Prayer and Thought for the day-God Cares

 Prayer for the day-God Cares  

Loving Savior, I am bruised and broken.  Restore me and heal me, and lift me up into your mighty arms.  Forgive me of my spiritual failures and restore unto me the joy of my salvation.  Help me to trust that You will take care of me.  I know that I must have your help to keep ministering for you.  Help me to receive from You so that I may continue to give to others.

Thought for the day 

One has said, “I may be knocked down but I’m not knocked out.”  I say, “If you have never been knocked down, then you probably have not been the fight.”

God Cares about Your Spiritual Problems

God Cares about Your Spiritual Problems  

Isaiah 42:3A states, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench…”

       This servant’s song of Isaiah gives hope to one who is bruised or weakened by his or her own spiritual weakness or failure.  The reed or cane which grows in marshy places often has a weak stock and is easily bruised or crushed.

       One of these stalks that is crushed or broken, but not severed from the roots will be remembered by our Savior, because He is a caring redeemer.  God’s eternal, infallible, inspired Word tells us that our redeemer, Jesus Christ the righteous one, will not break off this seemingly worthless bruised or broken stock.

       For those of us musicians who do not always catch on the first time we read one of God’s wonderful promises to us, He not only stated that He would not break off a bruised reed but also that He would not snuff out a smoking or smoldering flax (probably a flax stalk used as a lamp wick).  God has promised to not cut off the broken Christen because He is a loving, caring, and concerned Savior and he is the divine Paraclete.  

       Albert Barnes stated in his commentary on the Book of Isaiah that, “The sense is, that he will have an affectioned regard for the broken-hearted, the humble, the penitent, and the afflicted.”  Barnes’ Notes on the Old Testament, [Heritage Ed.], Isaiah, p. 100.  If you are a Christian musician who is bruised and broken and if you feel that the “Oil of the Spirit” is burning low in your soul, look up to our Redeemer who will rescue and restore you!

Prayer for the day-Believing God-Part 2

Prayer for the day-Believing God-Part 2 

Lord, thank you for your Word.  Thank You that You are the Word!  Thank You that no one can ever separate You from Your Word.  I am asking You to help me to trust Your Word and help me to start trusting it in the Genesis 1:1.  Lord I am asking You to help me to not be led astray by humanists, philosophers, agnostics, secular and theistic evolutionists.  Please let the Logos Christos dwell in my mind abundantly and in all wisdom which the Holy Spirit teaches.  These things I pray in your strong name.  Amen.

 

 

 

Believing What God Has Said-Part 2

Believing What God Has Said-Part 2  

       Yesterday we started a discussion about believing the Genesis record.  I believe that the Genesis record should be trusted to mean exactly what it states.  That belief includes a real six day creation.  It takes  blind faith to believe that the created plant life lived a thousand, or perhaps a million years without sunlight.  

       Again, one may ask, “Why does a musician care whether creation took six days, six thousand or six million years?”  A Christian musician cares because of the fact that if one cannot trust the Genesis record, he or she will find it hard to trust the remaining Scriptures to be accurate.  If the Bible is not accurate in what it says then a Christian musician’s truth basis fails. 

       It is no wonder that so many Christian musicians have trouble trusting what the Bible says about musicing unto God.  Why should a musician trust what the Bible says about music if he or she cannot trust the Genesis record to be accurate.  Remember that St. John 1:1 states,  under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that, “In the beginning  was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  This means that one cannot separate God from what He says.  Before creation i.e. the Genesis record Jesus was with God and was God.  Therefore, we can trust every word about the creation of the world.  

       At this point you are probably wondering, “What is the devotional thought for the day?”  The devotional thought is that “direction determines destiny”.  When a Christian musicians goes down the philosophical path that “One cannot trust what is written in the Genesis record then there is no stopping place and the result is that one believes that the Bible is not always accurate.  With such a false philosophical basis, one erroneously concludes that the creation account is not literal and therefore not to be trusted.  

       If we are going to make it into the City of God, we are going to need the comfort, guidance, and hope  of God’s inspired Word.  If we cannot trust His Word to be accurate,  then we cannot trust what God has said to us.  If one believes that part of it is accurate and other parts are not accurate, then just what part or parts can we trust?

Thought for the day-Believing God-Part 1

Thought for the day-Believing What God has Said-Part 1

There is a difference between interpreting figurative language used in the Bible in a figurative manner and refusing to believe a direct statement given in the Bible in order to support a person’s philosophy of a Theistic evolution.

