New Attitude: The Effects of Immersion
by Motte Brown on 05/04/2007 at 4:05 PM
Ted and Suzanne have already written about their New Attitude (Na) experiences from last year's conference and I'd like to share an experience as well, albeit quite a bit different one.
I spent most of my time manning the Boundless booth in the lounge area, where attendees go to relax on bean bags, mingle and visit the exhibits during conference breaks. It's also where Na has their bookstore, and where their worship music blasts non-stop.
There was something about that sound.
I grew up on hymns sung by big choirs with organs and pianos. The sound of a worship band with drums and electric guitars has never been my thing. But the more I listened, the more I enjoyed it. And before the end of the conference, I began looking forward to it on my way to the booth.
Something clicked.
Being immersed in something has an effect on you. Whether its food, music or even smells, a daily dose of anything will almost always leave you with an appreciation for what makes it a blessing for others. After I left, I wondered whether it would last.
It did. And I'm looking forward to worshiping in the Na way again in just a few weeks.
1. Jeremy said the following at 5:23 PM on May 4:
That's a very good observation to make. However, it's important to realize that principle holds true in a variety of settings. While immersion in worship, prayer, and the Word can leave you craving them more, the same thing happens with sin and temptation. As we spend more time surrounded by various temptations and indulging various sins, our desires for them can grow even stronger. We are all influenced by our surroundings. The question is- are we going to surround ourselves with things that draw us closer to God?
2. Anna said the following at 6:12 PM on May 6:
"Being immersed in something has an effect on you."
It's so true, whether in a positive or negative way. The environment you surround yourself with will always have an affect on you. This is one reason why I try to be very discerning in the area of media. It has an affect on me, whether I'm willing to admit it or not.
3. Heather B. said the following at 9:11 PM on May 6:
Possibly, but your newfound appreciation of contemporary praise bands might also be the work of the Holy Spirit in connecting your heart to God in worship. I'm thinking that my "daily dose" of engineering doesn't leave a good taste in my mouth...
4. Tim H. said the following at 9:05 AM on May 7:
I hate that I can't be at NA. :-( It should be amazing this year.
5. Vincenzo said the following at 10:13 AM on May 7:
My parents live in the NC mountains, and at night you can see every star in the sky. Now that's what I call total immersion.
6. Jamie said the following at 10:57 AM on May 7:
I like Vencenzo comment about the stars.
I would comment briefly (I guess kind of playing the devil's advocate) that the idea of immersion can have a negative effect. A few practical examples: My Chinese III class has been immersive in nature, and while I've seen my proficiency grow because I have to learn to understand, I also find I don't have a sufficient grasp of the grammatical structures to necessarily be able to replicate what I hear. So I can understand (more or less) what's being said, but that doesn't mean I could communicate in China.
Similarly, I think it's important to be aware that immersion doesn't lead to understanding. Particularly for students like me who have grown up in church, at a certain point there is a mental disconnect, and I fall into patterns of habit. This is how I raise my hands; this is the kind of diction I use when I pray; this is the dialectic I engage in against abortion and gay marriage. I've been shocked to realize that much of what I considered a pursuit of my faith when I entered college, I simply don't believe. Which isn't to say it's wrong, only that I've been immersed in it for so long that I haven't been able to take ownership of it.
But I also don't really have a solution to the problem; isn't it better to immerse children in their faith, hoping that they'll eventually be able to engage with and take ownership of it than to throw them (metaphorically) to the wind, hoping they'll want and have the knowledge to find truth?
7. John said the following at 11:34 AM on May 7:
My church practices sprinkling.
Sorry, couldn't resist cheap theological joke.
8. Laura said the following at 7:13 PM on May 7:
On a completely different note, it's important to remember that there is no such thing as 'Christian music' - there's only 'Christian lyrics'. No kind of music - whether it be modern, gospels and hymns, heavy metal, country - is wrong simply because of its style. God created all things and loves a rock band just as much as he loves the three-year-old singing 'Jesus Loves Me' off tune. It's the words we put to the music that truly matter.
9. Jamie said the following at 11:47 AM on May 8:
I disagree, Laura. Music and lyrics work together in an effable way; we can't isolate either from the other as what "truly matters."
