One of the distinctive characteristics of Churches of Christ has been a cappella (non-instrumental) singing in worship. For many of our members, this was not simply a choice or preference-- it was a matter of heaven and hell. We wanted to be Biblical, and that means that our every practice must be authorized by scripture. We develop a 3-step hermeneutic that raught that the Bible authorizes by command, example and necessary inference. Because the Bible authorizes the church to sing praises, then adding music is a non-Biblical and unauthorized addition to God's desires and therefore sinful and wrong. OK, sure this is an over-simplified explanation, but you get the idea.
Well, no issue is ever settled when you are a part of a church that denies the authority of tradition and encourages everyone to re-think and re-study everything. Many of our churches have rethought both the practice of instrumental music and our arguments against it. Some still believe it is a matter of sin. Many others see it is a matter of good vs better rather than right vs wrong. Still others see a cappella singing as our tradition and choice; while it is not the only tradition or choice, it is our story and we are sticking to it! But if it is a mater of choice... There are growing numbers of our churches that offer praise services using instruments as a choice in addition to their a cappella services. I heard one respected scholar 15 years ago say that once a generation sees a cappella singing as a matter of tradition or choice (and not truth), then the next generation will choose to use instruments. It seems that he was right.
I have mused over this issue before, so I won't reharsh all that. I am perfectly content with my a cappella heritage and have no plans to change that. However, on those few occasions when we can visit another on vacation, our choice of a church has nothing to do with the presence or absence of instruments. I have known many people who attended churches that use instruments though that was not their worship preference because the church fed them and gave them a place to serve. We have members here at Denbigh that prefer instrumental praise, but they continue to come here for other reasons (like the superior preaching!). If our churches are autonomous, led by their own elders who are committed to following God and leading His people, then if should not surprise us that different churches make different choices as well.
Who are we to judge the servant of another? Well. recently, one of our churches began offering an contemporary instrumental praise service as a worship choice. Some folks in other churches that were so upset about this that they raised $11,000 to public an ad in the newspaper attacking that church and its preacher. They weren't satisfied, so they raised $11,000 again and published a second full-page add that ran in the local paper. What were they thinking? Paul told the litigious-minded in Corinth, "If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?" (1 Cor 6:1).
Would not the cause of truth been better served had that $22,000 been spent on helping the homeless and feeding the hungry? Wouldn't that have better could the eye and heart of the world? Could we not handle our opposition to how another church does worship by, I don't know, going and talking to the brothers privately (Matt 18:15ff)? When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant out of wedlock, he was determined to put her away quietly rather than expose her to public scandal (Matt 1:19). When is the cause of Christ best served by stirring up a public scandal? What were they thinking?
Well, no issue is ever settled when you are a part of a church that denies the authority of tradition and encourages everyone to re-think and re-study everything. Many of our churches have rethought both the practice of instrumental music and our arguments against it. Some still believe it is a matter of sin. Many others see it is a matter of good vs better rather than right vs wrong. Still others see a cappella singing as our tradition and choice; while it is not the only tradition or choice, it is our story and we are sticking to it! But if it is a mater of choice... There are growing numbers of our churches that offer praise services using instruments as a choice in addition to their a cappella services. I heard one respected scholar 15 years ago say that once a generation sees a cappella singing as a matter of tradition or choice (and not truth), then the next generation will choose to use instruments. It seems that he was right.
I have mused over this issue before, so I won't reharsh all that. I am perfectly content with my a cappella heritage and have no plans to change that. However, on those few occasions when we can visit another on vacation, our choice of a church has nothing to do with the presence or absence of instruments. I have known many people who attended churches that use instruments though that was not their worship preference because the church fed them and gave them a place to serve. We have members here at Denbigh that prefer instrumental praise, but they continue to come here for other reasons (like the superior preaching!). If our churches are autonomous, led by their own elders who are committed to following God and leading His people, then if should not surprise us that different churches make different choices as well.
