Taking a step FORWARD need not seem like "taking a dare."
In our desire to take a FORWARDLY DIRECTION, uniqueness should be a commitment to the logical application of Biblical truth. Especially in our world there seems to be so many that are committed to imitating one another that uniqueness can seem like we are "taking a dare!" In the realm of Christian music - especially amongst our smaller churches - uniqueness might just stand-out and seem to many to be a refreshing stream of clear and pure water.
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12
"Want ons waag dit nie om ons te reken of te vergelyk met sommige van die wat hulleself aanbeveel nie. Maar omdat hulle hul met hulself meet en met hulself vergelyk, is hulle onverstandig." Afrikaans OV 2 Kor. 10:12
For the smaller congregation, uniqueness in worship may truly frighten those who view something small as nothing more than a "miniature" version of something much larger. The possibility that small might be "just right" alludes any number of people. We might do well to honour smallness as a congregational "plus!" Small congregations are caring like a family, personal and communicative ... to give just a few examples. I have observed a rather sad and I am sorry-to-say "comical" result when "small" has tried to pretend to be "big." The small ensemble sized choir trying to sing to the recorded background music of a great orchestra in an auditorium for 80 people regretfully just comes across as "wishful thinking." The soloist that by-passes the simple piano arrangement and opts rather for a grand and complicated arrangement (often with full orchestration) usually ends up by finding that the whole experience has been more embarrassing than uplifting.
Very little music is written for the small and uniquely Biblical congregation. This may be a serious oversight when we stop to realize that there are more small congregations than "Mega Churches." It is, at least for me, quite clear that most of the recent efforts at writing theologically conservative but 'contemporary' music has resulted in a theologically weak and confused message. I don't really consider this a totally new phenomena - just a regrettable fact of life. I wonder if this is due to most of those writing music today being more artistically talented than theologically or Biblically trained? Teamwork in combining musical notation with sound pastoral experience may be lacking? Much of the current music being written or re-arranged for our Bible-believing churches seems, to me, to be missing the mark by not communicating the same message and themes common to our conservative Bible-believing pulpits.
Another related matter is the observation that choirs, though found singing some really beautiful music, often as not, are found singing a message that is relatively unrelated to our simple New Testament doctrine. This is especially true if we are talking about independent Baptist or community Bible churches. On a number of occasions I have noticed that the distinctive focus of our pulpits on literalism and dispensational truth was overlooked in the music we were singing. Our congregations' commitment to maintaining the propositional "truth Truth" of the Word of God, simply was not a clear message in our music.
Many churches have naively used congregational, special and/or choir-music choices that were communicating a message of "strange fire." The Fundamental truths and Local Church distinctiveness that once gave or made our churches unique is still being preached from our pulpits but not being clearly communicated by the music being chosen .
I believe the influences of the Orthodox and/or the resurgence with the Reformed Movement has always had a good measure of influence (amazingly mixed-in with historic gems of Methodism or others denominations) in our hymnals and choir music. I am increasingly convinced that those seemingly harmless choices may have had a greater influence than we realized.
Over the generations of singing interdenominational music we may have subtly responded to an ecumenical musical message though trying to maintain a distinctively Biblical pulpit. Further, this trend, may be contributing to accepting new types of choral and congregational music. The high profile of the "emerging," the Emergent and the constantly morphing variations of the "Praise and Worship" genre has added to further confusion between the message of today's music and the message of our pulpits.
Bible-believing churches, in their sincere desire to avoid the worldliness of many popular contemporary styles and of the manipulation of human emotions by Charismatic music have followed the lead of some of the Emergent churches by returning to old liturgical music styles. By choosing music on the basis of its 'conservative sound' and/or on the basis of its message of honoring the nature and character of God, an admixture of historic hymnody has brought more Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Orthodoxy into today's Evangelical or Fundamental churches. This return to the past may be done in all sincerity but it is done without carefully asking if the message being sung is the same as the message they are preaching. To say we do this or that to "Honour God" is fine but one should remember that all Christianity for all time has made that claim.
To further open our dialogue ... re-consider, the following thought: Much of today's modern hymnology came - as often as not - from mixing Roman Catholic, Anglican, Puritan, Methodist and various non- conformist groups in the formation of today's hymnals. All of these sources of music had their own theological "agendas" ... but they were originally sung in times where audiences were aware of the message they were singing. These messages, themes and theological interpretations in the music sung were often born as a reaction to historical, sociological and historical influences of that specific time.
We, over time, have lost any awareness of the reasoning or dynamic that gave birth to those earlier hymns. Some were filled with truth and some filled with error and some mixing both. We see a phrase in a hymn that seems to communicate our own personal beliefs or emotions and we mistakenly assume it can be applicable to our day. The fact that these songs have one applicable verse belies the fact that they may have three or four other verses that include anything from heresy to inconsistent denominational bound doctrine.
Regretfully, the source for todays "new music" renditions and re-arrangements often comes from the choices being made by well-meaning musicians who have not been thoroughly theologically or historically educated, themselves. For historically conservative evangelical or historically fundamentalist congregations, the discernment needed requires a clear knowledge of the New Covenant message of grace, the literal interpretation of Scripture and a solidly dispensational insight that recognizes the distinctive message of Scripture to the Gentile Nations, to Israel and to the Church of Jesus Christ.
When pastors fail to carefully prepare their sermons on the basis of hermeneutically sound principles it is only a matter of time before the congregation will slip into a post-modern styled superficiality. Out of a superficial worship experience comes a subtle compromise! Then, finally the congregations slip one by one into a ecumenical direction that will rob it of any of the benefits of the historical advances made over the last five-hunder or more years to avoid Roman Catholic and Liberal theological error.
When, an otherwise sincere but theologically naive musician, (unwittingly) unites his or her creative efforts with the poetry of bygone eras, their failure to understand the historicity of theology means the message being sung often includes themes that advance this or that obsession with either Liberal, Modernist, Post-Millennial, A-millennial, Denominational, Calvinistic, Arminian or some new version of these historic religious influences. Such songs rarely project anything similar to the simple Gospel and Biblical message of our pulpits and, in reality, they should not be expected to do so.
There is a serious need for writing new music that reflects the New Covenant message of salvation by grace through faith alone! We need to be found singing in agreement with our preaching regarding the Holy Spirit's regenerating work to accomplish salvation to all who believe. We need to be encouraging our congregations to rejoice in the sealing, indwelling and controlling work of the Spirit of God in this Dispensation of Grace. There is a need for music that rejoices in the Pre-tribulational Rapture message. There is a a need for music that sets our hope on the soon coming return of Jesus Christ and on His Millennial Reign. Songs that warn evangelistically of the Great White Throne Judgment. Music that tells of New Jerusalem and of the coming New Heavens and New Earth. Pray for young men and women talented and trained who will write just this sort of music! Pray that our churches' leaders will consider how to take this step, in a truly "FORWARDLY" direction!
