What happened to music with meaning, music that told a story, gave a testimony? Music that gave the listener just as much to consider about salvation and the condition of their soul as The Preached Word did? ...... Do we "really" need to "stomp", twist, jump all around, up & down to get the attention of young people today?..... Amazing Grace touched me at only 8yrs. of age, why can't that "same" Amazing Grace touch the hearts of the young today?.....Oh and by they way, I'm only 46....(Not old-old yet) :-).....What happened?

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There is no real debate, the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ never changes, but the method does. We must remember that "Faith comes by hearing the word of God". Music, exhorts and encourage its a conduit in giving God his praise. By praising God we are asking him to be with us, when God shows up then we have worship. Today there are so many talented and gifted musicians, singers, psalmist, choirs, groups and soloist. What makes it unique is that they all have different experiences that they draw from. A former gang banger in East L.A. comes to Christ, and now he uses gospel rap to draw people to Christ. Remember "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." No matter the language, give him praise, no matter the tempo, give him praise, no matter the drawl, give him praise. We lift the Lord in our praise, Amazing Grace still moves me, for a new generation of believers who don't yet get that, lets allow them to glorify the Lord. The music may sound different but beloved its the anointing that breaks the yoke. Let us not be a stumbling block to our young people encourage them so they may have a relationship with Jesus and when they do they will understand "Amazing Grace". We must concentrate on teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to our young people giving them room to explore and you'll hear more of Christ in the lyrics. We must not look where they are but where they are going and help them to get there. Min. Ron Richardson
I would like to reply to Rev. Ron....I do, I really "do" understand what you're saying about innovating and RE-inventing the music!! (my interpretation)....My fear is that the church has strayed so FAR (and I believe it is a TRICK of the enemy...and we fell for it!)...that the young people can hardly distinguish between the secular and the spiritual....and they feel it's OK to MIX the TWO....Yess, Christ said "If I be lifted Up"....but He also said let's do it DECENTLY and ORDERLY!!!....I just don't feel it's IN ORDER when I see young people in the pews doing the "bounce" and the "cha cha slide" to the music at CHURCH....then turn around and go to the club and do the SAME dances.....Where's the separation of Christ and the world?.....NO!...we don't have to GIVE IN to the "demands" of the world just to (say).."bring them in".....Then at awards time they stand before an audience and nationwide TV to accept an award with a CROSS around their necks as big as their chests and their shirts "unbuttoned" halfway down their "bare chests" or skirts halfway "up" their bare legs and actually have the nerve to "Thank God" first......It almost sounds cliche(ish) and without meaning.....Just because they feel they should say it.....Where's the "true reverence" for God being first?.....If it were an offering I feel The Lord would not want it given to Him "that" way...(ask Caine).....We need to "stop" thinking we can just present The Lord "anything" "any kind" of way!!......I'm just saying.....a song on the style of "Melodies From Heaven" was grrrreat!!!!.....But when I heard "Stomp" being played in a nearby club (next to the car wash I wash my car at sometimes)......I was tooo outdone!!!.....Yes maybe there does need to be a new day, new way type of music...But it STILL should be GODLY!!!....It just SHOULD!!!!....And to be honest with you....I hear QUITE A FEW young people singing AND RELATING to "Never Would've Made It" by Marvin Sapp.....(If he would've added Christ or God's name(s) a little more it would've REALLY been off the chain).....I'm just saying.....We don't need as much stomping and bumping and jumping as you THINK we need!...God Bless You!
Evang. Wynelle;
I am in perfect agreement with you my Sister. We must keep teaching them who Jesus is, what his mission is and why he did it. The next thing is simple are they saved? They so often see others jump up and shout how good God is, but we never let our young people know what our struggles where. We stop acting like we've been saved all our lives then they can see what God has done. One other aspect we must take in consideration, our young artist are not stupid, they know that very few gospel artist really have finanical success. They learn quickly how to develop a more secular style. We have our best go to the secular side of music for the money and hopefully they may one day come back. You look at those who win the up coming Grammy Awards, they know how to say thank God, but they don't know how to truly praise him. We must not only teach but show our young people that there are many other benifits to singing to the glory of God. We have hypocrite children, who watched hypocrite church folks for far to long. I don't mean to sound brash, but we know its true, so if we know better then we can do better. Hey its plenty of blame to go around. Our young people need to know what they are jumping and bumping for. God wants our offerings with a pure and clean heart. Min. Ron R.
