This week on worship.vintage21.com, we’re looking at five principles of music making in a worshiping church, from Harold Best’s Music Through The Eyes Of Faith.
Principle Three: In texted music, there is a distinction between the role of the text and that of music.
Best uses Ephesians 5:19 in support:
“addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,”
“Paul first recognizes the didactic importance of these song types as text, therefore as proclamation and teaching (addressing one another). He then shifts the direction by instructing the Christians to make music, or as some translations put it, to make melody, in (with) their hearts to the Lord.” Harold Best, page 185
While singing words and making melody are both normative expressions of worship found and even commanded in scripture, it’s doubtful anyone would argue that music could express the truth of God that we find in text. Otherwise, God may have left an arrangement of musical notes to be played instead of his written scriptures. Therefore, most people recognize the importance of the words we sing over the music we make. This can be taken too far, especially in church settings, and result in an environment where words are valued and music is not, instead of an environment that stewards the value and importance of both music and lyrics, with a proper emphasis on the words. To an unbelieving world, it comes across as somewhat crazy that believers would tolerate such poor music, and instead of being drawn to the One who created music and commands us to use the gifts he’s given us to make amazing melodies, they are drawn to those outside of the church, who are actually stewarding the gifts given to them. Not stewarding in the biblical sense, but in a practical sense of developing skill and creativity. The resulting stereotype is that Christians are boring, non-creative, and their God is as well. How I long for the day when music made within the church exceeds that made in the world around us! When will the melodies and music be so undeniably amazing that the next Radiohead cites a church band as an influence?
Getting back to Best’s principle, he points out Paul’s distinction more clearly than I’ve previously grasped:
1. We can and should instruct one another with text. Music cannot do this.
2. Music is made to the Lord first, and to one another second.
This is often switched, with churches singing lyrics to the Lord without considering the instructional or missional aspect, and making music first to one another, and to the Lord second. The result can be churchy lyrics, with ripped-off musical styles from the world around, in an attempt to draw non-believers into church. Have you ever been to a church where lyrics such as “We lift holy hands to the Lamb” are sung? While these lyrics can bring praise to God, they are sung with an assumption that each person has not only grown up in church, and thus have a familiarity with these phrase, but also that they understand what these lyrics mean. The resulting number of people who can actually worship God with a clear understanding is diminished greatly, thus splitting the congregation and isolating many. I would argue that our lyrics should be God-honoring, sung in Spirit and Truth, but also be clear enough to teach non-believers who have joined us about God.
The musical aspect of Ephesians 5:19 and Best’s principle is more difficult, because I long to create music that draws people into worship, and the temptation is to begin with this in mind, instead of working from a desire to make music to the Lord. At the heart of my hesitation is doubt in the role and work of the Holy Spirit. God has given me gifts in the first place, and it is He who guides and develops those gifts, and He who gives me songs. His heart is to draw people to himself, so his songs will do that better than my sorry attempts to re-create the magic of Coldplay or Arcade Fire in a service. Our mediocrity is not because we are too reliant upon God, making the boring churchy music the world thinks he loves, but just the opposite. We do more than look to the culture around for cues, which is wise from a missional standpoint, but we instead look to that culture for inspiration and guidance in melody and music.
What if we started looking first to God for inspiration and guidance in melody and music, praying that he would give us new songs, new melodies unheard of before, new harmonies and new tones?
Matt Stevens is the Worship Pastor for Vintage21 Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact him via Twitter: @MattStevensNC 
Facebook page for Vintage21 Music
Follow Vintage21 Church on Twitter
Hmm… man those last few sentences could sure strike up a conversation ;) I like it, but then I start to think:
I always tend to lump music in with other “arts” or skills — teaching, graphic arts, public speaking, whatever. I think anyone developing a skill in these areas looks to those who are proficient in them in the world around them. Does looking to culture for inspiration/guidance in these areas also diminish the possibility of God doing something greater with them? Has getting inspiration from culture diminished the effectiveness of God to work through those? It would really seem like people are more effective speakers, teachers, and artists in the church when they have studied how the world responds to those… wouldn’t the same go for music? I’m not trying to say we shouldn’t look to God for our overall inspiration, but, just some thoughts.