 

 

 

Believing What God Has Said-Part 1

Believing What God Has Said-Part 1    
Genesis 1:11& 13 state,  “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.  And the evening and the morning were the third day. “
       The first chapter of the Book of Beginnings gives us a clear record of all the growing things created on the third day of creation.  On the next day God created the sun and the moon so that his creation would have the lights to sustain photosynthesis which is essential to sustenance and growth of all the plant life He had created the day before.  
       Those who believe that each day was at least a thousand or perhaps a million years apart have a hard time explaining scientifically how all those plants lived at least a thousand years without light.  I guess they have faith that God suspended his laws of nature so that all those green things could exist until a thousand years or a million years had passed.  
       Christian musicians often get sucked into this non-literal view of an inaccurate Genesis record which leaves them ripe for all kinds of exotic hypotheses about a theistic evolution.  When one considers something in the Bible to be non-literal then he or she needs to have a concrete reason why it is non-literal.
       Why should we care?  One of the reasons we should care is that if one starts to consider, without concrete logical reasoning, that the Bible record does not mean what it says—then there is no stopping place in such faulty reasoning.  We should remember that the Word clearly asserts that the evening and the morning consisted of one day.  Those who purport that a day is as a thousand years with the Lord are forgetting that we have no reason to assert that when the Word states” the evening and the morning were the third day” that it is in any way referring to a thousand years.  We will continue this discussion tomorrow.

Thought for the day-Training Our Own

Thought for the day-Training Our Own 
I believe that it is the responsibility of Christian parents to instruct their children musically or to employ a Christian music teacher as a proxy.

 

Training Our Own

Training Our Own
I Chronicles 25:3 states, “Of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, and Mattithiah [and Shimei [mentioned in verse 17], six under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD.”
       This Scripture is a wonderful example of a godly musician in ancient Israel who was wise enough to train his own sons in the “songs of the LORD” (verse 7).  These six sons were “under the hands of” their father.  Praise God, this is a wonderful example of a musician who took time for his own family’s music education.  He did not send them to the Philistines to receive their music lessons. I believe that he had musical “massa” (4853) or burden for the musical training of his own household like Chenaniah mentioned in I Chronicles 15:22.  
       The concept of training our own is not only an Old Testament concept but also a New Testament principle.  I Timothy 5:8 states, “But if any provide not for his own [kindred-cf. Cambridge KJV], and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”  Although this N.T. verse does not specifically mention music education, I believe the conception mentioned here is broader than the care of widows. 
       I am amazed that so many parents who love and serve the Lord do recognize the great need for the next generation to be “instructed in the songs of the LORD”.  Many parents who are not Christians are more consistent in training their children musically than Christian parents.
     One more concept is note-worthy in this passage of Scripture.  Jeduthun prophesied (to sing by inspiration) with his harp.  It is significant that he sang by inspiration, but it is just as important that he taught his six sons to prophesy with their musicing unto God.  He taught his sons to give thanks i.e. hold out their hands in avowal and thankfulness to God.  He also taught them to praise (halal 1984) and to show or to boast of the self existent, eternal God.
       Are your children being trained under your hands i.e. under your supervision and tutelage?  Are you personally mentoring them in how to music unto God?  Are you teaching them by example how to praise and thank the Lord through music making?

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 10

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 10

Many church musicians follow current trends in worship music without understanding that they are following a definite post-modern music philosophy and ipso facto a music praxis.  If one had the opportunity to question these worship leaders privately one would learn that many of them do not believe in a “praise only” music praxis.

 

 

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 10

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 10  

      Psalm 85:10 states, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other”.  God is worthy to be praised because of his great mercy to all of us when we were yet sinners.  However, God is not only the Lord of “mercy” but also “truth”.  To only sing praises about His love is shortsighted.   Any musical ministry that only includes praise is an incomplete ministry.  The complete truth of the gospel is that God is not only a God of love but also a God of justice.  I want to make it very clear that I consider praise music to be not only appropriate for public and private worship, but also very necessary for true Christian worship.  However, it is only part of what needs to take place in public musical worship.

        Prayer songs, songs of supplication and confession, songs about Gods claims upon the born again Christian, and songs of admonition are just as vital and necessary to public music worship.  So, religious music that omits the claims of the gospel and thereby avoids any content that might be convicting to those who attend church, but do not love and serve the Lord, has a tendency to tend toward that which is shallow or incomplete at best.  It isn’t music about God being holy that confronts people, but rather songs that teach “be ye holy for I am holy”.  (See Leviticus 20:7, I Peter 1:15 & 16.)  

       What I am contending for is a balance and thoroughness in one’s music ministry.  Although many Christians are unaware of the fact, there is a battle going on over song texts that speak of God’s wrath or judgment. For instance, there has been a recent conflict over the Presbyterian Church (USA) refusing to include Getty and Townend’s hymn In Christ Alone.  The conflict came when the composers refused to let the hymn be published with an amended text that drastically changed its meaning.  It is alleged that the hymnal committee wanted to amend the words “the wrath of God was satisfied” to read “the love of God was magnified”.  Again, we see an attempt by modern church musicians to keep all worship music “happy” and without any confrontation that occurs when a congregation musics the truth of whole gospel.

 

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 9

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 9 

The “dumbing down” of religious music caused by many Christian musicians belief that the music part of music cannot be efficacious, has also caused a gradual “dumbing down” or the texts of religious music.

 

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 9

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 9

        Next let us consider “trite” music.  A musical definition of “trite” is music that it has too frequent repetition which makes it boringly obvious.  This type of music goes well with a religious text which is repeated over and over and over again.  If the text is not going anywhere, then there is little or no need for the formal properties of the music to try to lead the text to a place that it is obviously not going!  So, in all fairness to arrangers who are given a seven-eleven text, there is little that a composer can do aesthetically with the formal properties of music that is too tied to an overly repetitive text.  The result is a trite text accompanied by a trite musical setting.  The ultimate end of such an endeavor is a stale musical composition that is boringly obvious. 

