WARNING: This could offend you...

First, let me say that the opinions expressed on this blog are mine. Ok, so...music. Since I was old enough to listen to music, I have loved it...all kinds. Music has the ability to stir emotions like nothing else, it can make you happy when you're sad, it can lift you up in tradgedy, it can express your feelings when you can't. You don't even have to know what the singer is saying to have your emotions stirred by music. I mean, believe it or not, I sang Italian opera in college and half the time I didn't know what I was singing, but I was still moved by the music. The best kind of music though, is music that lifts up the name of God.
Some church people believe that the only kind of music that does this are hymns. Some will even go as far as singing or listening to "southern gospel," which is basically bluegrass with Christian lyrics. WARNING: If you are one of those people, your toes are about to get stepped on, so you may want to stop reading here.
What makes the music that we sing in the 8:30 service different than your favorite Sunday morning hymn? It is really hurtful to have our motives for what we choose to sing questioned. The purpose for what we sing is the exact same as the purpose for singing hymns...to draw people to God, to lift up the name of JESUS CHRIST and to praise GOD for what He has done in our lives. NO ONE in the praise band is singing or playing for our own glorification...Robbie, as well as the rest us, is totally sold out to God and we don't do anything unless we feel that God will get the glory. God gifted us with these talents and we are using them to serve Him. We put hours into what we do every week in order to give our best to GOD. We are not just "playing church" out there. God is working through all of us to draw people to Himself.
So just to clear things up, stop concerning your self with whether we are praising God or not. We are! Your energy would be better spent on praying for lost loved ones and co-workers and random people that you meet.
Peace out!