I’m not sure if there’s a quick way to say what I want to :D
- Brandon
Brandon,
Great thoughts! Your question:
“Does looking to culture for inspiration/guidance in these areas also diminish the possibility of God doing something greater with them?”
No. Following the example of Paul in Acts 17, we should seek to redeem culture. I think people often either look AROUND culture to find God, or they stop at culture. I think we look at culture, but BEYOND to God.
But my point is, what if there were such a revolution of submission to and reliance upon God, that the church began leading the way, and culture looked towards us for what is cool, hip, excellent, etc.?
Quoted from above: “When will the melodies and music be so undeniably amazing that the next Radiohead cites a church band as an influence?”
Well, Bono of U2 has stated before that he loves Jars of Clay’s version of
“Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet,” so there are times when a mainstream artist acknowledges and even praises Christian music/artists.
Also Quoted from above: “But my point is, what if there were such a revolution of submission to and reliance upon God, that the church began leading the way, and culture looked towards us for what is cool, hip, excellent, etc.?”
Well the only disagreement I have with that statement are the words ‘cool’ and ‘hip’. Most of the time, the cool and hip things become boring and trendy because the mainstream is always looking for the ‘next big thing’ to occupy their boredom. The lasting and permanent things of God are timeless and eternal not prone to the ever sea of changing emotions of the crowd. I would hate to see following Christ or even worshiping Christ as ‘hip.’
Of course, what you stated is fine and I agree wholeheartedly that there needs to be a revolution of submission and reliance upon God, but hopefully not because a song or lyric makes it hip or cool but rather that is provokes the person to eventually accept Jesus as their savior. That right there, especially if you have never encountered Jesus or someone who could lead you to Him, takes a leap of faith.
It just seems to me that there will always be a division between the ‘world’ and Christianity: oil and water. We are the light of the world and I truly believe, especially as we get closer to God day by day, TRUE excellence/beauty/intelligence in everything including music expressed in and through Christ is truly the epitome of perfection, ie, lacking nothing! I know we won’t be truly perfect physically or mentally until we die and are resurrected, but we should work hard to show ourselves worthy while on His earth.
I remember when I used to really like hardcore music or music with really questionable lyrics, but now, my taste in music has been molded by my walk with God and now some of the old music I used to listen to, I can’t stand (however, there are still some ‘gray area’ music and songs that I still listen to). People who are deeply involved in mainstream cultural music, especially unbelievers, do not even understand truly excellent music worthy of a perfect God. How can they? It must be foreign to one’s mind, just like another language. Until God turns them towards Himself, they continue to digest the wrong stuff and think its the bees knees.
That is why I am so blessed that my wife found Vintage21. I can’t begin to express in words how wonderful and uplifting the worship service has been to me. In the 3 years at Vintage I have witnessed and heard more beauty in one Vintage song than I have in several years of regular radio. But, to be honest, it did take time. My mind, through submitting to God, has been conformed to the mind of Christ and I do not want to ever go back to the darkness.
I guess my point is this: music is much more powerful than one can ever imagine. It is revelatory, uplifting, mood-changing, thought-provoking, and much much more. The more I look at music through the lens of Christ, the more I understand true music and probably its original and true purpose. So I guess I just don’t want my beloved worship music to be considered hip or cool, just a wonderful resource that we have. A resource that is also always abundant and constantly available as a light in the darkness to those lost in a broken and fallen mainstream culture.
Brian,
Thanks for your thoughts! I understand your hesitation with the words “cool” and “hip”, as those are often shallow words that describe the oft-changing whims of culture. What I meant by that was that it would be amazing if trends and styles were set by the church, instead of the church so longingly chasing after the trends and styles of the world.
