Church-Musick

SWEETEST of sweets, I thank you when displeasure
Did through my body wound my minde,
You took me thence ; and in your house of pleasure
A daintie lodging me assign'd.

Now I in you without a bodie move,
Rising and falling with your wings :
We both together sweetly live and love,
Yet say sometimes, God help poore Kings.

Comfort, 'Ile ; for if you poste from me,
Sure I shall do so, and much more :
But if I travell in your companie,
You know the way to heavens doore.

--George Herbert

"Here was a man who seemed to me to excel all the authors
I had read in conveying the very quality of life as we live it
from moment to moment, but the wretched fellow, instead
of doing it all directly, insisted on mediating it through
what I still would have called the "Christian mythology."
The upshot of it all could nearly be expressed, "Christians
are wrong, but all the rest are bores."
-C. S. Lewis

Rejuvenation for LCMS Churches

Bryant and I have been attending a series of "Rejuvenation" meetings for LCMS churches, and it's really made me think about what the church is, what it does, and why people attend (or fail to attend). LCMS churches in the city are declining in membership to an alarming degree, retaining mostly an aging population. Young people, for the most part, are not staying in the church or finding themselves attracted to it.

Most of us simply go about business as usual, not realizing that the church is approaching the day when it must close its doors because of a lack of interest. Is it our fault? Is it the fault of parents who did not pass on their dedication to the house of God? Is it the fault of pastors who missed the mark in their ministry? Can we simply blame it on the world for presenting its strong temptations and persuasive heresies? Or has Christ "removed the candlestick" as He promised in Revelation? If parents "drop the ball" in relaying their faith to the next generation, what feat of wits or strength can restore it? If no one presents these riches of faith with the proper reverence and passion, how can a lost generation re-discover it? It would take nothing less than a miracle, such as the story of Ezra; yet, God can do that too.

The church has so much to offer its people, and yet most of us go through the motions and do not reflect on the riches available to us. We criticize the cheap marketing tricks and gimmicky attempts to "sell" Christianity in a watered-down form, but what is the legitimate means to helping people understand the depth of God's love? You see I have more questions than answers at this point. I invite you to respond with ideas and an outside perspective.

Pilgrim Lutheran's German Sing-Along

The first-ever German Sing-along at my church (68th and Center) was a great success. Even though we didn't advertise extensively, we had a turnout of perhaps thirty to thirty-five people, all eager to sing traditional German Christmas carols familiar from childhood.

Rather than bothering with reams of paper, I simply put the lyrics on PowerPoint slides, and took advantage of Pilgrim's newly purchased projector. We began with a quick pronunciation tutorial just to refresh our memories, and Pastor Peckman helped navigate the slides. We sang about twenty-five of what I thought were the most familiar carols, and I thought we could have used a few more. Bryant helped with just about everything, even setting up snacks for the informal social time afterward.

It was a superb time of fellowship and most of our guests were able to meet new people, increasing their German-speaking contacts. We do plan to hold a sing-along next year, so we're open to suggestions for improvement, whether on repertoire, timing, or format. Thanks for making this so much fun!

The Challenge

I love my work as a church musician--I was inspired enough to earn a master's degree in church music. Those who know me understand that I work very hard to imrove my musical skills as I can: I sing in a chamber choir and take organ lessons. Someone recently asked me, "Don't you get impatient working with novice musicians?"

I thought about that and realized I didn't.

In the church, people bring to the table whatever musical foundation they have. I can't change their backgrounds, but I can work with what we have. I can play the role of a coach, and help people make the most of their gifts. I can choose music that suits their needs. I can make them feel good for contributing and doing their best. For some, I can offer lessons one-on-one, and naturally, everyone receives skill benefits from ensemble work. Just as a coach develops affection for the members of his team, so I appreciate each person who does his best to bring glory to God. Quite frankly, I applaud anyone who contributes to my music program. Far from being put out, I'm blessed to be able to coordinate and facilitate all of that activity.

Matthew 21:15-16 "And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"

It's not entirely clear from the text whether the chief priests and scribes were displeased because Jesus was called "the Son of David" or because the chant annoyed their elite ears--perhaps both items offended them. Yet, reminiscent of the widow's mite, Jesus royally accepts praise from the least skilled who love Him. He Who made them fully comprehended that they indeed offered their best, and He asked no more.

