Introduction
There is no denying the reality that churches like Elevation, Bethel, and Hillsong dominate the Christian music scene. With the rise of these churches and their bands, there is a growing debate among orthodox churches. Should we sing their music? This essay will continue under the presupposition that the reader understands the theological errors of each church; therefore, I will not beat a dead horse by revealing the heretical teachings of men like Furtick, Johnson, and Lentz. My desire is to give a balanced approach to the worship war that is taking place in many churches.
Is Music Prescribed?
To be clear, music itself is not worship, but rather it is the mode of worship. Whenever the worth of God is expressed, worship is taking place. Regardless of the mode of worship, the object of worship should remain the same. Humans are created to be worshippers, and every action is a mode of worship. Humans worship what they adore; therefore, the church should be characterize by worship/adoration of God. When a song does not clearly distinguish God as the object of worship, then it should be reconsidered.
Paul called on the Colossians to let the Word of Christ dwell in them. (Col. 3:16) The product of having the Word is singing. (Col. 3:16b) When we come together, we are to bring a song for the purpose of edifying one another. (1 Cor. 14:26) Paul admonishes the Ephesians to speak to each other in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and this is to be done while making a melody in their own heart. (Eph 5:19) This signifies corporate and private worship through song. Just like when the Word of Christ is in people, when people are filled with the Holy Spirit, they produce music. (Eph. 5:18-19) Hymns are cited all throughout the New Testament, and music is prevalent in the Old Testament. For example, consider the song of Moses and the song of Deborah. We have a whole book dedicated to poetry put to music. Song of Solomon is, by definition, a song. Again, all people worship something, all people are called to make God the object of their worship (Psa. 148), and God prescribes music as a mode of worship. With the reality that Music is prescribed established, now we can move on to how music should sound in the church
How Firm a Foundation
There are many approaches to how a church could conduct its services, but there is something that cannot be debated: the foundation. The foundation of any church service must be sound doctrine. Paul exhorted Timothy to avoid fables and endless genealogies, which are irrelevant discussions (1 Tim 1:4). These were apparently hot button issues within the church during Paul’s time. At the heart of this issue, there was an attack on sound doctrine. Judaizers opposed the Christian teachings, and Paul had to remind Timothy what the foundation should be. Timothy was to defend the sound doctrine of the church. Paul wrote, “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:”. (1 Tim 1:18-20) Jude reinforces this by calling on believers to contend for the faith. (Jude 3) Our faith is a product of the Word; therefore, it is foundational.
Timothy was to preach the Word because it was essential to ministry/life (2 Tim 3:16-4:2). As noted before, Paul charged the Colossians to let the word of Christ dwell in them, and as a result, praise would be produced (Col 3:14). The Word of God is fundamental when it comes to conducting worship. Every aspect of the service should point back to Scripture and its divine source. John Piper wrote in his book Expository Exultation that, “the ultimate goal of preaching is that the hearers will see and savor the beauty and worth of God through Scripture”. Although Piper was speaking about preaching, this is true for all elements of worship. With this in mind, we need to approach the worship war with the understanding that Scripture is the foundation of all worship. Scripture is where worship is prescribed and described; therefore, Scripture should dictate what we sing in worship. When a song contradicts the Word, then it must be refused.
True worship can only come from a position of understanding/adoration. We are to know the God we worship. Jesus took issue with the people who honored him with their lips, but their hearts were far from him. Worship is spiritual. Because God is spiritual in essence, we are to worship God in spirit, but also in truth. (Jhn. 4:24) True worship of God can only be done through the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person (Eph 5:19), and must be done in truth. God himself is truth (Jhn. 14:6); therefore, he is the source of all truth. This means that the foundation of true worship cannot be a falsehood. For example, a Hillsong song that speaks about creation evolving to praise God is not rooted in truth, and cannot be considered worship. When a song is not grounded in truth, then it is not of God.
