Soli Deo Gloria

 

Soli Deo Gloria

 

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 whether or not we should music in order to refresh the soul. 

First of all, we should give some explanation of 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) appears in 95 verses in the AV New Testament and is translated life, lives, soul, souls, and minds.  It is not clear 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 musicians 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 wrote SDG (sole Deo gloria) at the end of his compositions. This Latin phrase was used by J.S. Bach in all (or nearly all) of his sacred compositions and in some or his secular compositions.  It was also used by G. F. Handel in his Te Deum.  The term soli Deo gloria which was abbreviated by Bach S.D.G. means glory to God alone or to the only God.

 

Treating the Holy Writ with Much Respect

 

Treating the Holy Writ with Much Respect

 When I commit my beliefs to pen and ink, it is possible that I spend more time with the English dictionary, Bible language dictionaries, and lexicons than I do writing my own thoughts.  My writings are far from inspired, but that does not mean that I do not labor over each word, phrase, and sentence. I would be greatly offended if my readers were to suppose that I had intended to write the opposite meaning of my intent.

So, if a writer expects readers to trust his supposed meanings of the original Bible words in his writings, that author must treat the ancient inspired writings of the Old and New Testaments with much respect.  Changing the Holy Writ to merely fit modern thinking is a very dangerous writing technique.  As Revelation 22:18-19 warns, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Therefore, a writer has an obligation to the original meaning of the inspired words that were used in the Bible.  When I am exposing and defining original passages of the Bible that are thousands of years old, I endeavor to always identify the original words as well as give keyed numbers so that the reader may do personal language studies to establish if my interpretations are valid or not.

 

Scripture Thought for the Day

Revelation 22:19, “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

 

“Dependence” Day

 

“Dependence” Day

           Today is Thanksgiving Holiday in the US.  William Jennings Bryan once said, "On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence."   Every Christian musician should resist the urge to act independently of our heavenly father.  Every musician who is a self-starter will have the propensity to do things in his or her own strength.  When things are going well we sometimes forget just how dependent we are upon our heavenly Father. 

          When things go wrong we remember prayer, supplication and we come to God in humble submission.  We are quick to tell God that we are dependent on his help and that without him we can do nothing successfully.  I wonder what He thinks when we get so submissive.  If God has a sense of humor I imagine that we amuse Him sometimes. 

          We are approaching the US holiday which our forefathers named Thanksgiving.  We should expand this holiday to take in the other 364 days of the year.  I believe that we should take William Jennings Bryan’s advice and spend Thanksgiving Day and the entire Thanksgiving season acknowledging our dependence upon God.

 

Song for the Day Give Thanks by Henry Smith

 

Thought for the Day

 Psalm 95:2 admonishes musicians who love and serve God, “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”  If Christian musicians desire to experience God’s presence during the Thanksgiving season must remember to “come before his presence with thanksgiving”.

 

Prayer for the Day

Lord, I want you to accept my thanks today.  As You well know, this musician needs Your help today and throughout the Thanksgiving season.  So, I am asking you to make my heart more and more thankful each day that you give me life and breath.  This I am praying in Your sufficient name.  Amen.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

 

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

 

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

 

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there.

 

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised

Thou wilt all our burdens bear;

May we ever, Lord, be bringing

All to Thee in earnest prayer.

Soon in glory bright, unclouded,

There will be no need for prayer—

Rapture, praise, and endless worship

Will be our sweet portion there.

 

            There is no doubt it Jesus is the Christian musician’s dearest friend.  It is amazing that sometimes we forfeit the peace that comes when we take “everything to God in prayer”.  Our heavenly Father has mad provision for our every need to be met and this is made possible through prayer.  If you are “Cumbered with a load of care” today why not take your small and great problems to the out sure refuge. The last verse reminds us that, “Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear; May we ever, Lord, be bringing All to Thee in earnest prayer.”

 

Thought for the Day

We as Christian musicians all know that Jesus can meet all of our needs, but sometimes we find it much more difficult to believe that He will!  As we near the busy Christmas time we should also remember that Jesus is our friend when we are “cumbered with a load of care”.

Present Yourself Willingly

 

Present Yourself Willingly 

2Chronicles 17:16, “And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.”

