Music to our ears !
Writing a review of Beethoven’s fifth symphony soon after it was first performed, a critic wrote, ‘I would say that this does not belong to the art which I am in the habit of considering music.’ Today there may be many who wouldn’t choose to listen to the 5th symphony by choice, but nobody can argue that it has become one of the great classics.
Music in all of its different guises is a hugely controversial topic, and music in Church is no different. It is without doubt one of the most talked about issues with all kinds of different opinions being offered.
My father was for many years a Church organist and any organist will know that they are so often the target of mutterings and occasionally discontent. Similarly any member of the clergy who suggests any sort of change to music also sets themselves up as a great target to be shot at.
The fact is that there is a huge variety of tastes, and somehow we have to mould them all together in a careful balancing act. This evening we are dedicating some new hymn books to be used in the Church – we have received many kind donations, but I am sure that some are still asking why we need to change the hymn books.
The answer to that is that the world, our community and people all around us are constantly changing, and whether we like it or not, the Church must change, not its message, but occasionally its practices, in order to remain relevant.
The new hymn books give a great balance as well of old favourite hymns, and some newer popular hymns, and these I have no doubt will enhance our worship over the coming months and years.
And so with hymns in our mind I want to think briefly about music in general, and I want to begin by thinking about the negative aspects of music. I am told that back in the 1950’s and 60’s many people saw rock music as the music of the devil, and there was certainly some things associated with the birth of rock music which did no credit to it, but recently I think we have seen a far more destructive and negative form of music.
Recently I took a funeral for a young man who had tragically committed suicide, and he and his friends had been heavily influenced by some Rap music – as I listened to some of the music to find out a bit more about their particular tastes, I heard words of hate, depression, misery, anger and a lack of love, and it struck me how far these qualities are from the ideals of Christianity.
As we prepare for Easter we prepare for the time of the greatest celebration and affirmation of the Christian year. A celebration because it is the time of Christ conquering death once and for all, but an affirmation of how much each one of us is loved by God.
And music rather than reflecting negativity and misery must be seen as a gift of God to be enjoyed, and as a tool for offering praise and worship to him. Johann Sebastian Bach said, "All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub."
He headed his compositions: "J.J." "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me."
He ended them "S.D.G." "Soli Dei gratia" which means "To God alone the praise."
And that must be our aim in worship but also in our lives. As I’ve said a lot of people moan about music in Church, some that it’s too old, some that it’s too modern and so on, but music by itself doesn’t make a Church and it certainly doesn’t make a Christian.
As we dedicate these new books we do so with a hope and with the confidence that they will help our worship and our praise, but we must also recognise that they will not build the Church by themselves, just as toilets won’t build a Church by themselves, or even a particular group of people, such as young people, won’t build a Church by themselves, or a change in worship styles or any of the other supposed quick fixes that people sometimes suggest.
These are all helpful things certainly, and things that we work towards and pray for, but what makes or breaks a Church ultimately is our lives, and our dependence and reliance on Jesus as our Saviour. I have mentioned the negative forms of music, and the particular concerns with some of the music and lyrics today but on a much lesser scale we can be the negative music through our words and through our actions if we’re not careful.
Everybody will have heard the well known phrase, ‘It was music to my ears’, and we can easily become the music of the world, music that is a joy to those who are keen to damage Christianity – the music of internal disputes, of competition between individuals or different Churches, the music of moaning and whining, or on the other hand, we can become the music of God – music that sounds out words of praise, of hope, of joy, of peace, of love… Music lived out through our lives.
The advice of Bach as he wrote his music is wonderful advice for us to follow – before we begin anything may we offer that little prayer, ‘Jesus help me’. And at the end of everything we do, let us offer it to God with those words, ‘To God alone the Praise.’ AMEN
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