But returning to the festival this last time was an entirely different experience for me. As we made our way to the fairgrounds where the festival would be held, I learned of the students’ expectations for the weekend; they mostly revolved around the action in the “mosh pits.” If you think you’ve heard of a “mosh pit”, but are not exactly sure what that entails, participants congregate in front of the stage where music is performed, and move their bodies to the music in such an enthusiastic way that there is little regard for other bodies around them. In fact, the closer the bodies are, the more stimulating the experience. What this ends up looking like is a mass of people jumping up and down, and sideways (into each other) with some pretty big collisions occurring. Without attempting to explain the motivation behind this “moshing,” suffice it to say, it is a unique sight to see.

 

 

To be frank, there are very few musical styles that are displeasing or offensive to me. Music in itself, is basically just notes and rhythm; not a whole lot you can be offended with there. Add lyrics however, and you have the difference between secular and religious music. Yet even with Christian music, though I believe a lot of the mainstream Christian music today is only positive lyrics and not necessarily worshipful, I really can’t be offended very easily.

 

And yet, when I watched the kids (who, when it came down to actually moshing, were pretty tame; they talked big talk, but didn’t get deep into the mosh pit; they mostly watched) I started wondering, “Is God really here in the mosh pit? I really don’t think he is.” “Is he honored by this song I can’t even understand and the moshing which looks more violent than worshipful?” And unbelievably, as a 23-year-old, not 5 years older than the oldest kids in the group, I felt a little sick to my stomach. It was at this point I smiled and shook my head, realizing something I had never truly understood before: music and the previous generation.

 

 

Growing up playing and leading worship in a contemporary style (and especially because I played drums) you have to develop a kind of indifference to the criticism and complaints the older generation may have. You understand they will “gripe,” but just come to a point of accepting it and brushing it off. I never really was able to understand why they made the comments they did. Yet now, I was making the same ones.

 

 

Again, my discomfort was truly not about the musical style; but about its worship value. The main stage was where all the biggest artists played, and where there was, what I would call, more worshipful music. No doubt, some of the kids spent most of their time at this stage. But some kids never made their way to the main stage the whole weekend, and I began to understand that they did not worship to the same music I did. And if they were not worshipping to the music we were at the big stage, what music did they worship to? I had a hard time believing they were worshipping God at the alternative stage.  

 

I understand music is just a portion of what it means to worship; worship should ultimately come from our way of life and how we honor God in all we do. However, music is such a powerful way we can express this, it seems like my kids would need some way to do it. Were they actually worshipping through the mosh pits?

 

I asked one of my kids when we were alone. He said yes. He said there is something about engaging your whole body with others that somehow creates a communal expression of passion. He is not very talkative; this is all I got (and I paraphrased to get the point across!). I don’t know if he is truly worshipping when he is in the mosh pits; there really is no way to know. But I have the feeling he is not going to be leaving them any time soon. What do I do about this? Do I criticize, lecture, or condemn?

 

 

Yet, in my estimation, the “kids” of yesterday (who worship in a contemporary style) who now have their own kids and are still worshipping God and contributing to his church in big ways, have not given up belief in Jesus. Many might say this generation is as passionate as ever about the Almighty. And why did they not fall down a path to Satan because of the music which wasn’t approved of? I would venture to guess it was the example of faith on a daily basis from their elders that crosses all worship styles. No matter what music you listen to, when God is present in a real way in your life, people notice. And regardless of what music you worship to, or TV shows you watch, or deodorant you use, the witness of God in the life of one of his children is the most powerful statement you can make to keep the younger generation in the church.