The Music Exchange

Have you ever sat next to someone in church who sings like a yak with bronchitis? What can possibly be going on in their heart as they honk out 'I'm in that place once again' on a monotone?

I spoke on a Christian Union's house party a while ago, and we saw in the Bible that if we belong to Jesus, then whoever we are, whether we can sing or not, we have the most intimate relationship with God that we could ever hope for or deserve (1 Corinthians 6.17).

One of the students came to me afterwards and said, 'You know, this is really good news because I can't sing, and I thought I was missing out.' This comment made me ask why music has become such a potent vehicle for defining whether people are in an intimate relationship with God or not.

Instant gratification

The attraction of music is this: it gratifies instantly. It can give the heartstrings a massive old twang in the here and now. We have all experienced powerful emotions inspired by music at some point in our lives, whether singing along at an Abba tribute concert, or at the last night of the Proms, or in the bath. Music has the power to give us a fantastic feeling of well-being, national pride, deep reflection.

But with the power comes the danger. When we meet together as Christians, music can be a truly wonderful vehicle for truth if it is used to help the Word of God dwell in our hearts richly (Colossians 3.16). Music gives us the opportunity to give praises to our God and thank him for who he is and what he has done. However, when the music starts to take on its own spiritual significance, things have gone too far.

All too easily our emotions, inspired by the music, can become the blueprint for our experience of the presence of God. We judge our closeness to God by how carried away the music makes us feel. We may even have heard someone introduce a song by announcing: 'We're going to come into God's presence now as we sing this song'! Such a statement denies the fact that in Christ we are already in God's presence in a full and complete way.

It also makes the claim that in the music we somehow gain an access to him that we don't always have. In this way, music is given a status it should not have. It is glorified, rather than being a useful and beautiful tool to bring God glory.

What music should do...

This problem is far from new. Even as far back as the 13th century, music had become one of the main vehicles by which you were supposed to experience the supernatural presence of God. To-day, the story is no different: the mission statement of one of the leading song producers today is 'to help people worldwide experience the manifest presence of God'. This same company claims that the role of 'worship leaders' is to 'usher God's people into the presence of God himself'.

In contrast, the composer J.A.C. Redford said: 'While music is a wonderful gift, it makes a very poor god. It can sing of redemption, but it can't provide it'. Music can satisfy us for a short moment and if our taste permits. But then the moment is gone. However, the Word of God that judges the thoughts and hearts of man will never pass away. So, in his infinite love, God didn't send us music, or even a musician, to save us. Not an organist, nor a guitarist. He loved us much more than that: he sent Jesus Christ, who spoke to us the words of life, died and rose again.

If we are Christians, we are joined to Christ, and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts (1 Corinthians 6.15 & 19) now and for eternity. We can't get any more into his presence than that! Now that's something to get passionate about every day of our lives, whether we can sing or not. So keep honking, yak-boy.

Richard Simpkin

© Evangelicals Now - January 2004
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