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Dear Arthur and Sandra:
Dear Arthur, I hope you're doing well. Anyhow, these past
couple of months . I've been thinking about worship at our
church. But I just read an amazing essay, "On Church Music,"
by C.S. Lewis from his work, "Christian Reflections," and
I think that we should open a forum to discuss the issues
through e-mail.
Well here are C.S. Lewis' ideas and let me know what you think:
1) Everything done in church should glorify or edify God;
2) Quality Church music (such as well-rehearsed choir hymns
or instrumentals) glorify God in the same way that birds and
flowers glorify God 3) HOWEVER, even the shouting songs of
the unmusical can possibly glorify God (heck, the Bible says
that even eating can glorify God) 4) Yet, just because the
choir is amazing singing a hymn, or if the congregation is
singing a popular chorus enthusiastically, that is NOT A SIGN
THAT ANY RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY IS GOING ON 5) THERE ARE ONLY
TWO SITUATIONS where we can be confident that God's blessing
rests: a) When a talented organist or hymn leader SACRIFICES
his OWN MUSICAL TASTES and gives the people a coarser, humbler
fare than he would wish; or b) When the stupid, unmusical
layman LISTENS TO MUSIC WHICH HE CANNOT FULLY APPRECIATE.
Thus Church Music "will have been a means of grace, not the
music they have liked, but the music they have DISLIKED."
The problem of trained hymns vs. shouting choruses, according
to Lewis, isn't musical, but rather jealousy, arrogance, and
suspicion (the sad side of conservatism). Lewis also believes
that if the music itself glorifies God because it is keen
or exhibits amazing skills (such as a talented choir piece),
then it would be on the same level as wicked actions, in so
far as that also exhibits our skills and strength.
Interesting perspective huh?
Lewis closes his argument by saying, what really matters is
not the music, but rather the intention.
Lewis leaves a great analogy in closing: "We must beware of
the naŠve idea that our music can 'please' God as it would
please a cultivated human hearer. That is like thinking, under
the old Law, that He really needed the blood of bulls and
goats. To which an answer came, 'Mine are the cattle upon
a thousand hills', and 'if I am hungry, I will not tell THEE.'
(Psalm 50). If God (in that sense) wanted music, He would
not tell US. For all our offerings, whether of music or martyrdom,
are like the intrinsically worthless present of a child, which
a father values indeed, but values only for the intention."
Thanks for your email. My time to write email is always limited
since we're quite busy here at home but I'm usually able to
respond to questions within a week. I'll give you my two cents.
Anyway, it's past 1 a.m. now, so I'll make my thoughts regarding
your email brief but hopefully clear. I cannot respond to
Lewis' essay without reading it myself but I can respond to
your thoughts as you've given them to me:
With respect to point #1, I totally agree. In fact, the
only legitimate reason for church is to glorify God. Period.
Points 2-4 are fine as well. I don't agree fully with point
# 5 in that these are the only two situations we can be certain
God's blessings rest (I'd have to read this part myself) -
there are more but these two are certainly included:
a) In our generation, we need to be especially careful of
this. For many young people, the music itself is what drives
the vibrancy of their worship and not the lyrical text, which
is the real offering.
b) I am a living example of this truth. You may look at
me and think I was born liking songs of antiquity. Not so.
I'm not that old! In fact, as a young Christian in college,
I wasn't particularly fond of hymns and the like. But as I
continued to mature, my understanding and appreciation for
them grew because they were songs that could accommodate my
growth. Not that contemporary songs can't. They can, but I
believe we need to wade through more of them before we get
to a song that can do that.
Amazing skills by themselves don't glorify God but selfless
intent and humble use of these skills can glorify God quite
well and edify His church.
I would agree with the paragraph on intention but would
add to it since intention or sincerity alone doesn't suffice,
though it is certainly a pre-requisite. As a father, I have
been on the receiving end MANY a time of that intrinsically
worthless present of a child. Let me tell you, how much I
value the present depends also on how the child's intention
played itself out. That is, did he really have ME in mind
when he made the gift (my affinities, etc.) or did he merely
have my approval in mind to make him feel good? Did he do
it a certain way because he knows I like it that way or did
he do it with "good intent" but within the way he wants to
do it. As you well know, many people can be sincere about
God but be sincerely wrong.
Let me just say that music is very intentional and is not
neutral. That is why we don't play funeral music at weddings
and wedding music at funerals. When composers want to convey
a certain emotion or elicit a certain reaction or response
from the listener, they create music conducive to fulfilling
their intent (i.e. music of suspense or mystery vs. music
of intimacy vs. music of serenity vs. music of celebration,
etc.). Yes, the music itself doesn't define whether a song
is good or bad but when matched against its goal, then can
we make a determination of its merit which is why I made the
comment to you [before] that not all music is compatible with
worship - NOT that it's bad music. It may be very good music
and appropriate music for other functions for which it was
created. But certainly, certain music is compatible with its
intent and goal. Now, I believe, that among appropriate worship
service music, there is much latitude and diversity in style
just as there are many diverse but appropriate styles of preaching.
But again, not all styles of speech are appropriate for preaching
either. In both cases, substance must precede style.
I'd better stop now. If you can get me a copy of the essay,
I'd love to read it. God bless.
Arthur
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