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

Japanese Christian Music

This singing group is Joyful Noise.  The song is Shu Wa Subarashii - Jesus is Wonderful.

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

Here are the lyrics:
kansha no kokoro de (thanksgiving from the heart)
Shu Iesu (Christ Jesus) ni utao ~~~ (sing it to Christ Jesus)
sambi no uta koe (praise of voices singing)
Shu Iesu ni sasageyou (give it to Christ Jesus) 
(2x)
chorus
Shu wa subarashii (Christ is so wonderful)
subarashii (wonderful)
Shu Iesu wo tataeyo (Praise Christ Jesus)(2x)
repeat part 1
repeat chorus
repeat part 1
and just repeat repeat repeat 

Barlow Girl

I have to admit that I don't follow contemporary Christian music.  My tastes in music run to guitar-heavy instrumentals (Joe Satriani ), classical music (Wolfgang Mozart , Erik Satie ), and electronic music (Isao Tomita , Kraftwerk ).

I learned of the beautiful music of the three member group known as BarlowGirl  from "The Walk," the blog of Glen Cantrell , a bivocational Southern Baptist preacher in Sikeston, Missouri (USA).  Bivocational pastors work for small churches which choose not to, or are financially unable to, support a full-time pastor.  Though they work full time away from the church to support themselves, most end up working full time at the church also.  They are a special dedicated breed.

BarlowGirl  consists of three sisters (Alyssa, Rebecca, and Lauren Barlow) who produce beautiful three-part harmonies in what is defined as Christian Rock Music.  They have been nominated for ten Dove Awards.

Merry Christmas from the North Point iBand

These guys are using iPhones and iPads to make their music. They are members of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Dallas Christian Jazz Band

The Dallas Christian Jazz Band is a non-denominational group founded in 1994 with saxophones, trombones, trumpets, and a rhythm section.  They have released several compact discs of hymns, spirituals, and other Christian music.  Their website is http://dcjb.com/

Film Comment: Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?

Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? (2004) is a documentary about the Christian Rock Music industry. Their music doesn't sound much like traditional church music, Gospel, or Contemporary Christian Music. This is not Amy Grant or Larnelle Harris; this is heavy metal Rap, death metal, growlers, screamers, thrash metal, emo, ska, techno, blues, Celtic, stadium rock, hardcore, rockabilly, etc. Mark Nicks of Cool Hand Luke says, "We are able to reach kids who will never go to a big Contemporary Christian show."

Though traditionalists often say that these musical forms are not even music, much less worship, the musicians respond that their music is from God and for God and has an evangelistic origin. Joel Thorpe of Alethian: "In the dark metal scene, it's all hatred and darkness and despair and we just want to show that there is hope, there is a light, and that light is Christ."

Some portions of the documentary were filmed at the Cornerstone Christian Music Festival in Bushnell, Illinois. The bands featured include Celestial Static, MXPX, Pedro the Lion, duVal, Elly Woman, five iron frenzy, Stryper, Squad Five-O, Zao, Alethian, P.O.D., the Supertones, and Living Sacrifice.

One of the musicians declares, "Chrisrians should be making incredible music!"