Was David Cloud Right in His Exposure and Reproof of West Coast Worship?

David Cloud recently produced the following video exposes of the music of West Coast Baptist College and Lancaster Baptist Church in Lancaster, California. To show how out-of-touch I was on this issue, I didn't even hear about it until about three weeks ago,when the whole shabang actually started in March of this year. Once I did, I found that it had exploded online with other Cloud articles, discussion on fundamentalist forums, blogs, a multitude of emails positive and negative sent to Cloud, and at least one answer from Paul Chappell (which Cloud answers here).

First, here are the presentations by David Cloud. You'll be able to figure out what he's doing.
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I hate this stuff by West Coast/Lancaster, even if it weren't written and performed by CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) groups. I hate what they do. I hate the way they do it. I hate the philosophy of ministry that it represents. I hate the way it misrepresents the God of the Bible. I hate the way it deceives the people with whom it is involved. I hate what it does to churches. I hate the way that it harms and even ruins discernment. I hate the way that it perverts a biblical or true understanding of spirituality and love. I will not tolerate it. I will have nothing to do with it. I hate the way that it endorses false worship for churches. It's disgusting.

Second, what about Cloud's point? Is it wrong to do what West Coast does, that is, adapt the CCM songs to fit their view of God? I don't think it matters for West Coast, because they already know what they want, and if a CCM group doesn't write it for them, they will either write it themselves or find it somewhere else. However, it should be tell-tale to anyone that West Coast finds it necessary to dip into or borrow from the CCM world to fulfill their goals. I believe there is understandable reasons for this. These CCM performers know what they are doing with their music. They contrive and choreograph emotions and feelings with their music to produce an fraudulent, imitation experience of spirituality that fools the participants. And then what the CCM people want to get happens to be some of the very same that West Coast wants. The biggest difference is the smoke. West Coast misses some CCM smokiness. Taking away the smoke is like putting lipstick on a pig.

CCM (A) has taken their stuff from the world (B) and now West Coast (C) takes theirs from CCM (A). If A = B and A = C, then B = C. They get deniability about the world. That's it. They didn't get it from the world. And that's supposed to mean something. If it means anything to you, check your IQ.

People are not satisfied with biblical, true manifestations of spirituality. They covet a tangible interaction with God. They want "more" than faith. The CCM claims authenticity and gives a placebo. West Coast rents out the CCM toolbelt.

The CCM is very much akin to the recent phenomena of Conversations with God. A man has written what people want to believe an authentic experience with God must be. Because it is what people want to hear or think, they believe it. The feelings manufactured by CCM of whatever variety, including the West Coast style, easily fit the sensation people would register as genuine. They are ready to believe it. It parallels the power of suggestion of the hypnotist.

The feelings conjured by CCM aid in numerical growth. People seek either signs or wisdom. The music titillates the senses, convincing that something real has occurred. Besides that, it is sheer gratification. People like it, like they want candy instead of vegetables. And the growth itself further fools the adherents. God must be working, the same God who gave the feeling during the music. For some, if they've got to go through church anyway, they would rather enjoy it. And it will be easier to invite the world if the world likes better what it's hearing. In the end, God "gets" to take credit for growth caused by CCM. He gets associated with CCM. Think He likes that?

The music does make provision for the flesh. It does build a bridge to CCM. It does endorse the CCM "artists." But those are the least of the problems with what West Coast does. West Coast drags God's holy name through their muck and mire. It profanes the truth. It uses carnal weaponry. It feeds the flesh. It makes provision for the flesh. It brings the world into the church. It perverts church growth. It presents a false God. It offers false worship.

CCM music works for West Coast. What works for West Coast is what's important. If it works, it's good to do. It's good because it works. If it didn't work, it wouldn't be good. This is the kind of reasoning that justifies it.

I don't think that associations here are the major issue. What is major is the music itself and the stink hole from which West Coast constructs its pipeline. That says a lot about West Coast and what they think of God. I'd be happy to have West Coast listen to what I'm writing here, but I'm afraid they would marginalize it and figure out a way to ascribe psychological problems to me so that they can keep going the way they're going. After all, they probably have more people in their bathrooms at one time than we have in our whole church service.

Remember the NEA funded Andres Serrano exhibit where he sinks a crucifix in a jar of urine and calls it "art"? The CCM music is the urine in which its "artists" float the person and work of Christ. They use a profane element to express a sacred teaching. Am I leaving you in doubt about where I stand on this?

I don't know that David Cloud and I have the same view of worship. From this encounter, I know we're closer than what I am with West Coast. By far. He is right on West Coast though.