Wanted: Traditional Worship

This hard-hitting post blasting contemporary evangelical worship from Ingrid Schlueter on Slice of Laodicea makes me smile, but I have to nod in agreement with many of the points she makes. I find myself growing very tired of the collective irreverence for the Divine and the sacred in modern American culture, and long for a return to serious worship. The element that so attracts me to traditional, high-church-style liturgy is its treatment of God as holy, righteous and powerful. It inspires a fear of God and puts everything in a Scriptural perspective. May we as a people repent of going our own way and turn back to the God Who loves us and sent His Son to die in our stead.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est

Why do churchgoers rush out the door after church? (Duties discharged—I'm on my way.) Why don't we stay and talk to one another? Are we so caught up in our personal universes that we can only spare a meager hour for God and His people? What makes us so uncomfortable in the House of the Lord?

In the culture today, finding a sense of community and belonging can be very difficult, and the majority of Americans somehow don't expect to find it in church. I find the widespread lack of sympathy disturbing. Does anyone else?

Make no mistake: the primary purpose of a church is to worship and serve the Living God. However, an indispensible component of serving God is treating our fellow human beings well. In the words of Christ: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." As believers, we are the body of Christ, made of disparate parts, but designed to function harmoniously. God has no patience with elitism and what James calls the "respect of persons." The value of a person cannot be based on his financial or social standing. The local church ought to be a place where anyone can find sympathy, compassion, and life-giving counsel based on the Word of God.

Sometimes Christians are shy and afraid to reach out, and then they blame other Christians for "being cold" toward them. Proverbs offers some excellent advice. "He that hath friends must show himself friendly." Selfishly, we often seek not so much to understand as to be understood. As humans, we feel our own need for sympathy so deeply, but others' rather slightly. Loving others means being aware of the needs of people around us, and attempting to serve those needs whether we feel like it or not. It means being a giver and not a taker—characteristics of a mature individual. Are we up to the challenge?

Do you think strangers likely feel welcomed at your church? Within the circle of believers, there should be time set aside to consider how to offer hospitality and fellowship not only to one another, but to strangers in our midst. Hebrews 4 reminds us, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for some have entertained angels unaware." In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the Bible says that "God added daily to the church such as should be saved." God brings people to church through various means, and we become part of God's work when we reach out in love to those who seek Him.

On a slightly deviant, yet related point, I think church leaders should be aware that age segregation has succeeded in depriving us of some of the richest expressions of human culture. We miss so much when we avoid the cross-pollination of age groups: the seasoned perspective and unique wisdom of seniors, the brightness and enthusiasm of youth. Successfully integrating people of all ages greatly enhances the socialization experience for everyone.

Certainly, the future of the Christian church depends on our ability to reach out in love, both to fellow Christians (our brothers and sisters) and to strangers and seekers. We not only represent Christ to the world, we are called to be Christ's Body and function as His hands, His arms, His feet. We, therefore, must love as He loved.

UBI caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Exultemus, et in ipso iucundemur.
Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

Good News/Bad News for the Pastor

Good News: You baptised seven people today in the river.
Bad News: You lost two of them in the swift current.

Good News: The women's group voted to send you a get-well card.
Bad News: The vote passed by 31-30.

Good News: The pastor-parish relations committee accepted your job description the way you wrote it.
Bad News: They were so inspired by it that they asked the bishop to send a new minister capable of filling the position.

Good News: The trustees finally voted to add more church parking.
Bad News: They are going to blacktop the front lawn of the parsonage.

Good News: Church attendance rose dramatically the last three weeks.
Bad News: You were on vacation.

Good News: Your biggest critic just left your community.
Bad News: He has been appointed as your conference bishop.

Good News: The youth of the church came to your house for a visit.
Bad News: It was in the middle of the night and they were armed with toilet paper and shaving cream.

Good News: The Church Council has agreed to send you to the Holy Land for study.
Bad News: They are waiting for war to break out before sending you.

Defense of Proper Education for Those Who Minister in the Church, Part V

Those who prefer good intentions to competence always ask, “Is it not true that clever men are more likely to be untrustworthy?” hoping to instill a distrust of higher learning.

How many times do we find ourselves in the position of having to trust someone more intelligent or better informed—shall we say, an expert—than ourselves? We consult doctors, lawyers and accountants for matters requiring specialized knowledge that is beyond the ability of the common person to completely understand—how much more the ancient document recorded in foreign languages that most of us only glance at a few minutes out of each day? Ultimately we must trust in someone of superior knowledge; we have the responsibility of choosing wisely the object of that trust. (God does not require a blind faith; we exercise a faith grounded in reality and truth. There are always clues to guide our choices; faith simply bridges the gap between our experience and our hope.)

Anti-intellectuals often observe that we live in a culture where seminaries are becoming increasingly disrespectful in their approach to the Word and apostate.

