Music is a big deal. It’s a really big deal. And that’s by God’s design. Saying that is not a surprise or shock to many Christians and many churches. However, to some Christians and some churches and some broader church traditions it may be a big deal to say that music is a big deal.
Let me explain myself…
Now, before I get into this let me just say that I hate when people think they know what’s going on in a given church, denomination, or even the church worldwide when they really have no way of actually knowing decisively. I am only speaking here from my experiences and don’t presume to know how every reformed pastor or leader thinks through music.
With that important preface, I think that particularly in the reformed world, the church world I’m in and I love, there seems to be this idea that music is great but also dangerous. It’s like an angry lion that must at all times be under heavy control lest it get out of hand and ravage the congregation. Lions are amazing but basically, to us, dangerous. And I completely get why some think this. I don’t really blame them. I spent a few years in the charismatic world in which music is oftentimes used to work people into a trance, intentionally or not. I get why the reformed world can be scared of music. We do not want to manipulate anyone with our music. We do not want to turn worship music into a performance concert like some churches seem to do. We don’t want to compromise lyrics for great sound.
However, the baby is often thrown out with the bath water in the reformed world. We seem to fall into errors too, just on the other side of the spectrum. At the root I think this happens because we do not think deeply about music. For instance, I never hear of pastors reading…anything…about music. I think I read one short book on music like 17 years ago. It’s not that we do not think about music at all but I have a hunch we just do not think it about much beyond making sure the lyrics are theologically sound. But when it comes to sound, we let other churches dictate what we do with music by way of doing the opposite of whatever they are doing.
For instance, if we see what looks like a rock concert on Sunday morning with drums and an electric guitar we assume the drums and the electric guitar are the problem. So, we become nervous about modern instruments. If we see those churches also playing loudly we assume loudness is wrong too. If we see those same churches raising their hands and moving their bodies we assume movement is bad or weird. And on and on we go. I wonder if that’s how we build our understanding of music. While rightly avoiding putting on a rock concert we’ve fallen into other errors.
It seems we think about worship music on Sundays similar to how we think about playing music around a campfire with friends. The leader hardly needs to know how to sing or play an instrument. They do not need to be skilled. The leader simply has to get everyone around the campfire going and then they will take the lead. Campfire music usually isn’t skillful, loud, and most people don’t seem really into it. In other words, skills do not really matter, the congregation is the actual leader, it should not be loud, and the whole point is enjoying listening to each other sing.
The problem here is not with throwing out the bath water but throwing out the baby. No, churches should not want to put on performance concerts on Sunday for the congregation to watch and enjoy. No, they should not use music to trance and manipulate people. But music is still a really big deal. It’s really powerful and that’s by God’s design. Worship music is meant to move us, focus us, and help us express ourselves to God and I think there are four things the reformed world needs to think more deeply about regarding music.
First, music is powerfully moving. Sometimes when you turn on the right song, everything can change. When you turn on the right song, you can be reminded of a glorious truth in a manner different than reading it or hearing it preached. We need to read and hear preached, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling” but we also need to hear it in song. This obvious reality about the power of music is confirmed by the Bible’s overwhelming affirmation of music and command to make music. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” (Col. 3:16). “…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…” (Eph. 5:18-19).
Second, we are made to worship with quality, skilled music. Be honest, you don’t just listen to anyone at home on Spotify, right? You listen to skill. If we do not value music as we ought to we will throw away the value of skill. If we think worship music on Sundays should feel like a group of people singing around a campfire we will not care about skill and quality. We will think skill and quality is only about putting on a performance. However, the Bible says things like, “The Levites…were skillful with instruments of music…” (2 Chron. 34:12). Psalm 33:3 commands us to, “...play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.” To play music in an unskilled manner may be a church’s only option and that’s OK. Keep playing. However, it’s pleasantly surprising how many skilled musicians can be found in small churches. The qualification for leading worship music should not be the desire to do so but rather the desire and skill to do so.
Third, we are made to be loud at times. We must be loud at times. Be honest, you sometimes play you’re your worship music at home loud, don’t you? Loudness is sometimes the only way to express our joy. Loudness is sometimes the only way to express our pain. But because worship music on Sundays is sometimes likened to campfire music and because rock concerts are loud, many seem to be extremely skeptical of loud music if not altogether against it. But then Zeph. 3:17 says of God, “The Lord your God is in your midst…he will exult over you with loud singing.” Consider the following Scriptures with emphasis added: “David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy” (1 Chron. 15:16). “So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres” (1 Chron. 15:28). “They swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns” (2 Chron. 15:14). “And the Levites…stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice” (2 Chron. 20:19). “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts” (Ps. 33:3). “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!” (Ps. 47:1). “Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!” (Ps. 150:5).
There is a time and place for everything. The Bible does not say to only play and sing loud. But it does say to do so. Play the instruments and play them loud. Sing and sing loud. Make music and make loud music. Practically, I think this means worship music should sometimes be at a volume where the voices of the congregation are heard but at other times worship music should be at a volume where you cannot really hear others singing because the music is, to quote the Bible, “loud”. And the reality is, during these times people will actually feel free to sing louder. They will be less self-conscious and self-focused in these moments. I mean, I don’t know about you but I suddenly become really self-conscious when the acappella part kicks in.
Fourth, I think we will be well served if we constantly compare what we think about music to what we think about preaching. Be honest, you do not want an unmoved, monotone, quiet, unskilled preacher preaching sermons each week, right? Here are some diagnostic questions…
If we think it’s right for our preacher to be demonstrative, why can’t our musicians? Would we want our preacher to preach in a way similar to a scarecrow about to fall asleep mid-sermon?
If we think it’s right for our preacher to sometimes be quiet and sometimes be loud, why can’t our music sometimes be quiet and sometimes be loud? Would we want sermons to be so monotone we can’t help but be put to sleep?
If we want our preacher to be highly skilled in crafting sermons, why don’t we expect the same from the way we play our songs? Do we want to listen to sermons that are put together by someone who does not know how to preach a clear and compelling message?
The point here is that the things we tolerate and even say we value regarding music we would never tolerate or value in preaching. Ever. If given a choice, no one wants to listen to an unmoved, monotone, sloppy preacher. Sure, he may be theologically sound but it takes extra effort to pay attention. Likewise, if we’re honest, we all want worship music that is moving, dynamic in range, and skillful. We want music that matches our humanity, which is dynamic. Unmoved, monotone, sloppy music is a distraction. But skillful music played by people moved by the music puts the attention powerfully on the theologically sound lyrics being sung. “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling” will hit hearts harder when skillfully played and when, perhaps, sometimes played loudly.
Whatever we are able to do within our limited resources (God help us!), may we value music for what God made it to be and enjoy the incredible gift of song. We need a lot of grace for ourselves and our musicians. More often than not our musicians in church are volunteers. They spend countless hours preparing. They spend more hours stressing about screwing up. We ought to give them the right target to aim for and then unleash loads of grace on them on the journey and continually remind everyone that it’s always all about Jesus, not the guitar riff.
