If I become Lutheran, Anglican or Catholic, it will be because I watched this too many times.
25 Aug by
...dispatches from the post-evangelical wilderness
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.
Site Credits
Powered by WordPress™
Site banners: Michael Buckley
Site design: P12 Media
There went 10 minutes of my life that I will never get back.
The worst part? How this guy commands and bullies his “congregation.” I’m embarrassed for the young people that got pulled into that.
Telling sign:
“You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” is a song by Dead or Alive on their 1985 album Youthquake. The original cut was over four minutes long and was edited for the album.
Pop culture couldn’t even take it for 4 minutes, and yet someone feels the need to extend it to 10?
If “You Spin Me Round” was on the charts in 1985, that makes this filk 24 years later. This has repercussions:
1) It’s getting “Christianized” a full Strauss-Howe generation later, to where anyone under their mid-Twenties wouldn’t have heard it or remembered it. Not even if they’d played Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; this one isn’t on the in-game radio-station soundtracks. (And GTA: Vice City‘s soundtracks are a decent sampler of Eighties pop music. I recommend them to younger listeners as a representative sample of the period.)
2) And the timing falls right into the South Park paradigm on how to write CCM: “Take some TWENTY-YEAR-OLD pop song and substitute ‘Jesus’ for “Oooooo Baby!’” Again, probably because the generation you’re writing it for is too young to remember the original you’re ripping off. (This can go off on the tangent of “Why do Christians only copycat cheezy Christian(TM) ripoffs of the original trend instead of starting the trend themselves”?)
3) And a lot of Gen-Yers/Millenials really get to like Eighties pop music almost the first time they hear it. There are a lot of young fans of Eighties hits who got turned onto it from the aforementioned GTA: Vice City; one was quoted as saying “I’d forgotten how much I liked Eighties music and I wasn’t born until after the Eighties!” (This can go off on the tangent of why music of the Reagan Years is proving so appealing; perhaps it was that even factoring in nuclear war jitters and Punk, the music was more optimistic and less Nihilistic than today’s?)
4) And is this really any dumber than the traditional Christian Youth Group “Icebreaker”? What I remember of those (from my own wander through the Evangelical Wilderness) were really, really Dumb & Dumber.
I am just so confused….and it goes on and on!
Oh, man. Oh, man. The opening scene was pretty typical pre-worshipsplosion patter and I was wondering where the meat was. Then he started with “You spin me right round…”
Oh, man.
The best part is where he was talking about “honoring God” right before he started.
A Holy Ghost hodown? That’s pretty sick. And not in the good way. I’m reminded of Hosea 6:5-7:
“What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth; my judgments flashed like lightning upon you. For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
Pretty sure that this did not “delight” God. Also pretty sure God doesn’t want a big rock orgy to be done in His name. In fact, I think it just the opposite. I wish I could laugh at stuff like that, but it just makes me sad.
Not to mention, it’s a horrible medley.
This cannot be real. Please tell me it isn’t real. Please.
It’s gotta be real, Pat.
YOU COULDN’T MAKE UP CRAP LIKE THIS!
I know I couldn’t, and I’ve been around a LOT of Weirdness!
And in a time where everybody goes to the extreme, as far as you can go for parody/satire, there’s going to be a True Believer out there who’ll go even farther and be Dead Serious About It.
We Anglicans would love to have you, Mr. Monk! And, with regard to this particular area, the water really is good!
I could not justify watching this beyond roughly 4 minutes and 16 seconds. I will not judge how God felt (nor will I quote Scripture to back up such assumptions), but I can say that it was lame worship and lame (musical) art. Why are evangelicals so unimaginative when it comes to aesthetics? There is such a thing as beautiful music, and even exciting and rhythmic and beautiful music, but this was not it. I also had some dreadful flashbacks to 1980s radio.
Out of curiosity, what happened at 4 minutes and 16 seconds? I didn’t (and couldn’t) last that long.
Why are evangelicals so unimaginative when it comes to aesthetics?
I used to joke about “Holy Spirit Lobotomies”. After this, I wonder if the joke was on me.
And it’s not just music. Take a look at the shelves of Christian (TM) Bookstores sometime, especially in what passes for Fantasy & Science Fiction. It’s all Bonnet Romances and Left Behind knockoffs, and my spies tell me the CBA/ECPA claims “Christian Paranormal Romances” (i.e. “Just like Twilight, except CHRISTIAN (TM)!”) is The Next Big Thing. I swam the Tiber and joined the Lost Genre Guild to get AWAY from that mentality re the imaginative arts.
