Music is the Message , posted at NeoFundamentalist, gives a great, balanced perspective on the issue of music. For those of us who are not legalists concerning music, this article presents much needed food for thought.
One of the reasons that I wandered away from the fundamentalist movement a few years ago was what I saw as an undue emphasis on music standards. Acceptable music was defined by church leaders in ways that were narrow, subjective, and elitist. The pastor and/or music minister was in the position of being the arbiter of what constituted music acceptable to God. Often, leaders would refer to certain experts who shared their tastes and cultural biases. The leaders and their writings were regarded as authoritative. This approach to church music left me cold and frustrated. Having been taught that the Bible is our only authoritative rule for faith and practice, I naturally chafed under artificial rules imposed by leaders in the area of music. I could find no Scriptural corroboration for their standards and therefore felt they were being unjust in forcing their preferences on the churches. Many pastors and leaders passed off their personal tastes as "thus saith the Lord".
My tastes in music have always been generally broad and eclectic. I like some of most genres of music, with two or three notable exceptions. When I broke free of legalism, I also indulged my tastes in church music. Some I like more and some I like less. But I bought into the comteporary church notion that music is amoral (is that like being an amillenialist?)...or at least I bought into it intellectually. But even during that period of my life, there was a troubled voice of objection in the back of my mind regarding music. I still had lines that I would not cross, but I attributed them to my own prejudices and upbringing.
As I've made the course correction back towards nonlegalistic fundamentalism away from the errors of the market driven church, I am once again convinced that music is the message to a certain degree. Music is a communicative tool, an emotional and intellectual expression that both carries and calls forth moral and spiritual values from listeners.
NeoFundy's article brings some clarity to the discussion and evaluation of music that is appropriate for the churchs and for individual Christians.
4 comments:
Neo said,
"No matter how we approach the music question, we must understand that music is part of the message, and how we sing matters as much as what we sing."
He also says, "There is no precision to it, and context plays an important role in understanding the expression."
Music is extremely important, but it is now equal to preaching. My own church's bulletin says "Message in music" then "Message in Word".
I think this is a more fundamental problem in churches today. Music in the NT is a tool for believers. I am not doubting its ability to be used in our culture as well. But he states in the article, "There is no precision to it, and context plays an important role in understanding the expression."
I think one would be hard pressed to find preaching through music in the NT. Getting God's people to memorize Scripture through music and poetic styles of teaching is simply not the same as preaching itself.
Unless churches get back to the primary means God clearly tells us to use, we will continue down this road.
The youth pastor at my church basically said yesterday that virtually any means that would not be un Bibical is a means that should be used. What that thinking will lead to is...well...already everywhere evident.
Instead of converting the thinking of the world, we seem to be willing to become just like it to get converts. But what are we converting them to?
God Bless
Howard,
I don't think NeoFundy was saying that music is on a par with preaching or the content of the Word. He was saying that since music communicates emotional and intellectual content, there is music that is appropriate for worship and other music that is not.
Your youth pastor's comment is representative of a thorough-going contemporary approach to ministry. They view ministry as personality driven and method driven. That's a weakness in not having a thorugh, complete Biblical and theological education.
"I don't think NeoFundy was saying that music is on a par with preaching or the content of the Word."
I agree. Sorry my comment gave that impression.
Thank you for the kind words! You are correct that I would never elevate music to the level of preaching. May God take me home before I ever give that impression.
With that said, my main point is this: just as I can say the words "I love you" in a tone that says "I don't love you", music can reverse and contradict the message of its lyric...more than a tool to carry the lyric, it is as much a part of the musical expression as tone of voice is to the preacher's words.
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