Old Hymns Or New Choruses?
by
Roger Smalling, D.Min
This is my answer.
My Dear Brother,
Music is central to worship, so your question is not trivial. Worship in turn is a primary function of Christians, according to John 4:24.That is why it merits a lengthy reply.
Your disagreement with your sister may result in moving you both to do something that led you into the Reformed faith in the first place...re-examine your presuppositions. Coming to a solid conviction is a much more pleasant feeling than that of mere personal taste. But unshakable conviction does not come as easily.
I would like to propose three principles on which to base your decisions about music. All
music in the worship service should contain these three elements. These are:
GOD-CENTERED
CULTURALLY RELEVANT
ARTISTICALLY SOUND.
Each deserves a thesis in itself. Each is defensible from Scripture.
God-Centered
The purpose of a worship service, is WORSHIP. This seems self-evident but apparently it is
not obvious to many churches. The purpose is not entertainment. Nor is it to make us feel better.
Nor is it to attract sinners. All of these may occur during worship and frequently do. Yet they must
never be confused with the PURPOSE.
Remember, in a worship service, the only audience is GOD. We are there for His pleasure, His honor and His approval. We are playing for Him, not He for us. We are there not only to get a blessing, but to give back a blessing we have already received.
Is a song 'God-centered' if it focuses on our personal experience with Him? I mention this because some Reformed people feel that contemporary Christian songs focus too much on "ME" and "MY." They argue that the new praise songs are too man-centered because they emphasize personal experience with God, rather than God Himself. I'm not convinced they are correct. The Psalms are full of expressions about our experience with God. "I love the LORD, for he heard my voice." Psa. 116:1 Psalms like these are plentiful in Scripture and I count them as God-centered, even though the pronouns "I" and "me" are central. They glorify God in man's experience with God.
"God-centered" also means theologically sound. Songs must be free of doctrinal error, no matter how pretty the melody or popular the song. It is easy to end up preaching Arminianism through music and then Calvinism with a sermon. I've seen it done often, including in Reformed churches.
All worship should glorify God's attributes, particularly those He emphasizes in His word. Some attributes receive more emphasis than others.
In order of frequency these seem to be His holiness, His faithfulness to His Covenant people and His all-sufficiency. All of these are summed up in His Son, Jesus. I like to see these reflected in the music, whether old hymns or contemporary songs.
God-centered music is reverent. The concept of reverence is so central in biblical worship that it can't be defined as worship without it.
However, reverent does not mean solemn. Nor does it mean old. Reverence has to do with an attitude of great respect. It is possible to express great joy in a reverent manner. Reverence may even be loud."Shout unto God with the voice of triumph."Ps.47:1 Some imagine that because a chorus is sung with gusto and a rapid beat, that it is irreverent. Not necessarily so.
Culturally Relevant
What sense does it make to translate 16th century Scottish hymns into awkward Spanish and sing them in Columbia? Those hymns reflect a culture dead for generations. How much less are they recognizable by Colombians as something to which they can relate? Although our focus is on pleasing God, we must the impression that we hold to beliefs and practices totally foreign to the community around us. That is not honoring God either.
If we must translate English hymns into Spanish, at least do them in such a way that one might assume they were written in Columbia.
Artistically Sound
I abandoned the violin many years ago, to the relief of friends. So, I claim no expertise in music. However, I recall taking a college course in the History of Music. The professor explained the criteria used to evaluate the artistic merits of a piece.
These are: Originality, Melody, Rhythm and Balance. The piece must contain a melody or it is not music. It must have rhythm also. These two must be in balance, the one not overpowering the other.
We've often heard songs in which the drums are pounded so loudly it drowns out the melody. This is artistically unbalanced. It can easily occur when immature young musicians are allowed to play the music as they wish.
I am pleased you mentioned the drums in particular. Some churches do not allow them because some youth cannot resist the temptation to show off how cool they are.
Young people often like to participate in the worship ensemble because it gives them an opportunity to perform before an audience. We tolerate immature motivations like this, as we do other areas of youthful zeal. What is NOT tolerable is allowing young people to decide what music is to be played at the morning service or to play it in any manner they wish. Young people do not often have the theological comprehension or spiritual maturity to discern what is appropriate, nor even good artistic sense. This may be true even if they play an instrument well. Their participation must always be under the authority of the church elders.
You and I know how music is done in many evangelical churches in Latin America. The youth group, with a few fledgling musicians, picks out some lively choruses at random and plays them at the worship service. The result often appears more like a failed rock and roll group than a worship ensemble. This is hardly honoring to the Lord.
Should the music be fast or slow? Most worship leaders start with lively music and then lead into more solemn pieces, to prepare the people for the sermon. This seems to be a pattern which works well for many churches.
What then is the final answer to your question? Should you use contemporary songs or old hymns? Use both, as long as they meet the criteria above.
It is true that some contemporary choruses are superficial and egocentric. Likewise, not all old hymns have spiritual depth.
Whether you choose traditional or contemporary, remember this: "Stand fast therefore in the
liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
Ga.5:1
May the Lord encourage you there in Colombia.
In His bonds,
Roger Smalling
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