German church hosts worship service featuring Taylor Swift
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Over 1,200 individuals gathered at a historical church in Germany this Sunday to partake in a worship service that celebrated the music of Taylor Swift.
Held at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Heidelberg, which occupies a structure dating back 600 years, the event was titled “Anti-Hero — Taylor Swift Church Service” and aimed to attract young attendees, reports Deutsche Welle (DW).
Pastor Christof Ellsiepen of the church shared with the media outlet, “The Church of the Holy Spirit has been a traditional hub for meeting and dialogue. This is why a service themed around pop music is such a fitting concept here, allowing us to engage with the topics and dilemmas that resonate with the younger crowd.”
He highlighted the service’s emphasis on the robust Christian messages perceived in Swift’s songs, which discuss critical issues like women’s rights, racism, and gender equality.
Vincenzo Petracca, another pastor at the church, noted the criticism Swift has faced from some evangelical leaders in the U.S. concerning her music. “From a theological standpoint, her music reflects the righteousness of God,” Petracca explained, adding, “In her view, faith involves questioning and personal struggles.”
“According to her, faith and deeds are intertwined,” he continued.
The church hosted two services that Sunday which featured Swift’s music, attracting a predominantly young and female audience, as noted by DW. Behind the performers, a rainbow banner declared the church’s inclusive welcome to “all sizes, all [colors], all cultures, all sexes, all beliefs, all religions, all ages, all types, all people.”
Despite the church’s traditional design for Gregorian chants rather than pop music, Petracca was touched by the positive reaction to the contemporary service format. “The faces looking back at me were radiant, and many were moved to tears during Swift’s song about her mother’s battle with cancer,” he remarked, referencing “Soon You’ll Get Better.”
Swift’s recent album has been critiqued by some Christian commentators for what they see as lyrics that deride God and Christians.
Shane Pruitt, National Next Gen director at the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board and a co-author, has cautioned parents to rethink letting their kids listen to Swift’s music. “While I don’t ban secular music outright,” Pruitt stated in a Facebook post, “there’s a distinct line between secular and ANTI-CHRISTIAN content.”
Shane Lynch, a former member of Boyzone, has recently charged Swift with embedding hidden satanic rituals in her performances. “Many artists are incorporating live satanic rituals into their shows, often unbeknownst to an audience of 20,000,” Lynch claimed in an interview with Ireland’s Sunday World.
You cannot be a mature Christian and still be listening to Taylor. You can be lukewarm and do it, but this is a time in church history when we need to stand strong against the satanic agenda. We need to cast out demons and heal the sick.
I encourage Christians to take a stand even if it’s not popular in the world. We weren’t made to fit into the world. The world’s music also isn’t made for us. Let’s arise and shine.
”But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 ESV
Here are some of her song lyrics:
🎤Guilty as Sin
What if I roll the stone away?
They’re gonna crucify me anyway
What if the way you hold me is actually what’s holy?
If long-suffering propriety is what they want from me
They don’t know how you’ve haunted me so stunningly
I choose you and me religiously
Another song:
🎤The smallest man who ever lived
I would’ve died for your sins, instead, I just died inside
Another song:
🎤 But Daddy I love him
I just learned these people only raise you
To cage you
Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best
Clutchin’ their pearls, sighing, “What a mess”
I just learned these people try and save you
‘Cause they hate you
Another song:
🎤 God save the most judgmental creeps
Who says they want what’s best for me
Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I’ll never see
Thinkin’ it can change the beat
Of my heart when he touches me
And counteract the chemistry
And undo the destiny
You ain’t gotta pray for me
Me and my wild boy and all of this wild joy
If all you want is gray for me
Then it’s just white noise, and it’s just my choice
Another song: (about having an affair with someone’s husband and wanting to kill their wife)
🎤 And for a fortnight there we were
Forever running to you
Sometimes ask about the weather
Now you’re in my backyard
Turned into good neighbors
Your wife waters flowers
I want to kill her
All my mornings are Mondays
Stuck in an endless February
I took the miracle move on drug
The effects were temporary
For more details, tune into today’s show…
