Christian Music Conundrum - an Introduction

 

Music is central to much of American culture, and it is no different amongst Christians. We use music to for entertainment, socializing, and worship. It is so engrained in our lives that we seldom stop to consider anything about it. Sure, there are some old-school people that think that some music is “bad”, even so much as demonic, but this discussion often appears to be a fringe argument of the young against the old; boring dead Puritan ideals against a “living fire”; legalistic against “livin’ for Jesus”.

Many of us were raised in a home where, in music, a beat was bad. Mom and dad muted the musical interludes during movies, we weren’t “allowed” certain CDs in our house, and we all stood somewhat awkwardly during worship services when we visited friends’ more modern churches. We understood that some people just had it wrong, and we would obstinately push through life without electric guitars or drum sets.

Then… things would start to happen. A good, trusted, Christian-ly solid, friend would begin to listen to, horror of horrors, Casting Crowns. Or perhaps you began to listen more closely to some music that your family listens to and recognize, “Wait a second… this is actually just as rocky as some artists out there… even more than the Gettys!” Or maybe you finally heard a pop Christian song you could understand the words to, and thought “Wow; that’s a very poignantly stated Biblical truth. You could preach a sermon from that!” We started to ask “What’s wrong with it?”

Then we started seeing inconsistencies – the music was bad in some cases, but other songs that sounded the same to us were ok to our spiritual authorities. We would be told “We don’t listen to that artist because they’re immoral.”, yet Mozart was prominently played and even performed by members of our household. A few oldies songs with absolutely no spiritual value might be played by our parents, but our Christian songs that were just as musically subdued would be “off limits”. We started to ask “Why can’t I listen to it?”

Then… more things would start to happen. Some of our friends that had blazed this trail of listening to “modern music” would start making blatantly un-biblical decisions. You would look up one day and in shock say “What AM I listening to?” We would start looking more into the lives of these “amazing Christian artists” and questioning their real motives…

It is in this state that I begin to ask these questions:

·         What music can Christians listen to?

·         What music should Christians listen to?

·         What do I do about the people who condemn my choices?”

I will ask these questions with the following pre-suppositions; if you do not agree with these, please do not continue to follow these posts:

·         There are authorities in my life I must respect; even if they’re wrong, as long as they aren’t telling me to disobey God, I ought to honor them (Exodus 20:12, 1 Timothy 5:17)

·         God has an opinion about music – He is the author of it, and His principles that guide everything about life (including music) are in His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

·         Satan can twist anything and even deceive believers who have not imposed God’s truth on the situation (2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-14)

·         I COULD BE WRONG! I am going into this study with a certain view, but I am willing to be proven wrong; my own understanding could be incomplete. (Proverbs 3:5-7)

My Journey Far West... to the Far East

 

It has occurred to me that I have not done a journal-type blogpost for a while, and as the last two weeks of my life have been somewhat foreign (to myself as much as yourselves), I have taken it upon myself to write out an account of what has transpired over the last 14 days.

 

2 weeks ago from yesterday, I boarded a plane with a few compatriots, and we set out for the Orient. Now a grizzled veteran at this whole “travel to China thing” (which is to say, I’ve been a grand total of twice), I was quite comfortable with the prospect. A flight to Vancouver, then to Beijing, then to Chongqing were in store, and, as I found that I can sleep on a plane, the trip went rather quickly and well.

We arrived at the factory Tuesday morning. We jumped right in, qualifying parts, updating line layouts, and getting re-acquainted with our Chinese colleagues from Chongqing, Taiwan, and Shanghai. It was during this trip that I found that regional accents and dialects can be so different that initially, it was difficult for my colleagues from these different regions to communicate with each other.

This trip, I had one of my most unique cuisine experiences. At first, the proposition of eating grilled lamb seemed tame enough, but little did I know…

After consuming the lamb (which turned out to be goat; apparently, in the Chinese language there is no difference between the two domesticated animals…) over a grill using nothing but our hands (and occasionally a fork), we proceeded to the hot-pot portion of the meal.

