Biblical Worship

Jeremy Begbie, in his book Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music (Baker Academic Books, ISBN 978-0-8010-2695-9, 2007) surveys music in Scripture, in historical worship practice and in contemporary culture.   In chapter 4 Begbie examines the use of music in worship by Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli comparing the music and worship philosophies of these sixteenth century reformers.

Among the three reformers, Martin Luther is known as the strongest promoter of music in the church.  Although Calvin advocated congregational singing, he was much more restrictive than Luther.  Luther and Calvin both agreed on the importance of congregational singing especially since it had been all but lost in the Roman Catholic Mass of their day.  It was common at that time for all of the worship music to be performed by professional clergy who played the instruments and sang in the choirs.  Both Luther and Calvin wanted to give the worship songs back to the congregation.

Luther encouraged the writing of new hymns and Calvin authorized the paraphrasing of the Psalms for use in worship.  Calvin would only allow Scripture texts or paraphrases of Scripture texts for congregational songs.  These new Psalm paraphrases were to be sung with no harmony and without instruments (since there are no directives in the New Testament for use of instruments in worship).  Luther on the other hand encouraged part-singing (harmony) and the use of instruments in worship.

One of the other well known reformers of the sixteenth century was Ulrich Zwingli who although he was a musician was determined to have no music or singing in worship.  In his attempt to model a worship service totally free of any Roman Catholic influences, Zwingli thought that music was distracting in worship so he simply did not have music in his services.  Zwingli was known for having the organ dismantled from the Zurich church building where he preached.

Focusing on Martin Luther for a moment, I especially liked a quote from Luther on music and ministers in Begbie’s book:

Music I have always loved.  He who knows music has a good nature.  Necessity demands that music be kept in the schools.  A schoolmaster must be able to sing otherwise I will not look at him.  And before a young man is ordained into the ministry, he should practise music in school.

(Martin Luther, Martin Luther Werke: Kristiche Gesamtausgabe, vol. 30:2, Weimar H. Bohlau, 1909, 557, no. 6248 as quoted by Begbi, Resounding Truth, 98)

I would agree that all ministers should have some instruction in music.  Why?  Luther says because he who knows music  has a good nature, but  I would go further to say that at some point all pastors will be called on to lead congregational songs.  Many pastors serve in churches where finding music leadership can be difficult.  There is always the Sunday when at the last minute the congregational song leader is out sick.  Since most pastors will at some point supervise a worship leader, it would also benefit them to understand something of what this person is expected to do as a worship leader.

We are diligent to ensure thorough theological training for our pastors (and we should).  We should also be diligent to at least give our pastors some practical instruction in congregational music leading and worship planning.  If we were to take Martin Luther’s statement seriously about music and ministers, perhaps at the ordination council the young minister should also have to pass a basic congregational music leading test.

Growing up in a Southern Baptist church in Georgia I was accustomed to hearing songs about heaven in the worship services.   We use to sing songs like “When We All Get to Heaven,” and “In the Sweet By and By.”  I would venture to say that today we do not sing songs like these very often - songs focused on our eternal home.

I was reminded of that when I came across a song written by Bob Kauflin called “It Is Not Death to Die.”  Kauflin based this song on an older hymn text of the same title written in the nineteenth century.  Why don’t we sing songs in worship like these today?  Songs that give us an eternal perspective and remind us that “this world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.”

Is our lack of eternal perspective related to a culture focused on materialism and pleasure-seeking?  Do we really like our earthly home better? It  seems that those who speak of heaven and spending eternity with Jesus most often are those who are in the midst of strife whether it be health issues,  persecution or poverty. 

I know that I need to keep an eternal perspective and not be so focused on the distractions of this world.  I am reminded of the I John passage (2:15-17):

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.  The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of the God lives forever.

I appreciate songs like “It is not death to die” which gives an eternal perspective and reminds us of our real home with the Father.  I think we need more songs like this to help us stay focused on the goal (Hebrews 12:1-3).

It is not death to die,

To leave this weary road,

And join with saints who dwell on high,

Who’ve found their home with God.

 

It is not death to close,

The eyes long dimmed by tears,

And wake in joy before the throne,

Delivered from our fears.

 

Oh, Jesus conquering the grave,

Your precious blood has power to save.

All who trust in You,

Will in Your mercy find,

That is not death to die.

 

It is not death to fling,

Aside this earthly dust,

And rise with strong and noble wing,

To live among the just.

