What is the right style of music for worship?
This week is all about worship! In part II of this series I will give my perspective on what is the right style of music for worship. Throughout the week I will be posting both my answers to a series of questions as well as those of three other bloggers.
What is the
Role of Worship in Church Gatherings?
As early Exodus 15, we see Moses singing a song of praise to
our Lord. Music as a form of worship was so important to the nation of
Israel that it comprises the longest book in the Bible. By the time we get
to Paul's instructions to the church in Ephesus they explicitly instructed to
"[speak] to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs
from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"*
God
designed people in such a way that the majority of us are moved emotionally by
music. For this reason, worship in the form of music is possibly the most
powerful way to join truth and adoration for our loving God.
Worship
time during church services is intended as a time to praise God "in spirit
and in truth." ** This comes in many forms. Sometimes, it's explicit
praise. Other times, it's thankfulness, repentance, or surrender.
What is the
Proper Style for Worship Services?
I remember
being in Bible college and hearing about a class called
"Ethnomusicology." Which, if you ask me, is an amazing word.
So, I started asking people what was taught in this amazingly named
class. I don't remember what they said, but I will give you the Wikipedia
answer.
Ethnomusicology is an academic field encompassing various approaches to the study of music (broadly defined) that emphasize its cultural, social, material, cognitive, biological, and other dimensions or contexts instead of or in addition to its isolated sound component or any particular repertoire. - Wikipedia
Okay, that
probably wasn't a very helpful definition.
Essentially,
ethnomusicology was a class at Bible college where musicians looking to go into
the mission field would learn how to study the native music and traditions in
the mission field, and help the people write music in the style. The big
idea is that they didn't want to simply transport Western modern worship around
the world to make sure that everyone in the whole worship is singing "How
Great is Our God." Instead, they want the people of the world worshiping
with the language of their own hearts. They don't want to add an
additional step of learning Western culture in order to be able to worship.
I found
this to be terribly ironic. All around campus students were debating
whether we should be singing modern worship songs, or 400-year-old hymns
originally written in German. Everyday in the cafeteria, you could hear
conversations about whether we should have a full band in chapel, or a piano
alone. Meanwhile, in a class on the mission field, the school clearly
taught that you should study the local culture and worship in the language of the
people. Ethnomusicology settled the issue for me.
Worship should be in the language of the people's hearts!
The beauty
of this is that it provides an opportunity for incredible variety. Living
in Texas, it's not uncommon to find cowboy churches. They are exactly
what they sound like: churches by cowboys, for cowboys. The gospel
doesn't change. The lyrics don't change. But, stylistically it's country music.
If you go
to a retirement community, I would think it was odd if they were rocking out
with a full band to the latest single from Hillsong. Likewise, I find it
equally as odd when someone tries to argue that churches in the suburbs in the
21st century ought to be singing 17th century German hymns to the tune of 19th
century bar jingles playing the piano in a style rather popular at the turn of
the 20th century. I don't think it's bad that some churches do that, but
it is strange to me that some people say that all churches should be doing
that. People shouldn't need to learn a new musical style to engage in
worship. Likewise, they shouldn't need to learn antiquated English
either.
This is
something I think Hillsong has done a
good job of keeping ahead on. They continually raise up a new generation
of talent and allow them to worship in their own style. Just a few weeks
ago, their latest band, Hillsong Young
and Free, released their first album. Stylistically, it's dance pop.
It would be horribly out of place in adult worship, but it may be the
future of worship for the next generation.
It's become
a cliche to complain that modern worship all sounds like U2. But, there's
an obvious reason for that -- it's a style with a very broad appeal, and
lasting appeal. It's the same reason that, several years back, people
used Coldplay as a new template (before they went electronic). Their
style had broad appeal at the time, and the anthem style lends itself to
emotions fitting worship music.
* Ephesians 5:19-20
** John 4:24
If you missed part I, you can check it out at the link below.
WORSHIP WEEK
If you missed previous entries, you can check them out at the link below.
Why Can't We Get Along? - Why is Worship So Divisive by Sean Chandler
Where's the Piper Organ, and Why is There an Electric Guitar?!? - What is the Proper Style for Worship by Sean Chandler
Why is It So Loud and Why Do We Keep Repeating Ourselves?!? - What is the Proper Volume for Worship by Sean Chandler
What is the Proper Style for a Worship Service? by Jennifer Chandler
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