A discussion of music styles in the church

The debate rages on. Should music in the church be solemn and reverent, or celebratory and boisterous? Should we sing hymns only, or is contemporary music acceptable? Are rock bands in church sacrilegious, or merely a matter of taste? Are emotional expressions suspect? Is it unseemly to desire intimacy in worship? Is doctrinal depth required in worship music, or are simple expressions acceptable?

These are the questions that occupy church leadership, pastors, and worshipers alike. In fact, the debate at times gets heated. Some claim the rock beat itself is pagan and invites demons. Here's a fellow who thinks that it's wrong to update hymns. And this person thinks hymns are boring.

What are we to think? It's hard enough these days to "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." Apparently, we also have to worry if we are worshiping using the right songs, the right instruments, and the right styles.

This is not to say that there aren't some bad worship songs out there, or even some bad hymns. And we certainly should discern the quality and content of worship music. Because the main purpose of musical worship is to give God the glory, to magnify his Name, and to declare his wonders, and worship music should express that glory: Ps. 9:1 "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders."

Secondarily, musical worship is to encourage the saints: Ep. 5:19 "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord..." Or even to teach and exhort: Col. 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

Thus, worship songs must operate in this context. Songs that are self-involved or do not speak of the greatness of God, songs that have doctrinal error, and songs that do not uplift should not be part of a worship service.

New Songs:

There is a lot of new worship music out there. Thousands of songs are being written every year. It's almost overwhelming. Why is this happening? I'm pretty sure it isn't because there are not enough worship songs already. It isn't that people are bored with singing the same five songs over and over. And I know for certain it isn't because hymns are inadequate or irrelevant.No, I think that there is so much new music because God is moving in our times, and one way people respond is to write songs.

I think it's a good thing. These songs express what is going on right now, as opposed to what happened a generation ago. They speak to today's people in today's churches. Here's how one person puts it: "The way Nirvana gave voice to the angst of Generation X, bands like Delirious were giving voice to a generation of young Christians who didn't feel they could relate to the songs of their parents and grandparents."

And God is creative, and He made us creative. Just as new sermons are formulated and preached every Sunday (rather than a pastor simply delivering an old Spurgeon sermon, for example), people write new music that carries the timeless and timely message of salvation, sanctification, and the glories of our God, in contemporary terms to a new generation that longs to know Him.

The phrase "new song" is found 9 times in the NIV version. For example:

Ps. 33:3 Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy.

Ps. 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

So I think it is a good thing that there are new songs. Scripture commands it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Johns Wesley wasn't thinking that the church didn't need 6000 more hymns. If he had, then we wouldn't have

• "And Can It Be That I Should Gain?" 
• "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" 
• "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" 
• "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" 

Without contemporary songs, we wouldn't have

• Revelation Song
• 10,000 Reasons
• Agnus Dei
• God of Wonders
• How deep the Father's love for us
• Lord, I Lift Your Name On High

Skill:

One of he things I appreciate about my hymn singing history, and also much of new worship music I'm a acquainted with, is the skill on display. There are some truly astounding skills being manifested, both in the songs as well as the musicians themselves. The chordal structure of many hymns, the clever ways intricate doctrinal concepts are integrated, the easy-to-sing melodies, cause my admiration. Similarly, modern worship music also have some great melodies, harmonies, and lyrics. So many of these hymns and worship songs are capable of moving my heart to worship.

This is good, since Scripture commands excellence:

1Ch. 25:7 Along with their relatives — all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD — they numbered 288.

Ps. 33:2-3 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy.

Ps. 45:1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

Being a musician, I pay attention to chord progressions, dissonances, crescendos, and voicings. I find worship in the well-executed song. And especially, people generally know when someone is a hack, and we can't have hacks in the church. We need quality, and we need the Spirit.

Having said that, I also love a well-crafted, anointed song with only two chords.

Simple:

Some of the most powerful songs recorded in Scripture are also the simplest. When Solomon completed the construction of the temple, it took only one sentence of worship to invite the glory of God:

2Ch. 5:13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures for ever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud...

And the grand choruses of heaven didn't need to be very complex:

Re. 5:12 In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

So I don't need a theological treatise in every single song. Simple proclamations of praise can go a long way.

Reverent:

In the happy superfunband church services, sometimes it seems there is a lack of reverence. It seems that people simply don't know how to wait in silence and reverent awe these days. Rather than dare to stop playing or singing, bands seem to need to provide "background" music during prayer or in between songs.

This is probably due to a lack of teaching on what in means to be a worshiper. Some people would just rather be entertained, I guess. Indeed, in this super-information society, a 2 second pause in a web page load is intolerable. Scene cuts in TV commercials seem to occur about once per second, creating a blizzard of images.

But there is a different place God wants us to come. His presence. And that place can be fun and celebratory and joyful, but it also is solemn and reflective.

Ps. 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker...

He. 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Ps. 96:9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

Ps. 99:5 Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

Emotional Response:

I know conservative Christians are concerned with emotional expression in church. Their tradition is to be reserved, attentive, and dignified. Anything else is assumed to be disrespectful at the least, and serious error at worst. This is because conservative Christians regard the emotions to be at odds with intellectual engagement. They value exposition, systematic theology, and considered analysis to be the highest form of Christian behavior. Emotions are messy, hard to deal with, and basically fleshly, not spiritual.

This is the tradition handed down through the reformation, as people gained access to Scripture for the first time. Thus, study, exposition, and doctrine became prized.

But this is not the church of the N.T. This is not the Hebrew cultural expression of worship. The Jews were celebratory, perhaps even to a fault. They were and are a demonstrative people. They sing, dance, and carry on. They know how to party.

Ps. 100:2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

2Sa. 6:14-15 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

Ps. 98:4-5 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,

I find it hard to fault churches full of people dancing. I don't know their hearts, I only know that their desire to celebrate the goodness of God is a worthy pursuit.

Loud:

I know that many have sensitive ears, and/or grew up in a generation that cannot tolerate loud music. It's certainly a point of contention in churches, especially as more and more congregations move toward contemporary worship.

Sometimes I think "too loud" isn't really all that loud, because I like it loud (sometimes). Other times I know the decibel level is exceeding the damage threshold. There is no easy solution, except to say that people ought to seek out congregations that agree with their tastes.

It's certainly worth noting that loud praise was an acceptable, even commanded thing.

Ps. 81:1-2 "Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of  Jacob! Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre." 

2 Chronicles 30:21 "So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing to the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments."

One thing is for sure, when we get to heaven it's going to be noisy.

Re. 19:6 "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.'"

Too many rules:

No matter your preference in music, no matter your predispositions, no matter your understanding of propriety, the forms you embrace pale in comparison to the heart issues. God isn't looking at appearances or the songs we are singing, He is interested in the inner man. He has harsh words for those who put on their holy face for church but whose hearts are dark and cold:

Is. 29:13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."

The main requirement for worship:

One of my favorite verses in the Bible, one that dismantles the pretension and gets to the basics. Here we have the only place in the NT where Jesus tells us what the Father is looking for:

Jn. 4:23-24 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.

Words to live by.