As a church musician who enjoys many flavors of worship music and as I have experienced a skirmish or two in the “worship wars” myself, I have thought often on the subject of the church and her music. What peeves me the most are generalizations and overstatements.  Much of this, I think, is water swiftly flowing under the bridge. Why do I think that? Because when everyone is, in fact, singing the same songs, then we really aren’t fighting about this anymore. But the issue never really completely dies down as it is a practical one, a very visible one, and one I think we will repeat with great energy every generation.

1. One should not compare the worst of older songs with the best of newer songs.
2. One should not compare the best of older songs with the worst of newer songs.
3. A church should regularly sing the best of the older songs.
4. A church should regularly sing the best of the newer songs.
5. One should not judge a song based on the actions of the songwriter.  Think of King David.
6. Remember, unless Jesus wrote a song, every song ever has been written by a sinner.  Again, think of King David.
7. Judge not a song by its instrumentation, rhythm, or beat but by the content of its lyrics.
8. Condemn not a song by the theology of its author, but by the theology of its lyrics.
9. 95% of the songs you sing, new OR old, were probably written by people whose theology you could not fully agree with.
10. If you condemn someone for singing new songs from “unorthodox” sources then you probably should stop singing songs from old “unorthodox” sources.
11. Think twice before condemning a worship song, or rather check your Bible, you might be condemning God’s Words set to music.
12. Condemn not a worshiper based on the songs he sings, but whether he worships the true and living God in spirit and in truth.
13. Judge not a song by its use of repetition. See Psalm 136.
14. Remember that stringed instruments were one of the main melodic instruments in the Bible.
15. Coolness and relevance are not exactly Biblical categories but passion, excellency, integrity, honor, order, and decency are.
16. Tradition too is a Biblical category and generally commended in Scripture. Thus, good tradition, including the great songs of the faith, should be passed on.
17. Missions too is a Biblical category and always commended in Scripture. Thus, it is not wrong to translate the faith into the music of the day in order to reach out to this generation and pass the faith along to the next generation.
18. The Bible itself includes examples of co-opting culture where it is good and useful. See Proverbs 30 where Solomon includes the words of the unknown Agur. Or see Acts 17 with Paul on Mars Hill.
19. There really is such a thing as false worship. If your worship is not all about Jesus, then you need to melt some golden calves. It shouldn’t be about America, or the American dream, or your dream, or prosperity, or organs, guitars, drums, and other well-known idols. Keep it on Jesus.
20. Whatever works is golden-calf religion, remember it did get a bunch of ‘em to shout didn’t it? So that’s not good enough. Remember there is a way that seems right to a man… so we must exercise godly wisdom.
21. Scripture commands us to sing a new song to the LORD.
22. Setting the singing of songs against the preaching of God’s Word in worship or vice-versa leads to overstatement and imbalance one way or the other. One should not do it.
23. If it is ALL about the preaching then why is it that the last thing a preacher normally does is request a song to be sung?  See you shouldn’t say that sort of stuff.
24. Best way to say it, IMO: the preaching of God’s Word is primary but not solitary. It is the main course, but not the full meal.
25. The music and singing should not wear the congregation out so that they cannot keep attention during the preaching.
26. Church services should be Word-driven and Scripture-based in both the music and the preaching.
27. Reading Scripture during the music and singing is a great way to keep the worship focused on God and His Word.
28. All church music is contemporary. Contemporary is the present and means to belong to that age. Obviously, whenever a song was written, at that time, it was contemporary: it belonged to that age.
29. All (or most) older songs are not classics.
30. Most new songs will not be sung again five years from now.  Or ever.
31. One generation should sings the praises of God to another. No age group should entirely control the music of a church.
32. Great hymns and songs of the faith should be continued to be regularly sung. They are a part of providing a continuity of the Faith from one generation to another.
33. Hatred and anger is commended in Scripture only towards sin and unrighteousness. It is not a proper attitude towards someone else’s worship of Jesus Christ.
34. You don’t have to play your grandson’s favorite songs on your home stereo but you shouldn’t detest them.
35. You don’t have to play your grandmother’s favorite songs on your iPod but you shouldn’t detest them.
