Music From the Heart

A friend of mine was making jokes about modern Christian music today. He's a bit of a tease, but in a pleasant enough way. He wanted to know if at my church, we sang songs by 'Sonicflood.' He asked with such disdain and disapproval, that I couldn't actually tell if he was teasing or not. I got curious and it didn't take me very long to find several worship songs on about three of their albums that I dearly love to sing to God in praise and worship. I suspect that there are more. I don't pay a great deal of attention to whose song is popular. I either enjoy singing the lyrics of a song to God or I don't. We have some very talented folks in our body who write songs of their own, or put Biblical psalms to music.

The music deal can be tough sometimes. It is so personal. It has so much meaning for people, and sometimes they can't see any way to worship but their own. When I was a new usher, one of the first things I had to deal with was an older man who called me to his seat just to tell me that we shouldn't just be doing modern music, that we ought to be singing some of the older hymns, and that, "They're good too, you know?" I did know that. I have a deep love for many older hymns. I gave him what I thought was a lame answer, and told him lovingly that if that was how he felt, that he should write it in the space provided on his bulletin. I guess it wasn't so lame. It was not long after that, that I noticed we were including more older hymns, more often, albeit, set to a slightly contemporary rhythm.

I prefer not to have two different services to accommodate worship music styles. I guess it's because I feel that sort of practice has a tendency towards dividing younger believers from older ones, or the contemporary music people from the traditional ones. It just seems as though any give and take between the two groups would disappear. The older gentleman in my church has been accommodated and has adapted nicely at the same time and is very happy worshiping there, and I think that younger people should really benefit from having some older hymn lyrics on their minds and hearts.

I think there are more things involved though, than a glance can reveal. I would agree that a lot of what is called contemporary Christian music is full of highly repetitive lyrics, which aren't too deep, and do not appear to have been written by anyone with any theological appreciation or frankly, even much life experience. One could argue that some older hymns were written to existing melodies that were then contemporary, but that doesn't hold much meaning for me, because I believe that many of them were written by people who had a better understanding of theology, had amazing life experience, (many have had books written or movies made about them) who suffered, and who had uncommonly deep relationships with God. Look up Fanny Crosby, or maybe John Newton or Charles Wesley or Phillip Bliss. It is a long list.

Okay. Enough of that. (Laughing here) I think often times, that people can find some kinds of music or worship distasteful, not because it's bad or wrong, but because they are maybe just a little bit too proud to participate. I took somebody to church with me once and they were upset because some people were singing with their eyes closed, and some were raising their hands high in worship. That might be pride in action, or it might not. The Bible tells us to raise holy hands to God. Some would argue about what that means. I wouldn't, and the different ways that people tend to define what worship is are numerous. Some people feel that worship music should be slow, in order to be respectful. Some feel that a lively song brings cheerful noise to the Lord. Some people believe that quiet music is the only respectful way to go before God in worship. It goes on.

I downloaded an Mp3 of a man's visit to a church in Ukraine, and I couldn't understand the words in Russian that were being sung, but I could hear in the voices of those people, the heartfelt unison in praise to God. It was wonderful. It was sacred to them, and to me. I even recognized some of the melodies, and so I did know some of the songs they were singing. Around this planet, there are a ton of cultural, musical differences when it comes to worship. What makes it sacred is how the heart is relating to God, in praise of His wonderful name, and isn't it truly cool that He is worshiped in such a variety of languages and styles of music?

So when it comes to disagreements over music in the church, I believe the best way to handle it is to look at what the Bible tells us in principle, (meaning how we are supposed to esteem one another, and put up with each other) and then put it into practice.

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4

"12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves." 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13