Hypocrisy, lies, or false teaching do not change what is and will always be true. The responsibility lies with the student and his mentors to determine the underlying suppositions of his teachers, and to seek out teachers who respect the divine inspiration of the Holy Bible. It goes without saying that not all seminaries are apostate!

Christians are called to be in the world (though not of it) and to be salt and light in whatever environment they find themselves.

A common misconception is that Christian ideals are at odds with academic ambition. Are we not to love the Lord with all our minds? No anti-intellectual culture could have produced a J. S. Bach, a Milton or a Kepler. They made a point of casting their crowns before Christ and dedicating the fruits of their minds to His service. Again, Paul exhorts Timothy to “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.” Surely it is God Who grants gifts of the mind, and He expects us to invest our talents wisely.

Does not God show His glory (and therefore work better) through weakness?

The attainment of an advanced degree does not prevent any person from being a “weak vessel.” We make a faulty assumption when we imply otherwise.

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Notice who is saying this: someone we all too frequently assume was “strong,” a highly educated man and master of theology: the Apostle Paul, who had the ancient-world equivalent of a Ph. D. Why does he call himself weak? Was God not able to use his education in a mighty way? History demonstrates that God used every painfully acquired skill Paul was able to bring—from skilled debate and passionate persuasion in the public square to the humble trade of tentmaking. And yet Paul calls himself weak, and so he was, being human and subject to like passions as we are, but he also knew the undergirding of God’s strength. God, in His infinite wisdom, saw to it that the greatest missionary of the first century was adequately prepared for the work.

The teaching of God’s Word must be held in high esteem and those who essay to teach it must be held highly accountable for their handling. The Word must be understood in its original intent, its absolutely objective meaning; must be handled seriously as a historic document inspired by a Holy God. It is a serious undertaking that requires the best linguistic and research skills developed by human civilization. Any careless, lighthearted approach is an insult to our God and the Christian faith, not to say damaging to Christ’s beloved flock.

Remember Christ’s test of Peter’s love for Him: “If you love Me, feed my sheep.” Sheep were not merely bumbling, clumsy creatures; they were and are the main form of wealth in the Middle East. When Christ calls his people sheep, He implies that they are precious to him in the same way sheep were valuable to their owners. We cannot make the mistake of thinking that any old fodder will do for these sheep. We may be sure that “hirelings” will give account to Christ along with the faithful pastors.

Defense of Proper Education for Those Who Minister in the Church, Part III

Those who distrust education love to point out that in the past, God has used people with little or no education.

Without a doubt, God can use anyone, and He delights in surprising the world with unlikely candidates. Please note that even the wicked accomplish God’s purposes, but this does not expunge their accountability to answer for their wickedness. If a man withholds himself from the preparations to qualify him for ministerial service, God CAN use him—but it may not be in the way that the man hoped or that was ideal.

Some of the mightiest figures in the Inspired Record were highly educated men: Moses, raised in the courts of Egypt (and yet God preserved him so that he was not drawn away by temptation), Daniel, who arrived in the Babylonian palaces with advanced knowledge, and received the finest training Babylon could provide, and of course Paul, who studied at the feet of Gamaliel. We must not rush to the conclusion that God cannot or will not use men and women of letters.

Consider the Parable of the Talents: this literally speaks for itself. It is God who gives gifts of the mind, and if we fail to invest and use them for God’s glory, we will face our Lord’s displeasure for wasting precious resources.

Another fallacious argument is that the disciples were uneducated men.

Consider that those who were fishermen spoke, minimally, two languages in order to conduct business. They not only performed manual labor, but they were involved in trade, commerce and negotiation. They knew a thing or two about human nature; they would not have been easily taken in by some passing charlatan.

We may surmise that Matthew, the tax collector, had advanced accounting skills, sufficient for “cooking the books” (Matthew 9:9-12). Luke, of course, we know as “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). These men were hardly unintelligent or ignorant, even though they may have lacked the formal training of the day.

Finally, the disciples spent three years undergoing a “seminary” education by the master Teacher himself, who undertook to prepare His men for their task.

Worship vs. Service, Part II by Dr. Paul Hunsicker

Once again, Dr. Paul Hunsicker pastors Christ Lutheran Church in Abbotsford, Wisconsin, and strange to say, he does exactly what a pastor should be doing in this age of apostasy—he rebukes false doctrine. It is with joy that I reprint this article for all of you.

Words of Faith # 51, For August 4, 2004

In what is presented as worship today, there is a great deal of idolatry in the form of man worship and self worship. Why do many people assemble in some places? Because of the entertainment factor and because of the self-satisfaction that is found in certain “worship” activities.

