25 November 2023
I love music. I can get so wrapped up in listening that I cannot read or pay attention to a conversation. But that is merely a matter of the flesh.
To my spirit, music is not all that valuable as an art form in itself. Music serves only one purpose in my Kingdom service, and that's to enhance worship. That doesn't mean I have no appreciation for it as an art form. I like a lot of music that has nothing to do with worship. However, when you ask me to invest time and effort into dealing with music, my only concern is how I can use it to draw people into worship.
Granted, I've already defined my audience: Those who can tolerate well the cultural habits and language of rural American Protestants. I'm going to survey music that will meet that audience. I'm going to evaluate the probabilities of whether such an audience will be moved to worship. If the Lord had called me to reside in some giant metropolis on either one of the coasts, I'd be looking at a different kind of music. It's not a question of my own personal tastes at all. What will move my audience?
As a related question, I'm going to ask whether the lyrics are more or less on theme with our teaching. Music that elevates one of the classical saints of the Roman Church will not do. Nor will music that is popular, but fails to glorify Jesus. Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" actually mocks Christ and His teaching, so that won't do, either, never mind my fleshly nostalgia for the sound.
The music can be old or new, but it has to be familiar enough, or something that is listenable enough to draw them into worship. I'm not concerned with the instrumentation, but it helps greatly to have songs that folks can handle acapella. I've memorized a few songs that require no instrumentation, that most people haven't heard before, but they pick up on quickly. However, when there is instrumentation, I can tell you the best of it will emphasize the musical theme of the song, breathing life into it for the audience, not serve as someone's chance to show off their talent. They'll hear that instrumentation in their heads when they sing it acapella.
If you really feel moved by great music, instrumentation, etc., that's fine. I love classical music, myself. And while there's always a few in any audience who hear the voice of God that way, it misses the point. This is not a performance; it's not entertainment. I'm not interested in the virtuosity of the performers. I'm interested in getting the people in the congregation to sing and feel at home with what the songs say.
I've been told by many people over the years that I have something of a talent for getting folks involved. To be honest, it's not that I have a great voice, but the Lord works through me to elicit a response in His people. They don't come to hear me sing; they come to worship with me. By no means have I ever qualified for the title of Music Director, but I'm okay as Song Leader. I never aspired to more than that.
I admit that, over the years, I've learned quite a few songs that I didn't know, but which some congregation knew when I was asked to lead them in worship. Some of them still don't strike me as all that interesting, but they were a hit with the audience, so I used those songs. On the other hand, there are those songs that are sadly overworked, and I've often skipped them on purpose to get the audience used to a wider variety. So, it's not just catering to the crowd. I'm trying to get them to worship, not just feel good.
As one of my favorite recordings says: "Lord, we don't need to just sing songs. We need Your Presence."
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