Thought for the Day-

Thought for the Day-

One of the reasons I believe that a musician is what he or she listens to and performs is because I also believe that musical direction determines destiny.

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning- Part 4

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning- Part 4

            I know that I am a lonely philosophical voice crying in the twenty-first century “wilderness”.  However, I have this Scripture, and more, to back up my philosophical hypothesis that the formal properties of every piece of music do have the potential to affect the whole-life of the performer and the auditor. Therefore, I believe it is philosophically and morally dangerous for a person to fill his or her mind with the formal properties of a piece of music without having a thorough understanding of what this music genre is capable of doing to the whole life of an individual.

            We are constantly warned that we should not eat anything without having knowledge of what it has the potential to do to our body, because there is such a strong belief that “we are what we eat”.  I contend that we are not only “what we eat” but also “what we listen to and perform musically”. Since sound communicates meaning, Christian musicians have the responsibility to be aware of how sound affects their “whole life”.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

There is a difference in a listener who does not understand the meaning of something he or she hears and not being able to understand music’s meaning simply because it is has none. 

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 3

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 3

            Based on the authority and import of this Scripture, I am drawn to the philosophical conclusion that it is the responsibility of each Christian musician to gain the knowledge necessary to ascertain what “the joyful sound” is.  In order to accomplish this difficult task one must gain understanding of the internal formal properties of each selection of music that he or she listens to or performs.  I have contended for years that the formal properties of music communicate a message to everyone who performs or listens or performs them.

            I also believe that no one is capable of musicing actively or passively in a “bubble”.  Music is not in its own little world with its meaning being “its own” with no relationship to life.  I also reject the lack-luster music philosophy that music is not capable of saying or communicating anything at all.  Music is not a meaningless benign art.  From the time of Plato and Aristotle, many music philosophers have believed that music is a powerful art.  These music philosophers have believed over past centuries that music can and does have an emotional and moral effect on the performer and auditor.  In fairness I must admit that a host of twentieth century music philosophers believed that, although music did have meaning, that its meaning was its own and was in no way related to life.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Post-modern philosophy of the late twentieth and very early twenty-first century purported that the one thing that a musician could “know” was that he or she could not “know” anything of a surety when it came to musicing unto God.     

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 2

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 2

            Psalm 89:15 states, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.”  First let us look at the meaning of the word “know”.  It is translated from the Hebrew word yada (3045) which means ascertain, comprehend or literally recognize something.  I contend that it stands to reason that if one is able to recognize proper sounds, then it is possible that there are improper sounds that a Christian should be able to recognize. Also, as I said before, because the Bible teaches that there is “joyful sound” then it stands to reason that there are also sounds that musicians may use in musical worship that do not qualify as “joyful sound”.

            Second, we should consider the words “joyful sound”. They are derived from the Hebrew word teruah (7321) which means a sound of acclamation.  (We know that teruah means acclamation rather than the noise because it is used here in a positive sense.)  From the context of this verse, those who recognize the sound that brings acclamation and praise to God are “blessed” (esher 1835). This Scripture connotes that only those who ascertain which sounds are truly “sounds of acclamation” are blessed or are filled with true happiness.

Thought for the Day-

Thought for the Day-

If Christian Musicians are going to successfully face the challenge of twenty-first century church music, they need to have spiritual discernment which will include musical discernment. 

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 1

 Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 1

            This series of twenty philosophical posts will be a discussion of musical sound and its relationship to the Christian musician.  If you are new to my blog you will need to know that I will make no attempt to draw final conclusions at the end of each short daily post.  Therefore, you will need to read any daily posts that you may have missed before continuing to read the series.

           First let us consider musical sound in as mentioned in Psalm 89:15 which states, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of his countenance.”  There has been heated discussion, disagreement and confusion over musical sound for over a half century.  Although we will not settle the issue once and for all in this short series of posts, I hope that this discussing musical sound will be valuable to you as a Christian musician.   Although these posts will be full of my beliefs concerning musical sound, I will try to support them not only by logic but also with God’s infallible inspired Word. Since both qualities or kinds of sounds exist, the onus is placed on the Christian’s ability to discern which sounds are and are not “joyful sounds”.

