Area Reformation Service

SERMON - The Golden Gift of Music in the Service of the Gospel

INI

Part I: Setting

What was that all about? What are those echoes of organ and voice doing in this building? And why are those books in the racks of the pews filled with musical notes? Why are they not simply books of biblically-based poetry, designed to be read by the assembly in unison? In other words, why does so much of our Christian expression – especially that of our corporate worship – involve music?

It’s quite a challenge to define and describe the role of music in the life of the church without either overstating or understating the magnitude of this gift.

It would be very easy to overstate the case for music in the life of Christians, as though it were spiritually more powerful than it is. We all know what it is like, after all, to be lifted to an emotional high by the sound of a soaring soprano descant or a stirring harmonic progression. I’m sure most of us would prefer to sing, rather than just recite, “For All the Saints” as we mark the end of a Christian’s earthly journey, just as most would prefer to sing, rather than just recite, “Abide With Me” as we come to the end of a day — even though those texts are perfectly capable of standing on their own as eloquent expressions of faith.

Why? Because the music does something. It makes a difference. It affects us very directly.

But that’s not to say that music can convert. It can’t. A sequence of musical notes, no matter how stirring, no matter how powerful, no matter how beautiful, can’t change a heart of stone into a heart of flesh nor transform spiritual darkness into spiritual light. That, we know, can be accomplished only through the Gospel. Faith comes by hearing…but not by the hearing of impressive polyphonic textures or gently soothing melodies. A piece of music can inspire, but it cannot save. A piece of music can temporarily lift one’s spirit, but it cannot rescue a soul. It cannot bring someone to faith in Christ. That kind of faith “comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” Only the Gospel can bring to life a soul that is dead in sin. Only the message of Christ crucified and raised can lift us to the heights of heavenly joy. And so we want to be careful not to ascribe to music too much in the realm of things spiritual.

At the same time, we don’t want to minimize or downplay any of the wonder and power that is properly ascribed to music. For music, with all of its amazing ways of affecting our minds and moods, is part of God’s creation. And God Himself is the one who gives to music a place of remarkable prominence in the Scriptures. The Old and New Testaments both resound with the Lord’s own directive to sing (not just speak) His praise and to make a joyful noise (not just a whisper) to the Lord.

So how does a person properly describe or define the relationship between God’s saving Word and God’s gift of music? In the way that the psalmist did in the first four verses of Psalm 92:

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound. For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your works; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.” (Psalm 92:1-4 NKJV)

It is the Holy Spirit Himself, speaking through the psalmist, that links the Word of God to music. The very One who reveals the fact that only the Gospel can create and sustain faith is the One who directs us, nevertheless, to attach musical notes to that word of God. He is the One who wants to see music and God’s Word joined — in a way not so dissimilar, perhaps, from something in most of the pews here this afternoon. I invite you to consider, as an illustration of this phenomenon, that very special item which is likely being worn by the married woman who might be in your pew: her diamond wedding ring.

The Lord speaks of all Christians (the Church), after all, as His bride. And the most valuable item He’s given to His bride is the brilliant jewel of His Gospel. It is the hardest substance in the realm of things spiritual. It is the solid rock that endures forever. It is that which alone can cut to the very core of the human heart and expose it to the light of life. And it is that which the Lord wants most prominently displayed by His bride.

I like to think of music, therefore, as the gold which God has given as a setting for the diamond of His Gospel. Gold is not as sharp, resilient or brilliant as a diamond, even as music is not as sharp, resilient or brilliant as God’s Word. But just as gold serves as a setting for a diamond, so also does music serve as a setting for the Gospel.

This is something of which Martin Luther, the great reformer, was well aware. He recognized the divinely orchestrated harmony which exists between music and the Gospel and he championed the use of music in the service of God’s Word.

One of his most succinct statements on the subject is this: “I place music next to theology and give it the highest praise.” (Plass 3091)

Luther understood the important role music is to play in the Christian life without attributing to it the same power which only the Gospel possesses. Notice how the word “almost” keeps things in balance in another statement that he made: “I firmly believe, nor am I ashamed to assert, that next to theology no art is equal to music; for it is the only one, except theology, which is able to give a quiet and happy mind. This is manifestly proved by the fact that the devil, the author of depressing care and distressing disturbances, almost flees from the sound of music as he does from the word of theology.” (Plass 3104)

It appears that Luther readily recognized and appreciated the beneficial ways in which music does affect our emotions, but did so without slipping into the desire for a type of extreme emotionalism that was sought by other religious figures of his time. “Experience testifies that, after the Word of God, music alone deserves to be celebrated as mistress and queen of the emotions of the human heart…A greater praise of music than this we cannot conceive. For if you want to revive the sad, startle the jovial, encourage the despairing, humble the conceited, pacify the raving, mollify the hate-filled — and who is able to enumerate all the lords of the human heart, I mean the emotions of the heart and the urges which incite a man to all virtues and vices? — what can you find that is more efficacious than music?” (Plass 3103)

