“Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior.”
–Lutheran Book of Worship, p. 45
“Mindless words, bad theology, and emotional tunes.”
–written in the 19th century of Isaac Watts’ hymn “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”
Music sullies the Divine Service, for in the very sight of God, in the sacred recesses of the sanctuary itself, the singers attempt, with the lewdness of a lascivious voice and a singularly foppish manner, to feminize all their spellbound little followers with the girlish way they render the notes and end their phrases. Could you but hear the effete emotings of their before-singing and their after-singing, their singing and their counter-singing, their in-between-singing and their ill-advised singing, you would think it an ensemble of sirens, not of men; and you would be astounded by the singers’ facility, with which indeed neither that of the parrot or the nightingale can compare, nor of whatever else there may be that is more remarkable in this kind, can compare. Indeed, such is their glibness in running up and down the scale, such their cutting apart or their conjoining of notes, such their repetition or their elision of single phrases of the text — to such an extent are the high or even the highest notes mixed together with the low or lowest ones — that the ears are almost completely divested of their critical power, and the intellect, which pleasurableness of so much sweetness has caressed insensate, is impotent to judge the merits of the thing heard.
–John of Salisbury (d. 1180), on early polyphony
Every complaint about worship music, no matter which style, claims to be rooted in theological principles. Yet in every critique, the theology aligns perfectly with the critic’s own musical taste. What may be more helpful instead is a pragmatic test based on a bit of wisdom from the Gospels: “The tree is known by its fruit.” If this is so, then worship music ought to be judged not by the songs themselves but by the people who sing them. Looking at the songs themselves is rather like looking at the bark of a tree and then pronouncing the tree good or bad. Better to look at the fruit itself – the lives of the people who are singing the songs. The job of the local church is to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ, to draw people into a living relationship with God, and to remold disciples of Jesus into a Sermon-on-the-Mount shape. Any worship music that aids a church in these tasks is almost certainly a conduit of the Holy Spirit. In light of this, maybe it is time to substitute charity for condescension.
–Michael S. Hamilton, “The Triumph of the Praise Songs: How guitars beat out the organ in the worship wars,” Christianity Today 43.8 (12 July 1999)
We tend to think that it’s the sacrifice that makes the person acceptable; but actually it’s the person who makes the sacrifice acceptable.
–Daniel I. Block, on the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)
First we must take heed that in music be not put the whole sum and effect of godliness and of the worshipping of God, which among the papists they do almost everywhere think, that they have fully worshipped God when they have long and much sung and piped.
Further, we must take heed that in it be not put merit or remission of sins.
Thirdly, that singing be not so much used and occupied in the church that there be no time, in a manner, left to preach the Word of God and holy doctrine; whereby it cometh to pass that the people depart out of the church full of music and harmony, but yet hunger-baned and fasting as touching heavenly food on doctrine.
Fourthly, that rich and large stipends be not so appointed for musicians that either very little or, in a manner, nothing is provided for the ministers which labor in the word of God.
Fifthly, neither may that broken and quavering music be used wherewith the standers-by are so letted that they cannot understand the words, not though they would never so fain.
Lastly, we must take heed that in the church nothing be sung without choice, but only those things which are contained in the holy scriptures, or which are by just reason gathered out of them, and do exactly agree with the word of God.
–John Norbrooke, A Treatise Wherein Dicing, Dancing, etc. Are Reproved (quoted in Knappen, Tudor Puritanism, 432)
What if we were, in our own churches and in our own lives, to create a celebration around the table that would be similar to what is happening in that upper room, similar to what is happening in the book of Acts? So that when our children ask us, like the Bible says the children of the Israelites would ask, “Why do we observe this meal?”, we would be able to say with tears in our eyes that, “We are not orphans. And Jesus loves us, this we know, for the Bible tells us so.” What if when unbelievers saw what is going on in our Lord’s Supper services, they would see a banquet worth going to? What if we created in our churches the kind of joyful proclamation through the eating and drinking together, so that people weren’t trying to find that fellowship through Krispy Kreme donuts after Sunday school, but they were seeing it right there in the presence of the worship of the people of God? And what if, by recovering the Lord’s Table, scary as it is, we created the kind of kingdom community, the kind of church in which our children and their theologian dads would look in puzzlement at multinational corporate clowns, lamp heated hamburgers and soggy fries as if to say, “I was at church last night, and you call this a Happy Meal?” What if?
–Russell D. Moore, “Jesus, Take the Meal: Why We’re Afraid of the Lord’s Table (Luke 22:7-30)”, 7 (link HERE)
So often we throw together the Lord’s Supper at the last moment. We spend all of our time explaining what it does not mean. . . . And yet in so doing, we often forget to do exactly what Jesus is doing here, which is saying what this does mean and why this is significant and why this is important. Instead, we live out this dirge-like experience, usually once a quarter, almost like a funeral for someone we don’t quite know. . . .