Here, the items for our consumption got a little more interesting. All the leftover items from the barbecue were thrown into the stew, and not just the leftover meat: the skull, eyeballs, brains, heart, and intestines all, somehow, found their way into our pot. Due to their limited supply, I did not get an eyeball, but I did find that I can recommend both the heart and intestines of a goat (the brain is too mushy; wouldn’t recommend that bit…) while the flavor was somewhat bland due to the sparse flavoring in the broth, the meal was still one to remember.

The rest of the build transpired well, finishing a half-day early. We had a final closeout dinner, where my limited skill with chopsticks was put on trial and display – I don’t think I did terribly, but you’d have to ask the eight locals that were at my table. After the food we had toasts, karaoke (which wasn’t bad, but could’ve been better; I sang the last few lines of “What a Wonderful World”…), and an introduction to Mahjongg. I am still far from actually knowing how the game works, but I have had my first lesson, and I look forward to learning more.

 

Such has been my two weeks; I’ve learned a few more phrases in Mandarin, a few more foods to enjoy and stay away from, and a few more teammates’ personalities. I am happy to be home, but I look forward to going back as well!

 

The Body

I had a church service today that would, by many, be considered one of the best that could have ever occurred.

I began in a comfortable chair, a latte in my hand, and a high-quality, Bose sound system. When the worship team came on, the congregation knew they were in for a treat: we had appearances by Philips Craig & Dean, the Irish Tenors, and 4Him. They played some of my favorite songs, including How Deep the Father’s Love for Us, and The Promise. Even in the midst of China, thousands of miles away from home, my spirit was definitely lifted.

When the pastor walked on-stage, there was almost an audible gasp as John Piper began to discuss the text. One of the giants of the Faith in our age, all knew that His preaching would be Scriptural, sound, and profound. His trademark passion was not long in surfacing as he relayed the Word of God to us.

And then, the service got even better as Pastor John turned to one of my most favorite passages, 1 Timothy 3. After having completed a Bible Study a few years ago about the qualities of Elders, it has been a wonderful self-examination passage about how I, as a Christian man, ought to act. Pastor John delved into the roles of elders in the context of the Church, taking a new perspective that, while definitely Biblical, I had not considered.

The closeout songs were Psalm 67 by the Sons of Korah, and New Jerusalem by Michael Card. As the last notes of their songs faded, I breathed a great sigh of contentment.

And yet, something was missing. The worship? Fantastically reviewed the greatness of God. The teaching? Eloquently presented with passion and joy. The doctrine? Biblically founded and consistent with the Word of God Himself. What could possibly be missing?

When we sang, there was no real “we”, just myself, no companions with whom I could corporately be in awe of God, and the worship service was nothing more than a Windows Media playlist. When Pastor John came on to speak, I knew there would be no chance to clarify and continue his sermon, because he was gone when the sermon countdown timeline hit 0:00. After the service, there were no friends to share the lesson with; nobody who could present an anecdote about how they saw God’s hand in relation to the sermon; nobody that could perhaps challenge me further, to continue to pursue God in the context of the sermon we’d heard, because I was sitting by myself in a hotel lounge. Despite the seemingly perfect service, I was incomplete.

“But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you”. – 1 Corinthians 12:20-12

I don’t think this verse is strictly talking about capability. There are plenty of one-man-shows and lone wolves out there who, especially empowered by Christ, can do anything; sometimes, we are called to this. However, it is not our “social animal” nature that makes Christians this way. We were created to be part of a body. Sustained by God’s power, an eyeball could survive on its own, but that’s not what it was created for. In the same way, a believer may survive on his own (and God), but this is not what He was created to do.

“Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:24-25

I look forward to coming home, but not because of home-sickness, dislike of the weather, or the food not agreeing with me. I am eager to return to my Body; I thank God for it, and am blessed by it.

I’ll see you soon.

The Sovereign Plan

Have you ever thought about the sovereignty of God’s ordering?

