the Christian Rock Experiment
30 days with nothing but the “other music”
Experienced and Written By
Mark Salomon &
Tom Denlinger
Mark Salomon's story:
“I want a person who normally doesn’t listen to any Christian music to listen to nothing but Christian music for a month,” said Doug Van Pelt, editor of the very magazine you’re reading. “I’ll have someone else do the opposite, then have you both write about how it makes you feel.”
I hadn’t talked to Doug in quite some time and I assumed he was calling to brag about his Dallas Cowboys. I figured he would be gushing about their chances at the Super Bowl and I would try to avoid talking about the Oakland Raiders – which is typically what our conversations have been over the last few years. Turns out he’d called to ask me if I’d like to participate in his little experiment. I thought about it for a few minutes and said I would. How hard could this be?
I mean, it sounded fair enough. Basically: I wouldn’t listen to any music for a month and write about how it makes me feel.
Easy! Off into the great… Known!
You see, it’s not that I won’t listen to Christian music – or “music made by Christians,” music “from the Christian Perspective,” or “Contemporary Christian Music,” etc. – it’s that I don’t listen to much of it. It just doesn’t appeal to me. Why is that?
[that's all you get for free ... buy this issue - the read is worth the $3.50, trust me!]
Tom Denlinger's story:
My assignment: Doug Van Pelt, editor of HM Magazine, asked me to fast from Christian music during the month of January 2008 and listen to only non-Christian music. He then asked me to write down my experience. First, you should know a little more about me.
Background: I was raised in a Christian home. I was privileged to grow up in a solid Bible teaching church, which gave me a good foundation for understanding Who Jesus Christ is and His plan for my life. I learned to love the universal Body of Christ (all living followers of Jesus Christ) and from an early age I felt a call from God to lead others to Him and build His Kingdom here on earth. I graduated from high school in 1980 and attended Bible College ‘til 1983, because I thought God was calling me to become a pastor and missionary. Life didn’t turn out like I expected. I became a heavy metal singer instead. Long story. Email if you want to know details. God gave me a heart for music ministry and in 1988 helped form Sardonyx, which was an 80’s power metal ministry band. Check out “Sardonyx: Holy Avenger” on YouTube to see us sharing our intense love for Jesus Christ and the audience God gave us. That was 14 years ago. I still love the Lord and I am still serving Him as a lead vocalist in another rock music ministry band called Just Rain.
I knew what I was getting into when Doug asked me to do this. To be honest, I felt some apprehension in even attempting this Christian music fast. Why? Because I have learned the value of surrounding myself with brothers and sisters who are also passionate followers of Jesus Christ. Just like some learn to enjoy and identify with a particular bar or pub, I find the local church to be a place of nurturing growth, grace, love and acceptance. I have to surround myself with people of like faith and motivation for life. I am quite experienced at getting lost in the sea of compromise, which leads to personal sin. Exposing myself to blatant temptation isn’t a good idea. My own sin nature is my worst enemy and I have to learned the value of “putting to death” the things that are warring against my love relationship with my Creator, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:12-14). I have learned that saturating my mind with things that give glory to God is the key to growth and being filled with God’s manifest presence in my life (Ephesians 5:18). So when I was asked to not do this ... for a month ... it gave me some concern. I wasn’t wrong...
the Christian Rock Experiment - Finish this feature by Mark Salomon & Tom Denlinger in the new HM Magazine. Available now, Issue 131 can be found at select stores or for a reduced subscription rate.
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