Welll.....it looks like we ain't through with this yet.Minister Richardson let me make this comment directed at what you said.......after almost 40 years of seeing and participating in these "innovations"I truly believe that it's not always "what"you do,but it's "how"you do it.Now let me get a little theologial for a minute......Dr Alexander mentioned Cain...and the fact of the matter is...Cain could have been dressed in a 3 piece suit,with alligator shoes...and a Rolex..and God would have stilled KILLED HIM!!!..WHY???because it's what was in his "heart"the sacrifice that he offered was a result of what was going on...on the "inside"and therefore it "contaminated"his offering.......you see what we offer God,ere regardless to it's form,it is tied to that which comes from what is on the "inside"of us...and you will never get...."grapejuice" from "apples"it's impossible....now we have to put the right thing on the inside of these young people who are coming behind us...so that the offering of their gifts...will be acceptable and pleasing to God...because we know with people...that's not always the case....their are many,many, Christian artists that don't look like us......they don't relate to what we relate to...they have not experienced what we have have experienced...but I must ask this question:Are we not asking the same proverbial question that was asked of Jesus....."Can any good thing...come out of Nazereth???"We have a responsibility to not "clone"these people into little replicas of us...but they need to steered into the image of Christ...and He!!!will use what He put in them......we may not like the style or the method,but if it is of Him.........it will glorify Him.The traditional Church is the basis for all that's being done.....even musically...all they doing is taking the old,and infusing the new with it......this is for you musicians who have trouble understanding some of these new "chords"from a theory standpoint....here me,and here me good...every fat chord that you hear,or ever will hear....I don't care who playin it,or who doing it....it all starts with the 1-3-5-7 scale or progression...whether it's blues,jazz,gospel,R&B,THAT IS UNIVERSAL!!!.....now I probaly will get some arguments on that..but I know from years of experience that's where it starts...that's where you build your "power chords"from because you can't have the 9ths,and 11ths and big block chords,unless the 1-3-5-7-is there.Now to most of you who are not there yet..it means nothing.But we must learn that having the "gift"is not enough,you have to "work"on your gift...and everything that we do for the Kingdom of God should reap a harvest...there's no need to "plant"if you ain't looking for a "harvest" or a "return"..the Word says that it shall not return "void"and if we are going to reap a harvest in our next generation...we got to plant the right thing in them......you might not understand "Amazing Grace"...but that seed needs to implanted in them,so that they will know that it's "through"grace...that God has given them the gift to do His work and His Will-Be Blessed
I apologize for being the radical one here but we are only reaping what we sow. We have played church for so long that when our children begin do as they see us do we want to blame them. I am a firm believer if we don't put the right things in them they will get the wrong things from some where else. Music is a reflection of one's spirit, good, bad or in different. You know garbage in garbage out. Gospel music is a cry of help, a thank you, exhortion before God. Gospel music to me is the purest form of exhorting God. We have some talent artist who may not have a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is why they can come up with bootleg gospel. Our young artist can only draw from what they experience as Minister Youngblood spoke of. Remember Timothy was taught by his faithful Mother and Grandmother, so when Paul came along the waters where there he just taught the young Timothy how to dig the well. I am not up set with the bootlegged gospel music as I am with the fact we allowed it to get this far. Jesus charge to Peter was "Feed my sheep, feed my lambs and feed my sheep." I have been witnessing the fact that there is a new generation of young believers, who is on fire for God. They have a heart for God and many of these young people come from unchurched back grounds, for God has a new bread of solider on the battlefield, those who have thrown tradition out the window who just use the word of God and love of Jesus Christ. Young people by the hundreds of thousands are coming to Christ and growing by leaps and bounds. They are surprising those seasoned saints to the point that they want to slow them down. We are beginning to act like Martha, " we worry about the wrong thing, Mary's gotten the good part." Plainly, we need to get right church or get left behind and as far as the other part regarding gospel-lite, lite on Jesus music, if it don't edify throw it out with the garabage. (Hey, beloved's I love this stuff, for iron does truly sharpen iron). Min. Ron R.
You know what?.....Rev. Ron and Rev. Youngblood....I love you two brothers and have "never" seen either of you.....But THAT is what the TRUE word and work of Christ is alllll about...We've communicated and shared our thoughts and ideas in LOVE and have come to the realization that our next generation is OUR responsibility and we have only "this" moment in time to get it right or else like you said....we'll plant a seed(s) that will yeild either NO crop or an "unfruitful" crop....Our kids of today ARE hungry they really are....But in working with them I've found out that if we don't give them the proper nutrients they'll make up their own!!!.....The need to survive is in all of us and they will survive....the question is HOW?.....Hey gentlemen, I thank God for you I do.....Rev. Youngblood I "hear" that you are verrrry proficient in music....I wish I were that keen.....I have been afforded a "gift" by Christ to "sing" His word but as far as the chords and beats and stuff like that..I see that's YOUR expertise!....and I thank The Lord for it in you......If anyone cares to go to www.octaviarecords.net and listen to a couple of "snippets" I have there on my site and provide me with some "feedback" I would greatly appreciate it......God Bless You Both!!!!
Thank you Evan.Alexander...and yes my reputation doth precede me(lol)...I went to your sight to listen to your snippets,but they would not load up..so if you have some recent ones,you can send them to me at youngbl-1@lycos.com....and let me hear what you workin with-Be Blessed
I was brought up on Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland and the might clouds of Joy. The southern Baptist music has always been a main stay in my worship and praise and I'm not to sure about today's music but the thing that I must confess is that it does not matter whether we agree or not but what matters is does the LORD find favor in their music unto him!!!! You see it's not about us but it's about praising his name and giving the glory unto him. If we try to turn our backs on todays music leaders then will we find favor or be a disgrace in his name!!!!!!!!!