       Another word that was used to categorize some religious music is the word “banal”.  There are a number of words that may be used to identify banal music.  They are:  unoriginal, hackneyed, clichéd, trivial, trite, lackluster, and lacking originality.  This list is somewhat depressing when one considers that some of the religious music we perform and hear fits this definition quite well.  Again, I am not referring to simple praise choruses and gospel songs per se.  There is no doubt that the reason much of popular religious music disappears into obscurity rather quickly is that it fits the definition of trite or banal quite well.

        One of the reasons that some religious music fits the above definition is that the lyric poetry is also banal.  Some religious music doesn’t have anything theologically wrong with its text but the text is shallow and often trite.  I am often disappointed in some religious lyric poetry because of what it does not say.  It seems to me that religious poets are afraid to tell the complete truth about a changed life, a life sold out to Christ, or a life controlled by the Holy Spirit.  Another definite problem with religious music texts is that many of the things that have been written in this century only talk about God’s love.  Tomorrow we will discuss the thought of the “complete truth of the gospel”.

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 8

      Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 8 

There is a vast difference between music that is “pale” and is not aesthetically worthwhile because it does not have a forward directionality, and music that hammers and incessantly drives with a forward propelling directionality without regular points of rest and finality.  Surely a Christian musician can find a balance point somewhere between these two extremes.

 

 

Sacred Music should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 8

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 8    

       Now let us consider the words DeVinney used to express the other side of the musical coin.

First he used the word “pale” which means, among other things, music that lacks intensity or music that lacks importance or quality.  Some religious music is so lacking in intensity that it is dull or uninteresting.  When I studied composition at Pitt State University we were instructed to make sure that every musical phrase must have a forward directionality.  That does not mean that phrases should have an incessant forward driving propelling directionality.  It simply means that every well constructed musical phrase should have beginning middle (climax) and an end which gives an element of finality and emotional release. 

         Without these three essential elements music will either hammer on and on without emotional release or it will drone on and on and will essentially go nowhere. Music that goes nowhere is essentially “pale” music lacking enough intensity to make it interesting to the performer or the listener.  It is often overly predictable music lacking enough mystery, if I may use that word, to give the music in a forward directionality and thus keep the music interesting.  If the music part of the music is supporting lyric poetry, it needs to be the handmaiden of the text that is telling a story.  Although we do not have time to discuss this concept here fully, the formal properties of the music should tell the same story as the text is expressing.  In other words the music part of the music should be a concomitant of the text instead of its rival or enemy.

        If the music is “music alone” i.e. music without words, its formal properties must be arranged in such a way that it will tell its own story.  This story must be congruent with the purposes of public or private worship, and this worship must be the worship of God and not the worship of music.  This puts great responsibility upon the composer to construct the formal properties of the sound in such a way that it will suit the purposes of worship.  This, I might add, is easier said than done.  Taking an art form and subduing it to the purposes of honoring God is an awesome responsibility.  Furthermore, since “music alone” is not able to lean on a sacred text, its formal properties must be skillfully arranged so that the music will be compatible with the purposes of worshiping God.

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 7

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 7 

Sometimes Christian musicians fail to recognize the difference between musical charisma and Divine anointing that God gives to musicians who are living a deep life in the Holy Spirit.

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 7

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 7  

        Some Christian musicians may object to the philosophical concept of “intense” musicing unto God.  The word intense, when connected to musicing, means very deeply concentrated or fervently earnest.  There is a definite philosophical school of thought that, since sacred musicing is not about the performer, all sacred musicing must be reserved and attached or semi-attached from the Christian musician.  It is true that the just shall live by faith (see Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38) rather than by sight, feeling, joy or any other emotion since all of them are ephemeral. 

        However, I cannot imagine having a real relationship with Jesus Christ that never produces any emotions, and furthermore, I cannot fathom musicing unto the blessed Trinity with no emotion.  One of the major factors of effective musicing of sacred music is the believability of genuine heart-felt musical expressions that exude from a holy heart-life. 

       How can a Christian effectively express his or her sincere love for God with “vanilla” flavored musical expressions?  Based on this fact, I am drawn to the strong conclusion that sincere sacred musicing must include an emotional outpouring of the Christian’s heart-life which he or she expresses through music.  These deep expressions of a living faith in Christ exude from a heart filled with love for God that pours out these intense feelings in genuine intense musicing unto God. 

       Those who believe that all sacred musicing must be subdued, and without deep outward emotion, fail to recognize that God endows musicians with charisma.  What I mean by the term charisma is a God given attractiveness that can draw listeners into a musicians performance and thereby  can inspire devotion in others.  Performance or musicing charisma is one of the gifts and graces that God gives to talented musicians.  In my opinion, it is not synonymous with the anointing for musicing that God gives to musicians who are maintaining a deep spiritual life in the Holy Spirit. 

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 6

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 6

Christian musicians must remember that Ephesians 5:18 stresses the necessity of musicians being continually filled with the Spirit  in order to music in an efficacious manner.

