Music is one of the artifacts of Western civilization that continues to manifest itself in Majority World contexts (A conversation tonight with a South-Asian brother reminded me of this reality.).
For example, I have written about the internationalization of bluegrass music and Kingdom potential. At that time, I drew attention to Canada, Europe, and Japan. Let’s now think for a moment about India and a few musical interests there.
I read tonight about an Indo-Applachian US fusion band, and the recent growth of electronic music and the burgeoning rock scene in India.
Pastors, if we are only encouraging our musicians to lead us on Sundays and write praise and worship music, then the Church is missing out on a great Kingdom opportunity. How about casting a vision of the gospel penetrating the local music scenes in countries home to many of the world’s unreached peoples? We are living during a time when various Western musical genres appeal to the Majority World. It is time for some musicians to step off the Sunday morning platform and step into the highways and hedges of India. But our brothers and sisters will not consider using their marketable skills this way without our encouragement, equipping, and sending.
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A Christian jazz/blues group just came to our town in South Asia. They partnered with a local Christian rock band to tour and share the message. It was well done and a hit among the youth. Not to mention that the two bands spent a week in meaningful ministry together.
Thanks for sharing this example, Chad!
Thanks for sharing this example, Chad!
JD, these are areas that make me a little nervous. If we are working to bring various styles of worship to other nations (such as India), how much then are we infiltrating them with Western culture, when God desires them to worship musically in a way they are created, using their natural inclinations. It enriches my soul when I hear Africans (for instance) worshipping the Lord in song and music in ways that are beautiful and natural to their inherent style. While I agree that Western music can be appealing throughout the world, it is important to remember that worship by song/dance can be incredibly intimate when it is birthed as a heart song of the ethne, and not borrowed from other cultures. Perhaps this will help Westerners maintain a careful, other-centered creation of song when they work cross-culturally, and invite the nationals to lead the created process.
Thanks for sharing, Angela. I agree that worship music should be contextualized (a.k.a. indigenous), but I am not referring to worship music in this post. “Highways and hedges” are biblical metaphors for the locations of unbelievers. I am writing about musicians playing “secular” venues and engaging the “lost” areas of the marketplace.