A Cappella Music
A few observations from most discussions about a cappella singing:
First: Most people I know who want to preserve it aren’t trying to make their case in terms of “it’s God’s way.” Some do. One of our Christian college presidents — not the one where I teach! — once told me that he thought the use of instrumental music would send someone to hell. (Just when you thought no one really, really, really believed that . . . . “Yes, I know you served the poor, you lived an exemplary life of compassion, justice, and worship — but you used a piano in worship . . . .”) Most are talking about the strengths of the tradition — a tradition that is preserved by several tribes. See, for example, this conference being held next summer at Pepperdine.
Second: Why did we have to have a central focus of identity (a cappella music) that is so difficult to spell? Not a capella . . . or a cappela . . . but a cappella.
Third: Most people I know who express an interest in having instrumental music are not wanting to lose the a cappella tradition. It’s not an either/or. I seriously doubt that the Richland Hills Church will give up their a cappella heritage completely.
Fourth: As I said in the comments yesterday, just because something is a matter of opinion doesn’t mean it isn’t important how a church discusses and processes the issue. That’s what Paul is doing in 1 Corinthians 8-10. The topic is food sacrificed to idols: eat it or don’t eat it? Well, it’s a matter of indifference. Sure, go ahead and eat it. But that’s not all Paul has to say about it. For the way they approach the seemingly insignificant topic (at least insignificant from our historical distance) says a lot about how they are living out the gospel in community.
Fifth: The next generation has Christian music on their ipods. They go to Christian concerts. Rarely do they listen to a cappella radio stations. And they won’t buy the old arguments (from the few who are still making them). In many cases, it isn’t that they haven’t HEARD the arguments; it’s that they see how vacuous those arguments are.
Sixth: Those who yesterday pointed out that we should not obsess on this are right. We must discuss it in Christian ways — but we must not let such discussions detour us from joining God in his work in this world. (That’s what I love about RH. This is a church that is reaching out all over Tarrant County and the world. When our church discussed the ministry of women, some on the outside thought that had become our main topic. Hardly. It was almost a sidebar as we were making serious transitions to participate with God in what he was already doing in our neighborhood.)
Seventh: Just got to say it. The a cappella tradition is nothing to be ashamed of. The only thing to be ashamed of is the exclusivism and judgmentalism with which many defended it. I still find great joy in adding my voice to a chorus of voices of brothers and sisters in Christ. I love instrumental worship, but so often I find my head aching from the guitars and drums that are deafening and I realize I can’t hear anyone singing — except the faint sound of everyone singing unison. Nearly every time we have Christian speakers from other tribes come to the Zoe conference, they stop to mention how the four-part harmony they hear is such a powerful symbol of the unity-within-diversity of the gospel. (Admittedly, not all singing services sound like the Zoe conferences. But you get the point.) When I sing I remember that God is the audience, not me; and I remember that my job is to add my part — to participate with a grateful heart. Not saying that doesn’t happen in other settings; I just love that as a strength of my own heritage.
Eighth: Autonomous. Remember that word? Godly leaders making prayerful decisions. No brotherhood pope (unless we’ve elected Randy Harris to the post).
Ninth: The body of Christ is so wonderfully diverse. So much larger than any little groups. Celebrate the diversity of those who follow Christ!
“Dressed up?” Some of you would undoubtedly bleed from your eyes if you dropped in some Sunday at WFR in West Monroe, La. Of about 800 you might find a dozen ties and fewer suits. You will find lots of camo clothing, especially during hunting seasons. It is not unusual for some of the brothers to visit the duck blind before class.
We are A Cappella simply because we like it. Drop by some Wed at 7:00pm for “Peak of the week” and you will be amazed at the singing, it is heavenly in my view.
Acts, works, and traditions that do not dishonor Christ are up for grabs as far as I’m concerned. If you can do it while your heart is turned toward Christ, Go for it! After all, God looks at the heart, not the harp. (I could’n resist)
I am thankful for Mike, Max, Rubel, Randy, and other “change agents”. All of these men (there are many others) have one thing in common. They have discovered that we are saved by grace, based upon the merits of Jesus’ works and not our own. My prayer is that the message of grace will continue to spread in our brotherhood.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
I used to dress down for church so I wouldn’t stand out and be judged for dressing up. It’s really none of my business if other people want to dress down, but I feel better dressing up.
