Recently, my family attended a very flashy worship service: lights, cameras, rock and roll. I’ll admit even to my younger senses the ambiance proved to be distracting; however, this visual and aural assault really bothered my father. I don’t think this is a, “Oh, he’s just stuck in his ways” issue either.
Because music is such an inextricable part of culture, the difference between electric guitar and electric organ can mean the difference between someone being able to use the vehicle of music to worship God or not. So, the perfomer must be cognizant of their congregant’s preferences and backgrounds or they might unduly impede worship. Given the amount of other distractions in life, the last thing anyone needs is for the time we set aside to corporately worship God to illicit confusion or anger.
With that said, I don’t blame worship music or church musicians (I’ve been one, it can be hard). I blame the importance we heap upon the vehicle, because I’m not so certain it was designed to handle the load.
From a recent article on Scripps Howard News Service about music in church:
On one level, the music divides [High Desert Church]. But on another level, the music is at the heart of worship services that create zones of comfort for people who have been raised in a culture in which consumers define themselves by their musical choices.When worshiping God through song is conflated to the focus of the worship service it will necessarily divide us. On the other hand, if the main focus of your worship service is that it’s in, say, Russian, what will divide your congregation will be vastly different. Or if it’s about the preaching, or the fellowship afterwards, or the skin color etc. Divide, in this sense, is not necessarily bad, divide simply means the things that separate one congregation from another.
...
In recent decades, many churches have been shattered by the intergenerational strife that researchers call the “worship wars.” If you want to split a national church, change its teachings about sexuality or salvation. But if you want to split a local church, you toss the hymnal, hire a drummer, unleash the teen-agers or make some other musical change that rocks the pews.
We do get to choose, as the church above chose, how to divide our local church.
“This is reality,” he said. “Everything is about the music. When you go to the mall, you can even tell what kind of people are supposed to be shopping in different stores just by listening to the music that is playing. ... Can you imagine kids wanting to shop in a store that is playing the music that their parents listen to? No way.”The last thing we need are impediments to worshiping God and I applaud this church for doing as much as possible to diminish them; however I wonder if the time for dividing churches based on music has run its course. The more we divide based on preference the more the above comic can become true.
I’d be very interested in how you’ve seen your church divide, over music or otherwise. If you’re a church musician, how has music been used effectively in your church? Anyone go to a church that has had worship services without music? Any other thoughts? I’m still thinking all this through myself.
(HT: Beliefnet)
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December 7, 2007 at 17:14
Agree completely the music is too much of the focus in most American churches. But I also think there are ways that music can remain prominent — it undoubtedly possesses a mysterious and powerful draw in all cultures — and at the same time less intrusive in community worship.
A music leader recently told me that even he isn’t fed artistically off of the stuff he plays for people to sing on Sunday morning. Without creating an entirely different debate here, I often have a hard time calling most P&W artistic at all. It’s predictable, it’s formulaic and it’s very often redundant.
I grew up in a church with an electric organ, the songs on that organ played dirge-like. I came to loathe the instrument and was relieved to attend a modern church in college. As it happened though I fell back in love with the organ in college, this time however with real organs, PIPE organs. I started listening to Bach and read in a brief biography of the musician that he composed a new work EVERY week for Sunday morning.
THAT would be awesome. And as we know now these weren’t trite works either. I know not everyone involved in church music has that kind of God-given talent, but I wonder if anyone is trying things like that these days. Would the pastor and board of elders even allow it? Would the parishoners in the pews be willing to try something new?
I’ve begun to learn in the last couple of years that, while community worship is desirable, important and commanded in Scripture, that nature of a service which an individual can “wholly” worship within will change throughout his or her own life. Now I want a more orthodox liturgy, ten years from now I might want a more charismatic service — while the person sitting next to me is experiencing the opposite desire.
But I’m just beginning, like I said, to realize this. I don’t know where it’s supposed to go; I don’t know if it can go anywhere.
December 7, 2007 at 19:43
I find that those involved in leading the singing (I am rather wary about calling anything organised: “Worship”)are invariably young believers with not much experience in spritual matters. They are there because of their ability to play a musical instrument.
