Congruency in Our Musicing part 8

Congruency in Our Musicing part 8

            For centuries music philosophers have written about their convictions that music has power to communicate moral values to the auditor.  They have over the centuries elaborated on how music goes about strengthening or weakening these moral values.  Philosophers have not always agreed about the way music communicates its power to the listener, but historically they have almost universally believed that music does have great power to communicate. 

            So when a musician connects music’s power to God by marrying it to the worship of a holy triune God, that power definitely makes a reflection on the auditor’s perception of who God is, what He is like, and what He is capable of doing.  Although music cannot change God’s moral nature, it can change the listener’s perception of His moral nature when a musician, in a willy-nilly manner, connects a music style to worship music that represents anything but wholesome moral or Christian values.  What is often done in jest by a composer, an arranger, or a performer can become a tool for Satan to distort the auditor’s view of who God is.

             Also, when church musicians have an attitude of respect for the kinds of “musics” they use to honor the triune God, this respect permeates the place of worship.  Conversely, when worship leaders have a laissez- faire attitude about styles of worship music, worship becomes more and more folksy and familiar and as worship styles are lowered so is the mental image of a high and holy God.  Perhaps the reason that this is happening is that it is much easier for musicians to bring God down to where the congregation that they are ministering too is living spiritually than it is to get the worshipers to strive to conform more and more to the image of God.  I know that it is difficult to minister to people who do not seem to care much about deep spiritual living.