I will confess that I am a student minister, and in the 10 years I have been in youth ministry, I have not taught/preached a single lesson on why we don’t worship with instruments. and my congregation is an a capella, no praise teams, 4 parts or die church with a very rich singing tradition. I must tell you that I haven’t made this a point of my teachings because I have too much to tell them about Jesus. It honestly makes no sense to me to not tell the students about Christ so that I can spend quality time with arguments that are not core to our discipleship. And I don’t want to sound flippant about the issues involved with instruments, but I don’t think the next generation cares about instrumental worship or not. I have had several students come to our student ministry out of instrumental fellowships, and they don’t care! I have also had several students come to us from being lost without any faith background at all, and they don’t care either. What the students crave is Jesus Christ. And as long as I am teaching, I will teach Jesus and his Kingdom. (And our solution to the dress code “problem” is to dress to glorify God. It works for us.)
Anymore when I speak at a church (and I speak at a different church nearly every Sunday) I phone ahead and ask what the “dress code” is. No need to take a tie if no men are wearing them. But if they do, I do. What we don’t need is dressing down people for not dressing up. Thank God you have some people to whom you can share Christ with.
We’re not there to “please” ourselves – we’re there to GLORIFY God! Tradition? I think not. The example has followed from the first days of the church. The church spread from the East. Almost all Orthodox churches sing without instruments. This has been handed down from generation to generation.
As for what’s appropriate to wear . . . if we were on trial and going before the judge to decide our fate, would we want to look our best OR just show up in whatever was comfortable?? We seem to just want to be comfortable to come into the house of the Most High God and Judge. Very sad!
Wow! what an interesting last couple of days. I think for the most part this discussion has been healthy. To me the main reason why it is such a hot button issue is that is deals with something we do and not just something we believe. A case in point would be the Holy Spirit. I grew up hearing heated debated about the work of the Holy Spirit, but I never remember a church splitting over the working of the Holy Spirit. With the instrument it is difficult to remain neutral. I think in my case I would follow the practice of J. W. McGarvey. When the instrument was introduced at the church where he attended in Lexington, KY he quietly got up and went somewhere else. He could not in good conscience be a member where it was practiced, but did not want to be devisive over its use. I think the whole question gets us so worked up only because it is very public in nature and it is very difficult to remain neutral on a matter so public. I think this blog shows the need for more civil dialogue, but I am afraid that we are headed for another split. We seem to be pretty good and doing the very thing we claim to hate.
Julie
If you read my post a little closer~~~I only addressed SOME teenagers(not all) and was only talking about the girls in my description of short skirts and low tops. I was talking about boys mainly when I spoke of suggestive wordings on shirts, ratty jeans, sloppy plastic broken flip flops etc. I would have no problem with the teenager who had long hair and rode his motorcycle and sat on his helmet. HE IS NOT DRESSING INAPPROPRIATELY IN MY VIEW. I am speaking of SOME teens who I know have nice things and choose to not “bring their best” even in a casual atttire~It’s a modest vs. imodest dress. I’m not talking of the guy in an untucked golf shirt, the woman with jeans from New Mexico or the Motorcycle rider……
Again, just bringing God “your best” doesn’t mean “only in nice dress”. You can do that in a causual manner, but with TASTE.
p.s I’m a 38 yr. old female~~ I know many on this blog think I’m older and male
Lee, just for the sake of clarifying for comment…it was addressed to comment before. I didn’t see the last comment until just now. We must’ve posted close to the same time. You did ask…what are we teaching the young girls about modesty?
Feeling as though we are on trial at church? That’s what’s sad.
Churches are full of broken people. Broken people don’t always look their best. Jesus welcomes them with open arms regardless. We should, too. I’d rather a hurting teen or single mom come to church in sweatpants or ripped-up jeans than stay home because she doesn’t think she has anything appropriate to wear.
Clint that’s only allowed during VBS or in those vocal percussion bands your so proud of.
sorry Julie~I may not have clarified that. I was speaking to both male and female.
Thanks for the healthy debate. I have two girls and am just trying to teach them to be causual if they may~but in a modest way~~
Jordan Hubbard had a great post. To sing with or without instruments is irrelevant if one doesn’t know Jesus and his saving grace.
If church isn’t a place someone off the street feels comfortable coming, then I’m afraid something might be wrong with the church. How poorly a person is dressed should have no bearing in church; not to be confused with how modestly someone is dressed, though I doubt the sinful woman cared what she was wearing when she cried on Jesus’ feet. Isn’t that what church should be?
Speaking of a cappella and vocal percussion…when will we hear some at Pepperdine? I’m afraid that the next generations might be missing out on some good lectures because the music isn’t theirs.
30,000………………….
Children………………..