            It is important to note that Psalm 89:15 teaches that those who are able to discern which sounds are appropriate to use are able to do so because they walk in the light of God’s countenance.  The Hebrew word translated “walk” (halak 1980) in this verse means “to behave” or “be conversant”. The words “in the light” are translated from the word owr (216) which means, among other things, “continually” or “perpetually” in Jehovah’s countenance (paniyn 6440) i.e. face or favor.  There are several conclusions that could be drawn from this verse.  It most probably means that those who are able to discern which sounds qualify as “joyful sounds” must continually or perpetually be living in God’s favor or presence. If this is correct exegesis, it is no wonder that worldly musicians call evil good and good evil when it comes to the sounds they music unto God. 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

For centuries Christian musicians very carefully made church music choices based on the philosophical concepts of sacred vs. profane music.  Somewhere in the twentieth century profane music disappeared in the minds of some Christian musicians.

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 5

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 5

            The musical discourse in Exodus 32:17-20 is a discussion between Joshua and Moses about the musical sounds that they heard coming from the camp of the Israelites.  Although I will not be able to thoroughly consider this Bible example of musicing in the middle of this discussion of the formal properties of music, I simply wish to point out that the sounds produced from the formal properties of this “worship” music greatly disturbed both Joshua and Moses.  Remember that they “heard” before they “saw” the people musicing. These men of God were aware from the sounds they heard that there was something wrong with the worship music they were hearing as they approached the camp of the Israelites. When they saw the people musicing Moses was convinced that it was certainly a very carnal form of worship.  It is evident to me that if this musicing had been a representation of “the joyful sound” that Joshua and Moses would not have been so upset by what they heard.

            One more observation of this musical discourse in the thirty second chapter of Exodus is that Moses had just spent time on Mount Sinai in the presence of Jehovah.  When he left the presence of God, where he received the Ten Commandments, and no doubt spent time worshiping in the presence of the giver of the Decalogue, he was in a position to recognize the genuine from the false i.e. sacred from profane musical sounds of worship.  Twenty-first century Christian worship leaders should learn from this example that it will be the presence of God that will keep us in tune with “the joyful sound” and that there is a difference in sacred and profane musical sounds.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

One of the reasons I believe that a musician is what he or she listens to and performs is because I also believe that musical direction determines destiny.

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning- Part 4

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning- Part 4

            I know that I am a lonely philosophical voice crying in the twenty-first century “wilderness”.  However, I have this Scripture, and more, to back up my philosophical hypothesis that the formal properties of every piece of music do have the potential to affect the whole-life of the performer and the auditor. Therefore, I believe it is philosophically and morally dangerous for a person to fill his or her mind with the formal properties of a piece of music without having a thorough understanding of what this music genre is capable of doing to the whole life of an individual.

            We are constantly warned that we should not eat anything without having knowledge of what it has the potential to do to our body, because there is such a strong belief that “we are what we eat”.  I contend that we are not only “what we eat” but also “what we listen to and perform musically”. Since sound communicates meaning, Christian musicians have the responsibility to be aware of how sound affects their “whole life”.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

There is a difference in a listener who does not understand the meaning of something he or she hears and not being able to understand a music’s meaning simply because it is has none. 

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 3

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 3

            Based on the authority and import of this Scripture, I am drawn to the philosophical conclusion that it is the responsibility of each Christian musician to gain the knowledge necessary to ascertain what “the joyful sound” is.  In order to accomplish this difficult task one must gain understanding of the internal formal properties of each selection of music that he or she listens to or performs.  I have contended for years that the formal properties of music communicate a message to everyone who performs or listens or performs them.

            I also believe that no one is capable of musicing actively or passively in a “bubble”.  Music is not in its own little world with its meaning being “its own” with no relationship to life.  I also reject the lack-luster music philosophy that music is not capable of saying or communicating anything at all.  Music is not a meaningless benign art.  From the time of Plato and Aristotle, many music philosophers have believed that music is a powerful art.  These music philosophers have believed over past centuries that music can and does have an emotional and moral affect on the performer and auditor.  In fairness I must admit that a host of twentieth century music philosophers believed that, although music did have meaning, that its meaning was its own and was in no way related to life.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Post-modern philosophy of the late twentieth and very early twenty-first century purported that the one thing that a musician could “know” was that he or she could not “know” anything of a surety when it came to musicing unto God.     

