How Ecclesiology Affects Sacred Musicing—part 1

                      How Ecclesiology Affects Sacred Musicing—part 1

            I am deeply indebted to Dr. David Fry for opening my thoughts on how ecclesiology (the nature and structure of the Christian church) affects sacred musicing.  Although he did not address muscing in the context of worship, his lecture series given at Hobe Sound Florida in February of 2018 caused me to rethink musicing in the church.  The way a Christian musician views the church will affect that musician’s musical paradigm.

             Matthew 16:18 states, “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  When I heard Dr. Fry’s lectures, I was struck by the fact that Christ said “I will build my church”.  I had erroneously believed that we were the ones who were charged with the responsibility of building the church with Christ’s help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This belief is a faulty ecclesiological view. Let us consider this statement with Ephesians 2: 19-22, “So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.”  Christ is the cornerstone and we as his musicians are to align our lives to the corner stone who is Christ.