And this hollow feeling grows and grows and grows and grows. And you want to txt your youth leader and say "Youth Leader, I can never go to church again 'cause I seem to have left an important part of my soul somewhere, somewhere in a field listening to a Christian music festival". Alright. In the middle of the night, it feels alright. But then on Sunday morning... Oh, when you come down. What if you never go to church again?
Apologies to Pulp for stealing one of the best Brit pop lyrics, and tearing it to pieces to open this post.
I've got to be careful with this one, because I've got loads of friends who are either going to Frenzy or taking youth groups from their church. I'd love to be there, but watching football (soccer) is my top leisure priority at the moment. Great weekend for it weatherwise, at least.
So, I'm only making some observations and remarks here. And, I do not disapprove of Christian festivals. I just don't get them. If I was going to go to a music festival, I'd want to go and hear real rock, pop and dance music. Bands like Razorlight, The Killers and the Kaiser Chiefs. DJs like Tim Westwood, Judge Jules, Roger Sanchez (he's really cool - heard him once in Glasgow - problem is, I just don't dance anymore). Dance acts like the Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, and Gorillaz.
Again, let me stress, I'm not dishing Christian rock or pop. I just don't understand what appears to me the obvious thing about most of this stuff - it apes or mimics cultural forms that are non-Christian - and in so doing it creates a parallel Christian culture. So, it doesn't reform or restore predominant culture in a Christian way, along the lines of those Christian thinkers who would see that as the God given mandate of Christian believers. Neither does it set up a counter-cultural movement, akin to the impact that Jesus seeks for our kingdom life in a godless world. It just provides Christians with music that is safe because it's not contaminated by worldly attitudes - but, I wonder if it actually does promote values that are subtle attacks on God centred living...?
Simon Varwell's blog post is certainly funny, although some of the comments are a little too close to the bone for me. Why is pop Christian culture such an easy place to illustrate irony and postmodernism?
2 comments:
I appreciate your blog and read it often. I noticed that you have pretty decent taste in music and wondered if you've ever heard of a group called Slim Cessna's Auto Club. For some reason I think you'd like them. They remind me of a countrified Nick Cave. Not as dark either. http://www.slimcessnasautoclub.com/downloads/
Given how much chart success Christian bands have managed to achieve they are never going to be invited onto regular festivals so a Christian music festival is a great place for people to discover new bands and enjoy established ones that they would never get a chance to listen to.
Unless you are offended by Christian music as a whole?
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