That's real talk Bro.Winstead.....we must somehow come to a middle ground in understanding and accepting a lot of the different types of Gospel Music that is out there.And I think where we might be missing it is all music is music regardless.Gospel music is music put to particular lyrics that exemplify Christ...but it is still...music,the classifications of how we put things is some of the problem...such as "rap music"...there really is no such thing as "rap music"per se...instead it is really "rap"the spoken form,put to "music"because some of the same notes,harmonies,and rhythms,are present in every form of music.Once we understand that the Black Gospel art "form"has been copied and used by many different artists overall,and gazillions of dollars have been made from the gospel music artform,then we can understand it's entire influence from the Beatles,to Elvis Presley,Michael Bolton,Justin Timberlake,Elton John,and hosts of other artists,have taken and used music that we have created.........gospel music is a true original American art form because jazz was birthed out of the church,Thomas Dorsey...the acknowledged Father of Modern Gospel Music was a sucessful jazz artist,but he was a gospel musician first,Aretha Franklin got into R&B because her father the late C.L.Franklin didn't want her to starve to death singing Gospel music..so there are many examples that we can see,and I believe all music comes from God,what the individual does with the gift and the inspiration is another matter entirely.hopefully this generation will use those gifts to glorify God,and edify the saints in this Kingdom work.
Bro. winstead what you said (like Minister Youngblood stated) is real talk for sure.....however....this isn't about turning our backs on today's music (on the contrary).....What it IS about (like YOU said is)....IS GOD REALLY SATISFIED WITH IT?.....Yes, "WE" have labled different genres of music but is it reeeally what GOD wants?......I feel the disgrace would be if we continue to allow ANY and EVERYthing into the church, then stand before The Lord pleading our case (as the Bible says).....saying But Lord, I did this and I did that and I SANG this and SANG that in YOUR name.....And The Lord says.....Depart from me "I know you not".......It's easy to SAY because the song has God's name in it that it's of God.....But again the question is.....IS GOD PLEASED?...Is it reeeally giving HIM the glory?.....-OR- Is it just tickling MAN'S ears?.....Christ left us as STEWARDS over His church, but are we reallly being good stewards or are we just satisfying our own desires?....Because in spite of all the stomping, rumping and jumping....The church membership is STILL "declining".....(and I'm not talking about any one local church, I referring to THE CHURCH as a whole)....I reeeally believe The Church NEEDS to get back more to BASICS.....More CHRIST LIKE public displays and not so "clubish".....And as far as all this change with the times stuff...God says HE is the SAME....YESTERDAY, TODAY and FOREVER!......The reason He's now standing OUTSIDE HIS OWN CHURCH knocking at the door is because WE'VE CHANGED!!!!
Minister Jordan....once again...you are as Gordon Ramsey of the T.V.show "Hell's Kitchen"would say......"You are spot on".....and we must never forget that we are the managers of God's presence....we are the "stewards"of God's presence......and when we come in line with what He wants.....and you're right....the Scripture says so clearly...that He stands at the door knocking,and if any man will let me in,I will come in and sup with him...but you said it...how long does he have to stand outside knocking?????you know how we do....if it is a stranger that we don't know,we are ":hesitant"about letting them in....but Jesus is "knocking"at the door of the "house"that He built,and we are refusing to let Him come in and take His rightful place as the "owner"and when we stop seeking His hand so much,as opposed to seeking His "face"...you know.....my kids don't always grab for my hand...they want to climb up and get in your lap,play with your ears,and your eyes,and my moustache(lol)...well I believe Ouf Father(the ABBA)wants us to do the same thing....we should be so close as to smelll His breath.......GLORY!!! GLORY!!!GLORY!!!!!,and really "feel"Him....and until we can get to that level of managing His presence in our worship and praise,we are misssing the essence of what it is all about,yet we jumping,stomping,bumping,screaming,and it becomes "sounding brass and tinkling cymbals"running around the church like we at the Olympics...all the while......He's standing there "knocking"saying...let me in your worship,let me in your praise,let me in the song service,let me in your playing,your praying,your teaching,let me in your giving,....all He is saying is.....let.....me...In..-Be Blessed.
Evangelist Alexander I couldn't agree with you more it is truly our calling and place to bring the word of our Lord and Master back to the congregation and to cherish his name in worship and prayer. it is true that we have gotten away from the basics that God set forth for use to follow and we need to get back to worshiping him on a level plan and forget about all the worldly issues that may bring numbers up on the record labels but miss the true meaning of why we worship his name and the true meaning that he has brought us together as a people. If we get back to the basics like Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland and the Canton Spirituals then we would understand how important the worship and praise of his holy name actually is and that without his anointment and blessings then just how lost we are and the destination that we are on is a one way ticket to damnation and the blood shed by our Lord Jesus was in vain!!!!! Yes Amazing Grace touches me deep within my soul and I feel the compassion and soul searching that our fore fathers and mothers went through to get us to where we are today. I love that song !!!!!!!!!

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