Merely Sounding Brass—part 1

 

Merely Sounding Brass—part 1

            1 Corinthians 13:1, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”  There are a couple of thoughts that I would like to leave with you today.  The word charity which is used repeatedly in this chapter is translated from the Greek word agape (26). Albert Barnes, in his Commentary on the New Testament gives the following comments: “The words ‘And have not charity’ mean and have not love. This is the proper and usual meaning of the Greek word. The English word charity that is used in many translations of this passage of the New Testament, has, according to how it is used I a great variety of meanings; and some of them cannot be included in the meaning of the word here.”    It is believed by many Bible exegetes that agape connotes love in action or love that acts.

          Those who truly love someone act when they see that person in need.  So, conversely, failing to act is a pretty sure sign that one does not love deeply.  We all know that the just live by faith, but we also know that as James 2:26 teaches, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”  What a Christian musician says matters, but the test of love is action.  

 

Thought for the Day

 

Selfishness is one of the main reasons that people do not act in love.  If a person really loves his or her actions will support that claim.

 

To my Faithful Blog Readers

 

To my Faithful Blog Readers 

          Some of my faithful readers have for many months read my thoughts on music. It is my desire that you now have greater insights into the Scriptures concerning music in the Bible.  Church musicians are not usually language scholars and, on the contrary, they have general tendency to avoid original language study concerning Bible music.

          All too many musicians' libraries consist of a host of volumes on music history, theory, literature, a few volumes of hymn stories, and their favorite hypnology text without a single concordance or lexicon to study the original Bible languages.  I hope that your word study appetite has been stimulated until you will at least invest in the standard works that are now keyed to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.

          As we are now more than half way through the second decade of this twenty-first century, every Christian musician needs to not only be prepared spiritually and musically, but also have a deep understanding of the significance of music in the Bible.  It is important that musicians be able to understand the music of the Bible in Christian perspective.  I Corinthians 2:12-13 states, "Now ye have received, not of the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that ye might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

          No music blog will be able to completely guide church musicians in the twenty-first century.  Only an understanding of what the Book of Books has to say about sacred music will serve as a guide for Christian musicians of the next century.  If my blog has stimulated you to study music in the Book of Books, the many hours that it has taken to prepare these posts have been well spent.

                                                            G.L.W.

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 7

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 7

                 Those who believe that the scripturally accurate gospel songs  cannot relate to moderns, post-moderns, post-postmoderns, young people and seekers are testifying that they do not believe that the good news of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is still relevant and “quick and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). Nor do they believe as Psalm 100:5 declares, “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”  Also, those who believe that the demands of Scripture that are accurately taught in gospel songs are too offensive and too confrontational for the un-churched seeker are confessing that they are ashamed of the many truths taught in the Bible that are so succinctly presented in gospel music.

      One of the reasons that the New Testament church thrived spiritually was that, like St. Paul (Romans 1:16), they were not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The twenty-first century church should think long and hard about following a music praxis that denies the use of the gospel presented through well written, scripturally accurate gospel songs.

Thought for the Day

At the end of this short series of posts on gospel music, I would like to remind all Christian musicians that the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news.  God is alive and he is working with His people.  We do not have a “New Age” who is far, far away but rather, our god is alive and working on our behalf.   Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 6

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 6

 Those who believe that all public “worship”, “worship events” or whatever it is now politically correct to call the gatherings of Christians and seekers on Sunday morning, are for the exclusive purpose of singing praise sequences need to take a serious look at what the Bible teaches in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 about the public musicing of Christians who gather to gather to sing unto God and those who attend these services.  Also, they need to study the many Scriptures in Old Testament lyric poetry that are literally saturated with personal references to God’s forgiveness, help and sustenance. The reality of personal testimony expressed by a born again Christian singing testimony songs is far from outdated.

 One of the most needed elements of heart felt worship is the current reality of God’s daily working in the worshiper’s life.  Public worship should be Trinitarian; it should be saturated with praise and adoration to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but it should more inclusive of the reality and personal references to God’s current work in the life of those who love and serve Him. 

Thought for the Day

My dear friend Rev. Larry Smith has written that all public corporate worship should be individual, orderly, complete and, of course Trinitarian.  Christian musicians must remember that if individuals do hot worship on a personal level, there will be no corporate worship.  One of the best ways to get individuals to worship is to have them remember what God has done, and is currently doing in their lives as individuals.

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 5

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 5

       If you will remember, Ephesians 5:19 mentions, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms (psalmos-5568) and hymns (humnos-5215) and spiritual (pneumatikos-4152) songs  (ode -5603), singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord:”  Although we do not know with certainty what the pneumatikos oide were like, I like to think that they may have been somewhat like our gospel songs.  Also, note that verse nineteen also reminds those who make melody that our musicing unto the Lord should be done in the presence of others. 