 

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 2

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 2

            Psalm 89:15 states, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.”  First let us look at the meaning of the word “know”.  It is translated from the Hebrew word yada (3045) which means ascertain, comprehend or literally recognize something.  I contend that it stands to reason that if one is able to recognize proper sounds, then it is possible that there are improper sounds that a Christian should be able to recognize. Also, as I said before, because the Bible teaches that there is “joyful sound” then it stands to reason that there are also sounds that musicians may use in musical worship that do not qualify as “joyful sound”.

            Second, we should consider the words “joyful sound”. They are derived from the Hebrew word teruah (7321) which means a sound of acclamation.  (We know that teruah means acclamation rather than the noise because it is used here in a positive sense.)  From the context of this verse, those who recognize the sound that brings acclamation and praise to God are “blessed” (esher 1835). This Scripture connotes that only those who ascertain which sounds  are truly “sounds of acclamation” are blessed or are filled with true happiness.

Thought for the Day-

Thought for the Day-

If Christian Musicians are going to successfully face the challenge of twenty-first century church music, they need to have spiritual discernment which will include musical discernment. 

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 1

 Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 1

            This series of twenty philosophical posts will be a discussion of musical sound and its relationship to the Christian musician.  If you are new to my blog you will need to know that I will make no attempt to draw final conclusions at the end of each short daily post.  Therefore, you will need to read any daily posts that you may have missed before continuing to read the series.

           First let us consider musical sound in as mentioned in Psalm 89:15 which states, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of his countenance.”  There has been heated discussion, disagreement and confusion over musical sound for over a half century.  Although we will not settle the issue once and for all in this short series of posts, I hope that this discussing musical sound will be valuable to you as a Christian musician.   Although these posts will be full of my beliefs concerning musical sound, I will try to support them not only by logic but also with God’s infallible inspired Word. Since both qualities or kinds of sounds exist, the onus is placed on the Christian’s ability to discern which sounds are and are not “joyful sounds”

            It is important to note that Psalm 89:15 teaches that those who are able to discern which sounds are appropriate to use are able to do so because they walk in the light of God’s countenance.  The Hebrew word translated “walk” (halak 1980) in this verse means “to behave” or “be conversant”. The words “in the light” are translated from the word owr (216) which means, among other things, “continually” or “perpetually” in Jehovah’s countenance (paniyn 6440) i.e. face or favor.  There are several conclusions that could be drawn from this verse.  It most probably means that those who are able to discern which sounds qualify as “joyful sounds” must continually or perpetually be living in God’s favor or presence. If this is correct exegesis, it is no wonder that worldly musicians call evil good and good evil when it comes to the sounds they music unto God. 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

We as Christian musicians all know that Jesus can meet all of our needs, but sometimes we find it much more difficult to believe that He will!

 

What A Friend

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bar!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer

 

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer! 

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

Take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there. 

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised

Thou wilt all our burdens bear;

May we ever, Lord, be bringing

All to Thee in earnest prayer.

Soon in glory bright, unclouded,

There will be no need for prayer—

Rapture, praise, and endless worship

Will be our sweet portion there.

            There is no doubt it Jesus is the Christian musician’s dearest friend.  It is amazing that sometimes we forfeit the peace that comes when we take “everything to God in prayer”.  Our heavenly Father has mad provision for our every need to be met and this is made possible through prayer.  If you are “Cumbered with a load of care” today why not take your small and great problems to the out sure refuge. The last verse reminds us that, “Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear; May we ever, Lord, be bringing All to Thee in earnest prayer.”

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

A fresh anointing from the blessed Holy Spirit will do more than anything else to ward off “burn out”.

 

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 5

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 5

            I believe that sacred musical performance that has been devoid of the aforementioned characteristics has been one of the reasons that so many Christian musicians becoming disillusioned with traditional sacred music.  One of the other reasons has been that some busy musicians have failed to seek the aid and anointing of the Holy Spirit upon their sacred musicing.  Therefore, I contend that a part of being a faithful servant (pistos doulos 4103, 1401) is being completely submissive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Furthermore, I believe that a part of faithful musical servant-hood involves being as passionate, and being even more passionate, about sacred musicing than one is about secular musicing.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

A Christian musician’s joy should exude from a holy heart life.

