Communicating Effectively

 

Communicating Effectively

In order to communicate effectively Christian musicians must:

1.   State and define terms in modern English parlance.

2.   Base cardinal music theological beliefs, for the most part, on what the Bible actually states about music and musicing.  Non-believers may not consider that what the Bible states about music and musicing is authorative, but at least when they look up the scriptures in the Bible that we use as proof of a musical belief, they will be able to authenticate that the scriptures used actually mention music and/or musicing.

3.   Be honest enough to distinguish between music preferences (which are in many situations negotiable) and Bible based principles of music and muscing (which are not negotiable). 

4.   Distinguish between the Christian’s “will” concerning how he or she wishes to music unto God and to each other, and God’s “will”, about how a Christian should music unto God and unto or among each other, which is always attested by what  His WORD actually states about music and musicing.

5.   Be honest enough to admit that there is a difference in a philosophical music belief and a Bible based music theological principle of music and musicing, which is always supported by His WORD.

6.   Be honest enough to admit to non-believers that  personal philosophical beliefs about music and musicing are not always incontrovertibly true.

 

Music is always performed in community

 

Music is always performed in community

Sacred or secular music is never performed in an enclosed bubble that is insulated from real life situations or real life emotional states of mind.  Music is always performed in community i.e.; it always has meaning that is understood at least partially in relationship of the culture in which it is performed.  Those who attend corporate worship filter the music part of the music that they hear through their previous experiences with the style of music that is being used in the context of Christian worship.  For example, if worship leaders use a sacred text with styles taken from sensual music used in general secular culture, those who have  experienced the music part of the music arranged in a way that aroused passion in a dance club, will likely receive confusing signals from the music being performed. 

Those who have the most understanding of the sensual secular style being used will receive more conflicting meaning when they hear it amalgamated with a sacred text.  The fact that they may like the secular style of music being used is not the issue. Using a sacred text with a sensual style of music, or having a Christian  perform this combination does not sanctify this music style fusion for sacred use.

 

Is All of a Christian’s Musicing a Sacred Experience? Part 2

 

Is All of a Christian’s Musicing a Sacred Experience? Part 2

After studying music philosophy and what the Bible actually states about music and musicing for over 50 years, I have learned that Christians have created many of the connotation words and phrases that make communication next to impossible with non-believers who are musicians or music philosophers.  What is intimated by what Christians say and what they write is capable of building a miscommunication barrier so high and fortified and so removed from modern understanding of the terms used, that what Christian’s   say and write about musical beliefs will most often be misunderstood by non-believers.  I fail to understand what is to be gained by using a word or phrase to suggest a different association than its literal meaning which is more universally understood by musicians and music philosophers.

 

Is All of a Christian’s Musicing a Sacred Experience? Part 1

 

Is All of a Christian’s Musicing a Sacred Experience? Part 1

It is of little wonder that Christians often have so much difficulty communicating with musicians and music philosophers who are non-believers. Rather than developing our own “pseudo-religious speak” to define, explain and defend the nature of a Christian’s musicing, we should, whenever possible,  use the same modern English parlance that non-believers use and understand. 

Just think how egotistical it appears to non-believers when Christians intimate that when  non-believers perform a Bach two-part Invention  it is secular musicing, but when Christians perform it, somehow the performance is transformed into a sacred experience because the Christian performs it to honor God.

Music That is Clearly Christian

 Music That is Clearly Christian

Christians should be concerned that all of the sacred music they use in the context of corporate  and private worship is clearly Christian. General culture’s influence on music and musicing is often at loggerheads with music that is suited to the purposes of Christian worship. The music part of music receives its identity from the way that the building  blocks of music i.e., rhythm, melody, harmony, tone color etc. are arranged.  However, not all styles of music that are composed, arranged and performed by non-believers for use in general music culture are inappropriate for use in Christian worship or for a Christian’s secular musicing. Although there is no such thing as a sacred or secular quarter note, how the elements of music are organized and utilized gives a music composition its identity.  So, regardless of which genre or which style within that genre of music a Christian performs, whether it is sacred or secular music, that music should not bring reproach upon the cause of Christ. As will be pointed out in this discussion, all Christian musicians are Christians first, and musicians second.

Understanding Sacred Music

Understanding Sacred Music

The reason the Levite musicians could prophesy “in the words of God” for the service of the LORD is simply that they understood sacred music.  The Bible does not tell us that these musicians were proficient in all the artistic wisdom of Hurrians, Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Sumerians, or Akkadians, but rather in the sacred songs of the Temple.  Likewise, in the New Testament, in the Ephesian letter, church musicians are admonished to “speak to yourselves in psalms (psalmos 5568) and hymns (humnos 5215) and spiritual songs (pneumatikos 4152 oide 5503).”  The New Testament Christian musician is counseled to be knowledgeable in the songs of the Lord.  Colossians 3:16 also confirms that the Christian musician must be knowledgeable in the songs of the Lord when it states, “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”.  These church musicians were knowledgeable in the psalms of the Bible, hymns or songs of laudation to God and spiritual or non-carnal songs.

