Now, for the people that know me and Jarred, our feelings about the current state of the church and it's music has been harsh. For the ones that don't, we feel the church's choice of music is boring. I'm not saying the songs they choose to sing aren't inspired by Christ and His wonderful love, but it seems originality has been absent from the praise and worship arena for a while now.
Example: Chris Tomlin won a Dove Award for adding a "lost" verse to Amazing Grace. No tempo change, no rhythm change or even a nifty dance beat. Just him singing while playing the piano and then, BOOM, "lost" verse and, POW, Dove Award . Chris Tomlin - putting original in originality.
But over the last couple of years, a new generation of praise has surfaced and has quickly become a force. It has single handly started a fire within the Christian teen and young adult demographic that has grown restless with today's praise and worship. And instead of sitting quietly in the pew, they are starting to lift there voice with a new song of praise towards Christ like never before.
Case in point: At this year's Icthus, a christain music festival I have had the pleasure to attend for four years now, Jarred and myself saw the future of the church before our very eyes during a performance by hardcore band Sleeping Giant. It didn't have walls or pews and hymnals were after thoughts. Instead we saw every age praising God in all differnt ways. Some by moshing, others by lifting their hands and singing "Oh Praise Him." I've never been a part of something like that before. Pure praise to Christ for all his love and correction he gives us.
Bands like Sleeping Giant are starting to bring originality back into praise and worship. Instead of writing for CCM radio, they are giving a new generation of Christ followers a voice and building a new road of worship with bands like The Glorious Unseen, Showbread and, maybe the forefathers of progressive praise, As Cities Burn. They're not scared to scream, sing and cry to Christ with unhinged, raw praise.
Bands like Sleeping Giant are starting to bring originality back into praise and worship. Instead of writing for CCM radio, they are giving a new generation of Christ followers a voice and building a new road of worship with bands like The Glorious Unseen, Showbread and, maybe the forefathers of progressive praise, As Cities Burn. They're not scared to scream, sing and cry to Christ with unhinged, raw praise. I would like to think the bands I mentioned are in the same postion as the songwriters that originally filled the church's first hymn books. A place where Christ's power on their lives are leading them to write unashamed, original praise. That they understand they serve a creative, artistic God and the praise He is given should be written in the same manner.
I can remember when "City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise" was released in 2000 and thinking those songs were the most passionate praise songs I have ever heard. Jars of Clay, Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer), Mac Powell (Third Day) and Peter Fuller (Newsboys) showed you could take praise and worship to another level of creativity that was never even thought to exist.
This new wave of artists are looking to do the same thing, just a little more bolder and a lot louder.
---Aaron
