Y Safle

In discussing Church music, the point has often been made that Christianity should be different from the world and thus not follow worldly music. But what is it that makes Christians different?

The difference in Christianity is Christ, and the difference in Christians should be the love of God, which is expressed in a true peace and joy, as well as a desire to share this joy with others.

John Piper’s book: “Desiring God” speaks of conversion as the creation of a Christian hedonist. The term, of course, is meant to shock. He does not mean Christians should be hedonists as we normally understand the term, but rather that the Christian life is characterised by the love, glory and enjoyment of God.

When people see this they know there is something different. When people see sham Christianity, with people pretending to joy, whilst having none of it they turn away. When people see miserable Christianity, they want none of it.

Thus, to me, music in Church is something of a side issue. If we seek to create an atmosphere of celebration through popular music in Church, then we risk attempting to generate an atmosphere that is not mirrored in the lives of those present. This is sham Christianity and should be avoided. And I think there is a lot of it about.

But that does not mean we cannot have popular music. What I describe is no worse than a dour congregation miserably chanting their way through the aptly named Te Deum. Maybe the miserable crowd are a little more honest, but no more attractive.

But when Christianity is fully Christ centred, and marked by that peace of Christ and joy in Him, and delight at all he has done for us - then I don’t really think it matters what style we sing - but we sing because we love Him

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.