Dead!……………………
Today!………………….
and everyday!………..
while we stand by……
What are we thinking about?
I suggest that next week we come in sackcloth and ashes. And that the only sound should be our wailing over our complicity as we argue about our silly preferences.
I agree with so many others who’ve posted regarding arguments against instrumental music: it’s ok to tell me you don’t like something or it makes you feel uncomfortable, I can accept that…JUST DON’T TELL ME IT’S WRONG. And regardless of all of those arguments against instruments, I STILL suspect it had to do with the anti-elitist culture of the early CofC. I mean, we were some po’ folk back in the day!!! Who was going to pay for an organ at church when very few of us could even imagine affording one for our own home?? Anything that bright shiny new church did on the other (right) side of the tracks was suspect…therefore, instrumental music = WRONG.
That said, my husband and I couldn’t help but be dismayed a few years ago, when visiting the CofC we were both raised in (we attend an Episcopal church now…can’t bring myself to actually say “I’m Episcopalian now” (BTW, they can’t sing worth &*%$). The congregation is still acappella, but years of “praise songs” (most of them just plain BAD music) — combined with overhead projection of lyrics WITHOUT musical notation have taken their toll on the musical ability of the congregation. I have reached the conclusion, as others have, that although acappella music won’t get you to heaven and instrumental music won’t keep you out, acappella is a tradition worth hanging on to.
Nancy:
There was a ban against mechanical instruments in worship for centuries as any good encyclopedia of religious knowledge will show. Some of the great scholars of the 19th century including John Westley and Adam Clarke opposed their use. Our Puritan ancestors received a gift of an organ from England but rejected it for two generations.
Their use in Christian -related communions is widely noted for developments which follow, such as the building of relaatively small choirs of paid singers and musicians, and the greater and greater deemphasis of the singing which God commanded.Any big city pastor knows that the most unspiritual part of his church in the choir.
When instruments of music are introduced into the worship of God through Christ, such an action constitutes the entering point of a wedge leading to further and further departures from God’s word, the reason for this being that the same arguments that will justify instruments of music in Christian worship will also justify the use of holy water, the burning of sacred incense, the lighting of religious lamps and blessed candles, the sign of the cross, the rosary of the Virgin Mary,or any one or all of many other innovations which have perverterd Christianity, such as changes in the action that constitutes NT baptism, etc.
From time immemorial, even for long centuries prior to Christianity, instruments of music were notoriously associated with pagan worship, as for example Daniel 3:4-5. The pagan association alone is enough to make instruments of music inappropriate to the worship of the Son of God.
Taken from commentary on the Minor Prophets Volume 1
by James Burton Coffman pp165-166
Harris for Pope? hmmmmmmmmm
I have noticed that the writers of old always conveniently left out other “innovations” that are found no where in Scripture such as church buildings, song books, four part harmony, paid local preachers, separate bible classes, communion with plastic cups of grape juice and matzah crackers outside of the context of an agape meal, “gospel meetings”, invitations with altar calls, baptism in artificial bodies of water, etc.
Also conveniently overlooked or argued out of the Bible were Holy Spirit inspired meetings, women praying and prophesying in the assemblies, house churches, fasting, etc.
A book begging to be written and I hope to make a serious attempt at one in the future is how culturally imbibe or acquired most of our religious beliefs are. We always promote our beliefs as the ones that are found and come directly from the Bible, but as Richard Hughes accurately notes–we have become a people without a historical identity or a movement that denies that it has a historical identity.
We’ve always insisted that what we believe we got directly from the Bible and anyone can get this same teaching by just opening up the Bible and letting it speak. I can tell you that you could put a 100 novices in a room with only the Bible and they would never in a lifetime come up with the system of worship and practice that we’ve developed over our 180 year plus history. Why? Because most religious beliefs and practices develop over years of time within specific cultural settings and are passed along to others until they become accepted doctrinal positions.
On a much more serious note:
Has anyone taken note that greed, lust, and ignoring the poor, prisoners, and oppressed are the primary roots of paganism and affront to God rather than whether you pick a guitar or pluck a harp?
If one is looking for a standard by which to judge the merits of devotion and doctrine in God’s eyes, take a long look at Galatians 5:16-26.
God’s peace and blessings to all of his people within and without the restoration heritage.
Burton Coffman was a scholar and writer who only died this year. I wouldn’t really classify him as a “writer of old.”
He deserves much credit for the Manhattan church building and I pray his efforts will not be compromised by leaders today and in the future.
