If you still don’t understand the emerging church, or tend to think it will be a brief, passing trend in church history, this video might help.  Everytime you hear the word “jazz” just replace it with “christian belief” in your mind.  Sit through the first (unnecessary) 40 seconds of introduction and you may just find this helpful.  Not a perfect correlation, but there are some very neat parallels.

So let’s practice exercising some discernment- is this example of Christian music progress?

The song is called “Love Addict” and it’s written/performed by Family Force 5, one of the hottest Christian bands around these days.

Let’s get straight to it.  Although I’m not purposely trying to single them out, their music video is an example of what I consider Christian values & the Gospel message being compromised for the sake of likeability.  Or maybe they’re just ignorant of God’s word & not really in-tune with God’s Spirit.

It’s not the genre I have a problem with; I’m one that can appreciate a diverse spectrum of music.  Their rock/rap-core seems appropriate for the industry.  It’s not even their sattirical approach; their humor & choreography is creative (especially for Chrisitans).

But seriously, the hip-swerving, mini-skirt & scanty short-wearing girls are going overboard.  Their dress is so far from modest (1 Timothy 2:9).  Furthermore, the GIANT LIPS and the general glitz and glamor all suggest a romantic theme of love.  What kind of “love addicts” are you guys?  This video sure doesn’t seem to profess an agape or philo kind.  It’s even beyond ambiguous- it’s quite suggestive.  I mean, really.

I’ve written in a previous post that the church needs to be careful not to turn the arbitrary into the absolute.  But to Family Force 5, and the world that’s watching, I have to say that your message of God’s love just got drown out by the worldly icons so prevalent in your video.  Let’s draw the line here.