Last week I was in a convention center several times and had a chance to watch a large group of teenagers interact with each other before each session. I’ve been a part of such crowds in the past and have even set up the flashing lights and sound equipment that was to be used.
Since that time I have heard a lot of things about rock music and the affect that it has on people. I am not boycotting the music entirely but for the moment I’ve stepped back a lot as I explore for myself whether these claims are true.
One statement that I have found particularly interesting comes from Matthew Murray, who killed several Christians as a form of revenge in late 2007. This quote is from an e-mail that is attributed to him (abbreviated by WND; full e-mail here):
I have a powerful addiction to a powerful drug that most people in my life don’t know about. ... I have found this drug to truly be a force to be reckoned with. This drug can completely alter blood pressure, heart rate, brainwave patterns and other bodily functions. ... This drug will completely control a person’s mind, what thought’s (sic) they think and their emotions and how they feel. I found that this drug has the power to completely alter a person’s religious beliefs, their morality, and their values and their entire lifestyle. ⦠I found this drug to be a powerful driving force and easy gateway into a world of sex, other drugs, rebellion, homosexuality, alcoholism and many other dark things. ... The drug ... is commonly known in our culture as ... Rock Music.
This is a sobering thought and I do not wish to be mastered by anything (I Corinthians 6:12). Because of this, I simply watched as things unfolded in the convention center. Several of the students ran around to give high-fives to whoever paid them any attention or in an effort to start “the wave.”
It is strangely ironic in our culture, that has taught a rugged individualism, would raise kids who would be a part of this. Even when you get into Christian circles, it is very popular to preach “all I need is me, my Bible and the Holy Spirit.” This happens despite commands like the ones found in Deuteronomy 6:7 or Matthew 28:19,20 which indicate our beliefs are also passed on from individual to individual.
As social creatures we are redundant. We spend a lot of time and energy to teach what we know to others and that doesn’t stop the next person from analyzing everything for himself. It only saves him the time of discovering (by himself) every nuance of how the world works. Life is short.
Anyway, even though as people we do have a group mentality, there is (or has been) a strong teaching toward individuality in our American culture. Somehow crowds overcome this and it is even expected that everyone participate. Toss a beach ball out over a crowd and watch what happens. They’ll hit it back and forth and I would almost bet that it will never touch the floor. Everyone is expected to be paying attention to what the group is doing.
Then the shouting matches started. Some of the people who were running around to give high fives started one side of the room with “We love Jesus, yes we do. We love Jesus, how ‘bout you?”
The other side repeated it, trying to get louder, then it was the first side’s turn again. What in the world? Why would I want to shout at someone asking if they love Jesus after they have just yelled at me that they do? What possible purpose is there to this? Are we that lost for things to do?
There were other things that happened too. What do you think? Are crowds a human game board to be played? Even more importantly, is Jesus a cheer leader who has to pump us up or is there something more to our faith?
My heart still has to be kindled by God’s Holy Spirit but it is more than emotion. I pray yours is as well.
Comments
Submitted by Tiffany on
My heart still has to be kindled by God’s Holy Spirit but it is more than emotion. I pray yours is as well.
Amen. Love is not a feeling, but a commitment. A commitment to serve God with all of our being, and trusting Him to give us the strength and endurance to do so. It can be very easy to get caught in the moment when being with a crowd, and you can easily get emotionally charged. I had a friend last night who was trying to get me to consider going to a conference that would take place next year, and they stated, “Best worship session, speakers are awesome! You’ll get pumped up for God!” And I thought, “I can get “pumped up” for God right in my own home by dwelling in His Word, and fellowshipping with Him!” I think a lot of Christians use conferences/concerts to ‘renew’ or get emotionally high in their faith, yet when they leave, their “passion” is gone. 2 Peter 1:3-10 says, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
I think a key word here is diligence, and many don’t know exactly what that means or have forgotten. It certainly is not defined by emotions or going someplace to get your passion.
Submitted by Chris on
There is another danger to conferences—God judges us according to what we know. Romans 2:12 gives some hint of this:
Conferences can be great. They can also be death traps for people who can not handle what they already know to do (or not do). Matthew 11:20-24:
Doing things from emotion is a horrible idea. Instead we should learn to quietly live as we ought (with the help of the Holy Spirit) and let our emotions fall in line.
And I know exactly what you mean about getting “pumped up” right in your own home. There was a time when I would read the Bible to help me fall asleep. Now I have a hard time sleeping after reading the Bible or any other stories of God’s saints. We really have an exciting God.
Submitted by Kayla on
Having grown up on Moody Science videos, Little House on the Prairie books, and classical hymns, I can’t relate real well to any of this. But I still find it quite fascinating. Listening to the live version of Mighty to Save by Michael W. Smith creeps me out, as does They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love by Jars of Clay. They sound like cult chants. I’ve also noticed this about traditional churches with the congregation responses.
However, I’m not opposed to going to conferences where they’ll “pump you up” with the gospel (concerts are iffy, since it tends to be emotional). I tend to see it as more of an encouraging tool. Sure, I could be just as excited about Christ and my faith without it, but what does it hurt? (Unless you are making the decision to believe in Christ while on an emotional high. This is why I don’t care for altar calls. Other important decisions probably shouldn’t be made at this time either.)
Perhaps I’m just more familiar with the good ol’ Baptist stay-in-your-seat-and-shout-“Amen-brother!”. :D
Submitted by Chris on
I don’t necessarily have problems with conferences either. It’s the commitments that they get out of people on an emotional high that aren’t followed through on that I take issue with. We need to teach people how to live their lives that way all the time, which is a different matter entirely.
Alter calls are a relatively new invention that were created for the massive tent revivals. I don’t know they are necessarily bad but the alter is not the only place salvation can take place either. As I dig deeper, it shocks me that we have 2-5 minute alter calls and say that someone is saved after them. In times past, men (or women) prayed with the person seeking Salvation until God’s Holy Spirit confirmed to that person that he (or she) was saved. At times it took an hour or more. Starting a relationship takes time.
At my own church, we have “audience responses” (in a sense) and some are specifically given in the Bible (Joshua 24:21, I Kings 1:39, I Chronicles 16:36). The most common for us is that we will read a Psalm where our pastor reads one verse and then the congregation reads the next.
Being a part of a crowd does have an effect. My worry is that churches are learning how to manipulate this without hardly anybody understanding why or how it works, and then they cater to it.