 

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 4

 More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 4

 

            Nehemiah 8:10  states, ”Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  Psalm 89:15 states, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound [teruah 8643—great acclamation of joy]: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.”  Psalm 149:1-2, “Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.  Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful [giyl, 1523] in their King.”  The word giyl is used in a great variety of applications in the OT but it most often connotes gladness and rejoicing.  These scriptures are only a few of the multitude of Scriptures that teach worshiping with much joy.

 Certainly the fact that the Bible repeatedly mentions singing with joy should encourage us to music with outward joy and emotion.  1Chronicles 15:16  states, “And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy [simchah, 8057-exceeding gladness and pleasure].”  Isaiah 12:2-3 states, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.  Therefore with joy [sasown, 8342—cheerfulness, gladness and mirth] shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”  Zepaniah 3:17 states, “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy [giyl, see above] over thee with singing [rinnah, 7440—singing with gladness and joy].”

 

Thought for the Day-

Thought for the Day-

If God was wise enough and powerful enough to speak music into existence, then He is wise enough and caring enough to instruct us in how to music unto Him.

 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

The anointing on a church musician’s musical ministry comes from divine influence on the human instead of from one’s charisma.

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 3

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 3 

            I strongly believe that the good and faithful musical leader should and must be moved deeply by the message of the music that is being used as a worship vehicle.  It is one thing to be moved intellectually by the meaning of the music but it is another to have the dunamis (1411) of the Spirit which  I believe comes to only to good and faithful Spirit filled musical servants.  As I have often stated in my philosophical writings that many Christian musicians seem to forget the great musical discourse in the fifth chapter of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians not only includes verse nineteen but also verse eighteen that states, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”  To me, what is taught in verse nineteen can only happen to those who are living a life in the Spirit.  I believe that verse eighteen teaches a continual life in the Spirit after the Christian is once filled.  The good and faithful musical servant that is spoken of in the fifth chapter of Ephesians is also admonished to let the Holy Spirit have control of his or her life and music ministry. 

            The influence of the Divine upon the human can and should be a reality in the twenty first century.  The musician who is touched and moved by the Holy Spirit has the right to be passionate about the music that he or she uses as a vehicle of worship.  All of the Christian musicians that I have had the privilege to know, who were accomplished musicians, have been very passionate about their secular musicing.   However, some of them believe that their sacred musicing should be very sedate and staid and should be executed in a manner that is seemingly almost detached from any passion or emotion.  I see no place in Scripture where Christian musicians are instructed to perform sacred music in a manner that is devoid or outward emotion; outward evidence of meaning (understanding); or outward physical expression of being passionate about the music being performed .  Therefore, I am drawn to the philosophical conclusion that although sacred musicing is very serious business, we may and should perform it with joy.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

A faithful Christian musician is one who worships with God as the object rather than “Self”.

 

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 2

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 2

 A part of being a faithful musical servant is learning how to use music as a worship vehicle.  Even if a musician loves music and is passionate about performing it, he or she is not necessarily a faithful musical servant.  There is a vast difference between loving music so much that one worships it and loving God so much that one has a great passion to use music to worship the God who created music.  As we all know the Bible condemns worshiping created things (see Romans 1:25).  The faithful musical servant leads others in worship and at the same time worships God through the music he or she is using as a worship vehicle. 

            The faithful musical servant is not only a leader and a worshiper but also a

 faithful teacher.  Faithful musical leadership includes teaching others to worship God by musicing unto Him.  The faithful musical servant utilizes teaching skills in their most profound form i.e. teaching by example.  The faithful musical servant is not only a technical leader but also a “touched” leader.  I contend that the touched servant is an anointed servant.  Starting late in the twentieth century Christian writers and music philosophers began to make acrid comments about those who sought the anointing or the Holy Spirit as though such philosophical belief was egotistical or somewhat fanatical.  Although it may not be a popular concept among Christians in this century, the visitation of God upon human servants is certainly a biblical concept.  For examples see Leviticus 7:35, 8:12, 1 Samuel 15:1, and Isaiah 10:27, James 5:14, and 1 John 2:27.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

I desire that I will not only be a “good” Christian musician but also a “faithful” one as well.