 

It is not death to hear,

The key unlock the door

That sets us free from mortal years,

To praise You evermore.

 Original words by Henri Malan (1787-1864).  Translated by George Bethune (1847). Music, chorus and alternate words by Bob Kauflin. 

Sample of song:

http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/albums/category/sovereign_grace_music/come_weary_saints

I recently finished a book by Dr. Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis.  Gaines book, When God Comes to Church: Experiencing the Fullness of His Presence offers a number of excellent insights about planning and leading worship.  I like this quote from C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) that Gaines uses to emphasize the need of Christ-centered worship services.  In the quote Spurgeon is addressing young preachers when he states:

“Let your sermons be full of Christ, from beginning to end crammed full of the Gospel.  As for myself, brethren, I cannot preach anything else but Christ and His cross, for I know nothing else, and long ago, like the Apostle Paul, I determined not to know anything else save Jesus Christ and Him crucified [a reference to I Cor. 2:2] . . . . Preach Jesus Christ, brethren, always and everywhere; and every time you preach be sure to have much of Jesus Christ in your sermon . . . . We preach Jesus Christ to those who want Him, and we also preach Him to those who do not want Him, and we keep on preaching Christ until we make them feel that they do want Him, and cannot do without Him.”  (Gaines, p. 42-43)

I agree with Spurgeon and Gaines.  Our services should focus on Christ.  There should be a Gospel, cross-centered theme in our corporate worship services each time we gather.  More times that I want to remember I have attended Christian worship services where Christ or His cross were not mentioned the whole service.   Our songs, our prayers, our testimonies and our sermons should point to Christ. 

When a Christian tells his pastor he does not need to hear the Gospel story any more because he has matured beyond that point, we are in dangerous territory.  Christ is our Savior and Lord, our Great High Priest before the Throne, the Lamb of God.  We must preach Christ. 

Gaines closes his chapter stating that “a worship service without the awareness of Jesus’ obvious presence is a waste of time.  He is the One who deserves the spotlight.  He is the focus for every part of geniune worship.” (44).

Worship Leader - is your service full of Christ and His cross?  As David Prior once said: “We never move on from the cross of Christ, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.”

When God Comes to Church, Steve Gaines, Broadman and Holman, 2007, ISBN: 978-0-8054-4398-1.

In my worship class at Southern Seminary I usually show the students the following quote and ask them to determine when the quote was written:

For some years it has been apparent that the rage for novelties in singing, especially in our Sunday Schools, has been driving out of use the old, precious, standard hymns.  They are not memorized as of old.  They are scarecly sung at all.  They are not even contained in the non-denominational songbooks which in many churches have usurped the place of our hymn books.

We cannot afford to lose these old hymns.  They are full of the Gospel; they breathe the deepest emotions of pious hearts in the noblest strains of poetry; they have been tested and approved by successive generations of those that loved the Lord; they are the surviving fittest ones from thousands of inferior productions; they are hallowed by abundant usefulness and tenderest memories.  But the young people of today are unfamiliar with them, if the present tendency goes unchecked.

My students are usually surprised to discover that this quote was written by Basil Manly, Jr. (1825-1892), one of the founding professors of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky (www.sbts.edu).  These words appeared in the preface of a hymnbook edited by Professor Manly in 1892.  Manly, an Old Testament professor at the seminary was concerned  that the Gospel songs new on the scene were usurping the old hymns.  It seems that the young people were singing these new songs and not learning the standard hymns of the church.  These newer worship songs (perhaps by Fanny Crosby, Ira Sankey or others) majored more on the Christian experience and less on the objective truths of the Bible often found in the hymns.  Since we learn so much of our faith through our songs, Manly was concerned the newer Gospel songs were not carrying strong biblical content.

Although this quote is an isolated incident, I think a brief survey of worship music through the ages would reveal that this controversy of what songs should be used in worship is not a new one.  The church has always had an issue over what songs should be selected for corporate worship.

So how do we make sense of this issue today?

1.  It would be great if more theologically trained pastors were writing or selecting song texts for the church today.  So many of our great hymn texts in use today were actually written by pastors (Charles Wesley, Isaac Watt, John Newton - to name a few).  Basil Manly was a good model for pastors as a hymn text writer and an editor of hymnbooks for the church.  We also need worship leaders with a healthy biblical foundation capable of filtering strong theological texts from weak ones.

