The Aim of Sacred Musicing

The Aim of  Sacred Musicing

            Johann Sabastian Bach once said, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”  There is much said in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament and also in the New Testament, about our responsibility to music unto God for His Glory and honor and praise.  It is less understood as to whether or not we should music in order to refresh the soul. 

            First of all, we should give some explanation as to what J. S. Bach could have meant by making the statement that one of the final ends of our musicing should be for “the refreshment of the soul”.  A general definition of soul is “the spiritual part of a human being” or the “the seat of affections of mankind”.  The Greek word psuche (5590) is translated life, lives, soul, souls, minds, appears in 95 verses in the AV New Testament.  We are not sure what Bach meant but it is safe to conjecture that he meant that one of music’s purposes was the refreshment of the “inner man”.

            Bach was correct in believing that music was created by God for His Glory and for the refreshment and edification of man.  Christian musician have the awesome responsibility and privilege to use this wonderful art form to honor God and to edify and refresh the psyche of mankind.  We also know that Bach put God first in much of his compositional efforts because he often SDG (sole Deo gloria) at the end of his compositions.    

Thought for the Day

Christian composers, arrangers, performers and directors would do well to follow J.S. Bach’s example by getting rid of the sense of self and self-actualization and concentrate on God and His glory in their musical efforts.  

A Righteous Musical Offering

A Righteous Musical Offering

 Malachi 3:1-3 “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” 

As Christian musicians we have been saved to serve through our musicing.

We have been pardoned so that we may produce righteous musical fruit.

We have been sought out to seek others.

We have been blessed musically so that our musicing may bless others.

We have been brought out to bring others in.

We have been blessed to be a blessing through our musicing.

We have been purified to give a righteous musical offering.

We have been enlightened so that our musicing we may help others to see.

We have been comforted so that that our musicing may comfort the needy.

We have been given much musically so that our musicing may give to others.

We have been given knowledge so that we may help others to know.

We have been given wisdom so that we may help others to understand.  

Thought for the Day

Ephesians 5:17-19, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”   

Song for the Day “And He Shall Purify by G. F. Handel   

Prayer for the Day

I want to thank You LORD for making it possible for Christian musicians to be able to give You a musical offering which is “in righteousness”.  Lord I am asking you to help Your musicians to purpose in their hearts to present to You a musical offering which is a purified righteous musical offering.  Lord I know that Isaiah 64:6 reminds us that our righteousness is as filthy rags before You.  So, I am asking You to help me to, not only once be filled with the Holy Spirit, but to continually be filled so that I may make melody in my heart to the Lord.  These petitions I am praying in your Holy Name.  Amen

Constantly Abiding

Constantly Abiding

There’s a peace in my heart that the world never gave,

A peace it cannot take away;

Though the trials of life may surround like a cloud,

I’ve a peace that has come here to stay!

All the world seemed to sing of a Savior and King,

When peace sweetly came to my heart;

Troubles all fled away and my night turned to day,

Blessed Jesus, how glorious Thou art!

This treasure I have in a temple of clay,

While here on His footstool I roam;

But He’s coming to take me some glorious day,

Over there to my heavenly home!

Refrain:

Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;

Constantly abiding, rapture divine;

He never leaves me lonely, whispers, oh, so kind:

“I will never leave thee”—Jesus is mine.   

            I was saved in July of 1967 at the Eastern Kansas Camp.  The camp was held each year in an open air tabernacle with a sawdust floor.  The tabernacle had wooden doors that were hinged from the top and were held open with two wooden stakes.  In front of the platform was an old wooden mourner’s bench with carpet runners paced on top of the sawdust floor in front of the tough wooden alters.  It wasn’t a very fancy place but it was good enough for an awful sinner like me to find his way to God.  

            I do not remember the text from which Dr. C.E. Cowen preached  or specifically what he said that night, but I do know that I passed from death unto life that Saturday night when God, for Christ’s sake, forgave me of all my sins and removed them “as far as the East is from the west” that night in July.

            The next morning as I drove from our farm to Mid America Business Forms where I was working that summer, God brought the gospel song written by Anne S. Murphy which is written above.  The thought that forcibly came to mind that July morning was, “There’s a peace in my heart that the world never gave”.  Also that morning I became strangely aware that “All the world seemed to sing of a Savior and King”.  I was blessed that morning as I realized that “This treasure I have in a temple of clay” and furthermore that the blessed Holy Spirit was whispering to me, “I will never leave thee”.  Christian musician take heart when you remember,"...he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  (Hebrews 13:5) 

Thought for the Day

God not only gave me a peace in my heart the evening when I was saved but He has proven to me over and over again that “Though the trials of life may surround like a cloud, I’ve a peace that has come here to stay!”   

