Why have we adopted the classic western rock/pop band model for our worship teams as the norm ?

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Permalink Reply by Colin on 28 November 2008 at 1:44am

Because it's part of the culture we live in.

Church + Gospel - Culture = Fundamentalism

Culture + Gospel - Church = Parachurch

Culture + Church - Gospel = Liberalism

Culture + Church + Gospel = A truly reformed Church

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Permalink Reply by Dave Clemo on 28 November 2008 at 9:34am

1970s style soft rock is the norm in the UK/US church because
a) That was popular when the genre began back in the 70s
b) That was what our heroes played and we copied them
c) It causes the least offence

the fact that it is anodyne, bland, culturally irrelevant etc is a direct result of points a-c.
By appealing to the lowest common denominator it will ultimately appeal to none

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Permalink Reply by Rob B on 28 November 2008 at 1:55pm

and you forgot to mention, we're lazy.

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Permalink Reply by Ian McEvansoneya on 28 November 2008 at 7:14pm

Both. It works because the instruments are simpler to learn - at least to a basic level, simpler music is required for guitars and bass. It is endlessly flexible, allowing inexperience musicians to provide a basic music accompaniment or experienced musicians to create something altogether more sophisticated.

I do agree with Dave that it can be bland and culterally irrelevant - I've always found christain music to be about 10 -15 years behind contempory secular music, but handled well it doesn't have to be any of those things.

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Permalink Reply by David Bull on 3 December 2008 at 8:58pm

People like popular music, that's why it's popular.
The church may be made up of Christians but at the end of the day they are people so a lot of them like popular music.

We, or a lot of us believe this style will bring in the unchurched..

We have fun when worship is practiced this way and God our Father likes having fun with us.

David Bull.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Johnson on 4 December 2008 at 1:16am

Didn't King David play the guitar..... according to Eugene Peterson.... bless him

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Permalink Reply by martyn burt on 4 December 2008 at 9:47am

And possibly because this is the style a lot of people listen to. Radio 2, Magic, Capital, local radio. All this sort of style.

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Permalink Reply by Julia Chantrell on 4 December 2008 at 10:43am

Maybe if it's the norm in our culture it ought to be the norm in the church... but we also need to explore and cater for alternative styles. Perhaps not too often on a Sunday morning, but I'm sure there's room for a lot more variety.

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Permalink Reply by Eric on 4 December 2008 at 11:00am

There are a lot of people who miss the traditional organ sound. I think a good pipe organ (or good pipeless organ) played by a skilled organist is fantastic and frankly beats hands down that from most church rock style groups I have heard.

(By pipeless organ I mean the proper electronic equivalent with purpose made speaker vault built into the fabric of the building, not the rubbish “organ” sound that is bundled in with keyboards.)

Sadly few churches have good organs, and even fewer have good organists. A poor organ played badly is pretty dia.

I guess modern culture has a lot to do with it, and the fact that guitars are easier to learn and play makes it easier for churches to find someone to play. But I would still like to hear a good organ well played.

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Permalink Reply by martyn burt on 4 December 2008 at 11:37am

I agree, an organ played badly is worse than anything. However, one played well is stonkingly great! I was at a service on Monday in Rochester Cathedral and once the organist hit some of those 64' pipes, brilliant!

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Permalink Reply by Mark Johnson on 4 December 2008 at 3:05pm

I could write a whole book for you on how we got from the organ to the rock band for church. In short black churches in america couldn't afford pipe organs which lead to the creation of Hammonds to meet the demand for low cost organ alternatives. Hence the hammond became exponent in what was to later become gospel music. And gospel music went on to influence directly or indirectly, many styles of music that later came to be bracketed as pop. tada!

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Permalink Reply by Ian McEvansoneya on 4 December 2008 at 4:16pm

Interesting. I'd not come across the reason for the development of the Hammond organ before and it's link with Gospel.

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