Lunch with a Christian Rapper?

“Lunch with a Christian rapper?”

Not the most common subject line in my emails! What’s this about?

Sender: Shai Linne. Gulp!

He’s in Grand Rapids. Double Gulp!!

He wants to meet for lunch to discuss my articles questioning Christian rap (here and here). Choke!!

Well you can’t but hugely admire a guy who takes the initiative like that.

Two hours later we warmly embrace in the foyer of Puritan Reformed Seminary and begin an extended lunch and time of memorable Christian fellowship.

It ends with a couple of CDs in my hand, a few books in Shai’s and, on my side anyway, a deep respect for the Christian grace, humility, and gentleness of this dear brother. We shared our stories of amazing  grace and listened to one another’s lips and hearts. We agreed to disagree, and I hope we did so in love. But I certainly learned from Shai and understand better where he is coming from and what he is trying to do. I hate disagreeing with someone I liked so much.

Now I don’t particularly want to become defined as the anti-rap Puritan guy. So, let me draw a line under my contribution to this debate by listing a number of questions.

“Questions? How can you end on questions? You got no answers, Murray?”

Well, maybe the greatest fruit of this discussion, for me at least, is knowing the kinds of questions we should be prayerfully considering when deciding what is right or wrong, wise or unwise, helpful or harmful in the Church and in the Christian life.  Maybe some of these questions are never going to be fully and finally answered on issues like music and worship. Maybe they are just always going to be there in the Church, as a constant call to prayerful thought and biblical reflection. Maybe the questions might help others think this (and similar issues) through from different angles. I certainly believe that clearer questions should help us find clearer answers. And I definitely believe that an unquestioning spirit (both in rejection and acceptance of something) is extremely dangerous, both for the Christian and the Church.

I’ve listed some questions from my previous posts that I don’t feel have been satisfactorily addressed. I’ve listed questions from comments and responses that have challenged me and that I continue to think about. I’m very grateful to all (well OK, almost all) who commented. I appreciate the time, thought, and concern you’ve put into this. Please add further questions I’ve not thought about in the comments section.

Maybe these questions can serve as discussion points in other settings, young people’s groups, etc. Many of them are transferable to other issues.

Evangelism Questions
1. Does the holy motive to evangelize excuse all methods of evangelism?
2. If Christian Rap gets people to a concert to hear the Gospel, why shouldn’t we use it?
3. If Christian Rap is used to save souls, does that not mean God approves of it?
4. At what point does using something as a “stepping-stone” in evangelism become wrong?
5. What kind of stepping-stones would be OK to use in reaching Roman Catholics, Islamic extremists, gamblers, prostitutes, racists, etc?
6. If Rap is but a stepping-stone, how long do we wait for those saved by it to step on to the next stone?
7. Does the increasing use of Rap in evangelism run the risk of unintentionally undermining the biblical, Reformed, and God-glorifying dependence on preaching to save sinners.
8. We use other mediums apart from preaching to communicate the truth – books, magazines, films, blogs, so why not Rap?
9. Can we critique a method someone is using to reach sinners while still rejoicing that Christ is preached? 

“Redeeming Culture” Questions
10. To what extent are Christians to enter into another’s culture to win them for Christ (1 Cor. 9:19-23)?
11. To what extent are Christians to be counter-cultural? Only in message or also in method?
12. Is there ever a line to be drawn where we say: this culture is so corrupted that separation rather than transformation may be the right Christian response? In other words, are there some cultures or some aspects of some cultures beyond redemption?
13. Can’t we take away the beat, the clothes, the postures, the culture, and simply change the words from violent, rebellious, proud, disrespectful, vain, self-worshiping, woman-hating, rape-glorifying, crude, perverse, and sex-obsessed to Christ-like and cross-centered preaching and/or worshiping?
14. Does a Christian have to be part of a culture to critique it?
15. Since all culture originates with sinful man, then what cultural expression is holy enough to use by Christians? 

“Medium is the Message” Questions
16. If the medium is at least a part of the message, are there any mediums that may contradict the message of the Gospel?
17. Should Christian rappers do more to shed some of the aggressive postures and sensual gestures associated with secular rap (see here and here)?
18. Although some Christian rappers cross the line with gestures and expressions, does that rule out listening to the more thoughtful and careful Christian rappers?
19. Although some Christian Rap is aggressive in tone and gesture, is that not an appropriate way to stir up spiritual aggression against sin and spiritual courage to evangelize and endure persecution?
20. Is there a danger of confusing holy spiritual aggression stirred up by the Holy Spirit, with unholy emotional aggression stirred up by music? Is there a danger of confusing fighting sin with physical weapons rather than spiritual weapons?

Worship Questions
21. How do we decide what is permissible or reverent in public worship, evangelism, entertainment, private use, concerts, etc?
22. At what point does it become wrong for God’s Word to be used for public entertainment?
23. Does God prescribe both content and method in His worship?
24. Is a cappella Psalm singing the answer to the worship wars?

Music Questions
25. Are the origins, or associations, or present fruits of a musical genre or sub-culture to be seriously considered when deciding whether to incorporate it into the public worship of God or the Christian life?
26. If all genres of music are corrupted by sin to some extent, does that mean that we don’t question if some are more corrupted than others?
27. Is it possible to mistake the incredibly powerful effects of music and rhythm upon the human spirit for the powerful effects of the Holy Spirit?
28. Does the enjoyment of a form of music make it right? Does dislike of a form of music make it wrong?
29. Is music/beat/rhythm neutral and only the content important?
30. If someone has a gift for Rap, should he not devote that to serving Christ and His church?
31. Will heaven represent all musical cultures?
33. Were the ancient philosophers and some modern scientists right to think that the actual music a person listens to can affect character, posture, conduct and health? (e.g. here and here)
34. What music has a Gospel compatible background?
35. Just because music has Christian content and produces powerful feelings, does that automatically connect it with the truth of the song?
36. Is there a danger that the more the physical senses are stimulated and occupied the less room there is for action of the Holy Spirit upon the soul?

Christian liberty questions
37. Does Romans 14 teach that it is never right for a Christian to critique, challenge, or question another Christian’s use of music?
38. If Paul does not forbid eating meat offered to idols, how can you question using Rap in worship, just because it is associated with sin?
39. If I do not associate Rap with degradation of women, immorality, violence, then can I not use it myself while being conscious of the need to consider weaker brothers?

Last question
40. Should Owen Strachan give up his day job?