Prayer for the Day

Dear heavenly Father I want to thank and praise You for forgiving all my transgressions and making me a new creature in Christ Jesus.  I also want to thank you that You are coming to take me some glorious day over there to my heavenly home!  I believe that Your returning to this sin cursed world will not be, as my generation believes, “pie in the sky” but rather a “reality in the sky’.  Praise your wonderful name, Hebrews 9:28 reminds Christians “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”  Lord please help me to be ready for your second coming.  This I pray in Your strong and reliable name.  Amen.

Musicians Should “Get Glad”

Musicians Should “Get Glad”

A long time ago I decided that I was going to be glad rather than get mad.  All that getting mad does is raise the Christian musician’s blood pressure.  When I am out of sorts with everyone I can’t think clearly and I am not the slightest bit creative or productive.  When I am mad I am not very much like Jesus.  I don’t even ask, “What would Jesus do?”  I know what He would do—He would treat others with love, consideration.  So, I know better than to ask “What would Jesus do?” 

I find it easy to tell everyone that I am a Christian, but sometimes it is much harder to act like I am a Christian.  Over the years the college music majors and the members of my choir and Symphonic wind and string ensemble observed my walk much more than my talk.  Every time in the past that I have had the good sense to keep my big mouth shut when I was not pleased with how things were going, I was glad later when the storm blew over. 

So, when you are upset with things that have come to pass—just remember that they came into your life to pass.  Yes, they will pass and when they are a part of your past you will be glad that you acted like a Christian when the fires of adversity were “hot and heavy”.   Contrary to common belief, God is not watching us from a distance.  He is watching you and me very closely.  Also, remember that He’s as close as the mention of His name.”  When you are about to blow up in someone’s face, call on the name of Jesus and He will come to your rescue. He will help you to “get glad” instead of continuing to be mad.

Prayer for the Day

My dear and precious Lord, I am so thankful that You care about everything that troubles me.  I do not need You most of the time, I need You all of the time!  I am asking You to be near me and help me to do more than talk the talk of a Christian.  Please help me to walk the walk of a Christ-like person.  I know that You are as close as the mention of Your name, so help me to call on Your name and also help me listen to Your advice when I hear from You!  This I am praying in Your wise and wonderful name.  Amen.

The Almighty Pantokrator

The Almighty Pantokrator

Revelation 1:8, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (pantokrator 3841).”

 God is the pantokrator i.e. the absolute and universal sovereign.  He is also the kurios (2962) i.e. the supreme authority and He has declared that He is the beginning and the ending.  He declared this to St. John the revelator and He is also saying it to us today because in Hebrews 13:8 He declares that He is, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”  We are so finite that we think sometimes of only the here and now. 

Christian musicians sometimes feel like they are alone and are surrounded by godless people who are in control of everything. We must always remember that God is absolute and universal sovereign.  Sees from the beginning to the end of everything that is or has happened in the entire universe.  Christian musicians never have to fear leader shift because Jesus Christ is always the same.  He doesn’t change His mind about music and musicing.  The earthly pastoral team or the church board may shift from musical fad to fad every time the winds of worldly likes and dislikes change.  That will have a tendency to trouble you, since the church treasurer is the one who signs your paycheck. 

They may kick you clear out to the street, but there is a day of reckoning coming for such people.  They may blame you for all of the church’s troubles, but God is never fickle or false, so hang in there and concentrate on being a good and faithful musical servant of Jesus Christ. 

Willing Musical Sacrifices

Willing Musical Sacrifices

Psalm 7:17, “I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.”  Praising God is volitional.  The psalmist asserted, “I will praise the LORD”.  Praiseng God with our musicing is also an act of the singers will.  Notice that the psalmist could not express his praise with only one of God’s names so he used YAHV elyown (3068, 5945) which meant the self-existent, independent, eternal God who is the high and lofty supreme one.   Knowing who God is caused the psalmist to genuinely desire to sing praise unto God’s name. 

Worship leaders are responsible to lead others in praising and honoring God.  In order to facilitate this exercise of praise, the worship leader must stimulate those who love and serve Jesus Christ our Savior must do so as an act of their own free will.  Perfunctory musicing  praise to God or musicing out of obligation prevents our musicing from being willing musical offerings that exude from a heart of gratitude and praise to God for who He is and what He has done and will continue to do for His people.

When Israel was preparing to build the Tabernacle, Exodus 35:29 records that, “The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.”  God wanted his dwelling place to be built with “willing offerings”.  I am convinced that God is pleased when our musical offerings unto him exudes from a willing heart.  In Hebrews 13:15 St. Paul stated, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”  Singing in God’s house is most certainly “the fruit of our lips”.

Emotional States Aroused by Music

Emotional States Aroused by Music

               I am also concerned about the emotional states of mind that can be aroused by the music part of music.  Every Christian musician should be greatly concerned about the fact that the music he or she performs can affect the whole life of the listening audience (both saint and seeker).  As I have often told my music philosophy classes that no one musics in a “bubble” i.e. in a closed system that does not have a positive or negative effect on the performer and listener.  The emotions that are aroused in public (or private) musicing are important.  For instance, the arousals of the complex emotions that cause sexual stimulation have absolutely no place in Christian worship.  If a worship leader uses music styles that arouse sexual passion on a dance floor, it stands to reason these aroused emotions will have the potential to have the same effect on the listener in the context of public worship.