Does this actually help a congregation? Well, would a sermon by a new born believer be allowed in a lot of these congregations? I think not yet the young believers are allowed to get up front and “lead” people in singing!
I think I have answered my own question – it is just singing.
Does true worship happen through organised music and singing – not for me!
It does help me to gather and focus my thoughts and then I invariably worship my God despite what is going on around me.
A lot of times I am thankful for the noise comming off the stage because before Almighty God I often get tongue tied and that could be embarrasing if the place was quiet.
However, I do find it most annoying when in the midst of my worship, someone next to me grabs my hand because some youngster up front wants us to look like cut out paper doll chains!
December 7, 2007 at 20:39
I hope you like lots of very different and sometimes discordant music. The Kingdom is full of singing and music. Angels sang and shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the earth. God sings over us it says in Zephaniah. Jesus sang a hymn with His disciples at the last supper. Music and God’s Kingdom are inseparably intertwined. There is lots of LOUD music in the Bible on some very weird instruments. Have you ever heard the music of Arab and Persian cultures? Discordant, whiney, out of tune and strange, but middle eastern culture is where David’s music came from. God loves music from all cultures when they worship Him. Whether it is electric guitars and drums or several thousand wailing middle eastern women banging on tambourines as Miriam led them in song or Bach on his organ or Bushman with their strange clicking language. David played the guitar of his day. I really tire of the elitism and provincialism of people when they won’t understand or appreciate music other than what they deem proper. Sure, I love Bach, in small doses at certain times of the year. But I grew up on the Grateful Dead, Crosby Stills and Nash, and rock and roll. That is part of my musical vocabulary and I love to worship God that way. And I am not 16, I am 57. And speaking of repetition, how would you like to sing Holy, Holy, Holy for a few thousand years like the living creatures do in Revelation and Ezekiel?
Personally, I like worship services where people sing devotional songs to God for an hour or more…when you lose self-consciousness and distractions focusing in praise and adoration on the Savior. However, I usually attend a local church where they sing 3 snappy contemporary songs, an older hymn and 1 chorus. Kind of dry and formulaic.
December 8, 2007 at 10:56
Very interesting commentary…Our church has shifted over the past few years from typical southern-gospel-hymnody to a very contemporary Praise and Worship style service. We have definitely had our share of trauma over all of this, but our pastor has remained firmly committed to this shift. The most interesting aspect of this is that he is in his late fifties, and he typically hates contemporary “Passion” style worship. He does feel strongly led to promote our shift though, because he feels that our church has become less and less relevant to the seekers in our community.
December 8, 2007 at 11:43
@ Pops: Agreed. I once called “worship” a “kleenex,” in that it has become something so generic it’s kind of worthless. Also, one of the best modern musical services I’ve attended was at a slightly charismatic church where the YOUNG music leader didn’t say a single word the whole service. He just played music and led the song. No anecdotes, no sermonizing, not even verbal segues between songs. It was very nice . . .
@ Rick: Great point! Besides loving Bach, I also avidly listen to folk (Over the Rhine fans here? And check out Traci Letllier . . . ), jazz and big band, off-the-wall stuff like Havalina and Sufjan and The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus, as well as death-metal-opera-esque things such as Saviour Machine, Indian sitar and tablah and Japanese taiko . . .
I could have just said “I have very eclectic taste in music,” but my point here is that all of these styles are EQUALLY WORSHIPFUL when I listen to them. Bach or RAIJ, Glenn Miller or Over the Rhine, this kind of music draws me to God. It pulls me into meditation on all things good and beautiful — which in my case, as a visual artist, makes me think of God.
The contemporary P&W music in my own church rarely draws me into worship any longer. Hymns are better for me, which is funny to think about because as a kid in a fundy church in the 80’s all I wanted was something besides the dirge-like electric organ and all of its hymns. But I doubt that most other churches similar to the one I attend will be different, unless I decided that aesthetics are equally as important as teaching and theology (which I may already believe, but we won’t get into that here) and settle for a more “traditional” church with a pipe organ
I know, I know, more traditional denominations may have theology just as sound as modern “evangelical” churches, but the stereotype in my own upbringing suggested otherwise.
