The Holy Spirit and Music Ministry-Part 5

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Music Ministry-Part 5

There are at least two things that church musicians must remember: First, we had better not get so busy with our own program that we shut out the divine influence of the Holy Spirit on our singing and playing.  We had better be more concerned with “Holy Spirit anointing” than with performing and “production”.  Second, we had better not take singing away from the congregation.  It is through these psalms, hymns, and spiritual sons that the (Logos) or Word of God dwells in abundance in the heart of the believer.  It is a dangerous move when the church makes the decision to cut congregational singing back to one song so that we can have more “special music”.  If we are not careful, the corporate musical worship experience will disappear and the congregation will be reduced to “spectators”.  At this point the church becomes plagued with the performer-listener syndrome.

            What is meant by Spirit-filled singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs?  What are these songs?  They are heart-felt emotions.  Emotions!!! Yes, emotions!  Religious expression in singing should not be only emotion, but it should be emotional.  Spiritual singing should express strong generalized feelings caused by a series of complex spiritual reactions brought about by a holy heart-life.  From where do these songs come?  They exude from a Spirit-filled “heart-life”.  Jamison, Faussett, and Brown believe that:

The Colossians 3:16 statement, “singing with grace in your hearts” means “sing with grace” or “in grace”... “the grace of the indwelling Spirit” [i]   

It is very important for church musicians to stay on their knees until they receive the grace of the indwelling Spirit and anointing for service and until their music comes forth from the inner man, who is saturated with the presence of God.  Ephesians 5:19 says, “Making melody in your heart to the Lord”.  These melodies begin as effusions of the inner life.  They are a pouring forth of the unrestrained emotions of a life in the Spirit.  They are the expressions or “melodies” of the Spirit-filled heart.  Such Spirit-filled singing not only engages the intellect, but also the heart as well.  I Corinthians 14:15b states, “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”  Biblical exegetes generally allow that (pneuma 4151) should here be rendered Holy Spirit and that (nous 3563), the word translated understanding should be rendered intellect, i.e. I will sing with the power of the Holy Spirit and with the power of my mind.  These Holy Spirit influenced outpourings are much more than mental or aesthetic performances or mere musical events.

[i] Jamison, Fausset, Brown , One Vol. Ed.  p.453