What You Need to Know About Church Music
Music is an act of worship—one of the many offerings we bring to God. Like all offerings it must be authentic and excellent, that is, bringing God the best we can in the context of who we are.
Our music should mirror God’s creative processes because we are created in His image. God’s creation is known by its elements of inspiration, beauty, unity, and intricacy; our artistic endeavors should aspire to these same characteristics.
In the Old Testament musicians were required to be Levites and were appointed to study and prepare music for worship [1 Chronicles 6:31-32; 15-16]. They were held to a high standard of excellence and it was their full-time occupation.
Examples of music in the New Testament show that it was used in worship and often took the shape of prophetic utterance inspired by the Holy Spirit [Luke 1:46-55; 1:68-79; 2:29-32; Revelation 5:9, 12]. Jesus and his disciples, devout Jews, sang psalms together [Matthew 26:30]. Sometimes music was used to impart sound doctrine [Philippians 2:6-11 which is an early Christian hymn; 1 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Timothy 2:11-13, excerpts of other hymns]. Music is also used for mutual encouragement of believers in the New Testament [Acts 16:25, Colossians 3:16; and James 5:13].
There is no single Christian musical style. The Church of Jesus Christ “binds in covenant people of all ages, tongues and races” [UCC Statement of Faith]. Our worship should reflect this. The image of Pentecost—praise in many tongues ordained by the Spirit, and the picture of praise in heaven from every tribe and tongue—point to the fact that our God is, as Harold Best calls him, “the God of the Plethora” [Harold Best, Music Through the Eyes of Faith, HarperCollins].
In our own time and place, we must strive to make our worship in general and our music specifically as authentic and excellent as possible. God deserves our best.
Since worship is for God and our music is an offering to Him, no style or type of music should ever become a tool for worship or seen as a prerequisite for worship. Music in worship is not primarily for our pleasure or edification; it is certainly not for our entertainment or consumption. It is an offering to God. It is not about our own tastes or the desires of only a particular cultural moment.
We seek to enlist those in our midst with the very best musical talent to use their gifts for God’s glory and to edify our worship.
We must always consider music in the context of worship. Music suitable for one context may not be suitable for another. There are appropriate places and times for different types of music, and it is the job of trained musicians and church leaders to know those appropriate times and places. Generally, the very best and most formal music should be offered on Sunday mornings.
We seek to avoid commercialism in music making. We do not use recordings of music in worship (this applies to funerals and weddings, too, which are worship services of the church). The congregation is always encouraged to sing because we are repeatedly exhorted to do on in Scripture (Psalm 147:1, for example). Soloists and choristers should perform humbly yet excellently, and the congregation should offer their listening as participation in an act of worship.
The hymnal is, for most Protestants of the free church tradition, a book of common prayer. Prayer and praise flow from our hymns. Hymns form us spiritually and they also teach us harmony. Singing in parts can have spiritual significance.
No one should allow music, or personal preferences in music, to be a source of division in the church. In the Body of Christ (as 1 Corinthians 12 reminds us) “I am needed” and “I need others”.
[Please see the web site article on Worship]
[with gratitude to the sound theological example and teaching of the First Congregational Church of Hamilton, Massachusetts]
Notes From the Organist:
What is the Prelude, and what is it for?
The first item in our order of worship is the prelude. In our church it is typically about ten minutes in length, and perhaps twice that for wedding and funeral services. It is usually played on the organ, but is sometimes played on the piano. Occasionally wind or stringed instruments are used.
The words printed in our bulletin under the prelude are a clue to the function of the prelude. They are: “Please use this time for silent prayer or to enjoy the music.” The prelude is not intended to be entertainment, however. It is the start of a worship service, in which we actively worship God. By enjoying the music, we appreciate a musical offering to the God who has given us sound waves and ears to hear. The opening lines from an All Souls worship bulletin from 1936 are a little more specific (and flowery). They are as follows: “Whosoever thou art that worshipest in this church, enter it not without the spirit of reverence, and leave it not without a prayer to God for thyself, for those who minister, and for those who worship here.” I think of the prelude as a bridge which leads us from our own separate worlds to the atmosphere of communal worship inside the church. I would hope that the prelude prepares all of our hearts and minds for the rest of the service which is to follow.
Even though the prefix, “pre-,” means “before,” I consider the prelude to be part of the worship service, not a warm-up or something that comes before the “real” worship happens. Here is what the prelude is not: it is not intended to be a concert or opportunity for the organist to show off. Nor is it meant to be a pleasant background for walking in or socializing, nor is it to cover up any awkward silence. The prelude may reflect varied moods of worship, such as solemnity, praise, triumph and joy, or even sadness and despair. Typically the mood of the prelude is meditative, but not always, depending on the type of service, or the day and season according to the Christian calendar.
The music literature chosen for the prelude could be based on a hymn or chorale whose title might give a focus for worship, such as “Fairest Lord Jesus” or “A Mighty Fortress.” Otherwise, it would be a freely-composed piece not based on another piece of music, in which case the listener is left to create a focus for worship. There are many possible titles for such pieces. “Voluntary” is a common one; the word itself means it is a freely-composed piece. The title might indicate the tempo, such as “Andante” or “Largo.” Or, it could suggest the musical form, such as “Sonata” or “Fugue.”
Some of what I have written here applies to the postlude as well as the prelude, but that is a story for another time. I hope you find the prelude helpful as a start to our corporate worship, as I do while I play it.
Kay Eames