“This is Amazing Grace” is a praise song.

“Thrive” proudly declares that Christians are not meant to be passive weaklings. We are meant to thrive.

In “Do Something,” the singer yells at God. “God, why don't you do something?” God answers, “I did. I created you.” Jesus did not propose government programs. He always brought everything back to the individual. 

The compact disc is WOW Hits 2015: 30 of Today’s Top Christian Artists and Hits. It is released by the Capitol Christian Music Group, a division of Sony. The list number is B002162802. The website for the compact disc is wowilovechristianmusic.com