Music as Preacher

I once heard in a systematic theology class that music was instrumental in spreading the doctrine of Arianism around the early church world. The idea that music can spread a message more quickly is not a novel concept by any means, but a lack of dialogue regarding the issue has created some extremist views both to the right and left regarding music and the power it wields within church culture.

I often find myself rolling my eyes and defending the idea that specific genres of music are not demonic in origin, and that nit picking would very likely lead us to the conclusion that some of our "old fashioned" songs were born from music that was socially rebellious once upon a time.

Of late, I have been more concerned with the acceptance of the status quo among musicians and artists within the church. I feel that we are spending more time making congregations comfortable and at ease with regards to the music rather than singing the messages that are being preached from the pulpit. Mavis Staples once stated that her father changed their family's repertoire that they took on the road after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King. She credits her father with saying, "If he can preach it, we can sing it."

There are times and seasons for everything, and I am well aware that we have a responsibility to minister with song to communicate peace and healing to hurting people. We also have a responsibility to take the convicting message, whatever the subject, and remind the congregation that the Word doesn't change or go away.

Does anyone else feel like there is a need for a more "activist" approach to our music on occasion in order to reflect the values and principles that are being preached to us?

My Style is better than Yours

I know that this is a Christian blog, but I feel like this will help us understand some things. As some of you may have heard, the MTV Video Music Awards took place this past Sunday. People are given awards and they are allowed to make acceptance speeches afterward. I didn’t know about the Awards until later when I went home and logged onto Facebook. It was then that I saw a young woman’s status that talked about how she dislikes Kanye West. I became curious. So like anyone else that wants the latest information from the entertainment world, I checked it out on YouTube. I found a plethora of things like, the actual video, people’s videos about the video, remixes of the video, and even comments from POTUS about what happened.

Apparently Kanye was a little disturbed that Taylor Swift received the best female video. Kanye proceeded to interrupt Taylor’s speech and tell everyone that Beyonce’s video was one of the best videos of all time. This was before Beyonce received the award for video of the year. Beyonce was in shock. The crowd was in shock. I was in shock and yes, you were/are in shock. That is just SO distasteful. Who does something like that?

You might ask what this has to do with “Notes.” I must tell you that Kanye’s behavior reminded me of some of our own behavior when it comes to different styles of music. Too often we have heard someone or even ourselves criticize someone’s singing or playing and justify it by accusing it of not being godly. No, we don’t get up in the middle of someone singing certain contemporary songs and exclaim that another style is so much closer to Heaven. But there are the occasions when these exclamations come across the pulpit and people can sometimes feel like sinners because a certain sound is more pleasing to their ear. When does the madness stop?

But there are more Kanyes than this kind. There is a type of Kanye that would criticize another for not liking these contemporary songs. There are those that would tell people they have to sing a certain style to attract people to their church. In the words of an old pastor of mine – Hogwash! Jesus said if we lift Him up, He’d draw all men to Himself. It doesn’t matter what style of music you sing at your church. All you need to be concerned with is whether you are lifting up Jesus Christ. If you lift Him highest with country praise, break out your steel guitar baby! If you lift Him highest with contemporary Christian, plug in the acoustic! If you lift Him highest with black gospel, PLEASE fire up that Hammond B-3/C-3!

What everybody needs to understand is that it’s not Kanye that’s choosing the winners. It’s not anybody on this earth that’s receiving our praise but Jesus Christ, let Him decide what’s acceptable. God Bless!

A musician's resume......yikes, I think I fall WAY short!

Last week in the Music Appreciation class I teach here at Gateway, I decided to throw those poor theology majors a bone - they have to suffer through my enthusiasm for all things classical, all the while wondering, "Why do I have to take this class? I'm a Pastoral Studies major?" My collegue, Joyce Scott, has, over the years, worked up quite a nice presentation on what the Bible says about music and how we use it, perform it, etc... Actually, it's not just those poor theology majors who need this study, but the music majors, ESPECIALLY!!!!!

Starting with the Biblical preparation requirements for music ministry, she focused on the necessary training for properly ministering musically. Makes sense, right? I mean, I wouldn't want my pastor to never study the Word and just get up there and wing it. Rest assured, I'd be doing some church shopping pretty quickly!!

The part of this section of the study which has stuck with me (even though I've heard it several times.....I'm a slow learner!) was the section on the necessary Godly Character. Joyce used the passage in I Samuel 16:17-18 which chronicles Saul requesting a musician who would play in order to drive away the evil spirits that were tormenting him. His only job requirement? "Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me." (v. 17)

Saul's unnamed servant then gives the most brilliant, comprehensive list of the perfect musician: "Then answered one of the servants and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse [David] the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him."