Nothing special happened at 4:16. I just couldn’t bear it anymore!
Techno Techno Techno Techno!
I’ve been torturing my friends with this for a while now. I’m glad that you’ve found it, too.
I catch myself sometimes questioning, randomly, at Mass, why it is that Jesus isn’t spinning me right round, too.
Because Christ has more class than that on our side of the Tiber.
(Clown Masses in The Spirit of Vatican II (TM) notwithstanding…)
After completing my master’s degree in music history I went to work at a small Christian school where I thought perhaps I could make a difference in the aesthetic sensibilities of young believers.
Fifteen years of full-time effort has taught me otherwise. The juggernaut of pop culture is swallowing everything in its path and, at this late date in its campaign of conquest, short of a complete melt down in contemporary culture like we see in post apocalyptic movies, I don’t think it’s stoppable.
Bill, I completely understand. I got an undergrad degree in music (voice) and a master’s in music (conducting) and thought I’d “make a difference” as well in the church. Couldn’t get a job in church music: everyone wanted “blended” at the very least (which was, in every place I interviewed, a poor example of both pop and traditional music), and that “blend” was decidedly tipped toward pop. Ended up teaching Bible in a Christian school for a few years and now pastoring a church. And I’m not talking about non-denom or Charismatic churches. I’m talking about conservative, Reformed churches.
If I become protestant it will be because I read this too many times: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433502399/
Worst worship ever? I must admit I am torn between this and the churches I have been in when they sing “I lift up my hands” and no one does.
Not sure God is overly happy with either extreme, and I think far too many of our churches fall into the opposite extreme.
How can we say that we love God with all our “heart, soul, mind, and strength” when we sit on our hands. Worship is a whole body experience.
I used to think the same thing about “we stand and lift up our my hands.” Then I realized the next stanza starts “We bow down” and I haven’t seen anyone do that either;-)
“We stand and lift up our hands
For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now
How great, how awesome is He”
John,
Agreed. I don’t consider the songs to be a game of Simon Says.
We did in a service… once.
Well, Michael, one reason I don’t go for this type of worship is that I would have a heart attack from excertion within the first five minutes (that goes for Hillsong style song leading, too,btw)
I guess we should be glad he only asked them to remove shoes and wave their socks around, and that all the rest of their clothes stayed on. But, oh man, the pong of a room full of used socks being waved around!
OK, my thoughts as this progressed:
“Take your shoes off” – interesting. Wonder where he goes with this.
“Spin it” – OK, he goes no where.
“You Spin Me” – Seriously? Seriously?
“Holy Spirit Hoe Down” – Sad. Really Sad.
“Start a Love Train” – He DIDN”T go there, did he? He did!
But I loved the shot of the girl who was there and looked like she didn’t believe this either.
I personally would not consider this quality worship. Not sure he would have gotten my shoes and socks off, much less going further.
But I will try not to judge. Perhaps God did in fact smile on this “joyful noise”.
I manage to involve my body extensively during corporate worship (standing, kneeling, genuflecting, signs of the cross (large and small), profound bows, simple bows, etc) without raving with clothing accesories.
Michael, who sends you this stuff? As a person who is returning to school and having to learn how to do proper research citations, you should really credit your friends who send you this stuff. And include their email addresses.
I think it’s so lame when Christians hijack songs, put “Jesus” in a few places, and think it’s a worship song. This one is particularly lame.
Well, in the Ethiopian church, they remove their shoes when entering a church.
I don’t know their policy on sock-spinning
“You Spin Me Right Round”? Man, I remember that first time around with Dead Or Alive back in the early 80s! So we see once again that Trendy Christianity is about twenty years behind the pop scene? Okay, Young Worship Leader Guy there probably only heard it on the 2006 re-release, but the fact remains: this is the music of your parents, guy.
This was very educational, Michael: I know now exactly what a worship leader is and what a worship band does
as a guitar- and synth-playing, 80s-music and techno-loving musician who was also a contemporary worship leader for many years, I can’t quite get myself to laugh at this….
what’s with the pastors out there who actually think this sort of thing is holy and God-honoring?
can’t guys with bleached fauxhawks be gently persuaded/admonished to go to any sort of training on Biblical worship?
did anyone on staff at that church have enough cans of Lysol to help disperse the smell after all those shoes came off and socks were wafted around?
wow, just wow.