Therefore, the Christian’s musicing takes on a multi-directional communication that includes musicing unto God and musicing to others at the same time.  For this reason the gospel song enables the singer to praise God and tell others about His goodness and saving power at the same time.  Colossians 3:16 also reminds Christian musicians to, ”Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Thought for the Day

I believe that the effectual fervent musicing of a righteous man or woman availeth much in public worship.  Your worship is incapable of being either effectual or fervent if you do not participate in congregational singing.

Why Musicians Do What They Do—Part 2

 

Why Musicians Do What They Do—Part 2

One approach to discussion is for the thesis thinker to start by stating as clearly and precisely as is possible exactly what he or she believes philosophically about the nature and value of music.  It is a mistake to start by asking post-modern or post-post-modern man to prove anything about music philosophy.  The only thing that one can do is offer biblical, examples, warnings, admonitions, and absolutes concerning music.  Remember that, to twenty first century man, music philosophy is often non-discussible, non-rational, non-logical, and is without congruent explanation.

Many Christian musicians in this century believe that the Bible contains but does not necessarily embody truth, or is the whole truth or true-truth.  To these musicians truth is mixed with error.  It is often hard for the thesis thinker to understand that many Christian musicians actually believe that the Bible not only contains truth concerning music but that also it contains error. These synthesis-thinking musicians have a non-rational, non-logical autonomous faith in Christ that is not totally Bible based.  Their autonomous faith goes beyond the truth of Scripture since synthesis faith is based on their personal encounter with Christ that does not come under the scrutiny of Scripture.  These musicians may not even believe in the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the virgin birth, a literal hell, eternal punishment, the witness of the Spirit, a personal relationship with Christ, or a literal creation or original sin.  So, it is important that you operate from the presupposition that the Bible is the infallible, completely accurate, inspired Word of God and that it does not contain a mixture of truth and error.

 

 

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 4

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 4

When Christians brag on the Savior it is not only good news to Christians but it is also good news to those who do not know the Lord. One of the most positive things that a congregation of believers can do musically is to tell the good news of what God has done for them individually.  This is many times best accomplished by singing gospel songs. Although worship is not about us but rather our Savior, salvation is about what God has done for us individually.  This salvation is a personal “know so” salvation.  Salvation does not mean very much to us until we as individuals have become partakers of the divine nature as explained in  2 Peter 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”   

       One of the wonderful things about musicing unto God through personal testimony presented in gospel songs is the testimony of twenty first century Christians that God is still working with individuals in this present age.  Singing these testimony songs brings current individual reality and excitement through singing the good news of what God is doing and has done for us as individuals.  Singing about this personal reality is in no way a put-down of praise music, hymn singing or Psalm singing.  You see, our God is so awesome that the diversity of musics mentioned above helps us to fully express the awesomeness, solemnity, wonder, and majesty to the Triune God. 

Thought for the Day

Sing great rhetoric about God is a must for public worship, but it is in no way a replacement for the reality and testimony of what the Holy Spirit, the Holy and wise comforter is currently doing in our lives.

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 3

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 3

There is much Old Testament lyric poetry that makes personal reference to God’s work in his or her life. This type of poetry is found much later in the New Testament in Luke 1:46-49 where Mary proclaimed, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.  For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.  For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.”  This poetry was certainly including the “I”, “me” and “my” of the Gospel.  This early poetry was in the spirit of what we have come to know and understand as “gospel music”.  So, for thousands of years those who loved and served God have made their personal boast in the LORD.  Now, some millennial musical churchmen have decided that this personalization is out dated and no longer capable of speaking to or relating to post postmoderns. 

Many 20^th  and now 21^st  century church musicians have regarded personal references to God’s grace, mercy and help to be incongruent with the spirit of true public worship.  It is true that public worship is not about individuals but rather God.  However, when a Christian makes his or her boast in the Lord, such effusions of a grateful heart bring glory and honor to God.  Without such current and living experiences of God’s workings among His people, public worship often tends to be routine and sterile.

Thought for the Day

I believe that the removal of all personal testimony in public worship has been one of the gravest misconceptions of what public worship should involve.  I remember many times when some humble saint would rise to his or her feet and give honor and glory to god for God’s current working in his or her life.  Many times these praises to God brought an exceeding weight of glory to the worship service that caused us all to worship.

