The
Chief Minister of Music
Does your congregation have a
minister of music on staff? How about a worship or praise leader? If
yours is a larger church congregation with an ample budget, the answer
to these questions may be in the affirmative. For the vast majority of
evangelical churches, which do well to provide for the pastor and pay
the bills, the desire for a full-time staff member with training and
expertise in sacred music is a longing that will go largely unfulfilled.
Many pastors, especially those in
rural communities, find themselves performing double duty every Sunday
as both song leader and preacher. The lack of a so-called “strong music
program” sometimes becomes a source of discouragement for these pastors
when they see apparently good prospects for church membership gravitate
to other churches (the critical point of the decision being the music
program, and what the other church offered in terms of music). The
problem with such a pragmatic approach to the ministry of music in the
church is that it fails to recognize that every congregation of
Christian brethren, without regard for the size of its membership, has
a Minister of Music present at every scheduled meeting.
The Bible teaches us a
supernatural unity (oneness) exists between the One Who sanctifies
believers and those whom He is sanctifying (Hebrews
2:11). For this cause, the Sanctifier is not ashamed to call them
brethren. The writer of Hebrews proceeds to quote the prophetic words
of the Sanctifier as recorded in Psalm 22:22, saying: “I will declare
thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing
praise unto thee” (2:12). These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ
to the Father, both His and ours! He is resolved both to declare and to
sing in the midst of the church. Let the theologians and theoreticians
debate exactly how He does this. Personally, I take this to mean that
Jesus actually preaches with the preacher during his pulpit
declarations, and sings along with the singers of praise, whether
congregational or special.
In 2 Cor. 5:20, the apostle Paul
expressed the same spirit of collaboration (i.e., laboring together
toward a goal) in the phrases “as though God did beseech you by us” and
“we pray you in Christ’s stead.” In a very real sense, Jesus is present
at every scheduled church service as both Preacher and Minister of
Praise Songs! With this truth in mind, how shall we account for dull
church services that lack fervency in the preaching and praising? Could
it be a lack of collaboration? That is, could Jesus be working toward
one goal and the congregation another?
The Lord Jesus made His objectives
perfectly clear regarding the church services where He would be in
attendance. His primary goal for the preaching is to impact the
brethren with God-centered truth! His primary goal for the singing is
to impact the God of heaven with praise! The degree to which we
collaborate with Him in these two areas will determine (to a great
extent) the degree to which our ministries are pleasing and effective
in His sight!
I have noticed that the
Classified-Help Wanted sections of many denominational publications
frequently carry ads from churches for ministers of music.
Sometimes potential applicants are made aware that the church
desires a blend of traditional and contemporary music styles. In
others, the preferred style is strictly contemporary (i.e., advocates
of traditional worship music need not apply). What do ads that
distinguish between traditional and contemporary music reveal about a
church? They disclose that someone or something other than the God of
heaven has become the primary focus of the music! In other words, the
worship has become man-centered rather than God-centered!
The one principle that should govern
our congregational music choices is whether or not the Lord Jesus, the
chief Minister of Music, could offer it to the Father as appropriate
praise! Why would the brethren want to engage in that which the Lord
Jesus cannot endorse? Does this mean that contemporary music is
inappropriate? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that a music
program that is governed by its anticipated effect upon the worshipper
(whether traditional and contemporary) does not conform to the
expressed will of Christ!
Brethren, our primary concern for all
church music should be its anticipated impact upon the Father, and upon
His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! Every other consideration is secondary
in nature, and virtually meaningless if the first order of business is
obscured. The aforementioned double-duty pastor should take comfort in
the fact that he has the collaboration of Christ in both the song
leading and the preaching!
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