Thought for the day-Prescriptive Part 3

The "Baby-Boomers" wanted hard rock music for Sunday morning worship--so many churches complied.  Now the results of church music surveys indicate that the "Baby-Boomers" have mellowed a bit and want "softer" music.  I wonder--what will be their next request?

A Prescriptive approach-Part 3

                                 A Prescriptive approach to Church Music  Part 3

Is church music completely a matter of personal taste?  If so, whose tastes do we cater too musically?  This dilemma has caused what I term the worship-gap.  First, the church decided to cater to musical tastes of the baby-boomers.  This did not work, so the church had two Sunday morning services.  Now the baby boomers don’t like the music of the baby-busters so we have three Sunday morning services.

There is nothing wrong with having two worship services or three or four for that matter.  The problem comes when the basis for these added services is only musical style.  It is one thing to have two services because of seating space in the sanctuary, but another when the second service came about because of a musical feud going on in the church.  When we segregate worshipers on the basis of music style, music has become the “main thing”.  Music is not the “main thing” when it comes to matters of worship.

Hebrews 10:25 reminds us to, “Forget not the assembling of yourselves together, and so much more as ye see the day approaching.”  In my opinion, the late 20^th century concept of dividing the congregation into heterogeneous assemblies has divided the congregation until they can no longer take advantage of the warmth and strength of having the different age groups worship together.  Older people need the energy of youth in public worship and younger people need to see God’s exceeding weight of glory on those who have loved and served Him for many years.

So, having multiple services to accommodate the schedules of a very busy congregation may be very helpful, but splitting up public worship solely on the basis of music style is unfortunate in many ways.  It seems on the surface that dividing into worship groups will solve all the problems of style of church music.  However, it doesn’t.  The church must struggle with style and form in music just like it deals with all the other practical nitty-gritty issues of Christian living.  Dividing congregational worship only avoids the problems of musical worship.

Thought for the day-Prescriptive Part 2

If the church would be more concerned about "leadership" than "leader-shift" church music would not be in the mess it is in in the 21st century.

A Prescriptive Approach Part 2

In yesterday's post we started a series of discussions on "A Prescriptive approach to Church Music".  The church that takes a prescriptive approach to church music believes most people who recognize that they are sick and go to a doctor’s office expect to come away with a prescription.  They have faith that the doctor has the ability and has the right to prescribe what will make them well.  Most people would be disappointed in a doctor who said, “Sir, you are very sick-as a matter of fact you are sick enough to die.  However, getting well is completely a matter of your opinion.  So, what medicine do you like best?  Lets see, I have big pills and little pills, I have round ones and rectangle ones.  I have green, yellow, red and pink ones.  I have sweet, sour, bitter and salty ones.  Remember, its all a matter of taste and likes and dislikes, so what is your choice?” 

 Now in the 21^st century when it comes to church music, people go ballistic when the pastor, minister of music and church board prescribes what they believe, in the fear of God, are the best styles of church music suited to the awesomeness and solemnity of the worship of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

            Until 1960, for centuries the church has always had the right to prescribe what they believed was the beset choices for church music.  Now in this synthesis-thinking world ( i.e. there is no right or wrong), the church has lost the right  to make musical choices ,since  many believe that music is all a matter of personal preference.  Any church that does limit music styles is also believed to not be seeker sensitive.

Thought for the day-Prescriptive Part I

Many people will accept a prescriptive approach to theology, but they recoil when a church sets limits or prescribes which styles of music are appropriate for Sunday  morning worship.

A Prescriptive Approach Part I

                                   A Prescriptive Approach to Church music-Part I

        Believers who adhere to prescriptive thought believe that the church has the authority and responsibility to prescribe what styles of music are most appropriate for public worship and evangelism.  This type of thinker not only believes that most people who attend church expect sacred music to be of a different character than the music of the world.  They also believe that sinners often have no problem making a distinction between sacred and profane music.     

