When Lisa* invited me to her marriage re-dedication ceremony, at her new church, she gushed more over the churches' music than her husband. When I asked her what motivated her to leave her old church after fifteen years, her reply surprised me. Well, she said, the music is so amazing! I never liked the music at my old church. People sway to the music, they clap their hands and I am inspired!" She never did explain what she was inspired of.
Bill* was the exact opposite of Lisa. Bill had moved in with his son in Eastchester, N.Y. because he needed a little help. At 77 years of age his health issues necessitated moving in with family and living in a whole new community. He had been born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. and it was with deep regret he would be leaving behind friends at his church that he had known his whole life. His son, who did not attend church, was very supportive in helping his father find a new church home. The problem? The rock band / rock concert atmosphere of many of the churches he visited.
He told his son Dwayne*, five minutes after arrival at one such church, that he simply could not stay because he felt that the Church music might do permanent hearing damage to them both. He even followed up Monday morning with a call to a local environmental agency to check if it were even legal to play music that could possibly cause health damage to its' congregants!
Discussions concerning church music can get quite contentious with people passionate on either side. Some decry the lack of theology and focus of modern Christian music. Those folks feel the lyrics, sound and lightening often add up to a man-centered rather than a God-focused worship. On the other hand, those in the other camp disagree. Claiming instead, that some in the younger set don't even understand some of the antiquated language contained in some of those old hymns.
People on both sides agree that music often effects Church attendance and that various music modes can aide or detract from a Sunday worship service. What both camps never seem to focus on or understand is the damage that they are doing to the greater body of Christ. Would you deny the elders among you the comfort, understanding and closeness to God that they derive from hearing their childhood hymns?
Or what sensible grandparent in the group would rather their grandchild hear a raunchy and ungodly mainstream music lyric and not offer them the alternative that most modern Christian music can bring. Today, Christian artists are singing hymns to God in all the major music genres. These songs offer Godly perspective on the issues of our day. Oh, but the older hymns, while not as issue driven do offer quiet contemplative direction to the listener.
Get the point? This issue is creating segregated churches. You will see churches with primarily a younger congregation, with a few hipster senior citizens involved. Or, there are the churches with a primarily older congregation with a few young people peppered in. Any mature Church of God should be age representative of the community at large. You should see young to old represented in the pews. Jesus Christ declared that he wanted us all to be one in him. Why would we stop going to Church because we don't like the music? We would we oppose having opportunities for people to experience music that might be more understandable to them?
Selfishness, appears to be the answer. Sometimes in our quest for our perfect church experience, we forget what church is all about. We forget how different generations can enhance and teach each other many things. We have forgotten what it means to be a family in our greater society and so, we bring that to all our institutions, including our own churches. The church, on its' part, must be ready to teach godly principles of living, including the concept of serving others. To many people today service to others is some esoteric philosophical value.
Many have grown up in families which did not show what service to others really meant. Some may be in jobs or professions where it just seems to be "every man for himself." Our churches have a real opportunity to teach, nurture and set people in the proper direction. We must take that mantle of responsibility seriously and stop making things like music an obstacle to being closer to one another. Why not try to enjoy each other's music, so that we may better serve one another.
*names have been changed.
Bill* was the exact opposite of Lisa. Bill had moved in with his son in Eastchester, N.Y. because he needed a little help. At 77 years of age his health issues necessitated moving in with family and living in a whole new community. He had been born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. and it was with deep regret he would be leaving behind friends at his church that he had known his whole life. His son, who did not attend church, was very supportive in helping his father find a new church home. The problem? The rock band / rock concert atmosphere of many of the churches he visited.
He told his son Dwayne*, five minutes after arrival at one such church, that he simply could not stay because he felt that the Church music might do permanent hearing damage to them both. He even followed up Monday morning with a call to a local environmental agency to check if it were even legal to play music that could possibly cause health damage to its' congregants!
Discussions concerning church music can get quite contentious with people passionate on either side. Some decry the lack of theology and focus of modern Christian music. Those folks feel the lyrics, sound and lightening often add up to a man-centered rather than a God-focused worship. On the other hand, those in the other camp disagree. Claiming instead, that some in the younger set don't even understand some of the antiquated language contained in some of those old hymns.
People on both sides agree that music often effects Church attendance and that various music modes can aide or detract from a Sunday worship service. What both camps never seem to focus on or understand is the damage that they are doing to the greater body of Christ. Would you deny the elders among you the comfort, understanding and closeness to God that they derive from hearing their childhood hymns?
Or what sensible grandparent in the group would rather their grandchild hear a raunchy and ungodly mainstream music lyric and not offer them the alternative that most modern Christian music can bring. Today, Christian artists are singing hymns to God in all the major music genres. These songs offer Godly perspective on the issues of our day. Oh, but the older hymns, while not as issue driven do offer quiet contemplative direction to the listener.
Get the point? This issue is creating segregated churches. You will see churches with primarily a younger congregation, with a few hipster senior citizens involved. Or, there are the churches with a primarily older congregation with a few young people peppered in. Any mature Church of God should be age representative of the community at large. You should see young to old represented in the pews. Jesus Christ declared that he wanted us all to be one in him. Why would we stop going to Church because we don't like the music? We would we oppose having opportunities for people to experience music that might be more understandable to them?
Selfishness, appears to be the answer. Sometimes in our quest for our perfect church experience, we forget what church is all about. We forget how different generations can enhance and teach each other many things. We have forgotten what it means to be a family in our greater society and so, we bring that to all our institutions, including our own churches. The church, on its' part, must be ready to teach godly principles of living, including the concept of serving others. To many people today service to others is some esoteric philosophical value.
Many have grown up in families which did not show what service to others really meant. Some may be in jobs or professions where it just seems to be "every man for himself." Our churches have a real opportunity to teach, nurture and set people in the proper direction. We must take that mantle of responsibility seriously and stop making things like music an obstacle to being closer to one another. Why not try to enjoy each other's music, so that we may better serve one another.
*names have been changed.
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