I’m responding (rather late!) to a comment made about identity by Mark. This is a conversation that I’ve been trying to have with my grandpa for years. He’s worried that we’re compromising our identity – the things that make Churches of Christ stand out.
I want to emphatically say: it’s important that we have an identity! However, we have built an identity for ourselves/ for Churches of Christ on the wrong things – external, superficial things. It’s not about whether we sing a cappella or not, or whatever the hot button issue of the moment is. An identity built by taking a certain side, be it “progressive” or “conservative,” on such issues is not substantial enough to sustain our communities of faith. That’s not the kind of identity I was baptized into.
The only identity that matters is our relationship with God through Christ. (Emphasis on the ‘our’ – we’re in this together!) There are many other things that go along with that, but being members of God’s household – that’s the crux. Why is it that we feel we need more distinction from other Christian groups than just that? (Could it be pride?)
I think it’s fine to delight or take pride in our tradition – I too love our a cappella singing – but when our emphasis on such distinctions begins to be exclusive or condescending, it’s time to reevaluate.
I am so glad I lived long enough to read…see…experience the stuff I said back as a hippie Jesus freak among the Harding folk( whom I loved) in 1973-75…..coming to light….I used to crack up because my folks would think it fine to sing gospel songs on Saturday night with a bluegrass band
BUT never in worship…A great line from my wonderful sweet but throughly old time CoC mom recently…I asked my mother if she had heard that the preacher at my sister’s church had been caught having an affair…she said “Yes, but the church probably won’t fire him or do anything about it” I said (slightly amused) really why?….she said “Well they use instrumental music in services!” I said, Mom you couldn’t possibly equate those two things…she just gave me that MOM look. I shut up!
Thanks for the reference to 2 Chronicles 29 and yes they did as God commanded, but the Israelites had worshipped for many hundreds of years in the tabernacle before the temple was built and this worship included instruments of worship. No place in the law, handed down to Moses, was there a command to use instruments in worship (at least no place that I can find). But the Israelites used instruments and God had no problem with it. Just as there is no mention of instruments in the New Testament.
God did not tell Cain or Abel what kind of offering to make but “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.”
I agree with the fact that Burton Coffman wa not a “writer of old”. He was a great student of the Bible. I think many should use his commentaries as an aid in their study.
On the thought of dress in worship. Would you wear an untucked golf shirt and shorts to a funeral where we are remembering the death of a friend? Why then would you wear it to worship where we are remembering the death of our Lord Jesus Christ?
As far as the instrumental worship is concerned. You have no idea how sad these postings have made me. We need to remember that worship is for God and not for us. With that in mind, we should worship the way God has commanded us through Scripture. I see no mention in Scripture of drums, guitars and the like. I will continue to pray that each of us remember that hell is a real place and those who do not follow the Bible and its teachings are following the path that will lead there.
wow…take a few days off Cope’s blog and see what you miss? This…THIS is why your name is Cope…you have to cope with all of us family members and our pontificating. It can be exhausting.
I think I would like Deana’s place of worship. I also was moved by what “Jim” wrote. It seemed to make the most sense of all.
I like to think of it as languages. When your first language is Spanish and you live in a culture where most people speak English…you’re gonna struggle some. It’s when those people begin to tell you that English is the only language that the limited view of their opinion seems to shine through.
Because of my background in CofC, I speak a cappella fluently. But, because of my background and experience in finding depth in worship while attending other churches for several years, I became fluent in instrumental worship. I find that being bilingual in worship has been such a blessing and God has used both styles to minister deeply to me. He has opened me up to all of my spiritual family and given me greater depths of fellowship. Why in the world must it be one or the other. It all seems like such an incredible waste of time and energy.
Gotta run and find some gopher wood.
As a life-long participant in the a cappella churches and long time minister in the same, I read these comments with a bit of amusement. Back in May of this year, I came to work with the Great Bridge Church of Christ in Chesapeake, Va. An instrumental fellowship. Interestingly, most of the churches of Christ in this area are instrumental. It’s helpful to remember that in some parts of the country the name on the sign out front is no indicator of the worship preference. I can’t tell you how many times visitors walk in to our sanctuary, see that piano and literally turn around and walk out. What a shame to miss worshiping with some sweet spirited folks who frankly don’t know or care what all the fuss is about.
I’m excited to hear what RH is doing. I grew up at Highland Oaks in Dallas back in the 80′s and was inspired by the Richland Hills church.
