A Passageway for the Spirit: Using Secualr Music in Christian Worship
by Chad Hall

Not long ago, I attended two worship services on a single Sunday morning. This is not my usual Sunday morning ritual, but it seemed to be a good idea at the time. At the least, it would give me a double opportunity to hear what God might be whispering to me. But instead of whispering, God sang. And I already knew the tunes. One was made popular by Matchbox 20, and the other by Dire Straits. (In case you're wondering, I try my best not to attend churches that play Lee Greenwood songs.)

Both services (different churches, about 20 miles apart) used pieces of secular music during the worship of a sacred God. How interesting. Was it a coincidence, or was God trying to tell me something? I think that God was telling me this: 'It is good, right, and effective to use secular music as a means of worshipping a sacred God.'

Now I know that there are arguments against this thought and practice. The main argument I've encountered is that a clear distinction exists between the sacred and the secular. Proponents of this position believe that rather than allow the secular and sacred realms to merge, the church ought to draw the boundaries very plainly. The argument is that only by demarcating the difference can people know the difference and thus be made more Jesus-like. This is not a bad concept. It rightly understands that there is a difference between God and the fallen world, and that the goal of the church is to make fallen people more like the former.

Unfortunately, the philosophy behind this attitude has led the church to disengage from the world to a faulty extreme. Take, for example the 'dress code' for church: people put on their 'church clothes' and go to church, where they are supposed to encounter God; once they get home, they take off these clothes and put on their 'regular clothes.' This practice is highly metaphoric. The changing of clothes tangibly expresses the changing of expectations that occurs shortly after the last 'Amen' of a church service. Not only do we take off our church clothes, we also disrobe from what we have felt, learned, and experienced. Our change of clothing highlights the disconnection between the church world and the real world: they are two totally different realms, to the point that we need to don different uniforms in order to participate in each. But alas, this is an essay about music, not clothing. The reason why secular music is needed in worship is that it bridges two worlds that should not be separated in the first place. By letting the secular seep into the sanctuary, we also allow the sacred to spill out of the church - out of the 11:00 hour, beyond the walls, into relationships and situations other than those we experience at church. Put another way, if you hear Dire Straits while at church, you're more likely to hear God while in your car, at work, or cleaning the house. What you've done is to break down the walls that separate the compartments of our lives. By letting the world in, you let God out.

But wait a minute! Will this not contaminate sacred worship' Is this not truly a 'dire strait' – one that allows the profane to poison the pure' No. While this fear has some basis, it is built on two flawed assumptions. First, it assumes that God is not in the world. Now I am not saying that Matchbox 20 presents a salvific message, but I am saying that there is Godly truth in many 'secular' media works. It is wrong to call these works 'Christian,' but it is also wrong to deny that God places the nuggets of truth in those songs. Second, it assumes that forces opposed to God are more powerful than God. In the New Testament, Jesus constantly welcomed sinners into His presence so He could overcome their sin and redeem them into His kingdom. Can the Holy Spirit of God not redeem a secular song and use it for God's own purpose' I love the idea that He can! Imagine God ransacking the music aisles and declaring it to be His territory, His arsenal, and His voice. We willingly engage nature and non-human aspects of creation in order to get closer to God, why not engage secular media for the same purpose?

Tom Beaudoin agrees with me. In his highly informative and somewhat controversial book, Virtual Faith, he writes, ''people (or forms of pop culture) who profess to know little or nothing about the religious may indeed form, inform, or transform religious meaning for people of faith. [There is an] offensive and yet powerful possibility that truth could emerge from those least assumed to be in possession of it.' (34) Tom goes on to point out that today's generation 'will not pretend that the religious and the cultural are two entirely separate worlds.'(35) If they're not willing to pretend, and Jesus didn't seem to pretend, why should the church pretend that there is a great big wall forever separating these two worlds?

This brings us to some considerations. Here are some guidelines that I would follow in using secular music:
1. Be somewhat selective in the music you choose. Not all songs are appropriate for this kind of thing, because not all songs contain even a nugget of truth. However, don't make the artist the criteria by which you judge the song. God is the ultimate Artist, so trust that he might just use Van Halen to speak His message.
2. This is for worship, not entertainment. People are smart, and they can tell when you're using a song to promote the worship of God and when you're doing it just to appear to be hip. The key is to make the hip holy, not just be hip.
3. Help folks re-interpret the songs in light of who Jesus is and what He has done. Don't get trapped into thinking that a song is 'about' just one thing. One problem with music videos is that we mistakenly believe them to reveal the 'official' meaning of a song. Use your insight and perspective to reinterpret the song. Give it a meaning that meshes with the worship experience you're creating. One way to do this is to make your own video, with PowerPoint or Flash.
4. Realize that some songs can be illustrative without being worshipful. There are many songs that highlight the human condition to which God alone speaks. Use these songs as you would a quotation or a story.
5. Feel free to change the words. If there are curse words or heavy sexual language or something, change the words. Just using secular tunes can make a big impact on your worshippers. The Dire Straits tune I mentioned was given words that included 'Just as I am.' Talk about slamming the secular and sacred together!

Here are a few songs that you might consider using in your next worship service:

• Van Halen, 'Right Now' - Great message: there's no tomorrow, so do it right here and now.
• Creed, 'Higher' - Visions of a better (heavenly) world where love replaces hate.
• Boston, 'Don't Look Back' - The song is about new beginnings, 'Oh, I see myself in a brand new way.' Also, 'Peace of Mind' - Breaking free from competition and the ephemeral nature of human life.
• Vertical Horizon, 'You're A God' - The Christian's confession to Jesus: 'You're a God, and I'm not'
• Matchbox 20, 'Bent' - 'Please help me, I'm bent ''

 

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