Facing Secular Music as a Worship Musician

Secular Music:

"Sweet Home Alabama"

L y n y r d   S k y n y r d

Lately, I've been listening & playing/practicing secular music from the 60's-90's. It's been a really good experience listening to worldly music  because it has expanded my horizions on ministering to today's generation to combine the skills outside of the Christian world and apply it to Glorify God through worship. Sweet Home Alabama by  Lynyrd Skynrd, is one of the first songs that I got my hands on. I don't know why I chose the song, but I do know that God has a purpose for it.

Skill-Based: In my musician knowledge, fast picking,  hammer -ons, pull-offs, pitch bending and just normal bends are my greatest weakness in guitar. Learning this song wasn't difficult, and it wasnt easy, but I would say it was right where God wanted me to improve my skills in.

Lyrics- Based: The lyrics of this song isn't explicit and it does not promote any lubbi-dubbi feelings towards the human sexual desires, but it does show pride in the home of Alabama. They gave Alabama a female genderistic, and the song just goes on, boasting about how great Alabama has been faithful to them. The word, Lord appears several times in the song, but has nothing to do with God, that's what I think. But in my Christian perspective, if these people want to go Home, they should go home to the One who created them, they should have the desire to be at home with Jesus, not Alabama.

Overall Goal: For me, my ultimate goal of practicing this song is to be educated in secular music to target youths and Young adults to bring them to Christ.  Using what I have learned here will ultimately help me apply it to our Christian music in worship.

Houa's Advice: When Listening and practicing secular music, I advise that you be wise in your decisions, pray before you begin to practice, so that the Devil will not lure you into worshipping him. Getting into secular music is dangerous and you need to be wise and stand guard so that you would not be decieved. If you begin to backslide to the secular music you're practicing, you will need to stop, drop and pray. Take a break, and seek God's guidance before you go back to secular music. Be careful.

I hope that your experience with secular music has about the same goals as mine: to Glorify God in all directions. Listening to these songs will help you a lot in your ministering to people who has a hard time accepting Christ in their worship. It will also help you improve your skills so that we may play new songs and play skillfully to Christ, the Saving One. Remember, keep practcing, and take that gift that God has given you and make a revival of it. Stay fired for God.  =)

-HPM