I hope more of the leadership in the a cappella tradition realize that a lot of the folks in the pews have let this issue go a long time ago…
Singing without the instrument has nothing to do with culture. It is the pattern of New Tesament worship. Christians from all over the world sing without the instrument in their assemblies in all kinds of cultures. They were , in their culture , taught the gospel and then responded to the gospel, obeyed the gospel , were baptized. Read the reports from the various brotherhood publications. On a daily basis souls are being added to the chuch by the Lord. Christians all over the world that love people and are involved in countless works of compassion, greatly concerned about hurting people. The same is true in this country. Many , numerous, constant labors of love. Look around in any local congregation and we might be pleasantly overjoyed to know of the unselfish acts of mercy manifested everyday.
I guess what I am trying to say is just because some have certain doctrinal convictions does not make them devoid of compassion and calloused to the world around them. Teach the great doctrines of scripture and love people.
The reason they let it go is because they are sadly not taught.
Suzanne,
I hear your passion to preserve the holiness of our assemblies. I appreciate that, so let me comment on how others view this issue. You talk about going to a funeral and dressing appropriately. Somewhere else in this huge thread it was described as going before a judge. If that is your view on church and the assemblies, you need to dress up! Don’t let anyone tell you not to do that!
If you ask others what they are doing when they go to church, they might respond, “I’m going to the hospital.” or “I’m going to a family reunion,” “I’m going to a wedding rehearsal,” or even “I am going to a celebration.” None of those responses are wrong either, but do you see how the people who feel those ways about church can dress in a different way and still have a clean conscience before our Lord?
Please understand, I think that dressing up can be very appropriate! But I also think that when you see people dressing down, they don’t necessarily do it out of disrespect.
I’m a CoC preacher’s kid, did 9 years on the Holy Hill of the Fair Mother City (that’d be Abilene), and for most of that time I regularly led worship with a guitar, and for a few years with a band. Now, when I do occasionally lead, I still use a guitar.
If I was right now forced to choose between a cappella or with instruments, I would personally go with a cappella (for a few reasons, none of which are doctrinal).
What I’ve learned is that “Instruments or no?” really makes little difference in the spiritual health of a church. The spiritual health of a church, and the dynamic-ness of the corporate worship gatherings, are decided by much bigger, more important things.
JIm,
“30,000………………….
Children………………..
Dead!……………………
Today!………………….
and everyday!………..
while we stand by……
What are we thinking about?
I suggest that next week we come in sackcloth and ashes. And that the only sound should be our wailing over our complicity as we argue about our silly preferences. ”
I just said this topic was what made us look effin stupid and you go and quantify it. Thanks man.
But let us continue to beat this dead horse, as long as it is not in church and construed as a drum.
“Most people I know who want to preserve it aren’t trying to make their case in terms of “it’s God’s way.””
Mike, I agree with you, but what greatly concerns me is that I think we’re in the minority on this within the CofC. I don’t think the people you’re talking to about this issue represent a good cross section of the CofC. The Christian Chronicle recently showed a survey where overy 50% of respondants said we (the CoC) ought not fellowship the Christian Church due to their use of instrumental music. That sounds like binding opinion to me.
Please understand, I’m not commenting about the pros and cons of instrumental worship. I’m making the point that I don’t think the CofC has moved as far as you think she has moved on this. Abilene, Nashville, Dallas, Malibu, and (even) Searcy aren’t composed of typical CofC members. These areas are a bit more open minded.
Do you have any data to backup your assumption that most CofC members don’t bind such a thing as a cappella music on others? I’m not so much concerned with the instruments vs. non-instruments as I am with the health of our movement at large. While there seems to be discussions that our movement is finally progressing into some deeper levels of maturity and unity, I fear in 100 years we may be having discussions about how to reconcile the a cappella CofC with the group that split off because God led them to use instruments.
That is, I agree with your opinion of instrumental music, but I think most people you know don’t represent the CofC at large. My guess is the majority of the CofC do still try to make their case in terms of “it’s God’s way.
I think more CofC people line up behind Mack Lyon than they do Rick Atchley on most issues.
For the record, the pattern of the NT is not vocal music, but Jesus Christ and him crucified. We went far astray when we lifte up a flawed system as the pattern and took Jesus away as the only model for Christian unity and maturity.
Peace.
Where I currently attend church, it has not been long since we’ve had the “instruments are wrong” sermon, with a dose of “it’s okay to listen to Christian instrumental music as long as you don’t worship while doing it”. There are a few of us who disagree with that, but most of the body would not. It’s a church of about 225.
I say that with the full acknowledgment that caring for the poor is more important than instruments. That said, these threads have been helpful to me and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to see what others are thinking on the subject.
