The confusion regarding “Christian” music has only intensified with the rise of worship leaders releasing mainstream records. Never before has the line between worshipper and performer been so blurred. Yet neither have the boundaries in Christian music ever been fuzzier. Is Ever Stays Red praise and worship? What about the David Crowder Band, Josh Byrd or Robbie Seay? What is the difference between a “Christian in a band” and a “Christian artist”?

These continued blurry distinctions force us to consider the relationship between faith and art. Is it sufficient for me to simply say I’m a Christian? No, a faith that is real is a faith that is lived; it will show itself. Why do we expect less from our music? Why have we let an industry build itself on the shoulders of people who want their faith separated from their art; they’re “Christians in a band,” not a “Christian band,” you can’t expect them to be explicit about their faith, can you? People who express themselves for a living should be the first to express their faith! Those with an audience will be held accountable for the message proclaimed.

Was the tie between conviction and art lost somewhere in the marketplace, in a sea of initials: CCM, P&W, A&R, MTV, MXPX, etc.? Over which hill did the days set when faith fueled art rather than stifled it? Or has the question really become one of acceptance rather than art? Has image become more meaningful than our Savior? Music fans have been asked to sacrifice either explicitly Christian content or genuine artistic expression. Yet shouldn’t Christians be at the forefront of creativity? Don’t we above all have something to sing about? Can we say with J.S. Bach that the aim and final reason of all music should be none other than the glory of God?

To answer question in the previous post, no, not every word of every song must point to Jesus (explicitly). But if I can listen to an entire album and not know if it’s from a Christian perspective (instrumental music aside), then it’s not and you shouldn’t be able to buy it in a “Christian” bookstore. Why do we need another “positive message” when the most important message of all is squelched in the process?

Ours is a faith which must color every thought and every action. If it does not, there is legitimate concern about its reality (James 2:18-26). Christianity does not allow for a sacred/secular distinction; the Gospel encompasses all of life. Ultimately, the issue is not Christian artists “crossing over” into the mainstream; it’s the loss of any real Christian content in the process, or the lacking quality of much of what is billed as “Christian” music. The key is balancing artistic integrity with a genuinely Christian worldview (because the two do belong together); a key many artists seem to have lost or ignored. There’s a reason shows like Fear Factor involve a feat of balance; most of us have none.

Read the interesting article Secular, Sacred, or Both?
Read the follow-up piece Have Crossover Artists Sold Out?
Download Before Your Throne by Ever Stays Red. Buy I’ll Tell the World.
Download Broken by Josh Byrd. Buy Beautiful.
Download Open Skies by the David Crowder Band. Buy Illuminate.
Download While I Have Breath by Robbie Seay. Buy Ten Thousand Charms.