Concerts in the Sanctuary

So what’s all the fuss about having concerts in the sanctuary? Everyone is doing it right? Is there something wrong with it or are people just acting “too saved”? Well the buzz is that many mega churches (churches that can seat at least 1,000 people or more) are opening their doors, the sanctuary doors, to gospel groups and artists local and celebrity to have concerts for various causes. Some hold charity affairs where the tickets sold to get into the concert benefit a good cause. Others hold ticketed events for profit.
Does it make a difference that most of them are religiously related? Hmmm, some say that it does make a difference. Besides, Christians like to hear good live music too on a Friday or Saturday night without feeling convicted right? I guess the hoopla kicks into gear when people start talking about the fact that tickets are being sold in order to attend these concerts, which the scriptures talk about in Matthew 21:12, 13. The scripture reads, “12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.’” Sounds like Jesus was mad to me!

Anytime you make the Lord mad like that where he’s turning over tables, it must be something wrong with that! Yet in the next verse He turns right around and starts healing folks again. He’s just awesome like that! But the real deal lies in the question, is selling tickets outside of the church to have people attend a function inside the church (sanctuary) the same as selling items in the sanctuary? Some people just sell items still in the church but not in the sanctuary. You know those chicken dinners the usher board sells after church to go towards their portion of the building fund! Just a thought to make you think. Peace.

Christian Rap Controversy

Since hip-hop started in the early 80’s rap has become a very powerful and influential form of artistic expression. LL Cool J., Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and so many more legendary rap artists have paved the way for the current rap icons much of our youth look up to today. Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and Nas (just to name a few) have served as a bridge, a very strong and supportive bridge I might add, to make way for the very influential moguls like 50 Cent, Drake, Flo-Rida and the like.
So what happens when this secular genre of music where the message usually is geared towards sexually explicit ideas, talks about wettin’ somebody up, and boastful verses about how many glocks and nines somebody is slingin’ is transitioned to a message about Jesus? The controversial question is: can we in good conscience feed a positive message to our kids through this form of expression?
Christian rappers such as T-Wyse, Da Truth, and Prayz 1 certainly believe so. Songs like “Victory” by Prayz 1is a self explanatory message giving the people of God encouragement to believe that they have the “Victory” over any circumstance. So what do kids really listen to when they bob their heads to a rap song, any rap song? Is it the beat that makes them want to listen, or is it really the message? If it is the beat, then is the message really getting across? If not, what’s the point right? Or can we look at it like it is a subliminal message and determine, “Oh they’ll get it one way or another?”
Hmm, some say, “God don’t need no help!” Meaning, you shouldn’t mix secular sounds with Christian sounds to make it about God just to “reach our youth”. Others say, “Whatever it takes”. Would that be considered straddling the fence? Who will you serve, God or man? But what happens when the power of the Holy Spirit comes into the room after (or during) a performance by a Christian rapper? Just a thought to make you think, Peace