JULY 7 & 8, 2007
In last week's installment of these Messages About Purpose and Strategy, I dove deep into controversial waters by writing about the style of music we feature in our worship services.
The issue of style can be very divisive because our musical tastes reflect our individuality. This church is demographically diverse and everyone has a preference. It is important to avoid elevating the issue of style to a level of significance it should not have. Really, the worship service is not for us, but for God. I view God as the only audience. We need to vehemently reject any hint of "consumer Christianity," demanding our way. God is the only consumer.
Though no one style is more holy than another, style can be seen as a tool to draw people to the Lord. Everyone needs the Word in his or her own vernacular. Similarly, we must provide worship experiences that hit home with where the people live. If some contemporary styles sound worldly to seasoned saints, remember that the word "vulgar" is related to the name of first translation of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into the language of the people - the "Vulgate." Remember as well that what we think of as traditional, conservative hymns were revolutionary in their day. Many were set to the tunes of popular tavern songs so sinners could connect with the Word of God.
When someone asks me if music in church should be contemporary, I ask him or her if they want to reach people who are contemporary. Ministry must be in the style of "today" to reach the people of today. This is not to say that we sever all ties to the rich heritage of Christian music. But even the famous Vulgate lost effectiveness as people stopped speaking Latin. What a tragedy for the spread of the gospel when some religious people hindered any effort to translate the Bible into the language of the people. Every new generation needs things to be updated so they can grasp the grace of God.
The message of Christianity is unchanging, but the methods must adapt. Let me rephrase this crucial point yet again: what we communicate is the unchanging Gospel, but the way we communicate it takes into consideration the culture in which we live. We can see in
1 Cor 9:19-23 that Paul tailored his technique to the specific tastes and practices of his target audience. He didn't change the content, but took the context into consideration.
I'll leave you with a simple illustration. We don't want water in the boat, but we do want the boat in the water. Think of it. The church is to penetrate the world with the revolutionary gospel of new life in
Jesus Christ. Despite the danger, boats are meant to set sail, not to sit safely in the dock where there are no risks. Similarly, we are to connect with our culture, even when it involves some discomfort. And as boats can't achieve their purpose if they take on too much water, so the church can not compromise and acquiesce to worldly standards of morality. Here's the simple rule: do anything to connect? Yes! Do anything to compromise? No! There should be no water in the boat, but the boat must enter the water!
The issue of style can be very divisive because our musical tastes reflect our individuality. This church is demographically diverse and everyone has a preference. It is important to avoid elevating the issue of style to a level of significance it should not have. Really, the worship service is not for us, but for God. I view God as the only audience. We need to vehemently reject any hint of "consumer Christianity," demanding our way. God is the only consumer.
Though no one style is more holy than another, style can be seen as a tool to draw people to the Lord. Everyone needs the Word in his or her own vernacular. Similarly, we must provide worship experiences that hit home with where the people live. If some contemporary styles sound worldly to seasoned saints, remember that the word "vulgar" is related to the name of first translation of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into the language of the people - the "Vulgate." Remember as well that what we think of as traditional, conservative hymns were revolutionary in their day. Many were set to the tunes of popular tavern songs so sinners could connect with the Word of God.
When someone asks me if music in church should be contemporary, I ask him or her if they want to reach people who are contemporary. Ministry must be in the style of "today" to reach the people of today. This is not to say that we sever all ties to the rich heritage of Christian music. But even the famous Vulgate lost effectiveness as people stopped speaking Latin. What a tragedy for the spread of the gospel when some religious people hindered any effort to translate the Bible into the language of the people. Every new generation needs things to be updated so they can grasp the grace of God.
The message of Christianity is unchanging, but the methods must adapt. Let me rephrase this crucial point yet again: what we communicate is the unchanging Gospel, but the way we communicate it takes into consideration the culture in which we live. We can see in
1 Cor 9:19-23 that Paul tailored his technique to the specific tastes and practices of his target audience. He didn't change the content, but took the context into consideration.
I'll leave you with a simple illustration. We don't want water in the boat, but we do want the boat in the water. Think of it. The church is to penetrate the world with the revolutionary gospel of new life in
Jesus Christ. Despite the danger, boats are meant to set sail, not to sit safely in the dock where there are no risks. Similarly, we are to connect with our culture, even when it involves some discomfort. And as boats can't achieve their purpose if they take on too much water, so the church can not compromise and acquiesce to worldly standards of morality. Here's the simple rule: do anything to connect? Yes! Do anything to compromise? No! There should be no water in the boat, but the boat must enter the water!
Comments