36. If you are old, you were once young, and if you are normal, you liked and enjoyed the music of the era of your youth. Remember that.
37. If you are young, and if God blesses you with long life, you will one day be old, and if you are normal, you will probably complain about the music the younger folks are listening to. Don’t forget that.
38. If it is sinful to use a rock beat or distorted guitar then it is sinful to use a country western beat and a steel guitar.
39. In like manner, if it is wrong to sound like Bono then it is likely wrong to sound like George Jones or Garth Brooks.
40. Nevertheless, if you’re serving in a church in Hazard County and most of the folks (and the kids) listen to the country station, then rock-band worship probably won’t fly. Be relevant where you are.
41. The church started going electric a long time ago, not long after Edison started building the first piece of the power grid in 1880.
42. The church started using lighting a long time ago, not long after Edison invented the first commercial light bulb in 1879. Otherwise, how would we have had all those Sunday night services throughout the years?
43. God loves light but not just bright lights. He obviously enjoys the big lights, like the sun, and lights contrasted against a dark sky, like the moon and the stars.
44. The Church needs a revival of creativity. Let’s use other’s stuff and write our own stuff. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery what does that say about our music? Let us become the creators, and they, the imitators.
45. That being said, music is a language.  And like Bible translations, to some degree, your music had better communicate in the language of the day.
46. Wisdom and discernment in song selection are always the order of the day.
47. There was great music written before AD 2000, or even before the 19th Century.  Shoot, there was great music written way back in 1000 BC.  See the Psalms: we no longer have the melodies, but we do have the lyrics.
48. Great music has been written after AD 1950 and even in the last decade. God hasn’t stopped anointing and inspiring people.
49. Whether you are old or young there are probably old songs that you’ve never before either. You should explore them too.
50. God actually loves and enjoys diversity.  Or He wouldn’t have made you.  Or me. Or millions of plant and animal species. See Genesis 1 and go watch Planet Earth.
51. The music of the church ought to preview the worship around God’s throne: voices of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. Again, diversity. God loves it.
52. God loves new stuff. He made the heavens and the earth but He’s also making new ones.
53. God is the Creator thus creativity that honors God is good. Again, see Genesis 1. Or Job 38-41.
54. Powerfully anointed music still needs to be played in tune, in the right key, and with solid rhythm.
55. Spontaneity may mean a change of plans, but not a lack of plans. Let the Holy Spirit anoint and guide your services but plan your services in decency and in order.
56. At the very least, the qualifications that apply for deacons ought to apply for worship pastors and music directors.
57. The godliness and spirituality of the worship pastors, musicians, and singers really is more important than their talents and abilities.
58. People in the congregation ought to be able to hear themselves singing.
59. People in the congregation should be able to understand the words that they hear being sung.
60. If you’re going to go through all that effort to put song lyrics on the screen then get them right, spell the words correctly, and change the lyrics on cue as the song progresses.
61. Most of the songs selected for a service should be known by the saints in the pew.
62. One should probably not introduce more than one new song per service.  Oh, I just said something like that.
63. On the other hand, if you go six months without learning a new song you are probably turning into a museum.
64. You may not realize it yet, but there is actually a recovery of the great songs of the faith underway.  That’s a good thing.
65. We actually need more songs written not less. From 1863 to 1915, Fanny Crosby wrote over 8,000 songs and hymns (and a number of secular pop songs as well), of which we have maintained maybe a dozen or so. All songs are not going to stick, so we need more.
66. The music, singing, and presentation of a church should beautify, adorn, and make Jesus Christ and His Gospel more glorious, if not, then stop it. Change it up. Get back on track.
67. The music and singing of a church should focus on God and drawing people into an experience of His glory.
68. The music and singing of a church should use lyrics that make truth memorable and embed it on the heart.
69. The shadow of the cross of Christ should fall often across the music of a church, and the blood of Jesus flows through its lyrics.
70. The church should regular sing anthems of the greatness, majesty, and holiness of God.
71. If the church can sing songs that ring with such praises as described in the previous two points and you can’t worship God and sing-along, where’s the problem?