 

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 6

       Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 6  

       Next on DeVinney’s list is the word “dynamic”.  Dynamic music connotes being forceful, energetic, and capable of transmitting power and energy as a moving and driving force.  In a theological context it connotes music being endowed by divine power.  Music which is of a religious nature is not, however, automatically endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit merely because of it content.  Music has power whether it is sacred, secular or sinful.  Music performances may be powerful whether they are given by those who know Christ or by those who are very wicked.

        There is a vast difference between dynamic and anointed musical performances.  It is sometimes difficult for Christians to discern the difference between performance energy and the anointed power for musicing that only is given to those who have a personal relationship with Christ.  A performer’s energetic presentation can easily be misunderstood for anointed singing or playing, but there is a difference that the discerning Christian can detect since there is a distinct difference between musicing that is selfless and that which glorifies self.

        There is also a distinct difference between religious “hype” and musicing that is done in the power and anointing of the blessed Holy Spirit.  The important thing to note is that although they both have similarities on the surface, there is absolutely no substitute for the anointing of the Holy Spirit if the aim of one’s religious musicing is music ministry.  There is a world of difference between dynamic performance and the dunamis (1411) of the Holy Spirit. (See St. Luke 24:29)

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 5

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 5 

Since Christian musicians exert great power over congregations of worshipers, these music ministers have an awesome responsibility to present music that will represent the moral nature of God in an intellectually honest manner. 

 

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 5

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 5  

       Next, let us discuss the word “powerful”.  Sacred music should be potent.  Acts 1:8 states, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  The English word power is put for the word dunamis (1411) which means miraculous power.  So, Christian musicians who are filled with the Holy Spirit are promised the miraculous power necessary for efficacious musicing. 
       Effective sacred musicing requires the powerful anointing made available by the Holy Spirit.  I Corinthians 1:18 explains that the preaching of Christ crucified is the power of God.  I contend that the singing of Christ crucified is also capable of becoming the power of God. However, it should be pointed out that the Bible never teaches that the music part of music is the power of God. 

        I want to make it very clear that music does have a powerful influence over all who perform and hear it.  However, it is not only sacred music but also secular music that has the potential to be very powerful.  As I have said in many of my discussions of music philosophy, I believe that the music part of the music derives its power from the skillful arrangement of its formal properties.  Therefore, form and style play a gigantic role in the effectiveness and power of every musical composition. 
        Every composer and arranger has something that he or she is attempting to say with music.  Only those who are naive believe that composers have nothing to say and that, even if they do, their musical attempts are incapable or any effective communication.  It is a mystery to me that it is almost exclusively Christian musicians who purport that the music part of music does not exert power over both the performer and the auditor.

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 4

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 4

Those who tend to believe that sacred music should be performed without much (or any) emotion should be reminded of the many Bible references to singing to the LORD with a great emotional shout.  How does one shout to the LORD without emotion?

 

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 4

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 4   

       Now let us discuss the word “rich”.  The dictionary defines one facet of the meaning of rich as being vivid, deep, and intense.  Banal religious music should be something that we, as musicians, should intensely dislike and avoid.  Philosophically, sacred musicing should never be a commonplace act of worship. Church musicians must realize that there is nothing commonplace about worshiping the blessed Trinity with music.  If we have had a fresh vision of our God as being “high and lifted up”, (see the sixth chapter of Isaiah) our musicing will demand “Vividness”. 

       The Hebrew word ruwa (7321), mentioned several times in the Book of Psalms, expresses shouting joyfully unto Jehovah.  This word connotes the necessity of great vividness when we music unto our God. Colossians 3:16 tells Christian musicians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord.” 

       Notice the term richly.  The word plousious (4146) means abounding in richness or may I say vividness of presentation.  The word plousious also connotes being crammed full which in this verse means to be completely saturated with the Word of Christ.  Again, the concept of vividness is included in this word’s contextual meaning since being crammed full of God’s Word will cause a Christian’s musicing to be expressed more vividly.  One thing made clear by this Bible discourse in the Epistle of Paul to the Christians at Colossae is that rich or vivid musicing is essential to efficacious musical worship.

Thought for the day-Worthwhile music-Part 3

Thought for the day-Worthwhile music-Part 3

It is a philosophical fallacy to believe that the formal properties of a piece of music (the music parts of the music) do not matter because they are benign or neutral.

 

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part-3

Sacred Music should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 3

       Next, we should consider the profoundness of the formal properties of the music.  Secular musicians who are often strict formalists believe that music’s meaning comes only through its formal properties.  To them, the more profound the formal properties are the more information or meaning is to be found in the music.  One of the problems with formalist belief about music’s meaning is the fact that they believe that its meaning is not related to life but is encapsulated in music’s own closed meaning.

        Although I am not a music formalist, I do believe that the profoundness of the formal properties of a piece of music makes a vital difference in that music’s ability to express “meaning”.  I part company quickly with strict formalists because I do not believe that music’s meaning is part of a closed system.  However, If Christian musicians ignore the formal properties of the music they use to present the profound message of the gospel, they are ipso facto showing a lack of understanding of music’s power and potential of expressing meaning.

