Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

I believe that all of the trouble over worship is caused by people within the church congregation rather than by the new unchurched worshipers.

 

The Big Music Break-Up

The Big Music Break-Up   

In the second half of the twentieth century music styles divided the senior builder’s generation and the baby boomers so severely that they could no longer worship together.  Now we have at least four factions separated by church music: the builders, baby boomers, baby busters, and net-genera.  In the history of evangelical Christians, nothing has ever been able to separate, alienate, isolate, and divide the different age groups except music style.  Admittedly, the solution to all church music problems is not more hours of music in college.  However, a more thorough understanding of church music would help to better prepare Christians for the Lord’s work.

What caused the different generations of worshipers to come to an impasse musically?  Why did music in public worship remain unified for hundreds of years and suddenly become the “war department”?  There is question as to whether or not unchurched people who attend public worship are offended or alienated by traditional hymns, gospel songs and praise choruses.  Some recent surveys of new attenders have revealed that young worshipers actually want to sing a hymn or two during public worship.  Some of the surveys have also revealed that these young new attenders would like to sit with a person who has been a Christian for a long time.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Although it is not much fun to be the rule maker when it comes to children’s music in the home, it is also not much fun to be in great musical conflict with teenagers in the home.

 

 

Parents Are Responsible to Set Musical Limits

Parents Are Responsible to Set Musical Limits

The nitty-gritty of making musical choices will many times be difficult for teenagers.  They will explore and they push the limits set by the home, church, and the Christian school.  The lines of communication between parents and teenagers must be kept open.  There must be no name-calling, no unwarranted accusations, no anger, and no rancor in parent-teenager musical discussions.  Parents should remember that if a young person’s musical choices do not involve extreme musical styles that are associated with anti-Christ living and if the music is clean morally, teenagers have a right to likes and dislikes in music.  Just because a parent doesn’t like a particular style of music is not sufficient reason to deny a child or teenager access to that music.  I want to make it very clear that I am not referring to rock music or popular music that is of an offensive nature.

Parents have the responsibility to set limits concerning both the secular and sacred music that their children purchase, perform and listen to in and out of the home.  However, an overbearing parental approach that makes all the decisions all the time for children thwarts a child’s ability to make wise choices of sacred and secular music.  The ultimate musical wish of parents for children should be that as adults the next generation will make wise choices of both sacred and secular music.  In order for this to happen, our children must be catechized, educated, mentored and prepared to accept the role of adulthood.  If they develop a Christocentric music philosophy, it will largely be the result of parental guidance that was also Christ-centered and Bible based.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Although there may be many different answers to today's ten questions, the real purpose of the questions is to make you think.

GOD CREATED MUSIC TEST

                                                                 GOD CREATED MUSIC TEST

Take a test to see how you do.  Answers are found after question 10.  

“In the beginning God created…” Genesis 1:1 

1.      If _______________ is personal to God, then church ________________ matters to God.

2.      If it (music) matters to God, then God has an _____________ about his __________ ____________.

3.      In the beginning music was created by him and__________ him and not _______ alone.

4.       Colossians 1:16 STATES THAT God created the ______________ (horatos) 3703 and the _____________ (aoratos 517).

5.      It is an abstract thought to some Christian musicians that God created _______________.

6.      The _______________ part of music gives it life.  By the term “invisible” we mean the “music part” of music.

7.      If one believes that God did not create music, then it is possible that music is __________________ real to God. Those who conclude that music is _______________ have to incorrectly assume that in the beginning God did not _______________ music in a ____________________ real way.

8.      If God is “there” concerning church music in the twenty-first century, then it stands to reason that he cares about it in a most ________________ way.

9.       If God is “there” concerning church music in the twenty-first century, then it stands to reason that he                            about it in a most                             way.

10.  I believe that God ______________ music into existence. 

Answers

1.    music, music

2.    Opinion, personal creation.

3.    for, us  

4.    invisible,   Visible

5.    sound.

