by Efrain Rodriguez

Created on: March 07, 2010

I Know that I Feel: The Evolution of Church Music

Church music has really changed! Where once we heard “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,” we now hear what sarcastically is referred to as “7-11 songs“ (songs with 7 words that are repeated 11 times). Whereas hymns used to be commonplace no matter the Christian denomination, today choruses are the mainstay of corporate worship in any up-and-coming church.

To understand the changes that have occurred requires a backward look at the societal underpinnings of the 60’s and 70’s. These years marked cultural changes that impacted all of American society, including churches which began introducing more “relevant” music in order to attract seekers who were tired of a growing spiritual dissatisfaction fueled by cold, dogma-focused worship that left them feeling distant from God. Although the intention to welcome newcomers was noble, and the desire to meet the needs of disenfranchised parishioners was heartfelt, churches began to experience a shift from what they would later realize is fundamental to our calling and purpose as the Body of Christ: truth. In fact, the church today, as reflected by its type of music, is now unfortunately begetting, albeit unconsciously, people of faith whose primary foundation rests on feelings rather than objective truth.

Specifically, churches began incorporating choruses as their favored mode of worship. And while the early choruses of the 70’s and 80’s actually contained similar elements to that of hymns (traditionally regarded for the substantive spiritual meat they offer both in literary content and musical form), the more recent choruses of the 90’s and of the new century are contributing to the erosion of a firm spiritual grounding. Recent choruses, the kind that are difficult to sing even for the musically trained, or at the very least for those who have a musical ear, beguile us by their notions about and focus on feelings, a focus that has become supra-dominant in today’s culture.

The essential problem with feelings is that they do not, in and of themselves, point us necessarily to truth. In fact, they can often muddy the waters, making truth less clear to see. The difference between knowing that one is loved and feeling loved is a perfect case in point. One may not feel loved by his spouse or parents, for example, but may well be convinced that their love is constant despite feelings to the contrary. Or,

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