Chuck Wood on music

Most of us have “monsters” in our lives, and most of those ugly giants are of our own making. The monster about which I speak is the monster of music. That’s right; I consider music to be a monster in many segments of conservative evangelicalism and fundamentalism. In my opinion, music has been allowed to grow in importance all out of proportion to its Biblical role, and it has been given a priority and prominence of which it is simply undeserving. Consider the following.


Music has been allowed to become bigger than doctrine or theology. There is no cogent theology of music. It is at best a sub-point under a sub-point under the general heading of ecclesiology, but it is often allowed to trump theology. It has been said that one can easily determine the doctrinal and/or theological position of a church or group of churches by their music. The only problem with this assertion is that it is not true. If it were, then the Seventh Day Adventists and the more liturgical element of major liberal main-line denominations would be the most theologically correct as they are among the very most conservative in music (at least in this geographic area).



Someone else has said, “Once the music is gone, everything is gone.” In order for that statement even to make sense, it is necessary to do some serious parsing of the word “gone” and the words “everything else.” Without such definitions and delineations, the statement itself is rather silly. If there are those in a congregation who raise hands in praise, if there is clapping with any of the songs, or if there is applause at the close of a musical presentation, there is an automatic assumption on the part of many - accompanied by dogmatic statements - that the church is charismatic.



Surely, music does tend to reflect or even express theology, and those who use contemporary music would be well advised to constantly examine the music used to be sure it coincides with the theology of the church. Music, however, should be judged by theology and not the other way around as is so often the case. When something in Christianity becomes more important or definitive than theology, to my way of thinking, it has taken a giant step toward becoming a monster.


Then there is the issue of music as more important than preaching. Thoughtless statements such as “shallow music equals shallow preaching,” can readily be dismissed. The tendency to rank music above preaching in general, however, cannot so easily be shoved under the rug. I know of many people who endure mediocre preaching (by their own admission) because they are comfortable with the music. I know of others who have swapped solid, Biblically-based Bible teaching for the comfort of traditional music. I know of no place in Scripture where it says that it pleased God by the foolishness of music to win people to Christ. I am also not aware of any injunction that says, “Do correct music, be instant in season, out of season....” When music is allowed to determine the level of preaching that we place ourselves under, it has - to me at least - become a monster.


Somehow evangelism gets involved as well. I asked this question several years ago: if you knew that by changing your music somewhat, you could see many people saved, baptized, part of you church and discipled, would you do so? Most of the answers I received were negative, indicating to at least some degree that to many, “correct” music was more important than winning people to Christ. Some KJO adherents maintain that one can’t be saved unless the King James Bible is used in the process. Most of us would reject that as foolishness (although it is consistent with a thorough-going KJO position). There are those who reject that idea, however, who would come very close to maintaining that one is highly unlikely to be saved and can’t ever be properly discipled in a church where the music is not “correct.”



Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. He didn’t come to straighten out people’s music. If adherence to traditional music is keeping churches from winning people to Christ, then the “monster” status of music is exponentially increased. Careful! I’m not arguing for “any new thing” in regard to music. I’m simply stating that winning the lost is more important than quibbling over music.


Then there is the issue of ministry and service. I want to be in a place where I can minister and be used of the Lord within the confines of my abilities. At seventy-five I believe I am able to make significant contributions to my local church (and I sincerely try to do so). I want to be in a place where there is vital, vibrant, challenging ministry taking place. I love the music of our church, but if I did not, I would be very, very hesitant to sacrifice opportunities to serve for the comfort of sitting in a church where my emotions were weekly soothed by music with which I was comfortably at ease. I know there are churches with “correct” music that are vibrant and ministry-oriented, but my concern is with those who place musical “correctness” ahead of being in a place where they can be used of the Lord.


Christian community does (or certainly ought to) play a part in our Christian life and development. This is just a personal preference, but I want to be in a place where there are lots of young people, where there are younger couples and those approaching and in middle-age who need a positive example of what the Christian life should be like at the various stages of life (and of how important it is to grow older as if “every day with Jesus” really were sweeter than the day before). I want to find my place in a fellowship where there is a wide divergence of age, race, class, etc., not in a place where a bunch of people my own age get together each week to be made comfortable by traditional music, informational preaching, and the “fellowship of the faints.” When music gets in the way of being part of a Christian community that can stimulate my growth, then I think it has reached monster status.


Then there is the area of unity within the body,. We are enjoined by Paul to endeavor to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Music has likely caused more violation of that injunction than about anything in the church today. I may not like your music, and you may not like mine, but we are brothers and sisters in Christ who will spend eternity together. To me, allowing music to divide us here on earth is another instance of the monster-status the subject has been allowed to gain.


These are just some concerns about areas in which music has been allowed to take on an importance all out of proportion to the role it is assigned in Scripture. I am sure there are many other concerns that could be voiced. In fairness, however, the “music monster” is somewhat diminished by the fact that many people use it as an excuse when it really is either none or very little of their actual problem. It is far easier to say, “We didn’t like the music.” than it is to say, “We didn’t get our own way,” when walking out the door. It is also easier to blame music than the reality that the preaching is getting a little too close to where we live to suit us. Thus, I think music gets some undeserved blame for other problems and may not be quite a big a blimp as it appears in the sky.


Having said all that, what can we do to reign in this monster of our own creation? I have no easy solutions, but I believe the best place to begin is with the recognition and admission that there is a problem. It would also be helpful if there could be a recognition on the part of many traditionalists that one can enjoy and employ some forms of contemporary Christian music without being involved in the rock culture. The fact that I enjoy Praise and Worship does not mean that I would be comfortable in a “rock around the clock” church setting. I most certainly would not. The musical world isn’t any more black and white than any other sin-tainted area, and assertions to the contrary do nothing to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”


Excuse me for rocking the boat, but I don’t believe music is the “be-all” and “end-all” of Christianity. I believe it is one aspect of Christianity, one area of what constitutes a “good” church, and even just a single element of worship (a rather multi-faceted subject). Were I to find myself seeking a church home in the future (God forbid!), I would take a careful look at the entirety of the ministry. Music would be one of many criteria in my consideration, but it would be far from first on my list of priorities. I think I could put up with some pretty bad (to my tastes) music in order to hear good, solid, clear Biblical exposition and proclamation with solid application.


You are absolutely entitled to your own views on this subject, but when music becomes more important than theology, preaching, evangelism, ministry, service, and unity, it has become a monster in my mind. Again, the actual practice of some of the “Baptist distinctives” that so many profess to maintain, would go a long way toward helping to rein-in the monster. The sufficiency of Scripture, the individual priesthood of the believer, the autonomy of the local church and that long-forgotten idea of individual soul liberty would go a long way toward returning a monster to its proper place and size. [I know that many of my readers know more about this subject than I, but I am just old enough, experienced enough, stubborn enough and convinced enough by lengthy study that you really are highly unlikely to change my mind. Let’s just leave it there! OK?] - Dr. Chuck Wood

Comment: from Warren Vanhetloo in Cogitations - an email ministry of Dr. Warren Vanhetloo, a retired theology professor who served 43 years, at Central Baptist Seminary and Calvary Baptist Seminary, presently living in Holland MI.