6.   invisible

7.   objectively

8.   amoral, create, personal

9.    cares, personal

10.  thought

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

I do not believe that any part of a Christian’s life should be conceived to be a closed system.  Everything in a Christian musician’s life should be open and related to the changed life principles of being a servant of Jesus Christ.

 

A Christian Music Must Be Refential

A Christian Music Aesthetic Must be Referential

              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 to little has been written about the multiplicity of emotion, 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 can not be perceived by the human mind in a “space” 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.  Kindermusic 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 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. 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Although music philosophers over the centuries have not agreed on the exact meaning that music communicates, they have generally agreed that the music part of music does communicate meaning.

Is Music Communicative or not?

Is Music Communicative or not?   

          The concept of musical communication has been a buzz word for over a half century among Christian musicians.  Christian musicians have had a sincere desire to make sure that the music they use in public ministry connects so that it will communicate meaning to both Christians and the un-churched.  Many who have advocated change in the music utilized in children’s ministry as well as teen and adult ministry have based their musical philosophy on both style and text.  However, a confusing paradox has occurred.  Those who have advocated complete style change have at the same time purported that the music part of music does not matter since it does not communicate meaning to the hearer, and furthermore, that only text communicates meaning.

           So, it is difficult to understand how something that does not communicate meaning is so vital to music ministry.  It seems to me that if the music part of music does not communicate meaning, then one should ask, why all the fuss about style change? Why cause so much division over traditional church music if only words matter.  Wouldn’t it be much better to simply write new words with current urban imagery and set them to traditional church music? If communication is the issue, then I understand changing the pictures created by the mind from descriptions and figures of speech.  However, many times new worship music does not succeed much better than hymns and gospel music at producing urban mental images that are germane to an urban unchurched audience.

Prayer, Song,and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day

 I want to take time to thank you Lord for the fact that you are watching over every part of my life.  Lord, I am sorry that I am so many times unaware of Your goodness to me.  I want to thank You heavenly Father for your all-seeing eye that is always watching me.  I know that You are a great , gracious and loving heavenly Father and I want to say thank you for all the things that I am aware that You do and also the many things that You do that I am not aware of in my life. Thank You!  Thank You!  I love You and I want You to know that I do.  These things I am praying in Your name.  Amen.

Song for the Day  What a Friend We Have in Jesus  by Joseph Scriven  

Thought for the Day  

I believe that Christians sometimes get so preoccupied with God seeing the wicked that they forget that He has a tender loving eye over the righteous.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m Glad God Knows Everything

I’m Glad God Knows Everything  

Psalm 1:6, “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”  I’m glad God knows the way of the righteous.  God certainly knows what the wicked person does.  I am comforted when I think about the fact that my heavenly Father is observing everything that is going on in my life.  I’m glad that He was watching over me yesterday when I was cutting trim with a motorized miter saw.  
            God was not obligated to keep me from cutting one of my fingers, but in his love and mercy He protected me while I worked with that saw.  Have you ever thought about how many times in your life that God comes to your aid?  Sometimes, or perhaps more accurately, many times I take my heavenly Father for granted.  He guides and directs my life so efficiently and silently that many times not aware of just how much help I receive from God each day.  
            I know that the First Psalm was largely addressing the way of the Godly and the way of the wicked.  However, God not only sees things that have to do with my spiritual condition, but also everything that goes on in my life.  God not only sees bad things but also good things that affect my everyday life.  So, I want to thank him right now for His watch-care over my life.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Many serious students of the Old Testament refuse to believe that the te’amim of the OT represents a precise musical notation because they believe that if it was such a notation it would have been deciphered centuries ago.  I would like to ask these scholars, “Why were the Dead Sea Scrolls not found until 1948?”

 

 

 

 

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 7

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 7

So, what does all this previous discussion of music history, theory and ancient musical harmonic practice mean to a twenty first century Christian musician?  First of all, Christian musicians of all people should be aware of current knowledge of ancient Bible music.  Ignorance of ancient music is certainly not “a state of bliss” for the Christian musician who is either an educator or a minister of music.

