Yesterday I went off on a rant about the elevation of feelings in our society. Feelings have become the be all and end all for many people. In contrast, I argued that we as Christians need to be people of fact not feeling. We are people of truth rather than emotion. But now the rubber must meet the road in the most controversial of all spheres - worship music.
Music in churches for the past one hundred and fifty years has been trending in a direction that caters to emotion. I can almost hear some of you saying "Wait a minute pastor. Don't you mean in the last thirty years?" No. For longer than most of us have been willing to admit, the producing of certain feelings has been the goal of our worship music. We sing in our churches in order to get people in the mood for the service or the message. People have an expectation that a service ought to leave them feeling good and we have catered to that by the style of our music for over a century.
In John 4:23, Jesus says that the Father desires those who worship him in spirit and in truth. There has been lots of spirit in our worship, but less and less truth. May I suggest that instead of the primary issue in music being the consideration of style, the primary criteria upon which all worship music ought to be judged is the content. Does it proclaim faithfully the truth of God's Word, the Bible? And does it convey enough of that truth to actually make a contribution to the worshipper's understanding of her God? If it doesn't then it ought to be disqualified whether it is an old hymn or a recent chorus.
"But Pastor shouldn't our emotions also be involved in worship?" Certainly! Worshipping God in spirit means our whole being - heart, soul and mind ought to be involved in the act of worship. However, so much of the emotion in worship today is drummed up emotion contingent upon repetition and musical style. It stirs the heart but never touches the mind. True emotion in worship derives from the response of the heart that comes as the mind comprehends the great truths of the Bible about our God and Saviour.
Music in churches for the past one hundred and fifty years has been trending in a direction that caters to emotion. I can almost hear some of you saying "Wait a minute pastor. Don't you mean in the last thirty years?" No. For longer than most of us have been willing to admit, the producing of certain feelings has been the goal of our worship music. We sing in our churches in order to get people in the mood for the service or the message. People have an expectation that a service ought to leave them feeling good and we have catered to that by the style of our music for over a century.
In John 4:23, Jesus says that the Father desires those who worship him in spirit and in truth. There has been lots of spirit in our worship, but less and less truth. May I suggest that instead of the primary issue in music being the consideration of style, the primary criteria upon which all worship music ought to be judged is the content. Does it proclaim faithfully the truth of God's Word, the Bible? And does it convey enough of that truth to actually make a contribution to the worshipper's understanding of her God? If it doesn't then it ought to be disqualified whether it is an old hymn or a recent chorus.
"But Pastor shouldn't our emotions also be involved in worship?" Certainly! Worshipping God in spirit means our whole being - heart, soul and mind ought to be involved in the act of worship. However, so much of the emotion in worship today is drummed up emotion contingent upon repetition and musical style. It stirs the heart but never touches the mind. True emotion in worship derives from the response of the heart that comes as the mind comprehends the great truths of the Bible about our God and Saviour.
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