Yes Jesus is the pattern for our C
No doubt that all of us should follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Being transformed into the likeness of Jesus should be the constant pursuit of every disciple of Jesus. I have never said that how we worship is the only patttern , but that there is a pattern for worship.
MOST OF WORSHIP IS OUTSIDE OF CHURCH ASSEMBLIES
Much of our fanaticism regarding music in worship, as well as other cultural adaptations, calls for a serious restudy of the nature of Christian worship.
Worship for too many of us has often been something which takes place at a certain time (Sunday “worship hour”) and place (church building) with special religious ceremonies and functions (especially when Lord’s Supper is served). Because of this, all related activities of these special gatherings are thought to be of very special importance to the Lord, in fact of the greatest importance to the Lord
The Lord’s Day assembly is perceived to be regulated by rules and directives which are not equally binding for the other times and places and occasions even when the congregation gathers. The predominate idea of worship for many Christians is the Lord’s Day gathering. The Lord’s Day gathering is often seen as an especially holy and a more sacred time of worship than other times and gatherings.
The biblical facts are that no gathering of the church in the New Covenant Scriptures was ever designated as “worship.” Equating Christian worship uniquely with a congregational gathering is a product of the institutional church which sometimes “winks the eye” at the grim reality that Sunday morning holiness is too often followed by Monday morning worldliness.
Jesus insisted that the time was already present for men and women to understand that faithful worship is living and serving the Father “in Spirit and in truth!” But most important of all, our Lord Jesus personally addressed the false notion of thinking that “worship” is a matter of special places, special times and special ceremonies. The Samaritan woman at the well at Sycar (John 4) was concerned about getting “worship right.” Jesus, in his ministry, did not “give in” to the Pharisaical notion that holy days or the temple or the Sabbath or the synagogues were to be seen as significantly different from other days and places in the sense of doing the will of Lord or even worshipping the Lord. Jesus insisted worship had little to do with the specialness of the Samaritan Holy Mountain or Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
In the letters of the Apostles, only Paul comes closest of all writers to giving a precise definition of what “worship” means and what it is all about: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-THIS IS YOUR SPIRITUAL ACT OF WORSHIP. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Faithful worship is all of life, every day and every place. Worship is living and breathing the will of the Lord. This understanding makes all of life sacred and holy. No part of a believer’s life can become profane. There can be no secular dimension in a believer’s life. All of life is Christian Ministry. All of life is worship. To think of being “God’s holy people twenty-four/seven” is a great responsibility and yet very liberating at the same time. This is why the Apostle Paul can give the wonderful instructions about the intimacies of marital love, and see the marital relationship as sacramental because the relationship between a Christian husband and wife is a sacred covenant and embraces a sacred act of worship. Sex, in a Christian marriage, is not fleshly but spiritual. Marital intimacies for Christians derive holiness from their reflection of another marriage, the great mystery of Christ and his marriage with the church, his bride (Ephesians Chapter 5).
Several from our little community of faith, Jesus Community Center in Miami, experienced powerful worship Thanksgiving morning. Several sisters prepared traditional meals (just like we would all have later in the day the at our tables with family and friends) for the poorest of the poor, the most homeless of the homeless in our inner city.
We not only got to minister “to the least of these” but with them praised and glorified the Lord. The brothers (men and boys) took the meals down to streets where the largest community of our homeless neighbors live. With about half of those with whom we shared our meals, we also huddled in little circles or knelt in the dirty streets to pray for them as they poured out the painful stories of their lives.
We found two evangelists on the streets who had drifted far from the Lord’s will through drugs, etc. Both asked that we beg the Lord for deliverance from their demons. Both wanted deliverance and committed to stay within their transient community to minister to those who do not know the Lord.
One gentleman was suffering a fever and was shivering with cold–yes, it got down to 49 in Miami Thanksgiving morning. A non-Christian with us took off his new coat and gave it to the man. The man shed tears and insisted on giving the coat back to my friend because in that way, he insisted, “We can both experience the joy of knowing it is more blessed to give than receive!”
A buddy of mine, went around the van and took off his own new jacket and came back with the message, “I just found a spare coat in the van” and gave it to the shivering man. It was a jacket he had just received as a gift.
To me this is worship in the sense of pouring out adoration to our Heavenly Father while offering our gifts to Him as we serve the least of these. This kind of stuff is where the rubber meets the road in worship. This is what bringing our gifts to the altar is all about. This is what Jesus defined as the dividing line between those who are “good and faithful servants”
Harris for Pope! Harris for Pope! Maybe then he’ll come out with a “Harris Sings the Classics” too.