Listening to a variety of music which is played on Christian radio and then used within some worship contexts, we notice a disturbing number of times the word “I” is used. When “I” takes the place of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in the vocabulary of songs, the song must be carefully analyzed and a determination made as to who is at the center of the song.

Having written that statement, I would encourage you to go to the Psalms for seeing and understanding the proper use of the word “I” within worship. The Psalms are filled with the word “I” being used to show the writer’s relationship to the God Who has provided a particular writer with some form of blessing or salvation. The Psalms demonstrate the proper use of the word “I” within the hymnody of the church.

Compare the Psalms with much of today’s Christian music and you will find a marked contrast. “I” in today’s “Christian” music points God to the person, the person’s work, the person’s activity, the person’s faith. This is a form of idolatry, the worship of man. When man holds up his/her accomplishments or attitudes or faith to God, expecting God to respond to what the human being has done, the realm of Christianity has been abandoned. This is the problem with most of the popular “Christian” lyrics today.

The music of the day is certainly upbeat and pleasant and even inspiring in a secular fashion. The problem is people simply enjoy the music, get caught up in singing a catchy tune, and do not pay attention to the idolatrous words which accompany the melody. They love singing something which pleases the ear while ignoring the damage done to the concept of faith in Jesus as the only Saviour from sin. The worshipper imagines that because they “feel good” about the tunes, what they did was pleasing and acceptable to God. Human, fallible, sin-infected emotions are usually wrong.

What constitutes Christian worship? When the entire activity, vocabulary, movement, motion, and whatever else goes on is all directed away from man and to God, and when those same activities, vocabulary, movements, motions, and whatever else opens man up to receive blessings from God, you have Christian worship.

Look carefully and analyze what you hear and read and sing. Reject everything which gives man any credit for anything to do with salvation and forgiveness. Hold on to everything which gives God all the glory and all the credit for a cross-established forgiveness and salvation. In that way you will always have the confidence of knowing that you are worshipping Him and not yourself.

The Christian should always want to say, “Soli Deo Gloria” (to God alone the glory).

Defense of Proper Education for Those Who Minister in the Church, Part II

The modern evangelical Christian finds it more desirable that the ministerial candidate have a high emotion (i. e. a “heart for God”) than a solid intellectual foundation; I contend that we cannot sacrifice either.

To advocate such a view, one must ignore Jesus’ answer to the Pharisee who asked: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). God does not call us to apportion off parts of our inner being and say that one is more important than the other. God created humans not only with hearts but also with heads, and expects them to use both. We err when we equate mere emotion toward God with true devotion; proper feelings toward God arise from proper thoughts about God which, by definition, must be informed by holy Scripture.

I assert that it is impossible to have a proper emotional response to truth apart from a deep knowledge of that truth. To have a relationship with God, we must avoid thinking vaguely about Him and His ways—we must gain knowledge of sound doctrine from His Word. (II Timothy 2:15) The regenerate heart will leap at the sound of the Shepherd’s voice, and that voice may be heard distinctly through the study of sound doctrine. The Word has much to feed hungry minds, and in feeding the mind, will transform the heart. We make a grave mistake in eradicating the intellectual element from our glorious religion.

Let us please to recognize that spiritual sensitivity does not in and of itself qualify anyone for ministry. Ministry requires certain gifts and specifications recorded in Scripture (Timothy 3). The prophet-king David was certainly spiritually sensitive, yet he was not allowed to serve as a priest, or even to build the Temple. Women are not allowed to serve as ministers in the Church, although many of them may be spiritually sensitive (I Timothy 2:12).

Additionally, the “heart for God” is a quality not to be credited to an individual. It is evidence of God’s work in the heart of an elect believer. Proverbs 21:1 says that even “the king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” If salvation is of the Lord, how much more sanctification? I do not imply here that believers have no responsibility, for the Word has given many instructions, but simply that a human dare not take the credit for what God has accomplished in the life of a believer.

Worship vs. Service, Part I by Dr. Paul Hunsicker

Dr. Hunsicker pastors Christ Lutheran Church in Abbotsford, Wisconsin. He is a dear friend of mine who has taught me a great deal about theology. For years, he has kept up a column in the local newspaper seeking to answer the layman's question with sound theology. He has kindly given permission to reprint this article on Kirchenmusik. You can access more of his writing ("Words of Faith") on the church website.

What is the difference between worship and service?

