Tag Archives: music

Agreeing on why as well as what

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As I’ve said before, people seem to take many different paths to arrive at an a-cappella-only stance. Personally, I can’t think of another doctrine that has people that reach the same conclusion based on so many different ways of reasoning. Can anyone else think of one?

What that suggests to me is that the case against instrumental music is not clear in the Bible. That is, the average person isn’t going to pick up the Bible and say, “Oh, look… God doesn’t want us to use instruments in worship.” Please note, that does NOT prove the instrumentalists case. God never promised that every doctrine would be simple to understand, nor that we could understand everything without some help.

But it does mean that those of us who oppose the instrument need to stop acting like other people are refusing to see something that’s obvious in the Bible. If it were obvious, the early Christian writers would have referred to New Testament texts when explaining why they didn’t use instruments. If it were obvious, everyone would be able to say basically the same thing when explaining their opposition to instrumental music in the public worship of the church.

It’s not simple. It’s not obvious. It’s not apparent to anyone and everyone who is honest and sincere. Until opponents of mechanical instruments can reach a consensus as to why they oppose such, they have no room for pointing fingers at those who disagree with them.

Or am I missing something?

Emotions and worship

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If you aren’t reading Paul Smith’s Instrument-Rated Theology, you need to be. If you didn’t read his post yesterday, you need to do so.

Knowing that some of you are too contrarian to go read Paul’s post, I’ll summarize a bit. Paul pointed out how often we judge worship by how it makes us feel. If a song stirs our emotions, we consider it to be a valid worship experience. If the song doesn’t please us, we feel that the worship was of no value. Paul notes that this subjective observation is extended to instrumental music; some consider it to be valuable (or not) because of its effect on their emotions.

He goes on to say, “I suddenly realized that all too often we use our songs and hymns to create a worship experience in our hearts, when we should be communicating to God the worship experiences that we have had all week long.” Worship shouldn’t begin in the assembly; the assembly should reflect the worship that goes on daily in our lives.

Paul went on to consider sacrifices in the Old Testament:

At what point was the ancient Israelite sacrifice actually considered worship? Was it when the carcass of the animal was burned? Was it when the throat of the animal was cut? Was it when the animal was being led up to the altar? Or was it when the farmer or shepherd walked out to his field, looked over his group of yearling sheep or bulls and selected the best, most fit animal for the offering? The actual sacrifice took place when the farmer removed that prize animal from the lot and he knew he would not have its services to strengthen his flock. Then, as he watched that animal die he could make the connection (or not) to his relationship with God. Was it a fellowship offering, a sin offering, a thank offering? The sacrifice came first – the emotion could only come as a result of the sacrifice.

Good thoughts. I carried this thinking about sacrifices a bit further. Most sacrifices didn’t end at the altar. They extended to a community meal, the table of the Lord, an “eating and drinking in the presence of the Lord.” The worshipers’ enjoyment was part of the worship.

Might that still be true today? Could our pleasure be pleasing to God, could our emotional response actually be part of what God’s after? Or are our emotional responses irrelevant to true worship?

Contentious Choral Conversations

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I don’t want to talk about the instrumental music issue. I will discuss it a bit more on this blog, but I don’t want to. As I’ve said before, I don’t think it’s worth all the fuss. And I’m deeply troubled by what I see in the way people act when discussing this issue. For many people, it’s not how you reach your conclusions, just what conclusion you reach.

Last week I had someone approach me and say very sternly, “I hope you come out on the conservative side of this issue.” Not “I’m interested in learning more.” “I’m anxious to look more at what the Bible says.” Not even, “I’m curious to see what you’ve got to share.” No, this almost felt like a threat (though I know this brother well enough to know that’s not how he meant it). It seemed to all be about the conclusion, not the means of getting there.

Arguments presented for and against the use of instruments are all over the place. They say that politics make for strange bedfellows, but it seems that this issue is even worse. People who normally vilify John Calvin love his anti-instrumental music quotes. They cite early Christian writings, even though they disagree with much of what those writers wrote on other subjects.

At some point, you have to ask yourself “Why?” Why the vehemence? Why the angst? Why the determination to take a minor issue and make it a major one? (And yes, this is a minor issue) What’s the deal?

We can talk about the regulatory principle of worship versus the normative principle. We can do Greek word studies, pro and con. We can quote Clement of Alexandria in favor of instruments and Clement against them. We can appeal to unity, the unity that comes from strict adherence to a single doctrine versus the unity that comes from diversity of beliefs. We can argue about whether vocal-only or vocal-accompanied singing is more pleasing to man and God.

I’m just not sure why. Why it’s such a big deal. I’m open to any and all insights. Why does this issue matter so much to so many?

Clement helps me ask a question

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Music is then to be handled for the sake of the embellishment and composure of manners. For instance, at a banquet we pledge each other while the music is playing; soothing by song the eagerness of our desires, and glorifying God for the copious gift of human enjoyments, for His perpetual supply of the food necessary for the growth of the body and of the soul. But we must reject superfluous music, which enervates men’s souls, and leads to variety, — now mournful, and then licentious and voluptuous, and then frenzied and frantic.

Stromata, Book 6, Clement of Alexandria

According to an article by David VanBrugge, Greeks saw music this way: the gods made musica mundana (the universe) and then, a little lower, musica humana (humans). Clement saw musica humana as the crown of all musica mundana, being created in the image of God.

In the quote above, according to VanBrugge, music represents musica instrumentalis, while musica humana is referred to as manners. So Clement is saying, instruments are to be used only as an embellishment of the human voice, not merely as “superfluous music.” If that’s right, Clement’s distinction would address some of what I commented on last week, the tendency in so many churches to move from accompaniment of singing to full-blown praise bands. It would seem that that trend is nothing new, or Clement wouldn’t have seen fit to address it. (Note: If I’m not mistaken, Clement is referring to the use of instruments in any setting, not just church.)

Can we make a distinction between instruments used to enhance singing and “superfluous music” used to “enervate men’s souls”? Is it possible for churches to have one without falling into the other? (I was trying to ask that last week… maybe Clement will help me ask it better.)

Singing: My personal history

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I grew up with a cappella singing. At some point in my youth, I became aware that “we didn’t” and “they did,” and I became quite proud of that fact.

I’ve planted a cappella churches, though one of the groups went through serious debate on the matter. In my work, I work with some who have strong feelings against the use of instruments and others who feel it’s not a salvation issue. I worship at a church that uses no instruments and has no intentions of doing so soon.

I have no desire to be part of a church that uses instruments. I grew up preferring a cappella music, and that hasn’t changed.

Because I know that personal history and preferences can affect these discussions, I thought it would be helpful if I shared that. Feel free to lay out your own experiences, as some of you already have.