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Rambling's From The Rev. |
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Pastor Jim
Johnson Music & Worship |
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Since I started seminary, 18 years ago, and prior to my starting, the Lutheran church has been struggling with music and worship – often referred to as “worship wars.” Some have offered a variety of styles of music in worship and been criticized as selling out to a market mentality. Others have resolved to continue to only offer the prescribed liturgies out of the Lutheran hymnal accompanied by the organ, or maybe, sometimes, by the piano – they have been criticized as being too stuck in their ways and married to tradition, rather than to the faith it expresses. Such finger pointing and name calling is only hurtful and not helpful, but it points out how near and dear to our hearts worship and music is to everyone.
As I was driving in my car the other day, I had a revelation. My twelve year old (going on seventeen) son and I were listening to and enjoying the same music on the radio. I realized at that moment that my dad and I never shared an interest or pleasure in the same music. I’m quite sure my dad and his father did share a common interest in the same music, but there was a break in commonality between my dad’s generation and mine. There was a distinct shift and break in a commonality between generations with the introduction of rock and roll. Prior to rock and roll, people had a much greater appreciation for classical music, jazz, and big bands. With the introduction of electrical instruments, people’s tastes changed – people of younger ages, generally, were who embraced it.
Those shifts have now found their way to the church. For a long time the church kept their worship based on classical music and instrumentation. While some dabbled in providing folk type masses, it wasn’t “rock and roll.” Largely, people accepted that music in worship was to be different than what you’d hear on the radio, but that has changed. As more and more generations, who have not been raised on classical music or instrumentation, come into the church, they are not only willing to have rock and pop music in church, they will in fact seek it out. Fewer and fewer of the younger generations are interested or willing to worship where music is not familiar to their tastes and likings, just as older generations generally have no interest in worshipping where the music is not to their likings.
As I’ve reflected on these changes, one observation I offer is that the style of music and the instruments used is not so much about a right vs. wrong, but about familiarity and comfort. To some, the organ or possibly piano is the only appropriate instrument in worship, yet in Scripture they used the lute and the lyre, or harp, and maybe even cymbals (Ps. 92 & 150).
The challenge the church faces today is offering music in worship that honors the past, is open to a changing future, but always, always, faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ in its message. Sometimes it is necessary to provide such offerings separate from one another, and in few instances they’re able to be integrated. In all instances, I pray, there may be charity and tolerance toward others who desire music in worship that may differ from one’s own preference.
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