          I was reading through the 2n chronicles the other morning and the sixteenth verse stood out to me.  Amasiah willingly offered himself unto the LORD.  I have seen Christian musicians who are serving God faithfully as ministers of music or Christian school music teachers, but although they are ministering faithfully, they seem to always to be “kicking and screaming” about their human condition.  They have failed to do what the ancient Israelite did—they have not given themselves willingly!

          It is one thing to give yourself to God but it is another to follow the admonition of St. Paul in Romans 12:1 when he wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”  It is far better to willingly present oneself than to do it “kicking and screaming”. 

Prayer for the Day

I want to thank You lord for ever seeing fit to us me as a music minister and teacher.  I am asking You to forgive me for the times that I have complained about my human condition.  Help me to not only serve You but to also serve you willingly Help me to say like Isaiah, ”here am I, send me”.  I can never pay my debt of gratitude to You Lord for what You have done for me!  Thank You dear and precious Lord.  Amen.

Is Music a Language?—part 6

                    Is Music a Language?—part 6

           Giving the music part of music a label that is inclusive of all that it “is” and is capable of doing to the whole-life of the individuals who encounter it is problematic. However, I believe that music, as an art form, is “meta” and the term metalanguage   may be used, more or less effectively, to explain that music is characteristically self-referential in that it has power within itself to communicate understandable meaning to the performer and the auditor.

          So, as I have mentioned in my writings and lectures many times, music is at least analogous to a language in that it is capable of communicating meaning and that the meaning it communicates is understandable to those who encounter it.  Although the music part of music i.e. music alone does not communicate verbally, it does non-verbally, and that since the time of Plato and Aristotle, various music philosophers have contended that music’s communication has the power to effect the whole- life of everyone who encounters it. Furthermore, the notion that the music part of music is not capable of communicating anything at all is a Johnny-come-lately theory that is not supported with conclusive evidence that music is a weak and benign art form without any ability to communicate anything at all, or that it has its own meaning that does not relate to life outside of music’s closed bubble.

 Thought for the Day

Mark 9:42, “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”                 

  

Is Music a Language?—part 5

 

                    Is Music a Language?—part 5

          Since all music music communicates, the music part of music is either valuable or harmful to the whole life of the individual who is encountering it.  The hearer receives understanding in direct relationship to that person’s understanding of the music genre being listened to or performed.  So, the more understanding one receives from the music part of the music, the more effect the encounter with the music will have on the individual.

          In a previous blog post in this series I made reference to music as a metalanguage.  There are several definitions of metalanguage one of them is that it is any symbolic system used to discuss, describe, or analyze another language or symbolic system. Viewing the formal properties of music as metalanguage allows one to consider it to be another “language” that is, if you please, “meta” or self-referential in the aspect that the way the building blocks of music are artistically arranged communicates meaning and that this meaning can more or less effectively become “symbols” that are capable of, as Bloomberg would perhaps say, “decode” information. 

Thought for the Day

It is shortsighted to believe that all musical roads lead to heaven.  Musicing sincerely is not enough.  Christian musicians must realize that one can be sincerely wrong.  Those who used to “bleed” sick patients were sincere but they were sincerely wrong.

 

Is Music a Language?—part 4

 

                         Is Music a Language?—part 4

          Everyone brings something to the listening or performing experience.  Part of what each person brings is taken from his or her previous experiences with music, but part of what a performer or listener brings is from the real world outside of music. Therefore, I am a referentialist.  Although I do not adhere to every tenant of the mainstream of philosophical music referentialists, I contend that everyone musics in reference to the real world experiences that he or she has encountered outside the realm of music.  I do not believe that music’s meaning is its own meaning with no relationship to what one has experienced in life.
          Greensburg refers to music as a “non-verbal language”.  When one views the music part of music in this manner it opens new understandings about the power of music without words. This power is at least partially made possible by various unspoken understandings that are molded by the performer’s knowledge of music and cultural and environmental surroundings that will affect that person’s encounter with music.

Thought for the Day

Every Christian musician musics in community regardless of whether or not the musician intends to communicate the message of this world.  When one musics in the same manner as those who antagonistic to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that musician’s Christian witness is weakened (or even nullified) when those who understand its meaning as it is understood in community hear it with a sacred text.