 As we all know knowledge in the late twentieth and early twenty first century has increased exponentially and because it has we all have a responsibility to have at least some knowledge of this   information.  In an age when musicians make subtle fun of the Bible’s authenticity and relevance, I believe that it is absolutely necessary for Christian musicians to understand why one can have legitimate respect for what the Bible teaches about music.  Recent historical knowledge of the structure of the formal properties of Bible music and the structure of the music of other cultures that were near Israel has strengthened musician’s respect for the music of the Bible.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Recent musicological evidence about ancient has caused modern musicologists to retain God and the Bible in their musical knowledge. 

 

 

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 6

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 6

The possibility that Bible accompaniments were improvised does not lessen their musical and artistic value. There is the possibility that not only one instrument improvised an accompaniment based on a written Bible melody, but there is also the possibility that several instruments improvised at the same time.  Why would one dream up such an exotic hypothesis?  Just what did all these instrumental players mentioned in 1Chronicles 23:5 do? “Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.”  It seems doubtful that they played in unison all the time.  Although they, no doubt, did not know of harmony or counterpoint like that of the occident, one should not conclude that they were not capable of creating of vertical or even horizontal harmonies in keeping with the artistic taste and knowledge of antiquity. Perhaps the reason is that harmony happened as a result of natural music making and not as a result or rules and regulations.  ”Harmony” was not discussed in Scripture or the dead Sea Scroll Commentary on the psalms or in the Talmud for that matter. 

Modern writers are admitting that other cultures that surrounded ancient Israel utilized both melody and harmony.  Hershel Shanks, speaking of the Ugaritic music deciphered by Dr. Kilmer, stated, “This Hurrian music does not indicate rhythm, tempo, or musical ornamentation.  But it does indicate both melody and harmony.  The upper note of the interval represents the melody and the lower note contains the harmony.  In other words, we have both melody and accompaniment written simultaneously, an advancement previously thought to have not been accomplished no earlier than the European Middle Ages.”  Biblical Archaeology Review, Hershel Shanks Ed. [Ann Kilmer, collaborator], Vol. 6, No. 5, Sept-Oct., 1980, pp. 14-25.  Carl Engel also wrote, “Respecting the instrumental accompaniment employed by the Assyrians, it may be concluded that it was certainly not always in unison with the voice, but frequently in harmony.”  The Music of the Most Ancient Nations by Carl Engel, p. 116. 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

The ancient music system referred to in the previous posts was a precise system that did not encumber the ancient biblical scrolls because of its economy of musical signs.  If the ancient biblical scrolls had have utilized our system of modern notation, the Scriptures would have been greatly encumbered with a tremendous bulk of musical notation. 

 

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 5

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 5

It seems, from what is currently known about the psalmodic and prosodic systems, that both systems possibly utilized instrumental accompaniments at least part of the time since these ancient musicians were often referred to in the Bible as singer-players.  Since the deciphering of the te’amim revealed only melodies without written harmony, (although harmony may be in some way be implicated), we cannot say with certainty how much of the OT was accompanied.  However, it should be pointed out that instruments were mentioned in conjunction with singing in the OT.  It seems to be reasonable to conclude that the mention of musical instruments with singing indicates musical accompaniment and also connotes some form of harmonic usage.

The fact is that we do not know with certainty how the psalms were accompanied or if the prosody of the OT was not accompanied at times.  It is highly possible that the accompaniments of bible music were never written down.  It is possible that they were improvised or perhaps realized from the melody line provided by the te’amim.  Some musicians who specialize in the performance of Western music of the classic, romantic, and contemporary periods do not highly regard improvisation or realization, but there is no doubt that various forms of improvisation are just as demanding and just as much an art form as playing a written out sonata or playing symphonic  literature for that matter.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

The prosodic system of the te’amim was a seven note diatonic scale and the psalmodic system was a six note diatonic scale.  Now we know where Western music got its heptatonic diatonic scale.