2.  All songs were new songs at one point.  We should seek to “sing a new song to the Lord,” but make sure our new songs have significant biblical content.  Why spend time singing worship songs that have vague biblical content?

3.  We need to keep singing the great hymns of the church along with newer expressions of faith.  These hymns remind our young people that they are not the first generation of Christians to seek to live a Christ-like life in the world.  Also, our senior adults need to learn songs that speak to a younger generation about the Gospel.

4.  Let the focus be on song content and not secondary issues such as whether we will use an organ,  piano or guitar to accompany songs.  Sure there are a number of discussions we can have on this point, but we need to start with the song text.  Is the text true to the Scriptures?  Does the text teach the great truths fo the faith?

5.  Finally, let’s seek to be pastoral in our worship leadership - caring for the Body of Christ, seeking peace and unity in worship.  Teach deference: “I can sing a favorite song of my brother in Christ rather than my favorite.”

On several occasions I have seen advertisements for Christian concerts or worship recordings that made statements like:  “This worship music will send you into the presence of God,” or “Buy this [insert name of Christian Artist] worship CD. - it will connect you to God.”  Can music connect a Christian to God?  The answer to that is no.  Music is not a mediator between God and His people.  There is only one mediator that can ever  ‘connect’ us to God or ’send us in the presence of God.’  His name is Jesus Christ.  I am reminded of several Bible verses that make this truth very clear:

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  (John 14:6)

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1

“And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:11)

“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” (I Timothy 2:5)

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

How much more will the blood Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant…” (Hebrews 9:14-15)

“For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”  (Hebrews 9:24)

 It is clear from these Scripture passages (and many more that could be listed), that Jesus Christ is the one and only mediator for us before God, the Father.  We have no approach to the throne of God above except through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.  Why have we allowed people to get the idea that certain kinds of music can send us into God’s presence?  If we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are already in God’s presence because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross on our behalf.  

Perhaps what we mean to say is that certain worship songs remind us of our position in Christ; therefore, we rejoice as we remember what Christ has done for us . . . or . . . Some songs cause to become emotional when we are reminded that we draw near to the Father because of the work of His Son.  Worship Leaders should strive to help those in their congregations understand that when we feel emotional with certain worship songs it should be because we are responding to the objective truth of the Gospel.  If we think that it is the music that causes us to “feel close to God,” then we as worship leaders are allowing our people to revel in subjective emotionalism without helping them to understand why they get those feelings. 

Music is not the mediator for us before the throne of God.  We do not need certain songs to magically usher us into God’s presence.  Jesus has already done that for us.  Music in worship is a sacrifice of praise to God and a great tool for teaching us Bible truths.  Let us help our congregations not to seek a subjective emotional high through music, but seek to joyfully sing because of what Christ has done for us.  Through Him let us draw near to God with a sincere heart. (Hebews 10:19-25)    

Recently, my son and I were traveling in the car listening to the ‘oldies’ station on the radio.  When I was growing up this kind of music was music of the fifties and sixties.  Now it is the music that I listened to as a youth.  (A little troublesome to me, but that’s another discussion).  So, when my son is hearing these songs sometimes for the first time, I can actually remember the detailed lyrics of these songs I heard thirty years ago.  Does that remind us of the power of text set to music?  It is amazing how I can remember some rather ridiculous songs from my teenage years.  This reminded me of the responsibility we as parents and music ministers have to provide songs with great texts for our children and youth today. 

I think it is interesting that even in the days of Martin Luther (1483-1546) there was a problem with the secular music of the day.  Luther sought to give the youth of his day a Christian musical alternative.  Luther encouraged the publishing of hymns and songs for the church. He wanted to get the church singing about their faith.  In the preface of a Christian songbook, Luther wrote:

“These songs were arranged in four parts (some are in three, others in five) to give the young - who should at any rate be trained in music and other fine arts - something to wean them away from the love ballads and carnal songs and to teach them something of value in their place, thus combining the good with the pleasing, as is proper for youth…”(from Geystliches gesang Buchleyn).

Even in Luther’s day there was a concern for the music of the younger generation and what it was teaching them.  What are we doing today to encourage our youth to listen to music that has a redeeming value?  If the music we learn in our childhood days stays with us throughout our lives, we as parents and music ministers should do as much as we can to give our young ones music that will help them in their walk with the Lord.

What are some things we can do to encourage them to listen to music with Christian texts?