       Philosophically this body of believers thinks in terms of the world as needy sin sick souls who come to the church for new life.  This church believes that if those in need will listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ preached and sung by the church since sinners want to hear “good news”.  This church believes that the gospel is good news because it gives sinners the prescription for eternal life.  This thesis thinking church believes in absolutes.  They believe in absolutes in theology.  Therefore it is easy for them to believe in absolutes in church music.

       They believe most people who recognize that they are sick and go to a doctor’s office expect to come away with a prescription.  They have faith that the doctor has the ability and has the right to prescribe what will make them well.  Most people would be disappointed in a doctor who said, “Sir, you are very sick-as a matter of fact you are sick enough to die.  However, getting well is completely a matter of your opinion.  So, what medicine do you like best?  Let’s see, I have big pills and little pills, I have round ones and rectangle ones.  I have green, yellow, red and pink ones.  I have sweet, sour, bitter and salty ones.  Remember, it’s all a matter of taste and likes and dislikes, so what is your choice?”  Now in the 21^st century when it comes to church music, people go ballistic when the pastor, minister of music and church board prescribes what they believe, in the fear of God, are the best styles of church music suited to the awesomeness and solemnity of the worship of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

Prayer for the day-Daniel Purposed in His Heart

Prayer for the day-Daniel Purposed in his Heart

Lord I thank you for the Holy Spirit that gives me guidance in musicing unto the blessed trinity.  Please help me to purpose in my heart not to defile myself with the world’s music that does not honor you.  Please never let me be squeezed into the world’s mold of musicing unto man and musicing for man’s glory.  I am asking you Lord to help me to never worship man or music.  Help me to not bow down to the art of music, but to only use worship music that will bring honor to the

Daniel Purposed in His Heart

  Daniel Purposed in his Heart

Daniel 1:8 states, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself…”

       When Daniel was taken captive, and was placed in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the King’s meat and drink.  Little did he know that he would soon have to make a choice not to defile himself with the qeren, mashrokiy, kithara, sebbeka, pescanterin, and sumphonia which were used with various kinds of Babylonian music.

       These instruments which accompanied the music were played as a concomitant to the worship of the king of Babylon.  The significance of the music is not fully explained in Daniel 3:5, 7, 10 and 15.  Although their musical usage was not thoroughly explained in the account in the book of Daniel, we know that was not the mere use of these instruments that Daniel resisted.  It was the significance of what this musical worship represented, that Daniel resisted.

       Christian musicians need to be careful that they do not get so caught up in music making that they fail to consider what the music represents by association.  It isn’t only what music styles a

Thought for the day-Led Away by Music

Thought for the day-Led Away by Music

It is a novel idea to many Christian musicians that music has the propensity to help or to hinder public worship.  Since it does have great power, musicians must choose content, style, and performance praxis very carefully.

Led Away with Music

 Led Away by Music

Nahum 2:7 states, “And Huzzub shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids lead her away as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.”

       Although there is argument surrounding the name Huzzub, it is thought by some scholars to be the name of the queen or Nineveh.  The Book of Nahum records that Huzzub was lead away captive by music.  Verse seven states that her maids led her heart away by the use of beautiful soothing or gentle use of music accompanied by breast drums.  The meaning of the word taphaph (8608) is “to drum”.  These small drums consisted of a hoop covered with skin.  These drums had string attached which was looped around the maid’s necks.  They were played by the use of both hands tapping the heads of the breast drums. 

       Christian musicians often fear wild, loud, raucous, dissonant music sung and played by musicians wearing gaudy silver chains, large crosses performed by musicians adorned in tight leather pants, hobnailed boots who have their hair dyed bright purple.  However, this Scripture gives an Old Testament example of one being led away captive with the sound of small breast drums accompanying maids accompanying the “voice of doves”.  Those of us who are accustomed to the sounds that doves produce know that they produce a soft pleasing sound.

       All music has power and, therefore, all styles of music exert power over the performer and the listener.  So, the Christian musician must carefully consider this potential power that music will have when he or she musics in public or private.  Music should edify the believer instead of drawing his or her heart away from God. Because music can lead us either away from our heavenly father or draw us closer to Him, we must carefully choose and utilize “Style’ when musicing unto God.