Thoughts on Worship Music
Rev. Randy Booth
With the aim of shaping Grace Covenant Church worship more toward God’s preferences than our personal preferences, the elders continue to think through various questions about music.
Discerning Theology
Like everything else in Christian living, worship music comes to us in the midst of deep cultural struggles between light and darkness. No aspect of our lives, including our judgments about music, stand alone, untouched by theology. Some theology will always shape our personal judgments about music.
When we find ourselves disliking (or liking) a piece of music, we should try to find the assumptions that guide that particular judgment. Then we should ask ourselves if that assumption is biblical. We’ve absorbed many of our assumptions about beauty from the modern world, a world often hostile to Christianity. Assumptions about simplicity, speed, and time are central to music, and yet these topics are a major source of disagreement between Christianity and non-Christianity.
Modern Assumptions
One of the key modern assumptions that keeps many Christians from appreciating much great music is the simple idea that old is bad and new is good (C. S. Lewis calls this “chronological snobbery”). In an evolutionary world that would be true, but in a biblical world it often gets reversed. Sometimes we’re told to “ask for the old paths, where the good way is” (Jer. 6:16), and sometimes we’re told to avoid the old ways (Heb. 3:9,10). It takes wisdom to discern when to do what, but the modern world is largely dedicated to whatever is the “latest.”
Similarly, modern attitudes like to make light of everything but death. So they can’t imagine using solemn sounds for anything but a funeral. They never think of associating joy and solemnity. So much gloriously solemn music is automatically classified as a dirge or funeral music. But Scripture says that other things, like joy and delight in the presence of God, often demand solemnity too. Psalm 92:3 shows God’s lovingkindess can be expressed “upon the harp with a solemn sound” (cf. Eccl. 7:3,4). A more biblical sensibility discerns between the types of solemnities. Some solemnity is joyful, some full of awe, and some is tragic.
Of course, personal prejudices can run the other direction too—liking only old music. That’s not our conviction at Grace Covenant
Church. But the simple fact is that the deepest theological meditations on musical theory and composition come from more mature Christian eras than our own. Modernity is simply not saturated in Christian assumptions about beauty the way the medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation periods were. But that’s not just a prejudice. We all long for the day (and hope for it from our own congregation) when we can compose greater music than past eras. Some of that happens in our own day, but very little, especially in worship music.
Discerning the Beauty
Some of us may have thought through the worldview issues, but we still can’t see the beauty in some older pieces. Of course, every era has plenty of inferior work. But, once again, it’s possible that modernity has prejudiced us to count only surface-level beauty as real beauty. In other words, we discount things that aren’t immediately beautiful to our personal tastes. We can tend to want everything to be immediate and automatic, and we cast off whatever doesn’t instantly please. That is one reason why non-Christians treat Scripture lightly; they refuse to look deeply. They can’t see the beauty in the story, though it jumps out at those who love God.
We also tend to think that if we’re merely regenerate, then we can easily discern between what is beautiful and ugly. But wisdom always takes time and discipline and pruning. Scripture orders us to “incline your ear to wisdom” (including musical wisdom) and “apply your heart to understanding; . . . If you seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord” (Prov. 2:2-5). Mining takes great labor and exercise. Discerning beauty is like that. It often takes great effort to train ourselves to see profundity.
Rising to the Challenge
Sometimes, though, even if we grasp the complex beauties at work in a piece of music, we get frustrated because of its level of difficulty. Yet here too we need patience and discipline. Reading English was once hard, but we overcame that. Singing shouldn’t come easily. Learning to sing glorious music will take years of education. We rob ourselves of wisdom if we judge a hymn or psalm after one singing. We don’t even truly know it at after only a month of singing. It can require a long period of meditation and work. The worship service itself is an important place for learning new music. After confession and assurance, the focus of worship turns to rebuilding and sanctifying worshipers. Both sermon and song train us up at this time.
Whenever we are weaker in some good thing, we should aim to rise to the challenge. Depending upon where one is, it may mean studying more music, joining a choir, reading more musical history, taking instrument lessons. We have many grand hopes for such things within Grace Covenant Church. But whatever it takes, we should all aim to apply ourselves to grow in our worship—“Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious” (Ps. 66:2).
Where Does Your God Live?
Pastor Jason Biette
How would you answer that question? Is it something that you’ve ever thought about? I want to challenge you to think of an answer. The first thing that comes to your mind when asked that question. Maybe you should write it down. Go ahead, I’ll wait….