(That might just be scarier than this conversation!)
Eric, your view from a very conservative area (MS) is probably correct. Here in Searcy, what I see is that the young ‘uns coming thru HU (and I’m sure all the sister schools) have been brought up listening to the stuff on the radio, and it is a non-issue with them. Mike made this point, too, and I think that is where the change is happening. The Chronicle survey cited may be right for now, but I don’t think it is static at all.
I’ll add that my hope is that it really is a non-issue with them. That is, that they won’t reject the others in their midst to whom it does matter.
Kieth,
I doubt it could be said much better. Unfortunately, as human beings we have such a desperate need to institutionalize our faith. It’s so much easier to dig hard for the right rules (which of course change every decade or so) then to evaluate our faith based on the fruit we are producing for God’s Kingdom. And essentially, thats what this conversation is really all about. Jesus was so clear about how to follow him…how to worship in spirit and truth…how to become his “apprentice”….and it all had to do with the heart. Love God, love people and trust in the one that was sent. Our correct worship of God is determined by the decisions we make every minute of every day to love God and love others…that is the “pattern” of New Testament worship.
Every sectarian system is shaped by its unique use, misuse and ignoring of Scripture. This is equally true when we make our A Cappella praise a point of Christian doctrine and test of faithfulness to the Lord.
Examine the ways we have employed or not employed the “music” passages in the New Covenant Scriptures:
Luke 1522-32–This is a parable of lost sons coming home to the Father’s house (that is the church). This suggests that we worship the Father ause of his grace, mercy and salvation. We worship by celebrating the return of the lost. This celebration involves music (from symphona which means music from many instruments). How did we miss that passage in our “red letter” additions of the New Testament with the very words of Jesus?
Acts 2:42-47–The earliest Christians gathered daily in both private homes and the Jewish temple. When and whereever they gathered they were praising the Lord in the way the Lord commanded for the Temple. It seems very likely that the first congregation of the Lord’s church regularly (even daily) praised the Lord with instruments. How did we miss that “necessary inference”?
1 Corinthians 10:14-14:40–This is the only detailed discussion of the church assembly in the New Covenant Scriptures. From this exhaustive discussion by Paul, we learn that the earliest disciples used music as part of their assembly time. They may have even understood that psallo sometimes included instruental accompaniment. This conclusion is especially relevant with Paul’s mention of five mechanical instruments in the passage. How did we miss the mention of those instruments and draw the conclusion of some hidden prohibition between the lines of the text? If we really followed our Restoration premise of “Being silent where the Bible is silent” we never would have legislated God’s from the thin air of textual silence.
Ephesians 5:18-21–Contextually, this is not even a passage about a church assembly but about life. The early disciples’ praise found its source in their being “filled with the Spirit. They understood that praise, while being addressed primarily to the Lord was also shared with fellow Christians. They recognized three resources sources from which to select their praise music: the Psalms, Hymns of NT Scripture, and later Christian praise songs. They were given TWO verbs for praise and worship instruction. Two different kinds of praise are called for as an offering to the Lord–BOTH sing and make music (ado & psallo).
Colossians 3:15-17–Contextually, this is not a passage about a church assembly but about life. Two concerns are addressed: (1) Let the peace of Christ rule our hearts and pursue the unity of the body of Christ. (2) As to praise ado, not psallo, is used to say “speaking and sings” but part of the singing is of the Psalms and many of the Psalms call for instruments. By citing Psalms as legitimate praises for Christians, the prohibition against instruments is mute. Note this: if the “human heart” is the exclusive instrument of the “psallo” in Ephesians 5:19, then the “human heart” is also the exclusive agent of “ado” in both Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. Therefore, the hermeneutical “law of silence and exclusion” would consistently eliminate all music, singing or instrument, except silent meditation. In fact, the Reformer Ulrich Zwongli prohibited all audible music in the Zurich church because the “human heart” was revealed as the exclusive agent or instrument of praise, eliminating both voice and muchanical insturment. Zwingli was more consistent that we but he too missed the point.
Revelation 5:6-14–The first 20 chapters of John’s Revelation may be seen as a parabolic narrative to instruct and comfort the church on earth. The Revelation of John ties together both the earthly and heavenly portions of the Lord’s new sanctuary-the Lord’s church where the curtain between the two rooms has been torn away by the death of Christ.
