Singing songs about the eternal truths of God should not be a one-size-fits-all exercise. And yet, over time, those entrusted with picking and implementing songs in worship services get creatively lazy. They default to “the way it’s always been done” or hastily adapt every pre-packaged novelty that crosses the radio or the curated social media feed.
Music has infinitely more to offer the church’s singing than these easy defaults.
Designed by God and gifted to mankind, the wonder and beauty of music is that it affords us some remarkable contrasts in corporate worship. Because the topics of the church’s songs are multifaceted, so should their musical arrangements.
How you play a song is not the ultimate priority, but that does not make musical thoughtfulness unimportant. The gardener doesn’t simply keep his garden alive – he cultivates it so that life can thrive.
If the desire is to see spiritual growth and vitality in Christ’s church through corporate singing (Colossians 3:15-17), the following are a few musical characteristics for song-selectors and song-leaders to consider as they act as musical matchmakers in their worship planning.
Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is a dark event in redemptive history. On the cross, God turned His face from His beloved Son and poured out His wrath upon sin – our sin, not Christ’s. It is wholly appropriate to match the music of our songs to reflect the deep sorrow and pain of that moment in time. Songs in a minor key match the mood when choosing songs for this theme. You don’t have to be a musicologist to recognize the immediate difference in mood that strikes when you play a song in a minor key. Anger, sadness, despair, doubt, and fear are all expressions that minor keys accentuate.
In contrast, songs about the resurrection should have an air of victory. Songs in major keys do this naturally and are effortlessly joyful, bright, hopeful, exuberant, and even “fun.” Jesus conquered death once and for all – the very worst we could do is muddy the mood again with a minor key.
Not all songs fall readily into one camp or the other, however. The themes we sing in worship are too varied to fall into a simplistic either/or paradigm. Love songs, for example, can be sung in either key. Christians witness God’s love and justice when they look to the cross. So not every song about this or that subject must always be strictly one key or the other.
Often, songs written in a particular key will have a corresponding speed (tempo) associated with them. Typically, you’ll notice “sad” songs are slow, and “happy” songs are fast. Keep this very simple and natural idea in mind when choosing songs. Because the spectrum of human emotion is broad and varied, your songs should also be.
For example, songs about new life in Christ ought to be lively. Likewise, songs of mourning and introspection should pay respect to the natural pace of those moods. We’ve all surely experienced the awkwardness of singing a celebratory song like we were on a funeral march. Unless that feeling of angst is the emotion you’re attempting to accomplish with a particular song, it’s generally best to match the pace of your songs to their themes. If the mood is lower, try keeping the song a little slower. If the mood is high, feel free to fly on by.
A last consideration of tempo is our contemporary fixation on keeping time. With the increased use of drum kits and electronic multitracking in worship, we’ve lost a sense of flexibility with musical time. In other words, we set the tempo for a song and rigidly follow it to the conclusion. We’ve become much like the technology that permeates our lives – mechanical and efficient but lacking organic and creative freedom.
Time, as we experience it, is not that rigid. Time “slows down” when we’re bored, and time “speeds up” when we’re enjoying ourselves. Don’t always insist on a fixed tempo when you think about arranging songs. Hasten the pace at certain points and stretch the timing at others to match the mood of what you’re singing. Focus on what you’re saying, listen to the spirit of the melody, and give thought to whether the tempo might be another unused tool in your musical toolbox.
Like keys and tempo, instruments can also cultivate very particular moods in music by leaning into their natural, tonal character or accommodating themselves to the mood of the musical theme.
For example, in the military, a bugle can be used to awaken the troops by playing an energetic Reveille or close the day with a settled rendition of Taps. It’s theSame instrument but different uses of tempo and tone to establish a particular mood. A talented musician controls their instrument to match the mood.
Always be taking inventory of your musicians and the instruments at your disposal. A youthful, exuberant drummer might best be used for songs of joyful celebration. In contrast, a solitary violinist or cellist might better set the mood as your church sings songs to reflect on our faith’s weightier and mysterious themes. But then again, maybe a low, thudding kick drum and bright cymbal swells could match the tone of darker themes, and a melodic fiddle might be the very thing needed to celebrate in song.
Pastor, you preach the word and shepherd the flock entrusted to your care. The songs you choose (or allow) your congregation to sing are an integral part of how your flock receives God’s word and how you care for those sheep, and they care for one another. The medium of music is a wonderful gift and a resource for you, even if music is not the highest on your aptitude or interest list. You do not have to be an expert in music to be a faithful steward of your church’s singing.
Assuming you’ve made biblically wise choices regarding their content, assess whether you’re playing these songs in a manner that matches the mood of their content. If not, consider how a simple change of key, tempo, or instrumentation might be the answer.
Like any of God’s gifts, music can be easily abused and made an idol. Instead of leading to a mood with your musical choices, follow and match the mood innate in the song’s lyrical content. The church of Jesus Christ is a redeemed people who worship in spirit and truth, not according to the flesh and the world (1 John 2:15-17). Our worship is a response to God’s initiating work in our lives. It is not a requirement for His appeasement or to earn ourselves spiritual blessing. Christ has already perfectly accomplished both on our behalf (Ephesians 1:3-14).
May Christ give us the wisdom to match spiritual truths with the gift of music so that we might sing songs of biblical faithfulness and beauty for the good of His church and to the praise of His glory.
The Value of Singing Old Hymns
Tune My Heart: Cultivating Godly Affections in Worship
Does Your Worship Add to or Distract from the Gospel?
