A huge controversy has run through the entire history of the institutional church regarding what kind of music is acceptable. Today, some object to certain kinds of Contemporary Christian Music as sounding too “secular” for church, yet others support it. The controversy has sent mixed messages to the world. At one point only unison chant was considered “sacred.” Harmony was considered too sensual.

The Hebrews were phobic about adopting the customs of their “pagan” neighbors. The Mosaic laws had 613 rules, mandating certain practices that would prohibit them from behaving like the nations surrounding them. But when it came to music, absolutely nothing was forbidden. They used the same musical instruments and styles as anyone else. The only difference is that they used their music to worship the one true God and to celebrate life.

Clergymen condemned the pipe organ (George F. Handel’s master instrument for “Messiah” premiered in the theater, a house of secular entertainment) as being profane. “How dare he profane the Word of God by using the same musical motifs employed in Italian operettas?” Martin Luther, on the other hand, loved it. Today we consider Handel’s “Messiah” one of the greatest works of all time in sacred music.

Looking back at the 20th century, the emergence of gospel song writers ripped through popular music and did the same thing. Songs like “In The Garden” were considered too romantic and sentimental to be sacred for some. John Peterson’s gospel songs, like “It Took A Miracle,” made the hit parade in the 50s. Stuart Hamblen combined Country & Western and pop music with “Until Then" and “This Ol’ House,” a chart-busting hit.

Just as sure as gospel songwriters ripped through pop tunes, so did popular songwriters used gospel-like music arrangements to cross over to secular audiences. Ray Charles carried his gospel trademark into the pop charts in the 50s and his life’s end with songs like: “I Got a Woman,” “Hallelujah, I Love Her So.”

During the 60s, Ralph Carmichael used the same sensuous orchestrations in gospel songs that he used when arranging for Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Roger Williams and other pop artists. This caused a huge controversy in the Christian church community. He also wrote a movie score, “The Restless Ones,” and was the first Christian musician using rock motifs, with “He’s Everything To Me,” which comes from that movie. Also in the 60s, there was Bill Gaither’s, “He Touched Me” and “Because He Lives.”

The 60s brought us one of the biggest Gospel music sensations with crossover appeal with “O’ Happy Day” by The Edwin Hawkins Singers. This was the first Gospel song in history to go no. 1 on the Top 40 radio playlist. The 70s witnessed another shift as Contemporary Christian Music created a genre all its own that paralleled all the styles and sounds of popular culture.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” was written and performed by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, but gained its greatest praise Aretha Franklin recorded it. Aretha’s version of “Bridge” was ubiquitous. Gospel choirs performed it in churches, the school chorus and performers of many music genres frequently sang the song after Aretha’s release.

Then in the 80s there were tunes like “You Light Up My Life” by Debbie Boone, and a host of other tunes I can’t recall just now. With so many recording artists sky rocketing through the charts – such as Stevie Wonder, Billy Preston, Earth, Wind & Fire, Amy Grant – and crossing over to bridge the gap between secular and sacred music with their lyrics and their emotions, they created a category called "inspirational music." Inspirational music was intended to be not necessarily secular or sacred, but just positive music with a divine statement of love, peace and empowerment, e.g. “We Are The World.”

Who determines the difference between what should be considered “secular” and what should be considered “sacred” music? Where do you draw the line between what’s holy and what’s unholy? Does the Bible give any protocol on this subject?
There’s no record of music being a source of controversy in the Old Testament (or the New Testament for that matter). The Psalms encourage us to use brass, woodwinds, strings and percussion instruments to offer praise: “Praise him with tambourine and dancing.” (Psalm 150: 4)

What makes music profane or holy is not the subdivision of numbers between the beats. It’s not in the sound waves. It’s all in the intent behind the communication, the spirit of the music. Does this mean all music is sacred if it glorifies God and celebrates his creation? Can a good love song be sacred if it honors the kind of devotional and sacrificial love that harmonizes with the character of God? As one minister simply puts it, ”If the song contains the word ‘baby’ then it’s secular, if it contains ‘Jesus’ name then it’s sacred.” But what about George Harrision’s tune ”My Sweet Lord,” or the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar?” In 1993, Bobby Bare released “Drop Kick Me Jesus.”

If music is the language of the heart, then the language itself is neither holy nor unholy. If the heart is profane, then what comes out of the heart is profane. If the heart is pure, then what comes out of the heart is pure. “But those things which proceed out the mouth comes forth from the heart” (Matthew 15: 18,19).

In today’s musical culture we are bombarded with musical expression that is indeed profane. It’s profane because the message degrades human dignity. Consider the images and lyrics regularly portrayed on MTV. The messages of popular rap artists and rock artists are so often deplorable. They incite misogyny and bigotry. But also in today’s musical culture we find devoted young Christians creating rap and heavy metal tunes (e.g. “As I Lay Dying”) with the same beat and gyration found in secular tunes. Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams are just two who come to mind.

So who’s right, who’s wrong? You tell me. Can you clearly define what is sacred music and what is secular? Even more interesting to answer, should transformational entertainment be define as sacred, secular or both?

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