Why is it that our Lord’s Supper services are so funereal? Why is it that even in churches that have had a very celebrating atmosphere, when it gets to that point, we roll out that table: it looks like a corpse covered in a white sheet. We stand up and believe that what we ought to do right now is to scrunch up our faces and feel sorry for Jesus. Jesus doesn’t want you to feel sorry for him. When Jesus says, “Proclaim my death,” that is a proclamation of victory.
It is also a magnificent proclamation of the liberating power of God. . . . What we are doing in the Lord’s Table is announcing to one another with the authority of Jesus himself, “I am a sinner. I ought to be in hell right now. And yet, the blood of Jesus washes away all sin.”
–Russell D. Moore, “Jesus, Take the Meal: Why We’re Afraid of the Lord’s Table (Luke 22:7-30)”, 2,4,5,6 (link HERE)
When you have the celebration of the Lord’s Table . . . you have a congregation gathered together that all of the time is constantly being reminded: some of you in this room have paid for abortions; some of you in this room were what the world calls porn stars; some of you in this room were embezzlers and gamblers and wife abusers; some of you in this room were covetous, smug [churchgoers]; some of you in this room have violated the law of God in all of these many ways, but in Christ, the destroyer has passed over you. You are forgiven, not because God has turned in ignorance from you, but because God has placed your sins upon Jesus, and he has been through hell for you. This is a warning of judgment. It is also a magnificent proclamation of the liberating power of God.
–Russell D. Moore, “Jesus, Take the Meal: Why We’re Afraid of the Lord’s Table (Luke 22:7-30)”, 5 (link HERE)
A faithful worship leader
magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit
by skillfully combining God’s Word with music,
thereby motivating the gathered church
to proclaim the gospel,
to cherish God’s presence,
and to live for God’s glory.
–Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God (Crossway Books, 200 
55
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
- cast off that I might be brought in,
- trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,
- surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best,
- stripped that I might be clothed,
- wounded that I might be healed,
- athirst that I might drink,
- tormented that I might be comforted,
- made a shame that I might inherit glory,
- entered darkness that I might have eternal light.
My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
- groaned that I might have endless song,
- endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
- bore a thorned crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
- bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
- experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
- closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
- expired that I might for ever live.–from The Valley of Vision
SHEPHERD PSALM OF THE MODERN AMERICAN
The clock is my dictator; I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down only when exhausted;
It leads me to deep depression;
It hounds my soul.
It leads me in circles of frenzy for activity’s sake.Even though I run frantically from task to task I will never get it all done.
For my ideal is with me;
Deadlines and my need for approval they drive me;
They demand performance from me beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines;
My in-basket overflows.
–author unknown
We cannot possibly flatter the Almighty by hurrying into His presence,
flinging a song and prayer at Him,
and hurrying out of church back into our hassled lifestyles.
God is never flattered by our sanctified exhaustion.
–Calvin Miller, Into the Depths of God
Suppose a man was going to New York to take possession of a large estate, and his carriage should break down a mile before he got to the city, which obliged him to walk the rest of the way; what a fool we should think him, if we saw him wringing his hands, and blubbering out all the remaining mile, “My carriage is broken! My carriage is broken!”
–John Newton (in Richard Cecil, “Memoirs of the Rev. John Newton,” The Works of the Rev. John Newton, Vol. 1 [Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1985], 108 )
* * * * *
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
–Jesus Christ (Matthew 13:45-46)
Through heaven and earth so shall My glory excel, But mercy first and last shall brightest shine.
–Milton, Paradise Lost
* * * *
“He exalts himself to show mercy to you.”
–Isaiah 30:18
* * * *
“For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.”
–Romans 15:8-9
The current generation of Christians, having been raised in a culture of television, radio, CDs and personal listening devices, has slipped into the habit of living life vicariously. We no longer gather around the piano for an informal sing-along, but just slide a CD or DVD into the player. Our “sophisticated” tastes have come to expect and be satisfied only with polished symphony orchestras, high-profile singing idols and technological bells and whistles. We are dissatisfied with our own often imperfect attempts to make music and want to be “ministered to,” if not by professionals, at least by the more competent and gifted in our congregation. . . .
Indeed, many great pieces of music were never intended to be sung by a group at all, but rather by soloists. Meditating on the words of a song performed by others can be a significant spiritual exercise, as much as reflecting on the words of a book written by a Christian author of acknowledged wisdom and insight. The value of listening to beautiful music itself, apart from the lyrics, should not be underestimated. We are created in the image of a creator God, as creative beings ourselves, and the exercise of our creative gifts can bring glory to God as well as edification and pleasure to others.
Performance of sacred music certainly has a valuable place in the worship service. Problems ensue, however, when performance dominates the music at the expense of participation. Morganthaler warns, “We are not producing worshippers in this country. Rather, we are producing a generation of spectators, religious onlookers lacking, in many cases, any memory of a true encounter with God” [Sally Morgenthaler, Worship Evangelism, 17].
