Today, we’ll be watching a video of various ministers discussing the role of Music in Worship. I came by this link via WWUTT Facebook status update. This video is the final part of a 5-part series entitled “The Family that Worships Together”. The series is made freely available online at the National Center for Family Integrated Churches (NCFIC) here.

The Family that Worships Together | Music in Worship

I’m providing a link to a version of this film uploaded to YouTube because it works better in this blogging format; however, the individual who uploaded the video attributed the work to Paul Washer, when it is actually produced by Scott T. Brown, the Director of NCFIC and an elder at Hope Baptist Church in Wake Forrest, NC. Paul Washer is in this video.

[youtube https://youtu.be/XeDQ58OXle8]

Intro: 0:00 – 11:50
Vain Repetition: 11:50 – 17:30
Mind and Emotion in Worship: 17:30 – 33:30

Scott T. Brown closes the video out by posing 8 questions we should ask ourselves when considering music in our worship service.

8 Questions to ask

1. Is the music emphasizing the teaching, or does the music become most prominent? Col 3:16-17
2. Does the music deliver accurate instructions?
3. Does the music come from a wrong motive? 1 Kings 1:26
4. Does the music worship the right God in the wrong way? (Nadab and Abihu?)
5. Does the music foster reverence? Malachi lame/blind sacrifices
6. Does the music foster holiness or sensuality? (style of the music, how it is lead, etc.)
7. Does the music foster orderliness? (1 Cor 14)
8. Does the music foster love? (summary of the Law)

Closing Thoughts

Some of the individuals in the video were pushing hard for the older hymns as a means for connecting to the church of yesteryear. We’ve addressed that notion here in a couple of posts. While I fully acknowledge the doctrinal focus of the older hymnals, there is still a need to modernize the accompaniment and even the language of the older hymns. When a church has to devote time to teaching what a song meant for those who spoke archaic forms of English, the time has come to either update the language of the song, or rewrite the song. If we can rightly move to Scriptures written in modern English (ESV, NASB, CEV, etc.) then we can certainly update the language of a song or a hymn. On all other points, I found myself in full agreement with this video presentation.

Psalm 150  (ESV) | Let Everything Praise the Lord

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens!
² Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!

³ Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
⁴ Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
⁵ Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!