|
| Christian news worldwide |
 Home |
 Archives |
 Subscriptions |
 Adverts |
 Find a church |
 About us |
 Contact us |
 Site Map |
 PrintableVersion Worship in the melting potBabies and bath waterWORSHIP IN THE MELTING POT The author begins by setting out certain principles regarding Christian 'worship': it is to be spiritual, rational and sacred, 'in spirit and truth', and above all, reverent. The central chapters of the book are concerned with demonstrating that these key principles are thoroughly biblical. So far (generally speaking), so good. The red lights only start flashing in earnest when Dr. Masters begins to explain what he understands to be the negative counterpart of these positives. According to him, 'worship' is not to be aesthetic, ecstatic, profane, or emotional. Under these headings, he rules out, for example, the use of drums and guitars, the singing of choruses, or the raising of hands. The chief purpose of the book is to argue that origins in, or association with, secular culture renders such contemporary music and practices totally unacceptable for Christian use. Dr. Masters's underlying theology colours the whole book. In particular, his understanding of the Puritan Regulative Principle, though only once made explicit (p.101), guides the argument throughout. But this is the Regulative Principle imposed on Scripture (see, for example, the interpretation of Psalm 150 on p.64) and taken to excess in a way with which, I suspect, not even most of its supporters would agree. Little room for 'things indifferent' here! Little room for the understanding that, in the context of worship, the Lord has 'prescribed freedom within prescribed forms'. The book's biggest weakness, however, is that it is far from a rigorous treatment of the subject. Key terms are not sufficiently defined. There is, for example, no clear initial definition of 'worship', just an apparent assumption that it concerns what Christians do when they meet together, and especially what they sing together. Furthermore, there are far too many unsupported (and highly polemical!) assertions, especially about advocates of 'new worship', e.g. p.29, 'leading exponents of new worship ... speak against hymns as too cerebral and complex. They say that "meaning" obscures "feeling"'. Who says this, and where, and how representative are they? Such gross generalisations quickly add up to render the argument unconvincing and the book a frustrating read. They also cause me to wonder what exactly has been Masters's own experience of 'new worship'. Is he opposing it simply on the basis of having read the tabloid end of 'new worship' literature? Has he never encountered the many 'new' songs which do have thoroughly biblical 'depth'? Songs like Geoff Baker's 'On the Cross', Stuart Townends's 'In Christ alone', Geoff Bullock's 'Oh, the mercy of God', or John Pantry's 'Wonderful grace'? There is, we all know, much that is unacceptable and unworthy in the contemporary Christian music scene, and we do need to hear Masters's criticisms and concerns, especially his plea for reverence and 'depth'. But there is also much that is good in so-called 'new worship'. By all means let this book encourage us to throw out the dirty bath water, but let us first take care to rescue the baby and encourage it to develop to healthy maturity. Marian Raikes,
|
|
