You gotta love the premillenial, dispensational antics of the Pat Robertson gang…

Rob & Scott: Thanks… Scott, the time certainly does fly.

Concerning marriage
Would You Marry Your Current Wife?A newspaper survey asked married men, “If you had it to do again, would you marry your current wife?” and found that the answer was, overwhelmingly, that they would. The Chicago Sun-Times found that 77.1 percent of first-time married men would remarry their spouses, compared with findings in a recent women’s magazine poll that said only 50 percent of the women surveyed would make another trip down the aisle with the same man.

The only other question asked in the newspaper poll was: “Why would you marry her again or why not?” Their reasons included: “Why not?” and “Without her, I’d be a bum.”

And this
More and more people seem to forget Henry Ford’s sage advice when asked on his 50th wedding anniversary for his rule for marital bliss and longevity. He replied, “Just the same as in the automobile business, stick to one model.”
Christian Clippings, p. 27

Cooooooooooool!!!!!!!!!! Jan Krist is going to be at Cornerstone. If ya’ll haven’t picked up any of her stuff, do so. Do so, now. Beautiful, acoustic…

Ken: Many congrats to you! I’m only 18 1/2 years behind you, but I’m rapidly catching up.

Hey guys, I almost forgot to share this with ya’ll. Today is my 21st anniversary. Beth and I were both 20 when we wed, so we have been married over one-half of our lives.

Michael, put the next round for the tavern crew on my tab !!

!!!!! God has been good to Beth and me !!!!!

Mark 4:10-13 10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.” 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

Parables have a dual purpose. They make some things obvious, but they hide others. The meaning of a parable like the Treasure hidden in a field is simple on one level. But on the level of knowing that Christ is the treasure, it is a hidden meaning that must be revealed. Jesus used parables to create two levels of communciation, and that revealed who had “ears to hear.”

Jim’s question: Can you name contemporary artists in the secular market who you think have a credible claim to being “Christian”? That’s not to say people in the stream of CCM, but if you show up at Cornerstone, I figure you at least give CCM a nod.

BTW- probably the worst thing to do to me is engage in any form of the “chronological heresy.” (See C.S. Lewis for explanation.) Now, if you would like to engage in “automatic suspicion of the contemporary,” I’ll drink and pay. (JN)

I hate to interrupt this CCM discussion but I have a question.

Parables: I hear over and over again that Jesus used parables so that the common man would understand His teaching. And yet the NT clearly states that the purpose of parables would be so that they (or at least the majority) would NOT understand.

Am I missing something or is this just flat out just a huge blind spot that people have?

I now return you to your CCM discussion, still in progress.

Since I’ve never heard of Larry Norman or any of the other bands mentioned in the past few days, I can’t really speak of the history of CCM; I can speak as to its current state.

Firstly, bands like MxPx, Dashboard Confessional, The Juliana Theory and countless other “indie/underground” acts do not consider themselves coming from the stream of CCM. If you ask them their musical influences (and I’ve met most of them after shows), they’ll say they listen to bands like The Beatles, Smashing Pumpkins, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, U2 or The Cure. The would look at you blankly if you asked them about Keith Green or Larry Norman. They would also say that their purpose is not to evangelize or “minister” to people; it’s just to make good music and have a good time doing it.

Jim: Those guys are actually pretty darned brilliant. They don’t do radio (of course) but do tons of concerts and because of the way they parody songs the kids know with Christian content, they get heard. I am glad they are still around.

CCM actually needs a Parody band. SCOTT could do it, but he has a mortgage.

ApologetiX- the Christian Weird Al Yankovic I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Scott: I wonder how many people have gotten saved just reading your summaries? Have you contacted Cliff’s Notes about “The Abridged Jack Chick Reader?”

Jim: Because the BHT is (mostly) made up old foggies, there probably isn’t as much awareness as there used to be of “secular” groups with Christians writing or performing. Among the current crop of rock and emo bands, there are a bunch of these. Most prominent would be P.O.D. Also, 12 Stones, Chevelle, Dashboard Confessionals, MxPx, Juliana Theory and many more. Alex should know all these groups. I am more aware of MxPx and P.O.D. than the others, but I think their claim to Christianity is credible. It seems that Christian Indy labels were open to these bands, and then the larger music culture wanted that skater/emo/harder rock sound and some of these bands were right there. Switchfoot is an example of that crossover.

