Gospel "Less" Music

Let’s start by asking a question. If someone had a steady hand would you allow them to perform brain surgery on you? The obvious answer is no. I use the same argument as it relates to Gospel Music. Just because someone has a beautiful voice by no means deem them qualified to be worship leaders, or even release gospel albums. I have seen some of the most criminal acts being performed on the Word of God by those who make gospel music. Just as the surgeon has to meet qualifications such as med school, a medical board and residency, I believe that a gospel music artist should do the same. Just because someone has musical talents doesn’t mean that should be leading music within the Church (I wanted to reiterate this).

The sad reality is this. I know people who either lead worship, or are involved with the most visible people group within the church behind the pastor who should be disciplined for their lifestyles. Growing up, I knew a guy who had three kids by two different women being the key musical figure in the church I grew up in. Because of his talent people overlooked his sin (they overlooked everyone’s). Those in the forefront of our local fellowships should be examples of Christ first. This should be an automatic DQ! I am seeing whoremongers, adulterers, man and women who are divorced and remarried without biblical grounds, and other related individuals being encouraged instead of admonished, just because of a musical gift.

Next we have people who may meet the moral qualification but have no clue of what the Gospel is. So they sing songs, that are man centered instead of understanding that when we Worship, we are to be worshipping someone. That someone is not we but our God, through Jesus Christ. I hear songs like “Falling in Love with Jesus” (though my worship leader song this Sunday and he is solid as it relates to morality and the Gospel) and we are calling the fellowship together to sing this song? This is a man centered song. We offer nothing to Jesus at best we are singing to one another, at worst we are singing to ourselves. When the Corporate Body comes together we should be humbling ourselves in reverence to our Lord and not singing self-help songs that offer up nothing up to our Savior. Just because the melody is nice and it is an emotion grabber, this should not be how we choose songs for us to worship. I would sometimes rather sing from a Hymnal versus singing man-centered songs. These great man and women of faith understood the Gospel and understood what it meant to worship God. Many of the songs we sing today are from professional singers who are making a killing regurgitating self help garbage that only leads us to more self-centeredness versus a proper view of ourselves in light of the glorious Gospel. That is why we have churches packed with people who believe that they are relatively good, and that goodness is what is going to get them heaven. They believe that “God wants them to be happy” and God’s greatest joy comes from us getting what we want. I personally believe that a non-believer should be extremely convicted by what we sing in worship, not moved. He should here about the cross, atonement, sacrifice, our need of the Gospel, and are hopelessness of attaining that in and of ourselves.

Finally, I want to address professional Christian music artists. It is very rare that you would find anyone of African American decent that has a Christ Centered Album. Kirk has a few songs, but overall it is hit and miss. Fred Hammond is a modalist who believes sitting under Jakes is what is going to help him mature and get some sort of spiritual blessing (Elijah/Elisha). Israel songs makes me want to skip through the field with flowers behind my ears, Yolanda Adam does songs with Kanye and Bone so enough said there, Donnie McClurkin is singing at a TBN praise-a-thon, Juanita done lost her mind, Hezekiah is mentoring Puff Daddy, P-Diddy, or whatever you call him, Mary Mary sings an entire song about Heaven and Jesus is the only person they don’t want to see and my man William Murphy is busy speaking in tongues through his entire album, and is constantly singing Word of Faith hogwash. I don’t know their motives so I will not go there. I do know for sure that a lot of these individuals I listed are millionaires, (J Moss with his Bentley in his videos). Nothing wrong with being a millionaire, but I will ask, how many Wilberforce songs would you play in a club (remember Stomp), or how many of hymnals do you know will get national airplay (Smokie and Donnie Mack) in the middle of heavy rotation? None! Why because they boast about Christ and His accomplished work on the cross. Last year the song of the year was “The blessings of Abraham” by Donald Lawrence. It is a massacre performed on the promise made to Abraham and his future seed. This dude somehow equates this seed to faith and twists faith to be something you just need to speak and wah lah God becomes an instant genie.

I believe we have to become more critical, more people are duped by gospel artist than word of faith preachers everyday (as a matter of fact most of them work hand in hand, remember Kirk went from having R. Kelly on his album to Jakes, I don’t know which is worse). We have to start drawing a line in the sand, and telling these artist and churches, if they will continue to compromise the Gospel we will have to go our separate ways. Currently there is a muddy mixture which is bound to get someone drowned.