PHIL'S MUSIC BLOG: We Might As Well Face the Music
Re: The 'Music Wars' in the Contemporary and Emergent Church.
Abstract. Philistine musicians invade the 'broken walls of Jerusalem' when the local church has no Vital Signs --no evidences of Christ's Life. When the Church has no Life--and thus doesn't have a life--spiritual entropy takes over--the musical distortionists invade--bringing anti-melody, anti-music-and harmony-assaulting, alternatve-grunge--militating against the Sacred, the Beautiful, the Profound. Spiritual barbarians punk away at Temple Music, and banish Temple Musicians--tearing down and destroying Art--instead of doing all things unto edification...and unto the Lord. The Spirit does all things decently and in order. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.
Point. There Are No 'Music Wars' when the Holy Spirit is Allowed to Minister. "Where the Spirit of God is there is liberty." "The mind of the Spirit is life and peace."
The Sound of Music. This is one aspect (an example) of the 'sound of music' I desire to resonate with--and, what I mean when I refer to the Spirit-filled Gospel church music I've been wanting to go back to the South--and Mid-South--to find--for years.
The Testimonial Song--Kicked Under the Bus. Hostility Toward Holy Spirit Experience and Gospel Testimonials. Research and notice the paucity, scarcity, and even resistance in the mega-churches, the so-called Emergent Church, and in the average local church--to the Gospel Testimonial song. The Testimonial song-of-gratititude to God for what Jesus has done, for the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) Who has come--is no where to be found.
Where can I find this? Where can I go to participate in (and resonate with) this kind of Christ-centered Gospel celebration? And/or with Christ-exalting, Holy Spirit led and directed Praise, Worship, and Testimonial Gospel Music..? And where can I go to escape the ubiquitious grateful dead
California's 'Glass Prayer Ceiling'? The Church and Camp meeting atmospheres I grew up in--which I've longed to return to--for so many years--the early Kentucky revival and campmeeting days with Mom and Dad along with their scholarly Bible teaching--and prayers which the Heavenly Father God answered--prayers which Jesus, the Great Physician answered--versus whining 'St. Evangelical' prayers which never seem to go beyond the ceiling. Does California (or other geographical areas) have oppressive regional spirits which must be bound by the earnest intercessory prayers of the redeemed community (e.g. the Prince of Persia syndrome)..?
The Quest. Where is the above-referenced Campmeeting Gospel and/or Urban Gospel Music generally today (e.g. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Christ Church, Nashville, or the YouTube examples here)...in which the anointing of the Holy Spirit is present..? Where is anointed Gospel and Testimonial Music Today--filtered through the styles which are Revivalistic, Urban, Classical, Jazz, even Folk--but never Heavy Metal..?
Platform Pagans. Frustrated (and frustrating) 'rocker type' guitar pickers have rebelliously elbowed, scuzzy-picked, and pelvis-elvised their way into Church Music since The Sixties. The Lord's Music has been mongrelized, mayonaised, muddied, minimalized, and marginalized (kicked to the curb) by often profane platform philistines wearing filthy, ripped jeans who do not deserve to enter the Holy of Holies--or be in God's Presence. Where can we build the fortress of the Lord against the jungle-monkeying of substance-abusing, STD-spreading, bedwetting Alternative, Grunge--or anything resembling Foo Fight--invaders..?
A Quality-Control Issue--not Age-Based or Generational. Where is the quality of koinonia (fellowship in the Holy Spirit), the Shekinah Glory of God, the conviction and Gifts of the Holy Spirit--all of which I experienced in my early years with Mom and Dad? Where is the anointed Prayer, the Moving of God, the Holy Spirit--which I experienced my first twelve years in Eastern Kentucky--and from age seventeen through 22 while traveling and ministering in the nine South Eastern States--from Florida to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North and South Carolina..? Isn't Jesus Christ the same--yesterday, today, and forever..?
Has The Glory Departed..? Without the Shekinah Glory (the divine Presence of God) Pentecostalism has no raison d'etre--no justification for its existence as a Movement (or 'denomination'). My dear Dad and Mom were concerned that a new generation had risen up in the Assemblies of God (after men like Meyer Perelman had passed on) who knew (cf. Joshua and Judges) neither God nor his works. And many Nadab and Abihu types who burned strange fire--including The New Order of the Latter Rain, the magical confessionists, the prosperity gospelers, insincere televangelists were center stage raking in pension money from the blue hairs. Alexander the Coppersmiths and Diotrephes-types were everywhere. And I think Dad wondered at times why he'd departed the ranks of the Southern Baptists--if Ichabod were actually written over the doors of many Assembly of God --and other so-called pentecostal churches.
(also listen to 'He Is Lord', 'Surely the Presence of the Lord Is in This Place', 'Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus', 'Are You Washed In the Blood?')
(excerpt: WIP)
HAS THE GLORY DEPARTED?
Pop Culture Co-opts God's Presence In the Sanctuary
Copyright © 2010 by Philip C. Brewer
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