U2. I am skeptical of Bono’s claim to be a Christian. I think he is a New Ager to the core, with no particular interest in the Bible or the Gospel of historic Christianity. He’s Irish, so he seems like a lapsed Catholic. That’s the gig.

T-Bone/Sam/Tonio: These are what I call “artists in the shadows” of Christian music. They make some interesting music (esp Tonio), and in the past especially, enjoyed some CCM acceptance. But they never wanted to be labeled for long. Of course, Sam hates CCM and I don’t know what her Christian angle is any more.

Cockburn. I agree. My fave is Michael Been of the 80’s band “The Call” who I really like a lot. There are a lot of people in this category. Van Morrison and Bob Dylan hold up, I think. Rick Derringer is NOW a Christian, I’m told. Mark Farner of Grand Funk. Pierce Pettis. Ready———John Tesh!!!

That feeling… that funky feeling… that bouncy feeling… you know… it’s time… time for…

The Chick Tract Translation
This week, we’ve got a doozy. “The Last Generation” is a true joy. Combining the best of conspiracy theories, Left Behind, Nazi Germany, 1984, and the Catholics – Chick gives us what should truly be a masterpiece of modern dispensational fundy comic dogma.

Our tract opens with Ted Koppel standing in front of the World Court headquarters in Rome, which immediately tells us that the World Court is evil. Lord knows, they could issue their evil decisions from their current location at Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands – but no. These people are of such evil caliber that they need to move their organization closer to the source of all evil on earth. Granted, this is one of the few Chick Tracts that doesn’t come out and directly state the the anitchrist is a pope and that the Vatican is Satan’s summertime vacation home, but there’s enough implication.

A bearded fellow from the court (following Chick’s modern times facial hair=evil theme… and probably gay) announces that anyone who believes in Jesus will be committed to a looney bin, or just out-and-out executed. We cut to a scene at a local home where Connie, apparently unaware of exactly what “committed to a looney bin or executed” means, asks her dad what it all means. Dad explains to her that if God twiddles His thumbs much longer, then they’re going to get to move from their cardboard-box tract home into a mansion. Connie is excited by the prospect, because she completely missed the “executed” part of the World Court’s decision.

Dad explains to Connie and Mr. Connie (otherwise known as Charles) that he knows for a fact that they are the Last Generation®, and that he knows this because of such odd happenings as persecution, killer diseases, earthquakes, and wars have never happened before. Never has their been Christians fed to lions, or diseases that make people die, or tectonic movements, or military conflicts. Never.

I think it’s obvious by now that Dad apparently doodled pictures of Minnie Mouse while everyone else was trying to pass 7th grade world history.

Dad continues to explain basic dispensational premillennialism right up until “The Monster” comes home. Who is this “monster”, you may ask? Has Viktor Frankenstein let loose his creation on the future? Has the French atomic bomb testing in the Pacific finally sent Godzilla and Mothra to wherever they are so that he can stomp their cardboard-box tract home into oblivion? Nope. It’s little Bobby, Chuck and Connie’s boy who’s apparently a 10-year-old member of the Evil Scouts. Bobby’s upset that his parents are still married, but fortuantely, his teacher has been working hard on his depression, by giving her class a green light to sacrifice Morris the Cat and Benji on Halloween. She’s a witch, and everyone knows that all witches love sacrificing famous animals on Halloween. Haven’t these parents read “Harry Potter and the Squirming Blood Sacrifice”? But fortunately, Bobby has another happy event going on in his life at Evil School – a “Healer” is going to explain about how the mother goddess is appearing everywhere, and how to identify heretics to burn. Unfortunately, Chuck says, “God help us” before telling Bobby to go to bed, which gives Bobby an opening to threaten to turn his parents in for child abuse.

Wow. Just like real life. Bobby miraculously and suddenly disappears, giving Dad an opportunity to finish his basic course in dispensational premillennialism for Chuck and Connie, who listen intently.

