Growing up in the late eighties and early nineties in a Christina home, I was exposed to more than my fair share of contemporary Christian music. Now, I am not so old as to recall the glory days of Sandi Patty and Amy Grant, I do recall Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman when they were new and edgey…ok, just for the record, Michael W. has NEVER been edgey And as an avid listener I have watched over the years as new faces have come onto the scene, each one moving the artistry a little further along and bringing their own faith journey to the scene. But honestly, for the most part, sadly little has changed. The music that gets the majority of rotation on any of the major Christian radio stations here or around the world is by no means drastically different than the music being played 15 to 20 years ago. Sadly, CCM seems to be rather sluggish in embracing anything except a rather sedate, pop-friendly sound. That it why I was knocked on my bottom this year when I attended the National Youth Workers Convention. Amidst a broad spectrum of artists who graced the stage for the worship sessions, two band stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb in my mind. The first band was a Celtic punk band named Flatfoot 56. Let’s just say it was a surprise to see a man in bag pipes and wearing a kilt rocking out on the stage. For a minute I thought I was at CCD’s commencement ceremony and things had gone tragically awry. But despite the bracing shock, the music was great. Now I am not saying I am rushing out tomorrow to get their cd, but the guys in the band played well, wrote good music, and had an obvious passion for sharing their faith. And though it may not come in a package that is marketable to old codgers like me, it is still great music. The second band that left me gobsmacked was the Family Force 5. I don’t even know how to begin to describe their music or their unique performance style. Let us just say it was very loud, hard to understand, VERY energetic and was exciting enough to inspire a random crowd member to hop on the stage and dance. Well, I think he was dancing, but don’t quote me on that. Oh, and did I mention there were oversized silver lame boxing gloves. Yeah, it was intense and unusual to say the least. But it was also inspiring. Like I said, CCM has in some ways become stagnant. Somewhere along the path, somebody decided Christian artists needed to look and sound like pop stars in order to be marketable. And when that decision was made, the music stopped growing. Music needs to be challenged and shook up in order for it and us to grow. It is with the effort of groups like Flatfoot 56 and Family Force 5 that we can be rocked out of our preconceived utopia and into a newer way to worship. The church must grow and change. We need to adapt but not be tainted by an ever changing world. And whether you like their sound or not, these groups are changing lives for Christ. And there is no better calling. We need to remember, we all approach the throne in our own fashion. Just as I will not condemn you for how you worship, you and I should never condemn anyone else. The goal is to get to Christ, anyway we can.