In Defense of CCM: ...Another Example

While writing the previous post, I remembered another example of what I am talking about from when I was a child. Here is one of those dated hair band Christian songs by the band, Petra (of Fort Wayne, IN fame). Since I was raised as a noncreedal baptist, this is the first form of the Apostles Creed that I ever heard:

Creed
Words and music by Bob Hartman
Written and Performed by Petra
Album: Beyond Belief (c 1990)

I believe in God the Father - maker of heaven and earth
And in Jesus Christ His only Son
I believe in the virgin birth
I believe in the Man of Sorrows bruised for iniquities
I believe in the Lamb who was crucified and hung between two thieves

I believe in the resurrection on the third and glorious day
And I believe in the empty tomb and the stone that the angel rolled away
He descended and set the captives free
And now He sits at God's right hand and prepares a place for me

(Chorus)
This is my creed - the witness I have heard
The faith that has endured
This truth is assured
Through the darkest ages past
Though persecuted, it will last
And I will hold steadfast to this creed

I believe He sent His Spirit to comfort and to reveal
To lead us into the truth and light, to baptize and to seal
I believe that He will come back the way He went away
And receive us all unto Himself, but no man knows the day

(Chorus)

I believe He is the Judge of all men, small and great
The resurrected souls of men receive from Him their fate
Some to death and some to life, some to their reward
Some to sing eternal praise forever to our Lord!

(Chorus)

You can watch this song on YouTube right here.


...and for those of you who are fans of recalling writtings of the Church Fathers:

St Augustine's Pears
Words and music by Bob Hartman
Based on Romans 7:19 and Confessions by St. Augustine
Performed by Petra
Album: God Fixation (c 1998)

Late one night I heard a knock at the door
The boys were really painting the town
I was just another bored teenage boy
Kickin' up and actin' the clown... Yeah

One dare led to another dare
Then things were getting out of control
We hopped the fence and we stole the pears
And I threw away a part of my soul
Yes, I threw away a part of my soul (now it's)

(Chorus)
Haunting me how I stole those pears
'Cause I loved the wrong
Even though I knew a better way
Not for hunger or poverty
It was more than pears that I ended up
throwin' away... Yeah

Time goes by - now I'm old and grey
Those pears are just a memory
I would gladly pay all I have today
But that's just not the problem you see... ('cause it's)

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Why do we love all the things that are wrong
Forbidden fruit has a strange siren song
Why do we do what we don't want to do
When we live with regrets our whole life through... ('cuase it's)

(Chorus)

And I don't even like pears that well...

For the record, this Petra fan read a copy of Confessions by St Augustine because it was cited as the source of this song in the official album lyrics in the CD jacket.