              Part of this emotional arousal comes from the music part of the music and some of this emotion is representational or referential simply because it reminds (association theory) the hearer of the emotions he or she had when dancing on a club floor.  The objection may be that some or all the people who are assembled in the worship service may not frequent dance clubs.  However, unless they all have been hiding under a rock, they will have mental images from movies or even TV ads that may be aroused somewhere just past the neurological synapses of the brain that has stored them chemically.  These emotions can be aroused by the music part of the music and or by association etc.  So, to ignore the fact that style does matter is a faulty praxis that leads to naive musicing practices.

Musicing with Understanding-part 2

          Musicing with Understanding-part 2

               When the listener hears the music part of the music i.e. the melody, harmony, rhythm and tone color etc., these elements are heard individually and, since they form a musical composition, the sounds will be heard or experienced as a congruent whole which will have an emotional effect on everyone in the congregation.  Even a person who is deaf can feel the rhythm and beat if it is strong enough to vibrate the walls, floor, windows and the furniture and the vibrations caused by the pounding beat will have an emotional effect on that person.  Understood in that light, one may conclude that no one can completely escape music’s influence.  (For a much more thorough treatment see my new Book published this year called Music Philosophy in Christian Perspective, chapter 5 “Emotions and Musical Communication.)

                A faulty approach to the nature and especially the value of the music part of music in the worship experience is often predicated the notion that it (the music part) is always a benign exercise because it is incapable of communicating anything and therefore is incapable saying anything that is meaningful to real life. This notion renders the music part of music incapable of representing, referring, or arousing any of the complex emotions that are related to spiritual life.  The only thing that is wrong with the bold statement of some music philosophers that “music can say absolutely nothing” is the fact that it is a hypothesis that has never been proven to be correct.  So, Christian musicians who are followers of this unproven notion are basing their musicing on a very shaky belief.  Since the way one musics to a congregation is such important business, it would seem that they should consider what their musicing could do to the whole-life of the worshiper and the seeker.

Musicing with Understanding-part 1

Musicing with Understanding-part 1

              1Corinthians 14:15 teaches very clearly that meaning and understanding are an important part of the musical experience, “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”  St. Paul would not have used the word nous (3563) which means meaning and understanding if it was not possible to derive real life meaning and understanding from singing and playing (also study the meaning of psallo 5567).  Psalm 47:7 also attest to the fact that musicians are able to sing in such a manner that it will communicate meaning and understanding to the hearer when it commands, “For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding (sakal 7919).”  

               The Hebrew word sakal (7919) is used 63 times in the OT and it connotes wisdom and understanding. Sakal gives the connotation of being circumspect, intellectual, or capable of imparting wisdom.  Again, the Sons of Korah who were either the authors or those being admonished by the unnamed inspired psalmist would not have commanded musicians to music with understanding or music in such a manner that it would impart understanding to the hearer if it was impossible to do so.  What the performer and listener experiences when religious music is performed is important to every sincere music minister.

Understanding the Music Genres, We Perform

 Understanding the Music Genres, We Perform

Remember that a worship music philosophy should be a series of systematic statements (beliefs) concerning the nature and value of the whole of the music. These systematic beliefs must include a thorough understanding of the music’s essential nature, i.e., what makes the music part of the music what it is. This underlying set of beliefs must also include an understanding of the formal properties of the music and how they influence the meaning and message of the music, i.e., what it actually does or says or how it influences the performer and auditor.

 A worship music philosophy must also very clearly provide a systematic understanding of the value of this music to the worship experience and what it can do to the whole-life of the performer and worshiper. To deny that religious music does something to the worshiper is naïve and short-sighted. Any style of music should be carefully scrutinized for its ability to affect the whole-life of the performer and auditor in a positive or negative spiritual manner. All musics have the ability to affect change in the whole-life of the worshiper. The amount and quality of the positive influence of the music part of the music will determine whether it is a poor, mediocre or quality vehicle and concomitant of a sacred text.

Thought for the Day

Christian Musicians who are worship leaders must accept the responsibility to study music seriously.  The fact that worship leaders are busy and are many times only part time church musicians is not an excuse for not being a student of music.

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm

            The Christian musician must become aware of where the aesthetics of music has been placed in his or her musical paradigm.  There are many areas of music aesthetics that are important for the Christian musician to consider. However, pin pointing where aesthetics is placed in one’s musical paradigm, and ultimately in that person’s music philosophy, is essential to the establishment of what that musician considers the nature, value and meaning of music to actually be.

