Why I Left The Contemporary Christian Music Movement: Confessions Of A Former Worship Leader

Growing up in the CCM cult, I myself am a child of the boomers, whose peer group fell into the likelihood of "Me-ness" making it look like egoism. Hopefully, this odd flaw would last to either my kids or grandkids. To be honest personally, I was born with the natural skill of music, yet I had fallen in love with one of the world's favorite music genres for over the decade. Waking up from the never-ending slumber after the sermon titled "Worship That Pleases God", I had finally realized that I am so getting used to the CCM movement along with worship and praise music, I need to have a true response for what real worship music was like and it should be for the rest of my life. After a month of not changing, I had finally ordered a book and it took me at least a week to have the package delivered near my house. I have read an entire text all day long and pretty soon after reading it, I was going to be like "it's time to move on".Anyways, when it comes to today's church, the worship team commercialized the sacred music of God to death with the burning passion, using the modernism in order to imitate what the secular pagans have done. I know I grew up in "coffee-house" replicas, but I really don't understand the real meaning behind it when I was younger. We rarely go to churches where there are glass- stained windows for special occasions as well as a few visits over to my relative's house. In my denomination, we had just nothing but the cheapest knockoff products of Starbucks you will ever find on the way out compared to endless abundance of more food. In certain moments, we have slices of cake. I knew I was trying to go musically "vegan" with hymns because I have never heard of it, though I have limited knowledge except we've sing Christmas carols more than ever in every single December! Besides the metaphor the author tries to bring up with the butterflies being blown by the summer storm and dunked into the "white sugary" sand to die while trying to get back up, I as a reader, have found a similarity in the CCM movement metaphor: what happened after the chickens grow up in 42 days? They were supposed to be shipped to the slaughterhouse and get killed by the modern industry in order to be sold off for profit. Remember: commercialism killed the power of original worship! Moving on...I have never heard of the songs from the Manaratha chorus because it sounds so very old, I think it was forgettable and left to the professionals instead of supposedly passing on to the next generation and the lost. Most of what I know came with the Hillsong placement along with modern Christian music from the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. By the way, the phrase "music is amoral" means I guess instrumental music only. My sister listened to it all the time these days, but I think more than that: classical music helps with quiet time for a while, so there may be a good chance of higher grades than those who don't. Thinking about it, I have a live, personal experience being on the stage: us participating in the music department when I was in high school compared to being true members of the church and the audience to those constantly church-shopping all the time until declared atheists/agnostics (becoming music illiterates). In addition, there's a conductor to preacher. I've felt that connection before I listened. I appreciated that experience back then, but now it's coming back and I want to take it to the next level by starring in the sermonic solo sometimes with accompaniment tapes of Ever in Joyful Song because I sometimes can't play the piano unless I would like to by request. I was required to sing in the beauty box because I would necessarily try for the glory of God. (see Romans 12:2)The reason why I used that verse is because I rather preserve the hymns to share to the weary congregation like you would compassionately take action in every single meal in order to save farm animals for a greener world when you have a fair share with the needed hungry in America.Come to think of it, my mother thought that the hymns are easy to sing, but to me it's the other way around. Well, that's fantastic! I did not have a very excellent job of understanding old hymns outside Christmas in my head when I was a kid, yet I know these are for little kids only. Now I'm trying to know the tunes more, I have recalled what I already memorized by heart; for it was indeed a pass-by when I went through just the lyrics and nothing more in particular.Do you know how hard it is to be a traditional in the 21st century? There's a spiritual war going on right now! (see Ephesians 6:11-17; James 4:1-8) We are all living in the last days before the Rapture. (see 2 Timothy 3:2-7; 1 John 1:15-17) Also, there is just no way we escape from all kinds of sin. (see 1 Thessalonians 5:22 - very extremely important for the Contemporaries; Romans 3:23 - this is the cause, 6:23 - this is the consequence and what can we do to fix it)Currently, it seems that I question everything, but the CCM movement is so difficult to avoid, many were never outgrown and remain, so a few of us would leave to go somewhere else. There is a slim chance of finally having to experience the true heart of worship for the first time after years of no actual musicality, for we could prepare our hearts for the preaching and adult Sunday school after service. Succeeding week after week, you will have to get used to the hymnal knowledge once when you get older and more experienced, thus making the CCM movement more unrecognizable. It's like gradually experimenting the diet with plant-based products and leaving animal-based products off the plates compared to cutting the cord of cable television, so you don't have to be annoyed by every single advertisement per channel and pricey bill cycles a month ad nauseam. I know I am officially done with the commercials and laugh tracks, so I want real, serious fluff and drama combined! I'm not talking about the 1950s sitcoms, I'm talking about the show 19 Kids and Counting and movies I've never seen before by my own choosing in the past two years and counting for as long as there is quality over quantity stuff in it. The older girls have promised us we were supposed to listen to classical hymns while we're in the true presence of God in a pure, wholehearted way with order and harmony. Then I was about to fulfill that promise I was going to speak up to the congregation in song. I have learned a lesson! We were going to join the reformation movement! Let's get rid of everything that is a stumbling block and bring the congregation to united order with one God in all Trinity. We were so desperate for worship that will be so much better than I can only imagine! We were going to save the hymns for future generations to come, so the whole world will be better! Make the traditional format great again! Go figure!!!