“Music,” he said, is “queen of the emotions of the heart.” Since Luther viewed music as the artform which has the greatest power over human emotions, he saw it as the perfect companion to the Word of God, which has the greatest power over the human heart. “The Holy Spirit Himself honors [music] as an instrument of His specific office when He testifies in His Holy Scriptures that His gifts came upon the prophets through its use, that is, the impulse…toward all virtues, as is seen in the case of Elijah; again, that its use drives out Satan, that is, the power which impels toward all vices, as the case of Saul, king of Israel, shows. Not in vain, therefore, do the fathers and the prophets want nothing more intimately linked to the Word of God than music. From this arise so many hymns and psalms, in which the message and the (singing) voice act upon the heart of the hearer at the same time…” (Plass 3103)

Echoing the psalmist who said, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name,” Dr. Luther was quick to adorn the Gospel of God’s grace with God’s gift of song. And the church of the Reformation has perpetuated that proper perspective, using somber sounds when singing of our depraved condition, reflective melodies for our Savior’s death, joyous strains for His triumphant resurrection, and victorious peals for His ascension to heaven’s highest throne. “For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your works; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.”

Part II: Securing

The relationship between the Gospel and music. It’s similar to the relationship between a diamond and gold. And as this analogy is further developed I’d like you to consider the shape that is typically given to such gold.

The shape commonly given such gold is the shape of a ring. And the purpose for the shape of the ring, of course, is to keep the diamond secure and close to one’s hand. The gold band keeps the diamond from getting away. And in this respect also, one might see a similarity between the gold of a diamond ring and the music of the Christian church.

A song that is linked to the Gospel can help keep that Gospel close to a Christian because of the unique sticking power of music. This ability of music to stick in one’s memory and bring to mind a certain set of words is something which is readily recognized even outside of the Church, especially in the business world. Think, for a moment, about the frequency of music in advertisements. Advertisers deliberately use music in their commercials because of its ability to establish itself in one’s memory bank and then to rehearse in one’s head some type of sale’s pitch or slogan. Music, and the words attached to it, stick…for better or for worse.

Both proponents of the Gospel and opponents of the Gospel are aware of the ability of music to rehearse certain words and ideas in one’s head. And for centuries both groups have enlisted music in the pursuit of their goals. Not so long after the apostles were off the scene those who promoted a heresy known as Gnosticism produced an entire psalter which was designed to promote their false teachings, hoping to get their heretical ideas into the heads of the people through the singing of the manipulated texts. And in our own time, of course, there are countless examples of songs which are deliberately intended to spread error concerning the kingdom of Christ and promote, instead, a plethora of demonic ideas.

Conversely, those who are true to the Lord have also brought music to the fore in their frontal attack on the forces of evil. We have in our hymnals today hymns written by Ambrose of the 4th century which keep close to the singer and the listener concrete summaries of the Lord’s person and work. And theologically solid hymns continue to be penned today in impressive numbers, hymns which teach and admonish — as directed by the apostle Paul in Colossians:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Col. 3:16 NKJV)

In both Colossians and Ephesians Paul establishes this link between the use of Christian music and the activity of teaching and admonishing. And part of his thought might have been this, that by making great use of great hymnody, one is building up in the mind of a Christian a rich resource which can strengthen faith at any time. The more one is filled with these melodies the more the scriptural texts attached to them will come to the fore, feeding and nourishing the soul.

Another part of the thought in Paul’s Colossian directive appears to be this, that the songs we use as a group of Christians should contain the word of Christ “richly.”

Sad to say, there are many in Christian circles today who take a blade to the full and beautiful diamond of God’s Word when they link it to music. Out of a feebly-based concern that they might not appeal to popular tastes or may include something that challenges spiritual complacency, they chip away at the message until they reduce the full council of God to a partial reflection of itself. But that’s not what Paul had in mind. He wants all that God says to be sung. He wants words that teach the many wonderful doctrines of Scripture (whether or not they conform to popular tastes) and words that admonish (whether or not the masses have any interest in admonition). He wants the full diamond of God’s Word to be kept close to our hearts through the instilling singing of Christian song.

Mindful of this, Luther and the Reformers were determined to clear the church’s song of all that was contrary to Scripture and to link God’s Word with the best of music.

“They do indeed possess many admirable, fine musical compositions and songs, especially in the cathedral and parish churches. But they have adorned them with many foul, idolatrous texts. Therefore we have removed these idolatrous, dead, and nonsensical texts, have divested them of the fine music, and have used this for the living, holy Word of God, to sing, to praise, to glorify therewith, so that this fine ornament of music might be put to proper use and serve its dear Creator and His Christians, that He might be praised and glorified and that we might be bettered and strengthened in the faith through His holy Word, driven into the heart with sweet song.” (Plass 3096)

By regularly using music which is linked to solid, sound and substantive words [that is to say, by regularly using musically–set psalms, theologically rich hymns and spiritual songs that actually say something significant] we can help keep the Gospel close to Christian souls. Just as the gold band keeps the diamond safely close to the bride, so also does good Christian music serve to keep God’s Word close to home and close to heart.

