The Sovereign Grace/Getty Music Question

I posted at the website of the article:

Whether one agrees or disagrees with your observations, your comprehensive and appropriately nuanced grasp of the subject matter is at a level lacking in many evaluations which unfortunately often results in inefficient conclusions on such matters. Thank you for the abbreviated but thorough treatment. I post at Sharper Iron and will modify this comment and repost it there.

Now as for my own boundaries, if I were responsible for making the decision I would accept a song’s use if the music and lyrics were appropriate and I would not lay heavy on the association (though this is not an absolute). After all the saying goes, “God draws a straight line with a crooked stick” (the human instruments being the crooked stick of course).

I do agree in part, though with slightly differing reasons and posture, that there is and should be a distinction between worship music and entertainment music and it should be reflected to a significant degree. Now that said, no one should assume I mean to say that worship music will not result in some pleasantries for our human senses which might be in part defined as entertaining such senses but these should not be the designed purpose. Well anyway, let me limit the comment to this, I realize this discussion and debate does finds itself slowed to a crawl in minutia and quicksand isn’t my cup of tea on this topic.

I personally like some of their music. I do not care for the stuff that might have rock overtones to it. We have sung some of their hymns in our church service. Funny thing is, I bet most people in our church do not know who Keith Getty or Stuart Townsend are. I did not know about them until I heard Dr. Mohler interview the Getty’s on his radio show. I cannot recall the title of the hymn that we have sung in our services, but it is theologically sound. I know that there are some purists out there who would have a problem with Gettys, but they also have problems with Fanny Crosby also….

I guess I’m one of those weirdos who likes SG/G recordings AND the old doctrinally sound hymns. The style isn’t so much the question as is the doctrinal accuracy and God-centeredness of the lyrics. I would venture to guess that the folks at Sovereign Grace would say something similar. For instance, the T4G recording is full of old and new hymns, done in a fairly conservative style.

[Brian Jo] I guess I’m one of those weirdos who likes SG/G recordings AND the old doctrinally sound hymns. The style isn’t so much the question as is the doctrinal accuracy and God-centeredness of the lyrics. I would venture to guess that the folks at Sovereign Grace would say something similar. For instance, the T4G recording is full of old and new hymns, done in a fairly conservative style.

I’m with you, Brian. I love all the SG stuff (recordings included) as well as old hymns.