What does it mean to worship God seven days a week? Well, today it seems so easy! When not attending contemporary worship services on or off campus, one can play a continuous rotation of Passion, SonicFlood, Vineyard, Matt Redman, and Delirious CDs, then go to a ``worship fest'' on Saturday featuring shows by the hottest praise and worship bands on the scene. Now, with the emergence of the praise and worship genre, we have the convenience of replacing all of our un-worshipful music and activities with bands and events made just for Christians who love God.

Who could criticize this picture? The real question, is who isn't criticizing this picture? Often, it's the majority of Christian consumers. Criticizing does not mean that praise and worship music doesn't have a good and powerful place in music for Christians: many of these artists give a new vigor to worship, with sincerity and passion. However, it seems that often we're encouraged to question some music and culture, such as top 40 music or MTV, but not praise and worship because it sounds so safe.

It's this assumption of safety in praise and worship music that shields us from seeing that no music is devoid of influence, positive or negative. Praise and worship has become a gigantic genre that is shaping the lives and habits of Christians around the world, but how often do we stop to take a closer look?

When praise and worship music is filtered through the Christian music industry, it becomes a part of the industry and its marketing. Marketing in the Christian music industry, like in the secular music industry, wants to continuously find ways to snag audiences and keep them. For example, a live album is not the choice of the musician, who just want people to hear their music, but a choice of the marketers would know that the live albums will sell. It is a career move for the musicians, often suggested purely by marketing. Could worship albums become a similar career move for artists in the Christian music industry who need that extra edge?

When asked how she feels when a band puts out a worship album, Calvin student Karissa De Koning replied, ``skeptical.'' It's very hard to determine the integrity in the creation of a praise and worship category, as there is a lot of room for manipulation of the minds of Christian consumers.

Another effect of creating a new Christian music genre is the specific pop culture the praise and worship category has developed. Praise and worship can bring to mind certain ``hit choruses,'' hand motions, dancing, instruments, and concerts, and much of this subculture has been perpetuated through youth groups and conferences. Within a subculture, it becomes very easy to lose objective criticism. Commercial and peer pressure says that you should like this music. Worship music especially faces this problem, as tacking the name ``worship'' onto something gives the illusion of making it sacred. If you don't get into praise and worship music, then something must be wrong with you or your faith.

One glance at the reviews of the WOW Worship album on barnesandnoble.com gives evidence of this pressure: ``This CD is so awesome!! Each track is perfect[ly] chosen. If you love God and love to praise him...GET THIS ALBUM! You won't be sorry!!'' That if-then statement isn't alone, as that is the exact message that the moneymakers of the subculture are hoping to send, and so many Christian consumers are perpetuating. If you love God, then buy these products.

Also, what about that which isn't called praise and worship? Christian artists produce worship through music in a variety of ways. Some simply don't aim to be a part of the praise and worship genre; some don't even wish to be a part of the Christian music industry. As a result of forming a praise and worship genre with very blurry lines as to what it contains, the Christian bookstore consumer looks at one wall labeled ``Praise and Worship `` and another labeled ``Rock'' or ``Pop'' and sees the obvious choice a good Christian would make. After all, who would choose anything over worship?

That's just it: other Christians aren't. There is no clear scale of worshipfulness for music. God did not call us to bring worship unto him only if we call it praise and worship and it can be performed in front of a church or as part of a WOW compilation. We worship by being stewards of our gifts, and no one on the earth can truly judge whether a pastor is worshipping more than a dentist, or if SonicFlood is worshipping more than U2.

When we as Christians are faced with a new, rapidly growing subculture, many are drawn in without asking questions about what it means to sell praise and worship music. Who is initiating the pressure for us to like this music? Who is creating this worship music, artist or industry? How does it affect worship in our own churches and our own lives? Let's not be drawn in until we have drawn out what this whole praise and worship deal entails.