The next day, the Healer shows up at Evil School, looking like Batman got rejected by the Druids. He skips the promised “How the mother goddess is appearing everywhere” speach and heads straight to “How to turn your parents in for fun and profit”. Bobby, careful because of the denied mother goddess routine, double-checks and asks if he’ll get a reward for turning mom and dad into the authorities for sending him to bed. Bobby runs home and asks Dad (known to Bobby as Granddad, but let’s not get confusing here) if Jesus created the universe. Dad asks if the healers will take him away if he answers. Bobby slyly says, “That’s none of yer business”, and Dad tells him all about how Jesus created the Universe. Bobby, being the good little Evil Scout, runs off to turn in his insane Granddad and parents. Dad, apparently finally catching up to the “Bobby wants to kill me” plot, sends Chuck and Connie off to a cabin in the woods, with Connie’s bro, Paul.

Sure enough, Dad’s hauled off to the looney bin, where they apply large amounts of electricity to him in order to either A) force him to convert to whatever the heck these yahoos believe in; or B) see if his nose glows when the light goes off. Fortunately, Dad’s one tough cookie, and won’t be broken. He’s sent off to either be “disposed of” or “used for food”. In case you’re looking for Dad, he was last seen as a can of “Soylent Green” at the local Piggly-Wiggly.

We cut to Chuck, Connie, and Paul running to the cabin. We already know who the evil one is, becuase Paul has facial hair. He’s probably gay, too. Big Fat Gay Paul runs off to the authorities to turn in Chuck and Connie. When the authorities arrive in a helicopter (which we know is barely sufficient to contain 2 cowering Christians hiding in a log cabin with no weapons, the rapture happens, leaving authorities baffled as to the location of 2 Independent Baptists.

Just to be sure, we find out at the end that little Bobby grew up, died, and roasted like a marinated chicken in Hell for eternity… except… the tribulation is only 7 years… he couldn’t have grown up too much, or else… there’d be a major temporal continuity problem in the Chickaverse and all the characters would eventually fall into a black hole…

Uh-oh.

I experienced Norman’s In Another Land for the first time in 1975. Followed that up with Stonehill’s first album on Solid Rock records, (forget the name, but it had the song Lung Cancer on it – loved it!) Keaggy’s Emerging with the PKB was terrific – I wore the grooves out. I still listen to Omartian’s pre-”christian” stuff – White Horse and Adam Again. And then I got married to a woman who loved Tosca and Beethoven, and then Keith Green died, and one thing led to another and I got sick of CCM and had to rasie a family and then I woke up one day in the late 90s and everything was completely different and total dreck. So I listen to Clapton and Boston and Pink Floyd and Chopin and Bach and Kansas and Gypsy Soul and am so glad that I can completely ignore the vast wasteland of mediocrity that is most of the music world.

On an utterly different note, you owe it to yourself to read the works of The Mogambo Guru. Brilliant financial insight wrapped in hilarious prose. Think of Ludwig Von Mises on a good acid trip.

I’m going to stay out of the “who’s good in CCM” discussion, because CCM makes me so violently angry (for a variety of reasons) that I can’t form a coherant answer. I’d like to pose another related question, though: Can you name contemporary artists in the secular market who you think have a credible claim to being “Christian”? I came up with:

Bruce Cockburn, who although he’s firmly in the Tony Campolo/Ron Sider camp, at least can present a rationale for his views that is based on Christian belief.

T-Bone Burnett, who is probably more influential as a producer than as an artist, but he’s done some great stuff.

Sam Phillips, who used to be Leslie Phillips, but got frustrated with CCM, married T-Bone Burnett, and changed her name.

Tonio K, who wrote Charlie Sexton’s 80’s hit Impressed, with lyrics that are right out of I Corinthians.

Bob Dylan, who might just have proved that the best CCM possible can be written and performed by someone who isn’t a Christian. Or is he?

U2, just to upset the U2 haters in the bar.

Anyone else?

Ken: Don’t mention Stryper or any “Christian Metal.” Please. Please. I’m on my knees begging you. (JN) (I don’t want to see Angus in Spandex this early in the morning.)

