Had to write a paper for Church History Class, so thought I'd share it. You are dealing with one lazy blogger!
The Importance of Music in Church Services
If you are going
to make the case for the importance of a thing, it is customary to be able to
express how the particular thing has value or serves a purpose. So in regarding the importance of music in
the church, we have to ask the questions:
·
Does music serve a purpose in church
services?
·
Is music valuable to church services?
If
these two questions are examined and answered, we will truly know the
importance of music in church.
Taking Care of Business
My earliest recollection of the role that music played in
church services was one of structure. The Catholic Church service was divided in
parts and the music would tell the parish what was happening next. The service would open and end with songs of
praise and worship and at certain intervals parts of the mass where sung. So music played the utilitarian role of time
keeper; my family was particularly fond of the closing hymn that marked the end
of service.
Beyond the basic divisions of time, church music played
the more important role of teaching and giving praise. The hymns that were sung in church reinforced
the lessons about Christian doctrine I learned in Sunday school. My fondest memories of church music in my
youth was giving praise and honor to God in song, particularly with Christmas
themed hymns like “Come All Ye Faithful”, “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World!”.
These moments of my youth in church proclaiming
praise in song had me deeply rooted in belief in Christ and proud to be one of
his followers.
Purpose? The purpose of music is to Rock!
It
is commonly thought that the purpose of music is to entertain. The criticism of the use of music in the church
has primarily been aimed at the entertainment value of the music performed. When
the focus of music in church is solely for the entertainment of the audience,
these criticisms are warranted. While music is a form of entertainment and
entertainment could be listed as one of the purposes of music in church, the main
purpose of the gathering of the church service is to give glory, honor, and
praise to God so this should be the purpose of the music in the church service
as well.
The argument
against music in church could take aim at the content of the music, the style,
or both. Throughout the ages of church
history, critics have claimed that certain forms of church music was
dishonoring God, making light of the gospel, or was too worldly. The use of
particular musical instruments, hymns, or certain arrangements was deemed an
unholy form of praise, unbiblical, or drew the attention from God to
individuals. For example, the Lutherans
used organs, choirs, and traditional catholic congregational songs that
reinforced the meaning of the gospel where as other branches of Protestantism
rejected these forms, insisting that the only acceptable music was music that
came directly from scripture. So who’s
right?
Music
appreciation is truly subjective. Our grandparents’ standard of acceptable
church music is different from our standards. The Lutherans and the Calvinists had different
standards. Styles and standards might
change but we must remember that our purpose is to glorify God, and if that is
the case, I feel that the music in church must:
·
Give respectful and reverent praise towards
God
·
Be in accordance with biblically moral
standards of conduct and decency
·
Be biblically and doctrinally accurate.
This
might be a short list of requirements but as long as they are met, who am I or
anyone else to say that the way that someone chooses to honor and praise the
Lord is wrong. So be it rap, country
western, or didgeridoo church music, as long as God is being praised respectfully,
genuinely, and accurately the true purpose of church music is fulfilled.
Value:
Beyond Purpose
The purpose of church music has been shown to be:
·
Utilitarian – Division and structure, keeping
time.
·
Educational – Teaching and reinforcing gospel
doctrine.
·
Entertainment – Some list church music as the
reason for going to church!
·
Devotional – Praise and Honor to God.
Church music fits the bill
in terms of purpose. Something meeting
four purposes would automatically be considered valuable. Four purposes shows music in church has a
quantifiable value. However, sometimes
it’s not the quantity that matters; it’s the quality that really determines
value. Sometimes the whole is worth more
than the sum of the parts. There are two qualitative aspects to music in
church that go beyond purpose and surpass the use of music in any other setting.
These two aspects are: the sense of
community and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
It is true that music brings people together but the
sense of community that is established when believers of the one true God come
together and give praise, honor and glory to Him is more than the good vibes of
a rock concert. It is the united proclamation of truth and devotion that builds
bonds between believers corporately while also connecting believers to God
Himself. A small glimpse of heaven is
gained when believers rise up joined in song. You can imagine the scene in
Revelation 4 where the living creatures “do not rest day or night, saying “Holy
, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” This sense of community is the result of the
fully appropriate and righteous praise of the Lord.
The sense of community that we feel in church through
music is amplified through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This anointing is
understood by believers when the quality of the worship is elevated in a sense
where the presence of God seems to flow through you and wash over you. The
experience is marked by incredible joy and an overwhelming flow of emotion and
timelessness that is difficult to articulate but is understood experientially as something super natural. The first
time I experienced this anointing at Rock Solid Church I was visible shaken and
taken aback by the power I experienced. I was new to the church and I remember a member of the congregation greeting me. I remember
saying “Yeah” or “Wow!” and He just sort of laughed because he could see I
was really moved by the worship. It was
okay because I didn’t have much more to say, having been rendered speechless.
This
is what is special about music in church or church music anywhere; it connects
us to God. It takes that intellectual knowledge
and ties it to our hearts and the Holy Spirit is confirming that it is real and
it is all true. These realizations and
experiences of abiding with the Holy Spirit I have known have come through
prayer, studying the word, praying in tongues, and praising Him through music.
So if you ask me if it is important to have music in church, I would
have to say “Yeah” or “Wow!”