       I am not saying that the prima facie of sacred musicing is how difficult the formal properties of the music are.  However, that being said, a profound sacred text deserves a music whose formal properties support the depth of meaning of the lyrics.  A deeply profound text meaning should have as its concomitant a music whose formal properties explore the deepest levels of musical meaning that are congruent with it.  Again let me clarify that I am not purporting that all quality sacred music needs to be difficult or that it needs to be in any way deeply esoteric.  Simplicity may exude profoundness.  A simple sacred text is often best presented with a simple musical expression.

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 2

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 2

When a worship team projects texts on an overhead screen of religious music and do not use standard punctuation marks, they are making a statement that we do not have to give sacred lyric poetry the same respect that is given to non-sacred poetry.

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 2

Sacred music Should Always Be Worthwhile Music-Part 2  

        I have decided that it would be an excellent idea to consider some of the words that DeVinney used in the quote mentioned in yesterday’s introduction.  First there is the word “profound” which we will define as music that searches into the deep and subtle areas of truth and beauty.  The reason I stated truth and beauty is simply that the aesthetics of music does not necessarily deal directly with truth.  Also, profound music composed without words will require deep thought and knowledge of its formal properties in order to be able to unlock its understanding. 

       If the listener believes that the trombonist he is watching is swallowing the trombone slide as he plays, that person is not knowledgeable enough to make philosophical and or musical decisions.  With the popularity of “dumbing” down church music, profundity in music is not often high on the priority list of many church musicians.  Profundity is not the popular music praxis of many very knowledgeable Christian musicians who are worship leaders. 

       So, there needs to be some scrutinizing the “profoundness” of the text and the music part of the music that a Christian performs.  Many ministers of music are not  bothered by the fact  that they are projecting song texts on the overhead screen that do not  include the basic, necessary  and proper punctuation marks  for the coherent presentation of  an English text.  If they do not include punctuation, it is evident that they do not understand this lyric poetry as English rhetoric.  Certainly they are not concerned about the cognitive presentation of the text.  If they did, punctuation would be considered absolutely necessary to his or her music praxis.

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 1

Thought for the day-Worthwhile Music-Part 1 

It is the responsibility of the minister of music to make wise choices all the time for all the music that he or she presents to God.  These choices will include profound, rich, powerful and dynamic music.

Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 1

       Sacred Music Should Always Be Worthwhile Music-Part 1 

 

 We are beginning a series of posts on the worth of music.  Remember that there will be no attempt to draw definite conclusions at the end of each post.  Therefore, it will be necessary to read a ny posts that you have missed before continuing.

       Richard DeVinney once said, “Try talking less about “good” music and “bad” music and talk more about profound, rich, powerful, dynamic, intense music and pale, trite, banal, obvious, weak, tired music.  Talk about what music can offer that goes beyond a tickling of the eardrums or a tug at the memory” There’s More to Church Music than Meets the Ear, p. 53.  I believe that there is merit in what he was saying about sacred music. However, in his book, he did not define just what each of the terms mean in terms of what is “good” and “bad” music.

        I have often said that it is much more productive to first find out what is right about sacred music before one identifies the elements of a particular music that are a hindrance to sacred musicing.  Studying musical error first is much like studying comparative theology before one has studied the fundamental doctrines taught in the Bible.  Unless the Christian musician has an understanding of the basic Bible principles of musicing unto a holy infinite God, he or she is not equipped to evaluate sacred music in terms of what is good, bad, appropriate, or inappropriate.  Along with a thorough study of what the Bible teaches about music, one also needs to study music history, music theory, and the history of church music (both ancient and modern) before attempting to evaluate the formal properties of church music.

Thought for the day-Is Music a Language?-Part 5

Thought for the day-Is Music a Language-Part 5       
On what logical or scholarly basis can a Christian musician develop a ministry philosophy and praxis that purports that the” end justifies the means” or that the intent of the musician is the only thing that matters when musicing unto God?

 

Is Music a Language?-Part 5

Is Music a Language?-Part 5  
       It has never made logical sense to me that, as many Christian musicians believe, words matter but the formal properties of the music do not matter.  To them, only words are efficacious.  If this were to be the case, which it definitely is not, Why all the fuss about having to drastically change music style to fit the needs of the post-modern seeker?  Isn’t it self evident that style greatly communicates a message to the worshiper or seeker?  It also seems self evident that, if the formal properties of the music communicates i.e. sends messages to the listener, that it is possible to send messages that are incongruent with the spiritual message of the text. 
       Another of my concern is that I do not believe that the music part of a piece of “music alone” (i.e. instrumental music without words) can communicate the concept of sex to an audience if a jazz, pop, or rock group performs it, and then become neutral, benign, and completely docile and ipso facto is incapable of arousing passion when it is played by a Christian.         Furthermore, I find it impossible to believe that music that is composed with the explicit purpose of arousing passion and the lust of the flesh is a “better” musical vehicle than a traditional church music.  Also, how can such a style represent the pure moral nature of a holy God when it is juxtaposed with religious lyrics?  Believing such a thesis is without philosophical or scholarly basis because religious words are not capable of sanctifying the musical deed.  
       The objection to my reasoning will always be that a Christian composing or arranging religious music in styles  that are most often utilized by secular musicians to arouse sexual passion, does not desire to send sexual messages or arouse carnal passion. Post-modern Christian musicians also object because they believe that the musician, not the music, makes the difference.  So, to them, the emphasis should always be shifted from the music to the musician.