Deroy Murdock on Spike Lee & Spike TV. Spike Lee is clearly insane.

The Henry Institute. Put this in your bookmarks. It will be a keeper.

CCM P&W – A group that has not been mentioned yet is Harvest. Jerry Williams and Ed Kerr were doing P&W early in their career. I believe that this group was a forerunner of modern day P&W in CCM.

CCM Rock – Whitecross was one of the early successful Hard Rock / Metal CCM groups. Should I even mention Stryper ????

Michael, thanks for the Kerry Livgren link. I have a copy of his autobiography “Seeds of Change” co-written by Kenneth Boa. Kerry Livgren is probably my all-time fav.

Some random comments about CCM:

1) The chance that was taken to promote people like Amy Grant and bands like D&K was substantial at the time. Such chances aren’t taken any more. The ability of a Sparrow Records, for example, to take a chance on developing an artist was almost eliminated with the buy up of CCM by larger entities. Individuals and groups today are expected to sell big immediately….and keep selling big by taking no risks.
2) Norman’s statement below that he set out to make music that had no expected acceptance is unthinkable today. You’d be laughed off the label.
3) The musical abilities that make for a successful Praise and Worship artist tend to be the opposite of those that make a really creative songwriter and communicator. P&W is the least risk-taking of any musical genre. So for MWS to make these P&W albums makes a lot of $$ and goes nowhere musically. It’s practical retirement.
4) Given that situation, one can see that the path may be more like delirious?, who came up as a P&W group, but has used that status to take risks and become much more than that, all the while feeding the desire of the industry for more P&W. d? is about the only group that has not been hopelessly homogenized by their P&W success.
5) There are dozens- hundreds?- of male and female solo vocalists in CCM who are so virtually indistinguishable from one another, and so uniformly mediocre- that I cannot fathom why anyone records them.
6) The development of the accompaniment track was, altogether, an artistic disaster. People need to play their own instruments and write their own songs don’t they? Most of the time?

Third Day: I’m not overly impressed with their recent efforts on a musical basis, but then, I can say that they’ve always been P&W oriented, going back to their original release on Gray Dot records (before the album with the bus). I’ve also been privy to the opinion of a Christian concert promoter who described them as the most spiritually dedicated band he had ever run across.

Larry Norman MP3’s Actually all the songs from his 3 best CDS, though none are really CD quality. But they are all here in 16 bit Mono. (Really pretty good now that I have listened to a few.) Listen to something like “Lonely By Myself, and ask what was going on?

Larry Norman at Cornerstone 2000. This page probably shows Larry at Cornerstone 2000. There’s a RA file at the bottom with Larry doing a song live, and it has all the trademark Norman humor and brass. (And it’s a great song, particular when he does it with a band on Stranded in Babylon. Listen and enjoy.)

Here is a link from Cornerstone ‘01, with a paragraph about the Norman/Stonehill quarrel, and a great MP3 of the two singing “Good News” together. Randy has Larry singing a verse of the song “We Were All So Young” on the new Stonehill CD, “Edge of the World.”

Rob: Check this out! It’s from a great interview with Larry Norman in which he explains what he was trying to do at the beginning of his musical career. (Essential reading people!!) At the end is this quote, which should delight you.

We need alternative music like Terry Taylor makes and the cultural pollination of groups like Christafari to remind kids that Christian music isn’t supposed to be polite. It’s supposed to be relevant.

Here is Norman at his best:

CCM: Larry, think back to 1969 and the release of your Upon This Rock on Capitol. Was that a “Christian” album as we think of them today? If not, what was it?

NORMAN: Upon This Rock was written to stand outside the Christian culture. I tried to create songs for which there was no anticipated acceptance. I wanted to display the flexibility of the gospel and that there was no limitation to how God could be presented.

I used abrasive humor and sarcasm as much as possible, which was also not a traditional aspect of Christian music. I chose negative imagery to attempt to deliver a positive message, like “I Don’t Believe in Miracles” is actually about faith. “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” talked about something I had never heard preached from a pulpit as I grew up. “The Last Supper” and “Ha Ha World” used very surreal imagery which drug users could assimilate. My songs weren’t written for Christians.