 

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 4

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 4

We have record of the fact that the ancient Hebrew nation used instrumental   accompaniments with their songs because they were referred to as singer-players.  We have record of this practice as far back as the Genesis record. However, the prosodic system of the te’amim was used to notate these songs instead of the psalmodic system of the te’amim which was used in the book of Psalms, Proverbs, and part of Job.  Therefore, there are some questions concerning whether or not the prosodic system was truly monodic music.

Susanne Haik-Vantoura, who successfully deciphered the biblical te’amim and established that the notation of the entire OT text consisted of two notational systems, believed that the psalmodic music was choral music.  Although this is true concerning many of the psalms, it is doubtful of others since some of them were intimate prayers like the fifty first Psalm.  It would seem that, although this Psalm was delivered to the Chief musician, it would have best been performed as a solo rather than as a choral work. However, at this point in time we do not know for sure. There is also serious question as to whether the fifty first Psalm was ever intended to be performed publically at all since its intimate nature could indicate that it was left to posterity to be sung privately to God as a penitent prayer.

 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day 

Both Ezra 2:65 and Nehemiah 7:67 stated that there were at least 200 or more singers (shiyr or shuwr 7891) at different times in the history of ancient Israel. Since this Hebrew word connoted a singer player, I wonder what all those musicians sang and played.  I can’t believe that they always sang and played in unison.

 

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 2

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 2  

II Chronicles 5:13 states, “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.” The words “were as one” are of particular interest in this passage of Scripture.  They were derived from the word echad (259) which means, among other things, one or united.  It has generally been believed by writers that this connotes biblical evidence that the musical instruments and the human voices were performing in union.  Those who have come to this conclusion have done so because of the unfounded belief that any form of musical harmony was completely unknown in ancient Israel or in the music of Israel’s neighbors or in any ancient culture for that matter.

Modern musicology has proven that At least some of Israel’s neighbors did in fact utilize ancient forms of musical harmony (see the discussion of Ugaritic music in chapter eight of Music of the Bible in Christian Perspective, by Garen Wolf, p. 345).  We do not have written biblical music evidence (from the deciphering of the te’amim) or extra biblical evidence from ancient or modern musical writings that the ancient Hebrews understood or that they utilized harmony like that of the Occident.  However, it does seem plausible from modern knowledge of the te’amim that these melodies would have had some harmonic implications.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

We now have much more knowledge of the formal properties of the ancient music of the Bible and some other ancient cultures than most Christian musicians believe that is known.

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 1

Did Ancient Music Utilize Harmony? Part 1 

There have been many writers in the last two hundred years that have believed that the music of ancient Israel during the time that the Old Testament was very primitive.  One of these arguments has been that it was impossible for the music of Bible times to have utilized any type of harmony.  Until the 1970’s many writers and musicologists were still denying that ancient Israel even utilized octaves let alone any type of harmonic practice.  During the 1970’s the deciphering of the te’amim of the Bible by Susanne Haik-Vantoura and the deciphering of the Hurrian cuneiform tablets by Dr. Anne Kilmer et al  have revolutionized modern thinking about ancient music.

It may seem strange that I would include the following few posts about the possibility that ancient Bible music and the music of other ancient cultures utilized harmony in their musicing in this philosophical blog.  The reason that I have included this discussion is simply that a Christian musician who believes faulty notions such as:  Bible music was probably very simple and unartistic by modern standards, and that it was so very simple and under developed that it could not have possibly utilized octaves or any type of harmony, will probably not have much musical respect for it. I believe that one has to have correct knowledge and respect for ancient Bible music in order to have philosophical respect for it. I encourage my blog readers who are totally unaware of the fact that the ancient music of the bible was highly developed and that the entire OT was notated to read The Music of the Bible Revealed, by Susanne Haik-Vantoura and Music of the Bible in Christian Perspective by Garen Wolf.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

A music philosopher must develop a philosophy that is congruent with what the Bible teaches about music instead of searching for Scriptures that support his or her music philosophy.

