Church Music

My earliest memory of going to church was sitting on the right side about five rows back of the sanctuary. In the same row was my mother, my great aunt and uncle, and Ms Brock who sat in the far right corner with her colorful afghan and pillow that was more orange than the pew we sat on. On the back of every pew but the one in the back, was a small book shelf. On it, sat two different hymn books and a King James Bible. The American Baptist Hymnal (that we used mostly on Sunday’s) had a red hardback. I haven’t seen one of those hymn books in years, but I can tell you, “All Hail The Power,” is page one, “He Loves Me,” is page thirty, and “I Surrender All,” is page 396.

The other hymn book has been at nearly every Baptist Church I’ve visited that still sings hymn music: The Heavenly Highway Hymnal. Copyrighted in 1956, Luther G. Presley compiled 324 songs that many Christians from that era know by heart. My grandmother suffered from Alzheimer’s for a number of years before the Lord welcomed her home. There were days, Grandma couldn’t remember who I was, thought my dad was her brother, but she could sing all seven verses to There Is A Fountain.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Him,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend
And I know that thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

– ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

Written By Louisa M. R.Stead

Released in 1882

Hymns were engraved in generations of Christians minds and hearts as thee music for worship services. Southern Gospel music (hymn music’s entertaining cousin) as well as many Country music singers love to release songs and even albums covering their favorite hymns. They’re a part of the fabric of Christian living for so many church goers.

Hymn singing and Gospel music was the only form of worship music I knew until I was almost an adult. I had heard about other music, but it was always dismissed as 7-11 songs that couldn’t hold weight compared to hymns. I can remember Casting Crowns being one of the first bands I heard that sang newer music that was styled as, “modern worship,” or, “contemporary Christian music.”

After I graduated high school, the Beacon Missionary Baptist Church in Redding asked me to lead their music at their youth camp. I put together a band with some friends of mine. I had Jared Keeling on guitar, Adam Chambers on bass, and Philip Wiggins on drums (who had just started playing drums three months prior to camp). Just one problem: I didn’t know any new music. A few months before camp, Philip made me a CD and told me to just put it on repeat. From there, my obsession with modern worship began. From Hillsong to Chris Tomlin, I took it all in. Stuff that had been out for a few years was all new to me and I loved it. I loved the instrumental involvement. I loved the emotional experience. The language was more modern, more relatable, more relevant.

The head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now
The Savior knelt to wash our feet
Now at His feet we bow

The One who wore our sin and shame
Now robed in majesty
The radiance of perfect love
Now shines for all to see

– Resurrecting

Written by Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye, Matthews Ntele, and Mack Brock

Released in 2018

I was proud of the music we did at their camp. We try to offer a mix. While some hymns maybe tough reads or the melody can sound a little Dixie, many of the classics offer poetic lyrics with outstanding, unbeatable harmony. Which brings me to the point in all this: worship is worship. Pure and simple. I’ve been in some churches that sing hymns in their worship service and it’s a beautiful experience. I’ve been in some churches that sing more modern worship songs and have seen God working through the people. Who cares who wrote it, when it was written and if the song is in a book or on a screen. If the words bring reverence to God, isn’t that what a worship service is for?

Psalm 150 says, “Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” So can we please put to rest this ludicrous idea that we can’t have instruments in church? We need reverence, yes. So we might refrain from mosh pits and stage diving. Ultimately, our worship service needs to be about HIM.

In Africa, I saw a group of young people worship. They jumped, clapped, and sang loud. Their jump was a bending of the knees kind of leap as if they were reaching for the clouds. Their clap was their full arms in motion as their hands collided. Their voices were loud and proud. When I talked to one of the young men, he said it was to show God that they’re giving their everything to worship Him. See, that’s not just a cultural thing. It’s a heart thing.

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary and
Suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’twill be my joy through the ages
to sing of His love for me!

– I Stand Amazed In The Presence

Written By Charles H. Gabriel

Released in 1905

Even in modern worship services, I once heard someone tell the Worship Pastor, “I wish you guys (the band) would play this song.” When did our worship service become a playlist? Your church’s worship leader isn’t a DJ. This isn’t K-LOVE. This isn’t an opportunity to hear our favorite tunes and raise our hands to our favorite bridge.

We are standing in the presence of The One who gave His life for us. We are standing at the throne of the King, the Creator of the universe, the Almighty, the omniscient, the all powerful God, His name is JESUS. Does that name have meaning still? Or has the cloud from the stage’s fog machine got to our brains? Has the relic traditions of doing the same old thing week in and week out, waxed our hearts cold of the reality of the blessed opportunity we have to worship and praise God for the amazing grace He’s given us through His Son?

There’s nothing worth more
That could ever come close
No thing can compare
You’re our living hope
Your presence, Lord

I’ve tasted and seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
And my shame is undone
Your presence, Lord

– Holy Spirit

Written By Bryan and Katie Torwalt

Released in 2011

Does the music we choose matter during our worship services? Absolutely. Just because newer music is labeled Christian Music doesn’t necessarily make it Worship Music. Not everything played on Christian Radio belongs in a Sanctuary. In the same regard, many hymns should be reconsidered as well. We want our people to be excited for the Lord, we need to teach them relevant lessons from the Word of God, we need to preach to them challenging and convicting messages from the Word of God and we need to sing songs that poetically illustrate our love and devotion to, you guessed it, the Word of God.

See the question isn’t, “what kind of music should we sing in church?” What we should be asking is, “what kind of heart should I have before worship?” Jesus tells us to worship, “in spirit and in truth.” But what does that mean? “In Spirit,” simply means your whole heart. There needs to be a real passion for Christ. At the same time, worship must be “in truth,” that is, properly informed. If we don’t know God, there is no worship in truth. Both are necessary for worship. Spirit without truth leads to a shallow experience that could be compared to a high. As soon as the emotion is over so does the worship. Truth without spirit is an apathetic encounter that is nothing more than joyless legalism. The more we know Christ, the more we desire to worship Him. The more we worship Him, the more is He is revealed to us.

Do what you do, sing what you sing, for the glory of God. The Heavenly Highway Hymnal has an average copyright of 1940. Is old bad? Not necessarily. But old can quickly turn to stagnant. Newer music is great, but more and more young people are sitting or standing in worship services and never opening their mouths because they either don’t care, don’t know the songs, or just like to listen. God wants to hear us sing. He’s given us an opportunity to worship Him. So worship Him this Sunday. If it’s from a Hymnal, or words on a screen give Him what He deserves. What music belongs in church? The kind that worships Him. The kind that sings about, “the splendor of a King, robed in majesty.” The song that reminds us of that “blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.” This Sunday, you have an opportunity to corporately worship Christ at your church. What will you do with that opportunity? Is this Sunday an opportunity or just another day? Are we ready to worship?

“This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

‭‭- Psalm 118:24‬

Signing out for now. Talk to you again soon. Thanks for reading.