I am sad to say it is not only those who do not know any better who sing secular songs at gospel events. For years I booked gospel artists to do a Sunday evening celebration service at a Bible believing, evangelical church we attended. There were many artists available that I did not book because they had reputations for doing secular songs during church services. I told those I booked up front that we expected all music to be gospel. The majority complied. A few did not. I didn’t invite them back.
I am also sad to say I have paid big money for tickets to go hear one of the top gospel groups of today only to have the worship of the evening interrupted by a catchy secular tune by a well-known secular group performed for us by these gospel artists. The entire audience, except for my husband and myself, stood and cheered when the song was sung—an enthusiasm they didn’t show for any of the gospel songs sung that evening!
Another thing I find almost as disturbing is the habit of some gospel song writers of writing good, strong gospel lyrics and then marrying them with well-known secular melodies such as “Hotel California.” This disturbs me for two reasons. First, and not the main reason, is the fact that in most instances the music is used without the consent of the owner. The second, and more disturbing, reason is that they say it makes the lyrics more accessible and appealing to an audience and that they are more apt to listen to songs that have familiar tunes. I would wonder if these tunes don’t call to mind the familiar original song and engender all of the emotions attached to that old song, rather than an attitude of praise and worship.
I know there are some familiar, old, much-beloved hymns we all grew up with that were set to secular tunes in their times. “How is this any different?” one might ask. It is different because we don’t know all of the old secular tunes from one, two or three hundred years ago and we don’t have all of the emotional associations to those secular tunes like we do to the ones of today.
I feel when I write a gospel song, I should be doing my absolute best for the Lord. Writing wonderful new words of worship and praise to bring glory and honor to the Lord and then slapping them to a drinking song, doesn’t seem like doing ones best. To me it smacks of bring a blemished lamb to the altar and of trying to hold on to worldly things. Colossians 3:2 tells us, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (KJV) If you are creative enough to write a song, offer the Lord a new tune that was meant just for Him. If you are not able to create a new tune, try working with a partner who is able to help you with that.
If we represent ourselves as gospel artists or gospel song writers, we have a duty to our Lord to write and sing songs that bring glory to Him and Him alone. We do this best by letting go of that which is worldly. If we stand in the Lord’s name, we are in ministry before we are in performance and we must be careful to offer only that which is pure, true and holy. When we offer the sacrifice of praise in music, the warning given to those who minister in Malachi 1:6-8 should be taken seriously: “ 6 ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ 7 “You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ by saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” says the Lord of hosts.” (NKJV)
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