 

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 1

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 1 

            Matthew 25:21states, “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

            A musician can be a good servant morally and not be passionately faithful to the responsibilities of the music ministry where God has placed that musician.  Christian character is what makes a musician a good (agathos 18) person.  The word agathos means good in any sense but its meaning is different than the word pistos (4103) which means objectively “trustworthy” i.e. in the case of a Christian musician, one who experiences the actual reality of being a completely trustworthy servant musician of Christ.  It stands to reason that moral goodness is a necessary requirement of the ministering musician who is a bond servant (doulos 1401) of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.  Ralph Earle stated that, “these are the only two things God requires of everyone—that he be good in character and faithful in service.”  Beacon Bible Commentary, A.F. Harper, Editorial Chairman, Vol. 6, p. 237  Although God requires both, I do not believe that being a morally good person automatically makes one a quality musician or does it make one a faithful trustworthy music leader.

 

Prayer and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day

Thank You Lord that you were obedient to the will of the Father and suffered and died on Calvary’s hill.  I am ashamed that I didn’t care enough about your great sacrifice to love and serve You.  Thank You that mercy and grace were multiplied to me.  Now I tremble at the thought of Your law that I spurned.  Lord, I gladly acknowledge that You are my Savior and King!  Thank You for spanning the great gulf that separated me from having a personal relationship with You. Now my raptured soul sings Your praises every dy.  Thank You for caring for this Kansas farmer.  This I pray in Your wonderful name.  Amen.

Thought for the Day

Have you ever thought of just where you would be today if Christ had not paid your and my debt of sin on Calvary?

 

Thank God for Calvary

At Calvary

1. Years I spent in vanity and pride,

Caring not my Lord was crucified,

Knowing not it was for me He died

  On Calvary.

            Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty,

    At Calvary.

2. By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;

Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,

Till my guilty soul imploring turned

  To Calvary.

3. Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything,

Now I gladly own Him as my King,

Now my raptured soul can only sing

  Of Calvary.

4. Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!

Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!

Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span

  At Calvary!

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

I am a Christian today because of the care and prayers and involvement of those who cared for me musically and spiritually.

Memories of Those Who Cared for My Soul

Memories of Those Who Cared for My Soul

            My first memories of going to church include my mother practicing songs with me and praying with me, and the preacher lifting me up on a chair behind the pulpit to sing special music about Jesus.  I have told you all this to remind all of you Christian parents that your children’s musical training really matters.  No matter what you have or do not have, the things that matter are not “things”.  Whatever it takes, make sure that your children receive a quality music education and that you provide them opportunities to give their musical talents back to the God who gave them to your children.         

         I am grateful that Dr. John I. Page and his wife Virginia took me to church fellowship meetings and to retirement communities to sing the gospel as a little child.  I was extremely blessed to have a pastor and his wife that cared about a little boy who had some musical talent.  I am also grateful that in July of 1967 Dr. Page invited me to an altar of prayer where I confessed my sins and wept my way into the loving arms of my forgiving Savior Jesus Christ.  I will forever be thankful that I was given a Christian upbringing and that as a child I was given musical training and many opportunities to give my musical talents back to God.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Parent who get involved with their children’s musical activities find it easier to give musical advise to their teenagers later.

 

 

The Nitty-gritty of Making Musical Choices

The Nitty-gritty of Making Musical Choices

            Where should the process of shaping children’s music philosophy begin?  First, start by providing good quality music in your home.  If parents provide many good choices of both secular and sacred music in their home, children will develop enriched musical tastes at an early age.  Second, parents should get involved by taking their children to music concerts and discussing what went on at those concerts including the performers, and the styles of music performed.  Third, get your children involved in music lessons at an early age.  Positive involvement in music making is a very valuable influence in a child’s development of likes and dislikes in music.  The more musical knowledge and music skill a young person acquires, the more equipped he or she will be to make educated, mature decisions about music.

            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.

 

Scripture, Song, and Prayer for the Day

Scripture for the Day

John 4:35, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”

Song for the Day “When in Our Music God is Glorified” by Fred Pratt Green

Prayer for the Day

Dear precious Lord of the Harvest, I want to thank You that You have made it possible for me to be a part of Your great spiritual harvest.  Thank you that in Your great and thorough wisdom You chose to include the ministry of music in that eternal harvest. Please help me to encourage those Christian musicians who are ministering out there where the rubber hits the pavement to complete the harvest as they remain faithful in well doing.  This I am asking You today.  Amen.