Now, what if I were to say you were wrong. Of course I have no way of knowing, and there is a chance that your answer is correct. I guess, on some level, you could make the claim that any answer would be correct, and on some level I could not argue with you. Some would answer, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.”, and I could buy that (but I won’t ask you to show me where in your Bible it teaches that Jesus has taken up residence in your heart). Some of the more astute might say, “According to Christian orthodoxy He is seated at the right hand of God the Father.”, and although I like that answer much more it is not quite what I am getting at. Some may want to get in a big discussion about communion, which certainly has its time and place; but not here, not now. Those of you who know your Bible will probably quote Psalm 139:8 which says, “If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!” Certainly that would be the best answer to such and open-ended question. But I am getting at something else in this post. Have you noticed yet that this is posted under music? Hmmmmm?
Psalm 22:3 says, “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” That is the ESV, but the KJV states ”…dwelling in the praises…”. This is as good a place as any to direct you to a series of short posts that Doug Wilson has been doing over at Blog and Mablog under the title “Musical Exhortations”. As is often the case someone else got me thinking about a topic, this time it happened to be him.
Over the course of the last three to four years one of the responsibilities that I have held in my ministry positions is that of ‘music’. I know, ‘music’ is not a title nor is it a position, but I can’t think of any other way to describe it. It means that not only do I have to be familiar with the music (so that I can aid the instruments and singers in aiding the congregation in its praises), but I also have to introduce new music to the congregation. I must have a system set up so that we all can practice it (in order to use it skillfully in the worship service). I have to take my very limited knowledge of music theory (time signature, meter, rhythm, key, tempo) and explain it in such a way that everyone in the congregation can understand (”Okay, now let’s try to speed that up just a smidge.”). I also have to make sure that the music we use is biblically sound, doctrinally pure, and pleasing to God. In short, I have to do the impossible.
This has got to be one of the most difficult tasks in the modern church. When members of the congregation disagree with something that you said in a sermon or Sunday school lesson they may or may not approach you about it. If they do approach you it will probably be with a question, and hopefully there will be an opportunity for edifying discussion. When members of a congregation don’t like what you are doing musically they will tell you in one of three ways. They will either tell you directly (not much of a chance for edifying discussion), they will tell someone else, or they just won’t sing. Why is music such a touchy subject? My guess is because we all have our personal preferences when it comes to music. Which, of course, is fine, even good, but that is where Psalm 22:3 sheds some light.
Simply stated God ‘inhabits’ the praises of His people. When people praise Him, He lives there. We belive that our churches (or at least where we meet on the Lord’s Day) are the ‘House of the Lord’. Would you dwell in, or inhabit, or live in a place that you don’t like? If you had the opportunity to choose where you live (a choice that most of us have), would you choose a place that is undesirable to you? Of course not! Our preferences dictate where we choose to live. Let’s try to think about it this way. Your house is your dwelling place, it is where you live, therefore you make all the choices regarding different aspects of your house. You even make the choices regarding what music is playing in your house. You would not let some stranger come in off the street and play rap music in your house if you preferred classical. The point is because it is your dwelling it is your preferences that guide the choices you make.
What does this mean practically for us when it comes to issues of church music? It means that our musical preferences aren’t nearly as important as we want to think they are. It means that if God prefers classical we had better not come singing praises to Him in rap, but it also means that if He prefers rap we had better not come singing praises to Him in classical. It means that this is the House of the Lord, and He ‘dwells in the praises of His people’ so He gets to choose, He gets to decide, and we had better listen.
Finally, this has practical application for us in our homes as well. We all want (or should want) God in our homes. Here the Psalms give us a failsafe way to have God in our homes. When we worship God at home, when we sing His praises as a family, Psalm 22:3 makes it perfectly clear that God will dwell there. If you want to have a closer relationship to God, if you want your children to grow up not only knowing God but living with Him, then start praising Him at home and I can guarantee you He will move in before you know it.
“Praise God from Whom all blessings flow…Praise father, Son, and Holy Ghost!”
With Voices of Angels
By Garrett Craw
Copyright © 2005
I was preaching in a small Reformed church in down-state Missouri recently and it got me thinking about what is possible for a small church in worship. This particular church has only been constituted for one year and yet I was struck by the beautiful singing that came forth from the congregation during the worship service. Even the toddlers had a part to sing (I kid you not). Their secret, I am sorry to have been
ignorant of this practice which has been common through the history of the church, is that they practice their parts after church on Sunday. It seems strange at first, as we are typically used to coming in just as we are without prior thought to what we are going to sing or even knowing the tune, but the practice that I saw at this little church is just the completion of the Puritan catchphrases we so often utilize: "We are the choir." Yes we are the choir but we sure don't sound like one. "Make a joyful noise" often means just making noise which isn’t very joyful especially when its sung in low, almost imperceptible tones.