No, it was not a Christian album for those believers who wanted everything spelled out. It was more like a street fight. I was saying [to Christians], “I’m going to present the gospel, and I’m not going to say it like you want. This album is not for you.”

Why I didn’t list Terry Taylor. Frankly, it sickens me that the greatest active musician, writer and producer in CCM can’t pay the rent, while Point of Grace and Stacie Orico are in the big house on the hill. It’s just incredible that the CCM industry could relegate Taylor to the margins, fill radio with pablum, and shove mediocre artists on the sheep-minded consuming evangelical masses. Isn’t there some some place in CCM to promote great music?

Your words about Taylor are, if anything, too modest. I’d point at the following: Listen to Randy Stonehill’s “Wonderama” CD, and ask what is different about it? Why is Horrendous Disc such a milestone? Who else could make “A Briefing for the Ascent”? Listen to the original “Alarma!” or “Motorcycle.” I’m listening to “Mr. Buechner’s Dream” as I type. This is really such good music that it doesn’t deserve to be placed with the rest of CCM. The ignoring of Terry Taylor is why he’s not on the list. It’s maddeningly ridiculous.

ScottW: I appreciate your endorsement of Third Day. I have all the CDs except the last one, and the kids around here wear them out. I just don’t see them as much to take note of, and I have to wonder where they would be if they weren’t riding the P&W thing for all it’s worth. I don’t hear musicianship of any real interest. I hear a whole lot of songs that sound just alike. Predictable vocal formulas. I don’t quite see why they are the rage. I guess they are the right band for the times.

Switchfoot- that I understand. Great band.

One other name not on my list: Phil Keaggy. PK is, of course, probably the single best musician and pure instrumental artist in CCM. He records constantly. He puts out all kinds of product. (Averaging 3 CDs a year the last few years.) He tours all the time. He is intelligent, a fine writer, and a true gentlemen. He’s been there from almost the beginning, and I think he will be there till he can’t play the instrument.

But some things have hurt his place: 1) Too many recordings, leaving a huge pile of pretty pedestrian music. 2) Not enough recordings produced by other people. 3) Not a strong vocalist at all. His vocally oriented, “pop” radio CDs are pretty ordinary. 4) In this vast amount of recorded material, there has been a remarkably small amount of material that Keaggy fans are enthusiastic about. We keep waiting for that GREAT recording that soars above the others. It just never comes. Some magic moments, but the CD we know PK can make hasn’t yet been made. (Listen to Revelator or Acoustic Sketches and see what could be going on with PK!) Personally, I think he needs a band. “Emerging,” the one and only Phil Keaggy Band CD, was outstanding, as was another ensemble project, “Sunday’s Child.” (PK, Stonehill, etc.) Do that some more, Phil!

Ahhh…Rob and Michael make history. Whiteheart almost made my list, and I really reluctantly put in Petra when I had typed them. And it was that CD- Freedom- that convinced me WH was a great band, and I have to say I was always disappointed that personnel changes and just putting out too much material diluted a great career. They were not groundbreaking, but they were probably the most singularly gifted band of their era. A Christian Toto, imo.

Russ Taff is that “just missed” artist. You have to hear him on “Under Their Influence” to really hear where this guy comes from. So many styles, all done well. And that was the problem. He just didn’t find that place. He needed to be our Mellencamp!

77’s are wonderful. I also have a special place for Paul Clark, especially his later, jazz influenced work. I loved a band called Fireworks. And even though they have some of the worst tendencies in modern CCM, delirious? is a major band that has genuine talent and may be some of the best live players ever. I also feel Mylon has a spot in there somewhere.

Since I have been blathering on about Larry Norman, who do you guys see as the most influential people in Christian music? Either as musicians, songwriters, performers, producers, whatever.

