An Inside-Out View of A Lutheran deep into the Contemporary By Lori Lewis recently watched the movie The Wizard of Oz. In it, I saw simple truths that illustrated my own life. Like Dorothy, I, too, had gone to a make-believe land that seemed attractive, only to discover that what I needed had been in my own back yard all the time! I grew up as a baptized Lutheran, attending Lutheran grade school and, for a few years, a Lutheran college. I was very familiar with basic Lutheran teachings. But that didn’t help. Eventually, I turned away from the Lutheran Church. In grade school, I was exposed to what became known as Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Immediately, I was drawn in. It was exciting that Christians were singing music that sounded like the pop music I listened to on the radio. I thought that this would be a natural way for me to make a connection between my favorite music and what I was being taught in church. During my college years, I really got into CCM. I attended concerts and bought records. When I dropped out of college, I moved back in with my parents and tried to figure out what to do with my life. One day, while listening to the radio, I heard a song from a Christian artist. I was excited to learn that this radio station played nothing but CCM artists. A short time later, I began working as a DJ at the station. I was again excited, as I thought I had found my life’s work. I thought,“I could combine my love of music with doing something that will further the Gospel.” As the years passed, I became more and more involved with the Christian music world. I moved to southern California and began working at one of the hottest CCM stations in the country. I became a friend to many of the artists, and was drawn into working for record companies and individual artists.
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