It seems that God has raised up a number of creative writers who are authoring new great hymns of the faith, new choruses of worship, and new songs of praise and I am thrilled about it.  This all makes sense to me for God is the One who inspired through the mouths of the Psalmists to, “Sing Unto the Lord A New Song!”  I am thankful for new melodies, new harmonies, and new lyrical visions of worship.  And til Kingdom come, I don’t believe this will ever stop, and perhaps even then it will never stop…perhaps the music will just get better forever.

Now I understand that style is a tough one.  It is hard, and we must admit this, for someone to get along with a style that they do not like.  This is a major issue for the older generation.  It just does not sound like church to them.  I feel that pain, I understand.  Nevertheless, I want to ask: if we look carefully at the lyrics, the words, and if they are faithful to Scripture, can we not sing them by faith in worship to Jesus who is the head of the church?  If we have and will continue to sings the old songs of the faith, then please sing with us the new songs of our generation?  And if something is not faithful, then please take us aside and give us wise counsel from Scripture!

However, among a few young people I have noticed on occasion an attitude of spite and a yawning dislike for older songs.  This too is wrong.  Now, I understand that some of the older songs seem corny now.  The Royal Telephone no longer rings well to our ears.  It’s tough to be moved about camping in Canaan’s happy land or bringing in the sheaves.  Some songs simply will not last or stand the test of time by the Church’s usage.  On the other hand realize this: many of the songs that we sing today will fade away too and will sound corny to our grandkids.  And we will have to be the happy elders who will sing the faithful songs they will write forty years from now.

But all the old songs are NOT corny and many of them are simply great, having stood the test of time, and surviving for literally centuries as anthems of Christian truth.  So I ask you, my peers and friends, what songs do we keep singing?  What old songs are your favorites and should be in the church’s lasting playlist?  If you could pick 5 to keep forever what would they be?

I’ve got a few that come quickly to mind, but I don’t want to spoil the fun.  Please respond below leaving a comment!

I can remember once as a teenager being in a powerful service when after the worship and preaching and responding in the altars the “weight” of God’s Spirit was so heavy in the room and it was quiet and it felt peaceful, restful, and soothing sweet.  It felt as if you could cut the air with a knife.  I have never forgotten that moment.  Such moments can unite a congregation in response, repentance, worship, or hearing the voice of God together.

For this first part I take my queues from this video dialogue put out by Sojourn church in Louisville.  It is thought provoking.  Watch it first.

There are so many things to say and discuss.  Music has style, rhythm and beat, feel, key (majors, minors, etc.), instrumentation, volume, melody, harmony, and more.  Music is complex.  Let me start with this point that the above video mentions, that I found profound.

1. Music Soaks Up Context and That’s Just the Way It Is.

What in the world does that mean?  It means simply this: music that is repeatedly played in a certain place, type of venue, or event becomes associated with that event. Music, like a sponge, soaks up atmosphere, feeling, dress, language, place, etc. and can much later on evoke all those details.  That is why we have “bar music,” “elevator music,” “arena rock,” and of course “church music,” and this where jazz cafes, piano bars, and blues clubs all come from.  I didn’t know that rodeos had a specific kind of country music that got played at rodeos until I went to a rodeo-a big rodeo a few years back at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville.  I’ve never seen so many boots and cowboy hats in my life.  I was out of place, but it was fun.  Anyways, now when I think back to that rodeo, I can hear that sound, that music, playing in my ears.   That’s what it means for music to soak up context.

This is of course why rock and roll, for many listeners, has a lot of baggage that comes with it.  It originated in a specific era sung by specific people living less than ideal lives and singing and playing in certain not-so-wholesome venues about taboo themes.  Of course, the lyrics to many of the songs aren’t wholesome, but some of them are just fine, neutral, or even good. So we need to remember this.  Because styles of music get associated with certain contexts some people enjoy, or do not enjoy, those styles merely because of their associations.