 

 

Quote for the day-Is Music a Language?-Part 4

Quote for the day-Is Music a Language?-Part 4 
Jimi Hendrix once said, “Atmospheres are going to come through music, because the music is a spiritual thing of its own… you can hypnotize people… and when you get them at them at their weakest point  you can preach into the subconscious what you want to say.” Life, Oct. 3, 1969, p. 74).

Is Music a Language?-Part 4

Is Music a Language?-Part 4    
       Yesterday we mentioned that when a Christian musician wrongly assumes that music is unable to communicate, he or she will also wrongly assume that the music part of music doesn’t matter because it is benign.  This erroneous assumption seems to be most often purported by Christian musicians.  Perhaps they make this assumption in a feeble attempt to make the end justify the means in their philosophy and praxis.  
        I have been reading quotes by rock, jazz, country and pop musicians and they are very strong in their belief that music communicates in very effective ways to the listener.  I have not read a single quote from a pop, rock, country or jazz musician that would even slightly hint that music does not have power or the ability to communicate a message to the listener.  
       From ancient to modern times, music philosophers have believed in general that “the mode made the difference” when it comes to musicing and listening.  However, modern man has not been unified in his beliefs about the nature, value and communicating power of music.  Because music philosophers disagreed about how and what music communicates, they divided into referentialist and non-referentialist camps. 
        Then the matter was further complicated by the advent of the symbolist philosophers who basically believe that music’s symbols communicate in their own little “bubble” which does not relate to life outside of music’s little world.  Although it is evident that I do not buy this philosophical theory, I do admit that they are probably right in their belief that music does have and does communicate symbols to the performer and the auditor.  However, I do not concur with the mainstream symbolists in their belief that music’s symbols do not relate to life outside of music’s little bubble which they refer to as a closed system.

Thought for the day-Is Music a Language?-Part 3

Thought for the day-Language-Part 3
Have you ever considered why so many Christian musicians do not have a developed, systematic music philosophical basis for their beliefs concerning the nature of the music part of music’s communicating power?  It seems to me that Christian musicians should give music the same level of respect as non-believers do.

 

Is Music a Language?-Part 3

Is Music a Language?-Part 3  
       At this point in our discussion one may legitimately ask, “Why does it matter if music is or is not a language?”  Certainly all serious philosophers are greatly concerned about whether music is or is not music is a language or a meta-language or no language at all.  Depending on whether a  philosopher music is a formalist, referentialist, or symbolist, different conclusions will be drawn, but they all are deeply concerned about music’s meaning and  how and what it communicates in either a closed, symbolic or referential manner.  

       It seems that it is mostly contemporary Christian musicians who do not seem to struggle with music’s meaning.  They seem to be able to function without a clear understanding of the nature of the music part of music in relationship to what it is or is not capable of communicating.  When one does not have a clear understanding of the nature of music, the simplest philosophical praxis is to ignore music’s power to communicate anything at all.  So they choose to blindly ignore the efficacy of the music part of music by denying that is a language or a meta-language.  
       Unlike the serious music philosopher who spends a lifetime studying the nature and value of every aspect of the music part of music, they, without any written scholarly basis, purport that only words are efficacious.  I have noticed that their writings do not consider, with philosophical basis, the nature and value of the formal properties of the music part of music. This seems strange and illogical since their main thesis is purported to be communication. 
        What one believes about the music part of music’s communicating power will affect the entire process by which a Christian musician approaches music ministry.  If a Christian musician naively assumes that the music part of music doesn’t communicate anything at all, then he or she will ipso facto erroneously suppose that the music part of music doesn’t matter. 

 

Thought for the day-Is Music a Language? Part 2

                      Thought for the day-is Music a Language? Part 2

A Christian music philosopher does not have to concede that music is a language in order to believe that it has meaning and that the music part of music  communicates a message and therefore can have great power over the performer and  the auditor.

Is Music a Language? Part 2

 Is music a Language? Part 2

              I believe that every musician who performs music and every person who listens to music brings something outside of music to the music experience.  All too little has been written about the multiplicity of emotions, opinions, or ways of “knowing” that each person brings from the outside world to a music listening or performance experience.  Every person brings something from his or her music aesthetic to the worship experience or the secular music experience.

            No one is capable of listening to or performing music in a vacuum.  Music cannot be perceived by the human mind in a “space”  or "bubble" which has nothing at all in it from life experiences.  Music psychologists have shown that a human fetus perceives music and responds to it before birth.  Kinder-Music enthusiasts have shown us that the newborn infant can and will respond to music if proper stimulation is provided.  Therefore, I believe that no one perceives music in a closed system without reference to the real world.  This view places me, at least partially, in the camp of the referentialists who believe that all musicing and all listening of music is affected by the references one brings to the great art of music from the world outside of music.

