Avoiding Sweeping Generalizations about Church Music

 Avoiding Sweeping Generalizations about Church Music

 Issues like whether Christian musician considers a particular selection of music to be “musical junk”; “not music at all” or that it is “not of enough musical quality” to be aesthetically effective are not the sole determining  factor or factors for rejecting it in the context of worship.  The problem with the statements like those just mentioned is that  they are simply not always accurate statements. So, every musician must carefully consider the validity of such statements before making  sweeping generalizations out a particular piece of music.

 Although the conservative Christian musician is continually guarding the practice of musicing unto God, overstating one’s position on music aesthetics is not the answer.  When it comes to the use or disuse of many pop styles of music in public worship, the simply stated facts about its appropriateness as a worship vehicle is a much better argument than making statements about a style of music that cannot be substantiated. 

          What really matters about the use or disuse of a style of music when one is worshiping a high and holy triune God is much more complicated than mere musical or aesthetic quality—although musical and aesthetic quality does matter.  What really matters is what a particular style of music communicates to the musicer and the listener and what that communication has the potential to do to a person mentally and spiritually.

Thought for the Day

Think before you make unfounded generalizations about music.  That being said, one should proceed with caution.  “Know before you go.”