Passing Our Music Values on to the Next Generation – Part 4

Passing Our Music Values on to the Next Generation – Part 4 

            Christians must consider the whole of music.  This includes a long broad study or music which includes both sacred and secular music.  Everyone should have knowledge of classical, folk, pop, jazz, rock, country and a host of other types of music in order to converse intelligently with the generations to follow us as pastors, parents, and church musicians.  Anything less than music literacy and a general understanding of the performance practice of these styles will dwarf our possibilities of reaching our young people with a logical, reasonable, explainable, discussible, and practical philosophy of music.           

            Another right way to do the right thing is to get involved in music.  Remember, “Knowing is doing”!  All Christians should participate in church music.  The first step is to sing during congregational singing.  One of the worst Christian witnesses that I know of is to become a spectator during corporate music worship.  Have you ever thought about the silent message that a father sends to his son when he never opens his mouth to praise the Lord during congregational singing?  Psalm 149:1 admonishes us to “Praise ye the LORD.  Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.”  This Scripture is a music imperative.  As a matter of fact, Psalm 150:6 states, “Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD.  Praise ye the LORD.”  That sounds pretty specific to me.  If pastors and parents would sing with their whole heart during congregational singing it would send a powerful message to our children and young people.  It would say, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” (Psalm 133:1) Psalm 134:2 tells us to “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.”