However, over time music tends to lose its context.  So that when I was growing up, cruising around town in the back seat with mom behind the steering wheel running errands and listening to light 107.9 FM out of Indianapolis, and “Here Comes the Sun” plays over the radio, I did not know that it was a 20 year old song sung by a group of uber-popular but rebellious British pop rockers.  I was totally isolated from the original context and just thought – hey that’s a pretty cool song.  I just didn’t think about the Beatles the way my grandparents probably did.  Today, many of the artists, bands, and groups that were being railed against 20, 30, and 40 years ago are all being played on the oldies station today and nobody is using them as a sermon illustration any more.

2. Differing Contexts Generates Diversity, and That’s OK.

Church music is no different.  Specific types of “church” music has become associated with different church contexts.  A thousand years ago church music was a group of males with bowl-haircuts chanting in rounds.  The Puritans didn’t like instruments either since the New Testament had nothing to say about them, and I’ve met similar minded groups today.  Add instruments.  A pipe organ brings images of stone churches and solemn, generally quiet, assemblies.  Replace the pipes with a bouncing B3 and you have a hopping Gospel choir and people shouting.  Go back a bit and think of a man with an acoustic guitar, a lady with an accordion, and a girl with a tambourine and you get a tent revival meeting.  Put four men together singing parts, add piano, drums, and bass and you get a very specific kind of church music named for its geographic origination-southern Gospel.  Then there’s the full church orchestra and choir: a dozen or more trumpets, saxes, trombones, and percussion backing up 20-30 voices and you have the image of a large, established church, say Baptist or Pentecostal, around the year, say 1985.  Now replace all that with a worship leader holding an acoustic guitar, another guy on electric, a bass, drums, and two keyboards (all minus ties).  You get the point.  All of these descriptions evoke very different images of church music, atmosphere, aura, feeling, volume, and environment.  And yet they are all descriptions of people claiming to all be doing the same thing: singing songs to worship God.

We are all on this spectrum of style, context, and age. And what I think is really good church music that makes me feel spiritual and worshipful is not necessarily what makes other people feel spiritual and worshipful.  That’s just a fact.  All of us tend to associate the style of music and its instrumentation that we don’t like with a specific context that we think is “dead” or “old” or “new” or “boring” or “loud”…ad nausea.  And all of tend to associate the style of music and its instrumentation that we do like with specific context that we think is “lively” or “on fire” or “cool” or “anointed”…and so on.   We need to remember that everyone doesn’t like what we like, and vice versa, and we need to be humble about it.

This point is helpful because it helps us understand why the issue is so divisive. At each particular moment in time, some music is associated with the world, or with the country, or with the church (and then take that to the personal level of taste). Again time changes all that and mixes it all up. That’s been going on  for a very long time, at least since Martin Luther started taking folk songs and bar tunes and turning them into hymns!  For instance do you know what Gospel song shares the same tune as the folk song Danny Boy?

What we need to do is broaden our personal spectrum. Over time all of us tend to do this anyways. What music do you like today that you disliked five years ago? What artists and songs do you now enjoy that surprise you? That has happened to me many times over the years. But we need to do it intentionally. We need to understand that musical tastes are diverse and that’s ok, God made people different, He enjoys diversity. If we don’t do this we are making an idol out of some music style whether new or old.  If it is being done in the name of Jesus Christ and with a heart for worship to the living God, we need to step back and be careful before saying something, if anything.  Anytime we say that our form of music is that which is truly spiritual and worship we are essentially saying, as Harold Best stated, “my way is Yahweh,” and that is idolatry.  Well Yahweh (God) has been enjoying a variety of styles since the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea and sang a song of victory (Exodus 15).  The scene around the throne in Revelation 4-5 shows people out of every nation, tribe, and tongue singing the song of the Lamb.  That seems to say that God is right now enjoying the worship of those peoples in the styles they make music and sing and will bring that diversity into Heaven itself.  If God enjoys the diversity, we should too.  True worship is not based on style, but on the God who seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth.