Modern Church Music
January 23rd, 2007 by Stephen
On MInTheGap’s blog there is an article on the effects of music in the church which has generated quite a few comments. One quote from that page asks:
Music is powerful. How do lyrics with a carnal beat nourish a young believer’s renewed spirit?
The writer is in good company. A famous and successful minister and evangelist wrote of the contemprary music that is plaguing our churches and destroying worship, with these words:
There are several reasons for opposing [this music]. One, it’s too new. Two, it’s often worldly, even blasphemous. The new Christian music is not as pleasant as the more established style because there are so many new songs, you can’t learn them all. It also puts too much emphasis on instrumental music rather than on Godly lyrics. This new music creates disturbances, making people act indecently and disorderly.
The only thing is, this was not written by Billy Graham, or Bill Hybels, nor John Stott, Jim Packer nor any other of our modern day evangelists or Christian leaders.
No, this was written by William Romaine, an Anglican Calvinist. He wrote this in 1775 in repsonse to the worldly hymns of Isaac Watts.
You see Watts was bored by the dry and lifeless psalms singing of the English churches. One day he complained bitterly of this to his dissenting minister father. After much discussion, his father challenged Isaac to do better, and he promptly did so - singing the new hymn that very night.
Watts used a popular musical style, based on the sea shanties he heard being sung by sailors as they worked. This was the popular music of the day, and it took the church by storm.
And storm is an apt description, because the storm split churches (including the congregation that had been John Bunyan’s). Pastors were dismissed over these new hymns, and countless lines of criticism were written. But Watts persisted, and even now a good proportion of the hymns in any hymnal are those written by Watts.
Watts did not disdain Christian lyrics. He reworked psalms so that they scanned better and could be set to modern music, but he maintained their content. The hymns he wrote reveal his deep piety and breathless devotion to the immense and glorious creation.
But nevertheless he was attacked (by good and pious men), who believed that we should still be chanting the aptly named “Te deum”, because of some misguided opinions about good order and decency in a church service.
Thanks for some history about music. I would beg to say that Watts’ adaptation of sailor’s music is not necessarily representative of all of the “newer hymns” but you make a very valid point. That being, there is always resistance to the “new” because of it’s age. That being said, there is contemporary music that is not CCM that I don’t have a problem using in churches.
The whole thing, for me, boils down to the question of what are we trying to do with the music– who is the focus and what is it all about. If we’re continually focused on what the music does for me, how it entertains me, and my reaction, then we aren’t really looking for what glorifies God and I think we’re missing the point.
Hi Min,
You are right, there is a difference between Watts and much modern music - there is plenty of modern stuff that is rather banal. But there is also modern music that embeds theological truths and perspectives in a way quite reminicent of Watts. For instance, “Meekness and Majesty” or “The Servant King” by Graham Kendrick.
But Contemporary Christian Popular Music is indeed slightly different. The purpose of such music is primarily entertainment. The question is whether my entertainment and the glory of God can go hand in hand?
My instinct says no: that Christianity is about much more than entertainment, but if Christianity is about God’s glory and the enjoyment of God forever, then is it wrong that we should find entertainment in that which glorifies God?
And is it wrong that we should try and reach the unchurched using elements of their culture? Didn’t Paul do exactly that?
So your warning is quite right. We need to ask who the focus is on - and perish the thought that we would seek to merely entertain ourselves when we come to worship. But if our focus is right, I don’t see the medium as a problem.
Great history! I really enjoyed this–you hooked my interest for sure by sharing that quote. I did take note that it was said by a Calvinist, and John Calvin resisted from a very conservative viewpoint, he forbid any text to be sung if it was not found in the Bible! Yet his concerns were good ones…he didn’t want the ear-tickling of the musical harmony taking away from the mind’s worship of God.
I will quote one reason Isaac Watts took it upon himself to write more hymns…I take this quote from “Sketches from Church History by S.M. Houghton,
“Isaac Watts insisted that in confining songs of praise to the Book of Psalms, the worshipper was behaving as if Christ had never been born, had never been raised from the dead and ‘received up into glory.’”
So in other words, using Psalms only in worship was ignoring the New Testament, its message and richness.
I think music in the church becomes very important when you think that we’re passing down a rich heritage in these old hymns (not talking about “Te Deum”) that is in danger of being lost altogether. I say rich heritage because the men and women who wrote them were such amazing people of faith, who lived back in Jesus time or not so long after. The hymns (mostly) seem so inspired compared to today’s CCM. And the stories behind them are meat!
Your post really brings it home that in each century there has been this “great debate” over music…what is considered worldly, and what is considered acceptable. And definitely, there have been some inspired additions to the church’s repertoire in each century. But hymns have pretty much stayed rhythmical and melodical until the mid-twentieth century…so maybe the bigger deal rather than lumping it into a “worldly/secular” terminology, is the appeal contemporary music seems to have to our sensuality. I believe society as a whole (Christians included) is much weaker than it’s ever been, and we need to be much more on the guard as a result.
Titus 2:12,
“Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”
Thanks for taking on this topic, I really enjoyed both posts!
Thanks Mary for your considered reply. You make some good points.
On the issue of CCM today being much weaker than the stuff from the past, on the one hand I agree - there is a lot of dross and generally the lyrical struictures of modern songs often make meanings opaque and fail to inspire. Catchy melodies make up for the lack.
On the other hand, I would point out that what we sing now is a very small selection of all the hymns that have been written. John Newton, for instance, wrote a hymn each week to be sung in church, and compiled these into the “Olney Hymns” collection, totalling some 348 hymns. There may be more still! And yet we now sing a mere handful of Newton’s hymns regularly.
So whilst “Amazing Grace” is a classic, rich in theological truth, powerful imagery and wonderful verse, we note that there may well be many of Newton’s hymns which do not come near that standard. And there were other song writers of the day - many of them - that we have entirely forgotten today.
Now if we look at the output in the Christian church today there is plenty there that is here today and gone tomorrow. But I think there are some classics too - songs that we may be singing in a century or two (probably to a different musical accompaniement) because they are - like “Amazing Grace”, rich in theological truth, strong imagery and wonderful verse.
Not all that is modern is bad. But any belief that the current fashion is anything more than straw in the wind is short-sighted.
So in summary - I love the old hymns. They are classics for a reason. I do not despise modern music (be it worship music or CCM), because it can be helpful and thought provoking. But I disagree with anyone who says we will have none of one or the other.
Thanks for your comments.
Stephen
I don’t despise modern worship music either. Despise is a strong word, and so is saying we’ll have none of one or the other. I just think promoting certain of it is wrong, that’s all!
Thanks for your reply!
Hi Mary - apologies if I seemed to be saying you despised such music. My comments were intended to be more general. Thanks for your input.
Stephen
No apology needed, I just felt I needed to clarify myself…
:O)
I think the real problem stems from our current definition of “worship”. Choruses were always a part of the overall church experience, however, at one time they were sung in the less formal settings such as youth meetings and Sunday night services. In our current culture of total individual autonomy, the idea of awe and respect for a holy God is difficult for many to embrace. In the former traditional worship setting, the mood was set by the choir and musicians. Regal hymns and anthems, both sung and played, spoke to our sense of reverance and helped to bring us to that place of awe for a little while. I believe we are trying to achieve an emotional feel good state with our new music. I find that it is difficult to think of awe and respect when the song service is driving a mass hysteria. I didn’t like all of the old hymns either. However, there were enough quality pieces to keep the weekly selections from being redundant. I also learned to read music and was able to read ahead a measure or two to prepare myself for changes in the melody. I really hate to be dragged through a piece wondering where the melody line is going, while being dependant on someone in the media booth to change the words on the screen in time to fit them in. I hope we return to an emphasis on hymnity at least in our main worship services. Thanks
Dennis, I think you are quite right when you say “I find that it is difficult to think of awe and respect when the song service is driving a mass hysteria.” Too many churches manipulate an atmosphere through worship songs which appeal strongly on an emotional level.
On the other hand, we are not supposed to check our emotions in at the door - and awe is largely an emotional response to God’s majesty. It is right that our emotions be engaged in a Church service - but never that they be manipulated.
Thanks for your comments.
Stephen
This one makes sence “One’s first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything - and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”
I believe I am generationally removed from some of what passes for worship/praise in the musical arena. I have questioned it orally, in print, and silently. I do not judge hymnity solely on age or era. I try to first determine if its lyrics are doctrinally sound. Then I apply my ear and years of experience to judge the quality of its melody and poetry. Finally, I try and place it in a category by reason of its purpose. Should it be sung in a Sunday morning worship hour? Should it be sung at a youth event? If it sounds like music heard at a rock concert, or in a nightclub, then I question its appropriateness for Sunday morning worship. I do not like excessive repetitions of single cliched lines regardless of the number of “churchy” words used. I have come to terms with the fact I am not going to have much impact in changing the current direction. I believe we will live to regret lowering our expectations of what our congregations can do. I believe the church should continue to teach elementary music reading techniques and the use of hymnals. Expect more/get more. Thanks
Thanks both for your comments and sharing these good principles.
Stephen
I agree that it is difficult to feel a sense of awe and reverance in a Sunday worship service where the music creates a disturbance and and affects how people act. We are not to be entertained by the music, but rather led in worship. When the “stage” of the auditorium (sanctuary) is filled with sound equipment, wires, instruments, music stands, one has the feeling that we are worshipping electronics and equipment. There is too much emphasis on the instrumental music rather than on good lyrics. It has been said the choruses that have become the major part of the worship service is attention deficite hymnity. The book “REACHING OUT WITHOUT DUMBING DOWN” has some interesting thoughts on music in worship. Down through history music has changed and will continue to change, but we must be careful that the music we bring to God in our worhship is worthy of His magesty - that we don’t dumb it down in an effort to attract new members.
Well said Barbara.