            It is often difficult to get a church musician to explain his or her specific beliefs about aesthetics in church music, if that musician does not consider this aspect of philosophy to even be important.  In the business of a Christian’s music ministry, a musician must be personally convinced of the importance of aesthetic philosophy before that musician is willing to dialogue about what aspects of aesthetics are or are not congruent with a Bible based music philosophy.  Since a Christian’s musicing is never autonomous, but always subject to the will of God, every Christian musician must seek to find and do God’s will—and that includes music and musicing.

A Christian’s Worldview of Music

A Christian’s Worldview of Music

There was a time in my career when I believed that a music philosophy was always developed before the formation of a music worldview.  Now I understand that worldview, and specifically music worldview, is the window through which musicians view what they believe is the truth about the nature, value and meaning of music.  All Christian musicians have a music worldview but being a Christian does not ensure that one’s worldview of music is truly Christian.  I define music worldview as how a musician perceives the whole of music in terms of what that musician considers the reality of what is right and wrong, appropriate or not appropriate concerning music. A person’s view of music forms that person’s presumed reality about music and musicing.

 This presumed reality is then weaved into a Christian’s music philosophy.  What is weaved into the musician’s philosophy from worldview will strongly shape how the musician views and deals with music in relationship to being in the world. Certainly, every Christian is in the world, but simply being in the world does not mean that a Christian is “of the world”, i.e. is squeezed into the world’s mold philosophically. So a Christian musician who is living in this world with those who think differently about the whole of music may still form a world of music that is faith based. Hopefully, the Christian will not be convinced by those who are not Christians to view the world and music as they do. The way that Christian musicians view the world will strongly influence how they music in this world.

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 10

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 10

As long as God gives me a sound mind and the ability to type and to publish, I intend, by the grace and mercy of God, to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance about the importance of what and how we music unto our high and holy God.  Sacred music matters. How we music unto God matters. The quality of our musical offerings that we surrender in humility before His wonderful feet matters.  The quality and thoroughness of the musical diet that we present in the context of the worship of a high and holy God matters. The passion with which we minister musically matters.  I am convinced that the onus probandi for the music we present to God and the way we music unto Him falls on the one who leads others in worship.

Christian musicians who lead others in worship have a responsibility to provide their congregations a balanced thorough musical diet.  There are many foods that are considered good diet choices and I suppose that a person could survive if he or she ate only that food.  However, other foods are recommended if that person is going to do more than survive.  The application is that: a congregation may survive on a constant diet of praise chorus sequences but a good musical shepherd should lead his or her flock into green pastures where they can receive sustenance that will cause them to grow and thrive. 

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 9

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 9

For those who are doubtful about the relevance of the Old Testament references to musicing unto God in the context of Temple worship in ancient Israel, I want to give some New Testament support for having a balanced musical diet in musicing unto God. Ephesians 5:19 states, ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”  This is doubtlessly a reference to how to music in public worship.  If it was not, St. Paul’s scribe Tychicus would have written speak i.e. sing to yourself.

 This NT reference to musicing unto the Lord includes a variety of music generas.  It mentions psalms (psalmos 5568), hymns (humnos 5216), and spiritual songs (pneumatikos oide 4152, 5603).  Sounds like the hymnbook doesn’t it?  Notice that the NT reference to public worship doesn’t only include praise music.  Now don’t get nervous, I’m not against singing a sequence of praise choruses.  How could I be against praising God when we music unto Him?  I am merely trying to point out that praising God with our musicing is not constitute a complete musical diet for public worship.  I also want to bring to your attention that we have absolutely no logical reason to suppose that the Greek words psalmos, humnos, and pneumatikos oiide are referring only to the singing of the psalms written in the Biblos Psalmos i.e. the Book of Psalms. For a thorough discussion of the Ephesian reference to musicing unto God see my book Music of the Bible in Christian Perspective.

While I am on this subject I want to point out the shades of meaning of the Greek word psallo (5567) used in Ephesians 5:19. This word was translated making melody in the AV and means to twitch or twang or touch the strings of a musical instrument.  Since this was a well known instrumental music reference at the time the letter to the Christians at Ephesus was dictated by St. Paul to his scribe Tychicus, St. Paul was doubtlessly making reference to instrumental music with vocal music.  If there was at that time a ban on the use of instrumental music in NT worship, Paul, who was a language scholar, would not have thrown salt on the wound of such a musical controversy by referring to instrumental music.  So, there is no reason to jettison the hymnal merely because its compositions depend or at least are greatly strengthened by a written accompaniment.

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 8

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 8

            I have noticed that churches that never sing from printed music often only sing unison.  I have also observed over the past decades church members who have never sung from printed music cannot sing parts. I have observed this musical malady not only in the USA but also in some places in Europe.  The Europeans that I have observed singing in church are great hymn singers but they are no longer great part singers. Those who do not use a musical  skill with regularity will tend to lose the ability to use it.

