Secular Music Comes under Christ’s Lordship-part 5

Secular Music Comes under Christ’s Lordship-part 5  

            Christian musicians, who are only involved with performing religious music, sometimes choose to ignore the whole of music which includes secular music and musicing.  Ignoring secular music in one’s philosophical basis is short sighted and is also an incomplete view.  Sooner or later the church musician will be faced with secular music.  Wedding music is only one example of the use of secular music in the context of sacred ceremonies.  Although the use of secular music for such an occasion is not inherently in conflict with the principles of Christian living, some music that a Christian artist may be asked to perform is definitely in conflict with Christian beliefs. 

            At this point in this discussion you may be waiting for a list of songs which are currently used in weddings which are not amenable to the Lordship of Christ.  You are going to be disappointed if this is the answer to your approved repertoire.  There are several problems with this over simplistic approach.  First, this blog is designed to make the reader think.  Second, song literature changes very rapidly in this century.  If I gave a list, you probably would not think and my list would soon be outdated and obsolescent. 

            Although it is never easy, the Christian musician must continually struggle with the content and musical styles of both sacred and secular literature.  With secular literature, the problem is most often not only style but also the situations and contexts surrounding the music.  When a Christian performs music he or she is unable to keep from being associated with its style and content.  As I have often said no musician musics unto himself. All the music that a Christian performs reflects on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because every Christian is a representative of Him.        

Thought for the Day  

Wedding music is only the tip of the iceberg musically speaking.  There are a host of secular genres that are not appropriate for a Christian to perform.  However there are also many secular music genres that are not in conflict with the reality of being a born again Christian who lives a changed life.