Your Spiritual Harvest

Your Spiritual Harvest

            I grew up in Kansas where I have observed the wonder and beauty of many wheat fields. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a well prepared wheat field that has just been planted.  To a person that is not a farmer, it probably just looks like so much dirt.  However, I know what is about to happen.  In a few weeks that field will be a beautiful carpet of green.  All through the cold winter that field remains green.  In the spring it becomes a verdant mass of green as it grows.  Later in the early summer it begins to turn to a wonderful golden color as it gently waves in the summer Kansas breezes.   Seemingly overnight each wheat stock bows its head with the weight of its precious content.                   

          Now it is harvest time!  I used to love to watch the golden wheat gush into the hopper of the combine as it moved slowly up and down the wheat field.  When the hopper was heaped up with wheat, dad would pull the truck up beside the combine and begin to auger the wheat into the truck as my brother and I would let the wheat pour over our bare feet.

`           I know that God is watching your spiritual musical harvest and, if He has feet, He is letting the results of that harvest pour over them as he looks upon spiritual harvest that you have been responsible for pour into His great harvest storehouse.  Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us as his servants, “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Scripture for the Day

Scripture for the Day

1Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe”.

How Should We Music unto God?-part 4

How Should We Music unto God?-part 4

Ancient philosophers believed that music could have a profound moral effect on the hearer.  “All ancient peoples of whom we have knowledge gave music a place of honor, they considered it a potent religious and moral force, intimately related to the most formal, as well as the most informal aspects of life.”1 It has only been the product of modern man’s mind that music is amoral.  Although philosophers and musicians have argued for centuries about how music affects us or exactly what moral effect music had on the auditor and the performer, they have always believed that music had a message.            

  Philosophers have always believed that music had great power over everyone.  It has only been since the 20^th century that some Christian philosophers have come to the conclusion that style in music is neutral and therefore amoral.  Under this new “liberated” philosophy anything goes in church music.  To them, church music exists in an absurd universe and is a standardless art.  Since church music is without absolutes or any standard of correctness it is merely a matter of personal taste.  These modern church music philosophers quote St. Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  They purport that Jesus put an end to judgement when it comes to Christian living.

 

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Scripture for the Day

Scripture for the Day

1Corinthians 1:20, “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”

How Should We Music unto God?-part 3

How Should We Music unto God?-part 3

            The sophists were ancient Greek philosophers notorious for their specious arguments.  Their arguments sounded logical and good but often were far from being correct.  The disputers were philosophers who were debaters involved in controversial discussions.  Paul declared here that God has shown how insipid their arguments were.  The arguments of the sophists were as verse twenty tells us, based on the wisdom of the aion or the present system of the age.  It was wisdom based on the matrix of Satan. 

            What does the Scripture lesson in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that we mentioned yesterday mean to the 21^st century church?  First of all, there is and always has been a war going on between the wisdom of God and the specious arguments of the present age.  Every Christian musician should be sure that he or she is following biblical wisdom when developing a music ministry philosophy.  Second, there are very logical sounding arguments that are prevalent today that simply do not line up with Scripture.  Beware that you are not led astray by what seems to make sense at least by the world’s standards.  If your philosophy has caused you to not keep the main thing then it is faulty. 

 

Scripture for the Day

Scripture for the Day

1Corinthians 1:19, “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

 

 

 

How Should We Music unto God?-part 2

How Should We Music unto God?-part 2

              Music often takes preeminence over preaching in many post-modern and post postmodern churches.  When it does, that assembly of believers is following a philosophy based on the wisdom of the matrix of this present world rather than the wisdom which the Holy Spirit teaches.  Postmodern and post postmodern church philosophy considers a longer sermon and a shorter period of singing to be “weak” and therefore unwise.  I Corinthians 1:25 reminds us that, “...the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

            Corporate worship through singing is a valuable means of grace to the believer.  Singing can be a valuable teaching tool.  Singing can be used by the Holy Spirit to convict and convert sinners.  However, verse 18 above states that preaching is “the power of God.”  Music, although it has power and charm is never spoken of in the Bible as the “power of God”.  Verse twenty of chapter one of I Corinthians says, “Where is the wise (sophos 4680)  Where is the scribe?  Where is the disputer (suzetetes 4804) of this world (aion 165)  Hath not God made foolish (moraino 3471) the wisdom (sophia 4678) of this world (kosmos 2889)