It is most likely that this is a parabolic picture of the “church” age and not eternity after time has ended. This is most likely true because when time ends, Jesus will not be on the throne but will turn all Kingdom rule back to the father (1 Corinthians 15). It is clearly a picture of “church age” also because Christ is on the throne/mnercy seat in heaven as “the one who was, and is, and is to come.” The sacrificial Lamb of God is receiving adoration from the elders of the church “holding golden bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints” AND each is also praising the Lord with both singing and the music of harps.” Millions of angels join the elders in worship to the Lamb. Heaven and earth become fully “one” in the new Jerusalem where the unshaded brilliance of the Son of God is the temple, because where we are together in the presence of Jesus, there is the true temple in all its fullness.
Revelation 7:9-17–The spiritual leaders of Revelation 5, who are praising Jesus with singing and instruments, are joined by the great multitude which no one oculd count from every nation, tribe, poeple and language. All the angels of the Lord are present. Who makes up the great multitude? All who “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.” Their worship is not Sunday-only! Before the throne, they serve him day and night in his temple. The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd: he will lead them to springs of living water, etc. What would it do to our worship if we saw the assembled multitude like John did? What would it mean if we were to see worship as serving the Lord day and night in His temple?
Maybe this is part of what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The real church, the body of Christ is not just the congregation at a given location, nor is the church just made up of of all the living believers in the here and now.
Hebrews 12:18-29–In light of the “heaven and earth” implications of John’s Revelation passages, if we were to capture the full meaning of the Lord’s church, the grand assembly, we need to vastly enlarge our view of the church to embrace the Lord’s faithful in all ages, the holy angels, the spirits of righteousness men made perfect, and come fully into the presence of Jesus Himself!
It the presence of His majesty, our worship wars look like little children playing with noisy toys in church if not much worse!
My thirty-year-old son lived the life of the “prodigal” from late teens until just about 2 years ago. When he met people from a particular church (not a CofC) in Nashville, he was impressed with their relationshhip with God and the way it was reflected in their everyday life – not just churchy stuff. God came after him in a way very similar to Saul on the Damascus Road and the church family he was drawn to was the home of the people he had been observing living what they believed. This church has embraced him from the first day he stepped into the door and have never let go of him. He is involved in a regular Bible study and a small group. And oh yes, he worships every Sunday morning with a guitar and keyboard in a coffe shop, no less. Some will argue he is no better off than now than in his prodigal days. I cannot imagine a God who would go to the cross for him would agree he is no better off!!!!!! I have worshipped with this church and was just as convicted God was in that worship service as He is with my home congregation who worships sans instruments.
I attend the Church of Christ, and instrumental music is absolutely condemned. Occasionally i watch a baptist church program on tv. This chuch has a band and a choir, but the congregation sings along as well. The one thing i’ve noticed about this when i watch is how they really seem to believe in what they are singing about. They don’t just stand there and go through the motions, they feel the emotions and it shows on their faces. To me, they are truly worshipping God. I have never seen that sort of emotion in any Church of Christ that i have attended, we just sing and that’s it. I think that a cappella music absolutely has a place in worship, it should never be let go of, but i do not believe it’s a mortal sin to use a piano in worship either.
Kieth , Thank you bringing scripture to the discussion. All I would add to Eph. 5 and Col.3 is that everyday carries over into the worship assemblies as well since the passages speak about “one another.”
Sorry if this is off-track, but I just wanted to comment on Stephen’s remarks made around 2pm. That was beautiful. What you said about your wife’s talent and worship is a testimony of faith. What you said about worshippers in general, is an example that I would like to live up to.
Thanks for sharing those sweet words.
We need to remember that the Church came first, then the Bible. (Entirely different discussion.) The example was passed on and on and on. And here we are. It wasn’t because they didn’t have instruments – we even read of David and his harp. If we want to be Baptist or Methodist or Christian, then we need to attend those congregations. Sadly, I see the Church of Christ becoming more intermingled until its sometimes hard to tell the difference. I’m fearful we’re going down a slippery slope . . .
Belinda, You make a good point. However , do not worry because there will always be a faithful remnant that will not get caught up in the ecumenical drift. They will still advocate the distinctive nature of the church found in scripture.
Doug:
I so appreciated your definition about the New Testament pattern of worship. So well expressed.
“Sadly, I see the Church of Christ becoming more intermingled until its sometimes hard to tell the difference. I’m fearful we’re going down a slippery slope . . .”
What slippery slope is that? Are we going to slide into the Baptist, then snowball into the Methodist, then hit a Muslim or two until we all realize we are in one big crap snowball rolling down the hill of stupid issues as the other more grounded athiests look at us and laugh.