…the speaker/preacher makes a hand motion for the guitarist (or other musical person) to continue playing softly in the background while they pray. If that’s NOT emotional manipulation or the more gentle explanation of mood managing, then why not keep playing through the announcements! Oh the realisation! You can pray without a backing track AND people can actually connect with God without a mood enhancing soundtrack.
True, True.
Thankyou, I totally I agree.
Yes you are correct, but on the other hand a lot of people also enjoy the background ‘noise’
I know I do.
It doesn’t really matter what the background ‘noise’ is as long as it compliments the other activities that are happening.
Personally i find it stimulating. My problem with it is too often the choice of ‘noise’ is very bad
Well, when you have a pastor feel as though he is personally responsible for the salvation of the people in the seats, it makes sense.
It’s strange to me how Arminean theology states that one the one hand, a person isn’t saved by their own works, but certainly advances the notion that a person is saved by the works of others (ie., proper preaching, manipulation, etc., etc.)
Here. Here. Couldn’t agree more.
i heartily concur.
what also annoys me is when the pastor says something like “everyone raise your hands to God” as if we have to do it on their command.
If I feel God tell me to raise my hands, I will.
Totally disagree.
Music is something spiritual….from a bird chirping to a beautiful voice singing.
Music is a ‘gateway to the soul’
I dont think using it to stir emotions is wrong at all…..who gave us emotions? God. He also gave us a mind, and a spirit. I dont care what devices people use, if they are trying to challenge us and draw us to Christ, that is a good thing.
Its a bit like design. We use colour, pictures, music even, to provoke a emotion, to draw us in. Jesus did the same! The master story teller….who could say he was not using emotion when he told the story of the good samaritan? Or the widow who had lost her coin?
Emotion is good, because it comes from God. To say otherwise is to slip into modernism and even rationalism.
I agree, emotion is good, but ONLY if it is authentic. And yes I’ve been places where the musician’s keep on playing while there is prayer and it’s fine, but if it’s being used to ‘enhance something’ that probably shouldn’t need it then why? Why back a simple prayer that can be very authentic and even emotional with music?
I am not saying emotion is bad, but when you stray into say youth conferences where they hype kids up it’s not at all a true expression. It’s very much an in the moment thing.
I think we are far too on about experiences. Emotional or otherwise.
who determines its authenticity? I reckon I could find someone who would happily criticise something you see as being authentic. Only God sees the heart.
I reckon teenagers are very discerning, and maybe they like getting hyped up, I dont blame them!
It is subjective in human terms, but as this is a blog that is kind of the point. This rarely adheres well to me, and I usually find it distracting and off putting in that it feels inauthentic.
I think teenagers are discerning, but I also think there is a level where they are carried along why what is going on and their peers.
Sunday night I saw a kid told to stop praying in english and pray in tongues. The boy’s smart (discerning) and in love with God and yet that cannot be helpful.
In your comparison with design it feels to me like a contrast between advertising and advertising, there are ad’s that do their job well and ad’s that do their job well in an manipulative way. Tricky.
I don’t know if we show kids enough how to be a Christian outside of a church context – if backing tracks and ‘moments’ make our God experiences, then where does it leave us when we’re alone?
Thanks for your thoughts though 🙂
I reckon there is a marked difference between playing music while someone prays…and telling someone to speak in tongues.
It is your blog…and I hope I am respecting that. I appreciate the discussion to.
Discerment is subjective…by the way, I have see people keep playing during the announcements!
Wow…I never knew that got on other’s nerves as well! I agree that in some contexts I don’t even notice it and it’s fine…but when you know that it’s being ‘set up’ I begin to feel nervous. And rightly so if there was the impending fear of someone walking up to me and instructing me to speak in tongues. Let it be between me and God I say!