Who are we to judge the servant of another? Well. recently, one of our churches began offering an contemporary instrumental praise service as a worship choice. Some folks in other churches that were so upset about this that they raised $11,000 to public an ad in the newspaper attacking that church and its preacher. They weren't satisfied, so they raised $11,000 again and published a second full-page add that ran in the local paper. What were they thinking? Paul told the litigious-minded in Corinth, "If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?" (1 Cor 6:1).
Would not the cause of truth been better served had that $22,000 been spent on helping the homeless and feeding the hungry? Wouldn't that have better could the eye and heart of the world? Could we not handle our opposition to how another church does worship by, I don't know, going and talking to the brothers privately (Matt 18:15ff)? When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant out of wedlock, he was determined to put her away quietly rather than expose her to public scandal (Matt 1:19). When is the cause of Christ best served by stirring up a public scandal? What were they thinking?
6 comments:
I don't know what they were thinking. I do know that some support them. And I know that if I gave them money to be a steward of I would not be happy with the way they were misusing the funds. I would withdrawal financial support from them, less they be encouraged and enabled in their wrong doings.
22,000 dollars!That is like using an atomic bomb when a fly swatter would be sufficient! wasted!
I have heard it said what if the ark had been built of some other (strange wood)? that is wood that God did not instruct to be used. I have herd it said what happened to those who introduced (strange fire)? And I have heard it said and I know I must, worship Him in spirit and in truth. If the only way I can do that as I sing and make melody (and be in harmony with Him through his son) with the Holy Ghost hearing the groaning of my heart, if there is no one of like faith, who will I worship with? Must I worship alone less some find fault with something I do? What if I tap my foot or sway? Would someone see me and label me or take out an add against me and those around me? Must I bear the world alone, less some “brother” see me as I struggle and mark me as the enemy of the church as I worsip alone in spirit and truth! What if others followed my lead would the church die? God forbid that it should ever die! It will never die yeat the dead and dieing branches will fall away with thier traditions of themselves and they will damage the tree no more!
Who is responsible for my own salvation? Who will be held accountable if they turn my household away from the truth with their man made traditions doctrine, legalism and Hypocreaceae?
And their intrusive, heavy handed manipulative, bullying, tyrannical, terroristic, gossip in their public prayers and declarations of self rightousness will all fall away with them as they pass away. No matter how much effort they put fourth working to document things in their favor as they lift up thier own, it too in the eyes of eternity. . . will all in vain? the glory always has and always will belong to the LOrd of all!
The current congregation we attend uses instruments during worship service and I have come to really enjoy it. That being said, there are certain songs from Denbigh that were amazingly moving for me as well sung a cappella like "And Can it Be" (and plenty of others). That beautiful soprano/alto duet at the beginning doesn't need any instruments to help make it a powerful song. I also can't imagine singing songs like "Indescribable" or "Everlasting God" without instruments (although I'm sure Keri could come up with 4 parts pretty quickly).
My point is that I look at both instruments and our voices as gifts from God that can in turn be blessings for others when used in a manner that helps create a worship atmosphere pointed toward God. I am saddened that there are still churches turning against each other over this issue. What a powerful distraction tactic Satan uses to keep us from fighting the real enemy.
Being nearly completely illiterate about music as I am. I do not know how to intrepid it. Yet it is food for the soul and I know good music when I hear it, Keri makes good music and those she has been with make good music. That is all I have to say about Roger’s Keri and music. It is not about being entertained of creating an atmosphere for worship. Paul and those who were in prison with him didn’t need to create an atmosphere, they simply worshiped, even in their suffering there was that joy. Not from entertainment (there is nothing wrong with being entertained and uplifted) from musical instruments played well, Please, not during that time that we are worshiping our Lord together in spirit and in truth.) One must not cause offence to brethren or the Lord. Would any mind if I pull my harmonica out of my pocket and try to follow the leader as I play. Would that raise some eyebrows in any church that you attend?
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