Some
followers of Christ would frown upon those words being spoken in the same
breath. Listening to rock music is not
something a Christian should be doing according to some fundamental groups. As a musician and a Christian I want to
discuss why the two can go together. There are many Christian artists out there
who have been given the gift of music and use it to glorify God through rock
music.
I grew up in
a musical family and a Christian family.
Both my parents sang opera in local productions and served God in church
choirs. I loved singing all the hymns
and songs of praise at church. I enjoyed
being a bell-ringer in the children’s choir.
My sister and I took piano lessons briefly. I started playing the violin the summer after
fourth grade. I found it more expressive
than other instruments. My grandfather
Munzer had played violin in the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra. He wanted me to become a concert violinist. I had other plans.
As a music
education major in college, I listened to and studied a lot of classical music
and composers. I loved playing pieces by
Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. Many
classical pieces were written for the church.
Our college orchestra participated in a performance of The Messiah. Some classical pieces were more secular in
nature. Swan Lake is my favorite ballet. I got to see it a couple of times when I
lived near Boston. Tchaikovsky was a
brilliant composer. He was probably not
a Christian, but given a musical gift. According
to some Christian groups, the sorcery in the story of Swan Lake makes it
something we should avoid. That could
also exclude the Nutcracker and numerous other ballets and operas. But that’s another discussion for another
day.
I have had a
deep love for rock music since junior high.
I’m a rocker chick. There’s just
something about electric guitars, bass guitars and drums playing loudly that
really get into the soul. I’m sure I
confused people in my college dorm. One
minute there was the sound of a lone violin practicing a Bach concerto coming
from my room. The next minute, Led
Zeppelin or Van Halen would be blasting through the walls. (I married a guy who also plays violin and
loves rock music.)
After
attending Greg Laurie’s Harvest Crusade a few years back, I began listening to
rock bands that also professed belief in Jesus Christ. This was where I first heard Jeremy
Camp. Seventh Day Slumber was also
there. That fall had been a difficult
one. My friend Leslie was dying from
pancreatic cancer and a very young family member had been diagnosed with an aggressive
brain tumor. The music that I heard at
that event gave me comfort and hope. I
learned of other Christian artists on K-Love radio and Air 1 radio.
The other
night, my husband and I went to the “Rock and Worship Road Show”, a concert of
nine Christian rock artists. It was amazing. Thousands of people young and old filled the
HP Pavillion in San Jose to see Jeremy Camp, Luminate, Mercy Me, Kutless and
others. The cost was only ten bucks to
see over three hours of live music. In
between songs, the lead singer for each band professed his faith in Christ and
gave the gospel message. Throughout the
evening, the gospel was spoken many times, not just once. Scripture was quoted, and the Bible was opened
up and read from.
These bands may
look like typical rockers with long hair, tattoos and even blond dreads. Their music may initially sound like generic
rock/heavy metal music. But they aren’t
singing about girls or cars. They are singing
about Christ, and His love for us. They are
singing about how Christ rescued them from sin, despair, addiction and from
themselves. What powerful testimony that
is. We give our personal testimonies in
church in the spoken form all the time.
It’s hard to get up in front of people and tell them what you used to be
and the things that you did before Christ got a hold of you. Other believers listen to your testimony and
are inspired. It’s awesome to learn how
Christ has worked in someone’s broken life.
If you think
about it, we already present the gospel message in different ways. We translate the Bible into different
languages so that even someone in the far reaches of China can hear it and understand
it. So why not use different types of
music to proclaim the gospel and to give testimony. Look, we’re not talking holding church at a
bar over beers. We’re talking music. There
are a lot of hurting people out there. They
can be reached by meeting them where they’re at, by relating to their pain and
sharing how Jesus saves and has the power to change lives. This is what Christian rock does.
