Some churches may have already breached the bridge between “urban” style music and their worship time, but I have a feeling that most have not. Rap seems like the worst kind of music to have in a church: you can’t sing along, and it might have nothing in common with the average Christian.
I propose that the Church take a second look at this style of music for a couple reasons. First, the Rap genre offers a wider range of topics and a better way to communicate them. I am not saying the Church should be embracing Little Wayne, but I am saying that there are many groups and men out there that are Christian people using the genre to reach unbelievers. Groups like Clique 116, or the rapper Lecrae, all discuss topics that a person does not hear much in pop songs on Christian stations. Clique 116 focuses on entire Biblical passages and on common sins like sexual immorality or the way people treat each other.
For example, here is a stanza from the rap “Temptation” by Clique 116:
I heard men say without sex life is a waste
But Christ is overall I kept my pants on my waist
Turned beautiful chicks away dudes swear that I’m lame
Though I got a sex drive the Spirit’s holding the brakes
There’s no breaks this is His infinite work
This is a stanza from the #1 song on Air1 (a top, national Christian station) “Diamonds” by Hawk Nelson:
I’ll surrender to the power of being crushed by love
‘Til the beauty that was hidden isn’t covered up
It’s not what I hoped for
It’s something much better
This is not to prove that one song is more holy or a better worship song over the other, but it does show which song would be more relatable for the average human. There are a million songs about God’s love, but less about real sins that God helps us to overcome. The worship songs tend to lack specific realities that are as universal as pain. I believe adding Rap can bring new realities to people, so they do not feel alone in certain sins. People want to find others that understand them and can help them through situations, and not just generic ideas.
The pop songs on the radio are popular because they are easy to sing along to, but singing is not the only way to worship God. Sometimes, just listening to things about God and His Word is just as effective, emotionally, in worship. Words are important as they are confessions of worth or joy in the Lord. Rap has a great genre to do that in. Rap is less constricted in its art, so it can sound more like free verse poems or your beloved Shakespeare sonnet. This freedom makes it easier to talk about more difficult subjects because you are not confined to making sure all the beats match with the rhymes.
Not only is Rap great for more subjects, it gets the attention of the younger people in the church. Rap is becoming a highly popular genre for the younger generation, which means they already enjoy the rhythm and freedom in it. The Church is losing the younger generation by not trying to update the church to what is current for them. Having a service with just hymns works for the older people that remember the hymns. Unfortunately, people do not live forever, so the only way to keep the church going is to bring in new followers, which requires younger followers to be interested. Church is not meant to be boring, and if it cannot expand itself to reach younger people, it will die out. Rap is a great way to reach out. It does not need to be a rap-filled worship service, but having a song before the service or on the way out twice a month is not too much to ask.
The Church can use a little diversity and Rap is a great way to start.
Charmingly Complex 