Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

One of the most flawed and destructive notions perpetuated in the twentieth century, and now in the twenty-first century, is that music is autonomous.

Is Music the Power of God?—part 9

Is Music the Power of God?—part 9

            It was Thomas Aquinas’ theory of nature and grace that opened Pandora’s Box philosophically.  It was his flawed view that man was fallen from grace, but not in his intellect that paved the way for nature to destroy grace, philosophically.  Church musicians who accept Aquinas’ view place music under nature since music is truly under things of the natural world.  Once music is placed under nature it can follow a path independent of Scripture and independent of the Lordship of Christ.  So, again direction determines destiny.  Once church musicians have accepted an incomplete view of the fall, they become independent of the Lordship of Christ when it comes to style, form and performance practice.

             Church musicians almost never see themselves as autonomous man.  On the contrary, most would deny that their philosophical basis places them outside of the Lordship of Christ when it comes to music.  However, when they open their mouth most often the first words that come out are, “my style of church music”.  Anyone who professes ownership of music has not committed the music he or she performs to the Lordship of Christ.  These Christian musicians, although they deny it, are operating outside of the Lordship of Christ.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Although no Christian should consider his brothers music performance to be a test of faith, Christian musicians should constantly evaluate religious music and make educated evaluative judgments about that music.

 

Is Music the Power of God?—part 8

Is Music the Power of God?—part 8

            The post post-modern thinker believes that if any style of music comes under criticism, the conservative thinker is not criticizing the style of music but rather his Christian brother and his brother’s music.  Moderns, post-moderns, and now post post-moderns all quote Romans 14:10, “But why doest thou judge thy brother” or why doest thou set at naught thy brother...” They often stop in this point in the Scripture and forget that it continues, “...for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

            I agree that it is dangerous for one Christian musician to make another Christian’s musical performance a test of faith.  It is not a truism that just because a person performs some style of religious music he or she “could not possibly be a Christian.”

            Although many current writers say, “Don’t judge your Christian brother’s music.”  Here in lies the philosophical fallacy.  Music does not belong to any Christian or non-Christian performer, arranger, or composer.  All music comes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ since in the beginning God created music.  So, when some particular style of church is brought under scrutiny, it is not the Christian performing the music that is being judged, but rather the form or style of music or the performance practice.

            Since all form, style and performance practice of music belongs to God and not man, and since all aspects of music come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, no church musician has rightful ownership to form and style.  There are no aspects of music either secular or sacred that are autonomous.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Music is capable of being immoral, but it is never capable of being amoral.

 

Is Music the Power of God?—part 7

Is Music the Power of God?—part 7 

 It has only been the product of modern man’s mind that music is amoral.  Although philosophers and musicians have argued for centuries about how music affects us or exactly what moral effect music had on the auditor and the performer, they have always believed that music had a message.  Philosophers have always believed that music had great power over everyone.  It has only been since the 20^th century that some Christian philosophers have come to the conclusion that style in music is neutral and therefore amoral.  Under this new “liberated” philosophy anything goes in church music.  To them, church music exists in an absurd universe and is a standardless art.  Since church music is without absolutes or any standard of correctness it is merely a matter of personal taste.  These modern church music philosophers quote St. Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  They purport that Jesus put an end to judgment when it comes to Christian living.

            The real question before us is, “Will we be judged for what we do (music included) in this life?”  Therefore, these synthesis thinkers have missed the point.  They say we should not criticize each other’s church music since it is merely a matter of taste anyway.  Since, to them, all musical roads lead to heaven, it is wrong to criticize anyone’s style of church music performance.  It is my belief that every church musician will give an account to God at the judgment for what he or she did with the great art of music.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Although there is an element of truth in the belief that a musician must first win an audience to him or herself before one can win an audience to Christ, too much “self” in sacred musicing can prevent an audience from being able to concentrate on the message of the sacred text.

 

 

Is Music the Power of God?—part 6

Is Music the Power of God?—part 6

            What does the Scripture lesson in the chapter one of! Corinthians mean to the 21^st century church?  First of all, there is and always has been a war going on between the wisdom of God and the specious arguments of the present age.  Every Christian musician should be sure that he or she is following biblical wisdom when developing a music ministry philosophy.  Second, there are very logical sounding arguments that are prevalent today that simply do not line up with Scripture.  Beware that you are not led astray by what seems to make sense at least by the world’s standards.  If your philosophy has caused you to not keep the main thing then it is faulty. 

            Ancient philosophers believed that music could have a profound moral effect on the hearer.  “All ancient peoples of whom we have knowledge gave music a place of honor; they considered it a potent religious and moral force, intimately related to the most formal, as well as the most informal aspects of life.”  Music in Europe and the United States, Edith Borroff, Pg. 4.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

The “will to power” among church musicians has become an epidemic in many Christian communities.  Only the blessed Holy Spirit can cleanse such un-holy desire.

 

Is Music the Power of God?—part 5

Is Music the Power of God?—part 5 

            Corporate worship through singing is a valuable means of grace to the believer.  Singing can be a valuable teaching tool.  Singing can be used by the Holy Spirit to convict and convert sinners.  However, I Corinthians 1:18 very clearly teaches that preaching is “the power of God.”  Music, although it has power and charm is never spoken of in the Bible as the “power of God”.  Verse twenty of chapter one of I Corinthians says, “Where is the wise (sophos 4680) Where is the scribe?  Where is the disputer (suzetetes 4804) of this world (aion 165) Hath not God made foolish (moraino 3471) the wisdom (sophia 4678) of this world (kosmos 2889)

            The sophists were ancient Greek philosophers notorious for their specious arguments.  Their arguments sounded logical and good but often were far from being correct.  The disputers were philosophers who were debaters involved in controversial discussions.  Paul declared here that God has shown how insipid their arguments were.  The arguments of the sophists were as verse twenty tells us, based on the wisdom of the aion or the present system of the age.  It was wisdom based on the matrix of Satan.