I used to have a lot of ideas about right and wrong in music at church.
My first step out of all these human ideas was the Source One seminar towards the beginning of my year studying God’s Word as a 17-year-old freshman at New York’s Word of Life Bible Institute. Every student was required to write out (1) some Scriptural verses on music, (2) our best understanding of the principles being taught in those verses, and (3) our personal application of those Scriptural principles. As for me, the application-points I wrote down were the ones I’d practiced all my life; and of course I found ways to pull them from the Scriptures and principles that I had found. But if I were honest, the Scriptures and principles I found did not really translate to the application-points I listed.
That’s what started me on a journey to the very different application-points I have today.
Because percussion in church music?
That’s Biblical.
“Praise Him with loud cymbals” (Psalm 150:5).
And dancing in praise to God?
That’s Biblical too.
“Let them praise His Name with dancing” (Psalm 149:3).
What about emotions in worship?
Well, I think we can all agree that Psalms (the Jewish hymnal) is the most emotional book in the entire Bible. And if we’re supposed to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength - how could that NOT include our emotions?
Obviously we need to be sure we are following the Holy Spirit’s lead and not any other spirit (“Test the spirits,” 1 John 4:1). God will never lead us to do anything contrary to His Word, and He does say to “let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). But where did some of us get the idea that this verse means church music should never be any fun? What made stuff being fun a necessary contradiction to stuff being orderly?
So now when I see a person up front being passionately expressive in their worship, it’s more likely to inspire worship in me than to inspire judgement. I think that’s a good change. 😉
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