10. Amadeus said the following at 5:04 PM on May 8:
I, too, must disagree, Laura. For example, what about "The Rite of Spring" - music that has the direct purpose of depicting pagan fertility rituals? Since it doesn't have lyrics, does that mean that it glorifies God? I, too, believe that God created all things, but that man can take the things that God has created, and pervert them - music (with or without lyrics) is just another thing that can be used either for God's glory, man's glory, or Satan's. But you're right - lyrics are very important, as well!
11. Leah said the following at 6:34 PM on May 8:
Amadeus- I still think the music itself is not bad, it is the purpose it's being used for which is bad. If another song was created along the same style as The Rite of Spring, I wouldn't necessarily call it bad (unless of course it was written by Marilyn Manson or someone and had really bad lyrics). Therefore, we can conclude it is not the type of music that is the problem. Although lyrics exclusively aren't the only problem, I think Laura's main point is that we can say no particular type of music is bad, and I think this holds true.
12. Laura said the following at 11:16 PM on May 8:
Sorry guys, I should probably clarify myself here. I've always grown up calling the songs we sing to God in a church service 'praise and worship'. It wasn't until a few years ago someone pointed out that in fact our lifestyle should worship God in all we do and say. Sometimes we get so caught up in saying someone's style of worshipping God with music is 'wrong' compared to another style, and it's this point I meant to make earlier in differentiating between 'music' and 'lyrics' - the style of music shouldn't matter, but the lyrics should. Sorry for the confusion there everyone!!!
13. Amadeus said the following at 12:27 PM on May 9:
Hi, Leah and Laura!
Yes, although I do see what you mean, I still must disagree and say that the music style does matter as much (or nearly so) as the lyrics do. Yes, Leah - purpose also matters very much! I realize that God takes our motives very seriously (you know, "whosoever looketh upon a woman"...) - however that doesn't mean that someone with a pure motive (ie, glorifying God) mightn't write something immoral, or at least, something that doesn't glorify God as it best could. In this case,I don't see how motive would make the music itself right or wrong (it does make the worship right or wrong; whether you are "worshipping" God to glorify Him, or to make yourself look good - does that make sense?) :). There is much more that goes into whether music is "good and acceptable"....I take several things into account beyond the lyrics, when I choose music to listen to (and even for me, the lyrics are very important - I'm just saying, style matters as well!): Are there any Biblical passages or principles that directly speak to this issue? Do the style, the compositional devices, and the theory behind it reflect the holy and orderly God I serve? Does the music itself glorify God and how? Is it beautiful? Does this represent to the world the fact that I am a member of the "called out" and am living a life of devotion separate to God? Is this what Jesus would listen to? As a musician and music theory geek (I just had my final today!), there are some styles that I honestly cannot say glorify God. You may disagree with me; personally, I think this issue is similar to the "do I eat meat sacrificed to idols" debate... I'm just trying to put into practice what the Bible says as far as I can.
Laura - you're absolutely correct! We should worship God in all we do, say - and listen to! :) Which is why I don't listen to some types of music. Actually, I grew up in churches that sing "hymns" - "praise and worship" are what we are doing through the hymns and our daily lives, we pray!
Sorry for the rather long post - probably more than you wanted, I'm sure!:)
Grace,
Amadeus
14. xeres said the following at 6:56 PM on May 11:
Music does has affect on people. While lyrics does matter, it is common sense that a style of music and a style of singing affects the way the lyrics will be interpreted. On the other hand, I'm not the best example on this matter because I do listen to secular music (primarily music from the 60s and 70s, slow songs,intercultural music and singers like Michael Beule, Josh Groban, Steely Dan and so on) more often the worship focused or Christian music (Leeland, Michael W. Smith, Eowyn etc.). However, I still use discernment to what I listen to even though that can be hard. I love listening to music from other cultures as well as so it will be harder at times
15. mat said the following at 1:36 PM on May 25:
if god wants to be praised, it doesn't matter how you do it. boring church hymns, rap, heavy metal, drawing, painting, photography; what ever, it all does the same thing. if you're conservitive and you like the good old hymns, fine, but don't lessen someone else's art work simply because it doesn't sound good or normal to you. i'm sure god wouldn't be offended by christain metal music.