WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE?

I confronted a praise group who planned to perform before a Christian congregation. As I was placing my notes on the podium prapring to speak, I spotted two stacks of their music. On the right hand side of the podium was the praise music for the morning's service. On the left was the stack of secular music that they were secretly practicing early Sunday morning. Seems that they were going to moonlight somewhere in town... I have no problem with that - I DO however, have a problem with the lyrics I was reading from that particular left-handstack. Vulgar language; a worldview that was "gimme gimme"; suggestive lyrics about girls; mockery of authority and a "don't tell me wht to do" line of thinking ...this is what a Christian group is supposed to sing?

I confronted them about this hyprocrisy. They were running a serious danger of sending out a two-faced message to the congregation and the community at large. You're going to sing praise songs on Sunday but perform hedonisitic entertainment the rest of the week?

James 3:10-11 " Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?"


There seems to be a real ambivalence about total commitment in the area of following Christ. Read the words of the late Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

"...one thing is clear: (Jesus) did not go to the cross to ornament and embellish our life. If we wish to have him, then he demands the right to say something decisive about our entire life. We do not understand him if we arrange for him only a small compartment in our spiritual life... there are persons who would not even bother to take Christ seriously in the demand he makes on us by his question: 'Will you follow me wholeheartedly or not at all?'"