–Mary L. Conway, “Worship Music: Maintaining Dynamic Tension,” McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry 7 (2006): 145-46 www.mcmaster.ca/mjtm/pdfs/vol7/MJTM_7-7_Conway.pdf
All music is a product of culture, past or present, and . . . previous historical cultures were as deeply flawed as our modern Western one. Even the Israelite culture that produced the Psalms, the ultimate book of praise songs and the only one to achieve canonical status (something
even Bach and Isaac Watts have failed to do), was constantly corrupted by syncretism, apostasy and sin. . . . The tendency to use what is familiar and popular—the musical vernacular—and sanctify it for holy purposes, has powerful precedents throughout church history.–Mary L. Conway, “Worship Music: Maintaining Dynamic Tension,” McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry 7 (2006): 150-51 www.mcmaster.ca/mjtm/pdfs/vol7/MJTM_7-7_Conway.pdf
Søren Kierkegaard originated the idea that in worship, the congregation is not the audience; they are the performers. The worship team members are not the performers; they are the promoters. God is the ultimate audience. . . . When we purchase a ticket to a concert we have the right to base our choice of performer and music on our personal tastes and preferences, whether that be Renaissance motets or acid rock. We have the right to criticize the performance, and evaluate whether we got our money’s worth. We have the right to sit passively and expect to be entertained. Depending on our mood and personality, we have the right to have our expectations realized, whether that involves being intellectually challenged by a complex work brilliantly performed, or experiencing emotional catharsis brought on by a deeply moving and evocative work. We even have the right to leave at the intermission if we are disappointed. If Kierkegaard is right, however, this all changes when it comes to worship.
If Yahweh, the true and living God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, is the audience, and we are the performers, then we must approach worship with infinitely more humility and reverence. God initiates the conversation in this encounter. If he makes us aware of our sinfulness, we should lament, and if he reveals to us his majesty and goodness, we should offer praise and thanksgiving. If he speaks to us and says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4), we have no right to sulk or sigh if we prefer contemporary songs and other believers like traditional hymns. If we are told, “Sing
to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name” (Ps 30:4), we have no right to sit and expect others to entertain us or make us “feel good.” If we are to tell of his greatness to unbelievers, then we must welcome outsiders into the context of our praise, and speak the truth to them in love.–Mary L. Conway, “Worship Music: Maintaining Dynamic Tension,” McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry 7 (2006): 156 www.mcmaster.ca/mjtm/pdfs/vol7/MJTM_7-7_Conway.pdf
There is a significant difference, however, between simple and simplistic; profound truths can be simply and powerfully stated. The sheer density of theological ideas in some traditional hymns, and the abstract literary techniques used in their composition, would place them
out of the conceptual range of many people, especially the young, the new immigrant and the new believer, who have not yet developed fluency in “Christianese.” Focusing on one or two well-stated ideas at a time could actually promote depth of understanding.–Mary L. Conway, “Worship Music: Maintaining Dynamic Tension,” McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry 7 (2006): 149 www.mcmaster.ca/mjtm/pdfs/vol7/MJTM_7-7_Conway.pdf
As daily consumers of popular media culture, we have learned to be egocentric in our selection, selfish in our evaluation, impatient for gratification and eager for novelty.
–Mary L. Conway, “Worship Music: Maintaining Dynamic Tension,” McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry 7 (2006): 147 www.mcmaster.ca/mjtm/pdfs/vol7/MJTM_7-7_Conway.pdf
[We have been] catechized by consumerism.
–E. Byron Anderson, “Worship and Theological Education,” Theological Education, Vol. 39, Number 1 (2003):120
The Christian faith is full of tensions, between the law and grace, between judgment and mercy,
between the divinity and humanity of Jesus, between free will and the sovereignty of God, and between the “already” and the “not yet,” to name but a few. It is as simplistic and counterproductive to attempt to resolve these tensions by advocating an insipid, trite, “one size fits all” theology, as it is arbitrary and presumptuous to recognize only one end of the continuum as the ultimate truth of God. In the theology and practice of worship, as in all these areas, Christians must learn to live with dynamic tensions. To do so is not only possible, it is preferable, for it is only in honestly wrestling and interacting with a spectrum of truth that
is beyond our current finite comprehension that we keep our faith alive and active, that we keep our theology humble and faithful, and that we keep our practice relevant and honouring to God. All this is particularly true in the contentious area of worship music styles and practices. . . .If Yahweh, the true and living God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, is the audience, and we are the performers, then we must approach worship with infinitely more humility and reverence. . . . If we accept this paradigm of worship, then we will be far more able and willing to compromise in the positive sense: to keep these tensions in dynamic, constructive balance. We will be more able to celebrate the diversity of our fellow-believers and to integrate their modes of worship with our own, without resorting to divisiveness and exclusiveness, extremism or simplistic solutions.
–Mary L. Conway, “Worship Music: Maintaining Dynamic Tension,” McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry 7 (2006): 133, 156 www.mcmaster.ca/mjtm/pdfs/vol7/MJTM_7-7_Conway.pdf
