Sometimes, I worry that Christian Contemporary Music is degenerating into teenage sentimentality. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very grateful for this form of music and am regularly inspired and moved by much of it.

But, I’m not sure what to make of lyrics that argue “it’s gotta be more like falling in love than something to believe in – more like losing my heart than giving my allegiance.” I get the point the artist is making. Our faith needs to consist of more than mental assent: it is a love relationship between us and God. Yet, I wonder if songs like these don’t reduce faith to a feeling? More importantly, what happens to those who adopt this song’s mantra, but then stop feeling warm fuzzies?

Along a similar vein, another song gushes, “I love, I love, I love, I love the way the way you hold me.” The singer then recounts how she daydreams about Jesus when she should be working. Then she adds, when “this crazy world is gonna bring me down that’s when your smile comes around.” Now, I admit it’s valid to personify God. But, I’m not sure it’s helpful to describe our relationship with God like a junior high crush.

One of the spiritual diseases plaguing young people today is what some researchers have labeled “moralistic therapeutic deism.” This counterfeit faith revolves around God making us feel good when we do good. But, conspicuously absent is any sense that God is objectively true and transcendent – and deserves our obedience. And, like teenage infatuation, this kind of faith doesn’t last – and is likely why so many young people drop out of church as adults.

While I don’t think Christian Contemporary Music created this self-serving mutation of Christianity, it may be perpetuating it. Songs need to follow the pattern of the Psalms, balancing subjective statements from the worshiper with objective statements about God. We need songs that remind us of God’s immutable qualities, not ones that merely gush about how He makes us feel. After all, He is the focus of our worship, not ourselves. And, He is God of the universe, not our momentary infatuation.

Programming Note

We’ll be talking about whether Christians should listen to CCM this Saturday on Up For Debate with recording artist Jonny Diaz. Join us at 8 a.m. CST.

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