1. Larry Norman: The seminal genius. I don’t think the genre has ever lived up to what Norman demonstrated could be done.
2. The Imperials: Actually crossed the barrier from Southern Gospel to CCM, taking a lot of us with them.
3. Keith Green: KG really is the most influential person in CCM AFTER if exists. The tensions that Green introduced- on several levels- have never been resolved. In some ways, I see him as actually detrimental to what Norman began. Green began CCM’s intense focus on the church. And his challenge to the materialism of CCM is another huge thing.
4. Steve Taylor: Taylor is the direct connection to Larry Norman’s boldness, sarcasm and parody, but he is also talking to the church. I really can’t measure the contribution Taylor made just in the use of humor and irony, and in taking risks. I love him as an artist, but I wish he ran a record company. A big one.
5. Michael W. Smith: Smitty is whatever CCM is. He is the proto-typical artist. He is the best of what CCM can be, and the clearest glimpse of what it has become (like it or not.) I think he is an immense talent, and it is a darned shame he has never allowed a producer to stretch him into new areas. I think if MWS could become what Rich Mullins seemed to be becoming, there would be something great going on.
6. Rich Mullins: Mullins, in his writing and his living, personally renewed CCM and encouraged thousands of artists to be true to themselves. Rich’s personal journey to be a modern St. Francis, and his absolute reality as a performer, writer and artist are still radiating incredible influence in CCM. Rock on, barefoot guy.
7. DC Talk: What always impressed me was that they started with the rap gimmick and became something that defied category. Just immensely talented. They are the transitional group of this generation, and I have always felt that one of their real gifts was making people who wanted to dislike them really like what they were doing.
8. Carman: Carman is the personification of the disease that has made CCM so distasteful. Clearly, he is not a particularly talented man, yet he is the pinnacle of CCM success. His videos, music, songs- they are all an embarrassment, by and large, and yet he bestrides the CCM world like a colossus. A puzzle. The justification of bad art and bad theology by sincere ministry is what this guy is all about.
9. Petra: The essential CCM group. They’ve stayed far too long, but they established what it meant to be a ROCK BAND in CCM. Their influence is huge, and I wish they had retired with Greg X.
10. Mark Heard: If you know who he is, you know what I mean.

Kerry Livgren Interview from July 1980. Looking at your list, Ken, I thought you would enjoy this.

ScottW: Welcome back. You seemed to have skipped MY computer. And you’re right. Of course, as Jim and I have pointed out, Paul was specific on a lot of things. :-)

Wow. I go install software on 209 new computers and look what happens. Slavery… women… and CCM. When did this place get sold to TBN?

OK… Women in ministry. I know I’m late in the game for this, but who cares? Frankly, I don’t like it. No sir. Not one bit. Paul was specific about men having one role in the church and women having another. Now – although I believe this, this is not an issue that I’m going to split skulls over. I won’t vote for a female pastor, elder, or deacon – but I’m fully cognizant of the fact that I am a fallen, error-prone human being who may be reading “command” into something in scripture that was meant to be “opinion”. But that’s just me.

CCM. I’m getting a little depressed over the current slate of CCM offered up today. Most of it seems to be either soft-rock “worship” music with more attention focused on how great of a boyfriend God is, or a bunch of blow-dried kids who’re as representative of today’s youth as I am playing the same monotone-riffed rock. There are a few bands that I am genuinely impressed by, and most of them were around in the 1980s.

1. Third Day – yeah, I know they’re sponsored by Chevy. But that doesn’t change the fact that they actually believe and live out what they sing – and what they sing is music that’s either us-to-God communication or God-to-us. Great stuff.
2. Petra – I’ve raised my eyebrow at some of their recent actions: God Fixation, Petra Praise 2 and 3, and the firing of Louie Weaver. Still, their long-standing ministry and solid musicianship keeps me hopeful.
3. Steve Taylor – Pleeeeeeeeeeease, Mr. Taylor – put something else out. Soon. Today. Please. I’ll personally cook you up a steak and serve you a fine beer if you’ll release an album of you playing the glockenspiel and singing 60’s protest songs.
4. DA – Bring on the next telethon! I’m a-sufferin’ from the prickly heat. Whatever that is.
5. One Bad Pig / Lust Control – Punk music with more devotion than most modern “worship”.
6. Atomic Opera – if you can handle heavier music, you must buy every album these guys have ever put out. Reformed Metal.
7. Keith Green – yeah, he’s dead. But strangely, he’s still releasing music. And I still like it.