Part III: Shining

The gold in a wedding ring does even more, however, than simply keep a diamond close to its owner. It can have an effect on someone other than the owner. For the polished, precious metal can also catch the eye of others. In fact, it’s designed to do so.

The gold is never as dazzling as the diamond, of course. Similarly, music can never rise to the brilliance of the Gospel. But the gold of a ring does have attention-grabbing power - as does music.

One of the most interesting biblical accounts involving music takes place in jail, of all places. In the book of Acts we’re told that Paul and Silas were on one of their great missionary journeys. And, as was so often the case, they were dealt with harshly for their confession of Christ. They were cruelly thrown into prison, beaten, battered, and abused. It was a situation to which most people would respond with agitation, grumbling and complaining. But Paul and Silas did something quite different.

Luke tells us that “at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:25, NKJV)

Why does the Holy Spirit share with us the fact that they were singing? Is it possibly because the element of music was responsible, in part, for grabbing the attention of the fellow prisoners? We’re told that the other prisoners were listening. It is true, and even likely, that they would have been listening to these evangelists even if they had only been speaking about God in their cell. But it seems just as probable that there was also something ear-catching about the music which prompted them to listen in, at which time they then heard the great message of Christ crucified.

At least that seems to be another way in which the Spirit has chosen to use this precious gift called music. I’m quite confident that it would not be an overstatement to say that, over the centuries, thousands upon thousands of people have been brought into contact with the Gospel because they were drawn to the sound of Christian music. And there are plenty of modern-day examples to support such a premise.

Think of the frequency, for example, with which masses of people during the Christmas shopping season hear “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” over the sound systems in malls and stores, and who hear, as a result, the great message that God and sinners have been reconciled.

Or consider something else which I’ve found to be quite fascinating. This past summer I became aware of a conductor by the name of Masaaki Suzuki and his ensemble called the Bach Collegium of Japan. Fascinating. Right from the start something just doesn’t sound quite right about a musical group which has in its name “Bach” and “Japan.” But not only does the group exist; it is regarded as one of the best (if not the best) group of musicians performing the music of Bach today.

It turns out that Masaaki Suzuki is a Christian who is very forthright about his faith in Jesus and who sees his world-renowned position as one through which he can proclaim the Gospel. And the music which Bach attached to the Gospel is a tool which aids him in his desire to extend that Gospel message to others. The following is an excerpt from an article posted on the website of Christianity Today. The interviewer writes about some performances of Bach’s St. Matthew passion conducted by the Japanese maestro:

“During Holy Week, Suzuki’s performances of the St. Matthew Passion are always sold out, although tickets cost more than $600. After each concert, members of the audience crowd Suzuki on the podium asking him about the Christian concept of hope and about death, a topic normally taboo in polite Japanese society. ‘I am spreading Bach’s message, which is a biblical one,’ Suzuki told me.”

As already stated, musical notes cannot convert to the Christian faith. But they can and do grab the attention of people who then hear the message of Christ along with the music. Isn’t that account from Japan a pleasant one to envision? Throngs who come for the purpose of hearing great music end up hearing an even greater message. Their interest in music brings them into contact with the Word of God. And isn’t that enough of a reason right there to join the reformers, such as Luther, in giving music the level of attention it deserves? Isn’t that enough of a reason to dedicate, as a group of believers, a significant amount of time, energy and resources to the development of musical skills in our midst? The benefits are too numerous, the opportunities too grand not to put this amazing gift of God into full use. It easily happens, of course, that we become distracted by the priorities of the world and emphasize activities and programs which have only peripheral attachments to the Gospel, at best. Let’s, instead, be true inheritors of the Reformation in this regard also, that we give proper place to the golden gift that is music.

“That it is good and pleasing to God to sing spiritual songs is, I think, not hidden to any Christian. Everyone is acquainted not only with the example of the kings and prophets of the Old Testament (who praised God with singing and playing, with poetry and all kinds of string music) but also with the common use of music, especially the singing of psalms, in Christendom from the very beginning. St. Paul, too, instituted this in I Cor. 14:15 and bids the Colossians (3:16) heartily to sing spiritual songs and psalms unto the Lord in order that thereby God’s Word and Christian doctrine might be used and practiced in diverse ways…

“I greatly desire that youth, which, after all, should and must be trained in music and other proper arts, might have something whereby it might be weaned from the love ballads and the sex songs and, instead of these, learn something beneficial and take up the good with relish, as befits youth. Nor am I at all of the opinion that all the arts are to be overthrown and cast aside by the Gospel, as some superspiritual people protest; but I would gladly see all the arts, especially music, in the service of Him who has given and created them.” (Plass, 3095)

As Lutherans we are part of that which has been called “the singing church.” And with good reason. We recognize music to be a remarkable gift of God, remarkably well suited to accompany the Gospel. And as such, we recognize it to be an element in our ministry which can help keep the Gospel close to those who already believe it, and perhaps even catch the ear of those who don’t.

May our lives and worship—rather, our lives of worship—ring with thanks and praise for all that our gracious God has done. “Come, let us sing unto the Lord.” Let us make music, and let us make the most of music until we join the heavenly choir in singing our Savior’s praises.

—Professor John C. Reim