Thought for the day-what may happen-part2

The ancient Karaites spent their lives protecting the Torah.  We need some modern musical "Karaites" who will feel responsible to protect music worship.

Part 2-What may happen...resisting change

Part 2-What may happen if we resist all change in music.

       By definition, a conservative tries to “conserve”.  The Christian musician who is really conservative is concerned about holding on to our biblically based music values.  Notice that I said biblically based music values, not traditional music values.  Traditions change and there is nothing inherently wrong with man’s traditions being changed.  The mere fact that some music tradition has been associated with a certain fellowship of believers certainly does not make it “True Truth”, or even a valuable worthy tradition. 

       The Karaites, a Jewish sect that came into being at the beginning of the eighth century were characterized by their belief that the Scriptures were the only source of religious law.  They chose to accept the Scriptures as the only “true truth” to the exclusion of Rabbinical tradition.  So, if I understand this concept correctly, the Karaites were Scriptural traditionalists who fought against some of the traditions established by Rabbinic law.  What resulted was a fight over tradition. Rabbinic Judaism was contending for the long collected traditions which had been laid down in layer after layer and the Karaites purposed to “build up a wall around the Torah”.

        What we can learn from this ancient fuss over tradition is that we need to be sure the traditions we contend for are truly ancient Bible landmarks of musicing unto God. It is possible that some of our musical “sacred cows” might be better left dead than resurrected.  Not everything that the previous generations of church musicians did musically was an actual ancient landmark of worship.  However, all that being said, much of what they did do is time honored and if these principles of music worship are abandoned the church will certainly be impoverished musically and spiritually.

 

Thought for the day-What may happen-part 1

A Christian Musician without a music philosophy is like a ship on the Atlantic ocean without a rudder.

Part 1-What may happen-Music philosophy

 

Part 1- What may happen if we do not develop a music philosophy.

       It has been quite a while since we discussed the importance of developing a music philosophy.  There is a need for all churches, Christian colleges and universities, Christian schools and individuals to develop a series of systematic statements concerning the nature and value of the whole of music.  Although there are many web sites representing churches, Christian colleges and universities, many of them say absolutely nothing about music philosophy let alone publishing a systematic Bible based music philosophy.  Those who have thought out what they actually believe about the nature and value of music and have published their philosophic views concerning the deepest levels of what God honoring musicing is all about and why this music is estimable to them are to be applauded.

       Every Christian organization must understand music at its deepest levels if they are going to have an effective music witness in this post-modern world.  It is one thing for an individual to not bother to think music’s nature and value through philosophically, but it entirely another to try to guide others in the area of music’s nature and value without a thorough understanding of musical truth.  One of the reasons that many Christian organizations fail to develop a music philosophy is that they do not believe that there is any objective truth or Bible basis concerning music’s nature and value.  Some Christians have the notion that music philosophy is somewhat like jello gelatin i.e. that you can’t pin its meaning down because it is never stable.

       A surprising number of Christians believe that the more than 600 references to music are somehow dispensational and have out lived their meaning.  Although they would not admit it, they seem to believe that II Timothy 3:16 means, “All scripture [unless it is addressing music] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”  One of the reasons that so many Christian musicians are without  answers concerning the nature and value of the whole of music is that they have not developed an epistemology [the theory and limits of “knowing”] and methodology [the system used to establish “knowing”]. For a much more thorough discussion of this topic see chapter three of my book, Church matters A music Philosophy in Christian perspective, Salem Ohio, Schmul Publishing Co., 2005.

        So, what happens if one does not have a congruent philosophy of music is many times that one will go in a  musical direction without much “understanding” or “knowing”.   Such an organization  either tries to cater to everyone’s likes and dislikes or the exact opposite—they cater to whatever direction the music leader prefers at any given moment.  The organization goes this way for a while then undergoes a “leader shift” and suddenly chooses a new notion in an attempt to be current or trendy.

Thought for the day-Music Organizations-part 4

Retasking music to salvage it for sacred music use muddies the waters of musical  "understanding".

Music Organizations-part 4

              Learn to  make music unto the LORD

        II Chronicles 23:13 states, "And she (Athaliah) looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the principles (sar 8269 ) and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught (yada 3045) to sing praise (halal 1984 ). "

       The portion of the verse  that I want to explain to you is “such as taught to sing praise” The word translated taught in the AV is yada which comes from a primitive root work meaning “to know”.  This teacher "knew", was aware, was cunning,  and had knowledge of the proper way to sing praise (see I Chronicles chapter 25).  He also was able to discern how to teach others to sing praise.  He could perceive because he too was instructed in the songs of the LORD.   It is one thing for a church music organization member to not know how to minister musically, but it is another to be "under the hands" of a director who does know how to minister efficaciously and not take advantage of that knowledge.

