Can music be "Christian"? A unique thought.

You can see in my last blog how I pondered the merits of each side of the "Christian Artist" debate.  I'm the kind of artist that doesn't want to be put in a box.  When I see a faith-based band like Skillet touring with other bands like Seether, I tend to think that's really cool.  We were, in fact, meant to go to the world.

However, today as I read, prayed, and spent some time with God, I think I got something worth sharing.

Look, disclaimer here: religiousness creeps me out too.  Ok?  I don't want to get spooky on you.  Normally when I see someone start a blog the way I just did, red flags start going up, and I usually don't want to read anymore or brace myself to cringe.

But here it is:  a lot of people have been saying lately that music can't be "Christian", because Jesus didn't die for our music.  He died for us.  And a piece of art doesn't have a religious affiliation.  And so on.  And you know what?  I totally get that.

However, I think for far too long we've been looking at this philosophically and religiously instead of spiritually.

Why do people pray over their food?  Taking a look at the different scriptures referring to praying over food (an inanimate object), especially Matthew 14, you can basically surmise that you are supposed to be thankful, and to bless the food.  What does that mean?  That's means to call it blessed, to call it prosperous and good and make it clean through thanking God.  That means to call it into the ministry.

Couldn't the same be said about a piece of music?  That you could pray The Blessing over it and send it out, even if it doesn't necessarily sound like a stereotypically "Christian" song, or even if it's instrumental?  When did the church world as a whole forget about the whole Biblical concept of Anointing?

I don't mean to get esoteric or nitpicky here.  But shouldn't there be something different about the things the people of God create, even if it's "intangible"?  Shouldn't we be praying that what we create goes out as a Blessed thing and has an effect on people's lives, even if it's just a song about a sunrise?  

My personal opinion is that we don't always need to have an altar call in the middle of a set or to preach in the middle of a set.  I find it ironic when some musicians (who aren't a worship band) choose to put the concert on hold for 15 minutes to suddenly preach a 5 point sermon when the lyrics to their music is all negative and downtrodden anyway.  It's a spiritual AND an artistic contradiction, and I think it sometimes puts off the very people you're trying to reach.  Now, if you know that the Lord told you to put an altar call in the middle of you set, then don't let me stop you.  That's between you and God.  And I'm not saying that I've never done that in the past, or that I'm not willing to do it.  I just think we need to have good discretion between what is following God and what is ambushing people in a way that's really just a turn-off.  And I'm well aware that could literally change from one concert to the next.  I'm not about to sit here and presume to dictate to the Holy Spirit.

But back to the music thing.  Look, all I'm saying is that a lot of people have forgotten that The Blessing can attach itself to things.  Music is a thing.  And just like food, I realized today that it can be spiritually sanctified, even if it's not sold or marketed that way.  And if you don't believe that, you're probably being more philosophical than spiritual.  

I'm still learning about this.  I'm not saying I've got it all figured out.  But maybe a song is like a person.  We don't go around yelling in everyone's faces, "HEY!  HEY!  I'M A CHRISTIAN!"  Ok, but if you are one, does not doing that make you any less of a Christian, even if the people that happen to be at Burger King at the same time don't know it?  Of course not.  So why should a song that's come from a blessed person be any less blessed just because it's not screaming religion at you?

Something to think about.