 We all like to give lip service to giving God our best musical offerings but more and more this is less and less of a reality.  Certainly, the way we often music unto God is far from the Bible example of giving Him a lamb without blemish.  When I think about the hundreds of hours that I have spent in my lifetime perfecting my musical gifts, talents and skills, I shudder at the way we often music unto Him in the context of public worship.  I am convinced that when I face Him whose eyes are as a flame of fire at the great day of judgment I will have to give an account of how I have musiced unto Him.

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 7

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 7

             The presence of the hymnal in the rack on the back or the pew or chair in front of you at church does not require that all sacred musicing be done from the hymnal.  A hymnal is an aid to worship not a law of worship.  God is not keeping a log of how many songs are sung from the hymnal each week.  The screen in the front of the church does not preclude the use of a hymnal.  It is also an aid to worship rather than a law of worship.  Our musicing unto God should not be rigidly controlled by a screen or a hymn book.

            Ministers of music should understand that there are lots of us still attending public worship who are musically literate.  We are often disillusioned, disappointed, and offended that we are ignored by those in charge that do not seem to care that we can and do read music and would like to see some music on the printed score every Sunday so that we can sing parts.  Singing parts is one of the ways that those of us who are musically aware can respond to God by giving Him our best musical offering.  Although we are capable of making up harmony parts, we do not always desire to do so because some songs are well composed and arranged so we do not want to improvise willy-nilly when we sing these songs.  Perhaps one of the reasons that more astute educated musicians are not drawn to church music is because of the blatant dumbing down of church music by those who are in charge. 

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 6

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 6

          No one that I know of has claimed that the hymn book is a musical cure all for all of the problems of a Christian fellowship of believers, bur neither is it the culprit that has caused all the problems and perplexities of a church’s musicing unto God.  When it comes to musicing unto God in the context of worship, we have located the enemy and surprisingly enough we have found this enemy to be US.!  We either bring God to church with us because we live in his presence or we hinder His workings with us because we have spent the week doing what he has told us very clearly not to do.  How can we possibly have accepted the notion that He will tabernacle among us on Sunday morning if we refuse to obey him in our everyday lives? 

            When our musicing in God’s house is not done as a passionate response to the blessed Trinity and when we are distracted and not really eager to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it is easy to blame someone or something else for the lackluster musicing that takes place in the context of public worship.  Unfortunately, the hymn book has been the designated culprit for all of our worship problems.  Again, I say if the hymnal is not up to date, if it does not have fresh new hymns, time honored hymns, gospel hymns, gospel songs, psalm settings, new praise and worship choruses—get a new book rather than reacting by banning all hymn books.

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 5

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 5

          Another type of music found in the forgotten, misunderstood, unappreciated, book that has been jettisoned is Psalms set to music.  Surely, I do not have to rant and rave about why Christians should sing psalms.  1Chronicles 16:9 tells us very clearly, “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.”  Psalm 105:2 repeats the admonition, “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.”  Some hymn books do not have very many psalm settings or songs paraphrased from the Sepher Tehillim i.e. the Book of Psalms or more accurately the Scroll of Praises, but that is no reason to send all hymn books to the city dump.  If your church does not have a good hymn book get a new one!  Get a better one.  If your church does not have the money to purchase a better hymn book, I am sure that one of the thousands of churches who have carefully placed their collection of hymnals in the janitor’s closet will be more than willing to clean out that much needed space.  It amazes me that we are smart enough to go to the moon, but the lack of a good hymnal has stymied us completely.  It has caused us to not sing any songs that are time honored and has caused a dreadful musical anemia as a result of our incomplete and impoverished musical diet.

            God has commanded His people to sing unto Him and even more specifically He has commanded us to sing psalms unto Him.  We read this command in the Holy Writ and yet we fail to sing even one solitary psalm in an entire church year.  I am sure if God has a sense of humor we must tickle Him at times.  We cry and we beg God to presence Himself in our time of singing unto Him in the context of Sunday morning worship, but we are too dense mentally to understand that it might help if we would do what He tells us to do when we music unto Him.  I want to make it very clear that I am not in favor of only singing psalms in worship, but one or two now and then will shake things up musically, will doubtlessly please God; and will possibly get us out of a horrible rut musically.  Singing psalms will also add a new dimension to our musical praise and will teach us more about God, who He is and what He has done for those who have loved and served him over the centuries since He created mankind.

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 4

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 4 

This banned and almost forgotten book also contains gospel hymns which are another very valuable part of the worship diet.  This species of sacred music is an amalgamation of the hymn and the gospel song.  It is distinguished from the hymn by its ability to extol the blessed Trinity in at least two (or more) distinct ways.  It extolls God for who He is, what He has done, what He will do for all mankind (and especially for those who love and serve Him), and specifically what God has done and is doing for the Christian.  I marvel at how such a valuable worship tool has slipped into oblivion. 