Is Music a Language?—part 3

 

                   Is Music a Language?—part 3

          It appears that Greensburg believes that music has the ability to communicate meaning because of his statement that it “can encode volumes of…information”.  One of the many definitions of encode is to convert some kind of information into a form suitable for the transmission of a message.  So, I believe that music has the power to transmit various kinds of information and that music’s ability to deliver a message to the performer and the listener is “meta” i.e. self-referential.  Therefore, music’s power to communicate functions more efficiently in some aspects than a spoken (verbal) language. 

          The music part of music (the music without words) does have the power to communicate understandable meaning to the performer and the auditor.  However, it is not always easy to predict with certainty exactly what the music will communicate to the listener.  The reason is that music reaction is always referential.  What this means is that all music performers and listeners music both actively and passively  in the perspective of what they bring from their music knowledge and also what they bring from their spiritual, social, psychological, historical, and philosophical backgrounds.  As I have often said in my music lectures and in my writings, no one musics either actively or passively in a vacuum or in a bubble. 

Thought for the Day

Christian musicians must be aware that music without words and instrumental music that is not based on a text communicates understandable meaning to the hearer.

Is Music a Language?—part 2

 

Is Music a Language?—part 2

          It is evident that Greensburg believes that music has understandable meaning, at least in the areas of social, historical, and philosophical information.  It appears from the statement above, that the key factor in the area of music’s ability to communicate meaning to the auditor is the hearer’s understanding of the music.

          The significance of this discussion today is that the notion that no one who knows about music and music philosophy believes that music is a language.  On the contrary, the arguments for and against music being a language is still very much alive.  As I have often written, although there are problems with referring to music as a language, I contend that it is at least analogous to the term language.  I sometimes refer to music as a meta-language simply because it is beyond language is some ways.   

Thought for the Day

Since music has great power, every Christian musician has the responsibility to use it wisely.

 

 

Is Music a Language?—part 1

 

                Is Music a Language?—part 1

          In a recent ad for the Book How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3^rd Edition by Robert Greenburg this statement was made, “Music is a non-verbal language that can encode volumes of social, historical, and even philosophical information, provided you know how to understand it.”  Greenburg seems to have a modified theory about music being a language.  Some believe that music is a language; others consider it to be a universal language; while still others believe music to be no language at all.

          Greenburg touches on another major argument that questions whether or not we can understand music’s meaning at all.  Some summerly dismiss the question of understanding music’s meaning by simply asserting that music does not have any meaning at all.  Still others believe that music has meaning but that its meaning is an isolated meaning that is not related to life or any understanding that is related in any way to life outside of music’s little bubble.

Thought for the Day 

Whether or not music is a  language, metalanguage, metacommunication, or paralanguage etc.,  it has great power and that is what matters most.

Music Philosophy Questions

 

Music Philosophy Questions

Below are ten questions that I have often asked my music philosophy students.  Take some time and see if you can answer them.  If you cannot perhaps you should give them further consideration.  For many of the questions there is no right or wrong answers.  I believe that every Christian student of music philosophy must struggle with these questions.

1  What is the general belief of the meaning of the term philosophy?

2  When considering Christian ministry in general, what does the Bible identify as the main thing?

3. What happens when music takes preeminence over preaching?

4 Explain why you believe that music can or cannot have a profound moral effect on the hearer.

5. What did ancient philosophers believe about music’s power?

6. Explain why you believed that music style is or is not neutral and therefore amoral.

7. Explain why you believe that music does or does not belong to the Christian performer, arranger or composer.

8. Why did Thomas Aquinas’ theory of nature and grace open “Pandora’s Box” philosophically?

9. What does the Bible teach about kosmos and aion and the Christian? Make application to how these terms relate       to the Christian musician.

10. How does man’s wisdom concerning church music differ from God’s wisdom?

 

Thought for the Day

One of the problems that Cristian musicians often have when conversing with musicians who are not Christians is that many believers are not able to articulate their philosophical music beliefs.