I believe this is possible only when we ask God to lead the way. He is the Creator, and if we trust Him, and it’s His will, we could make music so beautiful, rich and deep in lyrics, melody, groove, structure, etc. that the world would be blown away.
Thanks again for the kind words about the music at Vintage21 Church. It brings me joy to know people are drawn to worship by what God is doing here.
- Matt
Matt (warning! long-winded post ahead!),
I see where you are coming from. Well, one of the things that drew me to Vintage was the music. My wife and I wanted to find something fresh besides the more traditional, and sometimes stiff, music that is played at most churches. That is probably not a fair assessment of the ‘Church’ as a whole, but our hearts were touched by the worship services at Vintage21 and the songwriting continues to surprise me and is never bland (even though I favor some songs over others).
Like you said, as long as you are following God’s will and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you, it will always be great and fresh.
One thing though, do you really believe that the church is chasing, and longing after, trends and styles of the ‘world?’ Honestly, in my opinion, the music at Vintage contains what the world really needs musically: style, grace, musicianship, quality, great (and Holy!) lyrics, etc. Of course, I am looking at the music through Christian glasses, but that still doesn’t change the fact that Vintage21′s songs could go head to head with any ‘worldly’ music and win.
To me there will always be a dividing line in the world that we live between the secular and the God-honoring. There are musicians who blend the two, but honestly, whenever leaven is added in just small amounts it still corrupts. My point is this, whenever I want to worship God alone through music I put on Vintage21′s album, or a Jars of Clay album (sometimes even instrumental music, even techno, can be a soundtrack for my thoughts on God). However, I refuse to do that with a Led Zeppelin or Metallica album because, even if they have a few thoughtful lyrics about ‘God’, they are still secular through and through to the self-glorification of themselves. Now, I still listen to secular music and I must admit that my favorite albums are mainly secular but that is because I appreciate them in different ways: the awesome guitar, singing, the time and place I was at when I first heard them, etc. After finally becoming a true follower of Jesus (thanks to God’s in-dwelt power!), I have become VERY selective of what types of secular music I listen to. I do not listen to overtly satanic albums, blasphemous albums, and music that just plain sucks :)
Anyways, I think my point is this: Vintage21 and other churches that have awesome music shouldn’t worry too much about missing out and trying to change the larger secular world. You guys do it because you love it and you love God and God would like you to use your skills to worship Him and Him alone. Its a HUGE bonus if you get a few ‘worldly’ people to come and check it out and experience the true Light of REAL soul-saving music. Vintage doesn’t need to pine and fret for getting out there and showing the world how its done, the ‘world’ doesn’t really care, its eating its own vomit so to speak. It wouldn’t know true beauty if it bit it on the a… butt! Now, that seems a bit harsh, but to me its the truth, God will bring people out of the world and into his family and he will use Vintage21′s music to do a lot of it. The world won’t care if Vintage21 has the best band in the world, the ‘world’ is always looking for something new to take the place of something it just recently got bored with.
That’s why celebrities get more attention than they deserve and why certain people (such as Neitzshe, Freud, etc.) get way more praise than they should. I guess I am just afraid of something precious getting tainted in the end. Am I being too selfish, pessimistic, and cowardly? Probably. I just want to enjoy you guys before you get too big for your britches and sign up with Sony and get a huge tour bus and leave Vintage21 ;)
Hopefully, that is NOT God’s will for you guys :D
Keep rocking for God!
P.s.
I know this was a long-winded post, but I have to end on a positive note: you guys are doing an awesome job of incorporating things that would probably be considered ‘worldly/mainstream’ such as delay effects, distortion, etc. I love experimentation, and maybe, directed by the Holy Spirit, there can be found a balance between experimentation and reverence. I mean, our God is, after all, a Creator God!