Directory of Contemporary Worship Musicians - Way of Life Literature

the message is also an aspect of the “crossover” phenomenon,whereby CCM artists want their music to be acceptable to theworld. e vagueness is also an aspect of the end-timemysticism of which music plays such a major role. emodern person responds to modern music emotionally,mystically, more than through the thought processes. CCM“artist” Joy Williams said:“I believe in the power of nuance and telling a story thatDRAWS OUT EMOTION WITHOUT SPELLING IT OUT. ...I find myself really drawn to nuance because I feel like that iswhere I have been affected by music. Take Sigur Ros: I DON’TEVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, BUTTHE MUSIC MOVES ME AND DRAWS EMOTION FROMME, and I FEEL like there is glory in that” (“Finding Her OwnVoice,” Christianity Today, March 3, 2009).is is blind mysticism and it is a recipe for spiritualdisaster.AbandonBegun as a contemporary worship band in a church,Abandon pursued crossover success and achieved it in 2011.eir Christian rock song “Live It Out” has been played onthe Food Network Challenge, ESPN’s SportsCenter, and theESPY Awards Show.e reason a “Christian” song would be acceptable in suchsecular forums is that the message is so abstract as to bealmost meaningless. Consider a sample of the lyrics to “LiveIt Out.”“Is it just me or the walls closing in?/ I can’t be the only one,feeling this/ So let’s tear it down, brick by brick/ ‘Cause it’s nothelping anyone/ And let’s get out from under this/ I will watchit fall on its own. ... So am I part of the cure or part of thedisease?/ I think it’s time we fall down on our knees/ And askGod for clarity to wash away/ Our memories of the old ways,yeah/ And pray that the walls break./ Can it fill the urgencynow?/ It’s time for us to love out loud/ Take the world we know5