 

Developing a Christian Music Philosophy

Developing a Christian Music Philosophy

How should a Christian musician go about developing a philosophy of music?  The first thing to do, in my judgment, would be to read the more than 600 references to music in the Bible.  The safest place to study music is in the infallible inspired Word of God!  It would seem that Christians would start by reading the Bible and studying  the meaning of its many references to music.  Studying how music was used for therapy, false and true worship, harlotry, weddings, and funerals, should be the basis for understanding how music was used in public and private worship as well as on secular occasions in the history of ancient Israel and their neighbors.  The Bible also has much to teach us about the responsibility and process of music education.

            Read Revelation 19:12-13 and you will see that Christ, our judge, “whose eyes were as a flame of fire”, was called “The Word of God”.  So, since we will be judged by the “Word of God”, it behooves us to not only build our music philosophies on it but also follow it in the enactment of our duties as Christian musicians.  God is called the Logos Theos (3056 2316) therefore He cannot be separated from what His word says about music.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day  

When a Christian music philosopher accepts the beliefs of pluralism he or she believes that the musical stove can be hot and not hot at the same time. 

 

Unified Musical Knowledge

Unified Musical Knowledge 

For centuries philosophers believed that it was possible for all thought to come under a unified filed of knowledge.  They often fought bitterly over just what that unified field of knowledge included.  Although philosophers did not agree on the content of that unified knowledge, they did agree that philosophical endeavor could and should bring about a philosophy of hope to the world.  For instance, Plato and Aristotle agreed that the music modes had philosophical meaning, but they did not always agree on the exact feeling or emotion that a particular mode produced.  Although they did not agree on the meaning produced, each philosopher believed that every musical mode had meaning.  Also each philosopher had come to unified conclusions music’s power.

Music philosophy has been historically a pursuit of the systematized principles that give a wisdom that reveals truth about music and a unified filed of knowledge about it based on truth and error or thesis and antithesis.  During the early 20^th century many music philosophers began to give up hope in a unified filed of knowledge about music based on thesis (right) or antithesis (wrong).  They began to apply the philosophic belief of Georg Wilhelm Frederick Hegel (1770-1831) to music philosophy.  Hegel believed that every idea belonged to an all-embracing mind in which every idea (thesis) elicited its opposite (antithesis) and the result of these two was a unified whole which he called synthesis.  His “unified” whole was epistemologically different since it derived “knowing” from a new synthesis thesis.  This “knowing” about music’s meaning brought about a new truth that was always found somewhere between truth and error. This philosophical epistemology ushered in the belief that all knowing about music was pluralistic

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Parents need to become involved with their children’s choices of music when their children are very young.  Early involvement helps to avoid greater problems that arise after children have developed their musical tastes without parental guidance.

 

Dealing with the Whole of Music

Dealing with the Whole of Music

A faulty notion concerning the whole of music purports that the way to deal with the whole of music (i.e. both sacred and secular) is to ignore half of it.  These Christians seem to believe that if we ignore secular music it will go away.  So they stick their philosophical necks in the sand and like good ostriches they can’t see it (on MTV) or hear it (either in concert or on recordings).  Now this philosophy is simple isn’t it?  Yes it is – too simple.  The trouble is that while they have their heads in the sand they believe that they do not have to deal with it.  However, much to their chagrin, when they come up for food and water, they can’t help but notice their offspring jigging, bumping and grinding to the beat of this music that doesn’t exist.  Why doesn’t this music exist?  It doesn’t exist because they chose to believe that it doesn’t affect them or their family. 

