Quote for the Day

Quote for the Day

When a leader is talented and charismatic in personality, we tend to put them on the proverbial pedestal and blur the line between admiration and worship, between imitating them as they imitate Christ and substituting them for Christ.  Worship Leaders We Are Not Rock Stars, by Stephen Miller, p.16

 

What the Music Leader Does part 2

What the Music Leader Does part 2

            I understand this music person (Homo sapiens) to be a bipedal primate that has two arms and hands ( quite useful for conducting functions); language skills( for communicating with the worshiping congregation) ; the ability to use complex tools (like a baton); and also having at least a reasonable amount of brain power (quite useful in the process of music leadership).  So, since this musician has sight, all these moving appendages, and brain power that are all capable of functioning in tandem to effectively  enhance musicing, he or she should be able to figure out what and how He or she should effectively go about doing what the job of music worship leadership requires. 

            I fail to understand why church leaders, educational administrators and the musician involved often  seem to have so much trouble understanding that regardless of which name you give this person, there is much more involved in doing this job effectively than standing on a platform looking upward (with the eyes closed) while singing and pointing at things that no one else can see, or standing in the background mouthing words while watching a praise team perform his or her music leadership responsibilities.    I have no objection to leadership calling this person a worship leader if everyone involved in leadership, the musician included, understands that the term “worship leader” only philosophically touches the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  Personally, I prefer the title of Minister of Music or the Bible name Chief Musician since they both more accurately connote the philosophical responsibility of this person.

 

 

 

Quote for the Day

Quote for the Day

“Picture it.  A nice big dish of plain vanilla ice cream.  Do you like vanilla ice cream?  What if I told you that you would be eating four scoops of that dairy confection at every meal for a year?  Do you think you would still like plain vanilla ice cream at the end of that time?” Teaching Music with Passion, by Peter Boonshaft, p.133

 

 

 

What the Music Leader Does part 1

What the Music Leader Does part 1

            If a person is going to stand in front of a congregation (or a musical organization) of people who wish to worship God by musicing unto Him, then the person up front has to figure out why he or she is there and how he or she is going to go about doing whatever he or she is going to do.  I suspect that many worship leaders I have observed over the many years that I have traveled have had only a vague understanding of what they were supposed to do (both in and out of the worship experience) in order that their musicing and the musicing of those under their leadership could be effectual.

             There are a variety of names for this person who is standing in front of the people.  Is this person a minister of music, a worship leader, a music director, a conductor, a chief musician, a song leader, a musician, not a musician at all, or all of the above?  It seems to me that the first philosophical question to be answered by those who were responsible for placing this person in front of whoever he or she is in front of, is to figure out what on earth he or she  is supposed to be doing.  Giving this person a specific or not so specific name is part of the philosophical process but it is by far not all of it. 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought For the Day

Music that largely consists of distortion, tension, and extreme does not a proper vehicle to represent the moral nature of God.  Therefore, such music should not be juxtaposed with sacred lyrics.

All Music Represents Some Philosophical Presupposition part 2

All Music Represents Some Philosophical Presupposition part 2

            It is of little wonder to me that many 21^st century musicians compose music that consists of all or nearly all tension and distortion.  These composers are faithless because they are looking for answers without coming under the “way” or lordship of Christ.  It is no wonder their music is so tense and grotesque since it is a mere reflection of their philosophy that man exists in a purposeless universe trying to authenticate himself through an act of his will.

            These composers and performers have never passed from death unto life, so they have never experienced the “new and living way.”  They are searching for truth within themselves.  It is sad but most often they will never come to the knowledge of truth because they will not accept Christ who is “the way the truth and the life.”  I Timothy 3:7 explains that they are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  This hopeless searching for truth often makes these musicians bitter, confused, and sometimes nihilistic.  Their philosophy is distorted therefore their music is distorted because it represents their worldview.  To accomplish this effect they use fuzz guitars and distorted sounds on keyboards and turn the volume up until the speakers distort while they literally scream out the vocal lyrics in an un-vocal manner. 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind…”  Musicians who do not take God’s way often believe that life is not meaningful and that they live in a purposeless world

All Music Represents Some Philosophical Presupposition part 1

All Music Represents Some Philosophical Presupposition part 1

            Christian musicians must realize that all art forms are the product of the artist’s philosophical presuppositions.  Many composers who are not Christians believe that life exists in a purposeless universe with no absolutes, no order and no answers. In other words, to the 21^st century man outside of the grace of God, life is meaningless, and to them, there are no answers to life’s questions. 

            These musicians often do not believe what Jesus said in St. John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  Jesus didn’t say, I am the answer but rather, “I am the way”.  This generation is searching for the answers without taking the way of Christ.  Hebrews 10:20-23 states, “By a new and living way, which he [Christ] hath consecrated [made new] for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)”.  (Words in brackets are mine.)

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  True empowerment of the Christian musician for service comes from the enduement of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

Can Music Transform the Musician? Part 3

Can Music Transform the Musician? Part 3

            When music educators and music philosophers only address music and music education as a fine art, I understand that they would not necessarily address the music student’s spiritual condition.  However, when they speak of people experiencing transformation, empowerment, and service and fail to mention the transforming work of Christ I have to part philosophical company with such an incomplete hypothesis.   The only thing that will change a music student’s empowerment and essential inner condition is for that student to be born again and experience the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  Any praxis or philosophy that addresses personal human transformation without salvation is denying the power of God and therefore is faulty.

            So, I am once again brought face to face with the philosophic differences between secular music education philosophy and Christian music education philosophy.  The separation of church and state in the USA requires a philosopher who deals with human condition to deny, by omission, the power of God.  For this reason, among many others, I am drawn to the strong conclusion that for the Christian, A Christian music education under godly music instructors is a must.