The Rise of “Worship” Music

It’s the late 1960s and, to quote Bob Dylan, “the times they are a-changin’.”

The 60s are famously known as a decade of massive social change in which old norms were torn down in favor of the new and alternative.

But not everyone was finding fulfillment from it.

A good number of hippies found themselves disillusioned with the secular “Peace & Love” philosophy so, instead, sought direction from a similar, yet spiritual movement.

The Jesus Movement

The Jesus Movement of the late '60s and early '70s saw a rapid-fire revival among many hippie kids.

Loads flocked to Pastor Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa where those with a knack for music put their talent to use.

The result saw songs of praise and worship set to the contemporary sounds of the day.

(Even my boy Bob Dylan got in on the fun.)

And, thus, Church music was changed forever.

Bands and artists like Love Song, Keith Green, and Michael W. Smith exploded in popularity with their music and influence becoming dominant in churches across the United States.

Their success paved the way for worship bands and artists of today such as Phil Wickham, Maverick City Music, Chris Tomlin, and Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation churches.

So, what’s the big deal?

Limiting Worship?

The industry name for this genre is CCM (Christian Contemporary Music) and despite existing in mostly non-denominational spaces it’s proven to have a Churchwide appeal (in Protestantism at least).

Songs tend to look (or should I say sound) something like this: 

Positive, high energy, and passionate - jokingly (and not so jokingly at times) referred to as “love songs where the girl is replaced by Jesus.” 

Their similarity to popular music and overall simplicity make these songs easy to remember and approach (not to mention accessible to those outside the Church), hence the genre’s meteoric rise in popularity. 

If you come from a Protestant and, more specifically, Evangelical background, the influence of this music cannot be overstated. It’s practically reshaped how many churches visualize and understand music’s place in the Church.

Therein lies, in my opinion, one of the biggest problems with this music.

It’s severely limited how many followers of Jesus understand worship.

More on that tomorrow.

(Gotta give credit where credit’s due, though, Keith Green’s “You Put This Love in My Heart” positively hits.)

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

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