December 9, 2007 at 23:31
This is really interesting. I mean, everyone pretty much has a variety of styles of music to listen to but a very specific idea of what is pleasing to God. If the music is sung as an offering, it’s pleasing. If it’s something I’m not “used to”, then I rejoice at others having the chance to make their offering. Sometimes it’s my turn, sometimes it’s yours.
One of the things our church does is invite guests to lead our music. It may be a performance, or a sing along. It is always something that is about our Lord, not about me. We have had opera singers, bluegrass, teenage praise and country. Now a youth band is starting which will play every so often. Every person involved has one intention. Offer music to God. Of course I always remember when a pastor told me we don’t even need to make music, the Lord is happy with “joyful noise”. This really releaved me since the chance of me “singing music” is pretty slim…
December 10, 2007 at 09:53
This issue is very near and dear to me. i am a drummer in a Praise & Worship band in our church, and this issue of course has come up.
With the mutitude of local churches, why would anyone STAY in a church that has music they dont care for?
God created, and gave all of us gifts, and there are many churches to choose from. if you think the worship at your church is too loud, or not worshipful enough, sek another church that has a style of worship YOU prefer.
Remember, it is not YOUR church, it is GOD’s Church.
No style of music is right or wrong, they are different, as we as people are different.
December 10, 2007 at 11:41
My name is Jim and I confess that I am a church sound guy. Twice a month I am “Up in the booth” while you are down in the pit worshiping (or not). When I am working I don’t get into the music at all. I am focused on the sound, what is coming next, working with the video person,thinking I have to pee, etc. When I am not doing sound I am on the floor, thinking about doing sound. It is tough to let the tech part go when you understand what is going on on the stage. Curse of the sound person, I guess. In fact, I rarely really “worship” in a worship service. I don’t know why, it just does not seem like I an connecting. I worship in my car, at home, at work, in the can, etc. Tears can fall, words of correction and comfort, real release and connection…but rarely in a church sevice. Others really seem to let go. A hand raised, simply closing the eyes, all the way to the “wavers” and “yelpers” that seem to be on meth. I guess the typical P&W music is rather mundane compared to what I listen to. I am into music and hate mediocre CCM. Most in my church go for the typical stuff and our team does it very well. We don’t really rock (I wish we did) but we are electric. The worship music can be over 100 dB, which approaches rock levels. I try to keep it down but nobody really complains. People are flocking to the joint and we are out of room. Recently I was asked to set up mood lighting for the occasional evening worship specials. I used simple par cans to set the mood, changing stage background colors now and then. No moving lights, no haze, no lasers. People of all ages really liked it and even clapped for the light guy. Woot!
It seems to work for us. But our focus is really on the Lord. You can’t visit us with getting that fact pounded into ur skull.
December 10, 2007 at 15:42
Aesthetic Elevator: Just saw Over the Rhine last Friday, really good folk-jazz-lounge music. Enjoyable for sure. As for Sufjan, some of the most worshipful stuff being put out now. And is Saviour Machine still in existence?! Lots of good memories of listening to them at my first job back in the day. All that to say, great follow up to Rick’s point: Heaven might have harps, but that probably won’t be it.
Jim the SoUnd Guy: I feel your pain, maybe Jimmy could resonate with this too, sometimes when you’re a part of “making it happen” it’s so much harder to worship yourself. Especially when things get complicated and you find yourself doing a hundred different distracting time-sensitive things. It’s great to get accolades (to the musicians reading this: if haven’t already thank your sound guy/girl), but at the end of the day it really is about the Lord.
Anyone attend a church that routinely practices non-traditional (as in, non-CCM styled) music?
December 10, 2007 at 17:50
@ Jimmy who asks “With the mutitude of local churches, why would anyone STAY in a church that has music they dont care for?”