One of the most vital elements of public worship musicing is believability—next to musicing with passion it is the hook that draws the seeker and the believer into the reality of public worship.  Personal testimony through a Christian’s worship leadership brings the good news of the gospel into real-life focus.  Nothing succeeds like believable musicing about the reality of our God who is busy drawing the seeker to himself and the believer into greater relationship with Him.

 My father used to say that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. A worship leader’s passion about who God is, what He has done, what He is currently doing in the life of the born-again Christian, and what he will do for the Christian in the future draws others into the experience of worship like a giant magnet!  Sedate, staid, somber, lethargic, long faced, expressionless, detached, perfunctory worship leadership belies the good news of the gospel and the vision of a God who is worthy of our worship. Remember in Isaiah’s vision of God in chapter six verse one he asserts “…I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple”. A study of this chapter reveals that when Isaiah received a fresh vision of the Lord as high and exalted he also saw a fresh vision of his own spiritual condition. It is perfectly acceptable for the worship leader to smile and the worship team to show visible signs that they are truly and joyfully worshiping as they sing.

So, the gospel hymn can and should be a part of balanced worship musicing because of its ability to communicate believably to both the seeker and the Christian at the same time in the same musical composition.  The seeker is made to look forward to the possibility of forgiveness and peace with God and the believer looks backward to God’s forgiveness, freedom from the guilt of sins, and redemption, and marvels at the thought of a God who “…giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. “1Corinthians 15:57.

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 3

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 3 

 Regardless of popular thought, everyone who comes to know Jesus Christ will have difficulty conforming their lives to the image of Christ unless they know who He is, what He is like and His expectations are for those who love and serve Him.  Romans 8:29 states, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”  Singing hymns has for centuries been an excellent source of gaining that necessary knowledge.  It is a valuable staple in a church’s spiritual diet.  As I have often mentioned in my teaching and philosophical writings, every fellowship of seekers and believers needs a balanced musical diet.  Although a church may survive on an incomplete spiritual diet, why impoverish them?  If we do they will probably will have a harder time growing spiritually. 

Think about what the Bible is teaching us when it states in Psalm 26:6 -7, “I will wash mine hands in innocence: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.”  Without writing a lengthy homily, let me simply say that the psalmist expressed his belief that it was important to tell others (with thanksgiving) about the wonderful things that YHVH had done in his life. Psalm 98:1 also teaches that our musicing should tell others about the marvelous things that the LORD has done when it states, “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.”  Singing gospel songs does just that—they brag on God for what he has done in the life of the born-again Christian. These scriptures clearly teach that those who love and serve God to compass God’s altar with music that tells of His wonderful works. Psalm 34:2 explains, {My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.”  Psalm 44:8 states, “In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever.”

 So, our musicing in the worship service should include this vital dimension.  I find it difficult to understand what could cause a worship leader to not want to sing about the marvelous freedom that the saving grace of Jesus Christ our redeemer brings to the believer.  It has been the responsibility of the Chief Musician to be a teacher and a teller for as long as the Holy Writ has recorded the responsibilities of worship in ancient Israel.  An ancient landmark of musicing unto God is grateful, joyful, thankful Chief Musicians who are seers and tellers of God’s goodness, justice, love, forgiveness, longsuffering, mercy and wisdom—to mention only a few of the things about who God is and what He does.

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 2

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 2

          Yesterday I began a rant and rave about a book that has vanished from many worship centers.  Today I will begin to sketch out a few reasons why the mysterious disappearance of this collection of praise and worship songs, has impoverished public worship.  I must state at the outset that I am not against the use of a sequence of praise/worship choruses, nor am I against praising God in His sanctuary.  I would be the first to say that the Bible does not merely suggest but rather commands His people to praise Him.  It very specifically commands those who love and serve Him to “Sing unto Him”.  Furthermore, I am not one who believes that the new things that are currently being written, composed, and arranged are musically substandard.  Admittedly, not everything currently being written is quality didactic lyric poetry or well-developed quality musical compositions.  However much of what is being composed at this time is valuable worship music, but it is not the only relevant and valuable music available that we should use in the context of public worship.

            Let me began this very brief discussion by pointing out that there is quality music found in almost any hymnal that a church has banished to the storage or trash bin.  The loss of these songs has narrowed and impoverished public worship. Now that I have removed the false conception that I am a musician who hates all things new, let us go on to the discussion of what and why.  The banished book contains hymns that are deeply theological and therefore an extremely valuable tool for catechizing those who attend public worship.  The lyric poetry and the melodies included in these songs are valuable aids to remembering valuable truths which are taught in God’s infallible inspired Word.  Let me add at this point in this discussion that this catechizing is necessary and valuable, not only for the unchurched seeker but also for the vast majority of people who have been attending church for a long period of time.