I tapped out when “You spin me right round Jesus” started.
The really sad thing is that most of these “kids” will judge all worship by this for the rest of their lives.
Whenever I see this I’m torn between hating it for the fact that this is passing as worship, or hating it because of what they do to this song.
So, is it the form of music (techno), the style of the worship leader, or the utter lack of content that is more objectionable?
yes. and a thousand other things.
This makes me want to cry.
Okay, to throw a log on the fire from this side of the Tiber, there’s actually an Italian Capuchin monk who sings heavy metal.
Don’t ask me how I heard about it, I can’t remember, but if you Google “Brother Cesare Bonizzi”, his Wikipedia page tells you all about how Metallica influenced him and links to his homepage where you can get a sample of his singing
See.. I actually think that’s cool. Well… if he’s good.
One minute and nineteen seconds. That is as far as this Anglican got. Heh – not really the “sweet fragrance” of the Lord, now is it?
I love the “rave with clothing” comment – LOL!
It’s like they watched this South Park Episode and somehow thought it was a good idea to copy it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81ibVbxkjnA&feature=related
Somewhere in the seven-minute range, he begins singing, repeatedly, “mess us up,” and I believe someone answered his plea. Long ago.
I so preferred all of the originals he mangled, and I’m thinking it might be time for an ’80s marathon right now.
I grew up SBC. I made it all the way through the video while reading the comments here. I don’t have anything to add.
There was a hip hop remake of “you spin me right round” that came out about 6 months ago. i’m sure this guy thought he was being super crafty by using this to “praise Jesus”… But… Man. This. is. Sad.
This music/performance, whether Christian or secular is just really really awful.
I want the guy’s hair.
Hm.
Is this my kind of worship? No. Was this Cheesy? Yes. Did the guy have a bad haircut? Yes.
What I don’t get is why people can’t let these people be. I see this video as people having fun, which can be glorifying and worshipful to the Lord. I have no idea where on earth people would get the idea that they know this isn’t pleasing to the Lord. At the worst, its silly, at the most its people who are worshipping. Is God only pleased with YOUR style of worship? I think thats pretty narrow.
When I became a Christian, if you took me to a Lutheran service and told me it was worship, well I wouldn’t have lasted long. Camp is where I very early learned the beginning of worshiping God and yes, it was often very cheesy, lame music with ridiculous actions. Over the course of my Journey, I realized how hallow and unsatisfying that kind of worship was and I am now Catholic.
Why can’t we celebrate that at least people are trying to worship God. If it is displeasing to the Lord, or really is pathetic worship, lets let the Lord take care of it and bring them to true worship.
I think I’m largely with you on this, Jim. Yeah, I’ll admit that I did get a bit of a chuckle out of watching it. And after a few minutes in this place, I’d probably be running for the exit. However, I honestly don’t know where their hearts are at, or what other worship settings these people might also participate in. For all I know, they could much more devoted to Christ than I am, and they might also be involved in other forms of worship as well. I could also think of many worse things for these people to be involved in than this, and many worse places for them to be than this. Sure, there are some potential dangers in this kind of worship setting, but I can think of plenty of dangers to more traditional worship styles as well. Perhaps my only problem with this might be if someone from that setting was to think that this was the only way to do worship, or if they were to look down on those who worship more traditionally (example: calling more traditional worship “ritualistic”, “religious” or “stiff”). But I don’t believe I saw anything along those lines in my brief viewing of the video. Once again, I see potential for a both/and here.
I kept looking for that hip youth guy Ignatius but never saw him emerge.
This cracked me up! I was thinking the same thing while watching it!
The church lets people with no real talent become “rock stars” — a sad temptation for so-called “contemporary worship.” Lord, have mercy.
I think the “worst worship ever” probably has more to do with the condition of hearts, than the ascetics, professionalism, “coolness” or “uncoolness” or theological bent of a particular style of worship.
If the folks who participated in this service enjoyed themselves and left loving God and others more, How do we judge them for that?
While I don’t go for this stuff either, one thing is puzzling me: I don’t understand why you are all assuming this is their form of worship. It looks to me like it’s just some weird ‘Christian’ band’s concert for youth. I’m guessing that this kind of stuff happens at concerts all the time. Did I miss something (other than the abbreviated YouTube title) that indicates that this is indeed a worship service, and not just a concert or entertainment?
