I went to a conference this past two days focusing on the need to plant churches. On the whole it was a very good conference with good speakers, experienced breakout leaders and helpful tips. While there is nothing new under the sun, we all tend to have very short memories and reminders of some simple realities of our spiritual condition are of great value.
We reveled in the profound impact of the gospel on every area of life, and how it should transform our attitudes toward every aspect of life and ministry.
But I did have one thought that caught in my craw. In the context of giving encouragement to young (or not so young) church planters, to help them be able to finish well, one of the speakers, a richly experienced and well respected pastor made a statement that has made me think.
Specifically he told us that Music is just sound waves traveling in the air. There is no moral connotation to an instrument, or a style, and we need to get over our prejudices about music, and get back to praising God.
What occurred to me however, is that by that Logic alone there is nothing wrong with ink or pigment on a page, nothing wrong with electromagnetic waves traveling through the air to receivers, and nothing wrong with any particular arrangement of letters or words. But if you follow that premise to it's logical conclusion there is nothing wrong with pornography, nothing wrong with violent or demeaning television, movies, or writings. I can't accept that conclusion so I think there is something wrong with the premise.
The inversion of this argument is also worth considering. I think it was aptly encapsulated by a bumper sticker I saw once: "If guns are responsible for killing people, then my pencil is responsible for my bad spelling." Obviously the misuse of God's creation be it photons, sound waves, or ballistics, is the responsibility of human beings.
The problem of course is that the human heart is deceitful and wicked at it's core. It has been said that the human heart is an idol factory, and every piece of creation that is touched by the human hand has the potential to be used for good or for evil. Properly stated I suppose that there are no immoral notes, but that notes can be used by immoral people.
And that of course is the problem, when it comes to the worship of God, it is fundamentally about the human heart. We must worship, as Jesus made clear, in spirit and in truth. It isn't about external forms, it is about the heart. So from that foundation we can say that the style of music is secondary, but I think there are dozens of biblical principles that apply to our choices of music. These are deep theological and moral issues that we must explore if we are to have integrity in our choice of music.
Does it cause a brother to stumble?
More than once I have seen music become the expression of a deep distain for the mature members of a church, and of harsh and ungracious judgements of the young. This is a reflection of the attitudes of the heart, and the music itself is irrelevant. When the young are rebellious and the old are arrogant this is sin- pure and simple. To re-phrase Paul's dictum: While I am free to chose any music, If it causes my brother to stumble I will not sing or play any instrument or style ever again.
Does it cause a brother physical harm?
I once heard a preacher boast of the fact that the little old ladies in his church would hold their hands over their ears during the worship service. He was proud of the fact that they didn't let the new style drive them away even though it was too loud for them. That is a disrespectful arrogance that must grieve the heart of God. If my "worship" is so loud that it is physically painful to a member of the body of Christ. I don't care what the style may be it is wrong.
While the audiologists are not agreed as to the harm that excessive volume will produce, we often allow volumes in the name of worship that are illegal to subject people to in the work place. I have witnessed more than once young people leave a concert physically deafened by the "worship" that took place. And the physical side effects of drum beats are well known to cause a re-alignment of cardiac rhythms which can induce moods, and physical conditions that are manipulative.
We need to consider the practical realities of the physical impact we are having on the individuals under our influence, and the sound waves themselves are the objective issue in question.
Does it spur others on to love and good deeds, or toward idolatry?
Perhaps the best definition of an idol I have heard is this: "Anything for which you will sin if you get it, sin to get it, or sin if you don't get it." Music that tempts people to idolize the style of music, the performer, or the experience is a serious issue. Again the music is not objectively at fault here, but it serves as the light revealing the bitterness, and anger in our hearts, because our personal idols are being messed with. We ignore idolatry in worship at our own peril- it has always been the primary problem with human worship.
Does it carry with it the appearance of evil?
