Part 9 in the “Why We Do What We Do” series.
If we were to rank musical styles on a scale of one to ten, one being the most Christian, what would the order look like? Classical #1 and country #10? Straight four-part harmony #1, jazz #10, and pop/contemporary falling in line at a respectable #5? I’m pretty sure our rankings would depend on which musical language we most resonate with. And if that’s true, it would probably make as much sense to ask which language is more Christian: Russian or Spanish. Or, for that matter, Classical Greek or Aramaic.
As Reggie Kidd states in his thoughtful book With One Voice, no one style embodies worship better than another. Christ “stands above classical culture, above folk culture, and above popular culture.” As an analogy he points to the different communication styles in which God chose to disclose the gospel message: Mark’s gospel, the least elegant yet crispest and liveliest; John’s, simple in words yet deep in theology. Paul’s letters profoundly functional; the book of Hebrews, more classical in tone. Yet the beauty of the gospel shines through all of these.
In our own church this past year our musical language of worship has included “specials” ranging from old-timey fiddle to straight-up classical, cowboy guitar to joyful jazz, with a little bit of rock thrown in. Each time an individual or group plays or sings in a style that is “them,” you can see smiles on the faces of people all over the room. It’s like we know, “This is something special, this is someone using his or her unique gifts for the Lord.” Even if it’s not our own style of choice, we know that there are people sitting in the room with us who are eating it up, and because of that it makes us all happy for each other in the Lord.
Even our congregational singing has included soaring ballads and jiving pop. We’ve sung harmonies along with improv’d instrumentals, and we’ve sung simple melodies a capella. We’ve sung songs and hymns in their familiar styles, and we’ve sung them in new ways.
So why do we use different styles of music in worship?
First, to acknowledge the musical gifts and musical tastes of our particular church body. The Bible makes it clear that the Lord Himself puts together each local body of Christ as He desires (I Cor. 12:18). At UBC we have our own woodsy fiddle players and jazzy saxophonists, classical vocalists and grooving backup singers. We have church members whose car radios are dialed to Air One and others whose radios regularly play KNJY. Kidd says that it must bring our Savior “satisfaction to grace one fellowship with a heap of the [Blues] and a dash of Bubba, and another with a boatload of Bubba and a sprinkling of Bach.” Worship music can be a tangible, joyful picture of how the Lord takes people of widely varied tastes and joins them together to lift up His name with one voice.
A second reason to use a variety of musical styles in worship is to make our worship more meaningful. Sometimes we’ll take a usually fast-paced song and slow it down so we can meditate on the words. Other times we’ll infuse a song with a creative beat that brings an energy to our praise. Sometimes we’ll sing a song familiarly so that we can easily enter into the music and let the words sink in. Other times we’ll change up a familiar song so that the words come across in a fresh way. Bob Kauflin writes, “Hymns are especially suited for innovative treatments that help us hear the words from a new perspective. Moving beyond traditional tunes and arrangements shouldn’t bother us too much since most hymns were written without music, and a favorite tune only emerged over time.”
A third reason for stylistic variety is what is often called “flow.” Each time we gather to worship the Lord, we are entering a specific journey of worship, and we look to the Holy Spirit to lead us where He wants us to go. We in the worship ministry pray that we will be able to create a specific musical context that, while facilitating worship, doesn’t draw attention to itself. We consider carefully how to keep the music from seeming erratic or disjointed. For example, when we follow a contemporary song immediately with an older hymn, it could be jarring to stop abruptly and change styles. So sometimes we continue the rhythm of the previous song to keep everything in context. On the other hand, if song after song is in the same tempo, same key, same “feel,” we might all be dulled to distraction. So sometimes creating “flow” will mean we switch gears and move to a new musical style at an appropriate point in our worship. It’s a skill, an art, to weave together different styles and yet not seem random (a skill we are always honing, as we know there is much room for improvement!).
Music is a gift God has given us to help us worship Him. Just as He calls us to use our spoken words to honor Him, so He calls us to use musical language wisely and creatively for His glory. Eph. 4:29 tells us to speak words that are “good for edification, according to the need of the moment, giving grace to those who hear.” A thoughtful worship ministry team will apply this admonition to their musical “language” and, with sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, craft their music so that it brings ultimate glory to God and builds up His church.
Worshiping with you,
Jeanelle