This is where we arrive at the issue of these bands singing songs that are actually rooted in truth. I cannot deny that Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation have released songs that are theologically correct. This is in spite of their respective pastors shamelessly propagating heresy. God certainly uses crooked sticks to strike straight blows; therefore, we cannot deny truth just because of one who says it. There is a logical fallacy referred to as The Fallacy of Origin. This fallacy essentially states that a statement is false just because of its origin. Although it may pain orthodox Christians to admit when Elevation Worship is right, it is a logical fallacy to deny the truth of their message on the grounds of origin. When God spoke through a donkey, Balaam could not deny the message just because it came from an animal. (Num. 22) Throughout Scripture, we find examples of wicked kings saying profoundly holy things. Abraham was certain that the land of Gerar did not fear God, but was promptly rebuked by their pagan king for lying to him. (Gen. 20) With Scripture as our foundation, we cannot judge a song by its origin, but rather by its message/accuracy.
Can I Sing too?
It has already been established that Music is prescribed in a corporate setting. This means that I am called to sing with others. With this in mind, I want to take a moment to focus on the practical theology of music. If music is to be a corporate event in the church, then all should be able to participate. There has been a complaint against modern Christian music because it is simply too modern. I do believe that there are objective standards of what makes something beautiful; therefore, there should be a standard for how we conduct the style of our music. My concern with the music of Elevation, Bethel, and Hillsong is not that they are too modern, but rather that they are too complex. The beauty of most hymns is their simplicity.
I understand that this is a subjective issue, but I believe there is a hint of objectivity as well. Look out into the congregation on a given Sunday. Are they singing? Our first inclination may be to think that the congregation is too tired or they are just difficult people. I would like to raise the question of maybe these people just cannot keep up. Personally, I often find myself in this crowd. When a worship song becomes so complex, it begins to appear more as a performance rather than corporate worship. If the complexity of our worship music is leaving behind those who are less musically skilled, then we are no longer worshipping corporately.
How does this tie into the issue of the bands mentioned? From a quick glance, one can determine that the production value of many modern worship songs are high. Are they modern? Yes. Is that inherently a problem? Again, no. Does this high production value blur the lines between performance and corporate worship? Maybe. With the production value there comes an ability to have skilled musicians. With skilled musicians there are more complex songs being written. This, of course, is not a commodity that many churches have. So how do we keep up? Perhaps the people on stage are skilled, but where does that leave me? Unable to keep up and not singing.
I am not trying to make the point that complex music is inherently evil, but I do believe it creates a challenge for corporate worship. This is true for hymns and worship songs. I would be equally bothered by a hymn that is too complex for regular people to sing. When the complexity of your music is creating a disconnect between the stage and the pews, then your worship is not corporate.
When the Rocks Cry Out, What Will They Say about Me?
The discussion about whether or not we should sing the music of certain churches is important, but there is a deeper issue. When his people do not praise, God finds a way. As orthodox Christians, we must ask ourselves “ What are we doing to fix it?” If Music is to be Scriptural, then where are the Scriptural songs that we have written? If God is the object of worship, then what songs have we written to adore the God of the Bible (not the false god of the heretics). If music is to be corporate, then what have we done to return to a simplicity of worship for a 21st century audience. When people like Furtick or Johnson are heading up the churches that dominate the music we sing. When goats are writing the music that the sheep sing. When these things are happening, then it is damming evidence that God’s people have been silent. The rocks are crying out, the donkeys are speaking, the Abimelechs are rebuking us. So what do we do?
Our response should not be building a mighty fortress with our hymnals and only sticking to the tried and true. On the other hand, our response should not be neglecting underlying issues of who or what we are singing. God is creative, and has made man to be creative; therefore, I must wonder why orthodox Christians have been absent from the arts over the past century. Also, who is to say that as a congregation we cannot write our own hymns. I do not believe that the question is whether or not we should sing Elevation, Bethel, or Hillsong. I believe the real question is whether or not their songs are the best we can do? May we not sacrifice creativity for the convenience of letting the rocks cry out for us.
Suggested Reading:
Art and the Bible by Francis Schaefer
Early Christian Creeds and Hymns by Tony Costa