There’s more, but I’m out of time. I’ve got to finish Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in time to put together my next Chick Tract Translation.

I began listening to “Christian” music in the early 80’s. These were some of the first albums (actually cassettes at the time) that I purchased. Oh, the good ole college days.

Imperials Let the Wind Blow
Petra Not of This World
Kansas Vinyl Confessions
Petra Beat the System
Kerry Livgren Seeds of Change
AD Timeline

All-Time Classic Christian Rock (1966-Now) is someone’s rather eclectic listing of the best CCM.

1. In Another Land- Larry Norman
2. The Big Picture- MWS
3. Change Your World- MWS
4. Welcome to Paradise- Stonehill
5. Lead Me On- Amy Grant (I agree this was her best, and most overlooked.)
6. Petra (the 1st, original LP. I saw this band in concert!)
7. Circle Slide- The Choir
8. Kaleidoscope Superior- Earthsuit
9. Big God- Imperials
10. Squint (or Meltdown)- Steve Taylor
11. Something by Degarmo and Key. Maybe Street Level.
12. Sticks and Stones – 77s
13. Jesus Freak- DC Talk
14. Much Afraid- Jars of Clay
15. Strong Medicine- Bryan Duncan
16. Sunday’s Child- Phil Keaggy (Yes!!)
17. Russ Taff- Russ Taff
18. Love Life- Charlie Peacock

Here’s another list.

I read the extensive liner notes and interviews on all the Solid Rock LPs. There is quite a bit on there about the philosophy of Norman in all these projects. Then later, on the liner notes of another project, LN talks about what went wrong. Basically, his line is that the artists- and he clearly means DA and Stonehill- became very uninterested in preaching Jesus in their concert settings, which to Larry was a no-compromise essential. (He was clearly ambiguous about the move to “Christian audiences,” and wanted to keep playing in secular venues. So he says he began a process of telling the artists that he would no longer produce or record their projects. How much all this has to do with LN’s injury, bi-polar disorder or just being eccentric and a poor businessman (I’ve been around LN on three occasions, once several times in a week. He is…..unusual.) I doubt if anyone will ever know what happened.

But these guys all said that they intentionally made one side of each record for the non-Christian, and I think they actually succeeded. There is “something” going on with the more direct evangelistic songs that really isn’t going on with many artists now. Most Christian artists either write from a Christian point of view, or speak to the Christian audience, or try to speak about some universal experience from the Christian perspective. But Norman would actually preach in his songs. Speak directly to the unbeliever with Gospel truths. He talked about his conversion and the conversion of his friends. LN had the audacity to write about his evangelistic concern for other musicians. (Stonehill wrote Teen King about Glenn Frey, and says so.) A successful Christian band in the secular world- like Lifehouse for instance- has to be masters of doublespeak. Christians can say “Listen to this, and then realize what he is REALLY talking about.” But in Norman/Stonehill’s early efforts, there was absolutely no doublespeak at all. There was no question. The appeal to the listener was musical, including the way the lyrics worked in the song. “He really loves you. Yes, he really loves you…..” The point of the lyrics was just bold. It is amazing how much the lyrics are like the approach of good apologists.

Of course, this got Norman into trouble. (And poor Stonehill has put out some horrible records in the 80’s, though some better ones in the 90’s. These guys needed one another.) His records were too blunt. ”....broken needle in your purple vein…” and so on. Today, CCM is romanticized, not blunt. Guys like Steve Taylor and Larry Norman would have a tough time now. Ahhh….I miss whatever it was that was going on.

John Derbyshire on Religion & Homosexuality is the place where Derby just goes ahead and says it: The ministry attracts homosexuals, and they are good at it. Out of all this Bishop Robinson mess, Derby comes up with an axiom. DERBYSHIRE’S LAW

Any organization that admits frank and open homosexuals into its higher levels will sooner or later abandon its original purpose and give itself over to propagating and celebrating the homosexualist ethos, and to excluding heterosexuals and denigrating heterosexuality.

INCONSISTENCY ALERT!