二十年前在「傳統」的基督教派(包括長老教會)的主日禮拜中,是很難有吉他、貝斯、爵士鼓等樂器。但隨著音樂人才的多元,教會的音樂敬拜也更加豐富。其實,十六世紀之前的教會音樂偏向旋律起伏不大的經文詩歌,在巴哈(Johann Sebastian Bach)時代,則有截然不同的教會音樂風格的產生。巴哈的音樂對當時的教會而言是相當前衛與花俏的,但在新的宗教改革氛圍下,激發許多教會音樂的發展。
二十世紀的電子音樂更為教會音樂加入諸多新的元素,也激發許多音樂恩賜的服事者。雖然,爵士樂、電子樂器對教會音樂造成許多的衝擊,但教會總能回到聖經尋覓到敬拜的真正精神,也從聖經中找到與傳統之間的聯繫。
但是,對於激進、保守的律法主義者,其挑戰卻是極高。Matisyahu是很有名的Beat Box歌手,他是屬於Hasidic jewish(哈西典派猶太人),是猶太正統派(Orthodox)的一支,此派嚴守中世紀以前的猶太律法主義。他的出現,令許多人跌破眼鏡,他在猶太律法主義者的眼裡,更是「大逆不道」,按他們的標準,這位歌手當然是犯了誡律。可見,無論如何嚴厲的律法主義都會有「叛逆」不受拘束的自由渴望。
Matisyahu有一首「King Without a Crown, 無冠冕的王」還進入Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks(錢櫃現代搖滾)排行第7名。但有意思的是,他的歌曲都不是「世俗」音樂,而是充滿濃濃的宗教意涵,這一點倒可讓猶太保守人士稍微寬心。
What's this feeling?
My love will rip a hole in the ceiling
Givin' myself to you from the essence of my being
Sing to my God all these songs of love and healing
(向我的上帝唱出愛與醫治的歌)
Want Mashiach now so it's time we start revealing
(渴望彌賽亞(基督)此刻顯現)
You're all that I have and you're all that I need
Each and every day I pray to get to know you please
I want to be close to you, yes I'm so hungry
You're like water for my soul when it gets thirsty
Without you there's no me
You're the air that I breathe
Sometimes the world is dark and I just can't see
With these, demons surround all around to bring me down to negativity
But I believe, yes I believe, I said I believe
I'll stand on my own two feet
Won't be brought down on one knee
Fight with all of my might and get these demons to flee
Hashem's rays fire blaze burn bright and I believe
Out of darkness comes light, twilight unto the heights
Crown Heights burnin' up all through the twilight
Said, thank you to my God, now I finally got it right
And I'll fight with all of my heart, and all a' my soul, and all a' my might
[Chorus]
[Bridge:]
Me no want no sinsemilla.
That would only bring me down
Burn away my brain no way my brain is to compound
Elevated my soul you're a flying my sound
Like the sun of a sun ray burning up through a cloud
Torah food for my brain let it rain till I drown
Thunder!
Let the blessings come down
Strip away the layers and reveal your soul
Got to give yourself up and then you become whole
You're a slave to yourself and you don't even know
You want to live the fast life but your brain moves slow
If you're trying to stay high then you're bound to stay low
You want God but you can't deflate your ego
If you're already there then there's nowhere to go
If you're cup's already full then its bound to overflow
If you're drowning in the water's and you can't stay afloat
Ask Hashem for mercy and he'll throw you a rope
You're looking for help from God you say he couldn't be found
Looking up to the sky and searchin' beneath the ground
Like a King without his Crown
Yes, I wanna get down
A King without his Crown
Yes, you keep fallin' down
You really want to live but can't get rid of your frown
Tried to reach unto the heights and wound bound down on the ground
Given up your pride and the you heard a sound
Out of night comes day and out of day comes light
Nullified to the One like sunlight in a ray,
Makin' room for his love and a fire gone blaze
[Chorus]
Reelin' him in
Where ya been
Where ya been
Where ya been for so long
It's hard to stay strong been livin' in galus (exile) for 2000 years strong
Where ya been for so long
Been livin in this exile for too long