Here's the breakdown:

1. Cunning in playing (posses skill, talent)

2. Valiant (brave)

3. A Man of War (not afraid to go after the enemy)

4. Prudent (responsible)

5. Comely (neat and presentable appearance)

6. The LORD is with him. (filled with the Spirit!)

No, talent is not the most imporant component. Nor is talent and the Spirit. It appears that we must be willing to bravely wage war, musically and on our knees. We must also be presentable in our appearance - no slovenly appearance! And we must be responsible (yes, even those who are procrastinators, unorganized, always running late.....)

A well-rounded person, wouldn't you say?

I'm reading - plowing through Bro. Norris' Theology Reader and also reading The Problem of Pain, by C.S. Lewis.

Listning to......okay, I'll admit it......Christmas music!

A few words from the prophets

I was reading Daniel, and subsequently Amos, recently, and thought I would share a couple verses with y’all. If you’ll turn with me to chapter six, either book.

Daniel 6:18 states “neither were instruments of musick brought before him.” Darius, against his better judgment, had agreed to cast Daniel into the den of lions, but spent an uneasy night in prayer (presumably), fasting, and with no musicians to lighten his heavy burden.

How much do we rely on music in our praying or otherwise daily living? As a musician myself, I have spent literally countless hours driving in the car while listening to music of some sort. Music to pass the time. Music to study. Music to edify. Music that ministers to the heart. But when I enter my prayer closet, I have to shut the music off. I can’t have it. As much as some good gospel can enhance prayer time it just isn’t for me. As a musician I am too focused on the music. Darius didn’t want the distraction either that night. Even though he had expressed a word of faith that Daniel’s God would deliver him (v. 16), he was still concerned about the fate of his trusted servant as he consigned him to what would seem to be a certain death.

Amos 6 starts out “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria” and in verse four Amos writes that these Israelites were lying on beds of ivory and stretching themselves upon their couches. This was a population accustomed to luxury. Sound familiar? I suppose I must take a step back and remind you I just spent four months living in Nigeria, so that even now, while unemployed and scrounging for scraps of food, we are living the “luxe” life of unlimited clean water (hot or cold whenever we want), “always on” power, and having complete control over the temperature in our house. If it’s 90 degrees outside it’s 75 inside. If it’s 55 outside, still 75 inside. We are living in paradise.

But one of the luxuries Amos calls out is music. He chastises the people for chanting “to the sound of the viol” and for their desire to become highly skilled in improvisation (assuming my interpretation of the numerous translations I have consulted of Amos 6:5 is correct – Tanak, NIV, LXX). I take a little umbrage with this. I pride myself on a well-practiced tune. Having spent my entire undergraduate degree pursuing perfection on the piano, I have a bit of a different take when it comes to seeking perfection than most, maybe, but I’m not like that now.

Through no one’s fault but my own, last night I was called on at the last minute to be the ‘primary’ keyboardist for the service. I was querying the worship leader whether she had the music for the songs she was leading. She said “you’re kidding, right?” I wasn’t kidding, actually, but I less than half expected she would have it. It wasn’t that I didn’t know the songs. It was more or less a simple desire to rely on the crutch of having the chords in front of me. Not having the chords nor sufficient time to practice, I simply said, “You won’t mind if I hit a few wrong notes here or there, do you? Of course you don’t know anything about that!” She is a fellow keyboardist and so I used that insider disclaimer to disavow myself should I plunk a wrong chord here or there. And whaddya know. I did hit a wrong chord. I played a V chord once when I should have played a IV chord. Oops. But I no longer sweat the small stuff.

Would I like to play everything note perfect and with a high degree of excellence and complexity? Absolutely. I thoroughly enjoy a well-practiced song performed flawlessly. Do I expect that I will be able to output that kind of performance without putting in some practice time? Absolutely not. I was gearing up to some climactic conclusion. But I don’t have it. Sometimes, what you see (or hear) is what you get.

The photo? Satellite image of the ruins of Babylon, c. 2009.

What I’m reading? “Essays” by Michel de Montaigne. Also portions of a “History of the Ancient Near East” by Marc van de Mieroop.

What I’m listening to? Uh… I don’t think I turned on any music once today. I sang an Igbo song for a presentation of our trip that I gave to an Independent Living facility this morning. Here’s a clip of the original: “Imela Oh,” translates as “Thank You.”