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 2

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 2

Praise is the Christian’s response to God, i.e. thanks, adoration, and love for the trinity—it is what a worshiper “does” in response for what God Has done him.  Gospel songs explain very vividly what God has done and what He is “doing”.  My soul is blessed when I think about the difference between Christianity and the other world religions.  Christianity’s God is alive and is “doing” because He is not merely a god who “was”, but on the authority of His Word, He declares, “I AM THAT I AM”.  It is no wonder that Christians want to sing gospel songs as a way to brag on this God who is alive and well and is “doing”.

 Lyric poems that expresses the pronouns “I” and “my” are not a passing novelty of the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  Psalm 34:2 states “My soul shall make her boast (halal-1984) in the LORD: the humble (anav 6035) i.e. the depressed in mind) shall hear thereof, and be glad.”  Some of the best sacred lyric poetry that has been written in the last two hundred years has been used in gospel music.  Gospel songs of the last two centuries are some of the most descriptive and well-written poems that Christians have used to make their boast in the LORD.

Thought for the Day

Religion is “mere religion” until a musician has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  If there is no “I” and “my” to your musicing unto God, religious music will never be much more than an art form to you.

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 1

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 1 

          Regardless of what some Christian musicians who are millennials say the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is “good news”.  That means frankly that gospel songs whether new or old are relevant and apropos in this century. All Christians desire to share this good news through their musicing.  The gospel of our triune God is much broader in scope than what we are able to express in our praise music.  Gospel songs allow a fellowship of believers to share many diverse aspects of full salvation by faith.  These songs are very positive songs that tell not only who God is but what He has done for sinful men and women in the past and what He will do for them now and what he can do for the seeker now and in the future.

          I will be the first to acknowledge that there are gospel songs that are not high quality poems and that furthermore that their musical content and structure are not shining examples of musical and compositional excellence.   Certainly there is some gospel music that should be allowed to sink into a state of well-earned oblivion.   We all are aware that there are gospel songs that were the work of a musical hack who was not a knowledgeable composer or arranger.  However, that is not proof that all gospel music is not usable or appropriate for public worship or evangelism.

Thought for the Day

Be careful before you categorically write off all public singing of gospel songs in an attempt to be current and trendy.

Evidences That You May be Called to Music Ministry

Evidences That You May be Called to Music Ministry

Below is a list of strengths that a musician who is called to music ministry often has.  They are not proofs of a calling to music ministry, but God often gives them to musicians who are called to be ministers of music.  Over the many years that I was a Bible College music professor, young musicians often mistook these gifts as a proofs that they were called to preach.  Here is the list that I have written for your consideration.

                    A passionate love for Scripture

                    An understanding of God’s Word

                    A desire to study music in the Bible

                    The ability to find spiritual meanings in sacred music

                    A desire to share those meanings with others

                    A spiritual burden for people

                    A desire to worship God with music

                    A gentleness and love for those with whom you music

                    A passion to music effectively

                    You have dissatisfaction with mere artistic rendering of sacred music

                    A desire to seek and have the Holy Spirit’s anointing on your musicing

                    Recognition of the dangers of worshiping the creature (music) rather than              its Creator (God)

                    A sincere desire to music unto God rather than to consume music on         

                    Your own desires

                    You consider your musicing a confession of faith

                    You consider your music ministry a sacred trust

                                    

Theology, Philosophy, Psychology, and Music Part 4

 

Theology, Philosophy, Psychology, and Music Part 4

St. Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae (1:20-23) states, “And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven. And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blame, and without charge in His sight, if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was proclaimed in all the creation under Heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister, (MKJV) has relevance to 21^st century Christian musicians.  If Christian musicians are going to  “…continue in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel…”, then they must not be alienated and enemies in their minds by the works of those who do not love and serve Jesus Christ.

Becoming a follower of Jesus Christ must include a parting of ways with the world.  Why do Christian musicians struggle with separation with the spirit of this age when it comes to how Christians and those who do not love and serve Christ music? How a Christian community musics is partially cultural, but all aspects of culture that are included in the way Christians music unto God must come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ or they are not thoroughly Christian.

Considering Anti-Music-part-part 6

Considering Anti-Music-part-part 6

        Lest I be misunderstood as a worshiper of musical tradition rather than  a worshiper of God, I am not purporting that all musical tradition is worthwhile.  That being said, those of us who believe and practice free worship must constantly guard against what I term traditional worship “rutual”.  Those of us who do not practice a formal worship ritual are in danger of getting in an unorganized rut.  If we would be the slightest bit honest we would have to admit that our patterns of weekly use of music in worship are far from free and worship would probably be much better if our patterns were organized and purposeful.  For instance, those who often pride themselves in the fact they have eliminated all, or mostly all, of the traditional hymns and gospel songs in favor of fresh new choruses, fall into the “rutual” of singing the same chorus sequences Sunday after Sunday until the worshipers do not need to look at the screen because they know what will be coming next.