However, while they were refusing to deal with secular music philosophically, their children have purchased a whole stack of this stuff.  The reason they finally realize that they must deal with secular music is because their children are deeply involved with it.  Since these parents have had their head in the philosophical sand, they don’t know what philosophical guidelines to set for their children so they take the easy way out.  The parental decision is get rid of this stuff!  Now we have a bona fide musical generation gap on our hands.  The children rebel and at this point, if they are verbal, a series of yelling matches will probably take place.  If they are of a more stoic nature, a time of silent pouting will take place.  One or the other will take place because the parents have not developed a lucid music philosophy that covers the whole of music.  (For more on this discussion see Chapter 13 of Church Music Matters.)

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

At a time in history when Christian schools should be developing new strategies for teaching music philosophy in the early elementary grades, many Christian schools are spinning their wheels trying to figure out whether or not they should hire an elementary music teacher.

Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 4

Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 4 

I believe that they are saying that an astute Christian musician will observe that the way that the formal properties of music are put together to form a music composition, definitely do have strong moral implications.  Certainly this argument will never be settled until Jesus returns “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known (I Corinthians 1312).” 

           The fact that we do not have exhaustive truth about the moral implications of music does not mean that until we do we should blindly follow every musical fad a fashion that the world considers proper for worship.  Surely conservative Christian musicians should be able to exercise some wise discretion when it comes to the appropriateness of the music we use in public and private worship.  This discretion must be taught in the early elementary music classroom.  I believe that is a huge educational and philosophical mistake for music educators to depend on good philosophical concepts of music to be “caught” from what happens in churches and concerts by Christian artists.  Music philosophy must be directly taught in the early elementary music classroom if one expects to effect positive behavioral musical changes in the next generation of our youth.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Secular music philosophers are devoting volumes to the discussion of the meaning of the formal properties of music while Christian musicians are busy trying to deny that the music part of music has any meaning at all.

 

Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 3

Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 3

When a music educator teaches that music is not amoral, what that teacher is saying is that when one arranges the formal properties of music into a congruent whole, which we call a musical composition, it has moral implications both inside and outside of the music itself.  Some Christian music educators and music philosophers object to the philosophical belief that music has moral implications.  They especially sometimes object to the belief that the formal properties of music have moral implications. 

Christian music educators sometimes believe those who purport that music is moral are saying, for instance, that an incomplete dominant ninth chord or an augmented second chord is either “evil” or “good”.  Although there may be some conservative Christian music philosophers who purport such a hypothesis, that certainly is not what most Christian music philosophers believe and put into their writings.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

When a music educator teaches that music is not amoral, what that teacher is saying is that when one arranges the formal properties of music into a congruent whole, which we call a musical composition, it has moral implications both inside and outside of the music itself. 

Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 2

Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 2  

A disturbing fact is that some Christian musicians are beginning to squeeze God out of private music education and all philosophical basis of music.  They squeeze God out of philosophical basis because they believe that God is only God in of matters of grace and not nature. Music is a created thing and therefore it should be categorized as being part of the natural world.  Without even knowing it, some Christian music educators who have accepted the notion of Thomas Aquinas that mankind is only fallen in matters of grace and that he, therefore, does not need help in matters that pertain to natural phenomenon.  Under this faulty belief that music is amoral, music becomes autonomous and slips out from under the Lordship if Christ.  As Francis Schaeffer often taught, when nature becomes autonomous it eats up grace and the result is devastating to Christian philosophy.

I contend that it is also devastating to the music philosophy of those where are educated in Christian schools by music instructors who teach with this faulty notion.  This philosophy also will have a serious effect on church music of the future when those who receive higher music education in Christian colleges and universities enter the world of work.

Certainly Christian music educators should walk “circumspectly” by constantly being aware of any humanistic autonomous music philosophical basis that would even hint at the thought that music is amoral.  If it is amoral then church music doesn’t matter.  If church music doesn’t matter, then it is not an effective form of worship.  Therefore, it is not capable of being efficacious.  James 5:16b says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” I believe that the effectual fervent musicing of a righteous man or woman has the potential to also be very effective.  The reason that I believe that music has the potential to be so efficacious it that, just like prayer, a Christian should present sacred music to God as an offering for his glory.  Therefore, music educators should teach that sacred music is a means of grace to the believer just like prayer.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day 

I get weary of hearing Christians say that private Christian schools are not necessary because they know of some public school music teacher who breaks US law by praying in the music classroom or explaining the gospel message before singing a sacred classic in a public school rehearsal.

Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 1

Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 1

 We cannot trust public education in the US to produce Christ-centered musicians who have a Christocentric music philosophy.  Christians never should have trusted the world to formulate music philosophy for Christian young people.  It has always been the responsibility of Christians to train their own. Although many Christian parents have ignored it, the world has never been a friend of grace.  Could you imagine the ancient Hebrews calling in the Philistines to train their Levite sons?  The 20^th century church did just that--they called in the worldly musicians who outwardly profaned the name of Christ to train church musicians.  The result was generation after generation of Christian musicians filled with Philistine music philosophy.  It seems that we have not learned from our mistakes so we are now perpetuating them in the 21^st century.

 One thing for sure, public education will not directly teach the next generation of church musicians wrong things about God because they are not allowed to teach God in their music knowledge.  Although federal law has mandated that public education can no longer retain God in our educational knowledge, the fact that they will not directly teach false concepts of God does not indicate that no “God-education” will take place in public schools and universities.  By eliminating God as the Creator and Lord of music education, public education relays strong false messages about the nature and value of music to our young people.  Public education can no longer recognize God in the development of a philosophical basis for music education.  As a matter of fact, teaching God as the basis of all philosophical thought is forbidden.  The only safe path in public education is to omit the authority of God in any philosophical discussion of music.  In public education, no sacred music concerts are legal and the sacred classics may only be taught or performed as music literature.  It is often mandated that there be no Christmas or Easter concerts.  The only time that it is totally legal to mention God’s name in the music classroom is when the music instructor stubs his toe on the desk leg. 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

A musician will either say to God, “Your will be done in all my musicing” or God will say to that musician, “You can have your own way if you are going to refuse to retain my knowledge in all your musicing.”

Music Endeavors Should Begin and End with God part 2

Music Endeavors Should begin and End with God part 2

Some musicians are now so squeezed into the world’s mold that they do not seem to realize that the whole belief-system that music is amoral is the result of autonomous music philosophy.  It is no wonder that you can trust a humanist to conclude that all music endeavors begins and ends with man.  The philosophical bias of a humanist will always be that all meaning in life (if there is meaning in life) will be the result of self-actualization and the act of a person’s free will.

This musical mind believes wholeheartedly that in the beginning was “ameba” or worse yet in the beginning was “nothing”.  This musician believes within himself that man came from nowhere and is ultimately going nowhere.  It is not hard for him to believe that man exists in a purposeless universe and that he is “caught in the wheel of time”.  This musician also believes that music came from nowhere and is ultimately going nowhere. 

To this humanistic musician the only thing that really matters is “me”.  This type of thinker concludes that music is amoral since man is God and God is man therefore God is in man because man created God.  So, man is God of his music.  Any music that he composes or performs is God’s music i.e. all man’s music is created in God’s image since God is created in man’s image.  Any music that pleases man will also please God and conversely no music that displeases man is pleasing to God.  So, if you can wade through all the previous mumbo-jumbo, you will be able to understand why a synthesis thinking religious humanist, who is autonomous, believes that all musical roads lead to heaven – why there is no profundity in music – why all music is appropriate for public worship and ultimately why music is all a matter of taste.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Certainly any quality music endeavor should bring a measure of satisfaction to the musicer, but that does not mean that music endeavor should be about the gratification of self.

 

Music Endeavor Should begin and End with God

Music Endeavor Should begin and End with God part 1

Christian musicians often question the necessity of developing a series of systematic beliefs concerning the nature and value of the whole of music.  Furthermore, they often seem to believe that those values set forth by major public colleges and universities are adequate for Christian musicians.  After all, aren’t the elements of music the same for Christians and non-Christians?  The philosophy of a musician who does not bring all of his musical endeavor under the Lordship of Christ should never be trusted. Not only can you trust a communist to be a communist, you can also trust an unregenerate musician to be worldly in his or her philosophical basis. 

