I believe in the Holy Spirit. I also believe in the Holy Spirit speaking to me. It is often a gut feeling. As a woman with sharp instincts (like you!), I sometimes get compelling feelings that are only reinforced by prayer. Of course, in the evangelical or Protestant world, we are taught not to trust our hearts. That is deemed dangerous and not grounded in the text. I also do not trust a hunch at the onset, but I have learned to pray about those gut feelings, and I only trust them once I have given them to God over a period of time.
I don’t subscribe to the “Do not trust your instincts” creed, and never have. This led to much conflict in my years in ministry. Pretty much every time I have had a gut feeling about someone or something, it has turned out to be true. Especially when I prayed about it. And I have often felt this way about CCM (Contemporary Christian Music). Let me tell you what made me uneasy, starting many years ago. I do not remember when I was first exposed to CCM, but it must have been at least ten years ago [2016]. I realize this may be controversial, as many people in the West love CCM, but this is my take, for what it’s worth.
First, it feels very “American." As a European living in Asia, the whole aura of CCM seems very American. The themes feel unrelatable to me. The following points will explain further.
CCM focuses on a personal relationship with God. It can come across very self-centered. It is all about the individual and Jesus. Nothing wrong with that in principle, but the absence of community language and justice language does not resonate with me. It is very Western, rooted in individualistic societies in contrast to more community-based ones.
It seems bombastic and showy. Church started looking like a concert. Lead singers often behave like rock stars, and the focus looks less and less godly and spiritual. I feel like an observer and a passive receiver of something I do not have agency in. People lift their hands up and close their eyes. No interaction between people. Aren’t we encouraged to sing to one another? Ephesians 5:19 says, “…speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.”
Little participation from the audience. When I look around auditoriums, I see people standing and not always singing. Many people do not seem to even know the words.
The lyrics themselves seem shallow and repetitive, almost hypnotic. The same verses over and over again. Yes, they rouse feelings, and I find myself getting emotional at times, but what is it based on? Music evokes feelings and emotions, but it can also become manipulative. Often, songs are used at strategic moments in the service to push people to a decision, to give money, to agree to something, to encourage conversions. It makes me feel uncomfortable.
It also feels very “white”. Culturally, it feels “niche”, but of course, protestant Western churches are dominated by white culture. The music of other communities is sometimes being eclipsed by CCM. The really sad thing is when CCM songs take over the services of churches in other parts of the world. No, worship music is not universal. The language is not always English. And it pains me to see our brothers and sisters replicate CCM songs at the expense of their local culture. The local Christian songs in the local language are often so beautiful, and they match the music style of the area.
Let’s fast forward to today. Maybe my gut feeling was not so off. So much has been revealed about the CCM world. So many scandals. So-called worship leaders are exposed as predators, often amassing fortunes on the backs of church members. The sin and worldliness of their personal lives deny the words they sing. Could it be that the toxicity and dysfunction were embedded in the very concept of CCM from the start?
Just like celebrity pastors, CCM singers are falling prey to pride and greed. The whole thing was not founded in imitating Jesus, so no surprise where this is all ending up. So many have been deceived, and indeed so many still are. Churches still sing the songs written by people who have been revealed as hypocrites, or worse.
I know some will come back and say, “Not all CCM worship leaders are like that”. I get it. That is true, but there is something in the DNA that often produces something unhealthy. That is something to consider. CCM and the Western evangelical church seem to be plagued by the same dysfunction. And the two go together.
I was always taught that singing to the Lord was an act of worship, and that we should strive to imitate Jesus as we raised our voices to God. I pray that whatever style we choose, be it Gospel music, indigenous songs, high church hymns, or more modern versions, be done in reverence to Christ, and not self-glorification.