The post Matching Spiritual Truths with the Gift of Music appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...
Music has infinitely more to offer the church’s singing than these easy defaults.
Designed by God and gifted to mankind, the wonder and beauty of music is that it affords us some remarkable contrasts in corporate worship. Because the topics of the church’s songs are multifaceted, so should their musical arrangements.
How you play a song is not the ultimate priority, but that does not make musical thoughtfulness unimportant. The gardener doesn’t simply keep his garden alive – he cultivates it so that life can thrive.
If the desire is to see spiritual growth and vitality in Christ’s church through corporate singing (Colossians 3:15-17), the following are a few musical characteristics for song-selectors and song-leaders to consider as they act as musical matchmakers in their worship planning.
Minor vs. major keys
Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is a dark event in redemptive history. On the cross, God turned His face from His beloved Son and poured out His wrath upon sin – our sin, not Christ’s. It is wholly appropriate to match the music of our songs to reflect the deep sorrow and pain of that moment in time. Songs in a minor key match the mood when choosing songs for this theme. You don’t have to be a musicologist to recognize the immediate difference in mood that strikes when you play a song in a minor key. Anger, sadness, despair, doubt, and fear are all expressions that minor keys accentuate.
In contrast, songs about the resurrection should have an air of victory. Songs in major keys do this naturally and are effortlessly joyful, bright, hopeful, exuberant, and even “fun.” Jesus conquered death once and for all – the very worst we could do is muddy the mood again with a minor key.
Not all songs fall readily into one camp or the other, however. The themes we sing in worship are too varied to fall into a simplistic either/or paradigm. Love songs, for example, can be sung in either key. Christians witness God’s love and justice when they look to the cross. So not every song about this or that subject must always be strictly one key or the other.
Tempo
Often, songs written in a particular key will have a corresponding speed (tempo) associated with them. Typically, you’ll notice “sad” songs are slow, and “happy” songs are fast. Keep this very simple and natural idea in mind when choosing songs. Because the spectrum of human emotion is broad and varied, your songs should also be.
For example, songs about new life in Christ ought to be lively. Likewise, songs of mourning and introspection should pay respect to the natural pace of those moods. We’ve all surely experienced the awkwardness of singing a celebratory song like we were on a funeral march. Unless that feeling of angst is the emotion you’re attempting to accomplish with a particular song, it’s generally best to match the pace of your songs to their themes. If the mood is lower, try keeping the song a little slower. If the mood is high, feel free to fly on by.
A last consideration of tempo is our contemporary fixation on keeping time. With the increased use of drum kits and electronic multitracking in worship, we’ve lost a sense of flexibility with musical time. In other words, we set the tempo for a song and rigidly follow it to the conclusion. We’ve become much like the technology that permeates our lives – mechanical and efficient but lacking organic and creative freedom.
Time, as we experience it, is not that rigid. Time “slows down” when we’re bored, and time “speeds up” when we’re enjoying ourselves. Don’t always insist on a fixed tempo when you think about arranging songs. Hasten the pace at certain points and stretch the timing at others to match the mood of what you’re singing. Focus on what you’re saying, listen to the spirit of the melody, and give thought to whether the tempo might be another unused tool in your musical toolbox.
Instrumentation
Like keys and tempo, instruments can also cultivate very particular moods in music by leaning into their natural, tonal character or accommodating themselves to the mood of the musical theme.
For example, in the military, a bugle can be used to awaken the troops by playing an energetic Reveille or close the day with a settled rendition of Taps. It’s theSame instrument but different uses of tempo and tone to establish a particular mood. A talented musician controls their instrument to match the mood.
Always be taking inventory of your musicians and the instruments at your disposal. A youthful, exuberant drummer might best be used for songs of joyful celebration. In contrast, a solitary violinist or cellist might better set the mood as your church sings songs to reflect on our faith’s weightier and mysterious themes. But then again, maybe a low, thudding kick drum and bright cymbal swells could match the tone of darker themes, and a melodic fiddle might be the very thing needed to celebrate in song.
Musical appreciation for the church’s sake
Pastor, you preach the word and shepherd the flock entrusted to your care. The songs you choose (or allow) your congregation to sing are an integral part of how your flock receives God’s word and how you care for those sheep, and they care for one another. The medium of music is a wonderful gift and a resource for you, even if music is not the highest on your aptitude or interest list. You do not have to be an expert in music to be a faithful steward of your church’s singing.
Assuming you’ve made biblically wise choices regarding their content, assess whether you’re playing these songs in a manner that matches the mood of their content. If not, consider how a simple change of key, tempo, or instrumentation might be the answer.
Like any of God’s gifts, music can be easily abused and made an idol. Instead of leading to a mood with your musical choices, follow and match the mood innate in the song’s lyrical content. The church of Jesus Christ is a redeemed people who worship in spirit and truth, not according to the flesh and the world (1 John 2:15-17). Our worship is a response to God’s initiating work in our lives. It is not a requirement for His appeasement or to earn ourselves spiritual blessing. Christ has already perfectly accomplished both on our behalf (Ephesians 1:3-14).
May Christ give us the wisdom to match spiritual truths with the gift of music so that we might sing songs of biblical faithfulness and beauty for the good of His church and to the praise of His glory.
Related:
The Value of Singing Old Hymns
Tune My Heart: Cultivating Godly Affections in Worship
Does Your Worship Add to or Distract from the Gospel?
The post Matching Spiritual Truths with the Gift of Music appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...