Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, writes in his book Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ, "What if our churches actively stood against the advertising culture by, for instance, cultivating our own musical culture rather than simply importing whatever is filtered down from the Christian music 'industry'? There was a day when Christian musical expression--from Byzantine chant to Appalachian bluegrass--bubbled up to the culture from the folk forms of local congregations. It could be that way again. Perhaps we wouldn't sound as 'professional' if we called out our people and worked to disciple them in the musical arts--whether in harp or in voice or in steel guitar--and allowed their creativity to find its niche within our congregational life, just as we do with preaching and teaching. We'd have some bad music in a lot of our churches. But would it be any worse than the endless 'worship' leadership we see now, imitating whatever has been market tested long enough to make it on the so-called Christian airwaves" (Russell D. Moore, Temptation and the Triumph of Christ [Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2011], 90-91).
Quality, musical creativity shouldn't be relegated to the secular music world. Of all peoples, Christians should be the most creative, ultimately because we know our God made music and also because we are those who should seek to glorify him and praise him with our musical gifts therefore bringing our best to him.
Quality, musical creativity shouldn't be relegated to the secular music world. Of all peoples, Christians should be the most creative, ultimately because we know our God made music and also because we are those who should seek to glorify him and praise him with our musical gifts therefore bringing our best to him.