ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605030087
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: The Back Pew
SOURCE: CODY LOWE
Last week's Dove Awards for "the best" in numerous categories of Christian music already have generated controversy in some Christian circles.
The Gospel Music Association's 27th awards ceremony was decidedly oriented toward youth - and specifically toward a harder-edged, more rock 'n' roll sound than ever before.
A few years ago, dc Talk moved onto the gospel scene as a rap group fresh from the campus of Liberty University. Gradually, the group extended its repertoire to include ballads, rock and combinations of forms.
But it was "Jesus Freak," a rockin', rappin' number, that won the group Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Rock Recorded Song of the Year in this competition.
Jars of Clay - another 20-something, hard-rocking band - was named New Artist of the Year and won a music video award.
It was predictable that such recognition would bring with it a measure of criticism.
Though rock, pop and even rap gospel have been around a while, they were never taken very seriously in the gospel music world. Oh, the Doves set up separate categories for them - an almost bewildering plethora of categories, in fact.
And mainstream pop artists such as Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant have gotten a lot of attention in the last few years.
But everybody knew that the "real" gospel music was something else, even if there might have been some disagreement on exactly what that something else was.
There is "inspirational" - a mellow, easy-listening style epitomized by people such as Sandi Patty, and even, in large part, by the work of Grant and Smith; there is "traditional" - based in the roots of black gospel music dating back to slave days; and there is "Southern gospel" - focusing on four-part harmonies often accompanied by the instruments of bluegrass music.
While those forms still dominate sales at many Christian music outlets in these parts, this year's Dove Awards may be a signal that a new style will challenge for the hearts of Christians.
Christians, of course, are the ones who are listening to gospel music. Most of the material being produced in the genre - primarily in Nashville - is "singing to the choir," as we used to say in the Southern Baptist church of my boyhood.
That used to be a no-no. Meaning that we were taught that a Christian's real job was to convert other people to Christianity, and that it was essentially a waste of time to worry about maintaining the spirit and faith of other Christians.
To have to continually uplift Christians showed a lack of faith in the power of the Almighty and was probably a sign of an uncertain conversion, many of us were told.
Some time in the last 40 years, we mostly wised up. We realized that "the Great Commission" to share the Gospel with others is still an obligation, but that those who have already accepted Christ as their Savior may need a little encouragement from time to time, too.
What some of those who criticize the new wave of Christian music may not understand is that in addition to being encouraging to young Christians, this may be the first Christian music in years to have a real chance to influence - maybe even convert - non-Christians.
That might happen for no other reason than that a non-Christian teen-ager might hear dc Talk or Jars of Clay on K-92.
Even if the song is not overtly Christian, if teen-agers buy the album, they will be unable to miss the unmistakable message that this group is singing the praises of Jesus Christ.
The numerous consultants I know who are advising churches on how to reach teen-agers understand that you have to speak the right language to make an impact. You can't use the language of 1993, much less 1953, and expect to get a message through today. Neither should the church expect the music of 1953 or 1993 to be meaningful or persuasive or uplifting to teen-agers of 1996.
The church is by nature and necessity a bastion of tradition. Guarding, preserving and passing on its traditions is important, critical perhaps, to the life of the church.
But if the institution becomes hidebound on the issue of music, it will lose a critically important tool for fulfilling its mission of reaching out with its message to the world around it.
This year's Dove Awards may be part of a continuing sign that those musical ministers, at least, are willing and unafraid to take the Gospel to a new audience.
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