Well - for one, the two sides of the argument tend to be closed-minded, and they often base their view on their own experiences (though sometimes very limited), and then won't take an honest look at the whole picture.
What I am referring too is - Worship Music. A simple look at the many denominations and congregations will find such a wide variety of music in worship that one might easily get confused. There is little doubt that there is music that is not appropriate for ANY worship, while there is also a plethora of quality, scriptural, and God-glorifying music available as well. So - why the debate?
Simple - preferences.
Just as one person may like Country and Western, another likes Classical music, and yet a third may like Rock and Roll, music - as it has developed in the church also is heavily influenced by preference.
We Baptists call ourselves (rightfully so) "New Testament Churches". This is suppose to mean that we follow God's model, doctrine, methods, and theology as spelled out in the New Testament. While God's Word is wonderful, marvelous, and as 2 Timothy 3:16 puts it: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, very little is spelled out in the 27 books of the New Testament on "how to do worship". We can easily see that preaching, celebrating the Lord's Supper and Baptism were regular parts of the worship, but what else?
Ephesians 5:19 is the only reference to "New Testament music" (and that in the middle of a more general topic of Christian conduct and fellowship): Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Colossians 3:16 uses similar language.
The extra-biblical historical record indicates that the bulk of music used in the early church (1st and 2nd Centuries) was the Psalms, often set to music. While the bulk of the Psalms were traditionally sung by essentially "professional" musicians in the Temple and synagog, they only made musical sense (particularly in meter) in the original Hebrew, which the growing Gentile portion of Christianity did not know. As the Psalms are translated into the vernacular (the common language - which moved from Aramaic for those closer to Israel, to Greek which was the majority language for most of the known world). In translation, much of the musical quality of the original Psalms was lost. So early Christians would set Psalms and other scripture (even some of the New Testament letters they received) to the music of folk songs of the time. Interestingly enough, if one had traveled around visiting Christian churches in the first century or so of history, the musical worship would have seen marked differences, though the texts would have been quite similar.
But enough with the ancient history lesson, and lets move on to more recent musical history within churches, particularly Baptist churches. Before I proceed (cautiously!), let me clarify my own position somewhat - I am a firm believer in using good, solid, biblically-sound, God-glorifying, and reverend music in our worship. The trouble comes in how one defines those terms! But let us continue:
Many of us have experienced it - Many of the "traditionalists" (often, but not always, represented by the more mature in congregations) just won't have or tolerate anything not found in the old Broadman, Heavenly Highway Hymns books. Some even go out on limb of "that is what REAL worship music is"...
Then you have the mostly "younger" folks who know and "feel" that the more modern/contemporary stuff is the only "real" worship music. Just as misguided and closed-minded as those they disagree with.
Those supporting the "old" hymns love those old hymns because that is what they grew up with. There is a lot to love about much of those hymns, many of which were written in a way that brings God honor and glory to God, and express some wonderful and encouraging spiritual truths. It is this style (actually, a collection of styles) that represents all they have ever known, and is what is near and dear to their hearts. What they fail to see - SOME of the current music fits the exact same description for most of the younger generations. It is what they know and understand.
Since so many on both sides cannot agree.. lets just look at what is "traditional"...especially for Baptists:
As mentioned in the first part of this entry, all the way through the late 19th Century, a great deal of Baptist hymnody was based on the Psalms. Many of the more conservative Baptists in Britain (where nearly all US Baptists came from/through) also used more poetic, usually unison music, with sometimes complicated melodies. Print music was rare - and part singing unheard of. Until the more "show/burlesque/Vaudeville" - styled music that makes up some of those "traditional" hymns in our more beloved hymn books - there would not have been anything that made you want to tap your toes or clap your hands. There wouldn't have been anything with a fast tempo.
Then comes the early 20th Century and the hymn writers from several different protestant faiths that picked up tempos, used more showy melodies and harmonies that mirrored those of the secular and folk music of the time. In some circles, it caused a backlash, and for many - including of many Baptists, acceptance came slowly. Yet so many of those formerly "edgy" and "modern" hymns are now the "traditional" and by some considered the "only appropriate" music for worship".
So one must ask a couple of questions - what is the biblical example of music for worship, and what was the purpose?
The primary uses of music in the Bible were:
- To glorify God, celebrating His goodness, His deliverance of His people, and in building a spirit of joy among God's people.
- To teach. Yes - to teach. Particularly in the Old Testament, much of the text (in Hebrew) is metrically written so that it can be sung or chanted as a means of remembering and/or memorizing it.
- To lead the heart to God and to love His word.
Biblical use of music was never to glorify one's self. It was not to reinforce carnal behavior. It was not to cause division, but to lead the congregation directly to the throne of God.
Assuming the Lord doesn't return before then, what might worship music be like in 50 or 100 years? Will the old Fanny Crosby, Wesley, Philip Bliss, Robert Lowry, and so many other great hymn writers bee much more than a blip on the musical radar? It would certainly be a shame to lose so much great, God-glorifying music! On the other hand - what about the growing movement to return to setting the scriptures to music in a similar way the Hebrews did in the Old Testament, for use in their worship? Artists like Mac Powell, who have labored to write music to effectively convey scripture passages - will they have made an impact? What about the "con temporizing" of our more "traditional" hymns? The updating of the melodic and harmonic content while preserving the text and spirit of the original?
What about the plethora of scripturally/doctrinally sound music coming from the "Contemporary Christians Music" (aka - CCM) field? I will be the first to admit that there are some truly bad so-called "Christian" songs playing on the radio, and even in some church buildings on Sundays - but they are no worse than some of the seriously flawed or even pagan-influenced songs found even in our beloved old hymn books.
As a trained musician who was exposed to a wide variety of musical styles and genera from literally birth, I have an appreciation for a very wide variety of musical styles. On the other hand, by taste in the music used in formal worship is significantly constrained. But regardless of what side of the music debate you find yourself - lets all be honest in our viewpoints. Taste and preference play a far bigger roll in our view than does the actual value or "appropriateness" of a particular musical style.
The argument over music in church has been playing out for many centuries. Even in the Catholic church - music was nearly completely banned when the melodies and harmonies became so beautiful, the clergy felt that it would detract from the words. How many of our old favorite hymns are so dear because the music is beautiful? I will likely never see (at least here on this earth) a complete resolution to this ongoing debate. But I believe that if churches in general would look at music in worship for what it is suppose to be - and what it historically was used for (as listed above), we might find more common ground that any party might have thought. The choice of music in a church should not be exclusionary - i.e. - it should never cause a person/worshipper to fell left out of the opportunity to praise our redeeming God. Dogmatically sticking to one form of worship music, to the complete exclusion of all others has that net effect. If a church just arbitrarily chooses to become a "contemporary" church - throwing all the old and beloved hymns out - they are, for all practical purposes, throwing those to whom those hymns were their means of connecting, of worshipping, right out the window! Yet a church that just as arbitrarily rejects all music not found in the pages of one of the old beloved hymnbooks is guilty of the same offense - just against another group.
For a somewhat humorous look at the issue, see Bro. Harmon's posting here:
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