Category: Music

Whether in celebration, or in contemplation . . . “feeling” the beat.

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons . . .” (1 Timothy 4:1, Emphasis Mine)

INTRODUCTION

Some time ago, The Christian Science Monitor ran an article titled, “From US churches that are growing, a sound of drums.” The article notes that growing churches are drumming churches. Citing a survey of about 900 congregations conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, a nonprofit research group at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, reporter G. Jeffrey MacDonald wrote, “Churches with rising attendance numbers have a lot in common with one another–a lot more than denomination, location, or even theological approach.” According to the survey, “success stories” of growing churches “often involve men, drums, a joyful environment, and a concerted effort not to be too ‘reverent’.” Click here to continue reading

Does the ministry of “the four living beings” justify lyrical repeating?

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Jesus, Matthew 6:7

Some songs, that repeat . . . repeat . . . and repeat . . . the same seven-word lyrics eleven times or more, are called “seven-eleven” songs. As with repetitive praying (Jesus warned about this when He said, “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words,” Matthew 6:7.), questions surround the musical mechanism of repetitive praising, singing, or chanting, as a means of inducing consciousness of God.

In order to justify repeating the same lyrics in the worship of God, some might appeal to the biblical example of the Four Living Beings of the Apocalypse who, “day and night,” do not “cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come’” (Revelation 4:8). Click here to continue reading

Sensual or Spiritual?

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Paul, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, KJV

“It’s difficult to get people to come to church” said A.W. Tozer, “when the only attraction is God.” So churches now offer enticements. Driven by the “wants” and “needs” of the audience, people come to church for “therapy” rather than expository-biblical preaching. Welcome to “the church of Me.”

Churches call their worship services “celebrations,” and offer a smorgasbord of attractions including rock music, drama, multimedia presentations and now liturgical, or sacred, dance. Recently, a website advertised a book with the title, Dancing into the Anointing: Touching the Heart of God through Dance. Of course, practitioners of all these so-called worship activities attempt to find justification for dancing into the anointing somewhere in the Bible.

At least two psalms invite the Hebrew nation to praise the Lord “with dancing,” to “Praise Him with timbrel and dancing” (Psalms 149:3; 150:4). Click here to continue reading

Rick Warren’s Use of Psalm 40:3 to Endorse “Rock” Worship.

“And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3, KJV

Saddleback Church is known as, “The flock that likes to rock!” On his Pastors.com website Rick Warren addresses the controversial subject of church music as he shares “three thoughts about music in worship,” which are: “Music is powerful”; “You can’t please everyone”; and, “It’s the message, not the music.”[1]

In developing his first thought, Pastor Warren employs Psalm 40:3 to be a biblical endorsement for any type of contemporary Christian music. He writes:

In Psalm 40:3 (NCV) David says, “He put a NEW song in my mouth . . . Many people will see this and worship him. Then they will trust the Lord.” Notice the clear connection between music and evangelism: “Then they will trust the Lord.”[2]

On music’s native ability to engender “religious” experiences.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16, KJV

Music engenders mystical experiences. This can be discerned from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera containing the song The Music of the Night. The lyrics read:

Night time sharpens heightens each sensation / Darkness wakes and stirs imagination / Silently the senses abandon their defenses / Helpless to resist the notes I write / For I compose the music of the night / Softly, deftly music shall caress you / Hear it, feel it secretly possess you / Open up your mind let your fantasies unwind in this darkness which you know you cannot fight / the darkness of the music of the night. [1]

Subject to the individual impulses, tastes and delights of consumers and composers, there is much about music that is creative, experiential and ethereal. Click here to continue reading