Pensees: Congregational Music

Congregational Music

I got ensnared in a very lively conversation about music over at my neighbor’s blog on this thread. Scott Aniol asked me this question:

So Bob, I’m curious. What standards do you use to determine what music you will have in your church? You say you disagree; you say I’m wrong. Fine. So what are your philosophical criteria?

Comment

Very good question and I will be the first to admit I’m not completely satisfied with my answer, but here it is in skeletal form.

The message of lyrics can be objectively assessed. That’s easy. (I might allow for a little more poetic license than you would. In other cases, you may be more tolerant than I. Maybe not. But I will not make my comfort level standard for everyone else. For example, I would replace the words “emptied Himself of all but love” in “And Can it Be.”)

The music of lyrics may also be objectively assessed, but not to the same degree as lyrics. The criteria by which we assess music are not all propositional truth. Unlike propositional truth that is essential to worship, the criteria by which music may be assessed to be good or bad music lack perspicuity. Truth is text-based, so to speak. It is word-based, not sound-based. When we begin to dogmatize on the worship viability of any lyrics/music combination on the authority of aesthetic absolutes which in themselves are completely devoid the perspicuous nature of God-given, text-based Revelation, we have either pushed beyond the limits of our delegated authority or we have obliterated the boundary that delineates the objective from the subjective. God-given Scriptures are perspicuous because what is necessary to worship are revealed in them. Aesthetic absolutes (assuming we all agree that there are aesthetic absolutes) lack perspicuity. It would follow that neither the understanding nor the implementation of them (aesthetic absolutes) are absolutely necessary for worship worthy of God.

A pygmy in Central Africa will upon hearing the Word and converted by the Spirit worship. He will be qualified and equipped to worship immediately upon his saving knowledge of truth. Three redeemed pygmies will know all that is essential to corporate worship that pleases God. Or, more precisely, they will be instantaneously made capable of congregational worship by virtue of their new creation in Christ. Truth that is essential for worship must be perspicuous.

Two congregations may both have a spiritual hold on perspicuous Truth, but one congregation has more knowledge of the aesthetic than the first. All other things being equal both may worship God with equal value because those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth, not necessarily aesthetics or proper form. Therefore, there is for every individual and congregation an objective body of truth that is accompanied by the subjective realm of discretionary decision-making. (I think that it is clear that most decisions in life (even music) are discretionary.)

In other words, if I had a congregation of Bob Bixbys and Scott Aniols, not only would it be a congregation of some of the most humble and godly men in the world, but it would be a very musically intelligent congregation. I think that this amazing congregation would push the boundary of what is objectively assessed much further into the realm of what was hitherto rightfully assessed only subjectively. But it is still clear that even with our combined intelligence and spirituality there would be a degree of subjectivity (i.e. discretionary decision –making) in the final analysis. (This is where Bauder’s third axiom about music begins to disintegrate. More on that in another post). That line varies literally from one congregation to the next and it is unjust of any congregation to see itself as superior in authentic worship over another merely on the basis of one’s standard. This is because music is the possession of every believer. Our pygmy in Africa, redeemed and given new life, filled with the Spirit and obeying the Scripture will make melody in his heart. The heart-melody will translate somehow, some way, into aural form. Three redeemed pygmies will worship corporately. I guarantee you that form will not be aesthetically beautiful, but it will be – will be – pure worship. Doctrinally, it must be.

Having said that, since I believe that music is a spiritual gift to God’s people, that they make melody in their hearts, that the redeemed monotone will be a singer, it follows that a great deal of the discussion on music appropriateness for worship is concluded subjectively and — gulp! — congregationally.

While I may sound heretical for this statement (I am not saying that the congregation is the final authority), I am saying that a Spirit-filled congregation will always sing a music that is pleasing to God (although its form may not be agreeable to you and me). Some do it with guitars, others with organs. Some utilize a wide variety of forms as they deem appropriate and good for the context, but they will be pleasing to God (assuming of course that they are Spirit-filled). My reasoning is perhaps simplistic: “walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” and thus we have what turns out to be a very, very objective standard for the music selection in our church: the perspicuous commands of Scripture. One command that we take seriously for Morning Star Baptist Church is that we should be of one mind in all that we do. Therefore we ask: Can we use this piece, form, song, hymn (whatever) and comply to the objective command of the Head of the Body for His Church to be of one mind?

I would argue that this standard for the music in our church is, in fact, more authoritative than the most stringent conservative-music churches. It is simply this: the Head of the Church has decreed that whatever we do should be done with one mind. We will be very conservative in our church for a long time (forever?) because we cannot do anything else with one mind. There are a number of very old hymns that I could be tempted to impose on my congregation, but they would not enjoy them, so I refrain. (Although we are not adverse to training the congregation to appreciate a broader range of music, both old and new). Therefore, there is a lot of peace in our church on the music issue even though there are many divergent views, tastes, and opinions (and we are very open about them). We are all agreed that it is very clear that God would have us be of one mind. This, by the way, is one reason why we disagree with churches who have both a contemporary and traditional worship service. They are exhibiting their inability or unwillingness to fuse together into one mind, submitting to one another.

It is, therefore, not hard to select music at our church. We screen everything theologically, we assess things musically (as objectively as we can), but in the end we are not ashamed to say that many choices are discretionary. Therefore, since our church is by God’s grace on fire for God, growing in grace, living by the Word, obeying the Biblical mandate to submit to one another, and listening to the objective command of Scripture to be of one mind, we select music at Morning Star Baptist Church that is congregationally pleasing.

What pleases our congregation may be vastly different than what pleases yours. We don’t care. We don’t think you are worse or better. We may be far more immature. Our music may mature. Our tastes may become more refined. Our knowledge more broad. Until then our congregation can belt out “Jesus Loves Even Me” and be fairly confident by the joy and harmony we enjoy that God is, in fact, being worshipped. The three pygmies can dance passionately, banging on their Congo drums, shouting, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus saves!” and I get goose bumps thinking how sweet that must be to the ears of a Benevolent God. Theirs is a sweet worship. Ours is too. And it’s all because of grace.