**
This post is a response to
an excellent article over at the blog of Warwickensis. I encourage you to read his thoughts and patronize his blog.
I have dealt with this issue continually for probably 10 years. I have many Evangelical friends and occasionally visit their services at times when my church is not gathering.
If I offend you with either the tone or content of this post, please forgive. At those certain places in the following paragraphs simply imagine me sitting across the table from you. There is a smile on my face. I am speaking as one engaged in a friendly debate.
Anything you perceive as an attack on you, please do not take it as such. Imagine that I am trying to push your buttons a little. Again, as friend to friend, not as someone who is trying to harm you. We all tease each other sometimes.
I am just telling you that you spilled something on your shirt. If I tweak your nose when you look down, I won't blame you if you take umbrage with my immaturity. I only ask that you believe me when I say that there is no malice involved. But, seriously, you have something on your shirt.
{Rant Mode: Engaged}
The cultural and intellectual degeneration perpetuated, though not initiated, by Rock and Roll music has almost completely overwhelmed the Church in America (and I assume Britain). The inability to understand and articulate the Gospel and even the most basic doctrines of the faith, while not solely the fault of, is directly tied to the ubiquity of "Praise and Worship" "music" in churches (Roman, Anglican, Evangelical, etc.).
I am very thankful that both Anglican parishes where I’ve attended sing only hymns. It is painful to me to see otherwise intelligent friends fall into silliness and irrationality when it comes to music. The defenses that I have heard for P&W have caused my jaw to drop in disbelief. The vigor and emotion with which they defend this golden calf within churches are only outstripped by the vacuity of their reasoning.
And the whole idea of "blended worship?" Don't even get me started. Either have a rock concert or a service of worship. Either sink into the confusion and despair of Existentialism or rise in the likeness of Christ and sings songs that exhibit excellence, reverence and profundity of thought that has been enabled by revelation. Sing of the mighty acts of God in time and space. Sing of the acts and nature of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thank him that we can participate in the Son, through the Holy Spirit, unto the Father.
If Hymns and P&W were to have a fistfight, P&W would run away the second Hymns raised their hand.
People have asked me if I think that we can no longer write music and if we are stuck with the body of hymns written before the 20th century. First, the breadth of our hymns has not been broadly explored in generations. So, the idea that we would ever reach a point where every quality hymn has become over-used is ridiculous.
Second, there are very, VERY few people who have the requisite combination of gifts, intelligence and training in literature, poetry and divinity to offer the Church songs worth singing. The same goes for the musicians who would write the new tunes to go with our new songs.
I hear the protest, “You can’t say that only smart people can write songs for the Church!” Please, hush up. You’re embarrassing yourself. And if someone in the audience is going to quote the verse from Psalms that says, “Sing to the Lord a NEW song,” again, please, quiet yourself. The adults are trying to talk.
The music of hymns is absolutely better than the music of P&W. I will say that with no hesitation whatsoever. I’m going to have to disagree with those who think that it is simply a matter of taste. I assert that it is not a matter of personal taste. That is the kind of fuzzy, relativistic thinking that we need to be combating, not coddling.
If a kid is raised only eating junk food, his health will suffer and he will have no taste for those foods that would truly nourish his body. A compassionate and wise person would not indulge such a child. He would do whatever possible to help him see the danger of his inadequate and harmful nutrition.
The idea that there is no objective way to say that some forms of music are better than others is so obviously foolish that I feel like, on those rare occasions nowadays when I stumble into a debate on the subject, I’m talking to a child, a mentally-handicapped person or a college freshman who is in the middle of his first semester of politically-correct, “multi-cultural” indoctrination. I realize that I need to write more about this point. Let me get my thoughts together a bit more, and I will get back to you. This epistle was hastily written after I was inspired (?) by Warwickensis’s thoughts.
One more note: I listen to rock music. Do not read me as some post-modern Essene who is completely ignorant and unaware of music, movies, and TV. Who knows him some pop culture? This guy. A Snickers bar never killed anybody. Just make sure it’s not your main diet. Also, don’t ever serve one at a formal dinner with royalty.
{Rant Mode: Disengaged … For Now}
Labels: Music