            Remember, direction determines destiny!  Any musician who believes the end of all human endeavors is the gratification of self will ultimately come to different philosophical conclusions than a musician whose life is sold out to Christ.  For the committed Christian, music begins and ends with God.  To the humanist, music begins and ends with self.  The musician who has submitted his or her music to the Lordship of Christ believes that all church music is sung and played to glorify God since God owns music.  Conversely, the secular humanists (and the religious humanist) believes that music belongs to man’s true humanness since all music is about self-actualization.  This type of thinker owns his or her music.

 

Thought for the day--Musicing is a Light

Thought for the day--Musicing is a Light

If musicing unto God is a part of our good works, and it is, then Christian musicians need to be sure that people see and hear good quality music when we sing and play in and out of church.

 

Christian Musicing is like a Light (reprise)

Christian Musicing is like a Light (Reprise)

Matthew 5:16 states “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

       Why do you suppose that Jesus has commanded Christian musicians to let their light shine?  I believe it is because our world is a very dark place to live in the twenty-first century.  Sin has made this world dark place with a very dark atmosphere at times.  Jesus knew that Christian musicians are prone to let Satan come by and cover it with a bushel basket.  So, Jesus reminded us all, in the Sermon on the Mount, to make absolutely sure that we keep our light shining very brightly.

       The light of Christ placed in us is so powerful that Satan needs a bushel basket to completely hide it from those who see it, and will receive its light in their lives.  Satan knows that, without this light of Christ, people will continue to live in darkness.  Jesus instructed us to put our powerful light on a candle stick so that it will give the light of salvation to all people.

       One of the ways that a Christian can show the light of Christ is through his or her musicing.  Jesus explained, in this sermon, that “you” are the light of the world.  This means that there is much value in people seeing the Christian musician music unto God.  As I play exegetical gymnastics with this verse of Scripture, I have the notion that maybe Jesus includes our musicing unto Him as a part of what people need to “see”.  As I just said, it is just a notion, but I think it is a valuable notion.  If so, musicians need to let their musical light shine in such a way that all who are in the “house” will see it and glorify our Father who is in heaven.  Therefore, we need to be very careful of what people “see’ as well as what they hear when we music unto God.

Quote for the day-Voice of singing

Quote for the day-Voice of singing 

 

“There is a difference between people who sing songs about Jesus and those who sing who know Jesus.” (Rev. Tim Keep)

With the Voice of Singing--(reprise)

 With the Voice of Singing--(reprise)

       Isaiah 48:20 states, “Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with the voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, the LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.”

       At this time Israel was in Babylon, they had transgressed God’s law.  God, in his tender mercy, was going to make it possible for them to leave Babylon.  God was going to “place his arm on the Chaldeans” to help Israel to escape.

       Have you ever found yourself in trouble and then realized that it was your own fault?  Musicians are famous for blaming everyo0ne else for their problems.  However, I have lived long enough to learn that it isn’t what happens to us that really matters when we get in trouble in trouble.  No, it is how we react to what has happened to us that makes the difference.

       Notice that God said to Israel,”go”, “flee”, and “declare with the voice of singing”.  Today He is asking Christian musicians to declare “with the voice of singing” that “the Lord hath redeemed” us and will also deliver us from the “furnace of affliction (vs. 11).”

       It is important to note that the Scripture uses the terminology “with the voice of singing.”  Sometimes we can sing our way to victory when nothing seems to work.  If you are in the “fiery furnace” just now, try singing God’s praises!  I remember the Bloom sisters singing the song “It’s amazing what praising can do.”  That song has been a source of help to me many times when I have been troubled and so depressed that I felt like leaving my place of music ministry.  If you are depressed and feel that there is no way out of your trouble—try praising God with the “voice of singing”.