Music and Worship
I had a good laugh reading Geoff Ryan’s article, Real Men Don’t Sing (Or Do They)? at theRubicon.org. I don’t usually like “church” much more than Geoff. But I don’t know if I could bear it at all if it weren’t for the music.
I guess I’m not a very smart person – I’m not really offended by the theology of most of the songs. And I love music. So I’d really find it hard to say that I like one style more than another (commercial vs. traditional for example). What bugs me is the poor quality of the music sometimes.
It was Martin Luther (not William Booth) who said, "Why should the devil have all the good music?" (or something remarkably similar to this in German). Knowing even a little about Martin Luther requires one to put some emphasis on the word, “good”.
What sort of music does the Lord require of us? Good music!
First of all let’s agree that the Lord does, in fact, require music in worship. Music is His gift to us which enables us to present our gift back to Him in worship:
Psalm 30:4 - Sing to the LORD, you saints of his…
Psalm 147:74 - Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God…
I think the Lord wants us to take this seriously… to sing and play for Him with the respect that is due Him.
Isaiah 5:11-13 -
Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst.
Apparently a drunken – or even half-hearted – music ministry will not be effective in helping to quench the spiritual thirst of the people.
In the Old Testament we see that the people of God took the commands of the Lord quite seriously. Entire clans and families spent their whole lives preparing for the music of worship.
1 Chronicles 25:1-31 - David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying [i.e. proclaiming the Word of the Lord], accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service…
All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD - they numbered 288. Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties…
Clearly the Lord expects our best.
1 Chronicles 15:22 – Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skilful at it.
By the end of the Old Testament the people were no longer obeying these commands. They had become quite sloppy in worship. The Old Testament closes with a strongly worded wake up call about these things. The book of Malachi is loaded with the Lord’s criticism of our half-hearted preparation for, and participation in, worship.
Malachi 1 - If I am a father, where is the honour due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name…But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'… "You place defiled food on my altar. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty… "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?" - says the LORD Almighty… "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands… "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD… "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.”
I don’t think the Lord wants to be cheated by a half-hearted effort in any aspect of worship – including the music. If we have “an acceptable male in the flock” then that is exactly what the Lord requires. In other words we are to present our best. If we have good musicians available in our congregation then that is what we are obligated to offer. Nothing less will be acceptable.
None of this teaching is rescinded in the New Testament. Jesus said…
Matthew 5:17 - Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets [i.e. – the Old Testament]; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
In fact the New Testament not only commands us to make music… it also tells us that we are to use this music as an effective way to teach people about the Lord.
Ephesians 5:19 - Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord…
Colossians 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.
In presenting our best to the Lord we must be content that we have been obedient to His will. We can’t guarantee any particular result. We can’t be sure that the entire congregation will be pleased with our offering. It doesn’t really matter. Worship is not about them. It is not about us. It is about Jesus. We will have to leave the results to Him.
Ezekiel 33:31-32 - My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
Kevin Metcalf
I guess I’m not a very smart person – I’m not really offended by the theology of most of the songs. And I love music. So I’d really find it hard to say that I like one style more than another (commercial vs. traditional for example). What bugs me is the poor quality of the music sometimes.
It was Martin Luther (not William Booth) who said, "Why should the devil have all the good music?" (or something remarkably similar to this in German). Knowing even a little about Martin Luther requires one to put some emphasis on the word, “good”.
What sort of music does the Lord require of us? Good music!
First of all let’s agree that the Lord does, in fact, require music in worship. Music is His gift to us which enables us to present our gift back to Him in worship:
Psalm 30:4 - Sing to the LORD, you saints of his…
Psalm 147:74 - Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God…
I think the Lord wants us to take this seriously… to sing and play for Him with the respect that is due Him.
Isaiah 5:11-13 -
Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst.
Apparently a drunken – or even half-hearted – music ministry will not be effective in helping to quench the spiritual thirst of the people.
In the Old Testament we see that the people of God took the commands of the Lord quite seriously. Entire clans and families spent their whole lives preparing for the music of worship.
1 Chronicles 25:1-31 - David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying [i.e. proclaiming the Word of the Lord], accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service…
All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD - they numbered 288. Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties…
Clearly the Lord expects our best.
1 Chronicles 15:22 – Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skilful at it.
By the end of the Old Testament the people were no longer obeying these commands. They had become quite sloppy in worship. The Old Testament closes with a strongly worded wake up call about these things. The book of Malachi is loaded with the Lord’s criticism of our half-hearted preparation for, and participation in, worship.
Malachi 1 - If I am a father, where is the honour due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name…But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'… "You place defiled food on my altar. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty… "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?" - says the LORD Almighty… "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands… "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD… "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.”
I don’t think the Lord wants to be cheated by a half-hearted effort in any aspect of worship – including the music. If we have “an acceptable male in the flock” then that is exactly what the Lord requires. In other words we are to present our best. If we have good musicians available in our congregation then that is what we are obligated to offer. Nothing less will be acceptable.
None of this teaching is rescinded in the New Testament. Jesus said…
Matthew 5:17 - Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets [i.e. – the Old Testament]; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
In fact the New Testament not only commands us to make music… it also tells us that we are to use this music as an effective way to teach people about the Lord.
Ephesians 5:19 - Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord…
Colossians 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.
In presenting our best to the Lord we must be content that we have been obedient to His will. We can’t guarantee any particular result. We can’t be sure that the entire congregation will be pleased with our offering. It doesn’t really matter. Worship is not about them. It is not about us. It is about Jesus. We will have to leave the results to Him.
Ezekiel 33:31-32 - My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
Kevin Metcalf
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