This is an interesting question to consider in the midst of contemporary Christianity’s flirtation with all sorts of “stuff” which is labeled as worship. There is little worship of God going on in much of Christendom today. Much of what is popularly called worship is actually entertainment, Christian entertainment, but it is not worship.

The German Lutheran tradition has a word which clearly describes what worship is to be about. The word is “Gottesdienst.” It means, a time when God serves us. This meaning clearly relates to the Third Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” The Commandment means, “Remember the Day of Rest (Sabbath) and keep it set aside for God’s use (holy).” Worship is to be a time when we stop our activities and let God work on us. Worship is a time when people rest and God works! This is “Gottesdienst.”

What happens in true worship? People recognize that they cannot save themselves. Worshippers recognize that they need God’s help and take time to let Him give them help through the hearing of His Word as it is sung and spoken in hymns and liturgy and through the reception of the Sacrament which is given for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. Worship is God centered in that the entire time centers upon humble sinners gratefully receiving God’s blessings through Word and Sacrament.

Too much of today’s “worship” is actually man centered. People leave church “feeling” good because they have been entertained. They have spent time singing certain songs which make them feel good. And when that is the highlight of “worship” they are the ones who have been worshipped and entertained and the experience in church has had little or nothing to do with God working on them. They have worked on themselves. This is a man-centered experience. Man has been served by man. It is not “worship.”

When the activities of worship have pointed us to God’s activity on our behalf we have worshipped. When that worship makes us “feel good” because we have sung a hymn which glorifies God and also makes us “feel good,” the secondary aspect of “feeling good” is not a problem. But when “feeling good” becomes the primary reason for assembling in a church, we do not have worship of God, we do not have God serving us, we have entertainment, the worship of and service to man.

Our service takes place once we leave worship. When we have been fed on Word and Sacrament, when God has strengthened our faith and our relationship with Him as we rested from our labor and let Him work on us, we proceed into the world and work for Him. Then we live out our holiness, the fact that we are set aside for His use (Ephesians 2:10). We serve Him by sharing the faith He has strengthened in worship. We service Him by caring for our fellow man in His name. We serve Him living as examples of redeemed sinners who are thankful for our cross-established salvation. Worship is only worship when God and His blessings for us are at the center of the activity.

When we bring ourselves, our activity, and our songs to the forefront in an activity at our place of worship, we have asked God to reward us for our actions. This is, in effect, asking God to worship man. It is a form of idolatry, a form that is rampant in the church today.

Think about what you do when you worship. God must always be at the center. He must get the glory. We are to be at the receiving end of everything. And once we receive from God, then we serve Him Who has given us everything.

Defense of Proper Education for Those Who Minister in the Church, Part I

A saying popular among evangelicals is that “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies those He calls.” Of course, no Biblical reference is given—because the teaching is not quite Biblical in its origin. I will not apologize for the assertion that if a man is not qualified, and does not seek to obtain proper qualifications for ministry, God has certainly not called that man. The man may not “feel” qualified, as Moses did not, and yet an objective observer can see that he was; indeed God had deliberately directed his life from its beginning so that he would be prepared for a specific role. Feelings, whether of adequacy or inferiority, have little bearing on reality.

Whenever I am disgusted by a poor preacher, I ask myself whether a man who cannot use his native language properly can understand the fine distinctions in doctrine that are so necessary to a proper teaching of the Word. “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing ye shall receive the greater condemnation.” We cannot embrace the teaching that “just anybody” can be a preacher.

The world stands in desperate need of Christian intellectuals; that is to say, men who stand “always ready” to give an answer to the objections of atheists and skeptics, to “give a reason for the hope that is in [them].” These are desperate days, and there is no room for an intellectually weak man who merely shovels out warm, fuzzy, highly subjective interpretations of scriptural texts. We need men who are willing to do the hard work and have sound answers ready for the tough questions.

The teaching of God’s Word must be held in high esteem and those who essay to teach it must be held highly accountable for their handling. The Word must be understood in its original intent, its absolutely objective meaning; must be handled seriously as a historic document inspired by a Holy God. It is a serious undertaking that requires the best linguistic and research skills developed by human civilization. Any careless, lighthearted approach is an insult to our God and the Christian faith, not to say damaging to Christ’s beloved flock.

Remember Christ’s test of Peter’s love for Him: “If you love Me, feed my sheep.” Sheep were not merely bumbling, clumsy creatures; they were and are the main form of wealth in the Middle East. When Christ calls his people sheep, He implies that they are precious to him in the same way sheep were valuable to their owners. We cannot make the mistake of thinking that any old fodder will do for these sheep. We may be sure that “hirelings” will give account to Christ along with the faithful pastors.