I mean, the Westminster Catechism is extremely clear

“The decrees of God are His eternal plan based on the purpose of His will, by which, for His own glory, He has foreordained everything that happens.”

We all know this; those of us who have grown up in Christian homes are taught that God has a plan for everything that happens. This is generally told to us as a reassurance, but have you ever thought to stop and think about the amazingness of it?

When God created the universe, it’s interesting to look at the order of Creation. Earth, light, and water came before plants (because the plants needed all these things), and plants came before animals (because the animals needed all the things plants needed, and then the plants as well).

We can look at creation, God's eternal plan of salvation, the course of history and say to all of them "Wow, it's amazing to see how God ordered history." But did we ever consider how He's ordered our personal lives? His plan for each of us is just as important, intricate, and planned out as all of history itself.

Did God ever teach you something that you thought was insignificant? I mean, sure it was a “good” lesson, but didn’t really appear to have any relevance at the time. Then, down the road, you recognized it was a necessary skill to have for a challenge that God sent you through. God always paves the way – He knows exactly what we need to get through the life He’s planned out for us.

Perhaps you once received something that meant nothing to you; later, however, it became key to fulfill something God had for you to do. Sometimes it comes in the form of a skill – something you learned to do, but didn’t really end up using until you were in trouble; and it saved you. Maybe it was some role models you had; personalities that you attempted to emulate and it turned out that those were traits that you needed for a ministry.

God knows what you need and when you’ll need it, and it’s important to recognize that even when we have no idea why he brought us through something, He’s got a plan for it; likely something we never would have thought of. None of the angels could have predicted what God was planning on using water for, but when Adam first took a drink of the life-giving fluid, they understood. God prepares us for anything we’ll go through; it’s comforting to rest in that.

Fairytale Part 9 - The Thought Plickens

 

For Part 8, click here

Ben, this next bit isn't very long.

I know, it's a development section.

Why do you always get to write the shorter bits? Do you know how long it takes me to interview 7 dwarves about an event?

...you do what?...

 

The seven brothers followed Fred’s tracks up to the gates of their castle. They were quite surprised when they found the gates closed and locked. They blew their horn and hollered till they were horse. Finally, Napoleon approached the gates, and seeing nothing but 7 furious stallions, simply shrugged and told them all to shoo away. After threatening to send the dogs after them, the 7 brothers huffed and puffed and galloped away.

“What do we do now?” Alexander whinnied.

“Well,” replied Dorky, “Let’s head back to the hunting lodge; we’ll sort things out from there.”

And so, they all cantered back to the hunting lodge. Stopping at a stream, they were able to relieve their horse-ness and so arrived at the cottage in their more human form.

Upon their arrival, they were shocked to see Snow White there, sweeping, dusting and cleaning the day away (she had a natural horror of all things dirty). The dwarves, apparently no longer employed at an evil castle, decided to let her stay.

Meanwhile, back at the castle, Fred had introduced himself to the HR Manager. Thrilled at the prospect of employing a talking wolf, Napoleon instantly offered him a very competitive salary for Resident Evil Creature, complete with Eye and Dental plans. Fred, somewhat confused at his turn of fate, quickly accepted the offer. Because his wolfish eyes worked better in the dark, he quickly implemented a black-out policy, whereby all the shades were drawn, no more than necessary lighting was lit, and the “day” shift was to begin at 8:00 at night. Napoleon implemented all of these policies, excited that his new hire was doing an impeccable job of eviling.

After seeing Rose Red faint, the stepmother was in a state of ecstasy. This was partially due to the fact that she knew it was not from fright, but rather, while she had been backing away, she had inadvertently placed her hand on her stepmother’s spinning wheel. Knowing that the spindle was poisonous (made of hemlock), the stepmother knew that they would need assistance.

So she screamed for help.

...wait, so Ben, Rose Red is Little Red Riding Hood, who is Sleeping Beauty?

That would be correct.

...but... there's no prince to wake her!

Josh, Fred had brothers...

...oh...