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 1

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 1

From time to time those of us who have observed church music over several decades are constrained to rant and rave a bit about the “Vanishing Hymnbook”.   For the millennials who read this blog perhaps I should explain what the vanishing hymnbook is.  It is a book that contains hymns, gospel songs, gospel hymns, a few psalms and praise choruses.  Some newer hymnals have sequences of praise choruses with little modulatory and or transitions to the next chorus or hymn or gospel song. You can find this book in the corner closet in the basement of your church.  If you worship in a renovated Walmart, the building does not have a basement so this banished collection of books will probably be found in a storage cabinet somewhere close to the dock doors at the rear of the building or perhaps stacked neatly at the back of the janitor’s closet.

This former aid to worship has vanished because it has been banished.  It is in exile because the worship leader and the senior pastor have absolutely no idea how to use it and furthermore have no conception of its priceless value to the catechism of those who are now attend the Sunday morning worship/performance event.  This is not surprising because this church is making an all-out effort to remove theological content from the Sunday morning event.

New Philosophies of a Chief Musician

New Philosophies of a Chief Musician

                Since post postmodernism is so much in the early stages of development, no one knows with certainty how the new epistemology (the theory of validity and knowing) of millennials and will play out in these millennials music philosophy and music praxis?  They will most likely consider religious musicing to be an event rather than an opportunity to humbly come into God’s presence with singing and musicing.  They are so filled with humanism that they consider that all musicing begins and ends with the musician. 

               The concept of a Chief musician musicing as a humble ministering servant has in the last part of the 20^th century and now in the 21^st century morphed into a musician who is chief of his or her religious musicing.  The Bible principle of a skilled musician worshiping YHVH in the spirit of sharath (8334) i.e. one who worships in the spirit of a menial, has been lost in the plethora of confusion that now surrounds public worship.  Many Christian musicians who are educated by humanists have accepted the philosophical notion that musicing in and out of public worship is largely about self-actualization, career development and self-aggrandizement.  Christian musicians who are servants of Jesus Christ must be reminded that sacred musicing is not about self but rather the blessed Trinity.

Gaining Understanding about Music

Gaining Understanding about Music

I have continued to gather material about music and musicing that consider current concerns of music philosophy.  My desire is to continue to gain an understanding of the various concerns which secular music philosophers were writing about, and discuss them from a Christian perspective.  The reason I have decided to continue to discuss these issues and concerns of music philosophy from a Christian perspective is that, almost universally they are not considered from a “faith basis” and most certainly not from a Bible basis that treats the Biblical Record as inspired and authoritative and relevant.

The few references to the Bible given in scattered secular music philosophy books have, most of the time, not been specific enough to make them worth quoting. Frankly, at the time of the preparation of this EBook, the only current secular college music philosophy text that has given a valuable and fair treatment of faith as a basis for music philosophy is Donald Hodges Book a Concise Survey of Music Philosophy.  Most music philosophy books have not considered faith as a basis for developing a music philosophy or what the Bible teaches about music and musicing to be authoritative truth.  Most music philosophers have failed to recognize that the Bible gives us what Francis Schafer has called “true truth” and what I term “true musical truth”.  Almost without exception secular music philosophers in the 20^th century and now in this century have not considered what the Bible teaches to be an accurate source of information on which one could build a music philosophy

Christian Musicians Should Think about Music

Christian Musicians Should Think about Music

             It is not a novel thought that the 21st century Christian musician should be deeply involved in thinking about music. As far back as the Levite musicians in ancient Israel, the Egyptian musicians, the musicians from Sumer, Akkad and Ugarit, Plato, Aristotle, the church fathers such as Aquinas and Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John and Charles Wesley, to mention only a few, have been greatly concerned about music as is reflected in their writings.  

            A plethora of conflicting books either partially of in entirely written about music philosophy have been written in the last 100 years from a secular perspective.  It is unfortunate that so little has been written about music philosophy from a Bible basis or even from a faith basis.  Most of the books written by Christian musicians that discuss music philosophy have only devoted a portion of their works to a serious study of music philosophy.  It is also most regrettable that Christian authors have for the most part not struggled with many of the major concepts of music philosophy that the secular music philosopher have and are still dealing with in this century.  So, there is much need for current philosophical writings about music from a Bible and faith basis.

Where Does the “Buck” Stop?

Where Does the “Buck” Stop?  

            When it comes to music and musicing the onus probandi does not fall on the music but rather the musicer.  We often hear Christian musicians whine about how current religious music with its lack of depth of text and its fragmented melodic construction and incessant driving beat.  All or part of these complaints may be correct but the real problem is not found in the music but rather in the musicer who continues to utilize it in the context of public worship.   

            Inferior religious music never affects the worshiping body of believers and seekers if the musicer doesn’t perform it.  It is one thing to complain about the current trendy church music that people like, but that is not an excuse for performing it simply because the worship leader feels pressured to use it in place of a more balanced diet of sacred music.  The way to keep from being pressured to perform inferior religious music is to make quality sacred come alive when it is used in the context of public worship.  So, the “buck stops” with the worship leader.  He or she will be the mental catalyst that will cause the modern worshiper to relate to quality traditional sacred music.