        The Temple music directors mentioned in the first book of Chronicles were not trying out the latest Hivite style music or how to sing the songs of the Lord  in the style of the Philistine's  but were instructing those "under their hands" to sing the songs of the LORD.    If you are ministering under this kind of music director, learn from him or her how to music effectively.

     The words  sing praise in the AV are translated from the Hebrew word halal which means to be clear or to celebrate.  He did not sing the re-tasked secular music of Sumer and Akad but rather the music considered appropriate for the house of God.  This we know from chapter twenty-five of I Chronicles.  The Bible message given here is very clear,  In Ancient Israel they made a difference in the sacred and the profane.  Learn from a director who distinguishes between the sacred and the profane.  There is a difference between music that is truly "sacred" and music that is "profane".  I Believe that God inhabits praise music that is appropriate for the awesomeness and solemnity of worshiping a triune God who is" high and lifted up"(see Isaiah 6:1).

Thought for the day- music organizations part 3

Have you thought about the fact that an entire rehearsal can be a time of worship for the church musician who has spiritual understanding of the music?

Music organizations-part 3

 

       Today we are going to discuss four ways to make the musicing of a church choir or orchestra more meaningful. It is obvious that vocal music is less abstract when it comes to musical meanings, but all music has meaning.
1. Music directors should explain spiritual meanings in the music which is being performed and church musicians should apply these meanings in the rehearsals and in the church services . [Remember we are commanded to sing with spirit (pneuma-4151) and understanding (nous-3563) ]. You will note that I said apply these meanings in the rehearsal as the music is learned. Always remember that "The God of performance is also the God of rehearsal". If you worship in rehearsal, it will never be difficult to express the spiritual meanings of the music as you perform it in a church service. If you find rehearsal to be somewhat boring, try worshiping as you rehearse!

2. One of the ways that church musicians are able to make wise ministry decisions as to which selections are the best choices for musical ministry is to scrutinize prospective pieces of music for not only what they say but also what they fail to say spiritually.

3. Ephesians 5:10 commands church musicians to “prove what is acceptable unto the Lord.” Verses 15 & 16 continue with “see that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Church musicians must be sure that the music they offer to God is theologically correct and that it has enough expository depth to catechize both believers and non-believers.

  4. Music organization members should be like Chenaniah who had burden (massa-4853) for song borne in upon him of God. He instructed about the song because he was skillful, i.e. he was an accomplished musician. Music organization members must allow directors to pass musical meanings along to the them since they are “under his hands.” In order for this to happen, church choir and orchestra members, and soloists must be teachable and must to constantly be responsive to the spiritual aspects of the music presented by the director.

 

Thought for the day-music organizations part 2

In verse thirty-one of I Chronicles chapter twenty-five, we learn that the last scholar to be chosen to lead a learning group (i.e. a section leader) was Romamtiezar.  Would you have been angry if he had been your son since many parents want their gifted children to be chosen first?

Music Organization members-part 2

       Yesterday we started a series of discussions on what members of a church musical organization should be like. Yesterday we discussed what it means to be what I call "directable". Today we are going to discuss the philosophy of "catching the vision". All of us who have directed a ministering musical organization for a number of years have experienced band, orchestra, and choir members who "just didn't get it". I used to say jokingly that they stayed in the organization just to travel in the big scenic cruiser buss and eat the free McDonald's hamburgers.

       When I first started traveling with a ministering musical organization, it was a mystery to me how some of them would return from a tour refreshed spiritually and others seemed to be spiritually fatigued and spiritually dry.  After I directed a ministering organization for a few years, I became aware that it was each musician's philosophy that made the difference.

      To help us understand music ministry philosophy in a historic sense let us look again at I Chronicles 25: 1-31 and try to apply it to our lives as ministering musical servants:

                                                           A. They Caught the Director's Vision

1. They sang and played under the supervision or “the hands of” the chief musician.

2. They caught the vision of music ministry by musing through the king and the vision of Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

3. Music organization members should likewise catch the pastor and directors passion for public ministry.

                                                            B. They Learned From Their Director

1. They learned that their director was constrained by God to deliver this burden through the medium of church music.

2. They learned that he was not only personally a “seer” and a “teller” but he also instructed the musicians under his direction to be “tellers” of this burden through the medium of music.

3. They learned that he was able to transfer his burden for song to those “under his hands” because he was skillful (995 – biyn – i.e. he could separate mentally; he understood the songs of the Lord).

4. I believe that there is a wonderful philosophical Bible lesson in what we have discussed.  Verse eight of this chapter explains that this mentor director relationship was the heart of the Levite's philosophical praxis--the "small" (qatan 6962--least of importance) and the "scholar" (talmiyd-a pupil or learner) learned from these dedicated Levite music leaders.  I believe that what we have learned today is truly an ancient landmark of how music organizations should prepare to music unto God.