Again I find myself wrestling with the role of music in context to our Christian gatherings. As I am doing some prep work for an upcoming worship segment the question floats through my mind.
What is this for?
What do I hope will arise from this experience?
I have partial answers to these questions but what intrigues me more is the question that has emerged from answers….why does the “Church” need song writers and vocal artists to sing the songs?
I study the Psalms a lot. It’s no wonder that I find my poetic self there often. They are poetic in nature. So many Psalms reflect the soul of one who goes from one extreme to another, extreme jubilation to deep sorrow, and righteous valor to humble brokenness.
Which one of us doesn’t fit on anyone of these spectrums?
They give permission for us to be human. They allow us the opportunity to move from being solely cognitive to a soulful being.
The place where emotional and spiritual waters mix.
Jesus told us that “God is Spirit” and that we need to worship Him in “spirit and truth” (John 4:24f). Clearly He knows more than we do about ourselves. He knows that we are not only grey matter with bone and skin. We have emotions, impressions, dreams, ideas, wounded-ness, flaws and insecurities that drive, mold, impact, impede, corrupt, correct and coheres our actions, thoughts and behaviors. We are more than flesh. The way to these irrefutable parts of our existence is through the spirit.
It makes sense to me that God would want to utilize vocal artists and songwriters to help move people spiritually to that afore mentioned place where emotional and spiritual waters mix.
Not just to stir the water….but to cleanse it.
We need singers to sing the songs the writers write to help lead us to the place where God’s Spirit mingles with our own and we soak in the presence of Almighty God.
There He penetrates us powerfully and yet so subtly so that we can become holy.
Holiness is the most extravagant and gracious gift God affords us because it brings us to Him.
So let the music play. Let the Church realize the gift music brings to her.
For it indeed is an invitation from God Himself.
