Using Secular Songs
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Using Secular Songs
by Admin Wed Dec 07, 2016 8:47 pm
God created the Universe. God created humans. God created music. God allowed us to create sophisticated tools. Music is a communication mode that is strongly tied to memory and emotion. Ever hear a song that takes you back in your memory to a certain place and time in an instant? Sometimes that is good. Sometimes those associations are not helpful.
For example: There was a man who was a part of a Satanic cult but then became a Christian. Everything was fine until he walked into a church that was playing classical music, Bach to be exact. Bach was a devout believer whose impact on the world of music is still felt and studied to this very day. In this case, though, the man ran out of the church screaming. Why? Because that was the music they used to play when doing terrible unspeakable things inside the Satanic cult that he came out of!
Was there anything wrong with the music in and of itself? Nope.
Will that man ever be able to sing along and enjoy any of Bach's music ... It's hard to say.
Another man (and this one I know personally) was an unbeliever at the time of the Korean war and when he would open the church doors and the modern worship music would come pouring out over him, he would have flashbacks to when he visited the bars and brothels in Korea with the loud rock music that came rushing towards him in a similar way. It was very difficult for him. It was nothing intentional on his part.
I could go on.
The point is ... we need to know our congregation.
We have freedom in Christ to use any musical style (just like any meat, even meat that had been sacrificed to idols) ... we just want to be careful not to cause division or anyone to stumble because of it.
So you have to take each song one at a time and figure out how well it accomplishes it's purpose. In the case of congregational worship songs: Lyrics are most important: is it true, is it important, meaningful truth, is it well said, can people understand it, is it a model of healthy relational communication with us and God? ... and then music: does the music help to give voice to the words? does it enhance the communication? Is it singable? Does the past use/associations of the music/melody/... cause so much distraction that it's not worth singing? (kind of like having to explain a joke ... sometimes it's better not to tell it if you are going to have to spend a long time explaining or defending it as a joke ...)
----
On a side note... hymns were not secular drinking songs. That is a commonly held myth, but not true. Feel free to research it for yourself.
----
We still have freedom, however!
So bring it on!
For example: There was a man who was a part of a Satanic cult but then became a Christian. Everything was fine until he walked into a church that was playing classical music, Bach to be exact. Bach was a devout believer whose impact on the world of music is still felt and studied to this very day. In this case, though, the man ran out of the church screaming. Why? Because that was the music they used to play when doing terrible unspeakable things inside the Satanic cult that he came out of!
Was there anything wrong with the music in and of itself? Nope.
Will that man ever be able to sing along and enjoy any of Bach's music ... It's hard to say.
Another man (and this one I know personally) was an unbeliever at the time of the Korean war and when he would open the church doors and the modern worship music would come pouring out over him, he would have flashbacks to when he visited the bars and brothels in Korea with the loud rock music that came rushing towards him in a similar way. It was very difficult for him. It was nothing intentional on his part.
I could go on.
The point is ... we need to know our congregation.
We have freedom in Christ to use any musical style (just like any meat, even meat that had been sacrificed to idols) ... we just want to be careful not to cause division or anyone to stumble because of it.
So you have to take each song one at a time and figure out how well it accomplishes it's purpose. In the case of congregational worship songs: Lyrics are most important: is it true, is it important, meaningful truth, is it well said, can people understand it, is it a model of healthy relational communication with us and God? ... and then music: does the music help to give voice to the words? does it enhance the communication? Is it singable? Does the past use/associations of the music/melody/... cause so much distraction that it's not worth singing? (kind of like having to explain a joke ... sometimes it's better not to tell it if you are going to have to spend a long time explaining or defending it as a joke ...)
----
On a side note... hymns were not secular drinking songs. That is a commonly held myth, but not true. Feel free to research it for yourself.
----
We still have freedom, however!
So bring it on!
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Join date : 2016-12-07 -
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