 

Scripture for the Day

Scripture for the Day

1Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

 

How Should We Music unto God?-part 1

How Should We Music unto God?-part 1

            Although worship music should be to “one another” and “to yourselves” it should always function as a musical offering to God and not a musical entertainment for the people.  Since worship music should cause the people to “muse” or think it should never be an amusement.  It should edify (draw the people closer to God) rather than to entertain the congregation.  So, the fact that church music is not the primary communicator of grace does not mean that it is not very important or that it does not matter.  On the contrary, Church Music Matters very much when it comes to the matter of communicating race.                      

            Since worship music should cause the people to “muse” or think it should never be an amusement.  It should edify (draw the people closer to God) rather than to entertain the congregation.  So, the fact that church music is not the primary communicator of grace does not mean that it is not very important or that it doesn’t matter.  On the contrary, Church music matters very much when it comes to the matter of communicating grace.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day
There is no doubt about it institutions of higher learning often have higher musical standards than churches.  To me, something is wrong with this picture.  I wonder why they are often wiser in this generation than the children of light.

 

Music Does Matter—part 3

Music Does Matter—part 3

            Does anyone but churches approach music from a prescriptive standpoint?  Could you imagine playing “Three Blind Mice” for a university piano entrance audition?  How far would you get?  Why do they consider it necessary to play something like a Beethoven piano sonata?  Why does a university prescribe what music is proper, suitable, and appropriate for an entrance exam?  The reason is that they believe in all of the above as well as profundity in music.  Most university piano professors actually believe that Beethoven’s sonatas are more profound than “Three Blind Mice”.  So, when it comes to wise choices for undergraduate or graduate study they prescribe which music is proper etc. for every student to perform.  Why?   It is because public universities believe that Music Matters.  They certainly believe in making wise choices and “Three Blind Mice” is simply not the appropriate music for undergraduate or graduate study. 

            To these professors music is most definitely an art form with standards of correctness.  Why shouldn’t Christian musicians have equally high expectations for church music?  Where did church musicians get the philosophy that there is no profundity in church music, no absolutes, and no standards of correctness or appropriateness?  Whether educating or edifying, there are absolutes in music.  Therefore it is possible to make wise and unwise choices of both.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Church musicians should be aware that the music that congregations hear and participate in will have either a positive or negative influence upon them.

Music Does Matter—part 2

Music Does Matter—part 2

            Church music selections should line up to Bible principles of music in worship.  Choices should not be made solely on personal preference but rather what this style of music will do to the whole life of the individuals who worship with it.  From the time of Plato and Aristotle philosophers have believed, more or less, that good music would cause one to tend toward the moral virtues and that bad music would cause one to tend toward moral decadence. 

            So, we return to the question, “Does the church have the right and responsibility to prescribe what is best suited for music worship?”  Yes, the church has both.  How to go about making these choices has become difficult but that does not remove either the right or the responsibility of establishing standards for church music.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Richard S. Taylor was correct in believing that church music should not be squeezed into the world’s music mold.

Music Does Matter—part 1

 Music Does Matter—part 1
            Public music worship should not be a platform for the pastor’s or the minister of music’s personal tastes in music.  The assembly of believers does not gather to receive a music lesson on J. S. Bach or acapella choral techniques or to revisit the oratorios of Handel, Mendelssohn and Gounod.  Neither is the purpose of congregational singing to keep the hymns of Watts, Wesley and Fanny Crosby alive. Special singing is not an opportunity to fan the minister of music’s latent desire to sing bass in a famous southern gospel quartet or a country gospel band.  Richard S. Taylor sums up the matter quite well
            The fact that some people may like this or that is not sufficient reason for the church to use it.  The church should lead the way in such standards, not objectly follow every fad and custom which happens to be “in” at the moment.  The Church has no business adopting the philosophy, “If you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em.”  We should be governed by basic and eternal principles.  There are music forms, whether secular or sacred, which create moods of pensiveness, or idealism, or awareness of beauty, of aspiration, and of holy joyousness.  There are forms of music which create moods of recklessness and sensual excitement.  Surely it doesn’t take much judgement to know which forms are most appropriate for religious function.  A Return to Christian Culture, p.87 Richard S. Taylor