I would answer “Because church is more than just music,” as I thought was already established in this conversation, IIRC. And secondly, because I’ve skeptical of finding anything that’s significantly better (live in a small town which doesn’t help). We’re instructed to assemble regularly, but we’re not really as I recall (not a theologian here, correct me if I’m wrong) told to sing or preach or anything else in particular during these assemblies.
I love music as my last post probably evidenced, but for me it’s not where I really worship. I’m a visual artist and when I’m in my studio is when I’m really charged on a regular basis. It’s different for everyone and I don’t think a lot of pastors and other church leaders realize this. It’s easy for music leaders and preachers to engage in pious worship activities, more easily than most people in the pews.
All in all I think there’s a lot of mystery — I KNOW there’s a lot of mystery — surrounding the idea of worship. There is also a lot of mystery in music. Music is amazing in its ability to stick in our heads, turn on and engage our emotions and draw us into a meditative (read “worshipful”) state of mind.
I just worry that we’ve, in a sense, turned worship into a “kleenex.” That is, something that was once distinct is now indistinct with a broader meaning. That probably just confuses the rest of you, but it’s how I’ve thought of it in the past. These days, music=worship to a lot of people, in an all-encompassing manner. Which is just inaccurate, and also smothering to other gifts.
Enough for now . . .
December 11, 2007 at 15:14
Mr. Elevator:
Good answer. But yeah, there is scripture about what a New Testament meeting is all about.
Here is a chapter heading ffrom the NIV (and I know the chapter headings are invented…not part of scripture). But it describes the order of a typical worship service in 1st Corinthians 14:26.
Orderly Worship
26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.”
Music seems always to have been a part of Christians getting together and worshipping. Truthfully it sounds more like a Quaker meeting or a Charismatic home prayer meeting. I’m sure the music was not very sophisticated. Paul and Silas sang choruses all night when locked in jail. Were they repetitive and unsophisticated. Probably. Paul even quotes a lyric from a popular chorus at the time in Ephesians 5:14:
“This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
So I think you are right…singing has always been an integral part of worship…from King David to Paul, but it is much more than simply singing.
By the way, I am a studio artist as well, (painter)
December 12, 2007 at 16:51
Mr. Elevator is absolutely correct hat church is more than music. But music = Worship, as you so eloquently put it, for a huge number of people. What I meant by my statement is if the music gets in your way of WORSHIPPING, it is imperative you find a church that will = worship for YOU.
I am one of the lucky ones Chris, that I have feel after all of my years on this planet( I am 40.) that I have finally found myself in the place God has wanted me in all my life! playing the drums for the Lord has become such a joy and blessing in my life, I can barely describe it! I love my church, and our pastor does a great job, and we are blessed with an incredible Praise team!
December 12, 2007 at 18:51
I’m enjoying this discussion but realistically I’m not sure that you can please everyone simply because of the obvious and that being everyone is differant. It’s sad that it can become divisive, it doesn’t need to be. One solution would be but only where possible, is have a differant service perhaps maybe an early for one style and a later for the other style. It’s not going to solve it in every case but who knows. The only real critisism I have of todays worship music is all the “Beautiful People”. Why are there no average people up on stage now? They are all carefully groomed model types. I don’t doubt they have talent but I do get the suspicion that many churches have gone for image and impact even adding massive light shows like Hillsong here in Australia. This leads me to wonder if I’ve gone to a concert or a church.?? You tell me.
December 12, 2007 at 23:40
I have worshipped at churches with rock bands, single acoustic guitars, pipe organs, string quartets, full choirs & orchestras, and those really bad ballpark organs. I’ve found that if I make a conscious decision to enter into worship, the type and to some extent even the quality, of music doesn’t make that much difference. That said, I think that engaging culture requires that the church be outwardly focused enough to offer music that is relatable for seekers.
I recently left a church that had allowed musical taste and a general fear of culture to lead to a complete disconnect from culture. It experienced one new confession of faith in ten years. I’ll take a few misteps from inexperienced worship leaders if the overall service is accessible to people who need to come to Christ.