If you guys like this there is a whole truckload of this type of church activity over at “The Museum of Idolatry.”
alittleleaven.com or something like that. Churches playing “Highway to Hell”, “Eruption” (yes, the Van Halen one), and the infamous “Jesus is a Friend of Mine” are all over that site. But this one certainly takes the cake. Especially considering what how the original song was actually pretty dirty. Won’t go into what it actually says…
What?! — no Anglican option?!
Jim, Jason_73, you’re kidding, right?
Why do we have to be kidding because we don’t fall into 100% agreement with everyone here? I never said I liked it, or would enjoy being in the crowd, but I don’t think it’s, as the title says, “The worst worship ever…”.
I would reserve that for self-righteous, older brother Luke 15, hating your brother and saying you love God worship. The kind where God says,”I hate your festivals and can’t stand your singing because you are cheating the poor” kind of worship.
It’s far easier to sit back and flame some guy who made did some weird stuff though. It amazes me how quickly people devour others. It doesn’t seem noble or the least bit Christ-like.
Did the guy in the video say weird stuff that we don’t agree with theologically and do a campy version of a bad song? Yes. But did he deserve the attacks and curses from a bunch of strangers all over the net? Is that how Christ’s church represents itself??
Some of what you say is quite right. No one here is sticking up for any kind of worship that falls short of what God desires. And perhaps a bit too much snark has entered the conversation—but come on, doesn’t a performance like this invite some? Besides, the Biblical prophets weren’t above a little mocking now and then when it came to the silly and idolatrous practices of God’s people.
Please remember the point of this blog. The very reason many of us have been drawn into these discussions is because we have seen American evangelicalism go steadily downhill through a lack of leadership, abandonment of history and tradition, and an almost complete embrace of the core values of popular culture. Evangelicalism has become a vast wasteland of individuals and churches doing that which is right in their own eyes. This video is one spectacularly gory example of the train wreck that has taken place.
Episcopalians have contributed Clown Masses, Matthew Fox’s Rave Masses (completed with bikinied lasses), Raisin Cake worship, and liturgical vestments which when worn by the Presiding Bishop seem to be an homage to the Moon Goddess. So much for the beauty of holiness.
But Michael, thanks for the best liturgical laugh since the youtube video of the dancing deacon. (Or was it the celebrant?)
Argument number 121 for Exclusive Psalmody.
I played a game of chess against my computer while this played in the background. I blame my loss on the cranial meltdown of the background noise.
What I am surprised about is that no one has asked what the odor was after a bunch of people twirled dirty socks in the air for 10 minutes. It’s a fragrance, but I doubt it’s pleasing…
lol – ok there’s one Church I’m not attending, that’s all I can say. If you don’t like it don’t go there. It’s not like he’s hurting anybody, but it’s just gross and corny.
sorry – if you go there you can’t leave. It would be wrong.
Wow. Just…wow.
Take song.
Insert the word “Jesus”.
Now go!
And everyone wave your smelly socks around while we’re at it.
Seriously?
This was a good laugh, thanks.
I’m sure there were great Christian people there. But the thing that stood out to me was the meaninglessness of it. Nothing that happened after they took off their shoes made any sense at all. What is the point of spinning a sock? What are we saying when we say that Jesus ‘spins us right round’? What is the theology of a love train? I can’t believe that there are any coherent answers to these questions. The only discernable point was that people should have fun. I would give a lot to be present at the meeting where this kind of worship experience is planned!
I’m one of those Mo. Synod Lutherans who’d prefer a thunderous pipe organ leading with A Mighty Fortress is Our God, maybe followed by Onward Christian Soldiers, maybe Amazing Grace…is it too much to call these classics? I know they’re from the old school, but so is Mozart, Bach, Beethoven. And, lest I seem too frozen in time, I’d settle for a piano.
Oh dear…I had to turn it off. I could not handle it.
Is it bad that the part that annoyed me the most was that the people in the video were not do sa do-ing correctly?
I don’t want to know what that place smelled like with all the sock spinning. ewwww.
I’m still trying to get over a hymn that we sang on Sunday. It had never occurred to me that “Jesus” rhymes with “diseases”.
There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our souls’ diseases:
No, not one! no, not one!
But at least we kept our shoes and socks on.