What Do We Do Now that Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 3

 

       What Do We Do Now That Rock Won't Go Away?--Part 3

 

       Every time a music director musics i.e. “does”, that musician is exercising a part of his or her music philosophy because all “doing” exudes from beliefs. There is often a difference between what a Christian musician purports to believe and what that musician’s “doing” proves about his or her actual beliefs. .  All you have to do is get in someone’s car, turn on the radio and punch each of the presets and you will find out in a hurry what that musician actually believes about music. Robert Berglund said, “One’s decisions are actually based on one’s values, that is, the actual values one has actually determine the kind of decisions one makes.” A Philosophy of Church Music, by Robert Berglund p. 8.

       So, we are back to our original question, “What do we do now since rock music will not go away?”  The answer is really quite simple.  We will perform what we actually believe philosophically.  We find ourselves without philosophical or praxial excuse.  No Christian musician is forced, by the norms of twenty first century believers or non-believers, to perform rock music or any of its close musical cousins.  When you perform rock music, you are acting on your personal music philosophy and your actual belief that it is the best choice you can make to music unto a holy, infinite God.  You are saying that rock music is a more proper and profound music than the time honored musical genera that have been used for multiplied centuries to honor and praise the triune God.

        I know that a Christian musician may be convinced by another’s arguments that rock music is not philosophically the best music to use to worship God, and yet that musician will not make any behavioral changes in his or her musicing.  My father used to say, “If you convince a man against his will, he’ll be of the same opinion still.”  So, in the midst of our philosophical discussions, we must come to the conclusion that post-modern church musicians are doing what they like to do.  Again, Richard S Taylor summed up the matter quite well, when he wrote, “Free domestic philosophies, such as existentialism, exaggerate individualism.  Freedom is the watchword, and personal autonomy is the aim.”  A Return to Christian Culture, p.66.

        It is impossible to successfully discuss a Bible based music philosophy and praxis with an autonomous musician, since his or her music philosophy and praxis is non-discussable.  It is not discussable because freedom reigns in all areas of this musician’s musicing unto God.  Therefore, although there are without doubt convincing arguments for not using rock music to worship God, one should understand that probably only the Holy Spirit will effect change in the way an autonomous musician musics.