1.  Like Luther suggested, let’s encourage the writing and producing of music with great Christian lyrics in a style that is attractive to the younger generation.

2.  We should know what kind of music are children and teens are listening to and understand the messages these songs are sending.  The old adage that “I just like the sound of the music and don’t pay attention to the lyrics” is not true.  The lyrics do find a way into our hearts and minds.

3.  Help our students find music that is redeeming.  If our children are listening to non-stop music on their Ipods let’s help them download some redeeming music.

4.  In our churches we should be encouraging the teaching of new worship songs that speak in the language of today so that the younger generation finds a substitute for the tempting ‘carnal’ songs of today.

All of this does not mean that we should abandon the great songs and hymns of generations past.  We should be teaching these songs to our children as well.  However, we need to also offer them an alternative to the secular worldly music that pervades all parts of their lives.  Let’s give them songs that thirty years from now on the ‘oldies’ Christian station will remind them of our great Lord!

I recently finished reading a book on worship called True Worship by Vaughan Roberts (Authentic Media, 2002, ISBN 1-85078-445-0).  Roberts does a great job pointing us back to the basics of biblical worship in light of the upheavals that press in around us from our postmodern culture.  In one section he is describing the meaning of Romans 12:1-2 where the Apostle Paul discusses giving our lives as a sacrifice which is our spiritual act of worship.  Roberts states that the better translation for spiritual in this verse is reasonable or rational (Greek root: logikos). ”It implies that our worship is connected to our minds.” (21)Robert goes on to talk about the implications of this verse in our present culture.  Allow me to share an extended quote from the book: 

“In recent years, Eastern thinking has had a big impact on Western culture.  Increasingly we are elevating experience above thinking, feeling above the mind.  One writer has put it like this:  ours is ‘a culture in search of an experience, not in search of truth.’  In choosing a religion, ‘The one measurement that matters is the spiritual high they give, as if worship was something you snorted through your nose’. (Roberts is quoting Clifford Langley). 

“That tendency has affected Christianity as well.  Many people who come to church are looking for an experience.  They do not want to think; they want a direct encounter with God.  They want to feel his presence with them.  And when they do, or at least when they think they do, they call that ‘worship’.  For them, worship is primarily to do with feelings rather than with the mind.  But the Bible will not allow us to divorce the two.  True worship will certainly involve our emotions, but it does not begin with them.  Worship is rational; it involves the mind…. Worship involves thinking because it begins with what God has done for me in Christ.  It is a response to what I have understood about his mercy.  If I switch my mind off, I break the connection with the truth that prompts my worship.  So worship must be rational.  But it can never stay just in the mind.” (21-22)

Our worship should be based on the objective truths found in Scripture.  We understand what Jesus Christ has done to redeem us from sin and death.  We then respond with our emotions showing gratitude.  Our worship is a response to truth, not based on subjective experience.  I think Roberts has done a good job of describing the state of much Christian worship today.  Are we seeking an experience or are we responding to objective truths of the Word?

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29).

John and Charles Wesley had an immense impact on the church of the late eighteenth century.  Their emphasis on evangelism and discipleship caused great growth in the church.  They also strongly influenced church music in a wonderful way through their efforts to improve the congregational singing of the church.  Both John and Charles focused on bringing new congregational songs to believers.   It was Charles who penned over 6500 hymn texts over his lifetime.  We still sing a number of his hymn texts today:  And Can It Be, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, Jesus Lover of My Soul.

Apparently in an effort to bolster congregational singing in his church, John Wesley penned these words in 1770 to encourage his congregation:

1.  Sing All - see that you join the congregation as frequently as you can.

2.  Sing Lustily - and with good courage.  Beware of singing as if you were half-dead or half-asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.  Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sang the songs of Satan.

3.  Sing Modestly - do not bawl so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation that you may not destroy the harmony, but strive to unite your voices together so as to make one melodious sound.

4.  Sing in time - whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it.  Do not run before and do not stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices and move therewith as exactly as you can and take care not to sing too slow.  This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

5. Sing spiritually - have an eye to God in every word you sing.  Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature.

Some words from John Wesley that still ring true for our congregations today!

The larger a church grows the more difficult it is to actively involve the congregation in the worship service.  People who attend worship services where a thousand or more people are gathered for worship often find themselves more in a passive, spectator role than as an active participant.  Except for the congregational involvement in the worship songs, the people passively watch others on the platform leading the different parts of the service.

