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CHANGE! CHANGE! CHANGE! And much unhappiness even
in the church! What music style is best? What worship style is best? Does
it really matter? SIng a New Song! says, "Yes!" and tells you why.
Both music and worship are at the heart of
believers' approach to God. Some faithful church-goers may think the music
style issue has been settled in their church by having separate
traditional and contemporary services, or because the serniors have turned
the music over to the young and say little. No, music is still
dividing today's evangelical churches and the generation gap is widening.
Today, churches are still breaking up over differences in musical styles
and worship preferences. Why should this be? A particular musical
style—'rock and roll' or more simply, rock—is at the center of the
controversy.
This present crisis can be traced back to the
counter-culture with its germination in the 1950's and it full-flowering
in the 1970's.The counter-culture adopted rock as the preferred musical
style. Mr. Riccitelli lists the hippie's positive values which they
offered to correct a society they saw as out of balance. He answers such
questions as, "To what degree did the hippies succeed?" "Why did
rock develop?" "Why is it still a powerful musical expressesion five
decades later?" "Can it really convey a clear message for the edification
of believers and the salvation of the lost?" "Are two
services—contemporary and traditional—the answer?" "Is our culture more
balanced today?"
There are issues these cultural tensions have
generated and they require careful examination since they portend
serious consequences. Mr. Riccitelli's discussions and
conclusions are presented in a straightforward and easy to read style and
reflect a balanced approach.
Sing a New Song! will provide the
reader with a more sympathetic appreciation for the complexity of the
subject while discovering important clues for developing consensus and
practical guidelines. An analysis of the counter-culture cannot but
encourage a better understanding of the mind of 'boomers,' 'busters'
and seniors alike. Better understanding means more God-centered worship
and more effectrive evangelism.
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