Why I don't listen to Christian Radio

When my husband served a parish in the land of the frozen chosen, invariably certain "civil-religion-minded" (those people who are rather like civic-minded community members) members of the congregation would ask me, "Do you listen to Christian radio?" I would always say no, and then they would become offended. That would be like a pre-teen girl not liking High School Musical, or something of the sort. I'm sorry, I just don't like Christian Radio, generally speaking.

It may go back to my maternal grandmother. The woman had a Christian radio obsession. She listened to so much of it that I thought Fibber McGee and Dr. McGee were the same person. I knew of Biola University because I heard it's name so often as the sponsor of some show. I truly believed that the music for the Valley Furniture commercial was the music for a religious show.

It may go back to the time when I listened to Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith (and they still talked about God in their music), and I was unfamiliar with the concept of Christocentric music. I remember when a new Christian Radio station began broadcasting in the valley and I was excited to listen. I was first introduced to artists like Steven Curtis Chapman and Carman. I still didn't see that the music was theologically challenged. I stopped listening to said station when they stopped playing the kitschy '80s artists and starting playing Christian rap. I have no use whatsoever for rap--of ANY kind.


When I lived in the land of SPAM, the Christian radio station played the kind of Christian music that I had come to know and loathe. It was either in the genre of Donny and Marie Osmond or it talked nothing about Jesus. So much for Christian. I only listened around the time of President Barry's death to see if other people were talking about the passing of such a wonderful man.

Fast-forward to a couple years ago. . .I began listening to KFUO. It was Christian radio of a different sort. It was LCMS. Sure, the music they played during "Jubliation" wasn't always the best, but they did much well. They had devotions from Portals of Prayer and Higher Things which actually talked about Jesus. They talked about the "Today's Light" Bible study. I could listen to worship services. Most of all, I began listening to Issues, Etc. I, a pastor's wife and a Lutheran teacher, learned much from Issues, Etc. I can't even begin to relate what I gleaned from the conversations.

Now Issues, Etc. has been pulled from KFUO. I have pulled my support from KFUO. (Okay, not entirely true--I will still listen to "Sing for Joy" because I like to hear good choral music, but I don't listen in the car to/from work anymore.)

So if you ask, NO, I don't listen to Christian radio. I listen to WARH and, excuse me, my favorite song is on now--". . .I wanna rock 'n' roll all night, and party every day. . ."