Ethics is not situational, but the application of ethics always occurs in a context. Modesty being a clear example. various cultures have widely divergent standards of dress that would be considered modest or immodest, in regard to whether the person is likely to cause sexual temptation, or is engaging in exhibitionism. Music is no different, for those who grew up in a pagan musical context that music carries cultural baggage. While we can and should attempt to redeem the culture, we must be careful to remain in but not of the culture. Musical styles indistinguishable from their millue run a great risk of falling into moralistic relativism, Where so long as the words are "christian" anything goes.
We must speak the heart language of our target audience in evangelism, and in that context and for that purpose I think almost any genre can be adapted, but in the corporate worship of the body of Christ we need to wrestle with the implications of the music we choose.
Does it speak truth, not just in it's words but in the emotional and physical consequences it produces?
Music stirs the emotions. Hence it's powerful application in a worship setting is so critical. To stir the emotions touches the human heart right at our point of greatest need. Out hearts are the seat of desire and our music can spur our desires, driving the integrity of our worship. Music that is cogent with a clear and Biblically content is essential. Sensuality is a great danger to the human heart, we are warned that those who pursue sensuality are not fit for the kingdom of God. Music that stirs the emotions, produces pleasure and possibly the lowering of inhibitions (all known and explicitly desired effects of many poly-rythms, chord structures and progressions) is an area where we are subjecting ourselves to the potential for great temptation to sensuality.
The reality of the sensual orgy that music can produce is well known. Any movie that makes the big time has a sound track that supports encourages and drives the emotional content of the film. Music is often the difference between laughing and crying in any given moment. All of that being accomplished very frequently without any words. Music heightens emotion, allowing for manipulation of the emotions.
Through that emotional power our music can contradict our message, spurring self-indulgence, and sensuality, and often doing so in opposition to the words of the song. If people choose your church based on the emotional impact of your music, and not the gospel, we are guilty of worshiping the created thing and not the Creator. If yours is the greatest show on earth, be ware.
Does it lead people to glorify God or man?
Following in the same vein far too often music is a cult of personality. We become followers of the band and not followers of God. Our hearts are drawn to the human figures, with a form of godliness, but that in the end denies it's power. Musicians are often the ones who are most likely to break into homes and gain control over weak willed young women. In the secular world every generation has a heart throb, or boy band and they have all the groupies they want. In the spiritual arena the idolatry, and adultery of the heart is far too common.
While we want our worship to God to be a thing that reflects his glory, his beauty and his majesty. We must be careful that it doesn't instead usurp those things for the glory of man.
Does it function as manipulation such that the same effect could have been achieved by a completely secular drama, musical score?
I confess to having been moved, to pity, to anger and compassion in films and stories that were entirely devoid of a Biblical moral framework. What makes the arts any different in church? Are we settling for the cheep tricks that Paul so expressly avoided in his dialogue with the Corinthians? The philosophers and disputers of our age use the arts as one of their primary mediums. We are to rely not on cleverly constructed musicals, or heart warming solos, but the power of God in the Gospel. In the end, if we have the best music, and the greatest worship sets, but we have not love . . .
And fundamentally of course, does it spring from a heart responding rightly to God?
In many ways we need to be more critical of our musicians than our preachers. The theology of the preacher will be retained for a few hours, the theology of our musicians will be retained for a life-time. We most often remember music not sermons. And thus the heart of the musicians in our churches, and the hearts of our worshipers are more important than we give them credit for.
Who are you to judge? How can you say that about a person's heart? You don't even know the artist or his or here intentions. No, but we must in fact judge people by their fruits. We can't know a person's heart, but we are to examine the fruit of their way of life. We need to hold our musicians to the highest of biblical standards. We need to examine their family life, their moral life, their ethical behavior, and the way they deal with conflict. We need to judge the music we hold dear by the character and life of the messenger. Because God will not share his honor, and he will not bless any worship that is not grounded in a dependent walk of grace.
In conclusion, we are not concerned about sound waves and pigment molecules per-say. But those sound waves have Theological implications that are profound. And we must not simply accept anything that comes our way. We must be discerning, we must be wise, for the days are evil.