Finding Truth in Music Christian Education Part 4

Finding Truth in Music Christian Education Part 4 

       We must not take off our “biblical worldview glasses” in the area of music. It is not a neutral, ineffective, autonomous area, but on the contrary, it greatly affects our lives and we must surrender our musical tastes to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  There is a reason we must guard what we listen to.   K. Marie Stolba put it well when she said, “Music was peculiar among the arts in that it alone had the ability to influence character.”  (Stolba, K.M., The Development of Western Music, 1998 P. 13)

When we are making wise musical choices, we are able to enjoy the beauty of music as it infiltrates our lives. “The result of aesthetic experiences is a richer and more meaningful life…The antonym of ‘aesthetic’…can best be thought of as ‘anesthetic’- nothingness, no life, no feeling, no humanness.” (Abeles, Hoffer, Klotman, Foundations of Music Education, 1994 p. 63)  How much should we thank our heavenly Father for giving us so many aesthetics that our lives may be full and enriched! And how important it is that we honor that privilege and take advantage of what He has given us courts with Praise. (Ibid., Webber, 1997 p.78)  

Thought for the Day  

Ms. Wolf is correct in purporting that we all make musical judgments through our “worldview glasses”.  Unfortunately, many Christian musicians do not look at music through “biblical worldview glasses”.  As a matter of fact post-postmodern Christians consider a musician who does to be a religious extremist.  GLW

Finding Truth in Music Christian Education Part 3

Finding Truth in Music Christian Education Part 3 

       A musician’s philosophy is not established to make other people happy, but to set guidelines for living a Christ centered, God honoring life.  Christ must have preeminence in our lives; He must have lordship over all of our choices and decisions, including music.  Francis Schaeffer says, “There is nothing autonomous- nothing apart from the lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Scriptures. God made the whole man is interested in the whole man, and the result is a unity.” (Schaeffer, Francis, Escape from Reason 1968 p. 29)

            Part of submitting to His lordship is considering what God thinks about music.  God loves beautiful things, and we bring to Him our best offerings and abilities, but we do not perform art for the glorification of art itself. Webber says that the arts are “vehicles for communication. The arts are not venerated or worshipped. Rather they are used to communicate truth about God.” (Webber, R, E. Enter his Courts with Praise, 1997, p. 78)    

Thought for the Day

The part of music philosophy that deals with the beautiful has well supported, for centuries, that beauty in the art of music does matter.

Finding Truth in Music Christian Education Part 2

Finding Truth in Music Christian Education Part 2                                     

       The first step in developing a music philosophy is to go to the Word of God.  We cannot find wisdom and discernment in ourselves or in the world around us.  It must come from our Heavenly Father first and foremost.  I Corinthians 2:12-16 says, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

        “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.  The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (NIV)  Even as we discover truth and discern wisdom, our finite minds cannot cover everything. “No philosophy can be comprehensive in the omnipotent sense of providing the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” says Garen Wolf.  “A philosophy can never say all there is to say about something. However, a philosophy can and should explain what something is all about.” (Wolf, Garen, Church Music Matters, 2005 p. 18)  Not everyone will have exactly the same lines of demarcation, but we all must filter our philosophies through the gridlines of the Bible. 

Thought for the Day

It seem odd to me to me that Christian’s who base their music philosophy on Scripture are often considered by other Christian musicians to be extremists and overzealous “proof-texters”. I have found that most often the people who have a well thought out written music philosophy are careful not to take Scripture out of context in order to twist into supporting their philosophical beliefs.   GLW

Finding Truth in Music Christian Education Part 1.

Finding Truth in Music Christian Education Part 1. 

       This philosophical excerpt is presented here as a part of our series of articles on music education philosophy presented by selected Christian musicians in various countries. This philosophical excerpt is taken by permission from the monograph                                   Finding Truth in a World of Musical Deception by Rachelle Wolf.  She holds a BA degree in Christian music ed. with a performance emphasis in applied violin from God’s Bible College.  She is currently a candidate for an MM degree in violin performance at Miami University at Oxford Ohio.  While studying at Miami University, she holds a graduate assistantship and teaches violin privately, and is active in her church.  (The thoughts for the day are mine.)                                  

       What is music? Does it have value in the life of a Christian?  What does God think about music?  Are there specific kinds of music that are appropriate for a Christian musician?  Is there a place for secular music?  It doesn’t take long to find answers to these questions, many answers. It is not in finding answers that we have difficulty; ask anyone you meet.  Every musician has a music philosophy, regardless of how well it is developed.  The real challenge comes in wading through the stream of answers and philosophies to find the gold nuggets of truth.  

Thought for the Day   

Christian musicians often consider the appropriateness of what they say because it will affect their Christian witness, but at the same time do not seem to realize that what they music will also affect Christian witness. GLW