Take a look
at the lyrics to the song “Invisible” by a band called Disciple: You’ve got my attention/there’s no need to
hurt yourself this way/you think no one will notice you’re feeling/when you cry
yourself to sleep/you feel stuck on the outside looking inside/wishing this
life wasn’t your life/and you think you’re damaged way beyond repair/well
you’re not so far that I can’t get to where you are/you wish you were someone
else/every night you fall to pieces/knowing you can’t save yourself/I can see
you, I can hear you/there’s a place where the broken go/there’s a room full of
second chances/you’re not stranded on your own/you’re not invisible./I’m ready
to listen/there’s no need to hold it all inside/the smallest whisper/I hear it
when your strength has all but died/I need you to believe me/can you trust
me/that what you see is not what I see/the reflection in the mirror’s telling
lies/cause nothing you have done could change how much I love you/ you’re not
invisible/I can see you as you’re falling on your knees/You’re not invisible to
Me.
This is a
song called “Breathe Into Me” by Red:
And this is how it feels when I/ignore the words you spoke to me/and
this is where I lose myself/when I keep running away from you/and this is who I
am when/when I don’t know myself anymore/and this is what I choose/when it’s
all left up to me/breathe your life into me/I can feel you/I’m falling, falling
faster/breathe your life into me/I still need you/I’m falling, falling/breathe
into me breathe into me/and this is how it looks when I am standing on the
edge/and this is how I break apart/when I finally hit the ground/and this is
how it hurts/when I pretend I don’t feel any pain/and this is how I
disappear/when I throw myself away.
Disciple
explains how Jesus is the “Remedy”: I see the world in black and gray/broken
dreams of a runaway/escape the world to medicate/symptoms gone but disease
remains/if the vision dies will it ever breathe again?/oh, I’ve got to let go
of the illusion/this is the end of me/You are my remedy/Oh it’s taking its
toll-this pollution/this is the end of me/You are my remedy/where you stop is
where you’ll start again.
Jeremy Camp
delivers the gospel through his lyrics.
Here is “Lay Down My Pride”: Every single word I say/ You know it before I speak/You know every thought/
the deepest part of me/You draw me closer than I see/Your presence is everything
I need to be/The child that You've created me to be/(I'm ready now to see it
Your way)/Lay down my pride, my desires, my demise/I'm ready now to see it Your
way/'Cause I'm done, I'm through/ignoring You now it's true/I'm kneeling at the
cross of Your grace/Lay down my pride/I was faced with passing time/ but I knew
the choice was mine/To finally come to You and give You all control/I've
wandered miles to find my way/And then You revealed this simple faith/I know
that You can see the secrets of my soul.
Camp’s “Jesus Saves” is a
wonderful song of praise: Hope is here/ shout the news to everyone/It's a new
day, peace has come/Jesus saves/Mercy triumphs at the cross/Love is come to
rescue us/ Jesus saves/Hope is here what a joyful noise we'll make/As we join
with heaven's song/To let all the world know that Jesus saves/Raise a shout to
let all the world know that Jesus saves/Free at last, every debt has been
repaid/Broken hearts can be remade/ Jesus saves/Sing above the storms of life/
sing through the darkest night/Jesus saves/Free at last, what a joyful noise
we'll make/As we join with heaven's song/To let all the world know that Jesus
saves/Raise a shout to let all the world know that Jesus saves.
Kutless’ song “Carry Me” says
this: I can see thru the laughter/I
know you've cried your share of tears/But you don't have to do this by yourself/You
tell me that you feel abandoned/Carrying the weight of all this pain inside/You
trust in someone else/But you're crying out for help/I'm a believer/That He's
strong enough to hold you now where you are/I'm a believer/In the One who's
always reaching out to your heart/He understands you/There's not a greater love
that you'll find in this life/I'm a believer in Christ/You're trying to escape
the landslide/Running from the choices that you've made/When will you surrender
to His grace/He promises He'll never leave you/Offering to free you from your
past/Cause that's the sacrifice He's made/He can be your shelter and your
strength/No matter what you've done/Or how far you've run/There is hope for you/For
every broken heart/He'll meet you where you are/He will rescue you/Let Him
rescue you.
There are so many more Christian
pop/rock songs out there that praise God, and give testimony to His greatness
and power to change lives. I am
providing some links to a few of my favorites for you to listen to if you wish.
Also check out Decyfer Down, Skillet, Third Day, MercyMe and Toby Mac.