I enjoyed this book, but I disagree that the author's experience can/should be generalized into a dogmatic prohibition of CCM for all Christians in all circumstances. The author's story was interesting and touching. However, the book is filled with sweeping generalizations that may or may not apply to someone else. Here is my take on some of the general principles the book is espousing:1) Churches that use CCM promote the concept that God accepts us as we are, which is erroneous and unBiblical.This is a sweeping generalization that is not true of any of the churches that I am personally familiar with. The author cites several examples from his own experience, but a few personal experiences do not constitute a scientifically adequate sample from which to draw conclusions. The churches that I am familiar with teach that God draws as we are, but does indeed expect us to turn (repent) from our sin and grow in Christ.2) "My devotion to CCM caused division in my marriage, confusion in my family, and interfered with my personal relationship with Jesus." Implicit in this quote is the conclusion that CCM CAUSES all sorts of sin and bad things to happen.My devotion to food interferes with my personal relationship with Jesus. That doesn't mean that I must therefore stop eating. What it does mean is that I need to learn to place God higher than my food in importance and value. If someone is allowing an addiction to music of any kind to interfere in God's will in their life, then the underlying cause of the addiction (idolatry) needs to be addressed. Same goes for any activity that becomes idolatrous.3) Churches that use CCM do not practice Biblical worship.Again, this is a sweeping generalization. I am personally familiar with several churches that use CCM that do indeed understand and practice what true worship is. Worship is making yourself and all your "stuff" lower in value and worth than God. It is elevating God above all things.4) The author accuses churches that use CCM of being selfish, self-absorbed, and hypocritical in their reasons for using CCM.This may have been true of the churches that the author is familiar with, but there is no evidence that this is true across the board, nor does this prove that CCM was the cause of the selfishness. There are clearly other variables in play.5) CCM should not be used because of its worldly associations.The author rather mockingly suggests that we will need to wait 100 years before all the evil associations have been completely extinguished, using the example of lyrics that were set to contemporary tunes in the 19th century that are now treasured and revered hymns. Because of the prevalance of its use in the church, and the overwhelming acceptance of CCM, I would suggest that the evil associations have already been extinguished. CCM now has holy associations. Besides, if something is not INHERENTLY evil, then associations are irrelevant.6) CCM is one of those stumbling-blocks we are to avoid felling our brother with.I think we need to define what a stumbling-block is a little better. What about all those seekers who stumble over traditional church music? Whose "stumbling-block" should we be more concerned with?7) CCM causes idolatry in teens.If the teens in a church are more concerned with the CCM performer than they are with God, then their church has failed to teach them about the Sovereignty of God properly. They have failed to teach the purpose of worship properly, and have failed to instill the SH'MA in their youth. Individuals who have been properly encouraged to internalize this will not be experiencing irrational attractions to CCM stars. The fault lies with the quality of the religious instruction in the church, not the music.The author summarizes the "benefits" of removing CCM from churches: 1) less divisiveness and church splits; 2) less temptation for immorality; 3) fewer tension between members; 4) less insensitivity towards each other; 5) less compromise. Friends, any church that habitually experiences these types of problems has got issues that are not going to be resolved by removing CCM. There are other variables in play, which might surface if one looked beyond the superficial panacea of getting rid of the CCM. CCM has become a scapegoat for SIN. We need to be looking deeper than this.Additionally, I was puzzled by the author's use of Matt Redman's lyrics from "The Heart of Worship," to support his theories, calling it an "astounding confession." He seems to be implying that this particular song proves that all CCM musicians and participants are self-absorbed and idolatrous. To the contrary, this particular song is a case in point that at least one CCM worship leader experienced growth in recognizing his own idolatry of music, and was willing to confess it to the church at large, exhorting others to put the music in its proper place, somewhere under God. ???????????The book offers no new convincing Scripture to support the author's views, probably because there is none.All in all, it was an extremely subjective treatment of CCM, certainly not worth generalizing into a dogma of avoiding it at all costs.

Good, but I prefer the book Lucarini wrote with John Blanchard, "Can we rock the Gospel?".

This book answers to the problem of too much modern loud music in church services. We should worship in reverence and quiet when in church.

Excellent condition!

Wonderful revealing book!