CHAPTER 7 



 		MESSAGE: THE STEAK ........ MUSIC  : THE SEASONING 



	There is an allegory commonly used in discussions of Christian rock that 

I would like now to explore.  I'll call the allegory the "steak and seasoning" 

concept.  The premise of this allegory is that the message or words is like the 

steak, and the music is like the seasoning and other factors of preparation 

which determine how the steak will be served and received.  The reasoning goes 

like this:  Some people like spicy stead with a lot of seasoning (more rock 

oriented music), some people like their steak more bland (middle-of-the-road to 

mild or mellow music).  The implied conclusion is then that the message is of 

prime importance and we just use different kinds of music to communicate the 

message, depending on the tastes of the musician an ultimately, his listener.  I 

prescribe to this premise in a basic sense, but I believe it is too simplistic 

to be a real help when it comes to more controversial kinds of music.  What 

I'd like to do is to expand this premise a bit, and I believe we can fine tune 

this concept.  Let's suppose for sake of argument, that the message is more 

important than the music.  (I don't agree with this, and will deal further with 

this idea in a later chapter).  But assuming for a minute that the words are 

more important, and are the steak, let's explore the seasonings and preparation.  

Where I fault the preceding premise is the inference that any seasoning would be 

ok, because somebody will like the steak prepared that way.  	First, let's 

look at a few things about our humanness.  Most everyone would agree that most 

people like their steak cooked in the moderate range, say medium rare to medium 

well.  This is how most of us are wired, it has to do with how we are made, and 

somehow there's a program in most of us that says steak tastes best when cooked 

in this range.  People who like steak done very rare or very well done are not 

in the majority, and would be the exception to the rule.  Most people would not 

like steak done the way I sometimes prepare it for myself, breaded in pepper 

and seared on a hot greaseless pan until blackened outside, medium rare inside.  

Although I love this when I'm in the mood, it would not even be considered 

palatable by most.  So what is my point?  I believe the same thing is true about 

music.  Most of us are programmed to like music that is in a moderate but still 

broad,  range of tempo, melody, rhythm, etc.  Most Christian music, even rock, 

falls in this range, when considered in the full spectrum of what's out there.  

The exceptions would be the extremes: the very spicy - heavy metal kind of rock, 

to the very bland, elevator kind of music.  Granted, most Christians, if 

confronted with a choice between the two kinds would opt for the latter, but 

only because there is such a void of anointed music in all ranges that the 

soothing effect of the softer music would be more desirable to most.  

(see chapter on the "Power of Music")  So, are the extremes wrong?  Not 

necessarily, but let's meddle a bit more.  Take your steak and grind it up and 

it's easier to consume and to digest.  Hamburger is more popular with the 

younger set than steak!  They like it with catsup, mustard, sometimes hot sauce, 

etc. which you would not think of serving with steak.  Rock is a little like 

hamburger.  It's pop music, just as hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. are pop food and 

most kids like it.  Where we run into problems with food, pop or otherwise is 

when we get into impurities: preservatives, white bread, sugar, etc.  

Now most of this won't kill you, but can have a long range effect on your 

overall health and longevity.  I believe it's the same with music.  Some if it 

can have a adverse effect on your spiritual life when it is impure.  (See 

chapter on Haggai Principle)  Take it a step further, if you accidentally pour 

Drano on your steak or hamburger instead of salt it will make you sick and even 

cause you to die.  Some music, even Christian, has some poisonous elements in it 

which can make you very sick spiritually, and if you are a young person on a 

steady diet of, say, heavy metal music, it could conceivably cause even death!  

Some of the seasoning even in our Christian music, can be harmful to your 

spiritual health.

	What about the very bland, that end of the extreme?  Well, unseasoned 

steak served without salt or seasoning of any kind with plain boiled potatoes 

and peas, with a glass of water, may not be the most appetizing meal to most, 

but certainly won't harm you.  Musically speaking, listening to elevator music 

all day long won't make you into a musical connoisseur, but won't much hurt you 

either, although even this music can have a negative effect if listened to 

the exclusion of other types of Christian input.  (See "The Place of Music in 

your Spiritual Diet".)  You can see that there is far greater danger at the 

other end of the scale, where the spicy seasonings prevail.  So once 

again, as Paul said, "all things lawful, but not expedient."  We need to 

watch over our spiritual maturity, our prayer life, our relationship with God, 

more than anything.





(c)1998 Chuck Girard Ministries