            This brings me to the conclusion that a Christian music aesthetic must be referential.  Although I believe that music is referential, I am not a strict referentialist because, I do not believe that all of music’s meaning is outside of the music.  If one were to believe this, he or she would believe that music is powerless without its references to things outside of the actual music. On the contrary, I believe that music’s sounds, i.e. the music part of music is very powerful.  Where I part philosophical company with the non-referentialists is that I do not believe that music is a closed system, and therefore, a law to itself.

            A Christian’s study of the philosophy of beauty in secular or sacred music is referential.  Many secular philosophers consider aesthetics to be that part of philosophy that deals with beauty in music as rather distinguished from music’s useful or moral value.  Since the Christian must “know” in reference to God and His creative ownership of beauty in music, he or she must not develop a music philosophy independent of its ethical or moral nature and value.  Therefore, music will always derive its ethical and moral value outside of itself and ipso facto from God.  Furthermore, if it does not have ethical and moral value, its meaning is in conflict with the moral nature of God.

Thought for the day-Is Music a Language?-Part 1

Thought for the day-Is Music a Language?-Part 1

God specifically stated in the Bible that we are to communicate with Him through music.  If music doesn't communicate anything then we are not able to do what our all knowing God instructed us to do.

Is Music a Language? Part 1

                                            Is Music a language? Part 1         

       We are beginning a five part series on this topic.  If you are not familiar with my blog you should be advised that there is no attempt to draw each post to definite conclusions.  Therefore, you will need to read any posts in the series that you have missed before continuing.
       Certainly we are not going to solve the age old argument of whether music is a language, a meta-language or no language at all.  Most music philosophers agree that music does not communicate explicitly like spoken language.  Music does not say what it means distinctly in a well-defined manner.  The music part of music i.e. music without words cannot say “It’s raining outside” or" It is 27degrees fahrenheit outside".  However, the fact that music does not function exactly like a language, does not prove that it does not transmit a message to the auditor.

            Music philosophers who are formalistic generally believe that “Music’s beauty, its essential nature, and its highest value are things that are music’s and music’s alone...”5  The referentialists position is that music’s meaning must have connection to meanings outside of music.  Symbolists believe that music’s symbols are objects used to represent abstract insight into an understanding of the nature of human feeling.

            As may be seen from the views just mentioned, music’s way of “knowing” and communicating that knowledge is essentially different depending on one’s philosophical view.  Some who believe that music is a closed system will tend to believe that music has its own agenda i.e. that the significance that music is not related in any way to life in general.  Others who consider music to be a closed system believe that music symbols reveal the significance of human feeling which is in no way related to what the performer or auditor brings to musicing or music listening.  The philosophical views of non-referentialists all tend to either be or to have the propensity to become autonomous philosophical views. 

            If you have read very much of what I have placed in this blog since January of this year, you know that I am always skeptical of any philosophy that is autonomous.  I believe that all truth is a congruent truth.  There is no aspect of what I call true truth that is a closed system or a law to itself.  Furthermore, I believe that no musician has the right to develop an autonomous music view and therefore a law to himself.  I believe that all music philosophy  must submit to the lordship of Christ.     

---

5 Bowman, pg.194

Thought for the day-Rock-Part 14

Thought for the day-Rock-Part 14

Sometimes ministers of music have forgotten that there is an Ephesians 5:18 before the famous Ephesians 5:19.  No amount of education, talent, energy or charisma will substitute for the necessity of being filled with the Holy Spirit and maintaining a life in the Spirit.

 

 

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 14

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won’t Go Away-Part 14  

       In my opinion the best way to keep rock music out of the sanctuary is to remove the need for it.  Many churches have let worship music become routine and in doing so it has become stagnant and very uninteresting.  If a worship leader loses his or her passion for church music, the spiritual fervor dies and worship musicing is done mechanically.  There is a myriad of reasons why a music director’s musicing may become routine and passionless.  I would love to discuss spiritual and musical burnout at some future date, but this philosophical discussion rather than a “how to” discussion.   

        I am not the slightest bit surprised that so many Christian fellowships have become disillusioned with traditional church music.  When the minister of music shows by his or her demeanor that there is little or no understanding of the worship music being led, the people in the sanctuary will lose interest in it very quickly.  The only way for a worship leader can draw others into spiritual music worship is for that musician to lead with “spirit and understanding” (see I Corinthians 14:15). 

      Church musicians who are trying to music unto God and are devoid of the aforementioned two essential elements (spirit and understanding) are bound to fail  in their attempts to have an efficacious ministry.  It has been said that one cannot effectively teach what he or she does not know and understand.  The same is true concerning worship music.   

       There is a vast difference in a musician who leads music sequences about Christ and an anointed musician who has a personal relationship with Christ and is living a life in the Spirit (see Ephesians 5:19).  I have often told my conducting classes that enthusiasm is no substitute for the anointing of the blessed Holy Spirit.  Also, trying to lead the great historic hymns, gospel hymns, and gospel songs without any research knowledge will almost always insure that performing them will result in failure. 

