Why do we use music in our worship of God? Well for starters God tells us to many times in His Word. The example that Kauflin gives is from Psalm 47. "Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!" God enjoys music that comes from His church that glorifies Him. On another level that Kauflin points out, "Music stirs up and expresses God-glorifying emotion." (p. 98) Music can be used to move our emotions. However, this is where we have to be careful. True worship cannot be simply an emotional experience.
As we've discussed before in previous chapters, truth has to be the center from which our worship flows. However, sometimes when we hear truth spoken over and over again, we tend to become somewhat cold to it and no longer respond to it the way we should. But when we add music to truth, it has a way of making the truth that we have become cold to suddenly become alive again as our emotions are moved by the music. These emotions can often help us to act on the truth that we are hearing and singing and cause us to move closer to God by doing so.
We have to be careful not to grow attached to just the emotional experience. Kauflin warns us against emotionalism. "Emotionalism pursues feelings as an end in themselves. It's wanting to feel something with no regard for how that feeling is produced or its ultimate purpose." (p. 99) There are many "worship" songs today that can really draw people into an emotional experience but that have very little truth in them, and sometimes even things that aren't true at all! That's when our "worship" can become ineffective or even idolatrous. We must maintain our focus on the truth of God (which comes from God's Word) and then allow our emotional experiences to enhance that truth in our lives. Glorifying God and moving into a closer relationship with Him is the goal. Music that stirs emotions is simply a tool that can help us along the way and is not the end in itself.
"Vibrant singing enables us to combine truth about God seamlessly with a passion for God. Doctrine and devotion. Mind and heart." (p. 99)
There are many other great points in this chapter but I'm a little short on time and want to just briefly mention one other very practical area that Kauflin talks about in reference to the arrangement of the worship team. "Most...musicians think that being up front means you should always be playing. WRONG. Varying when we play, how loudly we play, and what we play affects how people hear the words. The larger the team of musicans [this includes vocalists] the more each member should be listening to and making room for what others are doing." (p. 102)
This is such an important piece of being a part of any musical group and especially a worship team. We always need to be thinking of how we can make the song as a whole better. Often times that means not playing or singing and leaving space for other instruments or voices in a section of a song or even an entire song. When I'm recording and mixing a song I try to think about it like this: Every part (instrument or voice) that I add takes away a little bit of how well I can hear each of the other parts already in the song, so if I'm adding a part it needs to be something that is helping or adding to the song as a whole. If it isn't adding to the sound of the song as a whole then I shouldn't add that part. This can take a lot of time and practice to learn (I'm certainly still working on this myself and probably will be for the rest of my life) but it is an extremely valuable ability and each of us should be working on our listening ear to see what we can add to each song as a whole by either playing and singing or not playing and singing at any given moment.
I really liked the idea of one of Kauflin's closing thoughts. "As I understand it, the best music [for worship] enables people to genuinely and consistently magnify the greatness of the Savior in their hearts, minds, and wills." (p. 106) This is what we as worship leaders in our church need to be striving to bring to the congregation every week, music that "enables people to genuinely and consistently magnify the greatness of the Savior in their hearts, minds, and wills".
The humility reference in Phillipians coincides with Jim's care group notes this week, so I am taking it as realllllyyyyy important :) I have to concentrate on Him, then others and then my personal affections/feelings/desires become so much less important. I like Kauflin pointing out how the difference in musical tastes has been an ongoing battle - when really it should be a none issue - people all over the world worship with different styles/types of music. What if in Abrahams time the only instruments were drums and voices and it sounded like rap music - was it any less worshipful if it was from the heart and glorified God?
ReplyDeleteI agree, Enalo. Intrumentation, voicing, style --all of that is really meaningless if our hearts are worshiping the God of the universe!
ReplyDeleteI appreciated David's point about God enjoying music that comes from His Church. I agree. But I also wonder if the reason God is so adamant about worship is, not only for His glory, but also for our good. Worship is good for us!
But as for the point about each added instrument or voice takes a little away from the other instruments, and sometimes we should keep from playing or singing...he didn't mean me, right?!
I definitely agree with you Sam, that worship is good for us also. Worship can help us to align our hearts and wills with God's and He enjoys that, but at the same time it is a very good thing for us also.
ReplyDeleteI love that "God is a singing God". What a wondrous image that creates in my mind that when we are singing to the Lord that He might be singing with us!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kauflin that the music shouldn't dominate or overpower the congregation. I think that's something maybe we could think about a bit more. Maybe pulling back from the mics during choruses of familiar songs so "the real worship team" can hear themselves and each other. Or maybe some a cappella sections.
I liked what he said on page 100 that that "the determining factor in our unity is not musical styles - it's the gospel." It's not how we are singing but what we are singing and Who we are singing it to:)
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