I’m not advocating that we keep our congregations small or that we not grow the church.  (Although we could discuss what is the most effective size for a congregation and when to start a new congregation.)  When we look at gatherings in the early church (Acts and the Epistles) we see a congregation very active in the worship service.  The Apostle Paul states in I Corinthians 14:26 that when the church assembles “each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.”  This verse indicates that believers should come prepared to participate in the service.

What are some ways that worship leaders can actively involve the congregation in worship?

1.  Do more congregational worship music than “special” music.  I really don’t have a problem with solos or choir songs in the service but these should not overshadow the congregational involvement in the worship music.

2.  Plan ahead to involve more church members in congregational prayers.  Call during the week and invite members to lead particular prayers.  This gives them time to consider how they would voice a prayer for the congregation.

3.  Plan ahead on Scripture reading in the service.  Call and ask a church member to read the opening Psalm in the service.  Have a member read the passage the pastor is using in his sermon.  If you are not reading much Scripture in the service, I would encourage you to do more Scripture reading in the service.  (see Hebrews 4:12)

4.  It may be old fashion, but have a responsive reading. This includes the whole congregation as you read the Scripture.

5.  If your church can logistically do it, allow the congregation to break into small prayer groups during the service to pray for others or the church. 

6.  Have a greeting time when people can speak to each other as the service starts.

7.  Have a church member prepare a 3 minute testimony about a recent mission trip or an answer to prayer.  (I would ask them to write out the testimony and then send it to you during the week.  You could make suggestions about how to better express a thought in necessary).

Other obvious places where the congregation is actively participating is in the offering time, the Lord’s Supper, and the time of response after the sermon.

Worship leader, how actively involved is your congregation in the worship service?  Are they mostly watching others worship?  I would encourage you to find ways to get your congregation involved in the service.

I had a conversation recently with a pianist who is serving on a search committee for a minister of music at her church.  She was frustrated by her pastor who had recently made the comment that the new music minister did not have to read music as long as he was good on the platform.  The pianist obviously did not agree with the pastor because she knew she would be the one who would have to carry the weight of knowing how to make the music work if the minister of music did not read music. 

In the pastor’s defense I agree that we want a worship leader who knows how to communicate clearly and inspire the congregation to join in the musical portion of the worship service.  It does not matter how skilled the musician is if he cannot effectively lead the congregation in worship. 

Finding the worship leader who is a skilled musician and an effective communicator is not always easy.  I would also want this person to have a strong sense of calling and a heart for the Lord.  Churches often struggle to find this combination in one person.  Yet I see the approach of settling for a music minister who has no music reading skills as a last resort. 

There seems to be a double standard when we expect the pastor to get theological training and some level of ability to search the Scriptures in the original languages but we don’t have the same level of expectation for another minister who is leading the church in worship and discipling the congregation (all ages) in the Gospel through music.

I encourage persons who feel called to some type of music ministry to get the training they need to do the work God has called them to do.  Students preparing for music ministry or worship leadership need in depth training (both musical and theological) just like we expect for pastors who are preaching.  In my 30 years of involvement in music ministry I have seen a lot of change in styles and methods of music ministry.  A well trained music minister is better prepared to adjust to these changes when they come. 

It seems that in our contemporary culture there has been a “dumbing down” of all areas of society.  This is reflected in the comment of the pastor who says that he does not really care if his worship leader can read music.  A worship pastor who does not understand the ins and outs of music reading is handicapped from the start.  He has to depend on others who work with him to figure out the music. 

I once heard a pastor of a mega church brag about the fact that his worship leader did not read music.  This worship leader was an effective worship leader from the platform but I was thinking how much more effective he would be if he could relate to his musicians in the language that they understand and interpret every time they sit down to play.

Worship leaders should be as well prepared to do their job as any other ministers in the church.  I encourage my students to get a full “toolbox” of music tools while they are in school.  You may only be using one or two tools right now, but you never know what the Lord may lead you to do down the road and you want to be prepared to answer the call.  I have found that to be very true in my own life.

So the answer to the question of whether a worship pastor should be able to read music is yes, of course.  How much more effective will this person be in his service to the Lord and his congregation!

________________________________

Boyce College Presents

The Heart of Worship Conference 2009

January 30-31, Friday evening - Saturday

On the campus of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY

A Conference for High School and Middle School Students who sing in choirs, play instruments in the worship band or help with sound and media.

Complete information available at:

www.boycecollege.com/heartofworship