Quo Vadis? part 2

Here it comes.

I posted an inquiry last week, Quo Vadis? Where do we go from here? How do we apply Pastor Hartland’s [hereafter PH] message from 1 Corinthians 9. I haven’t forgotten about it. I’ve been listening. Read on...

Note: I’m quite sure PH also embraces other principles from 1 Corinthians that inform how we do public worship. Chapter 14 speaks of doing all we do in an orderly (intentional) way, and so that it builds up the brothers and sisters. Our gatherings, then, are gatherings of saints. Our primary focus is on the church. But unbelievers are assumed present (so in ch. 14). And we ought to assume the same for us. Further, I know he embraces what we call the Regulative Principle for the church – doing what God directs us to do rather than innovating our way through worship. In other words, I don’t think PH has in mind some unwitting adopt-whatever-you-can-imagine kind of approach. Rather, I want to take his words at face value. Given all that we know about public worship from God’s Word, what can we do to adapt to the various peoples in the Owensboro area? (Continue to re-read that last sentence until you really understand the task before us.)

How are we going to apply this adaptive principle to our own church? If one were in a church plant (whether here or anywhere else), it would be far easier to craft a musical ‘center’ in touch with local culture. You could start from scratch without the resistance/friction of ‘how we’ve always done it.’

I’m taking the liberty, though, of thinking through how it applies specifically to HBC/Owensboro. HBC has a long history. We already have a ‘musical center.’ Our music already has a certain sound/style. The people who make up the HBC congregation already have well-developed expectations what our music sounds like. Like the music or not, they know what they’re going to hear this Lord’s Day. Believe me -- when I stray too far from ‘center,’ I definitely will hear about it!

So what changes should we continue to make? What further direction shall we take? What musical model (if any) should we follow? Should we go the route of RiverCity Church, or the contemporary service at 1st Baptist Church, or what Bellevue Baptist Church does or some other congregation? If, on the other hand, we should keep to a unique path, then how do we adapt? This question is appropriate, I think, not only to our music, but also everything else we do. Is wearing ties, for instance, the right message we want to send? What about hymnals in the pew? A large pulpit? We could go on.

Pastor Hartland said, “Bury my preferences!” Good counsel. In my experience, however, even the most seasoned saints have a hard time escaping their own preferences. So much, you see, interferes with our applying it this adaptive principle thoroughly at HBC. I do not say that we aren’t trying. But there are dispositions (deeply held) that keep us from adapting well to our culture. For instance, I think the human resistance to change is always an issue. None of us likes change – especially in music. We know from music education and the discoveries neuroscience has made that music choices are strongly imprinted by the time one hits high school. It’s not that adults can’t change. But now it becomes difficult. And in my experience, few ever do. By analogy, you might think about learning a foreign language. You can do so as an adult, but with much more difficulty than the 4 year old. And you’ll probably always speak that 2nd language with an accent.

So if you didn’t like orchestra-concert music (i.e., “classical”) when you were 15-18, or weren’t seriously exposed to it at least, you are not likely to enjoy it as an adult. I don’t say it can’t happen. But it would take some effort. You’ll have to intentionally learn how to listen to Brahms (a good thing, I think!). So if your musical tastes were shaped on the anvil of whatever was popular when you were a teen-ager, you certainly will find it strange to hear a group of people singing their way through a blue book with lots of old music in it (i.e., the Trinity Hymnal). You’ll wonder at the strange language they sing in (“thee,” “thou,” “thy”). I’m not saying you can’t learn and adapt. Many have. As a pastor, I used to counsel young Christians this way. “Pay attention to the words. You’ll catch onto the music later.” Yes, I really said that!

On the other hand, if your musical background didn’t enjoy popular music, then you may not appreciate Chris Tomlin either. And if your Christian musical experience has largely consisted of 19th century hymn tunes – for years and years, reinforced with the notion that only this music is really God-centered – can you see how listening to Jars of Clay might not be so edifying?

Personal testimony: That’s who I was! I’m a classically-trained musician. I went to Bob Jones University. Getting the picture? I remember the first time I heard Jars of Clay. I told my daughter, “They should screw the lid back on that jar!” I have a confession to make: I really don’t like most popular music. There – I said it. I don’t listen to it on the radio, I don’t download it through iTunes. You know what my preference is? I really like Dvorak (say it “vor-zhak,” not “duh-vor-zhak”). Mozart makes my day. I find string quartets incredibly fascinating. I love the sound of choirs singing ancient literature.

That’s my deepest preference. It’s what I listen to when I’m alone. But it’s not all I listen to. I’ve had to develop a broad taste, to learn to enjoy many kinds of music. I also get into good, tight jazz. And I’ve even learned to appreciate (even be edified!) by drums and electric guitars and loud music. Is it my music, in that most deeply personal sense? No. But I have learned to understand it, to appreciate it, and, at some level, to enjoy it. I know so many brothers and sisters in Jesus who really connect through a loud, contemporary sound. Because I love them, I can embrace their music style, too.

What are we doing now to adapt? How far have we come?

1. …vigorous efforts to modernize our hymn heritage

I update the language of our hymns whenever possible (to the consternation of some – and I am sorry about that). A few weeks ago we sang “Our God our help in ages past.” I think every stanza was touched at some point. Consider this change:

Time like an ever rolling stream

will bear us all away;

We pass forgotten as a dream

dies with the dawning day.

Now compare it with the original.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream

bears all its sons away;

They fly, forgotten as a dream

dies at the opening day.

Not a radical change, to be sure – but enough to make it sound current. Then we added insult to injury by putting in a bridge between stanzas of the hymn. Why mess with the hymns, you ask? Why can’t I just leave well enough alone? Because we’re trying to adapt. You may not like what comes out of the oven, but know that I make these changes in order to preserve this wonderful heritage of great hymns.

2. …new tunes given to old hymns

We’ve learned several this last year. The next song we learn, by the way, will be a new tune to the hymn, “O the deep, deep love of Jesus.” This is where folks like Indelible Grace, Red Mountain Church, RUF, and Caedmon’s Call are so helpful to us. Again, you may prefer “Rock of Ages” set to the 19th century American frontier tune familiar to most of us. I understand and respect that you really like that old tune. In order to adapt, however, I choose a recent tune – and we sang it recently.

3. …learning new hymns, written in our own heart-language

I’m thinking here of James Boice, Timothy Dudley-Smith, Margaret Clarkson, D.A. Carson, and others. Usually these are just the hymns (words); I have to find tunes we already know to fit to them.
I’ll put the Gettys and Stuart Townend in this same category – except that their hymns also come with new tunes! Their songs seem to be cross-generational. They have wide appeal. I am so thankful to the Lord for their ministries. What a blessing Townend’s Psalm 62 has been to us recently!

4. …singing some contemporary Christian music

We sing Sovereign Grace, Redman, Tomlin, Baloche, Michael W. Smith, Hillsong and others. While we also sing some “praise” music from the 80’s, for the most part I try to keep our repertoire current. And while we have a ‘praise band,’ it is acoustic, not electric. The piano plays a prominent role. Hand drums make our percussion section. In other words, while we sing current songs, our sound is different than you’ll hear on a CD. (While I’m out here on this tree limb sawing away, let me say that I would love to have a drum set – whether acoustic or synth. It doesn’t have to be ear-splitting.)

What other changes ought we make? That will come in part 3.