Why Christians should listen to Zappa

This is not an election related posting! I'm sitting in my favorite coffee shop, working on my dissertation, and realizing...

all the music is by Frank Zappa

This got me thinking. I am a fan of Zappa. I think is music is clever at times and brilliant at other times. His lyrics are a bit lewd (but then again, so is this blog), but musically he is doing things that are just ...... awesome. Zappa pushes the boundaries, he takes an older style and manipulates it in a way that reveals the beauty of that older style. He mixes style together to create something new and wonderful. From a-tonal music to do-wop to rock to fusion to jazz and on and on, Zappa is constantly pushing and demanding music.

Isn't this how we (Christians) should be with the church? Shouldn't we always be pushing the status quo? Shouldn't we take chances, reach back to forms and ideas of old, and use them today in a way that is new and fresh? Shouldn't we look for that synthesis of ideas and styles that brings out a way of worshipping and being a Christian that is empowering. Shouldn't we expect the most from ourselves and others just as Zappa expected the most out of his musicians. Finally, shouldn't we make sure we never take ourselves to seriously? We can have a high quality of absurdity, and it will remain absurd.

Christians should listen to Zappa, this modern day prophet, and learn from his approach and attitude to life. Just as Zappa pushed music we can push the community, the church.

afterthought: there are other musicians who fall in a similar category, for example, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Ives, Beethoven to name a few