         I also want to add that studying the imagery of any lyric poem is absolutely necessary before public performance is attempted.  It doesn’t matter if the song or chorus is ancient, old, fairly old, or if it was written this year.  Music leadership without understanding of the mental imagery is an almost sure formula for failure.  When I observe worship leaders trying to lead a contemporary worship chorus sequence, I often notice the same evidences of a lack of understanding of the mental images in the music that I notice when they try to lead a hymn.

      

Thought for the day-A Friend Closer Than A Brother

                                       Thought for the day-A Friend Closer Than a Brother

Everyone should have friends.  However, many lonely people do not know what a friend Jesus can be to them. Today, tell someone about your friend and Savior Jesus Christ.

A Friend Closer Than a Brother

  A Friend closer than a Brother 

Proverbs 18:24 states, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

       Today is my brother Nathan’s birthday.  He is older than me.  He always fought my battles when I was a child.  He is the kind of brother that everyone would like to have. He has always been a dear friend to me.

       Since I have such a wonderful friend in my brother, I have an enriched concept of how wonderful a friend Jesus Christ can be to me or to any Christian for that matter.  My brother Nathan has always been there for me throughout my life.  However, my Bible teaches me that Christ is a friend that will even stick closer than my brother Nathan.

       My brother Nathan is the kind of person that I like to introduce to others.  I often brag on him to my other friends and business acquaintances.  Again, my relationship with him helps me to trust Jesus to never leave me or forsake me. My elder brother Jesus Christ my Savior and sanctifier has been a friend that has stayed close to me ever since I came to know Him on July 22^nd 1967.  Although my brother Nathan is worth bragging on every now and then, my Savior Jesus Christ is worth my continual praise.

Thought for the day-Rock-Part 13

Thought for the Day-Rock-Part 1

If you want to know how hard it will be to ever reunite your congregation if you separate them over music, take a feather pillow up on the roof of the church and scatter the feathers over the church yard and then go pick them up again.

 

What do We Do Now that Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 13

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won’t Go Away-Part 13  

       At this point in time, there is little that one can do to try to undo all the trouble and hard feelings that have arisen from the rock music worship wars.  There is nothing productive that can come about as a result of laying blame to those who have been involved in the worship over the recent decades.  What I am trying to do with this philosophical discussion is to caution all those involved who are ministers of music in traditional churches to proceed with much caution.  It is much easier to divide a congregation philosophically than it is to try to pull them back together after the damage has been done.  

       Before you treat everything that has gone on musically in churches for the past 100 years with complete contempt, please study the history of church music very thoroughly and also study music in the Bible very carefully.  This intense study will reveal to you what has fueled the fires of public music worship historically.  It will also reveal what the Bible has to say about worshiping God with music. 

       Young musicians should recognize that it is just as nearsighted to make a wholesale condemnation all gospel songs and hymns as it is for a traditionalist to make the same condemnation of all new worship music.  I contend that the solution involves two things—utilizing the best of the old and the new, and rejecting the use of the trite, shallow, and banal music of both new and old church music.  Blended music worship goes far beyond being politically correct.  It is the result of the utilization of good music and worship common sense.  To ignore the quality and depth of musical works like those of Getty is just as nearsighted as omitting the hymns of Watts and Wesley or the gospel songs of Fanny Crosby. 

Thought for the day-Rock-Part 12

Thought for the day-Rock-Part 12

Although young people were blamed for the drastic music changes that formed the basis for the worship wars in church music that began in the 1970’s and 1980’s, it was  blind leader-shift among pastors and church boards that allowed the worship wars to begin.

 

What do We Do Now that Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 12

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won’t Go away?-Part 12  

        At this point you may wish to ask the question, “What is the answer to this worship dilemma?”  In my opinion, there is no easy solution to such a plethora of worship confusion.  Once a church fellowship is led into such a mess by “leader shift” philosophy that erroneously supposes that the church must pander to everyone’s musical tastes, the result is that the fellowship of believers is permanently divided by music styles.  Unless the church is financially able to keep building little “sanctuaries” to accommodate each new musical clique that can exert enough power to demand its own style of worship experience, it seems to me that this diversity praxis is a dead end street. 

       It has never been easy for a church’s pastor and board of stewards to make the leadership direction decisions that are absolutely necessary to prevent constant “leader shift” confusion that will prevent the church’s purposes from being fulfilled.  I am not credulous enough to believe that all fellowships of believers are going to draw the musical lines in the same place.  However, as I have often stated in my writings, it isn’t the fact that all Christian churches do not draw all the musical lines in exactly the same places that bothers me, but it is the fact that so many churches are no longer drawing any musical lines in the proverbial sands of time.  Philosophically speaking, all Christian musicians must remember that direction determines destiny.  If we continually go in the wrong direction musically we can, without doubt, be responsible for debouching public music worship.

        Christian musicians should remember that it was the advent of religious words which were attached to rock music that brought on  the music division that has separated the church’s unity of worship.  It was not any of rock’s first cousins that brought the irreconcilable differences that have permanently divided many fellowships of believers.  The current generation of church musicians who will be in charge of the direction that church music is going to take in the future need to remember that it was the advent of rock that brought on the multiplicity of church music worship wars.  Many church musicians are too young to remember what church music was like before the advent rock music and ipso facto how the worship wars  ensued.