Church Music Matters-part 3

 

Church Music Matters-part 3 

          As church leaders we must continuously encourage, admonish, and instruct our church musicians to “prophesy” with music.  Now in order to prophesy, the man of God had to discern the mind of God.  It should be pointed out that by the term “prophesy”, I only mean our music should be God’s message to the people.  I do not mean that our music ministry should be divinely inspired or that church musicians in this dispensation receive divinely inspired messages from God.   Note that these musicians were not only seers but also tellers. 

The fathers of the Levite musicians trained these musicians to seek and find the will and word of Jehovah and tell it to the people through the medium of music.  When we look at music ministry from this perspective, we understand that in ancient Israel church music mattered.  It is my belief that in the 21st century, church music matters.  The reason it matters is that church musicians are still commanded to find the will and mind of the Holy Spirit and then deliver (tell) this message to the church through the medium of music.  Unless our church music presents the Logos Christos (Word 3056 of  Christ 5547), it really doesn’t matter very much.  Church music is hollow unless it is a vehicle upon which the Word of Christ rides into the hearts of men and women.

          Verse 5 of I Chronicles 25 states that Heman was the Kings seer in the words (dabar 1697) of God.  The Hebrew word dabar was used in the Old Testament with some latitude.  Its meaning included: words, matters, advise, business, language, promise, and message.  So we may conclude that Heman was a seer of the message of God through music.  We know that a seer was a beholder of visions of God.  Heman, the chief musician, was therefore a spiritual musical messenger.  He came with a distinct message from God for the people.  In II Chronicles 35:15, Jeduthun was mentioned as a seer (chozeh 2734) and in II Chronicles 29:30, Asaph was said to be a seer.  All three of these Chief Musicians who were the teachers of the young Levite musicians understood that they were to present God’s musical message to the congregation.  They were seers or beholders of the vision of God in music.

Church Music Matters-part 2

 

Church Music Matters-part 2  

          How did the Chief Musicians train these musicians correctly?  Verse 5 says that the Chief Musician, Heman, was the Kings seer (chozeh 2374).  Heman taught his sons his vision of the Word of God in song.  Because Heman was saturated with the message of God, he taught these musicians the message of God through the medium of music.

          The temple musicians mentioned in I Chronicles 25 were separated to the service.  They were set apart.  They were called and this calling was to serve Jehovah with music.  They were not merely performers; they were ministering servants.  There was a moral purpose for their music making.  They were making music unto God and for God’s glory.  There was a deep moral force behind their music, for as we will see in verse seven they were not performing their music, but rather GOD’S music.  This was God’s music performed by God’s musicians, presented as an offering to God for God’s glory alone.  It was not mere religious performance, but rather it was prophetic music making.  Verse 2 of Chapter 25 states that these musicians prophesied.  Verse one tells us that they were separated to prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals.  The next verse proclaims that they accomplished their mission when it asserts that these musicians actually prophesied with music.

Church Music Matters-part 1

 

Church Music Matters-part 1

The Twenty-fifth chapter of I Chronicles is a musical discourse on ancient Levite musical training.  This wonderful chapter gives us vivid insights into the philosophical musical practice of the Chief Levite musicians.  Verse one states: “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...” Notice that the King and his captains decreed that the sons of the three Chief Levite musicians should be separated (badal 914-to divide or select) to serve YHVH through music making.  They were separated to prophesy or deliver God’s message to the congregation through music performance. 

Now let’s look specifically at what the Chief Levite musician considered important in preparing their sons and brethren for music ministry.  They were separated to serve.  Each was a workman who ministered according to his talent and ability to serve.  Furthermore, they were all under the leadership or hands of their father.  They had a mentor, someone who was carrying out the order of the King who was a spiritual leader.  They were separated (consecrated) to prophesy.  This Hebrew word naba (5012) was translated prophesy in the AV, means to speak or sing by inspiration.  It is the same word used of the major Prophets of the Bible (see Jeremiah 25:30 and Ezekiel 21:24).  These men were prophesying, they were carrying the message of the King.  They were not entertaining, they were prophesying.  They were mentored to prophesy.  However, that was not enough.  They were successful because the sons actually prophesied.  They sang and played under the inspiration of YHVH. 

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 6

 

  A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 6

          Christian musicians who are pluralists constantly remind the thesis thinker that we are in the 21^st century and “this is just how it is”.  Remember that this synthesis thinker is by no means a hypocrite since he believes with all his heart that one of the most important aspects of Christianity is to “fit in”.  This person does not believe in bearing the reproach that comes from taking a stand against the things of the world.  He seems to have forgotten I Peter 4:14, “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of the glory of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified”.

           Since the world does not agree with a Christian musician for his or her careful conservative stand on music, worldly church musicians fear that these sinners will be alienated musically and will not be able to be reached with the gospel.  So, the postmodern church reacts in a semi-panic, gives in to what they believe will please the worldly church attender, and by default the world prescribes what is best for church music instead of the church.

