Worship Music is often an oxymoron -- neither worship or music. I'm constantly amazed to see 400 people standing for 30 minutes while 50 of them actively participate and the rest stand there mumbling. In the classroom, if only 12.5% of the students were engaged, most good teachers would change their lesson plans.

If the Getty's hymns will teach sound theology, then I'm for it. So many "praise and worship songs" fall into the "God is my boyfriend" category. Recent polls of young believers show that many don't even know what they believe? One reason may be they haven't been exposed to the great hymns of the Christian faith, which reinforced sound Christian doctrine for previous generations of believers. One solution may be to give classic hymn texts a modern setting. Introduce a new generation of believers to Wesley and Watts.

The question is too broad to be meaningful. Are you talking about the so-called Praise songs lead by a sexy group of young people who bob up and down as they try to swallow the microphone in front of a group of people standing in an auditorium -- with 90% of them not singing. Or, are you talking about the traditional hymns of the church generally sung with a piano and organ with the words and music in a 'hymn book?' If you made the difference in your question, the results might be very interesting. One of the great things about the traditional hymns is that the melody and words stay with you. How many prisoners of war would be able to sing the new 7/11 praise songs. Not many. If you look around to see how many people are actually singing the praise songs you quickly learn why they have to have so many people up-front singing with a mic in their face. Without that no one would be singing.

One of the reasons this poll will not tell us much is it does not address the reason for listening, only the medium. Christian Music can be worship or entertainment. To listen to worship violates its intent. To be entertained by worship is even a greater tragety. We have lost the idea of sacred or holy music used only for sacred purposes. And it shows in our entertainment based worship. I am for both Christian entertainment and music in worship. But I am concerned when they are mixed.

Interesting article, but I think the CT poll is a lil' flawed. There wasn't a slot indicating "all the above" that includes singing and playing worship music as well as listening to cds and radio. No biggie, but these polls could use more thought, true? Additionally, most of the songs of praise and worship I play are from my heart - "sing a new song to the LORD." Although I have my personal favorites, I can enjoy the creative musical expressions of others from the distant past (hymns) and today's youth. I love what the Getty's are doing and doing well. I won't argue about one's personal preferences since all this is supposed to be for the Lord anyway...not just our personal pleasure. Give it to Him!