 

 

Review of Tim Fisher’s The Battle for Christian Music

 

Review of Tim Fisher’s The Battle for Christian Music

          This book is an excellent discussion about Cristian music.  Although his work has been wrongly accused by Mitch Nichols of being biased eisegesis, this accusation was made without scholarly basis.   The main argument presented has been that Fisher considers classical music to be God honoring and that such an argument is unfounded since such music was completely “completely foreign” to the Old and New Testament eras. 

          Although musicologists are aware that classical music was not yet developed in ancient Israel, recent deciphering of the te’amim above and below the Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the entire OT have proven that the six and seven note diatonic scale did exist.  Furthermore, the deciphering of the ancient Hurrian song found in the ruins of Ugarit has been deciphered by Dr. Anne Kilmer et.al. has revealed a seven-note diatonic scale with half steps between 3^rd an4th and 7^th and 8^th degrees of the scale. This music also had a harmony part and a sound quite like what we have in our hymn books. So, Fisher’s accusers, being evidently unaware of current scholarship, are incorrect in considering Fischer’s conclusions to be eisegesis. 

          Every author writes from some philosophical viewpoint and from personal music perspective and preference. After all this is Fisher’s work so one should expect his work to be written from a personal perspective. I suggest that you give Fisher’s The Battle for Christian music a fair read rather than taking his accuser’s word which was given without scholarly support.   Garen L Wolf

Secular Music Comes under Christ’s Lordship-part 5

 

Secular Music Comes under Christ’s Lordship-part 5

          Christian musicians, who are only involved with performing religious music, sometimes choose to ignore the whole of music which includes secular music and musicing.  Ignoring secular music in one’s philosophical basis is short sighted and is also an incomplete view.  Sooner or later the church musician will be faced with secular music.  Wedding music is only one example of the use of secular music in the context of sacred ceremonies.  Although the use of secular music for such an occasion is not inherently in conflict with the principles of Christian living, some music that a Christian artist may be asked to perform is definitely in conflict with Christian beliefs.

          At this point in this discussion you may be waiting for a list of songs which are currently used in weddings which are not amenable to the Lordship of Christ.  You are going to be disappointed if this is the answer to your approved repertoire.  There are several problems with this over simplistic approach.  First, this blog is designed to make the reader think.  Second, song literature changes very rapidly in this century.  If I gave a list, you probably would not think and my list would soon be outdated and obsolescent.

          Although it is never easy, the Christian musician must continually struggle with the content and musical styles of both sacred and secular literature.  With secular literature, the problem is most often not only style but also the situations and contexts surrounding the music.  When a Christian performs music he or she is unable to keep from being associated with its style and content.  As I have often said no musician musics unto himself. All the music that a Christian performs reflects on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because every Christian is a representative of Him.

         

         

Thought for the Day

Wedding music is only the tip of the iceberg musically speaking.  There are a host of secular genres that are not appropriate for a Christian to perform.  However there are also many secular music genres that are not in conflict with the reality of being a born again Christian who lives a changed life.

Secular Music Comes under Christ’s Lordship-part 4

 

Secular Music Comes under Christ’s Lordship-part 4

          All music that a Christian allows in his or her repertoire should pass certain musical standards whether it is of a sacred or secular nature. I see no reason for a Christian to become involved with either substandard secular or sacred music.  This very limited discussion is not the proper place to thoroughly discuss what makes any type of music a quality art form.  Also, this abbreviated discussion is not suited to thoroughly discuss the fact that quality musical art forms are not the entire basis for their inclusion or exclusion by a Christian musician.

          The place to begin is not with a musical and historical study of quality musical art forms. A Christian’s world view will affect that musician’s musical paradigm and consequently affect the development of that Christian musician’s music philosophy.  A Christian musician without a well-defined Bible based music philosophy is like a ship in the middle of the sea without a compass.  Since a Christian music philosophy must transcend regional cultural boundaries, it cannot be base totally on environment and traditions, but rather on the Word of God. Furthermore, it cannot be bases on musical likes and dislikes.  If they are going to be successful in the 21^st century, church musicians, performing artists and Christian school musicians must carefully identify the Bible principles that serve as the foundation of music philosophy.  These standards must cover the nature and value of the whole of music.

Thought for the Day

Musical paradigm is the window through which a Christian musician philosophically views music and musicing.  Every Christian musician must be sure that he or she views the nature and value of the whole of music through that window.