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 5

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 5

Since they believe, like Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), that music is a part of nature it is not under the Lordship of Christ.  These synthesis thinkers are not responsible to Christ for their actions concerning the style of music they perform in church.  Therefore, they certainly are not responsible to give anyone an answer concerning the style of music they sing or play.  Remember that these autonomous Christian musicians are free to proceed on a musical course completely independent of Scripture, theology, suitability, appropriateness and certainly any rules set forth by any church, Christian school, Bible College, or any church musician.

          No one is allowed to criticize, scrutinize or question anything that these liberated Christian musicians do musically.  As a matter of fact their actions are a result of a non-rational, non-logical faith in Christ that brings them to non-rational, non-logical conclusions that are non-discussible.  There is no room for discussion when it comes to THEIR music since it is THEIR offering that may be presented to THEIR God and the helpless audience has to put up with it because “that’s just how things are”, in this present world.

 

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 4

 

  A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 4

Ingenious isn’t it?  Now Satan has successfully squeezed church music into the world’s mold.  The result is religious rock music which is the perfect style for them to use to trick the world into becoming lovers of Christ.  Before sinners know it the church will deceive them into becoming Christians.  Of course, synthesis thinkers want them to be saved in their sins, not from their sins, so this autonomous music doesn’t have to preach a life changing relationship with Christ.  Rather, this autonomous non-rational, non-logical, leap of faith will bring a non-rational faith to these new autonomous worldly Christians.  Sounds dangerous, doesn’t it?  The reason it sounds dangerous is that it is the result of synthesis musical thinking. 

With this Jesuit thinking, musically speaking, the end always justifies the means. Under this synthesis system, Christian musicians are not concerned with giving answers to why they do what they do musically.  They are free to proceed without any traditional thesis that is discussible since they operate under the Hegelian system that has established a new thesis based on synthesis.  This non-discussible synthesis thought allows these church musicians the freedom to proceed without the encumbrance of the biblical principle of I Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”. 

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 3

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 3

Synthesis thinking church musicians, who were in many instances, graduates of Christian colleges and seminaries began to think that if it was okay to love the world system then it was okay to love the world’s music.  Philosophically they believed that the answer could no more be based on good music and bad music, music appropriate for worship, or music which is not appropriate for worship.  The philosophical notion that all styles are equal gave rise to the belief that the musical answer must always be somewhere between truth and error.  As this synthesis philosophical thinking began to develop these musicians became full-ledged pluralists.

Now in the twenty-first century, somewhere between music that is best suited to fit the awesomeness and solemnity of public worship of the high and holy Trinity and music that is not suited for Christian worship are styles of music that are now inappropriately appropriate.  Since the answer must be a synthesis answer, the answer must be taking music that was created to fulfill the lust of the flesh and squeezing this music into a worship mode.  To accomplish this, synthesis thinking Christian musicians have to find  styles of music that are basically created anti-Christ, anti-worship (of God), anti-trust, anti-purity, anti-beauty, anti-rest, anti-authority, anti-family, and amalgamate it with the gospel message and when this is accomplished, “presto-chango” they have the perfect worship style.

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 2

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 2

Philosophy has been historically a pursuit of the systematized principles that give a wisdom that reveals truth and a unified filed of knowledge based on truth and error or thesis and antithesis.  Somewhere in the early 20^th century many philosophers began to give up hope in a unified filed of knowledge based on thesis (right) or antithesis (wrong).  They began to believe the philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Frederick Hegel (1770-1831).  Hegel believed that every idea belonged to an all-embracing mind in which every idea (thesis) elicited its opposite (antithesis) and the result of these two was a unified whole which he called synthesis (“the both and belief system”).  His “unified” whole was epistemologically different since it derived “knowing” from a new synthesis thesis.  This “knowing” brought about a new truth that was always found somewhere between truth and error. In my opinion Hegel’s “somewhere in the middle” synthesis laid the groundwork for pluralism.

Before Hegelian synthesis thought, the Scripture in I John 2:15, “Love not the world”, meant just that, don’t love the world or become controlled by the system of “this present age”.   After acceptance of Hegelian synthesis thought, it became acceptable to be a Christian whose thought patterns were conformed to the fashion of this world...  Those who accepted this viewpoint no longer believed the Bible when it said that if you loved the world, the love of the father was not in you.  Under this autonomous philosophy you could love the world, think like the world, and act like the world and love the Lord at the same time.

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 1

 

A Unified Field of Knowledge –part 1

          I am deeply indebted to the work of Francis Schaffer for opening to me a very clear basic understanding of how philosophical thought has shaped the thinking of modern and postmodern Christians.  After reading his Escape from Reason and The God Who is There as well as other of his great works, it became clear to me how many Christian musicians came to believe that there are no absolutes in music.

          For centuries philosophers believed that it was possible for all thought to come under a unified field of knowledge.  They often fought bitterly over just what that unified field of knowledge included.  Although philosophers did not agree on the content of that unified knowledge, they did agree that philosophical endeavor could and should bring about a philosophy of hope to the world.