          No doubt part of the reason that millennials are hocking their new strange musical wares on congregations of worshipers is that they are bored with traditional predictable worship music.  The answer is not the “hock and awe” of anti-music.  Although part of the answer must be discussed in another blog sequence, a fresh anointing on the worship leader will add reality, excitement and believability to musical worship.  Fresh new approaches to music used in public worship are not wrong in and of themselves.  The answer is reality and believability in the music that one uses in the context of public worship.

Scripture Thought for the Day

Psalm 144:9, “I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.”

Considering Anti-Music-part-part 5

Considering Anti-Music-part-part 5

          The ancient Levite musician Chenaniah desired understanding and utilized music as a means to accomplish his purpose and mission borne in upon him of YHVH.  As one studies the OT, it becomes very clear that the work and purpose of the Levite musicians was not art music, anti-music, or noise-music, but rather the better understanding of the worshiper.  Whether a Christian musician likes it or not, the music part of worship music (the te’amim) or melodies of the entire OT was steeped in worthy tradition. This tradition of music worship was established by high authority as described in 1Chronicles 25:1, “Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals…”

          1Chronicles 25, explains that this established worthy and worthwhile tradition or music praxis was established in ancient Israel by the chief Levite musicians and their sons (see verses2-31) and “according to the order of” i.e. the hands of King David, “Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king.  Whether we like it or not, the Bible teaches very clearly in the 25^th chapter of 1 Chronicles (and at other places in the OT) that all musical tradition is not to be avoided by the worship leader.  According to the Book, the Levite musicians were not turned loose on the ancient Israelite worshipers to hock their strange and shocking musical inventions.

Scripture Thought for the Day

Psalm 33:2, “Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.”

Considering Anti-Music-part-part 4

Considering Anti-Music-part-part 4

          Composers have often purposed to shock and anger audiences by composing music that is truly considered to be avant-garde music.  They have often expressed a desire to break with any established musical traditions.  One of the reasons has been their desire to leave a shocking footprint on the current musical scene in a particular generation.  This desire as come from a deep humanistic belief in “self” rather than having massa or spiritual burden borne in upon them of God. This desire is spoken of in 1Chronicles 15:22, “And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skillful.”  

          Chenaniah’s musicing was not about self but rather about God.  He did not desire to cause shock and chagrin among those who worshiped but rather to music in a way that would cause the congregation to understand more fully the Word and will of YHVH.  This purposeful music praxis of the Levite musicians is mentioned in Nehemiah 8:8, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly (they intoned i.e. sang the Holy Writ), and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”  The Levites desired understanding in worship rather than novelty or obscurity. 

Scripture Thought for the Day

1Chronicles 25:7, “So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD, even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight.”

Considering Anti-Music-part-part 3

Considering Anti-Music-part-part 3

          I believe it is a mistake for a Christian minister of music to refer to refer to sacred music as “noise” or “organized noise”.  I admit readily that some of the compositions that have been pawned off on the church in the last century and in today’s church may well be considered noise.  When it is justifiably considered to be noise it should not be considered sacred music. 

          The composer, arranger and the musicer must make a choice of either producing “noise music” i.e. anti-music or music that is worthy to be considered for sacred use.  Psalm 89:15 teaches that in the eyes of Almighty God who is here referred to as YHVH the self-existent, independent, eternal God who is ,when it states, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.”    Sound may not matter to millennials who are post postmoderns, but it does to God.  Certainly it should not take much musical discernment to distinguish noise music from music styles that are suited to the purpose of worshiping a high and holy God. 

Scripture Thought for the Day

Ezekiel 26:13, “And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.”

Considering Anti-Music-part 2

Considering Anti-Music-part 2

          Noise-music is a form of so-called music that some would consider to be the “expressive” use of noise or distortion within the context of what the composer or arranger considers to be “music” or “anti-music” music. This type of composition challenges the distinction between musical and non-musical sound. It is directly related to the 20^th century philosophy off the destruction of music absolutes.

          Where am I heading with this discussion?  The purpose is not to get entangled in the controversy over whether some secular music that is rightly considered to be anti-music is music or merely noise.  The purpose of this very brief mention of anti-music it to point out that it was not developed by God fearing Christian musicians who were desiring to worship God with a genera of music that negated the elements of traditional Western music.  Therefore, it is misguided for a Church musician to entangle public worship with such styles of music.  Such entanglement is one of Satan’s stratagems for squeezing religious music into the world’s mold.

Scripture Thought for the Day

Isaiah 14:11, “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.”