When I was a reformed Baptist we used to constantly argue against using choirs on the grounds that it violated the Regulative Principle. I now think that bad, unprepared singing does so as well. After all, we all agree that there is some propriety necessary in our attitude and appearance on Sunday morning. We are meeting with the King of Kings are we not? And yet we roll in singing with mousy, horrible voices, hymns that we are vaguely familiar with. Our king deserves better, and frankly, we, the great body of Christ deserve better.
So here is what could be done. Once a month, the congregation meets for fellowship and spends perhaps 20-30 minutes working on two or three new hymns. The congregation is divided into Sopranos, Altos, Tenors, and Bass, and briefly works on their parts. After a year the church has 25+ hymns down and they are sung well. Now you are the choir, at least a choir that is seeking to be fit for presentation to a king.
Why?
One more thought for the naysayer who says "that's way too much work." Too much? Hopefully you are in a church that you intend to spend some serious time in...perhaps the rest of your earthly life? It is the community of God and the family of God. If that’s the case, why not learn to sing in a manner that reflects the renewed heaven and earth that we are headed for. We are, after all, already in the choir of the New Jerusalem and the church on earth should be a direct (though imperfect) reflection of the church in heaven.
Often in evangelical circles we tend to focus on the theocentric (on/to God alone) nature of singing in worship to the exclusion of all else. But notice where the focus is at in Colossians 3:16 (ESV):
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
The focus (even more explicitly in the NAS) is on teaching and admonishing one another through singing. Furthermore, there is nothing exotic about the three forms of singing in the Greek: (1) Psalmas (Psalms) (2) Humnos (Song/Hymn of Praise) (3) Odace (an ode). So, if this is the focus, how should we do it? We should do it clearly and well. It should be glorious. After all when we are taught and admonished through the preached word should the pastor roll in unprepared and say whatever comes to his mind?
Training for Maturity
A Musical Exhortation ~ Pastor Douglas Wilson
As we continue to learn the nature of body life, we have to understand the distinctions that are made between those with special gifts and all the rest of us who need to learn a basic competence in those gifts.
Not every Christian should be a scholar, but every Christian should know how to read. Not every Christian should be a vocational musician, but every Christian should know how to sing praises to God in public worship. Not every Christian should be able to parse the errors of second century Gnosticism, but every Christian should have learned contempt for gnosticism on an athletic field. Not every Christian should be a high level mathematician, but every Christian should know how to manage his own finances, balancing his own checkbook.
When Paul teaches us about body life, he is teaching us how the mature body functions, when those with developed gifts are exercising those gifts. But what do we do about the process of education, whereby we are training our children, discovering their areas of giftedness, and encouraging them in those areas? With developed gifts, we give way to one another. The eye sees on behalf of the ear, and the ear hears on behalf of the eye.
But when we are training our children, bringing them up to a basic competence in all these areas, we need to take care that we make room for them all. We make room for them all by refusing to make them competitors. This will keep the kids busy, but worse things than that have happened. Training in literacy is not at odds with musical training, training in sports is not at odds with academics, and so on, down the line.
As we continue to learn the nature of body life, we have to understand the distinctions that are made between those with special gifts and all the rest of us who need to learn a basic competence in those gifts.
Not every Christian should be a scholar, but every Christian should know how to read. Not every Christian should be a vocational musician, but every Christian should know how to sing praises to God in public worship. Not every Christian should be able to parse the errors of second century Gnosticism, but every Christian should have learned contempt for gnosticism on an athletic field. Not every Christian should be a high level mathematician, but every Christian should know how to manage his own finances, balancing his own checkbook.
When Paul teaches us about body life, he is teaching us how the mature body functions, when those with developed gifts are exercising those gifts. But what do we do about the process of education, whereby we are training our children, discovering their areas of giftedness, and encouraging them in those areas? With developed gifts, we give way to one another. The eye sees on behalf of the ear, and the ear hears on behalf of the eye.
But when we are training our children, bringing them up to a basic competence in all these areas, we need to take care that we make room for them all. We make room for them all by refusing to make them competitors. This will keep the kids busy, but worse things than that have happened. Training in literacy is not at odds with musical training, training in sports is not at odds with academics, and so on, down the line.