THE LORDS OF LAODICEA
by
Stephen T. Nieman

Chapter 1

The pulsing music fills the large auditorium greeting the excited crowd. The large, open area provided in front of the staging has long been filled with excited youth. They press magnetically toward the darkened stage. Colored lights, choreographed to the driving rhythms, seemingly tease the eyes toward a glittering set of drums centered on the stage. Black anodized aluminum frames support two giant black monoliths flanking each side of the stage. Peavy...Yamaha...flared yawning chasms, sending forth their throbbing decree. The lights in the auditorium dim. The beat drives mercilessly through the crowd. Breath shortens, eyes yearn...longing for the anticipated arrival, the arrival of the Band.

The lights, trussed high above...squaring the stage, explode in a multi-colored eruption of light. Fog machines belch out a pungent mist across the stage, cloaking the drummer as he slips into his place. Broad white beams of lights dance across the crowd , suddenly fixing themselves in triumphant unity upon the microphone in the center of the stage. The fervent murmur of the crowd is accentuated by yelps and whistles. The drums beat out a rolling crescendo as a fashionably dressed man, a pastor of one of the prominent churches hosting the event, appears at the microphone, drafting billows of fog rolling up to his chest, his arms raised in a vain attempt to quell the deafening chants of the crowd.

His announcement deafened, he swings his arms triumphantly to the right of the stage. Three casually dressed young men walk blithely onto the stage. Two of the men have guitars hung low on their hips; another finds his place behind the keyboards. Guitar riffs and drum rolls greet the chants of the audience. One of the men, the leader of the group, approaches the microphone; a girlish cheer rises above the swelling noise. He raises his arms, fists closed in a triumphant pose.

"Who are we here to praise?" he screams above the tumult.

"JESUS!" responds the crowd.

"Who are we here to worship?" he cries again.

"JESUS!"

"Who's the King of kings and Lord of lords?"

"JESUS!"

"Say it again!" "JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!..." Young eyes seem transfixed on the drama unfolding before them, eager to accept this strange new vista of grace.

When seeking to understand the occurrence of Contemporary Christian Music, hereafter represented by the initials CCM, it is a persistent impulse to attach ourselves to the polemics of the issue, without arriving at our position through rational analysis. To be certain, with the popularity associations and national identities being sought after by many, the tendency is to take complex issues and to reduce them to easily digestible colloquialisms. This is done so that a consensus is assured and to insure that those who balk are adequately polarized.

This methodology will naturally be shunned by this writer, as an attempt will be made to understand the dialectics of the problem. It should be stated, and will no doubt be repeated in various forms, that the writer considers the occurrence of CCM to be a large oozing boil on the face of Christianity. Going somewhat further, the writer will contend that the source of this very noticeable septic ulceration is a core of Christian elitists whose concept of grace includes a servile imitation of the world. Ironical indeed that the modus operandi of the CCM artist is to find a fashionable counterpart in the secular music scene to image for his audience.

Although it is marvelously unscholarly to do so, I would like to take a break from the present verbosity and challenge you. The only real requirement to this challenge is that you be somewhat aware of the call letters of the prominent CCM stations in your locale, and have a cursory knowledge of the call letters of a variety of secular music stations in your area. Your challenge is to monitor the occurrence of a CCM bumper sticker on a vehicle while you are commuting about town. My experience is that it is rare to find a car that displays a CCM bumper sticker without also displaying the sticker of a prominent Rock-n-Roll station. The conclusion that can be drawn from this anomaly would by no means be denied by the "elitist" Christian. A person who listens to (my tongue is now firmly placed in my cheek) Christian rock, is also appreciative of secular rock styles. There are no doubt many who find themselves entirely apathetic to this conclusion and have a two-word response placed squarely in their frontal lobes...SO WHAT? Then let it be known, that it is to you, whose hands remain powder dry upon being accused of a high level of synchronization with the world, that this investigative study is being written.

The assumption is going to be made that those who hold the enlightened dogmas that we are going to address are claimants of some sort to God's gracious act of redemption. What we must carefully consider is the series of justifications, and, yea, development of doctrine, which will support a lifestyle of synchronization with the world.

Will people live for any length of time in a state of self contempt? Not usually, especially if the area in question leads them into a greater acceptance in their social community. Therefore it is the elitists, or the lords of the enlightened mass who pipe for the grand chorus line to high kick in unison with the world.

In order to appear objective in developing the dialectics of CCM a great deal of effort will be expended to attempt to make the logic in support of this issue both sincere and tenable. This will no doubt be somewhat of an elusive task, as there are likely to be very few indeed who have given any system of thought to this issue before becoming involved in it. Quite frankly, it might be fair to say that the majority of the defenders of CCM give greater deference to their feelings and personal preferences.

They have not developed a logical justification for their inordinate relationship. They simply relegate their personal responsibility to the Elitist, who stands in juxtaposition to their prudish small-town pastor. This activity, or lack thereof, cannot be presented as honorable, but slightly more so than the Elitist, who casts the cloak of guile about his shoulder to develop dogmas of syncretism. These dogmas provide the necessary balm for those followers, whose well-seared consciences are periodically irritated. James 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. So then it is to the lords of the masses, who rehearse their illuminations in the ears of the people, that we address our argumentations.