Not only Beautiful but also Suitable—part 12

Not only Beautiful but also Suitable—part 12

          Dealing philosophically with the issues mentioned in Blaise Pascal’s philosophical statement, “It is not enough that a thing be beautiful.  It must be suitable to the subject, and there must be in it nothing of excess or defect” should not be static and woodenly unchanging.  I want to make it very clear that as the world changes musically and philosophically, the Christian must continually re-define terms and make further refinements in one’s series of systematic Bible based beliefs about the nature and value of the whole of music.  As I have stated many times, the Christian is not of this world’s system (aion 165) but we are in this world (kosmos 2889) so we must constantly make adjustments in the way we music unto God.  Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Conservative Christian musicians must not resist all change but must resist destructive change. 

          There is no merit in becoming what I call a musical antique lover.  If one falls in love with”the way things were” and “the good ole days” musically speaking, one does not protect Christian worship (unless that musician was fortunate enough to have been a part of an excellent worship praxis).  He or she only protects musical tradition.  Conversely, the church musician who becomes addicted to the “cutting edge” and considers it to be his duty bound to follow every music worship fad and trend, may be responsible for much destructive change and unnecessary division among Christian believers.  I want to make it very clear that time honored ways of musicing in worship are not to be discarded lightly.  However, the way one has musiced throughout his or her lifetime does not insure that those ways of worshiping with music are representative of Bible landmarks of public worship.